Other College Football Capsules: Student filming practice dies when tower topples
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A Notre Dame student died Wednesday after the tower from which he was filming football practice fell over.
Declan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior from Long Grove, Ill., was transported from the LaBar practice complex to a South Bend hospital, where he died.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Declan's family and friends," coach Brian Kelly said in a release. "Declan was a diligent student worker in our video department and had a tremendous personality and great sense of humor. He brightened the days for all that had the privilege to work with him, and the Notre Dame football family will dearly miss him."
Authorities were investigating the incident. The hydraulic scissor lift, which can be lowered or raised depending on needs, stretched across a nearby street.
Winds in the area were gusting to 51 mph at the time, according to the National Weather Service, and the team practiced indoors Tuesday because of the blustery conditions.
Notre Dame was making grief counselors available for students, and university president Rev. John Jenkins will preside over a special Mass in Sullivan's memory on Thursday.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss," Jenkins said. "Our hearts go out to the student's family and friends and our prayers and profound sympathies are with them during this incredibly difficult time. The loss of someone so young is a terrible shock and a great sadness. Our entire community shares in the family's grief."
The Fighting Irish, who host Tulsa this Saturday, canceled post-practice interviews after the accident.
"In the midst of a season where you are disappointed with the outcomes ... you can lose sight of what's most important. Sad day at practice," senior linebacker Brian Smith posted on his Twitter page. "I will never forget today."
Agents' panel not taking anything 'off the table'
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA is taking a new approach to weeding out rogue agents.
Hours after the NFL Players Association issued a statement opposing suspensions for college violations, an NCAA spokeswoman acknowledged Wednesday that such a punishment was not "currently" under consideration by a panel.
Later Wednesday night, spokeswoman Stacey Osburn confirmed in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the governing body had also been gathering information from former agent Josh Luchs.
The goal is to dissuade agents from providing improper benefits to college players — and players from taking benefits and running to the NFL. The panel seeking solutions is looking at a wide range of possibilities.
"Everything is on the table and nothing is off it," said Rick Smith, a Chicago-based agent who serves on the panel. "And we're nowhere close to saying this is our proposal, so the NFLPA coming out with a statement is really premature."
The union, league, NCAA and other entities are discussing ways to halt the problem of agents, and college players, who break the rules. A series of high-profile cases are currently under investigation by the NCAA.
And now Luchs, who was decertified by the NFLPA last week, is helping, too.
Luchs recently told Sports Illustrated that he paid more than 30 college players from 1990 to 1996 to aggressively recruit players for his boss and is now out of the agent business.
Osburn said Luchs is not considered a consultant and Luchs said he is not being paid. Instead, he wants to make things right.
"They wanted to pique my brain and they wanted my input, and I told them 'Of course, it's an honor,'" Luchs said in a phone interview. "I feel like the first 10 years of my career, I was part of the problem and now I have an opportunity to be part of the solution."
The NCAA is willing to take whatever help it can get.
On Monday, the NCAA said the panel would identify areas of "greater collaboration," including enforcement efforts by state officials dealing with sports agent laws. Two days later, the NFLPA made clear where it doesn't want the discussion to go.
"The NFLPA is opposed to any penalty being imposed upon a player in the NFL for conduct relating to the receipt of benefits in violation of NCAA rules while the player was in college," it said. "However, we will continue to discuss with the NCAA and others issues relating to the conduct of agents certified by the NFLPA as they interact with NCAA players."
So where do talks go from here? It's anybody's guess.
Current NCAA rules prohibit players from accepting gifts and money from agents or signing with them before their college careers end.
Any infringement of those rules can jeopardize an athlete's remaining eligibility and put the school in danger of facing additional NCAA sanctions, as was the case with Reggie Bush and Southern Cal's football team.
Smith told The Associated Press that the opening round of talks focused almost entirely on categories that need to be discussed.
One of those was post-NCAA enforcement, or penalties that could be imposed after the player turns pro, though Smith emphasized no formal proposals have been made and none are expected for at least three months.
The NCAA is treading carefully.
