College Sports Capsules: Tide starts where it finished: No. 1
NEW YORK — Alabama will start this season where it ended last season.
The Crimson Tide is on top.
Coach Nick Saban has the Tide rolling the way Bear Bryant did in his day, first in The Associated Press preseason poll for the first time since 1978.
Alabama received 54 of 60 first-place votes from the media panel and 1,491 points to easily outdistance second-ranked Ohio State in the Top 25 released Saturday.
The Buckeyes, who have been ranked no lower than 11th in the last eight preseason polls, received three first-place votes.
Boise State is third, its best preseason ranking, following another undefeated season. Underdogs no more, the Broncos even received one first-place vote.
Florida, Alabama’s Southeastern Conference rival, is fourth. Fifth-ranked Texas received a first-place vote.
The rest of the top 10 has TCU sixth, followed by Oklahoma, which received a first-place vote, Nebraska, Iowa and Virginia Tech.
The 10th-ranked Hokies face Boise State at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, on Labor Day night in the season’s first huge game.
As for Alabama, Bryant was coach the last time the Crimson Tide was the AP’s preseason No. 1. The Tide started and finished that 1978 season on top of the rankings, the first of two straight national championships for Alabama. The only other time Alabama was preseason No. 1 was 1966, when Bear’s boys were coming off back-to-back national championships.
Saban’s Tide, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, will try to make Alabama the first program to win back-to-back AP titles three times. Oklahoma and Nebraska also have done it twice.
But please don’t call Alabama the defending champion — at least not in front of its coach.
“What was accomplished by last year’s team has nothing to do with this year’s team. The players have to understand that,” said Saban, who in three seasons has fully restored Alabama’s status as an elite program. “This team has to develop an image, an identity of its own by its performance. What was accomplished last year is just a standard for somebody else to top.
“Complacency is why the mighty fall.”
Saban has been trying to downplay this team’s No. 1 worthiness since the morning after the Tide beat Texas 37-21 at the Rose Bowl to win the BCS championship.
Back in January he practically was lamenting the fact that his team likely would be preseason No. 1 in 2010, quick to point out that while the Tide’s offense would be returning most of its stars, its dominant defense was facing major turnover.
Gone are All-Americans Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, Javier Arenas and six other starters from last season.
Stepping in will be a cast of former five-star recruits and talented players who will be asked to expand their roles.
“We have confidence in our defensive players. I think it’s more a matter of knowledge and experience and maturity that the defense is going to have to develop,” Saban said.
Dont’a Hightower returns from a knee injury to fill McClain’s spot at middle linebacker and defensive end Marcell Dareus, the star of the BCS title game, becomes the headliner up front — as long as an NCAA investigation doesn’t sideline him.
“You can’t really promote guys into leadership roles,” Saban said. “I think that it’s something that sort of grows, develops and happens because of personality types and respect that other players have.”
Saban has little to worry about on the offensive side. Ingram and sidekick Trent Richardson will run behind an experienced line, so the ground game should continue to churn out big yards.
Greg McElroy returns for his second season as starting quarterback and he has plenty of enticing receivers, led by NFL prototype wideout Julio Jones.
“We played early on last season and at times during the season to protect the quarterback a little bit,” Saban said. “We thought we had a really good defense and we could run the ball well, we could afford to do that. But I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year. We have too many good skill players on offense.”
There’s no doubting Alabama has the credentials to be No. 1, but poll history suggests the odds are against the Tide finishing on top again.
Only 10 of the 60 previous preseason No. 1 teams have won the national championship. And only two (Florida State in ‘99 and Southern California in ‘04) have held the top spot for the entire season.
Notable in the top 10, Nebraska has its highest preseason ranking since 2001, when the Cornhuskers started No. 4.
“That really doesn’t have much to do with where we are now and what we have to accomplish and something we’re not in control of as a football team,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “That is a positive that we’re up there a little bit higher than in years past.”
