College Football Capsules: Report: Reggie Bush to be stripped of Heisman
NEW YORK (AP) — Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday that 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush is expected to be stripped of the award by the end of the month
The former Southern Cal running back would become the first player in the 75-year history of the award to have the Heisman Trophy taken away. The report also said the award would be left vacant for '05.
The NCAA found major violations in USC's football program and levied serious sanctions against the school in June.
"I can tell you the Heisman Trophy trust has made no decision regarding the Reggie Bush situation," Robert Whalen, executive director of the Heisman Trophy Trust, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The website cited two anonymous sources close to the Heisman Trophy Trust, who say the group's investigation is almost complete and would agree with the NCAA's finding that Bush was ineligible during the '05 season.
Bush now plays for the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, who said Tuesday that they would have no comment on the report.
Typically, the Saints have declined comment on Bush's NCAA violations because they have no bearing on his pro career.
Team headquarters also were closed to reporters on Tuesday.
Bush's Los Angeles-based attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP.
Kelly: Prepping for Mich QB Denard tough
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame dealt with a mobile quarterback in beating Purdue last week. Now the Irish have a much bigger challenge: Stop Michigan's Denard Robinson, an even faster QB who keeps the ball and likes to run with it.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday there's a big difference between defending Purdue's Robert Marve, who could move in the pocket, and the speedy Robinson, who carried 29 times last week.
"They're setting up the run obviously for him," Kelly said. "You're running quarterback iso. We didn't have any of that with Marve," whose 23-yard run accounted for Purdue's only TD in the 23-12 loss. He was sacked four times.
In a 30-10 win over Connecticut, Robinson set a Michigan single-game record for total offense (383) and rushing (197) by a quarterback. He had a touchdown and also completed 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards with another score.
"I know there were a lot of questions about who the starting quarterback would be," Kelly said of Michigan's quarterback decision. "He's certainly put himself in position to end that speculation. He was a dual threat, he threw the ball extremely well. ... He threw it accurately, strong arm, and certainly (was) extremely elusive."
Kelly said finding someone from the scout team to emulate Robinson in practice this week will be difficult enough, although he has a few candidates he didn't name.
"I don't know that you ever can prepare for Denard Robinson at the same speed that he plays," Kelly said.
Kelly, who was at Cincinnati, and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, who was at West Virginia, are familiar with one other from their days in the Big East. They both run spread offenses and they both got their starts at small programs — Kelly at Grand Valley State and Rodriguez first at Salem (W.Va) and then Glenville State.
"I think it helps to have, when you step in a job like this, to have Division I experience, which we were both fortunate to do," Rodriguez said this week. "But I think, at least my experience, speaking for myself and I'm sure coach Kelly would tell you the same thing, it was invaluable coaching at the small school level because you get an appreciation for all of the stuff that you have to do running a college program."
Kelly said he and Rodriguez have something else in common — they share the same financial adviser (Mike Wilcox).
"Rich and I know each other, and I have respect for Rich for the work that he's done," Kelly said. "We don't get a chance to see each other in the offseason. We've both got young families that we're chasing around."
Rodriguez needs to win after back-to-back losing seasons in his first two years at Ann Arbor. A win in South Bend might relieve some of the pressure, at least for a week.
Kelly is being heralded as a savior after the Irish went 16-21 over the last three seasons and the win over Purdue has the Irish faithful buzzing. Go 2-0 and the place might go crazy, especially by beating Michigan. It could also help the future of the program as Kelly acknowledged Tuesday there will be recruits on campus to see the game this weekend.
"Getting a chance to be around a game-day atmosphere is the most important thing for these young men that are going to be making arguably the biggest decision of their lives," Kelly said.
Notes: Kelly said he plans to continue having the Irish come out for pregame warmups at home games through the student section in the stands. He also said his team might break out its green jerseys for a game against Army at Yankee Stadium. ... Injury update: LBs Darius Fleming and Prince Shembo are fine after experiencing cramping during Saturday's victory. S Jamoris Slaughter, who sprained an ankle, is scheduled to get out of a walking boot. His status for Saturday is undetermined.
-- Rick Gano
Jax State's Blanchard enjoying spotlight
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Coty Blanchard is a little overwhelmed.
After all, he's a freshman quarterback at Jacksonville State whose first college game ended with back-to-back electrifying plays that resulted in a huge upset of Mississippi. And, for Blanchard, an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter two days later.