"It should be understood that the development of any post-NCAA penalty will be considered by the NFL and NFLPA and those groups will agree upon what is appropriate," Osburn said. "What's important is that at the current time all key stakeholders are discussing how best to address the issue."
Contact with agents has been a longtime concern for NCAA officials, dating back at least as far as the late 1980s when Cris Carter was declared ineligible before his senior season after the NCAA determined he had signed with an agent.
Now the NCAA is mounting a wide-ranging investigation into players at several schools.
Players at defending national champion Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina have all been caught up in the investigation, and six North Carolina players will not be allowed to play this season because of the probe.
Perhaps, Smith said, that is why five national championship-winning coaches — Mack Brown, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Bob Stoops and Jim Tressel — urged the NCAA to bring all of these groups together.
"I think it's everybody finally putting their hands up and saying enough," Smith said. "They said it's time to stop talking and let's get to work.
Smith thinks the solution has to include stronger sanctions — suspensions or not.
"I think at the end of the day some people have to have some healthy fear," he said. "Every group that is part of this problem, the certified agent that crosses the line, the uncertified agent like the runners and the unscrupulous student-athlete, there has got to be some fear of ramifications."
-- Michael Marot
Features
Crist and Kelly form a bond
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Dayne Crist is directing an offense he wasn't recruited to run, playing for a coach who didn't bring him to Notre Dame and adjusting to life as the center of attention for a 4-4 football team.
Kelly can be a teacher and mentor. He can also he can be a vocal critic of his quarterback as they forge a relationship in a year of firsts for each — Crist in his first year as a starter, Kelly in his first year in the high-profile, nationally watched job.
When Crist threw an interception in a lopsided loss to Navy last week, an angry Kelly let him hear about it as he came to the sidelines. It's all part of the process.
"That's his style of coaching and that's what he does. He's the coach and he's right, and I'm the player and I do what he says. That's basically how it goes," Crist said, shrugging off the sideline tension.
"You know, in the heat of the battle like that, obviously it's a very intense situation, just the language and the way the conversations go, it's just all about winning," he said. "And we have got to do things fast on the sideline, making adjustments between series and things like that. But really, I mean, it's an intense situation. There's no denying that."
It's that competitiveness that drives both the quarterback and the coach who agree on a couple of things for sure — they both want and need to win and they can see improvement from Crist over the course of the season. He's more comfortable in the offense but is still sidetracked by inconsistency and mistakes at times.
Kelly said when he arrived in December that his goal was to win right away, something Notre Dame has struggled to do. With four games left, the Irish need to win three for a winning regular season, starting Saturday against Tulsa.
And Crist won't offer up alibis when he struggles, just because it's his first year in a new complex offense, actually his first season as a college starter.
"We don't have the luxury to put that into perspective, and we don't have time to use that as an excuse. I mean, we have got to win, and you know, I've got to be a reason that the offense is moving in the right direction and being successful," said Crist, who has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 2,033 yards with 15 TDs and seven interceptions.
"I understand that a lot of it falls on my shoulders and my back, but that's why you come to Notre Dame and that's why you play quarterback here," he said.
Kelly doesn't need to motivate Crist, his challenge is to teach him an offense that is difficult at times to master with an immense number of options and reads.
"Dayne cares so much about his performance. He cares so much about his teammates. He cares so much about Notre Dame," Kelly said.
"I think what my style has always been is to get him to understand the game first, because he cares so much. So a lot of it, for me, has been educational. And so my coaching style with him has been, we are driving points home. We are trying to fill his head with football knowledge. He didn't have a whole lot of football knowledge, especially the spread offense coming in."
As he works with Kelly and offensive coordinator Charley Molnar, Crist has also received some outside advice and encouragement from some who have been in his shoes — former Notre Dame quarterbacks Jimmy Clausen, Brady Quinn and Joe Theismann.
"Just some other guys that have done it and understand what I'm doing through right now, especially my first season starting and things like that," Crist said.
"It's all stuff that I take very seriously and that I appreciate definitely."
Crist should have his favorite target back Saturday against Tulsa. Leading receiver Michael Floyd said Wednesday he expects to be recovered from a hamstring injury to play against the Golden Hurricane.
