College Football Capsules: Second-tier SEC teams struggle to reach top
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — In the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, not all members measure up with the game's best. See, there's good and then there's SEC good.
Alabama, Florida and LSU have combined for six national championships and 13 SEC titles since 1992. Others, like South Carolina or Mississippi State, do well against nonconference opponents, but go decades — and through several coaching changes — trying to creep to the top.
Since 1977 only six schools have won the conference title — Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee. Three schools have never won: Arkansas, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
And its unlikely any of the have-nots will break through this year, the Razorbacks appear to have the best shot.
With several SEC teams opening league play this weekend, No. 1 Alabama and No. 8 Florida are heavy favorites to meet for the third straight season in the conference title game.
"We said a few years ago that the SEC was not going to come down to us," said Joker Phillips, Kentucky's first year coach.
And the bar is high; the SEC has won four national championships in a row.
It features innovative coaches like Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban, and has attracted some of the country's best recruits — including recent Heisman Trophy winners like Tim Tebow at Florida and Alabama's Mark Ingram.
It is also a league of champions and chasers. No SEC school has made an out-of-the-blue run to win the league title like Illinois in the Big Ten (2001), Kansas State in the Big 12 (2003) or Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference (2006).
Former Georgia coach Vince Dooley says there are reasons a handful of schools dominate the SEC: Deep traditions, passionate fan bases and recruits in those states who dream about starring for their state universities.
Dooley, who won six SEC titles and the 1980 national championship with the Bulldogs, said that even in down years, his program was quick to bounce back.
"I think perhaps we were a little more consistent than some of those other schools," he said.
No. 22 Georgia opens SEC play Saturday at No. 24 South Carolina. Spurrier, the Gamecocks coach, was 11-1 against the Bulldogs during his years at Florida, yet is just 1-4 against them since coming to South Carolina.
"Georgia's right there with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee ... with tradition," Spurrier said. "So high school football is very good in Georgia and they generally, not always, get most of the kids they want."
Gamecocks defensive lineman Chaz Sutton grew up in Savannah, Ga., and was pushed by friends and family to consider the Bulldogs. When Sutton first committed to Florida during his senior year at Jenkins High, everyone "was like 'Why not Georgia? Why not Georgia?'" he said. "Then once I committed here, the same thing."
It's an edge that requires patience and a strong will from fans, coaches and administrators to overcome, said Lou Holtz, who coached South Carolina to its two most successful seasons in the SEC. The Gamecocks won 17 total games in 2000 and 2001.
Holtz, an ESPN analyst, says players must learn to compete, win and to handle winning before rising to championship level.
"That doesn't happen overnight," he said. "But it can happen."
Just not that often in the SEC. Mississippi State hasn't beaten Georgia since 1974. Kentucky has lost its last 23 games to Florida. Vanderbilt has won just once against state rival Tennessee since 1982.
Phillips, Kentucky's coach, has seen his club come closer than ever to breaking through.
"We had to come up to the SEC, to the elite teams and I really think that we have closed that gap," he said.
There are plenty of advantages to the SEC, maybe none bigger than the $209 million in revenue shared by all its members. That allows schools to upgrade facilities the league also attracts stellar athletes who want to play in packed stadiums.
Last season, SEC teams had a 42-6 mark in nonconference play and were 6-4 in bowls, including Alabama's 37-21 victory over Texas in the national title game.
Each year it seems there's an SEC dark horse or two on the verge of success.
Ole Miss was 7-1 in the league in 2003 with star passer Eli Manning. Kentucky rose to No. 8 in the country in 2007 and South Carolina was No. 6 that same season, yet neither made the final rankings. Even Vanderbilt went 7-6 two years ago, reaching its first bowl game in more than a quarter century.
This season, it's Arkansas. The Razorbacks are 0-4 in SEC title game appearances, the last loss coming in 2006. However, Ryan Mallett is considered among the league's top quarterbacks and capable of pulling a surprise or two.
Arkansas doesn't start SEC play until Sept. 18 and will find out quickly where it stands with back-to-back games against Georgia and Alabama.
Spurrier's Gamecocks appear to be on the outside of an SEC title looking in. But he took the South Carolina job with the goal of playing in the Georgia Dome for the league crown, a goal that he said remains attainable.
"Their 85 might rank higher than your 85," he said, "but you can only put 11 at a time out there."
It just seems like there are more than 11 when you're playing catch up.
ACC dilemma: Do wins count more than competition?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Next up for the ACC is Ohio State, Oklahoma and Southern California — more of college football's powerhouses.
The ACC — gaining a reputation as the Almost Competitive Conference — didn't win its first two matchups against the nation's elite, but had good showings: No. 13 Virginia Tech lost a thriller Monday against No. 3 Boise State; short-handed North Carolina came up a play short against No. 19 LSU.
No. 12 Miami, No. 17 Florida State and Virginia are looking to show the Atlantic Coast Conference can do more than just compete with football royalty Saturday when they play at the No. 2 Buckeyes, No. 10 Sooners and 16th-ranked Trojans, respectively.
