College Football Capsules: Gilbert takes over for McCoy as Texas QB
AUSTIN — Garrett Gilbert is the Texas quarterback now, and for a sophomore with no starts in his career, he also find himself filling the role of grizzled veteran for the Longhorns.
With No. 2 quarterback Sherrod Harris’ decision to leave the team on the eve of training camp, Gilbert and the Longhorns reported for the 2010 season Saturday with a serious lack of experience and depth at the position where Colt McCoy spent the past four seasons winning 45 games.
Gilbert is best known for taking over for McCoy early in last season’s national championship game when McCoy got hurt early in Texas’ 37-21 loss to Alabama.
Harris, who would have been a fifth-year senior, has already earned his degree and left the team Friday. That leaves true freshmen Case McCoy, Colt’s younger brother, and Connor Wood battling for the No. 2 spot with Gilbert acting as their tutor.
Both freshmen were on campus in time for spring practice, but neither was expected to have to be ready to play on a moment’s notice this season.
“We probably had two freshman quarterbacks who were a little anxious when they went to sleep last night because their lives have changed,” coach Mack Brown said. “They’ve got to come to in and start competing.”
The Longhorns are certainly comfortable with their new starter.
Gilbert was a high school All-American and one of the top recruits in the country at nearby Lake Travis High School. He played sparingly as a true freshman last season but was pressed into pressure-packed duty against Alabama when McCoy was injured on Texas’ first drive.
“That game was pretty much a blur,” Gilbert said.
After a shaky first half, Gilbert threw two touchdown passes to rally Texas within 24-21 in the fourth quarter before Alabama pulled away late. The experience forced Gilbert to grow up fast in the huddle on the field. He says he’s now ready to take over the position from McCoy, who set most Texas passing records as a four-year starter.
“I can’t wait. I’ve got some butterflies but I’m ready to get going,” Gilbert said.
One early piece of advice from Gilbert to the freshmen: Always know where your helmet is. Gilbert had set his on the bench in the game against Alabama and had to scramble to find it when McCoy got hurt.
“Don’t wear a baseball cap on the sideline,” Gilbert said.
The Longhorns have won at least 10 games every season since 2001 and went 25-2 over the last two, with a Big 12 title in 2009. Texas senior defensive end Sam Acho, the team’s returning sacks leader, said the expectations for 2010 are the same.
“We are Texas,” Acho said, “We always expect to be the best.”
The Longhorns open training camp with several question marks.
Three multiyear starters must be replaced on the offensive line at the same time Brown is trying to rekindle a commitment to a tougher running game. Last season’s leading receiver, Jordan Shipley, is now in the NFL, leaving a deep talent pool at the position searching for a leader.
On defense, the secondary is considered a strength but there is concern about a lack of depth on the line.
Texas opens the season Sept. 5 at Rice.
“We have a chance this year, with all the questions marks, we still have a chance to win all the games if we do a great job coaching,” Brown said.
Lee taking on all comers for Nebraska QB job
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee showed up for the start of preseason practice Saturday with a repaired right elbow and a new attitude.
Lee missed all of spring practice to recover from surgery, and while he was gone fans and media became enamored with his backups.
Now Lee finds himself in a battle with Cody Green and Taylor Martinez to keep his job.
“He knows that the other guys played well this spring,” receiver Mike McNeill said. “They’re the ones being talked about, and I think he probably has a little chip on his shoulder saying, ‘I was the quarterback last year and now everyone is trying to dethrone me and everyone is giving credit to the other guys.’ “
Lee said McNeill’s assessment is right on.
“Yeah, I grab whatever I can and use it as motivation,” he said. “It’s Nebraska. The fans take what they can get and go with it.”
Lee, Green and Martinez are scheduled to get an equal number of snaps in the practices leading to the Sept. 4 opener against Western Kentucky, and coach Bo Pelini said it might be October before the position is settled.
Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said after practice that the competition among the three is “dead even.”