Last week, the Irish were without all three of their top receivers in Floyd, Theo Riddick (ankle) and Kyle Rudolph (season-ending hamstring surgery).
-- Rick Gano
Playing at home in the ACC is hardly an advantage
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Playing at home in the Atlantic Coast Conference has not been much of an advantage this season.
North Carolina ended a 14-game losing streak at Virginia, defending champion Georgia Tech fell by 17 at home against North Carolina State and Florida State breezed to 45-17 victory at Miami.
Heck, Maryland has won on the road in the ACC, where home teams are an unimpressive 12-11 in league play.
The ACC had a 111-81 (.578) record in home conference games from 2006 to 2009, according to STATS,LLC. This year, playing at home is not nearly as imposing an advantage.
Maryland had lost 10 straight away games before defeating Boston College 24-21 last Saturday.
"The ACC is so balanced. You can't take anyone in the ACC lightly," Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien said. "Anyone can beat anybody. Being at home poses a little bit of an advantage, but if you can't execute, anyone can beat you."
The statistics support the assertion. Only four ACC teams have a winning record at home in conference play: Florida State (2-0), Virginia Tech (2-0), Maryland (1-0), and Clemson (2-1).
"There's always been parity in this league, and home-field goes along with that," Miami coach Randy Shannon said. "Home-field advantage just isn't what it used to be. But if you can win at home, you can basically get done what you need to get done."
The Hurricanes play host at Sun Life Stadium, which houses the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.
"Florida A&M, because of its band, was probably one of the biggest crowds we've had," Shannon said. "That tells you something about home-field here in a pro town. College towns can be different. The ACC has plenty of tradition, but the parity is there, even at home."
Overall, ACC teams are 33-16 (.673) at home. That compares favorably to 208-114 (.646) cumulative record from 2006-09, but Virginia Tech's loss to visiting James Madison in September takes some of the luster off that accomplishment.
Playing on the road means traveling great distances, sleeping in a strange bed and subjecting yourself to taunts and jeers as soon as you walk on the field.
Playing at home means dressing in a familiar locker room, performing in front of cheering fans and actually being able to hear the snap count when your offense is on the field.
Who wouldn't want that? Well, not everyone.
"I like away games, to be honest," North Carolina safety Deunta Williams said. "The mindset you come in there with is, it's going to be a tough game and it's everybody against you. That's what I like.
"Whenever we're going to an away game, I feel like sometimes the home team has a little distraction because the fans are asking for tickets and all this other stuff and they've got to listen to the radio all week. We can eliminate that stuff and go play."
Despite the good fortune visiting teams have experienced in the ACC, few coaches around the league share Williams' perspective.
"I still would rather play home games," said North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien. "I don't look forward to the last month of our season's schedule here, with three of the last four on the road. I think that's a tough thing to ask of a football team."
Clemson has played only twice on the road thus far this season, losing a non-league game at Auburn and falling at North Carolina. If the Tigers are to make a return trip to the ACC title game, they must successfully negotiate a schedule that requires them to play three of their last four conference games on the road.
If Clemson performs up to its potential, venturing out of Death Valley won't be an issue.
"For good teams, none of that stuff matters. That's all clutter, distractions," coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's all about how you practice, how you prepare, your routine. It shouldn't matter who you play, where you play, how cold it is, whether it's raining. Whether you play at noon or 10 o'clock at night, you come to play, you're prepared to play and you get yourself ready to execute at a high level.
"That's what good teams do," Swinney concluded. "They find a way to win."
-- David Ginsburg
Gators blame offensive woes on practice problems
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Coach Urban Meyer spent last week analyzing every play of Florida's season and came to these conclusions:
It's not the play-calling. It's not the players. It's not the effort. It's not the energy.
Florida's struggles are directly related to practice. Yes, practice.
Although Meyer has a long list of problems for his offense, which ranks ninth in the Southeastern Conference and 89th in the nation, he attributes all of them to practice. Simply put, poor practices have made the Gators (4-3, 2-3 SEC) imperfect.
"When there's a lack of execution, how does that occur?" Meyer said. "The answer is not to say, 'That guy, that guy, that guy.' Is it because we don't practice it enough? Is it we don't get them in that situation enough?
