Texas and Big 12 Capsules: Newton takes over as starter at Texas
AUSTIN (AP) — Texas took only one game to make a change at running back.
Tre' Newton will get the start for the No. 5 Longhorns this week against Wyoming after scoring three touchdowns in Texas' 34-17 season-opening win at Rice. Newton led the Longhorns with 61 yards on the ground.
Cody Johnson, who had earned the starting job after an impressive training camp, ran for 59 yards against Rice but was ineffective in key short-yardage situations. Coach Mack Brown said Johnson sprained an ankle at the end of an 18-yard run on the second play of the game but didn't tell the coaches because he didn't want to come out.
Johnson told him, "I've worked too hard to be the starter and I don't want to lose it," Brown said. "It was swollen after the game and that's the first time he told us. ... We got on him about not letting us know."
Johnson didn't have an obvious limp on the field and played in the fourth quarter. By then, Texas had shifted most of the running duties to Newton and Fozzy Whittaker, but Brown said Johnson twice put himself back in the game, including the last play.
Johnson is now listed third behind Whittaker, although the depth chart indicates either one could be the top backup to Newton.
Brown said he wasn't sure whether he'd have replaced Johnson if he hadn't been hurt.
"It would be hard to tell. We were all hard on him for missing cuts. I appreciate he tried to play," Brown said.
Tailback is a higher-profile position than it has been in the last few seasons when the Longhorns based the offense around the passing of Colt McCoy. Brown has said he wants more balance in the offense and Texas ran the ball 46 times against Rice.
Newton, the son of former Dallas Cowboys lineman Nate Newton, didn't know he'd been named the starter until he was handed a depth chart while talking to a group of reporters. Newton started five games last season.
"We as a running back group we don't put too much thought into that," Newton said. "You can't go into a week thinking about that. You just have to be ready to go out there when your name is called."
Brown seemed to have settled down in the two days after the game. On Saturday, he wasn't happy with a running game that couldn't get a touchdown after getting inside the 4-yard-line on the first drive, his defense that dropped two interceptions for easy touchdowns and special teams that muffed a punt return and missed two field goals.
"As much as we've talked about toughness, I left the field mad," Brown said. "(But) the objective is to win (the first game) and see what we can see. I'd rather be a team that gets better every week."
Offensive coordinator Greg Davis said he thought Texas lacked intensity in an opening game against a 30-point underdog. After Johnson ripped the 18-yard run on Texas' second play, Davis said he expected to see excitement on the sideline and got polite applause instead.
"I thought it was a tennis match," Davis said. "That frustrated me."
Big 12
Different debuts, challenge for new Big 12 coaches
Turner Gill and Tommy Tuberville face much different challenges going into Week 2, after the Big 12's two new coaches experienced much different debuts in Week 1.
After losing 6-3 at home to lower-division FCS team North Dakota State in Gill's first game, things could get really difficult for the Jayhawks now. They have to get ready to play 16th-ranked Georgia Tech (1-0) and its option offense.
"I think that will get everybody focused and ready to get better," Gill said Monday on the Big 12 coaches teleconference. "You have to keep everything in perspective, and you have to keep everything going in the right direction."
The Jayhawks were the only Big 12 team to lose on the opening weekend, and carry an eight-game losing streak into Saturday's game. Georgia Tech, which played in the Orange Bowl last season, had a season-opening 41-10 victory over FCS team South Carolina State.
Texas Tech nearly blew all of a 21-point lead in Tuberville's debut, but held on for a 35-27 victory. SMU got its last touchdown Sunday on a short drive after Tuberville opted not to punt on fourth-and-1 from the Red Raiders 34 with 9½ minutes left and they botched the play.
Tuberville now has to get his team focused on getting better, and not distracted by the fact that New Mexico is coming off a 72-0 loss to Oregon. The Red Raiders visit the Lobos on Saturday night.
"We don't worry too much about the other team, especially with a new team," Tuberville said. "The second game, you worry about your team and the fundamentals, and getting back to basics."
Especially knowing the Big 12 opener is the following weekend, at home against fifth-ranked Texas.
Gill and Tuberville became the 25th and 26th head coaches to make their Big 12 debuts since the league's inception in 1996. Tuberville was the 13th to win his opener.