As a junior, Lee started 12 games and completed 59 percent of his passes for 2,143 yards and 14 touchdowns. But Lee and the Huskers were anything but dynamic before their 33-0 Holiday Bowl victory over Arizona.
Nebraska went through a four-game stretch in which it produced a total of four touchdowns. Watson adopted a play-it-safe philosophy at midseason, asking Lee to manage the game and keep the Huskers out of bad plays while the Ndamukong Suh-led defense carried the team to the Big 12 North title.
Before the bowl, in which Nebraska scored on seven of eight possessions and rolled up 396 yards, the Huskers were on track to have their least productive offense since 1968.
Lee rejoined his teammates three weeks ago for 7-on-7 drills.
“I could throw before that, pain-free, but it was more of a worry of forcing a ball or overthrowing a ball, just being in a competitive situation,” he said. “It was about making sure I was completely healed before I got in any competitive situation. The arm strength feels good, really good today.”
Receiver Brandon Kinnie said Lee’s throws were like a “rocket.”
“He was lasering it in there,” he said.
Kinnie said Lee assumed a leadership role when he came out for drills.
“I see a different person in him now,” Kinnie said.
Lee exudes more confidence, and Kinnie said he was impressed, and surprised, with how Lee has pulled aside teammates and admitted to some of his shortcomings last season, such as a failure to see open receivers.
“That’s just part of trying to get better,” Lee said.
The Huskers signed autographs and mingled with about 5,000 people who turned out at Memorial Stadium for the team’s annual Fan Day in the morning.
A few hours later they practiced on the grass fields northeast of the stadium. The 91-degree temperature combined with 52-percent humidity made it feel like 98 degrees.
“It was a typical first day,” Pelini said. “I thought the effort was good. A lot of mistakes, obviously.”
-- Eric Olson
Crist ready for starter’s job with Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Dayne Crist is in a hurry. He’d better be, that’s what Notre Dame’s new spread offense demands of its quarterback. No time to huddle, not even on the first day of practice. Take the snap and make a play.
Under first-year coach Brian Kelly, the Irish are speeding things up. Crist is in the middle of it all, at the control of an offense that is based on reaction and variety.
Crist will have to be able to make split-second reads in a system that will give him options: keep the ball, pitch it, hand it off or throw it. And as the successor to Jimmy Clausen, Crist also must do something else for Notre Dame to be a winner this fall — stay healthy.
Crist appeared in just four games last year as Clausen’s backup and in a game against Washington State at San Antonio last October, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. After surgery, he came back faster than expected and was able to participate in spring drills, where he learned just how much he will have to do in Kelly’s spread offense.
Kelly said the knee is no longer an issue, and his quarterback is in agreement.
“I’m worlds ahead of where I was from a confidence standpoint from spring to now,” Crist said Saturday after Notre Dame’s first practice of the preseason.
“Structurally and physically and strengthwise I think everything has exceeded where we wanted to be.”
Kelly wants Crist to keep working on moving his feet and getting the ball off, crucial elements to running a spread offense. His quarterback already has leadership abilities and has made great progress from the spring in learning what he needs to do.
“I’ve seen Dayne personally get better and mature and understand the role he has to take on,” said fifth-year offensive lineman Chris Stewart.
Being the starter is not a feeling Crist has experienced since his high school days back in Change Park, Calif. Now he’s the quarterback at Notre Dame, a position that thrusts him in the spotlight of college football and makes him the leader of the team.
Crist is already known for his off-field charitable endeavors, including recruiting teammates to shave their heads and raise money to fight childhood cancer last season.
“Realizing that nothing is given, I’ve got to go out and earn every rep I have with the ones. And that won’t change,” he said, welcoming the leadership role.
“I think it’s definitely something that needs to be done as the quarterback at Notre Dame. I’m flattered guys think that of me, it means a lot. ... Just trying to do everything to get guys to come along with you and make sure we’re staying on track.”
In his career, Crist has attempted just 20 passes, completing 10 for 130 yards with a TD and an interception. All coming last season.