But is the risk worth the reward?
Several ACC teams chose a less treacherous road, beating up on lower-division schools like Samford, South Carolina State and Western Carolina.
There is widespread disagreement about which method works best, considering there is little penalty in national rankings for playing a soft schedule, or reward for going against the best.
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, who for the third straight season has lost an opener against a high-profile opponent, says the early challenges help his club. Last year Beamer's bunch lost to eventual champion Alabama in their opener.
"We've won 10 games each of those also," said Beamer. "In the long haul it makes you a better football team."
Beamer also believes it's easier to prepare your team for the season when there's big game on the schedule to get it started.
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said Wednesday he'd love to upgrade his nonconference schedule with home-and-home contracts with schools from the Big Ten and Big XII.
Texas coach Mack Brown said that would be great, but there is a little incentive.
"The way the system is set up, it does not send a message to you that you need them," Brown said. "I would think strength of schedule should be a bigger part of it than it is."
Many of his colleagues agree.
"I just don't feel the risk is worth the reward," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. "A lot of people play four teams that are easy. You play your (backups) and you get ready just for your conference. I doubt many teams are penalized for that."
Florida, a member of the rugged Southeastern Conference and winner of three national titles in the past 15 seasons, outscored nonconference opponents Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International and Florida State by an overwhelming 217-22 last year on its way to a lucrative Sugar Bowl berth.
Florida State, Miami and Virginia will carry the ACC flag this weekend.
"You always want to play quality teams outside your conference," said Miami coach Randy Shannon, who still has nonconference games remaining against Pittsburgh and South Florida. "I think it's good for your program and for your entire university."
Miami hosts Ohio State next season when the Hurricanes also open a series with Kansas State. Miami begins a three-game series with Notre Dame in 2012 and are close to a deal to play a Big East school at Yankee Stadium in 2013.
"You come to Miami to play big games," Hurricanes running back Damien Berry said. "Everyone wants to see us."
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, who was an assistant coach in the SEC, is among those who feel there's more risk than reward playing a schedule without breathers.
"It does add some fun and excitement," conceded Fisher, who still has BYU and Florida on his nonconference ledger after Saturday's game at Oklahoma.
The Seminoles recently traded a future home-and-home series with Air Force for home games against Louisiana-Monroe and Football Championship Subdivision Murray State in 2011 and 2012. Fisher already has Oklahoma and Florida in two nonconference games next year while South Florida, Florida and West Virginia are scheduled in 2012.
Nebraska athletic director and former coach Tom Osborne likes to play at least one major intersectional nonconference opponent each season, but needs seven home games as well to help the Big Ten-bound Cornhuskers pay their bills.
And with the Big Ten talking about a nine-game league schedule beginning in 2015, Osborne's scheduling challenges become more difficult, especially in the years he'd have just four conference games at home.
"That means you're probably going to have to get at least a couple teams willing come to Lincoln without a return engagement," Osborne said. "Certainly Alabama, Auburn, they're not going to do that."
Osborne and Nebraska have two-for-one deals with several schools. Wyoming, Southern Miss and Fresno State have agreed to visit Lincoln twice in exchange for one game at their stadiums.
Florida State athletic director Randy Spetman would like a similar arrangement while occasionally playing a lower division opponent — the Seminoles pounded Samford Saturday.
"It helps them build their programs and we are able to help them supplement their budget," Spetman said of lower-division opponents. "They do win some to these games and it brings tremendous credibility to their programs."
Spetman also favors moving to a nine-game conference schedule instead of the current eight now employed by the ACC.
Beamer, however, pointed out that a ninth conference game ensures one more loss for half of the ACC schools, which could impact post season bowl opportunities.
But economics are also in play, especially for the athletic directors.
"It would sure make scheduling more simplified for us in the long run and save us money since you wouldn't have to go out and pay these big dollars to get (home) nonconference games," said Spetman, who last week signed a contract to pay Louisiana-Monroe $1.3 million to open the 2011 season in Tallahassee.
"It's gone up astronomically, and quickly," Spetman said. "I'd like to find quality division one programs that would go home and home. We'll start to look at that in the future."
-- Brent Kallestad
Star QBs dot Pac-10 landscape
PHOENIX (AP) — The Pac-10 has always been known for its high-caliber quarterbacks, churning out big names like Elway, Aikman, Bledsoe, Palmer, Harrington. Before them, guys like Plunkett, Fouts, Bartkowski and Moon were whipping passes around the West Coast.
Heck, even Ryan Leaf was a star at Washington State before becoming an NFL bust turned golf coach.
The past few years? Other than the occasional star — usually at USC — it's been kind of blah under center in the conference.
Well, this season the Pac is back, baby. Led by four potential first-round NFL draft picks and as deep top to bottom as it's ever been, the Pac-10 has reclaimed its title as the quarterback conference.
Locker, Luck, Foles, Barkley, Riley — this new list of names in the Pac-10 has a chance to be the best yet.