The only other Big 12 coach who lost his first game to a lower-division team was Colorado's Dan Hawkins in a 19-10 loss to Montana State in 2006.
Kansas had its fewest points in a loss since a 6-3 game against TCU in 1962, and was held to only a field goal for the first time in five years.
"We know that we have to implement our offense, and learn our defense. It takes time," Gill said. "Obviously, it's going to take a little bit more (time) for us to get things going in the right direction."
Making it more difficult for Gill is "trying to find your starting quarterback."
Sophomore Kale Pick started the opener for the Jayhawks, and was replaced late by redshirt freshman Jordan Webb. It is unclear who will start against Georgia Tech.
"We're definitely evaluating that position for sure," Gill said.
At least Tuberville isn't dealing with a quarterback controversy after choosing Taylor Potts over Steven Sheffield during preseason drills.
Potts hit 34 of 53 passes for 359 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
"You look at leadership, how he ran the offense, got us in the right plays," Tuberville said. "He got hit seven times after throws and was sacked two times. He held his composure very well. ... He handled the offense beginning to end very, very well."
NOTES: For only the third time in Big 12 history, there were three 200-yard rushers on the same weekend — Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter (257), Kansas State's Daniel Thomas (234) and Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray (218). The other times there were a trio of 200-yard rushers were both during the 1998 season. ... Texas coach Mack Brown says Garrett Gilbert's first start at quarterback (14-of-23 passing, 172 yards) was similar to the starting debuts of Colt McCoy and Vince Young. McCoy was 12 of 19 for 178 yards with three TDs. Young was 11 of 15 for 136 yards and ran 10 times for 58 yards. ... There have been only four season openers in Big 12 history with a more lopsided score than Oklahoma State's 65-17 win over Washington State. "From a coach's standpoint, it's never perfect," Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. "But it's hard for me to complain." ... Nebraska coach Bo Pelini admits that part of the reason Taylor Martinez wasn't named the starting quarterback until just before the season opener was to avoid a media circus for the redshirt freshman and the returning quarterbacks he beat out, Zac Lee and Cody Green. Pelini says he feels "real good" about all three quarterbacks. Martinez passed for 136 yards and ran for 127 in the eighth-ranked Huskers' 49-10 win over Western Kentucky.
QUOTABLE: "I don't know what top of what world they're talking about. But in the end, we're far from that. You'd think (the players) would have enough sense to understand that. I've sure tried to explain that to them." — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, about a player saying the seventh-ranked Sooners thought they were on top of the world and wouldn't get much of a challenge from Utah State. Oklahoma held on to win 31-24 after building a three-touchdown lead.
-- Stephen Hawkins
Oklahoma State finds go-to receiver in Blackmon
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Justin Blackmon had the humblest of goals in Oklahoma State's season opener. Even a single catch would have made him a happy man.
He ended up with so much more. Blackmon caught eight passes for 125 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys' 65-17 win against Washington State on Saturday night. He also picked up a blocked punt and scored on that, too.
Even after his career day, Blackmon isn't getting ahead of himself.
"That was just one game," he said Monday. "The next game, it could be somebody else being that guy, having numbers like that."
Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen begs to differ. He said it's "quite obvious" that Blackmon has become the go-to receiver for Oklahoma State after catching only 20 passes in 13 games last season.
Even as a sophomore, he was one of the Cowboys' few experienced receivers, and that meant a greater sense of responsibility after getting onto the field for the first time last season.
"Coming into the season, being one of the leaders at the receiver position, you've got to lead by example in the weight room and everything in conditioning," Blackmon said.
It paid off in the eyes of his coaches. With leading receiver Hubert Anyiam out with an offseason ankle surgery and still not back at full speed, Blackmon developed into the top target for quarterback Brandon Weeden as Holgorsen installed a new offensive system.
"He was the one guy that we had a bunch of confidence in," Holgorsen said. "I can call a play, but I can't tell Brandon where to throw it. He's going to throw it based on what they do and based on confidence in specific guys. He's got a bunch of confidence in Justin."
Holgorsen said there were even a couple of times Saturday when Weeden passed up another open receiver to throw to Blackmon instead. He had a 42-yard, over-the-shoulder touchdown catch after Washington State had moved within 17-10 in the second quarter and followed that with a 1-yard TD grab and a 24-yard scoring catch as OSU scored 34 straight points.