The second 10 in the preseason Top 25 starts with Oregon. The defending Pac-10 champion Ducks are No. 11.
No. 12 is Wisconsin and Miami is 13th.
Southern California is No. 14. The last time the Trojans started a season outside the top 10 was 2002, Pete Carroll’s second season as coach. Carroll is gone and USC is dealing with NCAA sanctions under new coach Lane Kiffin that prevent the Trojans from playing in the postseason this season.
Pittsburgh, the highest-ranked Big East team, is No. 15.
Georgia Tech, Arkansas, North Carolina, Penn State and Florida State round out the top 20.
No. 21 LSU is followed by Auburn and Georgia, giving the SEC six teams in the preseason rankings, the most of any conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference is second with five ranked teams.
Oregon State is No. 24 and West Virginia is 25.
Big 12 Football
Hansen gets the nod at QB for Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado Buffaloes don't want junior quarterback Tyler Hansen looking over his shoulder for a quick hook this season.
The Buffs named Hansen their starter Saturday, relegating three-year starter Cody Hawkins, the son of coach Dan Hawkins, to backup duty.
Dan Hawkins flip-flopped between his son and Hansen the last two seasons. Although Hansen started the last seven games last year, he still had to share snaps with Cody Hawkins during a dismal 3-9 season.
Despite the alternating nature of the job in the past, Hansen is being cautioned not to worry about being on a short leash.
"That's a very uncomfortable way to play and I want Tyler to know that," offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau was quoted as saying on the school's website. "I told him, 'You're the starting quarterback. Don't look over your shoulder. Don't play tight. Just go have fun and play. Don't look behind you ... That's why we named you the starting quarterback.'"
So, Hansen can now do what he does best: play free and easy without reprisals for mistakes or missed reads.
The Buffaloes open the season Sept. 4 against rival Colorado State at Invesco Field in Denver.
Although Hansen emerged from spring ball slightly ahead of senior Cody Hawkins and spent the fall camp directing the No. 1 offense most of the time, he wasn't told by the coaches that he'd be the starter until this weekend.
"It's good to have confidence from the team, confidence from the coaches and pretty much everyone around you," said Hansen, who acknowledged he had begun to press with the uncertainty hanging over his head.
After Cody Hawkins was benched last season, Hansen made an instant impact, guiding Colorado to a 34-30 win over then-No. 17 Kansas. He threw for 1,440 yards and eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also rushed for 336 yards once sack yardage is deducted.
Cody Hawkins is 11-17 as the Buffaloes' starter and is the school's career leader in TD passes (46) and interceptions (36).
Hansen went into the last two campaigns planning to redshirt but was summoned from the sideline at midseason after Cody Hawkins began to struggle.
Dan Hawkins said the decision between his son and Hansen wasn't an easy one.
"We have two really good ones, you know, and we're very fortunate that way," he said. "They both have not been in an enviable position, but they've both handled it great the whole time."
Pelini says No. 8 good starting point for Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's No. 8 rating in The Associated Press preseason poll is its highest to start a season since the Cornhuskers were No. 4 heading into the 2001 campaign.
Coach Bo Pelini said Saturday that he doesn't pay much attention to the polls. But he acknowledged that a Top 10 preseason ranking is a good starting point for a team that has aspirations of playing for the national championship. He said it's hard for a team to make up ground in the polls if it is ranked low in the preseason.
Pelini said he suspects Nebraska earned its rating because media voting in the AP poll recognized the Huskers' strong finish in 2009. The Huskers won six of their last seven games.
Nebraska opens the season No. 9 in the coaches' poll.
Nebraska’s Pelini ends 3-day media lockout
LINCOLN, Neb. — The usual throng of reporters was back in the Nebraska football complex Saturday, marking an end to coach Bo Pelini’s three-day media lockout.
Pelini banned the media because he disagreed with the way some reporters were reporting a season-ending injury to linebacker Sean Fisher. The third-year coach was livid that reporters called Fisher’s parents before he had a chance to speak with them.