"It's been crazy," Blanchard said minutes after his national TV debut on Monday. "I've watched that replay probably 1,000 times on YouTube, and it gets better every time. I look for something different every time I watch it."
There was plenty to see from the unlikely hero in both the biggest win in Jacksonville State history and the FCS program's biggest comeback.
First, Blanchard sprinted right on fourth-and-15 and hit Kevyn Cooper in the back of the end zone during the second overtime for a 30-yard touchdown.
"Running full-speed to the right and throwing a pass that hits the backline of the end zone at an arc — just look at it," Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe said.
It's a blur for Blanchard.
"I don't remember the pass," he said. "It all just kind of happened. I really don't remember anything about it but just seeing Coop and those guys sitting in front of the end zone and just throwing it up and giving them a chance."
When Jacksonville State then went for the two-point conversion and the 49-48 win, he hit Calvin Middleton under a heavy rush. It capped a 21-point comeback.
"It was supposed to be a little shovel screen and a pass option on the outside," Blanchard said. "Ole Miss defended it great. They sent two guys off the end. I kinda just stepped back and dumped it off to Calvin, and he did the rest."
They were the kind of plays that helped make Blanchard Alabama's Mr. Football and lead Cherokee County High School to its first Class 4A state title last season.
Like the 5-yard touchdown run with 26 seconds remaining to lift Cherokee County to the win in the championship game.
"He kept his poise so good, he was 4-for-4 passing and ran for the winning touchdown," recalled Cherokee County coach Tripp Curry.
Curry watched the Ole Miss game, and wasn't particularly surprised by any of Blanchard's plays.
"All those things, he did in high school, too," he said. "I watched a thing on TV about a month ago that said there's millions and millions of good athletes but the exceptional athletes are ones that thrive under pressure. That's what he does.
"When he's in the ball game everybody just feels like something good's about to happen and a lot of times it does."
That helps explain why Blanchard was in the game at the end instead of veteran Marques Ivory — who remains the starter.
"He's a playmaker," Crowe said. "He doesn't have to have it all work by the numbers for him to make a play. He's got a very, very unique skill-set for a quarterback.
"I don't know if I've ever seen quite the same package he's got. He's probably athletic enough to play wide receiver or corner here. He doesn't have a cannon, but he's got a big-time arm."
Fitting for a shortstop who was drafted in the 41st round by the Baltimore Orioles.
Blanchard verbally committed last August to play baseball for Mississippi State, but he wasn't convinced any of the bigger schools recruiting him for that sport would also let him play football. He had passed for 2,916 yards and 35 touchdowns and run for 1,161 yards and 20 more scores as a senior.
Crowe and Jacksonville State baseball coach Steve Case met with him and even showed him a schedule they had worked up to let him do just that. Crowe said Blanchard won't be with the football team in the spring.
The choice was made easier by the fact that his father, Fran, played football for the Gamecocks, and Blanchard grew up attending games at the northeast Alabama school 30 minutes from home.
"I have no doubt I picked the right place," Blanchard said.
Neither do the Gamecock fans. Jacksonville State's ticket office for extended hours Monday and had their biggest single-day sales in school history (1,500) and the online system got so many hits it shut down, athletic director Oval Jaynes said. He said the Gamecocks had sold 2,500 more tickets for Saturday's opener against Chattanooga before 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Not bad for a town of some 8,000 residents.
"Fans are so excited down here," Blanchard said. "They're ready to see what else we can do. Football fever, it's really catching on down here in Jacksonville."
-- John Zenor
Tulane bracing for an upset Ole Miss squad
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As he watched the climactic finish of Mississippi's stunning double-overtime loss to Jacksonville State, Tulane coach Bob Toledo had one of those moments that apparently wasn't fit for all audiences.
"I'd better not say what my reaction was," Toledo said, grinning, when asked about his first response to Ole Miss' 49-48 loss last Saturday.
Toledo said the last thing he wanted to see was the Rebels — his next opponent — blowing a 31-10 halftime lead to a team in the lower-level Football Championship Subdivision.
"From an emotional standpoint, when you lose that first game, particularly to a team that maybe you shouldn't have lost to, and you're ahead in the game — in control in the game — and then you lose it right at the end, that's very frustrating," Toledo said. "So they're going to want take it out on somebody and we're the next opponent.
"That concerns me, obviously, because they're big, they're strong, they're physical, they're well-coached, they're a good football team and they're not going to lose many games the rest of the year," Toledo continued. "It makes it very difficult for us now. It's hard to sneak up on them at this point."