"That's the kind of guys you're looking for," coach Mike Gundy said. "If you can get three guys like that on offense, three or four guys like that on defense, you can win a lot of football games."
Blackmon had been somewhat lightly recruited out of Plainview High School near Ardmore in southern Oklahoma. He played basketball and football and was elected as class president, although he says someone else put his name on the ballot. He passed up offers from Colorado and Missouri to play for the Cowboys, then redshirted in 2008 before starting three games last year.
"He falls into that category of when he realized that he's going to be more of a factor in the games than he was last year, he's picked it up a little bit," Gundy said.
"You'd like for them to perform and practice that way all of the time, but sometimes human nature is to prepare more when you know you're going to be a bigger factor."
It remains to be seen whether Blackmon will be the next in a line of great receivers over the past decade at Oklahoma State. Rashaun Woods, Adarius Bowman and Dez Bryant combined for six of the top seven receiving seasons in school history during that span, and Woods and Bryant were both taken in the first round of the NFL draft.
Blackmon has just the one game with more than four catches and 45 receiving yards to his credit.
"I think he's improved, I think he's got some good skills," Gundy said. "But it's certainly too early to put him in that category."
For Blackmon, who says part of his new mindset is to be a better leader and teammate, pursuing a place in the record books isn't a priority after one breakout game.
"It's not very important. If it happens, it happens," he said. "I'm just going to let it play out, see if it does happen. The ultimate goal is to win the games."
-- Jeff Latzke
Iowa State looks to snap TD drought against Iowa
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer's second-quarter touchdown run gave the Cyclones a 14-3 lead over Iowa back in 2006, and it looked as though Iowa State was set to stun their rivals yet again.
Little did anyone know that would be the last TD the Cyclones would score against the Hawkeyes — in that game or ever since.
No. 9 Iowa (1-0) hasn't let up a touchdown to Iowa State in 14 quarters, a stretch that's spanned four years and three coaches; Dan McCarney, Gene Chizik and now Paul Rhoads. The Cyclones head back to Kinnick for Saturday's matchup with the Hawkeyes knowing they'll need more than field goals to pull off the upset.
"We have to limit our turnovers and obviously, execute," Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson said. "They're a good defense regardless, but especially in the red zone."
Rhoads knew going into the season that Iowa State (1-0) was going to have to score more than the 20.5 points it averaged a year ago if it was going to have a shot at another bowl game.
The Cyclones still have work to do on offense, but they were productive enough to get by Northern Illinois in the opener.
Iowa State totaled 403 yards of offense in last Thursday night's 27-10 win over the Huskies. But although the Cyclones rushed for three TDs, two by Alexander Robinson and one by quarterback Austen Arnaud, they averaged less than four yards per carry — and nearly half of those yards came on Robinson's 63-yard score early in the second quarter.
Arnaud also had a 53-yard rush for a score called back on a penalty, though, and Rhoads said Monday that Northern Illinois stacked the box in attempt to keep the Cyclones from establishing the run.
"They were going to make us beat them with the passing game, and Austen and the rest of the offense did that," Rhoads said.
Arnaud, who spent the offseason tweaking his mechanics in an effort to be more accurate, was certainly on target against the Huskies, completing 27 of 36 passes for 265 yards. But he didn't throw a touchdown pass and had of two his throws picked off — including a brutal misread deep in Northern Illinois territory in the third quarter, when the Cyclones looked poised to bury the Huskies.
It was the kind of throw Arnaud made all too often last season against Iowa, when he tossed four picks in Iowa's 35-3 win in Ames.
"I played terrible," Arnaud said of last season's loss to the Hawkeyes. "It's something that I hope to not do again going into this year, but I can't think about it, let it hang over my head."
Rhoads was pleased with Arnaud's first effort of the year, although he noted there's still room for improvement with his senior quarterback.
"He threw two bad interceptions, and they were bad decisions on his part and bad balls on his part. But he threw for 75 percent accuracy with 36 thrown balls, which is something he didn't do a year ago," Rhoads said. "He did a great job of executing and running the offense. He did a nice job running the football."
The Cyclones could find it tough to break their touchdown drought against the Hawkeyes, who return eight starters from a defense that allowed just 15.4 points per game last season and gave up just seven points in a 37-7 victory over Eastern Illinois in their opener.
