Notes from Sat games for this week’s games:
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The No. 9 Sooners (10-2, 6-2) come in with an air of confidence, though, as the only team that's been able to knock off Missriou this season. Oklahoma capitalized on two fourth-quarter turnovers to score 18 straight points in a 41-31 victory in Norman in mid-October.
Missouri led Oklahoma 24-23 in the third quarter but was undone by a botched handoff between Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin that was returned for a touchdown and Daniel's second interception of the game later in the second half.
Several times in recent weeks, Daniel has asserted that Missouri outplayed Oklahoma but beat itself.
The Tigers (11-1, 7-1 Big 12) have won six in a row since then, including a 36-28 decision over then-No. 2 Kansas on Saturday.
Now the Sooners will have a chance to play spoiler for the Missouri's BCS title hopes and earn their second straight trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
A turnover-plagued fourth quarter proved costly in a loss at Colorado, and the Sooners were off-kilter the entire first half when quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a concussion in the Texas Tech loss.
"The South trophy is nice, but we want the other one," Stoops said. "To us, that's what matters is the championship.
Missouri (11-1) has been challenged in each of the last three victories, hanging on at the end of Saturday's 36-28 victory over second-ranked Kansas.
Daniel, who was 40-for-49 for 361 yards, made a Heisman Trophy statement and Missouri, the only team in the country to score 30 points in every game this season, showed off its deep, talented offensive lineup. Under-utilized wide receivers Danario Alexander and Tommy Saunders each had big games, complementing Tony Temple's 98 yards rushing in his hometown and Maclin's 170 all-purpose yards.
Missouri's underrated defense ended Reesing's Big 12-record streak of 213 passes without an interception, converting both interceptions into touchdowns. The Jayhawks were held to 42 yards rushing.
Stoops said he didn't buy into the belief that it's more difficult for a team to beat an opponent a second time in the same season. When asked separately about the challenges presented by Daniel and Missouri's tight end tandem of Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, he had similar responses: "We've dealt with that the last two years with them. Right?"
Stoops is 3-0 against Gary Pinkel's Tigers, including a 23-10 win last season in Columbia, Mo. While Missouri will be playing in the Big 12 title game for the first time ever, Oklahoma is in the conference championship game for the sixth time in the past eight years.
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SEATTLE -- Jake Locker sat silently, head resting on his right hand, wondering just how a seven-point lead disappeared in the final eight minutes and Washington found itself on the stunning end of a 42-35 Apple Cup loss to rival Washington State.
Locker rushed for 103 yards on 14 carries and a pair of touchdowns. He broke the modern Pac-10 record for yards rushing by a quarterback, surpassing the 815 yards of UCLA quarterback Jeff Dankworth in 1976. Locker now has 910 yards rushing and 12 rushing TDs, matching Mark Brunell's school record for single-season rushing TDs by a quarterback.
But Locker struggled with his throws, completing only 12 of 35 attempts for 224 yards and a pair of interceptions, the second one picked off by Washington State's Alfonso Jackson in the end zone on the final play of the game.
WSU SQB Brink found Gibson running free across the field for a 40-yard touchdown to tie it at 35 with 7:29 left.
Alex Brink's pass hung up so long, too long. And Gibson was so open, too open, down the middle of the field behind a confused Washington secondary.
Brink threw for a series-record 399 yards and five touchdowns -- the last that tantalizing, 35-yarder to Gibson with 31 seconds left -- as the Cougars rallied to win the 100th Apple Cup 42-35 over the Huskies on a wild Saturday night.
Washington State rallied from deficits of 10-0 and 17-7 to take a 21-20 lead at halftime, thanks mostly to 222 passing yards from Brink and two touchdown throws to third-string tight end Devin Frischknecht. Chris Ivory ran for 114 yards and had WSU's other touchdown in the first half.
HONOLULU -- Colt Brennan broke the major college career record for touchdown passes Friday, throwing five touchdowns for No. 14 Hawaii against No. 17 Boise State.
The Warriors' prolific passer threw five touchdowns to break the major college career record as No. 14 Hawaii beat No. 17 Boise State 39-27 Friday night to win its first outright WAC title.
Brennan, a week after sitting out because of a concussion, finished 40-of-53 for 495 yards for the Warriors (11-0, 8-0), who set a school record with 12 straight wins and denied the Broncos (10-2, 7-1) a sixth straight conference championship.
Hawaii's Davone Bess had a school-record 15 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Jason Rivers had 11 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown while C.J. Hawthorne added five receptions for 111 yards and a TD.
The Broncos' Ian Johnson also had a big first half, rushing for 75 yards and two TDs, including a 50-yarder that gave the Broncos a 7-0 lead. However, Johnson was held to just 11 yards and no scores in the second half.
Hawaii had 574 yards of offense, compared with Boise State's 332.
The quick-striking Warriors, have won 21 of its last 22 games and lead the nation in scoring,
Brennan entered the game holding 24 other NCAA records, including the single-season record for TD passes of 58, which he set last year.
Hawaii had 574 yards of offense, compared with Boise State's 332.
------------------------------------------------- Florida Atlantic (6-5, 5-1 Sunbelt Conference) has a chance to win the conference title if it beats Troy on Dec. 1.
FIU (0-11, 0-6) has lost 23 consecutive games, the longest current skid in major college football. A'mod Ned scored two touchdowns and Reggie Thompson also scored a touchdown for the Golden Panthers in the fourth quarter.
Smith finished 20-for-30 for 330 yards with an interception
Florida International starting quarterback Wayne Younger (5-for-10 for 73 yards) left the game in the second quarter with a collar bone injury and did not return. Paul McCall was 23-for-35 for 181 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. TROY, Ala. (AP) -- Omar Haugabook passed for 194 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 64 yards and two more scores and Troy beat Middle Tennessee 45-7 Tuesday night to clinch at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference title.
Haugabook completed 16-of-29 passes and also had 16 carries for the Trojans (8-3, 6-0 Sun Belt Conference) before sitting out the fourth quarter.
The Trojans outgained Middle Tennessee 549-209 in total yardage.