Since Mississippi's loss, Rebels coach Houston Nutt has been talking about the need for his team to prove it can react well to being "hit in the stomach" and rid itself of "that sick feeling."
"Bottom line is that we didn't win Saturday, and this next game is the biggest game of the year," Nutt said.
So now Tulane finds itself bracing for a furious foe from the vaunted Southeastern Conference, even as the Green Wave seeks to iron out some concerns that arose from its own season opener last Thursday night.
Like Ole Miss, Tulane hosted an FCS team. Unlike the Rebels, Green Wave won, 27-21 over Southeastern Louisiana, but had to survive a last-minute comeback attempt by the Lions.
"Any time you play a first game, you really never know how your team is going to respond ... because you have so many new players," Toledo said. "Obviously, we have a lot of work to do."
Toledo was still annoyed about a pair of senseless, drive-extending offside penalties the Green Wave committed on Southeastern punts. Tulane was penalized nine times for 79 yards in all.
Other concerns included four sacks taken by quarterback Ryan Griffin, as well as a pair of turnovers on Griffin's fumble and interception.
Some mistakes were to be expected from a pretty young team. Tulane played nine true freshmen and four redshirt freshmen. And this is a program that hasn't won a lot in recently, having gone 9-27 in Toledo's first three years.
In essence, Tulane is the type of team the Rebels might have been more apt to overlook if not for their stunning collapse last weekend.
"They're definitely going to be angry," said Griffen, who recalled being "in shock" as he watched the end of Mississippi's last game at home with several teammates. "We were sitting there just like, 'There's no way Ole Miss is losing right now.' It was kind of like March Madness when you have one of those sleeper teams (in the NCAA basketball tournament) and they're just knocking down 3s and you're just sitting there like, 'Wow. I can't believe this is happening.'"
And yet, the fact that it did happen, while unsettling to Tulane in some respects, also gives the Green Wave hope that Ole Miss has some vulnerabilities to exploit.
As Griffen noted, "By them losing, we were able to see how they lost, and it helped us strategically in our game plan."
-- Brett Martel
Pitt tumbles out of Top 25 after losing to Utah
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitt learned very quickly about the cruelties of early season college football.
One week, you're one of the best teams in the country. The next week, you're just another unranked team trying to win a game and make an impression on the voters.
The Panthers, No. 15 in The Associated Press preseason poll, tumbled out of the Top 25 on Tuesday in the aftermath of their 27-24 overtime loss to No. 20 Utah.
Pitt was punished somewhat for playing such a difficult opener — an easy win over a nondescript opponent would have preserved its national ranking — but coach Dave Wannstedt knew in advance what he was getting into.
"That was a great game for our young players to experience," Wannstedt said Tuesday. "As difficult as the situation might have been, it was a good experience. It will help us down the road. That was as good a place to play as any."
Under its original schedule, Pitt would have opened Saturday at home against New Hampshire (1-0), then traveled to Utah next week. The Utah game was moved to Sept. 2 so it could be nationally televised, and Wannstedt also liked that it gave his team more recovery time after traveling so far.
The downside is Pitt loses its national ranking during a season in which it is favored to win the Big East Conference. The schedule doesn't lighten up, either; after playing New Hampshire, Pitt takes on No. 12 Miami at home on Sept. 23.
New Hampshire isn't a Division I-A opponent, but is ranked No. 6 in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Wildcats advanced to the FCS quarterfinals last season before losing to Villanova 46-7.
One priority for Pitt is finding more running room for Dion Lewis, the 2009 second-team All-American who was held to a career-low 75 yards on 25 carries. Utah often crowded defenders along the line of scrimmage to slow Lewis, who is coming off a 1,799-yard season.
"Their defense brought a lot of different stuff," Lewis said. "It was pretty tough to find room, because they brought a lot of guys into the box. They pretty much tried to stop the run the whole time."
Lewis knows what's coming against New Hampshire, at least until new starting quarterback Tino Sunseri proves he can regularly get the ball downfield.
"I expect eight, nine in the box," Lewis said. "They play a 4-4 defense and bring the safety down low for run support. As soon as he sees the tight end blocking, he gets down in there. So it should be an interesting game."
Given that Pitt has Miami and Notre Dame upcoming in its next three games, Wannstedt no doubt hopes it is anything but interesting.