Iowa held the Panthers to just 157 yards, and Eastern Illinois needed a perfectly executed fake punt and long pass play to set up their lone touchdown.
Iowa State did beat Iowa in 2007 without scoring a touchdown, winning 15-13 in Ames on a late field goal. But the Cyclones were outscored 52-8 in the last two meetings between the heated rivals, notching just two field goals and a late safety in a 17-5 loss in 2008.
"They're not a flashy team by their own account. They've got a front four that's as good as any front four in the country," Rhoads said. "There's something to be said for doing something over and repeatedly and doing it really well. That's the University of Iowa."
-- Luke Meredith
Colorado boasts more speed on offense
DENVER (AP) — Speedy finally has some burners around him.
A healthy offensive line and new threats on the outside make Colorado's ground game "a lot easier," tailback Rodney "Speedy" Stewart said.
"We got some great receivers and some bigger lanes, so it's harder for the defense to choose what they want to do," Stewart said after rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown in Colorado's 24-3 win over archrival Colorado State in the Buffs' opener.
The additions of Toney Clemons, Travon Patterson and Paul Richardson, to go along with Will Jefferson, means Stewart will see fewer safeties in the box ready to help stuff the run.
Coach Dan Hawkins hasn't had this much speed or talent on the outside since bolting Boise State for Boulder in 2006, and the newcomers could go a long way in determining whether he posts his first winning season this year — and keeps his job.
With so much new speed and talent on board, Hawkins suggested senior Scotty McKnight, the school's all-time receptions leader after breaking Michael Westbrook's mark Saturday, will be hard-pressed to match last year's production of 76 receptions for 893 yards and six touchdowns.
"It's pretty clear with our receiving corps this year it would probably be hard to imagine him eclipsing last year's numbers," Hawkins said. "Maybe. But he's a guy that just really wants to win. He has the ability to reach out and touch other guys on the football team. He's been a real blessing for us."
While McKnight is mentoring the new receivers, don't discount his impact on game day. He led the Buffs with six grabs for 78 yards and a 27-yard touchdown against the Rams.
"I think I'll still put up good numbers," said McKnight, who figures to find the same space over the middle that Stewart will with the downfield threats garnering so much attention.
McKnight has caught a pass in a school-record 38 straight games, counting the 2007 Independence Bowl. It's also the longest active streak in the NCAA.
He insists the only numbers he's concerned with are the ones on the scoreboard.
"I've been through a season where we won three games and I caught 76 balls and it's not fun," McKnight said. "It's not fun waking up every day realizing that your team is letting down the school and the community. I'm much more focused on getting wins and taking care of business so we can get this school back on the map."
That's what the new wideouts want, too.
Patterson, a senior, transferred from Southern Cal last month. Because the Trojans program was penalized by the NCAA over the summer and the sanctions included a two-year bowl ban, upperclassmen were free to transfer without penalty.
He wasted no time making an impact with his new team, scoring on an 18-yard pass from Tyler Hansen on Saturday, his first TD catch since his senior year in high school in 2005. He also returned four punts for 46 yards, including a 25-yarder.
Clemons, a junior, sat out a year after transferring from Michigan. He was selected the Big 12 preseason newcomer of the year. He had three catches for 25 yards in his Buffaloes debut.
And Paul Richardson is a freshman who was jettisoned by UCLA after an off-field incident this summer. He had one catch for 11 yards Saturday.
"These guys are great," Hansen said. "They're playmakers and have a lot of speed. I feel like once the lights are on and it's game day, they are even better. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do."
McKnight relishes the thought of how all that speed will affect defenses this season, although the competition gets tougher starting Saturday at Cal (1-0).
"They had to change things up a little bit when you have guys as fast as Travon and Toney, Paul and Will," McKnight said. "It opens things up for a guy like me in the slot. (Defensive backs) have to get off the hash and they can't just single those guys up on the outside or we'll run 'nine' routes and they'll go right by people.
"Having those guys have helped so much. You saw what Travon was doing on punt returns and I couldn't do that last year, so it's nice that he can take over there and start making some plays for us. It's great to have those guys. We've added a lot of depth and a lot of talent."
And, they hope, a change in fortunes.
"If we lose next week," Stewart said, "then this win means nothing."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Missouri's Lambert, Simmons to miss next starts
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's defense will be without injured starters Luke Lambert and Jasper Simmons for this weekend's home game against McNeese State.
