College Football Capsules: Pac-10's young QBs build on tradition

Back at the start of the season, some wondered where the Pac-10’s quarterbacks had gone. Aside from Washington’s Jake Locker, the league seemed void of what had once been its trademark.

In fact, it appeared the conference overall was going to be in that proverbial rebuilding mode when it came to QBs.

USC started true freshman Matt Barkley, Stanford had redshirt freshman Andrew Luck and UCLA was going with redshirt freshman Kevin Prince. A few games in, Arizona decided to promote sophomore Nick Foles, while Washington State turned to true freshman Jeff Tuel.

That’s half the league’s starters who had little or no game experience coming into the season. As it turns out, the Pac-10’s kids are all right. And even thriving in some cases.

"This just reminds us of what the Pac-10 has always been about, tremendous athletes, particularly at the quarterback spot," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "It’s just interesting that they’ve all emerged, a lot of these guys have emerged just in playing this year."

Carroll surprised many this season by starting Barkley ahead of sophomore Aaron Corp. The 19-year-old has fared well overall, despite No. 12 USC’s losses to Washington and Oregon. He’s averaging 246.7 passing yards a game to rank second in the Pac-10, and has shown poise under pressure in wins against Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Luck has also been surprisingly composed, completing 114 of 196 passes for 1,825 yards to rank atop the Pac-10 in pass efficiency (148.5). He is second in the league in total offense behind Locker and has been intercepted just three times in eight games.

"In our case, Andrew Luck has been leading out team. He’s doing the things a veteran quarterback would do," said coach Jim Harbaugh.

A surprise this season has been Arizona’s Foles, who has completed 72.3 percent of his passes to lead the Pac-10.

"I think you’re always a little bit unsure until a player goes out and proves himself," coach Mike Stoops said. "I don’t think there’s any question what he possesses now."

Foles, who wrested the starting job away from Matt Scott a few games into the season, has thrown 11 touchdown passes for the No. 21 Wildcats.

"When you talk about those three youngsters specifically, it’s been a very quick learning curve," Harbaugh said. "The playmaking by those three quarterbacks (Barkley, Luck and Foles) has really been a lot more than you’d expect from guys playing in their first season."

And then there’s Tuel, who hit on 28-of-42 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns two weeks ago against Cal, then threw for two more scores in a loss against Notre Dame last Saturday.

The youngster — Washington State’s first true freshman QB since Drew Bledsoe in 1990 — only started a year in high school. The Cougars called on Tuel to replace Marshall Lobbestael.

Cougars coach Paul Wulff said there is a danger in throwing a young kid into a situation he can’t handle.

"I think it could be a detriment if the kid is completely over his head and he’s not capable of understanding what he’s doing, and he gets rattled enough where it can scar him a little bit," Wulff said.

"In our case, I don’t believe that’s the case," he added. "I think we’ve got a very mature freshman quarterback who has done some great things. He’s got a great demeanor about him on a 24-hour basis."

While the Cougars are struggling mightily this season, Tuel is one of the reasons Wulff says fans can be encouraged.

At UCLA, freshman Kevin Prince has had a rocky start to his career, missing two games because of a broken jaw.

But he made strides in his last outing, passing for 323 yards at Oregon State. He helped guide the Bruins back from a 19-3 fourth-quarter deficit by passing for 198 yards, two TDs and two 2-point conversions to tie it. But the Beavers scored with 44 seconds left for the 26-19 victory.

Cal coach Jeff Tedford has been dazzled with the Pac-10’s crop of kids. By all indications, the conference — known for the likes of John Elway, Jim Plunkett and Bledsoe — looks to be continuing its tradition.

"For them to do what they’ve done so far is very impressive," Tedford said. "But all those quarterbacks that are playing are highly competitive guys and have a lot of skill and are up to the challenge."

Georgia’s Ealey says Spikes shouldn’t be suspended

ATHENS, Ga. — A most unlikely person came to the defense of Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes, who was suspended for half a game for apparently trying to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey

Ealey said Tuesday he doesn’t believe Spikes should have been suspended.

In fact, Ealey seemed surprised the play from Saturday’s game drew so much attention.

Florida coach Urban Meyer on Monday suspended Spikes for the first half of this week’s game against Vanderbilt after the defensive captain stuck his hand in Ealey’s helmet and appeared to try to stick his fingers in Ealey’s eyes.

Ealey says he doesn’t agree with those who have said the suspension was not stiff enough.

"That really didn’t matter to me," Ealey said of the suspension. "That’s their decision. He shouldn’t, I think, get suspended at all. We were just out there playing football."

Ealey said he had his eyes closed when Spikes stuck his hand in his helmet and he wasn’t hurt.

"He really didn’t gouge my eyes," Ealey said. "He really didn’t get a chance to get close to my eyes."

The freshman said he believes similar incidents happen all the time.