"We're focused, and we'd better be," Wannstedt said. "Right now we have to get a win. We have to correct the things we did not do well enough to win. We need to be ready to play at the highest level we can play."
-- Alan Robinson
Unexpected twist: Cincinnati's offense broken
CINCINNATI (AP) — An unexpected problem has Cincinnati revamping its offensive line after only one game.
The Bearcats' offense evaporated during a 28-14 loss at Fresno State on Saturday night. A unit that is full of playmakers failed to score again after getting a touchdown early in the second quarter.
The numbers were stunning. Zach Collaros got sacked eight times; by comparison, Cincinnati allowed 15 sacks all last season. Collaros lost 71 yards while trying to run away from the pass rush. On its last nine drives, Cincinnati never went more than 22 yards.
"It was shocking," junior guard Alex Hoffman said after practice Tuesday. "We made the mistakes. It was nothing we didn't prepare for, nothing we hadn't seen before. It was all on us."
Some debut for first-year coach Butch Jones, who considered the offense the strength of the team. After only one game, he's considering changes. Jones might revamp the offensive line for a home game Saturday against Indiana State.
"We may move a few individuals around to different spots," Jones said. "We're going to open up the competition again."
Cincinnati has two new starters on the offensive line, which got overwhelmed by Fresno State's pass rush. In the second half, plays quickly broke down because Collaros had little time to look downfield. The running game didn't work, either — Isaiah Pead had only 36 yards on 10 carries and struggled to block bigger pass rushers.
"I think it was a combination of a lot of things," Jones said. "Sometimes it was maybe Zach holding onto the ball a little bit too much, the next time a receiver not getting open on the perimeter or running a poor route, or just an individual losing a one-on-one matchup. And the running backs come into play there. So it's not just directly pointed at the offensive line, but it is an issue. We're getting to work on it."
The Bearcats held their first workout Tuesday at a new practice field, one that gives them more privacy. Until now, they've practiced at nearby Nippert Stadium, where fans were free to wander by and watch the workouts.
Jones wasn't happy with how his players performed physically in the near-100 degree heat at Fresno State. There were more contact drills during an afternoon workout Tuesday with temperatures around 90 degrees.
"We went a little longer in practice, hit a lot more than we did last week," Collaros said. "They're trying to bring a toughness to this team that we feel we've lost."
Cincinnati also lost receiver Vidal Hazelton, who tore a knee ligament and is out for the season. He was expected to replace Mardy Gilyard in the Bearcats' spread offense. Hazelton returned three kickoffs and had six catches for 68 yards before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Saturday night.
Hazelton sat out last season after transferring from Southern California. Senior Marcus Barnett, who had only 10 catches last season, will move into his receiving slot. Last year, Barnett spent time playing cornerback after injuries depleted the secondary.
"He hasn't played much in recent years," Jones said. "Now it's his opportunity to come in and make amends for the last couple of years, so we'll see how that goes."
-- Joe Kay
After strong start, Gophers want to keep grinding
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota has made several coaching changes on offense over the last two years, trying to become more like the power running teams the Big Ten has traditionally been built around.
Coming off a weak performance in 2009, the Gophers got off to a strong start in their season opener. Against a much-smaller Middle Tennessee team, they totaled 281 yards rushing on 67 attempts.
"I didn't find it boring at all," coach Tim Brewster said Tuesday. "I think it was the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time. It's really exciting."
The Gophers host South Dakota on Saturday.
"I hope we can run it more," center D.J. Burris said. "I love how we set our goal to run the football, and that's exactly what we did. We were all prepared for it, and we didn't shy away from what we were going to do."
More experience can only help this line, but the players are also quick to praise the simplified scheme brought in by new offensive coordinator Jeff Horton.
"You could definitely tell even starting back in spring ball," Burris said. "I feel like this offensive line just really bonded together. You could tell there were times when we'd look at each other and say, 'Hey, let's get this play working.' We were always playing for each other, the people that were in that huddle."
Tailback Duane Bennett led the charge with 187 yards, appearing fully recovered from the left knee injury that knocked him out two years ago and required reconstructive surgery. He carried the ball 30 times and told Brewster after the game he felt fresh enough to take 10 more.
True freshman Donnell Kirkwood also got in for 50 yards on 12 rushes, and DeLeon Eskridge went for 40 yards on 11 tries. Throwing in fullback Jon Hoese, who rushed for three touchdowns, the Gophers backs accumulated 301 yards between them.