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Kevin Smith ran 219 yards and a touchdown on a school-record 46 carries to surpass 2,000 yards for the season, and Central Florida defeated UTEP 36-20 on Saturday.
The Knights (9-3, 7-1), winners of six straight since losing to South Florida on Oct. 13, secured the Conference USA East title and will host Tulsa in the C-USA championship game Dec 1.
Smith leads the nation with 2,164 yards rushing, the fourth-highest total in Division I-A (now called Bowl Subdivision) history.
Smith also leads the country in touchdowns with 26.
UTEP (4-8, 2-6 C-USA) took a brief 17-16 lead in the third.
Vittatoe went 20-for-37 with 292 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions. UCF's Guyton led all receivers with 96 yards on four catches.
HOUSTON -- Paul Smith threw for 441 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another score to lead Tulsa to the Conference USA West Division title with a 48-43 win over Rice on Saturday.
The Golden Hurricane (9-3, 6-2), despite giving up 700 yards total offense to the Owls, will play Central Florida in the C-USA title game Dec. 1.
Tulsa had 592 yards and finished the regular season with five straight wins after losing at Central Florida on Oct. 20.
Chase Clement completed 40 of 66 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns, including a 36-yarder to Joel Armstrong with 1:44 left to keep Rice (3-9, 3-5 in C-USA) alive.
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Tom Brandstater passed for a career-high 313 yards and two touchdowns to Marlon Moore, and Fresno State knocked Kansas State from bowl contention with 45-29 win Saturday.
Anthony Harding rushed for a career-best 115 yards and a touchdown and backfield mate Lonyae Miller added 91 yards and a score for Fresno State (7-4).
The Bulldogs, members of the Western Athletic Conference, snapped a seven-game losing streak to teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences
Fresno State overcame an early deficit by scoring four straight touchdowns for a 31-21 halftime lead, then put the game away with two third-quarter touchdowns.
Brandstater, who was not sacked and rarely pressured, completed 23 of 29 pass attempts. Moore led the Bulldogs with a career-high nine catches for 134 yards, continuously finding soft spots in Kansas State's secondary.
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Adam Tafralis passed for 342 yards and two touchdowns to rally San Jose State to a 27-24 win over Nevada on Saturday, the Spartans' first win over the Wolfpack in six years.
Tafralis completed 29 of 46 passes and led San Jose to scores on its first three possessions of the second half when the Spartans outscored Nevada 17-0. The senior quarterback, who earlier this year became San Jose's all-time passing and total offense leader, also broke the school mark for career completions with 603.
Kaepernick was 12-of-22 for 252 yards and two touchdowns and added another 72 yards rushing for the Wolfpack (5-6, 3-4 WAC), who led early but couldn't sustain the momentum and lost its second straight.
Nevada, which was coming off a last-second 28-26 loss to then-No. 13 Hawaii last week, built a 14-point halftime lead behind Kaepernick. He threw a pair of touchdown passes to Marko Mitchell in the first half and Jaekle added a 36-yard field goal as time ran out in the second quarter to help the Wolfpack build a 24-10 lead.
But behind Tafralis, the Spartans rallied to win for just the second time in their last six games.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez usually waits until after the regular season to start handing out individual accolades. He's making an exception for quarterback Pat White.
White surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight season, gaining 186 yards and scoring twice in No. 4 West Virginia's 66-21 win over No. 20 Connecticut on Saturday night. Freshman Noel Devine rushed for 118 yards on 11 carries and Steve Slaton had a pair of TD runs, which were set up by long runs by White.
West Virginia scored 42 second-half points for its sixth straight win since losing 21-13 at South Florida on Sept. 28. White didn't finish that game because of thigh injury.
West Virginia compiled a season-high 517 yards on the ground, its best effort since rushing for 536 in a win over East Carolina in 2002.
UConn was limited to one second-half touchdown and a defense that was ranked third in the nation in points allowed coming in at 14 per game, gave up the most points the Huskies have permitted in seven years.
Connecticut had the fewest turnovers in the Big East but West Virginia had three takeaways and turned them into touchdowns. UConn's Tyler Lorenzen was sacked five times and completed 14 of 28 passes for 151 yards and one score.
White's fourth-straight 100-yard effort had Rodriguez touting his player for some national recognition.
White, a junior, has 1,144 yards and 14 rushing TDs this season, along with 1,498 yards passing
White, who came to West Virginia out of Alabama because it was the only big school that wanted him to play quarterback, is 25-3 as a starter.
White and SRB Slaton became only the third pair of teammates in the Football Bowl Subdivision to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in consecutive seasons.
White's only focus is on the annual Backyard Brawl at home. Against Pittsburgh last year he ran for 220 yards and threw for 204 more in a 45-27 win.
West Virginia ... well-rounded? The Mountaineers rank 13th in rushing defense, 15th in pass defense, sixth in total defense and eighth in scoring defense? All the defensive players are complementing each other and, as a result, complementing the explosive offense.
PITTSBURGH (AP)
South Florida shook off a sluggish start, turning three interceptions into touchdowns in a 48-37 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
South Florida (9-3, 4-3 in Big East) rallied from a 14-10 halftime deficit.
The Bulls outscored Pitt (4-7, 2-4) 38-23 in the second half during a school record-tying ninth victory. All of the interceptions came off freshman Pat Bostick, who threw as many scoring passes to the other team as he did his own during Pitt's seventh loss in nine games.Bostick threw touchdown passes of 37 yards to Maurice Williams and 10 yards to Darrell Strong while going 24-of-37 for 298 yards. He now has eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season.
Pittsburgh, assured of its third losing season in three years under coach Dave Wannstedt, fell apart after leading 7-0 and 14-7 despite freshman LeSean McCoy's three touchdown runs as South Florida scored 24 consecutive points to open a 34-14 lead.McCoy scored of runs of 1, 1 and 12 yards and now has 14 touchdowns, breaking Tony Dorsett's Pitt freshman record of 13 in 1973. McCoy is 20 yards away from joining Dorsett (1,686 yards in 1973) and Curvin Richards (1,228 yards in 1988) as the only Pitt freshmen to gain more than 1,200 yards in a season.