"They're franchise players and not many conferences can put out four or five of them in a year or two, that's for sure," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "We've done it in the past and it looks like we're going to have a crew that can do it again in the next two years."
Over the past few seasons, the Big 12 was the place to go for quarterbacks, players like Vince Young, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Brad Smith and Graham Harrell winging balls around the conference's spread offenses.
The Pac-10 had a handful of star signal callers during the Big 12's heyday, including Mark Sanchez and Matt Leinart at USC, Cal's Aaron Rodgers, Oregon State's Matt Moore, Dennis Dixon at Oregon.
Still, it wasn't quite what we've come to expect from a conference that's had eight quarterbacks taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and five Heisman Trophy winners.
This season, the Pac-10 lost a star in Jeremiah Masoli — he was dismissed by Oregon and ended up at Mississippi — and still has the best collection of quarterbacks in the country.
Leading the way is Washington senior Jake Locker, a top contender for the Heisman Trophy and projected No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft.
Big, athletic and with a throw-it-through-a-wall arm, Locker fits the prototype of an NFL quarterback. He had thrown for over 5,300 career yards heading into this season and holds the school record with 1,554 yards rushing.
But, as a testament to the talent in the Pac-10, Locker wasn't even the best quarterback the first weekend of the season. Wasn't even close, really.
Though he threw for 266 yards and a touchdown, Locker connected on just 20 of 37 passes and had some key mistakes on a late drive, running the wrong way on a third-down play and having a pass swatted at the line on fourth down with the Huskies going for the go-ahead score. Washington ended up losing 23-17, its 13th straight loss on the road.
"It was kind of indicative of our overall offense: there were some big plays, but the consistency wasn't where we needed it," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said.
The consistency came from other places around the conference.
Andrew Luck threw a career-high four touchdown passes in the 25th-ranked Cardinal's 52-17 win over Sacramento State, a solid start in Stanford's first game without Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart.
Matt Barkley, in the first step toward showing he's ready to develop into the next great USC quarterback, tied a school record with five touchdown passes in a lopsided win over Hawaii.
Arizona's Nick Foles was another quarterback on the continue-his-development path and came through with an impressive performance, hitting 32 of 37 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another in an opening wallop of Toledo.
The list goes on. Arizona State's Steven Threet, a former starter at Michigan, won a long three-man battle to become the starter and responded with a stellar first game, making difficult throws look easy while setting a school debut record with 239 yards and a pair of scores in a win over Portland State.
Darron Thomas showed he's no slouch in replacing Masoli, throwing for 220 yards and two scores, even making a tackle before giving way to fifth-year senior Nate Costa in No. 7 Oregon's 72-0 crushing of New Mexico.
Cal's Kevin Riley needed a little over a half to throw for 258 yards and three TDs against UC Davis, while Washington State's Jeff Tuel was decent even as the Cougars were being hammered by Oklahoma State, throwing for 212 yards and a TD.
That was just the first week. Keep this up and the Pac-10 could have its best under-center season ever and regain its elite quarterback-producing status.
"You look at the ones that are returning and it's an unbelievable group," Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson said. "You look at Locker and Luck and Foles, I could go on and on and on. We've got four or five involved in the Heisman Trophy and then some awfully good other players. It's getting back to where it used to be, no question about it.
-- John Marshall
Irish must contain QB Robinson
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — They're tossing lingo around like footballs this week at Notre Dame. Gap assignments, containment, areas of responsibilities, sure tackling.
The Irish will need all of the above — and probably more — or Michigan's Denard Robinson might run wild at Notre Dame Stadium like he did a week ago at the Big House.
"Just take great angles with him. He's very fast and very shifty," Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o said, trying to summarize the best way to defend Robinson and the Wolverines' read option. "You have to be honest with your angles and close to him as fast as you can."
For those sleeping last weekend, Robinson took over the starter's role in coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense and set Michigan records for total offense (383) and rushing yards (197) by a quarterback. He showed off his arm, too, with 19 completions on 22 attempts for another 186 yards in a 30-10 win over Connecticut.
"He can run and throw at the same time. You have to respect that," Te'o said
Irish defensive back Darrin Walls likened Robinson's style to that of Pat White, the former West Virginia quarterback who was often electrifying while directing the spread offense when Rodriguez was coaching in Morgantown.
"He's just like another running back with the ball. He's quick, he's explosive. I mean, if you give him a crease, he's going to take it," Walls said.
For Rodriguez to quiet the critics in Ann Arbor and that huge following of Michigan fans across the country, he'll need another performance like the one Robinson pulled off against UConn.
Rodriguez is 1-2 overall against Notre Dame, winning a 38-34 thriller last season in Ann Arbor and losing in two trips to South Bend, one with Michigan in his inaugural season two years ago and dropping another during his first season at West Virginia in 2001.
Against new Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, Rodriguez is 1-0; his Mountaineers beat Kelly's Cincinnati Bearcats in 2007.
There are options for Notre Dame to combat the option, but blitzing the Wolverines would not seem to be a good one for hemming in Robinson. It might create too many holes and Robinson, who doesn't like to lace up his shoes, could slip through and be off and running. Loose shoes or not.