And Crist wasn’t crisp at times during spring ball but a summer of workouts has him ready for what is ahead.
“I think everything Dayne did in the spring needs to be speeded up,” offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charley Molnar said.
“Some of the things Dayne couldn’t do as well were probably limitations caused by his knee and the recovery and maybe a lack of confidence he had in it. Now Dayne has to be able to go full speed as hard as he can and not think about his knee or his limitations and have an eye on the defense and go through his progressions and do this thing with a free mind.”
Crist’s backups are even more inexperienced. They are untested Nate Montana — son of former Notre Dame and NFL great Joe Montana — and freshmen like Andrew Hendrix, Luke Massa and Tommy Rees.
That competition will play out, as well. But it’s no secret that the Irish must keep Crist healthy if the Kelly era is to get off to a fast start.
“I’ve never coached scared. We’re going to be aggressive on offense. But we got to be smart with him as well,” Kelly said.
“We probably can’t run him 22 to 23 times in a game. If we do, you know, we probably got some issues because he’s running around for his life. So I think it’s important that we don’t play scared but we have to be really cognizant of the fact that we’re inexperienced at that next man in.”
Notes: WR Duval Kamara, who has 75 career receptions, had incomplete paperwork and didn’t practice, Kelly said. He’s supposed to have it taken care of by Monday.
-- Rick Gano
AU safety trio returning from serious injuries
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn’s Aairon Savage, Zac Etheridge and Mike McNeil don’t have to talk about frustrating injuries — there is an unspoken understanding.
The Tigers’ trio of safeties are each trying to come back from a serious injury; in Savage’s case, two.
All are former starters vying for two spots during preseason camp, and their returns could transform the secondary from a potential liability into a strength.
“What we’ve all been through, it’s self-explanatory,” Etheridge said. “All of us have had an injury where it could have been our last play. I think that’s the motivation in itself, that we go out there and compete every day. We’re all excited to be back out there together.”
— Savage missed the 2008 season with a torn knee ligament, worked his way back and then sustained a torn Achilles tendon that cost him another season. Before that, he missed six games as a sophomore with ankle and shoulder injuries. The NCAA granted Savage a sixth year of eligibility in February. Total tally: 14 starts, 31 missed games.
— Etheridge had started 33 consecutive games before being sidelined by a cracked vertebra and torn ligaments in his neck against Mississippi after a head-on collision with a teammate. He wasn’t cleared to play again until July 20. Total tally: 33 starts, four missed games.
— McNeil started every game in 2008 but missed last year with a broken leg sustained during the offseason. The junior was ranked the nation’s eighth-best overall prospect out of high school and came into his own with 65 tackles as a sophomore. He went through spring practice on a limited basis like Savage, but he wasn’t permitted by coach Gene Chizik to talk to the media. Total tally: 12 starts, 13 missed games.
All have been able to go full-speed during the first week of practice, and secondary coach Tommy Thigpen, the self-described “ultimate optimist,” is confident all three will be back. He is especially positive about Etheridge and Savage, praising their passion for football and their savvy on the field.
“The fact that they love football so much and the game’s so much a part of them, you just knew that they weren’t going to be denied,” Thigpen said. “I just never doubted they would play again. I thought they’d both be back. The same going through the fall, I’m thinking they’re going to be in the first game. My mindset is that we’ll keep them healthy all year and they’ll all have good seasons.”
If that happens, he said the defense will be “200 percent better”.
In their absence last season, freshman Darren Bates started every game at free safety. The coaches had to move 5-foot-9, 182-pound junior college transfer Demond Washington from backup cornerback to starting strong safety after Etheridge went down.
With their apparent return, coaches have moved Bates to linebacker.
“There’s no telling what this secondary might turn out to be,” Etheridge said. “We’re all pulling for each other.”
Savage, who turns 24 in December, has been around so long he was recruited by head coach Gene Chizik — in his first Auburn go around as defensive coordinator, three jobs ago.
Chizik left Auburn to run the Texas defense and spent two seasons as Iowa State’s head coach. Now, they’re reunited.