"I’m pretty sure it goes on back and forth," he said. "We probably do it and other teams do too. It’s all football. We’re just out there trying to have fun."

Top-ranked Florida beat Georgia 41-17. The Bulldogs play Tennessee Tech on Saturday.

On Monday, Spikes issued an apology.

"I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions," Spikes said. "I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washaun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions."

The Southeastern Conference issued a statement on Monday saying it reviewed and accepted the discipline handed down by Florida.

Meyer said he believed Spikes retaliated after getting his helmet ripped off and eye poked earlier in the game.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said Spikes’ "helmet went flying off ... and there was one time he got hit with his helmet off."

"It was totally unintentional," Richt said. "They were totally just playing ball. That might have got him bent out of shape. I don’t know about all of that."

Ealey carried 17 times for 70 yards against the Gators.

"It was just a lot of emotion in the game," he said. "We were out there fighting. It was a big rivalry game. Everybody was just out there talking trash back and forth. ... We were just out there playing football and having fun."

Notes: Richt said Caleb King will start over Ealey at tailback in Saturday’s game against Tennessee Tech. Richt said King has the edge in pass-blocking but said Ealey "will continue to play." Ealey has started the last two games. ... Richt said he hopes top receiver A.J. Green, who will miss this week’s game with a pulmonary contusion, can return to play against Auburn on Nov. 14.

-- Charles Odum

Etheridge: After neck injury, walking "a miracle"

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn safety Zac Etheridge feels blessed to be able to walk after a serious neck injury and expects to play football again.

With his neck immobilized by a brace, Etheridge spoke to reporters and teammates Tuesday, three days after sustaining an injury in the Mississippi game that landed him in the hospital for two nights.

He said his fifth vertebra was cracked and he tore ligaments in his neck in a headfirst collision with teammate Antonio Coleman.

Etheridge said he wants to play again and doctors told him he should be able to. He has to wear the brace, a harness-like device with a support under his chin and running up the back of his neck, for three to four months.

The junior said he probably will not attend Saturday’s game against Furman, but "I will definitely be at the Iron Bowl" against rival Alabama on Nov. 27.

He was taken by ambulance to a Birmingham hospital Saturday night and was released on Monday. Etheridge and Coleman crashed into each other while trying to tackle Ole Miss running back Rodney Scott.

Etheridge praised Scott for remaining still underneath him on the ground. He planned to talk to him later in the day, and had already spoken to Rebels coach Houston Nutt.

"When it first happened, I was paralyzed for a little bit," Etheridge said. "Just laying on that ground, it felt weird not being able to control your body. I’ve got to take my hat off to Rodney Scott. It was a blessing that he didn’t move.

"If he would have moved anywhere, I wouldn’t be here today. I’d still be laying in the hospital bed."

Lying on the ground, temporarily unable to do more than wiggle his toes, Etheridge said he could only offer a brief prayer.

"I was in shock, just not being able to move. There was a lot going through my mind," he said. "The only thing I could say was ‘Jesus, Jesus,’ just calling out his name."

He said one of the first questions he asked doctors was, "Will I be able to play again?" Etheridge gingerly walked up and down the stairs at the football complex Tuesday, but he wasn’t complaining about the brace.

"It’s tough to sleep," he said. "It’s something I’ll have to deal with just to get a chance to try to continue my career.

"I would love to be able to step out on the field and continue to play the game but right now I’ve just got to take it one day at a time."

Auburn coach Gene Chizik said junior college transfer Demond Washington would move from cornerback to strong safety to replace Etheridge. The secondary has also been without injured starters Mike McNeil and Aairon Savage all season.

Chizik was pleased to see Etheridge’s progress.

"We’re pumped for him," he said. "He’s in really good spirits right now. His teammates have had a chance to see him. He’s a great young man and he’ll rebound well from this. We’re just glad he’s made a lot of strides since Saturday."

Linebacker Josh Bynes said the team will miss Etheridge’s leadership and communication on the field.

"These past couple of weeks, he’s been going to coach Chizik one-on-one asking, ‘How do I get myself better? What can I do for this defense to make us better?"’ Bynes said. "Those are things we didn’t know until coach Chizik told us in a meeting Sunday.

"That’s the type of guy we have back there, a leader, a guy who’s going to do anything for this team and for the defense."

Asked why he chose to speak publicly about his injury instead of resting at home, Etheridge said it was his way of responding to the prayers, text messages and e-mails he received from fans.

"I just want to let the world know that I’m fine," he said. "I just want to thank everybody for their prayers. That helped my family out going through this situation, especially me knowing how much I love this game and love this university.

"I’ve got to give a heads-up to the fans and everyone that’s been praying, because it’s been a miracle. I’m just blessed to be able to walk again."

-- John Zenor

Orange suspend 3 players for violating team rules

SYRACUSE, N.Y. —The Syracuse Orange have taken another hit with the suspension of three players.