"We're not into excuses. We're not into, 'This happened because.' It's, 'Fix the issues.' It doesn't look like us out there. It doesn't look like, 'Bang.' We all want that. How do you get that? You recruit it. You develop it. You coach it and you make sure you practice the mess out of it, and that's kind of where we're at."
It's probably not what frustrated Florida fans want to hear. They're calling for personnel changes, blame assessed, maybe even an offensive overhaul. They're expecting anger, finger-pointing, maybe even some promises.
Instead, the Gators believe better practices — as well as healthier players — will make a difference Saturday against rival Georgia (4-4, 3-3).
Injuries certainly have been an issue.
Running backs Jeff Demps, Mike Gillislee and Emmanuel Moody are banged up. So are offensive linemen Xavier Nixon and Jon Halapio. And quarterback John Brantley has played with bruised ribs, a sore shoulder and a sprained thumb on his throwing hand.
But the offensive woes have been a problem all season, even when those guys were healthy.
The Gators rank 10th in the league in rushing, eighth in passing and ninth in scoring. They are last in yards per play (5.0), and have twice as many negative plays (58) as touchdowns (26).
The result is Florida's first three-game losing streak since the end of the 1999 season. The Gators managed just two field goals at Alabama, put together two decent drives against LSU and scored a lone touchdown against Mississippi State.
"I don't think anyone wants to lose three in a row," Brantley said. "We're facing some challenges, but we're really going to be able to rise from it. We're sticking together. That's the biggest thing we want to see. We're just going to keep getting better. It's going to turn around."
With more practice, right?
"You practice like you play," center Mike Pouncey said. "It's something that we've been trying to key on this last week, executing a lot better than we've had and finishing. If you practice at half speed, that's how you're going to play. Obviously, we've got to get better in practice."
Meyer partly blamed his revamped coaching staff — he had to hire four new assistants following the Sugar Bowl — for practice inefficiency and said those issues were carrying over to games.
"Fundamentals don't improve for a lot of reasons," Meyer said. "No. 1 is you don't practice them at game speed. No. 2 that you're not taught very well. No. 3 is that the player is not good enough. No. 3 is not allowed around here. ... There's no trade or waiver wire. It is what it is, you got what you got, let's get them better and find out what they can do."
Meyer pointed out four main areas of concern:
—Turnovers. The Gators already have one more turnover this season (14) than they did in 2008. Eight of those have come during the losing streak.
—Big plays. Brantley has one pass play longer than 30 yards, and Florida has just six runs longer than 20 yards all year.
—Pass efficiency. Brantley's numbers have been skewed numerous dropped passes, most of them by Deonte Thompson, and countless missed blocking assignments.
—Red zone. The Gators, who led the SEC in red-zone scoring the last three years, have three turnovers, two missed field goals and a failed fourth-down attempt inside the 20-yard line the last three games.
"We've obviously had some severe issues here the last three weeks that have been very damaging as far as the won-lost record," Meyer said. "The issue is not finding the blame, but it's finding a solution. That's what we're going to do this week.'
-- Mark Long
Kentucky's bowl hopes rest on shaky rush defense
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — When Kentucky defensive coordinator Steve Brown was asked if he's confident the Wildcats could stop Mississippi State's rushing attack on Saturday, he stammered a bit before answering.
Brown didn't say he wasn't confident. But with the skill of an incumbent during election season, he filibustered and never exactly said yes, either.
"Well, I mean, I'd like to think that I'm extremely confident," Brown said. "But it boils down to the human factor to see how games go. We're going to play one play at a time and try to stop their offense. And not just the run, but whatever they do."
Kentucky's defensive front hasn't done much to instill confidence in its coordinator. The Wildcats (4-4, 1-4 SEC) rank 11th in the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense through eight games, giving up 176.1 yards per game. They've given up 22 touchdowns on the ground, easily the most in the SEC.
Those with success running against the Wildcats have done it with a sometimes-historic flair. Florida freshman Trey Burton accounted for six touchdowns against Kentucky, five running and one passing. That broke Tim Tebow's school-record five-touchdown game against South Carolina in 2007.