“I never thought in a million years it would happen,” Savage said. “Who knew it would come full-circle like that? It just goes to show everything happens for a reason. It’s a blessing and we’re going to roll with it.”
He said he can’t describe what it will be like the next time he steps on the field, but said he will try not to get swept away by emotions.
“We’re not going to get caught up in that hype, because how selfish would that be?” Savage said. “We’ve come a long way, and the hype is really gone. I’ve been gone, I’m back, I’m fine.”
He and Etheridge both have their degrees, and Savage has completed a masters.
Savage’s fall class load will include his No. 2 sport: Bowling. He said he has a 180 average and a high score of 251.
As for football, Savage said he put those two years on the sideline to good use in more than his ability on the lanes.
“I feel a lot better, a lot stronger, a lot bigger,” he said. “I know a little more. That’s the goal. How crazy would it be to sit on the sidelines for two years and stay the same? That would be a waste.”
-- John Zenor
Arkansas WRs hope to make a name for themselves
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ryan Mallett is preparing for the upcoming season amid a steady buzz of Heisman Trophy hype. Meanwhile, the Arkansas receivers he’ll throw to are struggling to crack the all-conference team.
As far as Greg Childs is concerned, something’s wrong with that picture.
“It’s not really my place to say whether they were right or wrong, but I just feel that they just kind of underrated us,” the wide receiver said. “When I didn’t make it, I had people all on Facebook, writing me, writing on my walls, calling me.”
Childs caught 48 passes for 894 yards last season, and he’s not the only Razorback who produced strong numbers. Joe Adams and Jarius Wright were also productive, and they’re all ready to team up again with Mallett, who broke several school passing records in 2009. Although the wide receivers are somewhat anonymous nationally, that could quickly change if Arkansas performs as expected.
Childs, Adams and Wright are all juniors, and they’ve received regular playing time since arriving on campus. When Mallett took over the starting quarterback spot last year, the team’s passing game went to another level, and those three receivers combined for 118 receptions for 2,143 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Adams was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by The Associated Press last year, despite missing three games after suffering a mild stroke in the middle of the season. Aside from that, though, accolades have been rare for this group of receivers.
Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams made the coaches’ preseason all-conference team last month, but none of the wide receivers was picked for the first or second team. When media attending the conference’s media days voted, the same thing happened.
“We’re unhappy with it, but I guess that’s what they think,” Wright said. “We’re just willing to work hard and show them different.”
The Arkansas receivers each has his own strengths. At 6-foot-3, Childs is the most physically imposing, while Wright earns points for his understanding of the offense and sharp route running. Wright caught 41 passes for 681 yards last season.
The shifty Adams caught 29 passes for 568 yards, and he impressed with his toughness after returning from the stroke.
“He’s the best double-move guy in the country. That’s hands down, no doubt about it — the best I’ve ever seen at double moves,” Mallett said. “Once he gets the ball, it’s fun to watch him. I like throwing it to Joe, because when he catches it, something exciting’s going to happen.”
Sophomore Cobi Hamilton, who played at the same high school as Mallett in Texarkana, Texas, is also working his way into the mix.
With the season about a month away, the Razorbacks have room for improvement. Arkansas ranked at the bottom of the SEC last season in converting third downs, a sign that the offense was too reliant on big plays.
“Coach wasn’t happy last year with the third-down conversion rate. If you’re going to be good at that, you’ve got to be a good intermediate-route team,” wide receivers coach Kris Cinkovich said. “Being great against man coverage is a point of emphasis.”
Adams expects opponents to try to make Arkansas move the ball slowly.
“Defenses like to drop their coverages deep, so you can’t go deep,” he said. “So you have to hit the check-downs. We’ve been working really hard on that.”
If the Razorbacks can become more productive with that aspect of the game, they’ll be difficult to stop — even for the SEC’s powerhouses.
Then maybe these Arkansas receivers will enjoy a little more recognition.