McCoy had 55 yards on 18 carries and has 1,180 yards, 81 yards off the Big East freshman record of 1,261 yards by Rutgers' Terrell Willis in 1993
"We became totally unglued," Wannstedt said. "The interceptions -- a lot of them -- were due to inexperience."
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BOSTON --
Matt Ryan threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns Saturday to lead BC to a 28-14 win, BC's first victory over Miami since the 1984 "Hail Flutie" pass that ended one of the greatest games in college football history.
Boston College (10-2, 6-2 ACC) will play for the conference championship in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 1 against Virginia Tech, which beat Virginia 33-21 Saturday for the Coastal Division title. BC already clinched the Atlantic Division with last week's victory over Clemson.
The Eagles beat the Hokies on Oct. 25 when Ryan threw a 24-yard touchdown pass across the field with 11 seconds left. The Eagles rallied with two touchdowns in the final 2:11 to beat the Hokies 14-10 in Blacksburg with a 1st half deluge making for horrible weather conditions.
Ryan completed 26 of 43 passes and finished the regular season with 28 touchdowns for the season to break the school record Flutie set in '84. Andre Callender ran 15 times for 96 yards and a 45-yard touchdown that made it 28-14 after Miami hung close for most of the game.
The Eagles won 10 regular-season games for the second consecutive season. With a victory next Saturday, they would play in the Orange Bowl -- their first-ever appearance in a Bowl Championship Series game.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor finally made it through a game without getting hurt for No. 8 Virginia Tech.
Glennon threw for 260 yards and Taylor ran for two touchdowns Saturday, leading the Hokies past the No. 16 Cavaliers 33-21 and into the ACC championship game.
The Hokies (10-2, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) also got a season-high 147 yards rushing from Branden Ore and six catches for 147 yards and a touchdown from Eddie Royal.
The Hokies look like a different team than they did a month ago, having beaten Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami and Virginia in succession, outscoring them 144-59.
Glennon and Taylor have taken turns as Virginia Tech's starting quarterback, but rarely have they been able to go at the same time. Glennon was knocked silly and missed most of the Hokies' victory against Florida State two weeks ago, and Taylor pulled a muscle last week against Miami and played little.
PROVO, Utah -- Playing with a sprained shoulder, Max Hall had one final chance to save BYU against rival Utah.
All he had to do was convert on fourth-and-18 from his own 12 with barely a minute remaining. Hall scrambled to his right to buy a little time, then threw the ball as far as he could -- right to teammate Austin Collie for a 49-yard gain.
The play with 1:05 left kept the No. 23 Cougars' final drive going and led to Harvey Unga's 11-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining in BYU's 17-10 win over the Utes on Saturday.
From there, the Utes self-destructed and their seven-game winning streak came to an end. After the fourth-down conversion, Utah gave BYU 30 extra yards on two penalties to set up Unga's touchdown run.
Utah had just taken a 10-9 lead by driving 69 yards for Darrell Mack's 1-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left to play.
Unga ran for 141 yards and BYU's only touchdown. Mitch Payne kicked three field goals for the Cougars, who held Utah to 125 yards of offense for the first three quarters.
Hall completed 13 of 29 passes for 149 yards and a 3-point conversion to Collie after Unga's touchdown run.
BYU won its 15th straight Mountain West game and can wrap up a second straight unbeaten season in the league next week at San Diego State.
Johnson finished 17-for-29 for 129 yards with two interceptions for the Utes, who had only 50 yards of offense at halftime.
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Joseph Turner ran for a career-high 226 yards and four touchdowns to lead TCU to a 45-33 win over San Diego State on Saturday night.
Turner helped the Horned Frogs (7-5, 4-4 Mountain West) overcome San Diego State's 17-0 first quarter lead
TCU's offense ran up 694 yards in total offense on 111 plays and made 39 first downs, the most ever allowed by San Diego State. The Horned Frogs also held the ball for 39 minutes, 19 seconds compared to only 20:41 for the Aztecs.
San Diego State (4-7, 3-4) was coming off a 55-23 loss at Air Force last week where the Aztecs allowed 670 total yards in offense.
The Aztecs, who gained 441 yards in total offense, took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, 14 of those points coming after TCU turnovers.
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John David Booty threw for 375 yards and matched a career high with four touchdown passes as 11th-ranked USC blitzed No. 7 Arizona State 44-24, reviving its bid for an unprecedented sixth straight Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Southern California (9-2, 6-2 Pac-10) will win the Pac-10 if it beats UCLA on Dec. 1 and Oregon loses to UCLA or Oregon State.
USC's defense overwhelmed Arizona State, sacking Rudy Carpenter six times and several more pressures and briefly knocking him out of the game with a cut lip.
Booty had missed three games with a broken finger and played inconsistently at times. But he was sharp and confident from the start on Thursday night, completing his first seven passes.
ASU has staged some stirring rallies this season but the Sun Devils had no chance against USC's defense, which allows 16 points per game -- sixth in the nation. The Trojans limited ASU to 16 yards on 35 rushes.
ASU had a 98-yard kickoff return by Rudy Burgess to tie it 7-all. It was only the second kickoff return for a touchdown by a Sun Devils player at home in the past 21 years.
ASU cut it to 17-14 on a 4-yard pass from Carpenter to Michael Jones, and Thomas Weber's 25-yard field goal tied it at 17 early in the second quarter.
But USC reeled off the next 27 points, and the Sun Devils didn't score again until they blocked a punt at USC's 20-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.
Rested, healthy and loaded, USC is now playing like the number one team everyone thought.
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- When Dennis Dixon went out, the explosive Oregon offense became average, at best. When his backup at quarterback was injured as well, the Ducks had no chance.
Freshman Kai Forbath kicked three field goals, including a career-long 54-yarder, and the Bruins took advantage of No. 9 Oregon's plight to hand the Ducks a 16-0 setback Saturday -- their first shutout loss in more than 22 years.
So now, unlikely as it might seem, the once-reeling UCLA Bruins have a shot at playing in the Rose Bowl game.