They held the ball for 45 minutes, 34 seconds, according to sports researcher STATS LLC, a gawdy time-of-possession number that leads the nation — both the FBS and FCS divisions. Though school records for this category only go back to 1983, the team believes it's the most in program history.
"It was just a great vibe to have after the game," Bennett said.
He had only 376 yards rushing last season. That led the team.
Bennett's comeback was complete this spring when his body, specifically his legs, responded to an arduous offseason of weightlifting and running and produced a solid series of practices and scrimmages.
"That was a true testament of when I felt like everything was going to fall into place where it needed to be," Bennett said. "I just wanted to be there for my teammates so I really worked hard."
For Brewster, the moment came against Middle Tennessee. Bennett took the ball on the first play of scrimmage, got hit at about 6 yards — and gained 32.
"I think that said a lot about what Duane was going to be about. He's an extremely determined young guy," the coach said. "He's not going to take any backward steps. He's going to keep pushing forward."
Said quarterback Adam Weber: "I've always seen glimpses of Duane like this. I know it's just been a matter of time. I know last year was frustrating for him, but he worked so hard. He got his knee back, and now watching him play it's a lot of fun because he's a phenomenal running back and a phenomenal leader on this team."
NOTES: With Dom Alford still suspended indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules, Ed Olson will start again at left tackle with Chris Bunders, Burris, Matt Carufel and Jeff Wills entrenched in the other spots. ... In the secondary, safety Kyle Theret is also still suspended, and Kim Royston's status is still iffy until he can participate in a full practice on his surgically repaired left leg. Christyn Lewis and James Manuel are starting in their place.
-- Dave Campbell
Michigan St. happy to play 'road' game in Detroit
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is preparing for everything but a long, tough trip with Saturday's relocated "road game" against Florida Atlantic.
The game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit, a move prompted by Florida Atlantic's stadium reconstruction.
The Spartans (1-0) have work to do between last week's 38-14 win over Western Michigan and a prime-time visit from Notre Dame on Sept. 18. They need to eliminate most of their 11 penalties and nine dropped passes to make progress against the Owls (1-0).
"Obviously, you chase perfection as a coach," Dantonio said Tuesday. "We have to clean up some things. But it should be an exciting matchup."
Michigan State beat Florida Atlantic 17-0 on a rainy Saturday in 2008 when All-America running back Javon Ringer rushed for 282 yards and the Owls had just 225 yards in total offense.
Dantonio expects a different game this time, with both teams expecting to throw the ball much better under ideal conditions — good news for quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Jeff Van Camp.
"It'll be a challenge, as every game is," Dantonio said. "You can look around the country and see that. No football game is a walk in the park."
Dantonio said it's also good that his team can drive 80 miles to wear their white uniforms instead of flying 1,500 miles each way.
The Spartans ran for a league-best 297 yards and four touchdowns in the season-opener, and had more 100-yard rushers against the Broncos than they did in 13 games last season.
Freshman Le'Veon Bell, who set records for a Michigan State debut with 141 yards and two scores on 10 carries, is listed on the depth chart as sharing the first-team running back spot with sophomores Edwin Baker and Larry Caper. Baker rushed for 117 yards and two TDs, while Caper sat out as a precaution with a fractured right hand.
"Bell has earned the opportunity to be listed in bold letters," Dantonio said. "If we didn't do that, you'd wonder what we were watching."
Starting fullback Josh Rouse, a fifth-year senior, was lost for the year with a helmet-to-ground neck injury and had successful surgery Tuesday morning, Dantonio said. But the Spartans were pleased with the play of fifth-year fill-in Nick Bendzuck and have shifted backup linebacker TyQuan Hammock to fullback to restore depth.
"We moved Hammock today as an experiment," Dantonio said.
ACC's new QBs look to make names for themselves
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — After years of stability under center, Jim Grobe is breaking in a new quarterback at Wake Forest.
Duke's David Cutcliffe certainly knows that feeling.
The Demon Deacons and Blue Devils, who meet this week in the first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season, are two teams with new signal callers.
Redshirt sophomores — Wake Forest's Ted Stachitas and Duke's Sean Renfree — whose first ACC starts will come Saturday.
"The key for a quarterback ... is to perform. You've got to go get the job done," Grobe said Tuesday. "As long as you're getting the job done, the players are going to follow you. (Stachitas) is just a guy that quietly goes about getting the job done, and I think he's certainly got the potential to be really, really good for us."