“Our goal is to be on the stuff at the end of the season, which really matters,” Cinkovich said. “That’s the performance- or result-based stuff. As the SEC games get here, I’m certainly sure there’s something to be said about it.”
-- Noah Trister
Allen takes over for Dwyer in Ga. Tech backfield
ATLANTA — Jonathan Dwyer is off to the NFL, but Georgia Tech’s potent rushing attack might not miss a beat.
Anthony Allen moves over from A-back to the featured B-back position in coach Paul Johnson’s spread option offense, and he could be even more of a threat than Dwyer, now a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Allen averaged 9.7 yard per carry last season and is convinced that figure doesn’t have to decline despite the switch and a heavier workload.
“Who says I can’t match it,” asked the speedy 229-pound senior, breaking into a smile.
Allen had a Louisville record 275-yard rushing effort in 2007 as a sophomore before transferring. He is now at more of his natural position, running from behind the quarterback after playing on the wing last season.
“I think Anthony will have a really good year,” Johnson said after Georgia Tech’s third practice session. “He’s a very talented guy and I think he’s excited about moving in there.
“He actually was a B-back when he came here. That’s where he first started. So it isn’t like he’s going back there and trying to learn from scratch.”
Allen, from Tampa, Fla., had just 64 carries last season, but gained 618 yards and scored seven touchdowns, one receiving. He broke off an 82-yard TD against Clemson and had a 60-yard run against Florida State.
Dwyer, who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season, carried 235 times a year ago as he repeated the 1,395-yard rushing total that earned him ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.
“I can’t lie. I’m really looking forward to that part,” Allen said when asked about the extra touches he’ll get at B-back.
A key element in the Georgia Tech offense is the exchange between quarterback and B-back. Joshua Nesbitt missed spring practice because of ankle surgery, but Allen said things are good between them after working on handoffs during the summer.
Although Dwyer left a year early, Nesbitt gives Georgia Tech a senior leader as the Yellow Jackets try to repeat as ACC champions in Johnson’s third season as coach.
“You don’t have to worry because you know Joshua knows what he is doing and is going to make the right reads,” Allen said. “It’s real comfortable.”
In addition to Dwyer, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, defensive end Derrick Morgan and safety Morgan Burnett left early for the NFL. But the Yellow Jackets list 15 returning starters from a team that finished 11-3 last season. Georgia Tech beat Clemson for the ACC title before losing to Iowa in the Orange Bowl.
Despite the returnees, Georgia Tech was picked to finish third in the ACC’s Coastal Division during preseason media voting.
“We’re not worried about it,” Allen said. “They did the same thing to us last year. We just use it as motivation that people are still looking at us as underdogs. We’ll prove ‘em wrong again.”
“People talk about the players we lost, but I’d rather focus on the 15 starters coming back,” Johnson said. “This is the first time since I’ve been here that we have a large senior class.”
The Yellow Jackets will hold their fourth practice on Sunday as they work toward the opener on Sept 4 at home against South Carolina State. Georgia Tech plays at Kansas the next week before opening the ACC season at North Carolina on Sept. 18.
“It’s been rough. It’s been hot,” Allen said of the first three days of practice. “We’ve been making it happen, though. We’re looking good out there. Real good.”
Wake looks to get back to basics on the ground
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Josh Adams came to Wake Forest when it was a run-first team. The Demon Deacons appear to be headed that way again — just in time for his senior season.
The best passer in school history is gone, so coach Jim Grobe wants his team to get back to basics. That means rushing the ball.
That suits Adams just fine. The former Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year figures to be the biggest beneficiary of that transition, expects to carry a bigger load this season and hopes to cap his up-and-down career by going out on top.
"I definitely think that's a little bit more confidence in me to know that we're thinking about getting back to the run," Adams said Saturday during the team's media day. "It might help our team out a little bit more, considering that we're not as comfortable as we'd like to feel with the quarterback situation. But then again, if we stray away from the run, I'm used to that as well."