Reporters found out about Fisher’s injury from an Internet message-board posting by the friend of an assistant coach who attended practice Tuesday. Pelini also banned guests.
Practices under Pelini have always been closed to media.
Pelini announced Saturday that he’s limiting media access from six days to three days next week.
Nebraska TE Young will undergo back surgery
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska tight end Dreu Young will undergo back surgery and could be out for the season.
Young missed the season opener a year ago after having back surgery but returned to play the other 13 games, starting nine of them.
Coach Bo Pelini said Saturday that Young had a “flare-up” that will require an operation. The coach said Young won’t be back until at least midseason, if at all.
The Cornhuskers already have lost offensive lineman Mike Smith and linebacker Sean Fisher to broken legs and cornerback Anthony Blue to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Football Features
FBI tracked desegregation suit against Bryant
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Forty years ago, Alabama football fans watched Southern California and a black running back named Sam Cunningham trounce coach Paul "Bear" Bryant’s Crimson Tide in a game widely credited with helping start the integration of Southern football.
Fans weren’t the only ones watching Alabama football back then. The FBI, apparently with the approval of then-director J. Edgar Hoover, was secretly keeping an eye on a civil rights lawsuit filed by blacks against the legendary coach during the same period.
Documents released to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act show that for almost two years, agents tracked the suit filed by a prominent black lawyer against Bryant, the University of Alabama and others to make Bryant recruit black football players. Building a file, agents followed the court docket and snipped stories from newspapers about the case, sending the findings to the agency’s office responsible for investigating civil rights crimes.
The FBI won’t explain why it was interested in a civil lawsuit by a black student organization against a prominent white football coach. The agency kept track of possible civil rights violations and often monitored public figures and civil rights leaders under Hoover.
But one of the FBI forms in the Bryant file is marked twice with a handwritten capital "H" — a clear indication that Hoover both saw the document and approved of the snooping, said author Curt Gentry, who wrote "J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets," a definitive biography on Hoover and the FBI under his leadership.
"He was the only one in the bureau allowed to use the ‘H’ initial," Gentry said. "It means he saw it, and he obviously approved it if he didn’t do anything to stop it. He didn’t personally approve everything, but something like that he certainly would have known about."
Bryant, one of America’s best-known sports figures at the time, already had won three national championships with the Crimson Tide. The black lawyer who sued him, U.W. Clemon, had made a name for himself by taking on Alabama’s all-white establishment in numerous court fights over desegregation and police brutality. He later would become the state’s first black federal judge.
Clemon said in a recent interview that he never knew of the FBI monitoring until informed by AP. He had his suspicions about why it was authorized, however.
"Bear Bryant was a god in Alabama in those days; maybe it was just a matter of keeping up. And you have to recall the thinking of some of the Southern FBI agents at the time," Clemon said. "Maybe they thought I was doing something illegal. Maybe they just wanted to pursue it because black people were suing Bear Bryant."
The agent who sent notes on the Bryant case to Washington died years ago. A retired agent who once worked in the FBI’s Birmingham office, Larry A. Long, said in an interview the bureau likely monitored the Bryant case because it claimed violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
"When you received an allegation of a civil rights violation, the civil rights unit had to be advised," said Long, who left the FBI in 1999 after 30 years. "This sounds typical for the time."
Filed in 1969, the suit was dismissed in 1971 after the university gave a handful of scholarships to black athletes. The monitoring ended then, too, when Bryant’s FBI file was just 27 pages thick.
Bryant and the integration of intercollegiate athletics in the South were a major topic throughout the 1960s.
The Civil Rights Act outlawed racial segregation in areas including public education, but progress was slow in overturning practices of the Jim Crow era in the Deep South. It wasn’t until 1966 that Kentucky signed the first black football players in the Southeastern Conference.
In both a sworn statement in the lawsuit and in interviews from the period, Bryant said he’d been trying to recruit black athletes to play football at Alabama for years before the Afro-American Association of the University of Alabama filed the suit in July 1969.