Indeed, both Renfree and Stachitas showed flashes of promise in their starting debuts, though they did come in easy wins against outmanned FCS opponents. Facing improved competition this week, both are looking to keep things rolling.
"I feel like there's a lot of momentum," said Renfree, who threw for 350 yards and two touchdowns in his starting debut against Elon. "There's going to be a lot of differences between Elon and Wake Forest ... but obviously, it helped get some confidence going into that first ACC game."
The QBs have a lot more in common than just geography. Both have come back from significant injuries to replace popular, record-setting passers and four-year starters in Riley Skinner at Wake Forest and Thaddeus Lewis at Duke.
Renfree has returned after tearing knee ligaments in a November loss to Georgia Tech. Stachitas has undergone two surgeries on his throwing shoulder, and Grobe says that had a temporary effect on his accuracy and arm strength.
"He's starting to improve the long ball, and that's where I think you can notice it a little bit," Grobe said. Going deep "doesn't seem to be an issue right now. The biggest issue right now is accuracy. At times, he throws passes that you're really impressed with ... but at times, we've got open receivers and we're not hitting them with the football."
Their differences come in their styles and how they're used in their respective offenses.
The 6-foot-1 Stachitas, who replaced Tim Tebow at their Florida high school, looks like he's picked up a few of his former teammate's moves.
He's a two-way threat who seems unafraid to tuck it under and run, as he did with a 34-yard touchdown run that capped the opening drive of the Demon Deacons' rout of Presbyterian. With Grobe keeping the playbook basic, Stachitas was 7 of 13 through the air for 84 yards in two quarters of work, then watched the second half while some playing time went to promising freshman Tanner Price.
"It's a very mental game in college, so every day you go out there and stuff comes natural after you (repeat) it a hundred times," Stachitas said.
Cutcliffe has sent his share of quarterbacks to the pros — most notably, Peyton and Eli Manning. Like those two, the 6-3 Renfree is a pure pocket passer.
Renfree completed 13 of his first 14 attempts in the opener, including a stretch in which he hit 10 passes in a row. He finished 31 of 39, yet still saw plenty of room for improvement.
"There were certain things that people really can't see that we know there's mistakes, and many circumstances, we beat ourselves," Renfree said.
Grobe wasn't as convinced.
"Sean completed right at 80 percent of his throws," he said. "If you're just out playing catch, you might not complete 80 percent."
-- Joedy McCreary
Upset reminds Clemson take Presbyterian seriously
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson got a timely reminder last week why even the teams at the highest level of college football have to take each game seriously.
The Tigers take on Football Championship Division Presbyterian this week in what appears is an obvious mismatch. Clemson has never lost to an FCS team, and the Blue Hose are one of the worst in the lower division, on a 15-game losing streak in which they have allowed an average of 40 points and 474 yards a game.
But the coaches have a simple reminder to anyone looking past Presbyterian to Auburn and the Atlantic Coast Conference season — FCS member Jacksonville State's 49-48 double overtime upset of Mississippi last weekend.
Offensive tackle Chris Hairston hopes his teammates are taking the warnings seriously. He said the Blue Hose have good players who would love to knock around guys that got to play for a higher division team like Clemson
"We've got to have guys understand, they can come in here and embarrass us. They can come in here and really show us some things just like Jacksonville State. We can't have guys taking it easy," Hairston said.
Playing an opponent down a class also gives Clemson another week to correct some problems. The defense held North Texas to 10 points in the opener and had six sacks, but allowed 462 yards. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele called the performance "unacceptable"
The defense is working in practice to improve several things, including communication, Steele said,
"We'll have to make sure we're not tackling the same way we did last week," Steele said.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said the offense is still somewhat of a mystery to him too because the defense's inability to stop North Texas meant the offense spent just over a quarter of the game on the field.
"Didn't really do a whole lot offensively to be honest with you — 18 minutes isn't a lot of time to get continuity," Swinney said.
Both Swinney and quarterback Kyle Parker thought the receivers cut off routes too quickly keeping the passing game from getting into a rhythm.
"We need to get all 11 of our guys doing the same thing," Parker said.
There were bright spots. Running backs Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper each ran for over 100 yards. Swinney said Parker threw just two bad passes, ending up 9-for-17 for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
"I'm just glad we won," Swinney said. "I've been a part of games where we've played really good and lost. That ain't worth a darn right there."
Swinney plans to spend this week working on getting his team better. His assessment of Presbyterian subtly points out how overmatched the Blue Hose are.