That isn't likely to happen, not with a new face under center to replace record-setting Riley Skinner. None of the leading candidates in the quarterbacking derby — Skylar Jones, Ted Stachitas, Brendan Cross and freshman Tanner Price — has thrown a pass in a game.
So while the Demon Deacons probably won't revisit the Chris Barclay era — when they led the ACC in rushing four times from 2001-05 and had Barclay named as the league's player of the year — it's clear that Adams, junior Brandon Pendergrass and the rest of the ground game will have to play a more significant role in the offense this year.
"Obviously, as running backs, that's what you want to do — we want to run the ball," Pendergrass said. "We want to have the pressure on us in the games and just be able to carry the team. Last year, it was pretty much Skinner's year. Skinner led the offense, and our job was to just take care of the ball and protect Skinner. Now that (Grobe is) getting back to running the ball, it just puts a lot more responsibility on us, knowing that we've got to work harder and focus more, coming out."
Grobe called the rush "a point of emphasis" because better production on the ground might have flipped a few of Wake Forest's tight losses the other way. The Demon Deacons were a disappointing 5-7 last season, but five of the defeats were by a combined 13 points.
But, he cautioned, just because they'll rush the ball more often doesn't mean they'll run it all the time.
"Had we run it a little better, we would have won a few more games, and especially if we were a better red zone and short-yardage team," Grobe said. "But a key for us with our quarterback is going to be the ability for us to throw the football. If you can't throw the football, you can't be our quarterback. So, we talk a lot about trying to go to a more mobile quarterback, but honestly, we start with throwing the football, so you've got to be able to get (the receivers) the football. ... The guy that will be our quarterback will not be purely a runner."
It's been something of a struggle for Adams in recent seasons as the Demon Deacons developed an increasing reliance on Skinner, who set every career passing mark in the school's record book before wrapping things up last fall.
Adams, meanwhile, went from being a feature back to almost being an afterthought. During the run to an ACC title and the Orange Bowl in 2006, Grobe considered playing him as a first-year freshman because of depth issues in the backfield but ultimately decided not to break his redshirt.
He was named the league's top rookie after a breakout season in 2007 in which he set five school records for redshirt freshmen — including yards rushing (953) and total touchdowns (12).
He's only scored eight times in the two years that followed. After having arthroscopic knee surgery before the 2008 season and spraining his ankle late in the year, he finished with just 402 yards and four TDs. And in an added reflection of Wake Forest's dependence on its passing game in 2009, Adams had 307 yards receiving and 541 on the ground.
"For me, it's been up and down, just not knowing what to expect each season," Adams said. "You really don't know what the season has in store for you, so you've got to continue to work hard, and, for me, just work hard every day and see what that gets me."
-- Joedy McCreary
Davis now playing catch-up for Pirates
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Dominique Davis knows he has some catching up to do.
The Boston College and junior college product missed spring drills as East Carolina installed a new spread offense under first-year coach Ruffin McNeill and offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. He spent the summer studying and getting ready for training camp, though he knows he's behind fellow quarterbacks Brad Wornick and Rio Johnson — the guys who got plenty of reps under center in the spring.
"I knew I was far behind everybody," Davis said Saturday at the Pirates' annual preseason media day. "But my main perspective is just to get better every day and make the players around me better, and even the other quarterbacks better. And vice versa for me — they're going to make me better. I've worked as hard as I can to catch up."
Consider Davis' arrival to be another wrinkle thrown at a Pirates program undergoing plenty of change these days. Aside from the departure of Skip Holtz to take over at South Florida, quarterback Patrick Pinkney — who led the Pirates to consecutive Conference USA championships — has finally exhausted NCAA-granted six years of eligibility and must be replaced.
As the Pirates wrapped up last season, it appeared Davis would be that guy. Now he's fighting for his spot on a team that's admittedly curious to see him work through preseason drills.
"We are anxious to see Dominique in some pads and when he has bullets flying left and right, and how he's going to perform," linebacker Steve Spence said. "However, from his track record, he's already proven he can go out there and do it."