"Not sure if he's going to tie his shoes. I don't know," Notre Dame linebacker Darius Fleming said.
Robinson will be facing Notre Dame's 3-4 defense but that shouldn't be completely foreign to him because odd and even fronts are prevalent in college ball, Rodriguez said.
"I think Denard has seen enough of it. The guys up front, it shouldn't be anything that confuses them," said Rodriguez, who actually believes the key is how the Wolverines execute on offense.
The defense, meanwhile, is busy trying to account for all the facets of the option.
"You've got to have somebody on the dive, somebody on the pitch, somebody on the quarterback every time," said Notre Dame defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, who had one of the Irish's four sacks last week in a win over Purdue.
Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, the man responsible for devising a plan against Robinson, says it's all about basic football.
"You don't want to have any horizontal seams and when you blitz, naturally vertical seams are created. And he's a very fast player who can run forward very fast and run laterally very fast," Diaco said.
"You can't start looking for the football. You start looking for the football then all of a sudden you're overtaken and you're out of your space and that's where the ball enters," he said. "Everybody has to know their assignment and do their job."
-- Rick Gano
Beavers have bye to reflect on TCU, look ahead
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — It's a week of reflection for the Oregon State Beavers.
But far from lamenting what might have been in the season opener against TCU, the Beavers will be using the game's teaching moments to prepare for the home opener against Louisville on Sept. 18.
"If you don't learn anything and just played a good football team and got beat, then it's no use to you," coach Mike Riley said.
The Beavers hung with TCU at Cowboys Stadium until late in the fourth quarter, when a safety all but put the game out of reach. The Horned Frogs rose two spots in the AP poll to No. 4 as a result of the 30-21 victory. The Beavers, who were ranked No. 24 in the preseason, dropped out.
There are a few things the Beavers can consider from the loss over the course of the bye, Riley said. First there's the issue of Jacquizz Rodgers.
The diminutive yet explosive running back had just 18 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown. The yardage seemed paltry considering he averaged nearly 111 yards per game last season. But more glaring is that Rodgers didn't catch a single pass against TCU, compared to an average of six receptions last season.
Riley called the absence of catches for Rodgers "a failure," but added that some of it was simply what the game dictated because the Beavers were having trouble on third downs.
"Situationally, running only 51 plays and having too many third-and-longs, we did not get involved in that part of our game enough, or had no rhythm," Riley said. "And then the other thing is, some of our stuff that goes down the field, he has to become our primary check-down if something's not there."
The Beavers also will no doubt take a look at the safety that appeared to seal their fate against the Horned Frogs. Oregon State was within reach, trailing by only a touchdown when the miscue occurred with 4:14 left.
"I was absolutely dumbstruck by the play at the end of the game," Riley said during a conference call with the coaches of the Pac-10 on Tuesday.
Ryan Katz, making his first start as quarterback for the Beavers, was calling an audible when the center snapped the ball over his right shoulder. To ensure that TCU didn't jump on the ball for a touchdown, Katz wound up kicking the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
"We should have stayed with the (original) play," Katz said afterward. "That was on me. It was just a bad check."
A bright spot in the loss? Junior safety Lance Mitchell was named the Pac-10's defensive player of the week because of his career-high 18 tackles.
After Louisville, rebuilding under new coach Charlie Strong, the Beavers visit the blue turf of No. 3 Boise State. Many are already looking at Oregon State as the team with the best chance to topple the Broncos for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the Beavers are infamous for getting off to slow starts in the preseason, then coming on strong in conference play. Oregon State has started 2-2 for the last six seasons, but for the last four years they've finished in the top half of the Pac-10 and earned bowl berths.
Last season Oregon State even challenged Oregon for the Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl trip, but came up short with a loss to the Ducks in the Civil War game.
Riley doesn't mind the insanely difficult September slate — although don't look for the Beavers to do this again in the near future.
"We're going to be tested. By the time we get to the Pac-10 we'll have played some tremendous competition," he said. "I don't know that you have to approach it like this every year, I don't think we will, for sure. It kind of fell this way this year, taking the opportunity with TCU.
"But I like it for a couple of reasons. I think you learn a lot about your team against top-notch opponents, and then the players learn a lot about playing in big games and understanding that against good competition the windows of opportunity are small."
-- Anne M. Peterson
Vols turn to young WRs to replace injured seniors
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's young wide receivers are going to have quickly learn on the job.
With seniors Gerld Jones and Denarius Moore nursing injuries, sophomore Zach Rogers and true freshmen Da'Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter will see plenty of playing time against seventh-ranked Oregon
"It's not a question of, 'Are they ready?' They better be ready," quarterback Matt Simms said. "It's going to be tough on them. There's going to be a lot asked of them."
Moore shed his walking boot and practiced for the first time Wednesday, but coach Derek Dooley said he wasn't sure yet how much the Tatum, Texas, native would be able to play against the Ducks (1-0). Jones is recovering from surgery on a broken bone in his left hand.