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton ran for a career-best 198 yards and four touchdowns against the Wildcats. Last week, Georgia running back Washaun Ealey scored five touchdowns in Lexington, a school record that Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker never reached.
Mississippi State's approach isn't likely to differ much from those that gashed the Wildcats earlier in the year. The Bulldogs (6-2, 2-2) rank second in the SEC with 219.2 rushing yards per game. And coach Dan Mullen isn't afraid to pound it. He called just one pass play in the second half of a 10-7 win at Florida on Oct. 16, and his team hasn't thrown for more than 148 yards passing in a league game yet this year.
"It's something that we press pretty hard to try to get fixed," Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham said. "We've worked on getting our hands out in front of us as a line and attacking the ball more. We're trying to get up on our blocks to make the runner bounce so the linebackers can make tackles. It makes us feel like there's a chip on our shoulder."
On Halloween night last season, Mississippi State senior Anthony Dixon ran for 252 yards in a 31-24 Bulldogs win at Kentucky. Chris Relf, then a backup quarterback, had two rushes in the game for 60 yards. Now the Bulldogs' starter, Relf has completed 55 percent of his throws but Brown said Kentucky will treat him like a Wildcat-formation quarterback that is equally likely to run, throw or hand it off.
Kentucky coach Joker Phillips characterized the Bulldogs as a team that runs on third down and doesn't consider a punt a bad play. He said Relf will run mostly but the threat of dropping back to pass will keep Kentucky's secondary from crashing in too much.
"He's made some throws and he throws it adequate enough to where he's completed 55 percent of his passes so you have to cover down on receivers because he can throw it," Phillips said.
Wyndham said the Bulldogs will dare Kentucky to stop the run, just like Florida, Auburn and Georgia did. When asked if he was confident the Wildcats could get the job done in Starkville, he filibustered like Brown.
He never said no. But he never said yes.
"I think we're doing better and better," Wyndham said. "I think every day, you can see it in our defensive line and we're understanding more where to be at the right times."
Rutgers' QB questions a not-unwelcome diversion
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers coach Greg Schiano would usually bristle at any questions suggesting a quarterback controversy on his team.
But considering that circumstances have been anything but typical since Eric LeGrand suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury in an Oct. 16 game against Army, Schiano didn't seem to mind the change of subject to football.
Schiano didn't field any specific questions on his injured junior defensive tackle. But Rutgers spokesman Jason Baum said there was nothing to update on LeGrand, who remains paralyzed from the neck down and under the care of doctors at Hackensack University Medical Center.
With his team idle until a Nov. 3 meeting at South Florida, Schiano said Wednesday's practice was different in that it didn't focus on an upcoming opponent.
"It was not a practice dedicated to any scheme at all," said Schiano, whose team stands at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in Big East play. "It was strictly about things we felt we need to get better at."
Unlike last week, when the focus around Rutgers football practice dealt with how the players would cope in the wake of LeGrand's catastrophic injury, the Scarlet Knights' first session following a two-day layoff had the look of a normal midweek practice.
That meant a spirited practice in which Schiano's voice periodically went to a higher octave, and it meant questions afterward about who would start at quarterback.
Schiano, who won't announce his starting quarterback until his team begins its preparation for USF in earnest Saturday, has started freshman Chas Dodd the past three games after injuries put sophomore Tom Savage on the shelf in early October.
But with Savage healthy for the first time since injuring his throwing hand in an Oct. 2 loss to Tulane, Schiano now has a decision to make.
Does he start Dodd, who rallied Rutgers to consecutive victories over Connecticut and Army before struggling in a 41-21 loss at Pitt? Or does he play Savage, who had shown glimpses of stardom last season before posting the Big East's worst pass efficiency rating through Rutgers' 2-2 start this fall?
"Who gives us the best chance to win?," Schiano said. Asked whether he'd be opposed to playing both, Schiano said he wasn't sure.
For now, neither Dodd or Savage seem fazed by the uncertainty.
"I'm just preparing as if I'm going to have the starting job," Dodd said. "Both of us do that. And that only makes us both better."
Savage added that an offense that currently ranks 109th nationally in total yards can benefit from a quarterback competition.