Riley said Davis' playing experience at BC gives him an advantage on Wornick and Johnson, who have never taken a collegiate snap. Yet their experience from spring drills in the pass-heavy attack imported from Texas Tech gives them their own edge as they fight to start against Tulsa on Sept. 5.
"He's behind because he wasn't taking snaps and throwing it," Riley said. "Some of the things that you can't practice in the summer, your screen game and stuff like that, he's going to be behind on. But he has a clue of what we're doing. It's not like he's a freshman that doesn't have any idea of what we're doing. He has an idea and the maturity aspect will help him. He's going to be right there. It'll be interesting to see."
Davis was the talented redshirt freshman with the Eagles in 2008 who inherited the starting job late in the season at BC when Chris Crane went down to injury, even starting the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against Virginia Tech.
But Davis ended up on academic suspension then opted to transfer. He spent a year at Fort Scott Community College, where he led the team to a No. 2 national ranking before deciding he wanted to play for the Pirates. But when Holtz left and McNeill arrived in January, Davis wasn't sure if he'd still fit at East Carolina.
One visit from the folksy, easygoing McNeill and Riley to his Florida home with his parents changed that.
"When I first heard he was coming here, they said a lot of good things about how he was a father figure and stuff," Davis said. "And when he came to my house and told me he was going to run this business as a family, it really opened up my heart and especially my parents' heart."
He couldn't participate in the spring because he didn't enroll in time for the semester, but he's already proven his commitment to learning the offense. He traveled to Greenville, rented a room in a house and took a bus to campus just so he could be at every one of the Pirates' 15 spring practices.
"I've seen what he can do," running back Jon Williams said. "I've seen what he's about. I've seen what kind of person he is."
Now everyone's waiting to see what kind of quarterback he'll be in an offense that Davis once admired from afar.
"It's exciting," Davis said. "Every quarterback here, that's our dream, just to throw the ball like that."
-- Aaron Beard
News & Notes
Havili returns to USC practice after fighting ban
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California fullback Stanley Havili was allowed to return to practice Saturday after a one-day ban for a pre-training camp fight with teammate T.J. Bryant.
Just one day after telling Havili to stay away from Friday's team activities, coach Lane Kiffin acquiesced to the pleas of Bryant and several Trojans to allow his senior team leader back into workouts.
"The biggest thing was T.J. explaining to me that this thing was done eight days ago, that Stanley came to him and he apologized," Kiffin said. "I think it speaks volumes for — outside of this decision that Stanley made, the mistake he made — who he is and what he's been about. He made a mistake, and one I know he's very remorseful for."
Havili and Bryant got into a fight last week during the final players-only conditioning drill before the start of camp. After an exchange of shoves, Havili apparently struck Bryant in the face.
Bryant needed surgery to fix his broken left cheekbone, which will keep him out for at least three weeks. The injury will hinder Bryant's competition for a starting job.
But the junior doesn't harbor a grudge toward Havili. When they spoke to reporters together after practice, Bryant said the players "were both at fault."
"Emotions just got the best of us, and those things happen," Bryant said after watching practice while wearing his jersey and dark sunglasses. "We made up that day, and everything has been OK since then. We're all emotional people, and sometimes emotions can get the best of us."
Kiffin says he doesn't anticipate any further punishment for Havili, a three-year starter and the Trojans' career leader in receptions for a fullback.
"It meant a lot for T.J. and my teammates to say they wanted me out there on this field," said Havili, who was limited in Saturday's practice because of a sore hamstring. "I feel like we had a bonding moment, you could say that. Me and T.J. are totally cool toward each other."
The Trojans practiced without tight end Blake Ayles, who has a hamstring injury. Freshman receiver Kyle Prater was limited for the second day with a strained hip.
USC will hold its first scrimmage of camp Sunday.
-- Greg Beacham
Tennessee DT Marlon Walls injures Achilles' tendon
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee defensive tackle Marlon Walls has injured his Achilles' tendon, the second such injury for a Volunteers defensive lineman in the first week of fall camp.