That means the young receivers will need to fill in for a pair of receivers who have a combined 162 catches and 1,289 yards between them. Jones has led the team in receiving for two seasons, while Moore's seven touchdowns in 2009 led the Vols (1-0).
By comparison, Zach Rogers has four career catches for 26 yards, and Da'Rick Rogers made his first reception, a 9-yard catch, last week in Tennessee's 50-0 win over Tennessee-Martin. Hunter played in last weeks' game, but didn't catch a pass.
"They didn't really have a lot of opportunity," coach Derek Dooley said. "Da'Rick caught a pass, which is always good to get that first one under your belt. He looked calm and it seemed very simple, but he looked good doing it."
He'll have to do more than just look good catching passes. The young receivers are also tasked with blocking on running plays, something they likely didn't do much of at the high school level.
So far, they've appeared willing to do so, Dooley said.
"The first thing you have to do as wideout is a willingness to want to block," he said. "When you come out of high school and you think wide receiver, you think, 'Throw me the ball and let me make some plays.' But understanding the importance of (blocking) as it relates to the team's success is the first hurdle, and I think we've cleared that with all our young guys."
Zach Rogers, who will fill in at Jones' spot, has caught the coach's eyes with his hard work, speed, good hands and willingness to block. Now the soft-spoken 6-foot Nashville native is working on his leadership skills a bit too.
"I kind of like to be in the shadows," Rogers said. I'm not a very outgoing guy. I've tried to step up this year. I was a little quiet and intimidated coming around these guys last year, and not being sure what to do. But I'm trying to step out of it this year and be a leader for those young guys."
The inexperience goes well beyond wide receiver. Simms, tailback Tauren Poole and at least four offensive linemen will be making their second career start Saturday.
That doesn't make the Vols any less dangerous, according to Oregon coach Chip Kelley.
"They're very athletic," Kelly said. "Both running backs, Poole and (David) Oku, are really, really tough competitors. I have always thought (Simms) was a tremendous quarterback. Really played well in his opener. They're big on the offensive line. We expect a battle."
For his part, Simms refuses to let the receivers head into Saturday without a little extra drilling. He's not worried about his timing with the new receivers, but he has been spending a little extra time during practice lining everyone up and going over plays.
"Probably the biggest concern is making sure everyone's aligned right and knowing what to do on every play. That's going to be most crucial for guys like Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers, who haven't had a whole lot of experience out there in a game situation to keep their cool and do the right things when 100,000 people are watching."
-- Beth Rucker
Small backs making big plays for UK, WKU
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan saw running back Derrick Locke dart through the hole during one practice this summer and waited for the shifty 5-foot-9 speedster to sprint for the sidelines.
Wrong. Heading out of harm's way is so last year.
Instead of darting for safety, Locke dipped his shoulder and tried to split the "22" in Trevathan's jersey. The move surprised Trevathan, who has four inches and 25 pounds on his teammate. Locke's legs kept churning until well after the whistle blew.
"We have some battles out there," Trevathan said.
And these days, Locke wins more than he probably should.
While developing a reputation as a home-run threat during three sometimes spectacular, but often injury plagued years, the senior is trying to become the kind of polished all-around back the Wildcats have lacked since Rafael Little left following the 2007 season.
The knee showed flashes of both during Kentucky's season-opening 23-16 win over Louisville, piling up 104 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats rolled over their rivals.
Locke scored on a dazzling 32-yard run on his first carry of the season, spinning past a Cardinal defender so effortlessly that it looked like a video game. Late in the fourth quarter with Kentucky holding a tenuous seven-point lead, he picked up five tough yards for the decisive first down that let the Wildcats run out the clock.
He handled the ball 27 times in all, including three receptions and a kickoff return, a sure sign the cracked bone in his left forearm sustained during a mo-ped accident in the offseason is long gone.
"I feel like I can handle a few runs back-to-back-to-back," he said. "I want to be out there first and make big plays but I'm not going to try to be Superman."
Maybe, but Locke won't be the only little back trying to make big plays on Saturday when the Wildcats (1-0) host Western Kentucky (0-1).
Hilltoppers running back Bobby Rainey ran for a career-high 155 yards and a touchdown on 30 wearying carries in a 49-10 loss to then-No. 8 Nebraska.
Coach Willie Taggart just laughed when asked if he was trying to punish the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Rainey by sending him so frequently into the teeth of a defense that's regularly among the nation's best.
"That's a bunch of baloney," Taggart said. "He gets it done. That wasn't the plan to be honest with you, but if that's what it takes to win a ballgame, we'll do it."
And Rainey will gladly accept the challenge.
"I felt like I was back in high school," Rainey said. "I just have to keep pushing."
To keep the undersized WKU defense off the field, Rainey might not have a choice. Taggart didn't intend to give Rainey the ball so often. Once he saw how effective Rainey was at extending drives, Taggart simply kept at it.
It left his star pretty sore on Sunday. By Monday Rainey was already asking for the ball again. It's the kind of competitiveness Taggart loves, the same kind he saw in former Stanford star Toby Gerhart, who Taggart mentored while serving as running backs coach for the Cardinal before returning to his alma mater.