Bryant already had blacks on his team as non-scholarship walk-on players, but it wasn’t until five months after the federal suit was filed that Alabama signed its first black football player to a scholarship, Wilbur Jackson. The next year, 1971, another player became the first black to appear in a varsity football game for ‘Bama.
By August 1970 — just weeks before Southern Cal routed an all-white Alabama team 42-21 in Birmingham, with Cunningham running for two touchdowns and 135 yards — the file forwarded by Alabama agents to Washington included a note that Clemon had questioned Bryant under oath.
During the deposition, Bryant said his staff had been scouting black players as early as 1966. Yet he recalled telling a black high school coach that it was "a little too soon" to have a black player at Alabama and implied that the state’s racial climate was a problem.
Bryant died in 1983. Clemon said in a recent interview that black high school coaches would have testified that Alabama didn’t seem truly interested in attracting black players until after the loss to Southern California in 1970. The game was viewed by many as opening fans’ eyes to the idea that racial integration was inevitable if Alabama wanted to have a successful football program.
"Bear Bryant got religion after the USC game, and it was dismissed without trial," said Clemon, who went on to serve in the Alabama Legislature and became the state’s first black federal judge in 1980. Now retired from the bench, he is an attorney in private practice in Birmingham.
Gentry said it wasn’t surprising that the FBI would have followed a major lawsuit involving Bryant considering how many people were being monitored at the time from all walks of life.
"They did it with actors, they did it with authors," Gentry said. "(Hoover) had fairly extensive sports files."
Taylor Watson, curator of a University of Alabama museum named for Bryant and dedicated to ‘Bama football, said archives including Bryant’s personal files don’t mention any reference to the FBI or indicate the coach had any interaction with the agency.
He also noted that a black player had been signed and others walked on prior to the loss to USC, even though none had played in a varsity game for Bryant.
"The idea that the Southern Cal game meant they could integrate at Alabama is the greatest myth in college sports," Watson said.
-- Jay Reeves
Arkansas RBs fight for playing time, carries
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Bobby Petrino left no doubt where Arkansas ‘ priorities lie.
When discussing his quartet of running backs earlier this month, the Razorbacks’ coach outlined one specific task they all needed to focus on — and it had nothing to do with taking the ball and sprinting toward the end zone.
“I think they all understand that your amount of plays is determined on your ability to protect the passer,” Petrino said. “You can’t lose a quarterback because a running back doesn’t know the protection or gets beat on his technique.”
Broderick Green, Dennis Johnson, Ronnie Wingo Jr. and Knile Davis each joined the Razorbacks amid high expectations, but now these running backs are learning to play without the ball in their hands. Not only do they split time with one another, but they’re also well aware that the Arkansas offense revolves around quarterback Ryan Mallett and his strong arm.
The Razorbacks are ranked No. 17, their highest preseason standing since 1990. Mallett is the main reason for those high expectations after throwing for 3,624 yards last season, so it’s up to the running backs to find ways to contribute while the spotlight is elsewhere.
“I feel this year, the biggest thing that’s helping me is my confidence has grown,” said Wingo, a sophomore. “Knowing the offense, learning defenses, like, ‘What’s the check going to be here? What’s the check going be there?”’
Gone are the days when Darren McFadden would run over tacklers in a bid for the Heisman Trophy. Now Mallett is the Razorbacks’ Heisman candidate, and the running backs are in supporting roles. Wingo, a high school star from St. Louis, has had to learn some of the game’s less glamorous trades.
“That was probably one of the hardest adjustments for me coming from high school to college was pass protection and the importance of it,” Wingo said.
That’s not to say Arkansas won’t run the ball — and with running back Michael Smith gone from last year’s team, there should be more carries for everyone else this season.
Green led the Razorbacks with 442 yards on 104 carries last season, including 11 touchdowns on the ground. The Southern California transfer scored on a 99-yard run against Eastern Michigan, but his 6-foot-2, 248-pound frame is more suited to short-yardage situations.