"It always helps because we're constantly pushing each other," Savage said. "It doesn't matter if you're a fifth-year senior, if a guy's going to push you, he's going to push you. You gotta compete. That's all it is. Coach obviously knows what's best for the team, and he's going to make the decision."
Army honors Eric LeGrand
Army coach Rich Ellerson never appreciated an off week so much.
"It was a good time to have a week off," Ellerson said as his Black Knights returned to practice for Saturday's game against VMI at Michie Stadium.
The Black Knights needed time to off since their overtime loss to Rutgers at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Oct. 16, when Eric LeGrand was left paralyzed from the neck down after tackling Army's Malcolm Brown on a kickoff return.
At the start of the week, LeGrand, a junior defensive tackle for the Scarlet Knights, had not shown any sign of improvement. The outpouring of support for the 20-year-old LeGrand has been a positive that Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said cannot be measured. He's received messages of support from fellow Big East coaches and administrators and people nationwide.
The Black Knights have felt the hurt as much as anybody. The players have prayed for and written cards to LeGrand, who underwent surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
"There's been a real effort on the team to reach out to Eric and his teammates and to the Rutgers football community and to support now and support for the long term, and a lot of thoughts and prayers," Ellerson said. "We're not strangers here to wounded warriors.
"We have a model for endurance here and an appreciation, culturally and institutionally, where maybe we can weigh in at some point and really make a difference, beyond the emotional support," Ellerson said.
That will start on Saturday when Army (4-3) hosts military rival VMI (3-4). The Black Knights will have red decals on their helmets with LeGrand's No. 52 and a small "R'' for Rutgers in tribute.
The decals will remain for the rest of the season, and Ellerson said the Black Knights will be involved with LeGrand long after the season-ending game against archrival Navy.
That Rutgers and West Point are less than 100 miles apart figures to help the healing process.
"The thing that maybe sets us apart is that we're up the street," Ellerson said. "Right now, they're being overwhelmed with support and love. In the months to come, when the hard work is still going to be ongoing, we're in there for the long haul. Coach Schiano and I have spoken and communicated and will continue to do so. Right now, they almost need a little space."
In the violent collision that injured LeGrand, his helmet slammed the left shoulder of Brown and sent him backward to the turf. Brown, who leads Army in all-purpose yards, suffered a broken left collarbone, but the damage is not as bad as originally thought.
"I'll be surprised if he plays this week," Ellerson said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see him able to play against Air Force (Nov. 6)."
Army returns to action and what has been an impressive second season under Ellerson.
— Army leads the country in turnover margin at +1.57.
— Army has not lost back-to-back games. The last time the Black Knights went through an entire season without losing two straight was 1996, when they finished 10-2.
— Army is ranked eighth in the country in rushing at 276 yards per game and has 24 rushing touchdowns. The Black Knights are on pace to score at least 30 touchdowns on the ground for the first time since the 1996 team had 33.
— Army is averaging 30.6 points per game. The Black Knights have not averaged 30 points for a season since 1985.
— Army is coming off an Academy record-setting performance of eight sacks against Rutgers. That pushed the season sack total to 20, four shy of the team record set in 1999.
— Army is ranked 25th in the nation against the rush, allowing 117 yards per game.
The head coach isn't letting it go to his head.
"I think he's one ahead of .500, so he's pretty good — 4-3 is pretty good," Ellerson said. "A couple more wins he'd be good, but right now he's pretty good."
Overall, Ellerson is 9-10 at West Point and a win over VMI would make him the fastest coach to 10 wins since Tom Cahill won 10 of his first 12 games during the 1966 and '67 seasons.
NOTES: Starting next fall, Army has secured primary bowl tie-ins for each of the next three seasons. If bowl-eligible, the Black Knights will participate in the Emerald Bowl in 2011, the Military Bowl in 2012 and the Poinsettia Bowl in 2013.
-- John Kekis
UNC-W&M game becomes brother vs. brother
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Welcome to the Shooper Bowl.
The Shoop brothers bring an unusual connection between the coaching staffs at North Carolina and William & Mary this weekend.