"Bobby's really patient, he allows his blocks to happen before he makes his cuts and runs fast through the hole," Taggart said. "That is kind of where he's similar to Toby. And he's stronger than you think. The first guy usually doesn't tackle him."
That's not exactly good news for the Wildcats, who gave up 190 yards rushing to Louisville last week, including an 80-yard touchdown run by Bilal Powell.
"We just got to wrap him up," said Kentucky coach Joker Phillips. "We can't let him get started because he's got that type of speed."
That goes double for the Hilltoppers. WKU surrendered 289 yards on the ground against the Cornhuskers, and Locke has the speed to match anyone in Nebraska's talented backfield.
"That guy can run," Taggart said with a whistle.
Especially now that he's healthy. Locke's sophomore season was cut short by a knee injury, and though he led Kentucky with 907 yards rushing last year, he admits the fear of getting hurt again was always out there.
When he'd get hit, he'd immediately think "please tackle me."
"I did that a lot last year," Locke said. "That can't happen this year."
It's why he tried to show Trevathan what he was made of during camp. He did it again against the Cardinals, grinding out the tough yards when the easy ones weren't there.
"He'd step on people's feet, he was trying to get more yards than he what usually does," said fullback Moncell Allen. "He's a small guy but he's got a big heart like he's one of the big backs."
-- Will Graves
Purdue uncertain at running back
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue's running back situation remains unclear heading into Saturday's home opener against Western Illinois.
Ralph Bolden is out indefinitely while he recovers from ACL surgery. Al-Terek McBurse was expected to start last Saturday against Notre Dame, but he played a limited role because of a nagging knee injury.
Dan Dierking got the start against the Irish and the senior finished with nine carries for 56 yards and five catches for 28 yards in the 23-12 loss.
"He did everything we asked him to do," coach Danny Hope said. "There's a couple guys that might be a bit bigger or faster, but he's really, really tough. He's a good football player."
Hope said Dierking does the little things right.
"Right now, he's our best overall running back as far as knowing what to do and relying on him as a blocker and timing and ball security and all the things that you want your running back to do," he said.
Dierking's toughness earned him a spot as a team captain. However, he lacks McBurse's burst and Purdue's offense sorely lacked big plays on Saturday. Purdue's longest gain was a 23-yard touchdown run by quarterback Robert Marve, and its longest pass completion was just 16 yards. Overall, Purdue gained just 102 yards on 32 rushing attempts.
McBurse, a 6-foot, 193-pound sophomore, was one of Purdue's top recruits from Florida two years ago. He returned kickoffs last year, but was promoted to the top of the depth chart after Bolden's injury.
Hope said McBurse hasn't been at his best lately.
"He's had some things that have set him back," Hope said. "They're not defects of character. They're injuries, and it's tough to get better when you're hurt. Tough to get better when you can't practice."
Hope spoke glowingly of McBurse throughout the offseason and still expects big things from him.
"We have a commitment to Al-Terek, expect him to play well and expect him to be one of our top playmakers on offense this year," Hope said.
Even if McBurse starts, others will be involved. Receiver Antavian Edison, fullback Jared Crank and backup quarterback Rob Henry got some carries against Notre Dame.
Hope has been positive about Reggie Pegram throughout camp. The 5-foot-11, 222-pound freshman from Dallas did not carry the ball against Notre Dame and Hope didn't say whether Pegram would get some carries on Saturday. Hope said he's behind McBurse, Dierking and Crank in the pecking order.
Henry was in for four plays, and ran on three of them for 16 yards. Hope said he planned to use Henry more as a passer on Saturday.
At times last Saturday, Marve looked like Purdue's best running threat.
"Anytime you move Robert out of the pocket it can be a good thing because it shrinks down the field and gives you less to look at, and also has a run option which is a really good thing," Hope said.
-- Cliff Brunt
USF excited about opportunity to face Florida
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Skip Holtz relishes the opportunity to take South Florida into The Swamp for the Bulls' long-awaited shot at playing Florida.
Win or lose on Saturday, the USF coach says it's just one game and won't determine whether this season is a success or failure. That's a message that should resonate throughout the Big East, which is 4-4 against nonconference opponents, with two of the losses coming against other BCS leagues.
"I've continually said, I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket in any one of our 12 games," said Holtz, whose team opened with a 59-14 rout of overmatched Football Championship Subdivision member Stony Brook.
"At the end of the day, this is going to be one game out of 12 that's going in the win or loss column," he said. "It's not more heavily weighted than any of the others. ... This season is not about whether we win or lose this football game. This season is about how we respond to either one of those."
A victory would give USF, which launched its program from scratch 13 years ago, an early-season signature win over a Top 25 team from another conference for the third time in four years.
The Bulls upset Auburn on the road in 2007 and beat Florida State in Tallahassee a year ago with quarterback B.J. Daniels making his first college start.