Should UCLA upset USC and Arizona top No. 7 Arizona State the same day, the Bruins (6-5, 5-3) would get the Rose Bowl bid -- a shocking development considering their recent slump and the possibility that Dorrell's job is in jeopardy.
The Bruins vs the Trojans last year, won a 13-9 decision to snap a seven-game losing streak against their crosstown rivals and deprive USC of a chance to play for the national championship.
But that game was at the Rose Bowl. This matchup will be at the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the Trojans have won 37 of their last 38 games.
Osaar Rasshan played the first half at quarterback for UCLA and was 0-for-7 with one interception in his second career start. Ben Olson, playing for the first time since injuring his left knee Oct. 6, played the second half and completed 4-of-10 for 64 yards with one interception.
The two teams combined for just 22 first downs with 22 punts and 368 yards of total offense
Olson began the season as the first-stringer, and although Dorrell wouldn't identify a starter for next week, Olson would seem to have the edge. "I felt pretty good," Olson said. "I'm not 100 percent. I didn't feel any rust. I feel a little bit limited physically, I'm not the fastest guy in the world and my knee felt a little sore, but I felt good, felt comfortable, felt confident."
Chris Markey, slowed much of the season by injuries, gained 91 yards on 30 carries for the Bruins.
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Robert Hughes ran for 136 yards and the go-ahead 6-yard touchdown with 6:06 remaining to help the Irish end the season with consecutive wins for the first time in 15 years by beating Stanford 21-14 Saturday.
This was a mistake-filled game by all parties involved, with six turnovers, five missed field goals, four plays overturned by instant replay and a number of personal foul penalties.
Doug Baldwin returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Stanford 48. T.C. Ostrander, who replaced an injured Tavita Pritchard earlier in the half, drove the Cardinal down to the 7.
But Evan Moore could not hold onto a pass in the end zone on third down and Ostrander couldn't connect with Richard Sherman on fourth down in the final minute to end Stanford's comeback attempt.
Derek Belch missed four field goal attempts in the game for Stanford (3-8). Belch's miss later in the quarter was eighth in his last 10 attempts.
At this point in the season, the team should be getting tighter and not be making so many big mistakes. The placekicking situation was a disaster against Notre Dame while the passing game struggled with Tavita Pritchard getting banged up. The pass rush was fine and the running game was there, but the Cardinal almost had to work to blow the game. the offense had better gear up for a bit of a firefight against Cal.
L4 games TY, Stan has scored 14,19,9, and 8 pts.
Nov. 17
Washington 37 ... California 23
Washington ran for 334 yards with Louis Ranking cranking out 224 with a five-yard touchdown. The Bears appeared to take control with three first half Nate Longshore touchdown passes, but the Huskies rallied with a 12-yard Marcel Reece scoring grab with 12 seconds to play after getting a short field following a fumble. And then the UW running game took over as it hung on to the ball for close to 20 minutes in the second half with the scoring coming from three Ryan Perkins field goals. In the loss, Thomas DeCoud made 16 tackles for the Bears
Cal lost to Washington by getting pounded on up the middle over and over and over again. The defensive tackles got erased but the UW interior line, and the supposedly high-powered Bear offense never got on track. Is the team really this bad, or is it a letdown factor with the season going down the tubes? At the moment it's a little of both, but a win over Stanford would put a Band-Aid on the situation and ensure a decent bowl since there aren't going to be many eligible Pac 10 teams.
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The Trojans needed no help in dismantling the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2).
"They came to hit tonight," Carpenter said. "I think tonight, we were overmatched."
"We didn't play good," ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. "It's sad.
ASU simply didn't have the horses or the talent to beat a USC with all its parts working. The offensive line has been an issue all season long in pass protection, and it almost got Rudy Carpenter killed. Despite being battered and beaten up all night long, Carpenter hung in and kept pressing, but to no avail. This is still a strong ASU team, but it needs to figure out something in a big, big hurry or the Arizona defense will tee off on Carpenter.
Nov. 15 Arizona 34 ... Oregon 24
Arizona jumped out to a 31-14 halftime lead on Mike Thomas touchdown catches from 34 and 46 yards out along with an Antoine Cason 42-yard interception return or a touchdown and a 56-yard punt return for a score. Oregon scored on its first drive on a 39-yard Dennis Dixon touchdown run, but he later injured his knee and was lost for the rest of the game. With Brady Leaf under center for the Ducks, Arizona blitzed time and again and forced plenty of mistakes, but Oregon got within seven points late in the fourth on a 17-play, 71-yard drive finishing up with a two-yard Andre Crenshaw touchdown run. Arizona was able to all but put the game away by answering with a 46-yard field goal, but needed help from the replay booth as QB Willie Tuitama was ruled down before he fumbled the ball away to Oregon. Oregon outgained Arizona 463 yards to 322.
Arizona's gameplan against Oregon appeared to do a 180-degree change after Dennis Dixon got hurt. Led by a brilliant day from Spencer Larsen and a great push from Yaniv Barnett, the defense got to Brady Leaf early and often and forced several misfired and several near-interceptions. However, when things got tight, and the Wildcat offense started to sputter, the defense started to have problems with the Duck power game. Arizona took its foot off the gas and played not to lose in the second half, and almost lost. Of course, the Cats won, and now has a chance to become bowl eligible with a win at Arizona State in two weeks.
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Twice the Tigers were No. 1 and in control of their national championship hopes.
Twice the team with a flair for the dramatic couldn't pull out a triple-overtime victory against a Heisman Trophy contender.
Darren McFadden rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and even threw for another score to lift Arkansas to a 50-48 victory Friday, LSU may very well play a bowl game in New Orleans, but the one they were hoping to play -- the BCS championship game on Jan. 7 -- now looks out of reach.
Winning the SEC title will put LSU in the Sugar Bowl. No team with two losses has ever played in the national title game. A few more upsets could put LSU back in the debate, but it could've been so easy for the Tigers. All they had to do was win two.
"It's a sick feeling, losing another tough game that we played our hearts out," tight end Richard Dickson said. "We can think about it for a while but we have to come out next week and win an SEC title."