Tar Heels offensive coordinator John Shoop will try to get the best of his older brother, Bob Shoop — the Tribe's defensive coordinator
Both men downplay the thought of the game turning into a chess match between John Shoop's playmaking offense and Bob Shoop's defense, but it's clear the brotherly bond forms the most intriguing subplot of a matchup between one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's top programs and a Championship Subdivision team looking for another win against one of college football's big boys.
"This game really isn't that much about me and Bob. It's about our players playing William and Mary's players, and our scheme battling their scheme," John Shoop said. "It's about our players blocking theirs, and their players shedding some blocks. That's really what it's going to come down to, not how familiar I am with Bob or how familiar he is with me."
Maybe not, but in this first matchup of Shoop brothers, it can't hurt the Tar Heels (4-2) to have an offensive coordinator who's so familiar with the opponent's defensive mastermind. Then again, perhaps the Tribe (6-1) has the advantage because their defensive coordinator knows how North Carolina's offensive play-caller thinks.
"We've obviously talked enough football during the course of our experience that I know, generally speaking, his philosophy, but I'd say that he also knows mine, so it's probably a wash in that respect," Bob Shoop said. "The natural tendency, hopefully, is to not overthink this thing, so you don't go, 'Well, he knows that I know this, so therefore ' You can kind of get into that game right there."
This matchup was scheduled well before the brothers were hired weeks apart by their respective schools. John Shoop left the Oakland Raiders and joined Butch Davis' staff at North Carolina in January 2007, and a month later William & Mary turned to Bob Shoop — who's four years older than John — to solidify the Tribe's defense.
"It's not like I called up the Stoops brothers and said, 'Hey, how do you handle something like this?'" Bob Shoop said, referring to the family that has produced Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, Arizona coach Mike Stoops and Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.
"I've tried to keep my eye on the ball. The coaches have been teasing me and different people have been teasing me about this game for a long time, calling it the Shoop Bowl or things like that, but I really keep trying to keep my focus on the fact that I have a job to do and he has a job to do."
As brothers tend to be, the Shoops said they were competitive in sports when they grew up outside of Pittsburgh and bonded over that city's pro teams and Pitt sports.
John Shoop said he didn't talk to his brother during the offseason, calling it "quite awkward" not being able to speak to "perhaps my most trusted and valued resource," and said he doesn't plan to meet up with him before the game. Bob Shoop said he hasn't seen his younger brother since the Meineke Bowl last year in Charlotte.
"We're both trying to win this game," John Shoop said. "I don't know if it was a conscious decision (to limit contact) ... but I'm sure as heck not going to tell him anything and I know he ain't (going to) tell me anything either."
-- Joedy McCreary
Other News & Notes
Penn State backup QB McGloin ready
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin has never lacked for confidence.
The can-do attitude was evident in Penn State's 33-21 win last week at Minnesota after McGloin was summoned from the bench in the second quarter after starter Rob Bolden was knocked out of the game.
Against the Golden Gophers, McGloin misfired on his first pass attempt. But, on the next possession, McGloin connected with wide receiver Derek Moye for a 42-yard touchdown strike — McGloin's first career completion. McGloin's next pass was intercepted, and he finished 6 of 13 passing for 76 yards and two scores.
"Obviously, the first play was a great one," coach Joe Paterno said. "And I think he got carried away on the second one when he threw the interception. But I thought he did very well under the circumstances and will get better if he has to play more."
That might be as soon as Saturday. Bolden was scheduled Wednesday for additional testing for a possible head injury. Paterno said during Tuesday's Big Ten coaches teleconference that it was "very doubtful" that Bolden could play Saturday night against Michigan.
McGloin said Wednesday that he and sophomore Kevin Newsome have split first-team reps in practice.
"It's crucial you make the most of them," said McGloin, a redshirt sophomore from Scranton, Pa. "Kevin and myself have prepared as if we're going to be in there Saturday."
If he is, he plans to "speak loud, look them in the eyes and be confident."
The team is expecting it.
"He's showed (confidence) in the huddle," Moye said. "He showed it on the field Saturday and when he took control of the huddle and showed he was going to be there for us."