Coach Gary Pinkel says Lambert is week-to-week after hurting a hamstring in Saturday's 23-13 win over Illinois. Redshirt freshman Andrew Wilson will start in Lambert's place at middle linebacker.
Simmons injured a knee intercepting a pass from Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase early in the second quarter Saturday. The senior free safety played the full game, but Pinkel said Simmons was scheduled for meniscus surgery Tuesday and could miss one to two weeks.
Jerrell Harrison will start in Simmons' place against McNeese State. Harrison had eight starts last year, recording 47 tackles and an interception.
QB Weeden expected to play despite thumb injury
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy expects quarterback Brandon Weeden to be able to play this week after spraining his right thumb when he hit it on another player's helmet.
Gundy says he expects Weeden to be able to practice when the Cowboys get back on the field Tuesday. He says the "only issue that we're dealing with now is the swelling, and there was minimal swelling."
Weeden stayed in the game after he injured the thumb Saturday and finished with 218 yards passing and three touchdowns in his first collegiate start.
The Cowboys host Troy on Saturday night.
Oklahoma State DT Shane Jarka out vs. Troy
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State could be getting one of its two starting defensive tackles back from injury in time for this Saturday's game against Troy.
Coach Mike Gundy said Monday that Shane Jarka would be out for at least this weekend's game, but that Chris Donaldson should be able to practice this week.
Both players were injured within a handful of plays in the second quarter of the Cowboys' 65-17 win against Washington State on Saturday. Gundy initially thought both would be out for the Troy game.
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One Wyoming football player killed, three hurt in wreck
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A University of Wyoming football player was killed and three teammates were injured when a pickup drifted off a Colorado highway and crashed on Monday, authorities said.
Ruben Narcisse, 19, of Miami was killed, the Colorado State Patrol said. Trey Fox, 19, of Glenwood Springs, Colo., Christian Morgan, 18, of Aurora, Colo., and J.J. Quinlan, 19, of Everett, Wash., were injured and were taken to hospitals in Laramie, Wyo., and Loveland, Colo.
Morgan's injuries were serious but were not believed to be life-threatening, troopers said. Fox had moderate injuries. The nature and extent of Quinlan's injuries weren't known.
Fox was driving and apparently fell asleep, investigators said. They said alcohol and drugs aren't believed to be factors.
The pickup was northbound on U.S. 287 six miles south of the Wyoming border at about 5:30 a.m. when it went off the left side of the highway, struck a rock embankment and a tree and then rolled. University President Tom Buchanan offered condolences to Narcisse's family.
"The loss of any student saddens us immeasurably," Buchanan said in a statement. "The entire university community grieves his loss."
Coach Dave Christensen called it a "terrible tragedy, and a terrible loss." He offered his support to the players' families. Counselors will be made available to players, coaches and other students, university spokesman Tim Harkins said.
Narcisse, a freshman, was linebacker. Fox is a cornerback, Quinlan a linebacker, and Morgan a wide receiver. Fox and Morgan are freshmen. Quinlan is a redshirt freshman.
None of the four played in Wyoming's 28-20 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday. Wyoming plays at No. 5 Texas next weekend. Texas coach Mack Brown issued a statement offering his school's sympathy to the Wyoming players' families and the university.
"It's such a sad day to see a life taken so early," Brown said. "Our thoughts go out to Ruben's family, and we pray for them and the families of the injured young men."
In 2001, Texas defensive end Cole Pittman was found dead at the scene of a one-car accident northeast of Austin.
Louisiana Tech boots 3 of 4 suspended players
RUSTON, La. (AP) — Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes says he has reinstated wide receiver Tim Molton after an 11-day suspension, but has dismissed the three players who were suspended with him.
Dykes also said Monday that defensive lineman Jared Barron has quit the team.
Molton, linebacker Kiamni Washington, and wide receivers R.P. Stuart and Cruz Williams were suspended Aug. 27 for a violating a team rule which Dykes did not reveal.
Barron played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2008 and was credited with 33 tackles, 13 solo. He left the team before preseason camp in 2009, and does not appear in this year's online roster.
Louisiana Tech beat Grambling State 20-6 in both teams' opener last week and plays at Texas A&M on Saturday.