"We had been watching film of LSU and saw they had weaknesses against running quarterbacks," McFadden explained.
Flynn finished with 209 yards passing and three touchdowns, two of them to Demetrius Byrd, who also was the intended receiver on the failed 2-point try that ended the game. Flynn ran for a 12-yard score in the first overtime, when LSU could have emerged victorious with a stop on fourth-and-10.
Arkansas finished with 385 rushing yards and 513 yards of total offense to LSU's 413 yards
A No. 1 team pushing for the national title doesn't give up 50 points and 394 rushing yards at home. Lost in the crushing defeat was a gamer of a performance from Matt Flynn who overcame a rough game to step up late, up until the final interception, and kept his cool when everything around him was breaking down. Now it'll be interesting to see how the fan base reacts to Les Miles. Was the Michigan situation a distraction, or did he and his coaching staff not plan his more talented team correctly? This one will be dissected for a long, long time.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- After all Tennessee overcame to get to this point, the lopsided losses, the calls for the coach to be fired, blowing a 17-point lead was no reason to get down.
Now the resilient Volunteers are heading back to Atlanta, SEC East champions after a heart-stopping 52-50 victory over snake-bit Kentucky on Saturday.
Tennessee and Georgia finished tied atop the East, but the Volunteers earned the title thanks to their 35-14 win over the Bulldogs on Oct. 6.
Tennessee's Erik Ainge, who threw for a career-high 397 yards and seven touchdowns. "We somehow got it done. it wasn't perfect on either side but we find a way to get it done."
The Volunteers seemed out of the SEC East race after being crushed 41-17 at Alabama last month. Earlier in the season, the Vols were pounded 59-20 by Florida.
But since the loss to Alabama, Tennessee has now won five straight and will return to the SEC title game for the first time since 2004.
The Volunteers earned the shot with a gritty but hardly perfect performance against the Wildcats. They dominated the game's first 45 minutes, hemming in Woodson and controlling the tempo behind Ainge and Foster, who had 216 yards from scrimmage.
Oddly, Kentucky seemed only too eager to try and grind it out with the Volunteers. It wasn't until they went to the spread formation late in the second half that the rally began.
Rafael Little had 77 yards rushing and caught 11 passes for 108 yards for the Wildcats. Jacob Tamme, Steve Johnson Keenan Burton -- who helped usher the Wildcats into the Top 10 earlier in the season -- combined for 23 catches, 273 yards and five scores.
The two teams combined for 1,084 yards of total offense 61 first downs and 827 passing yards
Tim Tebow will win all the First Team All-SEC accolades, but a case could be made for Erik Ainge for the SEC Player of the Year. He has been terrific all season long leading the Vols to the title game, and he showed against Kentucky what kind of a pro prospect he'll be. While he might not have a howitzer of a gun, he makes everyone around him better.
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Nov. 17
Rutgers 20 ... Pitt 16 Rutgers got a 30-yard Jeremy Ito field goal, his second of the game, midway through the fourth quarter, and it turned out to make all the different as Pitt had a chance late, but Pat Bostick was picked off by Devin McCourty in the end zone. Mike Teel connected with Kenny Britt for a 53-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Ray Rice ran for a 28-yard score in the second for 17-10 Rutgers lead with Pitt only managing two of Conor Lee's three field goals in the second half. The two teams combined for eight sacks.
Player of the game: In the loss, Pitt LB Scott McKillop made 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2. 5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception and two broken up passes.
Stat Leaders: Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 3-9, 98 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Ray Rice, 26-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 3-82, 1 TD
Pitt - Passing: Kevan Smith, 7-11, 81 yds
Rushing: LeSean McCoy, 22-60. Receiving: T.J. Porter, 4-44
The win over Pitt isn't exactly one that'll be saved for the vault. Mike Teel was obviously banged up as he completed just three of nine passes with two interceptions. Ray Rice was the offense yet again, and the defense was terrific, but Rutgers isn't going to win too many games when it gained just 219 yards of total offense and converts two of 11 passes. Getting five sacks certainly helped, and another good defensive performance should lead to a win over Louisville, but Teel, or another option under center, has to be stronger.
Nov. 17
South Florida 55 ... Louisville 17 Louisville fumbled away the opening kickoff for a score, and things would only go downhill from there with seven turnovers while allowing USF to jump out to an early 27-3 lead. Matt Grothe connected with Marcus Edwards for a seven-yard touchdown and Carlton Williams for a 30-yard score with things getting ugly on a 28-poiunt run. Trae Williams picked off a pass for a 64-yard score and Mike Ford ran for two scores. Brian Brohm threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Harry Douglas, but he also threw three interceptions and way replaced. In all, the Bulls had three defensive scores.
Player of the game: South Florida QB Matt Grothe completed 17 of 23 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 12 times for 67 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 18-37, 213 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Bilal Powell, 6-70, 1 TD. Receiving: Harry Douglas, 8-136, 1 TD
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 17-23, 194 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Ford, 24-140, 2 TD. Receiving: Carlton Mitchell, 4-54, 1 TD
The disastrous season only gets worse with a complete clunker of a performance against South Florida. If Brian Brohm isn't playing well, then there's no much hope for the rest of the team to show up. There were some good flashes at times to make it seem like the Cards would have a chance for a comeback, but the turnovers always killed any momentum. A bowl game might be a distant dream, but beating Rutgers would be a nice way to finish things up and to get into a position for a 13th game. To win, the run defense has to get far stronger in a big hurry.
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Montario Hardesty RB, Tennessee Volunteers 11/25/07, Time: 12:43 am Status:
News: SportingNews.com is reporting Hardesty may not be able to play in Saturday's game against LSU due to an ankle injury.
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DeMarco Murray RB, Oklahoma Sooners 11/24/07, Time: 12:52 am Status:
News: After Saturday's victory against Oklahoma State, Sooners head coach Bob Stoops indicated Murray would not play in next week's Big 12 title game against Missouri.