Which type of touchdown does he prefer? That’s an easy question.
“I’m going to go with the 99, of course,” Green said. “But I don’t mind breaking through a couple guys for a short-yard gain just to show some power, because at the end of the day, I get to get up and talk some crap. I get to, you know, let guys know that you’re going to have a hard time tackling me.”
Remarkably, Green might not be the hardest Razorback to bring down. At 5-foot-9, 213 pounds, Johnson is about as easy to tackle as a giant bowling ball covered in grease. Johnson ran for 107 yards last October when Arkansas nearly upset Florida.
“He’s had some great games since he’s played here,” running backs coach Tim Horton said. “Dennis’ charge in the past has been just consistency — on the practice field.”
Johnson also handles kickoff returns, with a touchdown each of the last two seasons in that role. He says he wasn’t all that eager to run back kicks when he first became a Razorback in 2008, but he looks comfortable with it now.
“I was just trying to focus on being a running back, but all that changed,” Johnson said.
Wingo turned heads during his freshman season with a 62-yard touchdown run against Texas A&M at the Dallas Cowboys’ home stadium, and Davis scored four times on his 33 carries last season.
If any of the running backs has stood out this month, the coaches are doing a good job keeping quiet about it. There’s been no indication what the depth chart might look like during the season, but all four backs figure to be in the picture — as long as they pay attention to their assignments and help keep defenses off balance.
“You need a good group of running backs,” Petrino said. “They’re the group that takes all the hits in practice, they’re the group that takes all the hits during the season. They’ve kind of went back and forth. There is really no named starter right now. I think they’ve taken their turn at shining.”
-- Noah Trister
Hawaii receiver Salas eyeing another big year
HONOLULU (AP) — It hasn't always been easy being No. 1.
Greg Salas, who wears the number on his Hawaii jersey, began his career on defense and emerged as one of the top receivers in the country last year.
"My first year I was lost," the senior said. "I came in as a defensive back and I wasn't even thinking about receiver until they moved me over to offense. But as the years went on, you just kind of pick it up."
The Chino, Calif.-native has more than picked up the position. His 1,590 receiving yards last year was the second-highest, single-season total in school history. He had 106 catches in 2009, making him one of only four Warriors to reach 100 receptions in a season.
Salas will again be a huge component of the run-and-shoot offense for Hawaii, which opens the season Sept. 2 against USC.
After redshirting his first year, Salas saw limited playing time in 2007, recording just three receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown. He started all 14 games as a sophomore and notched 831 receiving yards on 57 catches and three TDs.
He was then moved from wideout to the slot in four-receiver passing attack.
"It was a little weird at first," Salas said. "I was wondering why are they doing this to me. I thought I was doing good on the outside and they moved me to the inside. I thought they were trying to replace me, but I guess it was the best move I've ever made."
The move paid dividends for Salas and the Warriors. Salas went over 100 receiving yards in eight games and ranked sixth nationally in receptions per game (8.15) and fourth in receiving yards (122.3). He broke a school record with 16 receptions in a single game against New Mexico State, when he had a career-high 196 receiving yards.
"He made so many plays for us last year on just his natural receiver ability," said offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich, a former star Hawaii quarterback. "Catching the ball just comes so naturally for Greg."
Rolovich said he's seen Salas' leadership grow, especially this year.
"We've seen him be an every-play receiver. He's taking pride in everything he does, from blocking and running off, unselfish routes," he said.
But can he top last year's numbers?
"I think he can. I don't know if he will, but I think he'll be a better receiver this year," Rolovich said. "After all, numbers aren't all that NFL teams judge players by, and he knows that. He understands he won't be judged this year by his numbers, but by how he plays each play of each ball game."
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Salas presents a big target for quarterback Bryant Moniz, who begins his first full season as starter.