"They're not very big," Swinney said. "And defensively, they are very young."
The Blue Hose brought 37 freshmen and sophomores to Wake Forest last week, where they lost 53-13. Coach Harold Nichols is still trying to build a program that is suffering serious growing pains after a recent move to Division I.
"We've got a lot of things to build on," Nichols said. "Obviously we're still not where we need to be."
So they don't take the Blue Hose too lightly, Clemson coaches will keep reminding their players about Jacksonville State and North Dakota State, who beat Kansas 6-3 last weekend.
But it seems like everyone knows the real season for the Tigers is still a couple of weeks away.
"They have a whole lot of defensive looks," Parker said when he was asked what he noticed about Presbyterian on film. "It's going to be good for us to see it all. They are really complex on defense. Us preparing for them can really help us in the future."
-- Jefferey Collins
Early bye week might give Tar Heels a break
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — In a normal year, T.J. Yates would prefer to build off his strong passing performance in North Carolina's opener by playing right away instead of having an early off week.
Then again, these aren't exactly normal times for the Tar Heels.
After 13 players were sidelined against LSU amid an ongoing NCAA investigation, North Carolina won't play again until its home opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 18. That could give the Tar Heels more time to find out the status of players still entangled in the NCAA probe focused on agent-related benefits and potential academic misconduct.
"With our situation right now and everything going on," Yates said Tuesday, "it's probably the best thing for us."
The Tar Heels had suffered through a bumpy few days that began when they learned who would travel to Atlanta and who wouldn't to face the Tigers.
North Carolina nearly rallied from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit in the 30-24 loss Saturday. Then, on Sunday, associate head coach John Blake resigned after his longtime friendship with California-based agent Gary Wichard became part of the NCAA probe and led to what Blake called "a distraction" for the program.
Coach Butch Davis said linebackers coach Art Kaufman and Norris McCleary, a support staffer in player development and former NFL player, would take over some of Blake's coaching duties on the defensive line. In addition, Davis will become more involved with some of the day-to-day coaching and meetings than in the past.
"I know he likes coaching, he likes kids," Davis said of Blake. "There was an awful lot of pressure on him. There was a lot with his family and stuff, and he just felt it was in his best interest to do that."
Defensive end Tydreke Powell said he didn't believe Blake had become a distraction for the Tar Heels.
"It's going to take a couple of days to get over this situation, but we've got to move on and that's what Coach Blake would want us to do," Powell said. "We've got to take what he taught us for years and move on from that."
The list of players who sat out the opener included several NFL prospects on defense in end Robert Quinn, cornerback Kendric Burney and safety Deunta Williams. On offense, the Tar Heels were without top receiver Greg Little and top tailbacks Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston. Davis said those players are all practicing with the team as they await word on whether they're cleared to return.
But defensive tackle Marvin Austin remains suspended indefinitely for violating team rules and isn't practicing. Davis said he met with Austin for about an hour Monday for a "healthy conversation" with the senior, who was at the center of the NCAA's agents review that led to similar probes at South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.
The Tar Heels had several positives to take away from the LSU game, most notably Yates' career-high 412 yards passing and receiver Jheranie Boyd's big game (six catches, 221 yards). They also saw several young players thrown into the lineup on defense perform capably in place of those suspended starters.
Now, with the speculation leading up to the first game finally behind them, the Tar Heels are hoping for a few quiet days to focus on practice.
"One thing that's beneficial about the extra week and after playing a game is that maybe people will just stop talking about it so much," tight end Zack Pianalto said of the NCAA probe. "That's more substantial than anything, just having something else to talk about besides this whole mess. Because now, it's about football. It's not about a guessing game."
-- Aaron Beard
Wildcats ironing out wrinkles before facing WKU
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky defensive end DeQuin Evans has already watched plenty of film from Saturday's win over Louisville, trying to eliminate mistakes from his game.
Most of that time has been spent watching the same play.
In the third quarter, Louisville running back Bilal Powell went untouched for an 80-yard touchdown run. Evans now has the play committed to memory, hoping it doesn't happen again.
"It was just one mistake that happened, somebody wasn't in their gap," said Evans, Kentucky's defensive captain. "If that's your assignment and you're not in your gap, that's your play to make. Nobody's there to bail you out and make that play for you."
Kentucky coach Joker Phillips has been working with his team since Saturday to correct mistakes for the team's upcoming game against Western Kentucky (0-1).