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Brady Leaf QB, Oregon Ducks 11/24/07, Time: 12:45 am Status:
News: Leaf left Saturday's game against UCLA with an ankle injury. Analysis:
Leaf did not return, leaving the Ducks to work in their third and fourth string quarterbacks. His status for next week's game is uncertain.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri tight end Chase Coffman has an ankle injury and is questionable for Saturday's Big 12 championship game against No. 9 Oklahoma.
Coffman, the career leader in touchdown passes for the top-ranked Tigers, missed the second half of Missouri's 36-28 win over then-No. 2 Kansas this past Saturday.
"He will be in a boot until Wednesday morning, then he'll practice Wednesday and Thursday," coach Gary Pinkel said Monday on a conference call. "We think he'll be back, but he would certainly be questionable at this time."
Coffman is Missouri's third-leading receiver with 51 catches for 523 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He holds the school record with 20 TD catches.
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Navy accepts invitation to Poinsettia Bowl
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ARIZONA STATE - *Tight end Andrew Pettes (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Arizona. *Guard Zach Krula (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Arizona. *Safety Jeremy Payton (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Arizona. *Cornerback Travis Smith (11/26, foot) is questionable for Saturday's game against Arizona. Running back Ryan Torain (10/18, Lisfranc sprain) will miss the remainder of the season. *Running back Jarrell Woods (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Arizona.
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CALIFORNIA - *Defensive tackle Matthew Malele (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Stanford. *Defensive Back Robert Peele (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Stanford. *Running back Jahvid Best (11/26, hip) is doubtful for Saturday's game against Stanford. *Defensive end Rulon Davis (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Stanford. *Defensive Back Marcus Ezeff (11/26, quadriceps) is questionable for Saturday's game against Stanford.
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CENTRAL MICH - *Linebacker Barron Miles (11/26, undisclosed) is questionable for Saturday's game against Miami-Ohio. *Safety Calvin Hissong (11/26, shoulder) is questionable for Saturday's game against Miami-Ohio.
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FLA ATLANTIC - *Wide receiver Avery Holley (11/26, leg) is questionable for Saturday's game against Troy. Defensive end Josh Savidge (11/21, knee) will miss the remainder of the season. Defensive end Josh Pinnick (11/21, knee) will miss the remainder of the season.
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MIAMI-OHIO - *Running back Austin Sykes (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Central Michigan. Fullback Nick DeBartolo (11/21, knee) will miss the remainder of the season. Defensive tackle Ben Huddle (11/21, knee) will miss the remainder of the season. *Linebacker Mickey Mann (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Central Michigan.
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NAVY - *Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (11/26, bruised knee) is probable for Saturday's game against Army. *Cornerback Rashawn King (11/26, arm) is questionable for Saturday's game against Army.
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NEVADA - *Linebacker Jared Silva-Purcell (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech. *Defensive end Daniel Agaiava (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech. *Offensive lineman Josh Catapano (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech.
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NEW MEXICO ST - *Wide receiver Derek Dubois (11/26, knee) is questionable for Friday's game against Fresno State.
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OKLAHOMA - *Defensive end Alan Davis (11/26, concussion) is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri. Wide receiver Adron Tennell (11/19, torn ACL) will miss the remainder of the season. *Defensive end Auston English (11/26, leg) is questionable for Saturday's game against Missouri. *Running back DeMarco Murray (11/26, dislocated patella) will miss the remainder of the season.
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OREGON - *Quarterback Brady Leaf (11/26, ankle) is doubtful for Saturday's game against Oregon State. Quarterback Dennis Dixon (11/16, torn ACL) will miss the remainder of the season. *Wide receiver Derrick Jones (11/26, disciplinary) is questionable for Saturday's game against Oregon State.
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OREGON STATE - *Safety Daniel Drayton (11/26, strained groin) is probable for Saturday's game against Oregon. *Cornerback Keenan Lewis (11/26, sprained knee) is probable for Saturday's game against Oregon. *Linebacker Derrick Doggett (11/26, sprained wrist) is questionable for Saturday's game against Oregon. *Running back Yvenson Bernard (11/26, arthroscopic knee surgery) is doubtful for Saturday's game against Oregon. *Offensive lineman Ryan Pohl (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against Oregon. *Defensive lineman Dorian Smith (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against Oregon. *Quarterback Sean Canfield (11/26, left shoulder) is questionable for Saturday's game against Oregon. Tackle Tavita Thompson (10/26, undisclosed) is suspended indefinitely. Wide receiver Sammie Stroughter (10/9, bruised kidney) will miss the remainder of the season.
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PITTSBURGH - *Tight end John Pelusi (11/26, undisclosed) is questionable for Saturday's game against West Virginia. *Tight end Nate Byham (11/26, left knee) is doubtful for Saturday's game against West Virginia. *Quarterback Kevan Smith (11/26, bruised shoulder) is questionable for Saturday's game against West Virginia.
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RUTGERS - *Defensive tackle Charlie Noonan (11/26, knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against Louisville. Safety Zaire Kitchen (11/21, knee surgery) will miss the remainder of the season. *Tackle Pedro Sosa (11/26, knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against Louisville. *Tackle Corey Hyman (11/26, left shoulder) is questionable for Thursday's game against Louisville.
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SAN DIEGO ST - *Tight end Matthew Kawulok (11/26, high ankle sprain) is questionable for Saturday's game against BYU. *Safety T.J. McKay (11/26, left knee surgery) is questionable for Saturday's game against BYU. *Safety Nick Sandford (11/26, shoulder) is questionable for Saturday's game against BYU.
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U-C-L-A - *Linebacker John Hale (11/26, hamstring) is questionable for 12/1 against USC. *Quarterback Patrick Cowan (11/26, concussion/collapsed lung) is doubtful for 12/1 against USC. Running back Kahlil Bell (10/29, torn ACL) is out indefinitely. Wide receiver Marcus Everett (11/1, high ankle sprain) may miss the remainder of the season. *Fullback Michael Pitre (11/26, knee) is questionable for 12/1 against USC. Tight end Tyler Holland (10/17, shoulder) is out indefinitely. *Defensive end Nikola Dragovic (11/26, hip/hernia) is questionable for 12/1 against USC. Linebacker Shawn Oatis (10/17, fractured vertebra) is expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks. *Wide receiver Gavin Ketchum (11/26, fractured tibia) is questionable for 12/1 against USC. *Defensive tackle Brigham Harwell (11/26, knee) is questionable for 12/1 against USC. Running back
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U-S-C - *Linebacker Keith Rivers (11/26, ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against UCLA. Wide receiver Travon Patterson (10/3, foot) is expected to miss the remainder of the season. *Tackle Thomas Herring (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against UCLA. *Tackle Martin Coleman (11/26, undisclosed) is questionable for Saturday's game against UCLA. Cornerback Josh Pinkard (9/12, torn ACL) will miss the remainder of the season. *Defensive end Trey Henderson (11/26, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against UCLA.