"If we were fortunate enough to win this game and lose the rest of them, I would be hard pressed to say this would be a successful season," just as it would be difficult to characterize it as a bad year if USF loses and then wins all of its remaining games, Holtz said.
"How we respond to where we are is more important than what happens in this game alone. We're going to learn a lot about our football team. Florida's a team that has competed for and won national championships a number of years now. And for us as a football team, that's the level we aspire to play at. That's the level we aspire to be at. This will be a great opportunity."
And a chance to maybe bolster the image of the Big East which — despite ranking second among Football Bowl Subdivision leagues in nonconference winning percentage over the past four-plus seasons — generally is not perceived to be nearly as strong some other BCS conferences.
From 2006 through last week, the SEC is 192-45 (.810 winning percentage) against nonconference opponents, followed by the Big East (142-49, .743), Big 12 (168-66, .718), Big Ten (150-66, .694), Atlantic Coast Conference (150-84, .641), and Pac-10 (98-59, .624).
With Pittsburgh and Cincinnati dropping openers on the road to Utah (Mountain West) and Fresno State (WAC), respectively, and Connecticut and Louisville falling short in tests against Michigan (Big Ten) and Kentucky (SEC), the Big East is off to a slow start this year.
It doesn't get any easier with USF making a two-hour ride north to Gainesville to face the eighth-ranked Gators before a crowd of more than 90,000 — second-largest to ever watch the Bulls. Meanwhile, Syracuse travels across the country to face Washington after beating Akron to start 1-0 for the first time since 2003.
"It's impossible to duplicate the athleticism and speed that they have on the field. Your scout teams can't duplicate it. ... It's going to be very difficult to duplicate the atmosphere and crowd noise," Holtz said.
USF aspires some day be held in the same regard as Florida, Florida State and Miami — thereby expanding Florida's Big Three into a Big Four. The Bulls are 1-4 all-time versus SEC schools, with a 26-23 overtime win at Auburn helping them climb as high as No. 2 in the nation three years ago.
The Bulls are 11-2 against teams from the Sunshine State, with both losses coming against Miami. USF and the Hurricanes meet for the third time on Nov. 27.
With Florida fumbling eight times while beginning the post-Tim Tebow era with a 22-point win over Miami (Ohio), some feel USF could be catching the Gators at the right time.
Holtz, preparing for only his second game at the Bulls' helm, doesn't subscribe to that theory. He noted Florida's defense allowed .2 yards rushing (4 yards, 22 carries) and didn't allow a touchdown last week.
"You look at that, and I just think it goes to show the volumes of the program that Urban Meyer and that staff has built and what the expectations are when you've won a couple of national championships and have the type of athletes that they have," Holtz said.
"They have a very committed, very determined team. A team that wants to be good, a team that's used to winning and probably a team that gets embarrassed by a performance that most people — or 90 percent of the country — would take the numbers and feel like it was a great day."
-- Fred Goodall
Unbeaten Syracuse a confident bunch
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Derrell Smith had a gleam in his eyes and a smile on his face when asked about playing a second straight road game, this time against Washington and standout quarterback Jake Locker.
"Actually, I love road games, the negative energy in the air," said Smith, middle linebacker for the Syracuse Orange. "I'm sure it's going to be a tough environment to play in. I'm on defense, so it probably won't be that tough because I don't think they're going to cheer when their offense isn't on the field that much."
Amazing what being unbeaten for the first time in seven years can do for the psyche of a team that has struggled for so long. Syracuse, down and out for most of this decade, is coming off a 29-3 victory at Akron, its first win in a season-opener since a triple-overtime victory at North Carolina in 2003.
"I've never been a part of anything like this since I've been here," senior strong safety Max Suter said. "We're just together this year. Everyone on the team is together. Everyone wants the same goal, and that's to win. There's noone here that doesn't care if they win or lose."
"It's always a great feeling to transfer what you do on the practice field to a live situation," Orange cornerback Da'Mon Merkerson said, referring to the season-opener. "It felt like practice to me. It's hard for me to separate how practice feels to how the game feels. I felt as confident as I did going into that game as I do going into this (one)."
Syracuse was scheduled to leave town on Thursday for Saturday night's game against the Huskies (0-1), who are coming off a 23-17 loss at BYU.
Orange head coach Doug Marrone revealed some of his newfound research early this week, pointing out that since 1964 Syracuse is 1-12-1 in games in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and points farther west. The only victory came against UCLA, 32-14 in 1967.
The Orange know all about Locker because they saw him up close and personal and couldn't catch him in his college debut. As a redshirt freshman in 2007, Locker ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns and completed 14 of 19 passes for 142 yards and no turnovers.
He departed after the third quarter of a 42-12 rout of Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.
"I was a nervous wreck that game because it was the home-opener," Orange senior nose tackle Bud Tribbey said on the eve of his first trip to the West Coast.
"But it was a great experience playing against them, and now it's going to be an even greater experience going against Locker, a Heisman hopeful," Tribbey added. "We're in it for some payback for how they came in the dome and beat us," Tribbey said. "I'm really looking forward to it, especially just thinking about how we can be 2-0 going into our home-opener."