One day after coach Doug Marrone announced that star wideout Mike Williams had quit the team, the first-year coach said Tuesday that he suspended tailback Antwon Bailey, defensive end Torrey Ball and offensive guard Andrew Tiller for violating team rules.

State police said later Tuesday that a car driven by Tiller was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer truck on the New York State Thruway early Sunday.

Trooper Jack Keller said police do not suspect alcohol was involved in the accident, which occurred at 5:30 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the highway, about 20 miles east of Syracuse. Williams, Bailey and Ball also were in the car, Keller said.

Tiller, the team’s starting right guard, was taken to a hospital for neck and back pain but does not face any charges, Keller said. The other three players did not suffer any injuries and do not face any charges, Keller said.

The driver of the rig, Nathan Primrose, of Clyde, N.Y., was not charged at the scene but may face charges later, Keller said.

Marrone also announced that junior defensive end Jared Kimmel will have season-ending knee surgery to repair his left knee, which was previously injured and surgically reconstructed in 2007.

The Orange (3-5) will have senior center Jim McKenzie back in the lineup for Saturday’s game at No. 14 Pitt (7-1). McKenzie missed the last three games with a hand injury.

Woodson says it’s hard to watch Michigan football

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Charles Woodson says "it’s hard to watch" Michigan play football.

The Green Bay Packers cornerback says he’s even getting flak from a current teammate who played for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

"Can you believe that?" Woodson asked reporters Tuesday during a visit to Ann Arbor.

Woodson won the Heisman Trophy and led the Wolverines to the national championship in 1997.

Michigan (5-4) has lost four straight Big Ten games and could turn a 4-0 start into a 5-7 flop a year after college football’s winningest program lost a school-record nine games last year in Rich Rodriguez’s debut season.

Woodson says he and former teammate Marcus Ray exchange messages about the once-proud program.

"I won’t share the texts with you," he said.

-- Larry Lage

Middle Tenn. WR out for season with ankle injury

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Tavarres Jefferson is out for the season because of an ankle injury.

Jefferson, a freshman, had started two games, catching 11 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. He was injured Oct. 17 against Mississippi State, and had surgery last week.

According to The Daily News Journal, he is ineligible for a medical redshirt because he played in more than three of the Blue Raiders’ first five games.

FAU’s Rusty Smith out for season

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Florida Atlantic quarterback Rusty Smith will miss the remainder of his senior season with a sprained left, non-throwing shoulder.

Jeff Van Camp will start for FAU (2-5, 2-2 Sun Belt) on Saturday at UAB.

Smith had been FAU’s full-time starter since the start of the 2006 season. He injured the shoulder last week against Middle Tennessee, and will decide if to have surgery later this week.

Smith, who led the Owls to two bowl wins, finished his college passing career with 10,112 yards, 76 touchdowns and 36 interceptions.

Gophers DB Carter arrested, will play

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota defensive back Michael Carter will be allowed to play against Illinois despite his arrest this week outside a campus pizza parlor.

Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said Tuesday that the matter is being handled internally and that the freshman will play against Illinois.

Carter was arrested early Monday and charged with obstructing the legal process and underage consumption. Police say Carter and a teammate were trying to pick a fight.

Police say Carter resisted officers’ attempts to pat him down despite being told by several teammates to cooperate. No other players were charged.

Carter has a hearing scheduled for Nov. 19.

Indiana contacts Big 10 about reversal at Iowa

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana coach Bill Lynch has contacted Big Ten officials about a touchdown that was overturned on replay during Saturday’s loss at No. 7 Iowa.

Lynch did not say Tuesday how the Hoosiers had contacted the Big Ten office but he confirmed the school had asked conference officials for an explanation.

On the play, the official closest to Terrance Turner ruled that the Indiana receiver had a foot down before going out of bounds. The replay review reversed the call, forcing Indiana to try a 28-yard field goal that would have extended the Hoosiers’ 24-14 lead.

Nick Freeland missed the kick and Iowa rallied for a 42-24 victory.

FSU’s Andrews to retire at season’s end

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Longtime Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews is retiring after four decades of coaching and 26 years as one of Bobby Bowden’s assistants.

The architect of defenses that helped the Seminoles win two national titles in the 1990s, Andrews announced his plans to retire Tuesday.

A football star at Alabama under the coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, Andrews developed 18 first round NFL draft picks during 26 seasons at Florida State beginning with cornerback Deion Sanders in 1988.

Sun Belt, C-USA staying with New Orleans Bowl

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Bowl has signed four-year contract extensions with Conference USA and the Sun Belt Conference that run through the 2013 season.

The Sun Belt Conference champion has earned an invitation to the New Orleans Bowl since 2001.

Conference USA first signed on to send a team to the December game at the Louisiana Superdome in 2002.

This season’s New Orleans Bowl will be played Dec. 20. Last season, Southern Mississippi of Conference USA beat Troy 30-27.