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WEST VIRGINIA - *Defensive end James Ingram (11/26, back) is questionable for 12/1 against Pittsburgh. *Linebacker Archie Sims (11/26, strained hamstring) is questionable for 12/1 against Pittsburgh.
Jahvid Best RB, California Bears 11/26/07, Time: 11:12 pm Status:
News: ESPN is reporting Best is likely to miss the rest of the season with a hip injury.
Best is second on the team with 221 yards rushing and two touchdowns, providing a speedy change of pace to the more punishing Justin Forsett, the Pac-10's leading rusher. Best also caught 13 passes for 74 yards and returned 15 kickoffs for the Bears (6-5, 3-5 Pac-10), who have lost five of their last six games.
Chase Coffman TE, Missouri Tigers 11/26/07, Time: 6:19 pm Status:
News: Starting tight end for the Missouri Tigers, Chase Coffman, is being listed (per the Associated Press) as questionable for Saturday's Big 12 Conference Championship game. Coffman missed the entire second half of last weekend's game against the Kansas Jayhawks due to an injured ankle. Analysis:
"He will be in a boot until Wednesday morning, then he'll practice Wednesday and Thursday," noted coach Gary Pinkel during a press conference held Monday morning. "We think he'll be back, but he would certainly be questionable at this time." The tight end is the third-leading receiver on the team and has accumulated on the year 51 receptions for 523 yards and seven touchdowns.
T.C. Ostrander QB, Stanford Cardinals 11/26/07, Time: 6:07 pm Status:
News: The Associated Press reported Monday that Coach Jim Harbaugh of the Stanford Cardinal may make a switch at quarterback for this coming weekend's Big Game against the California Bears, citing an injury to current starter Tavita Pritchard sustained in last Saturday's game with Notre Dame. Analysis:
Harbaugh told reporters that he would wait until having a chance to evaluate both Pritchard and T.C. Ostrander at the start of this week before concluding who his starter might be against Cal. Pritchard has gotten the majority of snaps since coming in and pulling off a miraculous win earlier this year against Southern California, but has only completed 49% of his pass attempts and thrown four touchdowns in comparison to nine interceptions in four straight losses for the Cardinal since a close win over the Arizona Wildcats on October 20th. Ostrander, on the other hand, played respectably in relief of Pritchard against the Fighting Irish and nearly led Stanford to a winning score late in the game, finishing the day 5 of 9 for 50 yards, no scores, no interceptions.
NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma dealt Missouri its only loss of the season back in October. The Tigers say they gave the game away. The Sooners say they took it.
Heading into the Big 12 championship game Saturday between No. 9 Oklahoma and top-ranked Missouri much has been made of how the first matchup turned out.
Word made it quickly to Norman that some Missouri players said they should have won the game if not for their own mistakes, and it got some of the Sooners (10-2, 6-2) riled up. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables had this reaction: "Hopefully we can get in their way this time. Hopefully we can luck out again."
Missouri squandered a 24-23 fourth-quarter lead with a pair of turnovers, including a fumble linebacker Curtis Lofton returned for a touchdown, in that 41-31 loss. The Tigers have committed 12 turnovers in their 11 other games, but had a season-high four against Oklahoma.
Oklahoma scored 18 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a 41-23 lead, then played a prevent defense to allow Missouri to march 80 yards for a score with 12 seconds left.
What impact will the banter have on Saturday in San Antonio? Maybe none, or maybe a lot. When Oklahoma's Larry Birdine called Southern California a "one-and-a-half man team" before the 2005 BCS championship game, the Trojans heard and were still talking about it after their 55-19 thrashing of the Sooners at the Orange Bowl. But that was much more direct name-calling.
In October, the Sooners capitalized on Missouri's mistakes by becoming the first team to establish a running game. After totaling only 40 yards rushing through the first three quarters, the Sooners ran for 78 in the final quarter and pulled ahead with two touchdown runs by Chris Brown.
In that game for Okl, RB’s Brown was 13-67-3TDs and Patrick was 11-44 while Murray only had 4-2 for a total of 3.6y/c. QB Bradford was 24-34-266-2TD-1 sack. 10-14 on 3rd downs.
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Mizz ran for 57yds at 1.9/c without SRB Temple playing due to inj. Miz had at least 195 yards rushing in their previous four games. QB Daniel was 37-47-361-1TD-2 INT and 3 sax. 9-16 on 3rd downs.
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"Having Tony back is great," coach Gary Pinkel said. "We never came out of that game saying we wished we had Tony Temple, we don't do that around here, and other players I thought went in and did a good job.
"But Tony, he can make a huge impact. There's no question he makes us a better team."
Temple rushed for 1,063 yards last year and was on the verge of being named Sun Bowl MVP off a 194-yard effort before Oregon State rallied in the final minute for a 35-34 victory. This year he's missed virtually all of three games with a sprained ankle and has 732 yards, a 4.9-yard average and eight touchdowns, but has been back in stride lately.
On Senior Day, Temple ran for 141 yards in a victory over Texas A&M. He was an effective complement to the Tigers' high-potency passing offense in the victory that propelled the program to No. 1, rushing for 98 yards in Saturday's 36-28 victory over Kansas.
Missouri has a pair of capable backups in Jimmy Jackson (292 yards, seven touchdowns) and freshman Derrick Washington (187 yards, 5.5-yard average). All-purpose threat Jeremy Maclin is the second-leading rusher with 309 yards, a 7.4-yard average and four touchdowns.