Big Sky suspends referee for wrong call
The Big Sky Conference has suspended a referee for one game for mistakenly awarding Northern Arizona a safety in its game at Montana last Saturday.
League commissioner Doug Fullerton said Wednesday that Jim Lenau was suspended for misapplication of a rule near the end of the first half.
Northern Arizona kicked the ball to Montana. The Griz player caught the ball and stepped out of the back of the end zone. The play was ruled a safety on the field and two points were awarded to Northern Arizona, giving the Lumberjacks a 9-7 lead.
The league said the play should have resulted in a touchback for Montana, which would have had 44 seconds to try to score before the half.
Montana won the game 24-21 on a last-second touchdown pass.
Lenau apologized for the error following Saturday's game. He said he did not consult with the other officials about call
Vols FB Kevin Cooper to serve 1-game suspension
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee senior fullback Kevin Cooper is being suspended for Saturday's game at South Carolina.
Coach Derek Dooley said Wednesday that he was suspending the Chattanooga native because he violated a team academic policy.
The 6-foot, 242-pound Cooper has played in all seven games this season and started five of them. He's caught six passes for 39 yards.
Freshman Channing Fugate will play in Cooper's place. Fugate has also played in all seven games, but his only offensive statistic came on an 8-yard kickoff return in the Volunteers' 32-29 overtime win over UAB.
Records: UM's Toussaint drove on suspended license
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan tailback Fitz Toussaint has been cited for driving with a suspended license. The redshirt freshman has an arraignment Thursday morning in Ann Arbor district court.
Court records say University of Michigan police ticketed him Oct. 8, the night before the Michigan-Michigan State game.
School spokesman Dave Ablauf tells The Detroit News that football coach Rich Rodriguez "is aware of it and has handled the situation" with Toussaint.
Toussaint missed the first three games with a knee injury, then carried twice against Bowling Green before injuring his shoulder. He's missed the last three games and is expected to be out a while longer. The Wolverines play at Penn State on Saturday night.
Connecticut's Box won't play against West Virginia
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut quarterback Michael Box, who got his first career start last Saturday, won't play in the Huskies' Big East home opener against West Virginia.
Box suffered a head injury during the second half of last Saturday's 26-0 loss at Louisville, and was replaced by senior Zach Frazer.
But he was listed as the starter for the West Virginia game on Tuesday's weekly depth chart and met with the media.
Coach Randy Edsall told WTIC-AM on his weekly radio show that he had noticed some things in practice Wednesday that caused him concern. He said he brought those concerns to the attention of the medical staff, who examined Box and ruled him out of Friday night's game.
Edsall said Frazer will start for UConn (3-4, 0-2 Big East) against the Mountaineers (5-2, 1-1).
Buffalo loses RB Thermilus to knee injury
AMHERST, N.Y. (AP) — University at Buffalo running back Brandon Thermilus will miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee.
The school announced that Thermilus is scheduled to have surgery in three weeks after being hurt while returning a kickoff in a 45-14 loss at Northern Illinois on Oct. 16.
The fifth-year senior ranks fourth on the Bulls (2-5, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) with 112 yards on 27 carries in five games.
He's is the son of former Houston Oilers running back Alonzo Highsmith. Thermilus' best season came last year when he had 560 yards rushing and four touchdowns, while adding nine catches for 99 yards and two scores.
UConn looking into postings about practice
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall says someone has been spying on his practices and posting a blow-by-blow description on the Internet.
In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Edsall said he was alerted to the problem by the parent of a player, who saw the postings Tuesday on a UConn message board.
Edsall said they apparently came from a student living in a dorm room that overlooks the team's practice field.
The team practiced inside on Wednesday because of bad weather, but Edsall said he's considering moving all practices indoors. UConn (3-4, 0-2 Big East) hosts West Virginia on Friday.
Clemson backup safety Lewis out with broken jaw
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson reserve safety Carlton Lewis is out for the upcoming game against Boston College after breaking his jaw at practice.
Coach Dabo Swinney said Lewis was hurt Tuesday and had surgery on Wednesday. Lewis will also miss the Nov. 6 game against North Carolina State.
Lewis was in for 13 plays last week against Georgia Tech and has played in every game this season except Miami.