"On most teams, you see the taller guys are usually on the outside and the shorter guys are inside, so already he brings that height factor and gives us that big guy in the middle of the field," Moniz said. "Plus, he's got very good hands. He can find the open space on the field and he knows how to read defenses really well, so when he gets himself open, he makes it really easy for me."
Salas, who was an all-Western Athletic Conference selection last year, is on this year's watch list for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is presented to the nation's top receiver. Salas was also named to the watch list last season.
While Hawaii defenders would love to have Salas on their side, they're just happy to have him on the same sideline.
"I think it's just the mentality he brings in," safety Spencer Smith said. "His mentality is that he wants to win every battle, whether the ball is the air and he's going against a defender or if he's blocking his man on a run, he wants to win every battle."
Football News & Notes
Buckeyes scrimmage as days dwindle to opener
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the scrimmage held every August between Ohio State’s offensive and defensive units, the Buckeyes ran 140 plays and scored one touchdown.
And that was enough to win. Amazingly, that was fine with coach Jim Tressel.
“Whenever you have fireworks, I think you’ve got some problems,” he said Saturday after more than 150 minutes of action resulted in just one trip to the end zone.
Terrelle Pryor, singled out by many publications as a front-runner in the Heisman Trophy race, didn’t do much all day before connecting with Taurian Washington on a 25-yard touchdown pass for the lone touchdown. But the offense ended up winning not because it made plays but because it only had one turnover — Brandon Saine’s fumble.
Even though the offense was largely ineffective, things seemed to be weighted its way. No one was saying that was because Tressel coaches on the offensive side.
“The scrimmage is set up in the offense’s favor,” said cornerback Devon Torrence, one of several regulars to sit out the scrimmage with a minor injury. “But defensively, those are the type of disadvantages you’re going to have. You’ve got to work through them and try to come out on top. We have for the past two years.”
The defense had won the last two scrimmages, thus earning the right to wear scarlet jerseys in practice all season.
“We’re mad,” defensive end Cameron Heyward said. “Man, I haven’t lost that jersey since freshman year.”
The practice was Ohio State’s 20th since camp opened on Aug. 8.
The Buckeyes were to get Sunday off before their final two-a-day workout on Monday. They’ll practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and then get some more time off before going through a typical work week before opening their season on Sept. 2 against Marshall.
Offensive guard Justin Boren said no one on the offense was gloating about winning the scrimmage.
“Not really. I think everybody’s pretty tired. We’ve had a long two weeks of camp,” he said. “I think guys are just happy to get this 24 hours off.”
Tressel said heat and high humidity had worn down the players. As a result, there weren’t a lot of high or low points.
“No one will have graded out of this world and, just by the looks of it, no one will have one of those days where they didn’t do anything right,” Tressel said.
The scrimmage took place before just a few hundred spectators in cavernous Ohio Stadium, also the site of the unprecedented Thursday night game to open the season.
Other than the outcome, the next most significant thing out of the scrimmage was that several top players did not play or only played sparingly.
Among those were wide receivers Dane Sanzenbacher (right shoulder) and Grant Schwartz (leg) and defensive end Nathan Williams (knee), along with several who sat out the scrimmage due to various minor bumps and bruises: Heyward, safety Orhian Johnson, linebackers Dorian Bell and Homan, running back Carlos Hyde and cornerback Chimdi Chekwa.
All are expected to return by the opener.
The Buckeyes announced late on Friday night that they would not have backup offensive lineman, Marcus Hall, who had academic problems. He will continue to practice with the team but will redshirt and have three years of eligibility remaining.
Not all of Ohio State’s starting jobs are locked up yet. Tressel pointed to the battle between Andrew Sweatt and Etienne Sabino at the sam linebacker spot.
“They’ve been going back and forth all camp,” said fellow linebacker Ross Homan. “They both are very, very good and they both had good days today. They’ll keep battling it out.”
Getting back to the offense, Pryor, in particular, was just average.
Tressel was asked if his quarterback was frustrated because he had to wear a black jersey signifying he was off limits to tacklers and wouldn’t run.