Mostly, he said, the mistakes were mental lapses that could be easily fixed. Nearly half of the team's 11 penalties were either false starts or offsides, and Kentucky was even called for a delay of game for not snapping the ball fast enough while attempting to take a knee at game's end.
Phillips said the worst penalty was a fourth-quarter roughing the passer on backup linebacker Ridge Wilson. It happened on 4th-and-17, and on a pass that fell incomplete. Louisville was able to eventually kick a field goal and bring the deficit to within a touchdown.
"Those are the things that are unnecessary, not playing smart," Phillips said. "We are not a team that's going to beat ourselves."
When asked if it was possible for Kentucky to play free of mistakes, Evans recalled last October's upset at Auburn. The Wildcats scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win 21-14. In that game, Auburn had 10 penalties for 76 yards. Kentucky had no penalties.
"I know when we play upper SEC teams, they're going to capitalize on every small, tiny mistake we make," Evans said. "We have to play mistake-free like we did at Auburn last year. Zero penalties, technique-sound, gap-sound football. Nobody can beat that."
Phillips said he hopes a great deal of it was first-game jitters but that hasn't stopped the team from working to get the errors fixed in practice. The smallest gaffe could make the difference between a win and a loss, Evans said.
"We all got to worry about each other," Evans said. "I come at them as a peer. I'll tell someone they made a mistake because when one person makes a mistake, it's not just him that suffers. We all suffer. Offense, defense, coaches, UK football."
ECU keeping grounded after wild Tulsa win
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Ruffin McNeill's first game at East Carolina wound up being one of the most memorable victories in school history, won on a last-second heave into the end zone.
He says the first step toward a successful encore comes with humility.
"I'm pretty good at bringing them down, bringing them back to Earth," McNeill said Tuesday. "I have no problem bringing up points (to improve on). You watch film and you'll find some things."
There's no time to dwell on the Tulsa victory, which East Carolina won 51-49 on Dominique Davis' 33-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jones as time expired. The Pirates (1-0, 1-0 Conference USA) play host to another league opponent when Memphis visits this weekend.
East Carolina returned to practice Monday night, 24 hours after that wild finish led to its third win over the Golden Hurricane in three years.
McNeill said he is enforcing the 24-hour rule, which means now it's time for the Pirates to forget that memorable win.
"Our focus now is off Tulsa and on Memphis at noon on a short week," McNeill said. "We have to be very smart about our legs and getting them ready to play. With a short week and a game at 12, we've got to make sure we have the freshest football team on the field."
With more than 30 players gone from the East Carolina team that won its second straight Conference USA title last year, McNeill said his younger players are still figuring things out.
But, he expects a better performance against Memphis and the following weekend at Virginia Tech.
"Fundamentals will instantly improve now with a game under their belt," he said. "The enthusiasm and the adrenaline, they've got that out of their system now, so they'll rely more on fundamentals and technique now."
School officials Tuesday confirmed that the new 7,000-seat addition to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium's east end zone will remain open and fully operational for this week's game.
That's despite some problems at the Tulsa game, in which a small number of fans were treated for minor injuries after some of the new bleachers came dislodged under the spectators' weight.
Virginia starts to showcase power running game
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — This season, the Virginia Cavaliers hope to showcase a power running game.
They're off to a good start after employing it in last Saturday's 34-13 win against Richmond. U.Va. (1-0) rushed for 205 yards, helped by senior tailback Keith Payne's 114 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
They want to do the same on Saturday, but realize the challenges when they take on No. 16 Southern California (1-0).
Under new coach Mike London and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, the Cavaliers want to improve on last season's anemic rushing attack, which averaged less than 100 yards per game and was part of the reason for the school's 3-9 record.
"We wanted to make a statement, in terms of the running game opportunities, with the two styles of running backs we have with Perry Jones and Keith Payne," London said. "We have to be able to run the ball in order to set up the play-actions that come off that."
Jones had 73 yards on nine carries.
"Later in the game, it was apparent we could run the ball because we were just wearing them down," London said. "It was good to see that there were opportunities to make holes and for the backs to get through the holes. The running game has got to be an important aspect of our offense."
This weekend, the Cavaliers will have to try to make their game work against a team with a stingy rushing defense. On Sept. 2, the Trojans allowed only 129 yards on the ground in a 49-36 win over Hawaii.
"You have to take some time off the clock against Southern Cal. It's a team that plays fast and tries to capitalize on things you don't do. We need to keep the clock running with the running game, short passes."