Notes: Marrone said freshman defensive back Keon Lyn, who had to sit while the NCAA checked his high school transcript, was back and practice and looking very good and that DB Kevyn Scott appears ready to contribute after recovering from a hamstring injury ... Freshman Prince-Tyson Gulley has been fielding a lot of punts in practice in the wake of a shaky performance by Mike Holmes against Akron.
-- John Kekis
News & Notes
Notre Dame C Dan Wenger has second concussion
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame fifth-year senior center Dan Wenger sustained his second concussion since mid-August and he is discussing with school officials whether he should return to football.
Wenger, who did not play in last Saturday's opener against Purdue, got his second concussion on Tuesday, coach Brian Kelly said after Wednesday's practice.
Kelly said he had a long discussion with Wenger on Wednesday. He said the team's medical staff, Wenger and his parents are involved in the decision on his future, one that could come in the next couple of days.
"We should be very cautious with anybody that's had two concussions in a very short period of time," Kelly said.
"Right now we have to be extremely conservative when we have a young man who hasn't had game contact and has suffered two concussions. ... Player safety here is of the utmost concern."
Wenger, from Coral Springs, Fla., has appeared in 29 games in his career with 19 starts. Braxston Cave is the Irish's starter at center and will be backed up by Mike Golic, Jr.
Michigan S Vladimir Emilien is transferring
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez says safety Vladimir Emilien is transferring.
He made the announcement Wednesday on a teleconference that was set up to preview the Notre Dame game.
Emilien played as a backup in the season-opening win against Connecticut. He played in five games last year as a freshman. He was recruited by Rodriguez after starring at Plantation High School in Florida.
Michigan's secondary has taken a lot of hits lately.
Cornerback Donovan Warren skipped his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL draft. J.T. Turner was granted permission to transfer last month and then Troy Woolfolk was injured. Freshman Demar Dorsey wasn't admitted this year and recruit Adrian Witty was denied admissions last year.
Several Vols return to practice following injuries
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee offensive guard Jarrod Shaw, center Cody Pope and wide receiver Denarius Moore should be available Saturday when the Volunteers host seventh-ranked Oregon.
Each player missed at least some practice time this week but participated in Wednesday's practice in at least a limited role. Tight end Luke Stocker also played a limited role in Wednesday's practice because of a sore shoulder, but is expected to be ready Saturday.
Defensive tackle Minor Bowens missed Wednesday's practice because of a staph infection, which coach Derek Dooley says has plagued a few of his players this week. Dooley was concerned enough with the infections that he had a meeting with the Vols to discuss proper hygiene and showering techniques.
Dooley joked that the Vols had the worst "shower discipline" of any team he'd been around and that he hoped to see improvement.
'Noles linebacker arrested for no drivers license
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State starting linebacker Mister Alexander is in hot water with the law for missing a court date for driving without a license.
Alexander, who is from Texas, was arrested Tuesday for failure to appear, a spokesman for the Leon County sheriff's office said. The athlete turned himself in after learning about a warrant for his arrest. He was released on $125 bail.
A court date is set for Sept. 30.
A Tallahassee police officer stopped Alexander last year for loud music. When asked for a driver's license, Alexander said he didn't have one and gave police his Florida ID.
Florida State officials did not immediately comment on Alexander's playing status going into Saturday's game at Oklahoma.
Moniz expected to start against Army
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz is expected to start against Army this weekend.
Moniz sat out Warrior practices after being knocked out of last Thursday's opener against USC. But he joined practice before the team left for the mainland.
Coach Greg McMackin told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Moniz didn't have headaches or any of the symptoms from concussions, but the team wanted to be careful and conservative.
McMackin says Moniz will be ready to go against Army at West Point on Saturday.
SE La. QB Beatty out with knee injury
HAMMOND, La. (AP) — Southeastern Louisiana's top quarterback is out for one to three weeks with a sprained knee ligament, and Brian Young will start on Saturday at Tennessee-Martin.
Lions coach Mike Lucas says Tyler Beatty sprained his medial collateral ligament when he was sacked in the last play of Thursday's 27-21 loss to Tulane in the Superdome. He says freshman Gavin Webster will be prepped as the main backup.
Lucas said Tuesday that Beatty has been fitted for a brace. The coach says the doctor says Beatty might be ready to play against Lamar on Sept. 18, and will probably be ready by Sept. 25, when the Lions play Monroe.
Elsewhere
UM football broadcasts go digital
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — University of Montana football fans who watch the Griz games on TV will notice a clearer picture, starting this weekend.
KPAX general manager Bob Hermes says the TV station is upgrading from analog to digital production of Montana games. He says the station tested the new technology last year for the Cat-Griz game and had hoped to have it in place for last weekend's home opener, but some equipment hadn't arrived.
The top-ranked Grizzlies take on Cal Poly Saturday at 7 p.m. Mountain. The game will be televised on CW stations affiliated with the Montana Television Network.
All Montana State football games being produced by Max Media of Montana are being televised in high definition this season.