“It (the black jersey) is a nuisance. I wouldn’t say he loves it,” Tressel said. “But he knows when the day comes that he gets to wear the normal jersey, it might be like freedom.”
-- Rusty Miller
Final Tennessee scrimmage exposes young players
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Derek Dooley is comfortable with most of his first-team players after the Volunteers' final fall scrimmage. It's the backups he's worried about.
The Vols spent Saturday working on specific situations, like running out the clock or needing to win late in the game, and those situations exposed the team's young and inexperienced players.
"We need a ton of work at this stuff," Dooley said. "The players that had experience were calm and played well, and the ones that didn't (have experience) and are new and the freshmen really struggled."
Two seasons of coaching turnovers prompted the departure of several would-be sophomores and juniors who would be filling the backup roles. The Vols currently have 76 scholarship players — nine fewer than the NCAA's limit of 85.
"I'm not worried about what we don't have, but today it really showed," Dooley said.
Tennessee didn't release statistics on the scrimmage, which was closed to the media and the public.
Dooley said the team would review the film and do whatever it could to correct the issues before the Sept. 4 season opener against Tennessee-Martin.
The offense didn't have the kind of big runs or passes it's had in the previous scrimmages, partly because of defensive improvement and partly because of missed assignments on the offense's behalf, center Cody Pope said.
"We didn't have as many explosive plays, so it was hard to really get a lot of energy, I guess. Because you know, a big play and everyone gets energized," Pope said. "But it was kind of like cutting down a tree. You've just got to keep cutting, keep cutting, until that thing comes down. Eventually we broke some big plays."
Matt Simms threw one interception, while Tyler Bray threw several picks. Linebacker Savion Frazier finally got his hands on one, after dropping several in the previous scrimmage, and took it into the end zone.
"I dropped three balls last week with no gloves. They kept telling me to put some gloves on, so I told them I'd wear some gloves today," Frazier said. "I got me a pick and took it to the crib."
One of Tennessee's key defensive backs, safety Janzen Jackson, struggled a bit after missing several fall practices with a hamstring injury. Jackson is one of only two defensive backs with significant playing time.
"He's very behind and he hurt us a lot today, and it's because he missed so much practice," Dooley said.
-- Beth Rucker
Kentucky starting quarterback remains unnamed
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A total of 18 practices into Kentucky's preseason camp, head coach Joker Phillips still hasn't named a starting quarterback.
Phillips has offered brief insight into the three-man battle but has made all quarterbacks off-limits to the media until a starter is named. After a Saturday scrimmage, a larger-than-usual group of media showed up for interviews, hoping to catch some news.
Phillips' first comment: "Are we announcing something today?"
He didn't. The first-year head coach reiterated Saturday the race still has fifth-year senior Mike Hartline, sophomore Morgan Newton and redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski all in equal competition.
Hartline, a 6-6, 210-pound senior from Canton, Ohio, is 8-6 as a starter at Kentucky. He was named the starting quarterback this time last year, and he started the first five games before going down with a knee injury at South Carolina.
In Hartline's absence, Newton started eight games (and won five) as a true freshman. Newton and Mossakowski were set to redshirt last year before Hartline went down. Newton left the bench and played; Mossakowski was able to stay redshirted.
As for Saturday's scrimmage, none of the three had created enough separation to earn the starter's job.
"All the quarterbacks did something good (today)," Phillips said. "All of them had a blunder also, especially early. Once they settled down, I thought all of them did a good job of — I hate to say this — managing the game. We want a quarterback that can win the game for us. We got to go figure out who gives us the best chance to win the game. Hopefully, we'll be able to figure that out after watching this video."
The three quarterbacks offer different styles of play. Hartline and Mossakowski are more pocket passers, while Newton offers more to the running game. The three men have all provided leadership in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage, Phillips said, and they've each managed their protections well.
Style notwithstanding, Phillips said all three candidates need to hit open targets. That was an issue Saturday.