The sophomore was injured during Tennessee's practice on Saturday. Coach Derek Dooley says he does not know the extent of Walls' injury or how long he will be unavailable.
Walls, an Olive Branch, Miss., native, returned to the Vols on Wednesday after a monthlong suspension for his role in a July 9 bar brawl that left two men injured. He played in seven games in 2009 and has been expected to start at tackle, a position where the Vols have very little depth.
Senior defensive end Ben Martin also sustained an Achilles' tendon injury on Thursday and is expected to miss a significant portion of the 2010 season.
Morant rejoins team, Dogs work in full pads
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Freshman Dexter Morant has changed his mind about leaving Georgia and has been welcomed back to the team.
Morant left the team to return home to Manning, S.C., this week. Coach Mark Richt says Morant decided he made a mistake. Richt says he consulted the team's seniors before accepting the defensive end back on the team.
Richt says his players fought through the heat as the Bulldogs had their first practice in full pads. Morant was with the team for part of Saturday's practice but was not in pads.
Richt says the team has avoided serious injuries thus far in preseason practice.
Neb. football fans meet fave players, coaches
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska football fans met their favorite players and coaches and got autographs during the team's annual Fan Day.
The Saturday morning event at Memorial Stadium came as the Cornhuskers opened their fall practice camp.
Nebraska will host Western Kentucky in its Sept. 4 season opener.
UCA to start football practice
CONWAY, Ark. (AP) — Central Arkansas' football team starts practice Sunday.
The Bears lost 23 seniors from last season's team, which went 5-7 but didn't lose a game by more than five points all season. The team officially reported to campus Saturday.
Practice for newcomers begins at 3:45 Sunday, with the veterans joining in at 4:40.
Other College News
Men's Basketball
Former players show support for Calhoun, UConn
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun was in his element Saturday, watching dunks and no-look passes while hearing the roar of approval from the crowd.
After an offseason filled with allegations of NCAA violations and reports of low academic performance rankings, the Hall of Fame coach got a chance to showcase some of his program's greatest successes at his biennial charity basketball game.
"It's my 25th year at UConn and I couldn't be prouder of the family that we've created," Calhoun said. "We've made mistakes, but it remains a program that shows that it's got family, it's got heart and it's got a lot of accomplishment, too."
About 30 former UConn players, including NBA stars such as Ray Allen, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay and Emeka Okafor, showed up Saturday to support Calhoun and raise money for the Jim and Pat Calhoun Cardiology Center at UConn's medical center.
The alumni game, played before about 6,000 fans who paid more than $20 a seat to watch, comes about two weeks before UConn is due to respond to allegations that Calhoun's program committed major NCAA violations.
"Everything can go through down times," Allen said. "But the people who believe in the organization, the people who believe in Coach and believe in the players that he brings in there, will stick by his side and the university's side no matter what happens."
The NCAA and the school have been investigating Calhoun's program since shortly after a report by Yahoo! Sports in March 2009 that former team manager Josh Nochimson helped guide player Nate Miles to Connecticut, giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation.
In May, the NCAA outlined eight major violations, from making numerous improper calls and texts, to giving improper benefits and improperly distributing free tickets to high school coaches and others. Calhoun is cited for failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance.
UConn is preparing a response and is expected to release its own report by Aug. 20. If the school confirms the allegations, it is obligated to impose its own sanctions.
"I can tell you of all nights, that's probably the far last thing away on my mind," Calhoun said.
But it was on the mind of some players, who said part of the reason they showed up was to let people know of the positive impact Calhoun has had on them and other UConn players.
"I'll just sum it up like this," Butler said. "He's the closest thing to a father that I've ever had."
Khalid El-Amin, who has spent much of his pro career in Europe since leading the Huskies to their first NCAA title in 1999, said Calhoun has always been there for him, and he's just returning the favor.
"I'm going to be the first one to say that UConn is the best program," El-Amin said. "Everyone is going to run into a few bumps in the road, but I'm sure they will recover in the matter of a year or two."
-- Pat Eaton-Robb