"It was raining, but it rains sometimes," said Randy Sanders, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "You still got to hit them. We can't miss guys like that."
Phillips said he'll review the film from Saturday and if he sees enough to name a starter immediately, he'll do so. Otherwise, the next opportunity to get 11-on-11 footage will be a full scrimmage Tuesday.
Kiffin upset with USC’s turnovers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lane Kiffin wasn’t impressed about Southern California’s No. 14 ranking in The Associated Press’ preseason poll.
After the Trojans committed six turnovers during a three-hour scrimmage Saturday, the first-year coach was worried about his team’s miscues.
"I have zero concern of where we get ranked in the poll," Kiffin said. "We haven’t won a game yet. We’ve done nothing, so that’s completely meaningless."
Incumbent starting quarterback Matt Barkley completed 13 of 29 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, but threw an interception. Backup Mitch Mustain was 14 of 27 for 181 yards and two touchdowns along with two interceptions.
"We’ve got a lot of stuff to clean up, we’re going to have to execute better," Mustain said.
Former Miami receiver transfers to USC
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Miami reciever Thearon Collier arrived on Southern California’s campus Saturday after transferring to the school.
The 5-foot-9 Collier will have to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules and will be a junior when he is eligible next fall.
In two seasons with the Hurricanes, he caught 44 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns and returned 20 punts for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
As a sophomore he made one start while appearing in 12 games. He had 11 punt returns for 152 yards and two touchdowns and totaled 418 all-purpose yards.
Because the Trojans will have 30 fewer scholarships to give over the next three years as a result of the NCAA sanctions related to former player Reggie Bush, coach Lane Kiffin said the school had considered several transfers.
"He’s been through a lot, had a very tough life so far," Kiffin said. "He wanted a fresh start."
Auburn's Etheridge gets first full-contact work
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn safety Zac Etheridge participated in full-contact drills for the first time since a neck injury last fall.
Etheridge worked in a scrimmage Saturday. It was his first full-contact work since a season-ending injury against Mississippi last year.
Afterward, he says it struck him that the last time he played at Jordan-Hare Stadium, he was taken off the field on a stretcher.
The scrimmage mostly was a chance for the coaches to evaluate many of the young players.
They're trying to figure out which of them will be able to contribute this season. The Tigers open in two weeks against Arkansas State.
Va Tech extends Beamer’s deal through ‘16
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech has extended the contract of football coach Frank Beamer through the 2016 season.
Beamer’s current deals was set to expire at the end of 2012. The extension was announced by the school Saturday.
The 63-year-old Beamer is entering his 24th season with the Hokies. He is second among active coaches behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno with 229 career victories.
Under Beamer, the Hokies have had six straight 10-win seasons and appeared in a 17 bowl game for 17 consecutive seasons.
Men's Basketball
Louisiana Tech signs K. Brown from S. Miss
RUSTON, La. (AP) — Louisiana Tech has signed rising sophomore guard Kassietta Brown from Southern Mississippi.
Brown will have to sit out this season because of NCAA transfer rules, but will then have three years of eligibility remaining.
She averaged 4.0 points in 27 games at Southern Miss. The 5-foot-9-inch guard shot 37 percent from the field and 34 percent from the three-point line for the year while averaging just over 15 minutes a game.
One of her best freshman games was against the Lady Techsters. She scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and had one assist and one steal.
As a senior at West Monroe High, she averaged 18.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.
"I think Louisiana Tech is a good school," Brown said in a news release. "It's got a really nice basketball program. I wanted to be closer to home. Although I haven't been around coach (Teresa) Weatherspoon much, I've heard a lot about her. I've heard she is an awesome coach. I've been around her a few days lately and I know she is an awesome person. I look forward to learning from her."
She will join four other newcomers for the Lady Techsters this year, including guards Jelena Vucinic, Angie Felton and Brittany Hardy and forward Shantale Bramble-Donaldson.