Sooners coach Bob Stoops said he has great respect for Missouri's run game.
This time, it'll be Oklahoma without its leading rusher. Tailback DeMarco Murray dislocated his kneecap against Texas Tech on Nov. 17 and he's expected to miss the Big 12 title game and the Sooners' bowl game after having surgery. The Sooners may also be without defensive end Auston English (leg), the Big 12's sacks leader. English had 1½ sacks and a career-high nine tackles in Oklahoma's win against Missouri in October.
A sprained right ankle Chase Coffman first sustained at Oklahoma in mid-October is making the tight end the lone question mark for top-ranked Missouri in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday night.
Coffman, a junior and half of the Tigers' dangerous tight-end duo along with senior Martin Rucker, reinjured the ankle in the third quarter of Missouri's 36-28 victory over Kansas on Saturday night. The ankle has been placed in a cast for a few days, and Coffman will attempt to practice on Wednesday.
Coach Gary Pinkel said Coffman was questionable for the rematch against Oklahoma in San Antonio. He is third on the team with 51 catches, along with a 10.3-yard average and seven touchdowns. Rucker, a senior, leads the nation's tight ends with 75 receptions.
Coffman enjoys hurdling tacklers and has 1,664 career receiving yards. That's second in school history only to Rucker, who has 2,080.
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NORMAN, Okla. -- The status of Oklahoma defensive end Auston English, the Big 12 Conference's sacks leader, remains in question for the league's championship game, but his backup is expected to be healthy enough to play Saturday against No. 1 Missouri.
English has missed the last three games for the ninth-ranked Sooners (10-2, 6-2) since suffering a hairline fracture in his right leg against Texas A&M. He had a pin surgically inserted two weeks ago.
"He did some jogging and running around, so we'll see," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said after practice Monday night.
English leads the Big 12 with 9½ sacks, including 1½ in Oklahoma's 41-31 win against Missouri in October. He also had a career-high nine tackles in that game, four more than he's had in any other game.
"The guy's a really good player," Stoops said. "Hopefully we get him back."
Stoops does expect to have backup Alan Davis back in time for the championship game. Davis started in place of English against Baylor and Texas Tech, but a concussion caused him to miss last week's game against Oklahoma State.
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While Missouri is playing for its first conference title in 38 years, Oklahoma is in its sixth Big 12 title game in the past eight years and seeking its 41st conference title in school history. The Sooners have won four Big 12 titles in Bob Stoops' nine seasons as coach.
A handful of players, including safety D.J. Wolfe and tight end Joe Jon Finley, remain from Oklahoma's win over Colorado in the 2004 Big 12 title game that sent the Sooners to the BCS championship game against Southern California. More than half of the starters from last year's title win against Nebraska are back for a shot at becoming the first team to repeat as Big 12 champions.
The BYU Cougars have already clinched a second straight Mountain West outright title, but the league is not guaranteed a spot in one of the BCS games. Only two teams from a non-BCS conference have ever done it -- Utah in 2004 and Boise State last year -- and both had to go unbeaten to get there.
No. 11 Hawaii can become the third with a win over Washington on Saturday. That would keep BYU out because only one team from the non-BCS conferences, including the Western Athletic and the Mountain West, can make it.
BCS outsiders ranked in the top 12 get an automatic bid. But getting into the top 12 would be next to impossible, considering several teams right in front of BYU are done for the season and aren't likely to be jumped by the Cougars no matter what they do against San Diego State on Saturday.
The winners of the championship games in the ACC, Big 12 and SEC will all be ranked higher than BYU, leaving the Pac-10 as the only possibility.
So BYU (9-2, 7-0) is in bowl limbo. All the Cougars, who haven't lost a conference game in two years, can do is worry about San Diego State and then see what happens elsewhere.
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EUGENE, Ore. -- When it comes to the Civil War, at least in recent history, the home team has the advantage. For the past 10 years, the host has claimed the annual rivalry game between Oregon and Oregon State. The 111th Civil War between the No. 18 Ducks (8-3, 5-3) and the Beavers (7-4, 5-3) will be decided on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
Oregon has not lost a Civil War game at Autzen since 1993, when the Beavers won it 15-12. The last visitor victory was in 1996, when the Ducks won 49-13 in Corvallis.
Last season Alexis Serna kicked a 40-yard field goal with 1:12 left to put the Beavers ahead, and Ben Siegert blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt by the Ducks in the final seconds to seal the victory. Oregon State could be without tailback Yvenson Bernard, who had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee last week.
------------------------------------------------------------ Warriors coach June Jones said it's difficult to go undefeated on any level and noted the success of his team over the past two years. Hawaii finished 11-3 last year and has won 21 of 22.
"The three losses last year were by 18 points. That says a lot. The kids are believing in each other," he said.
The No. 12 ranking is the best in school history for Hawaii. The Warriors' 12-game winning streak is the longest in the nation and goes back to their victory over Arizona State in the Hawaii Bowl.
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HUH? Miles is content to be playing Tennessee for the SEC title. He took his first LSU team to the league championship game in 2005, where the Tigers were beaten 34-14 by Georgia.
"We are right where I want to be, playing for (the SEC) title," Miles said. "Only two (SEC) teams are practicing this week to play for a conference championship. I'm thrilled to be one of them."
Miles emphasized that LSU is the only BCS team which has not lost a game in regulation this season.
"If we had ties like the old system, we'd be unbeaten with two ties," Miles said. "Maybe, that comes out to one loss."
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The Bruins, coming off a 16-0 victory over quarterback-depleted Oregon, are expected to be close to full strength for the first time since early in the season.
No. 1 quarterback Ben Olson, who had been out with a knee injury, played the second half against Oregon, and backup Pat Cowan, sidelined by a concussion and slight lung collapse, has been cleared to practice this week. Markey, the team's leading rusher and receiver last year, had been out with toe and ankle injuries, but he returned against the Ducks and gained 91 yards on 30 carries.
Coach Karl Dorrell probably won't say until late in the week which quarterback will open against the Trojans (9-2, 6-2), who can clinch the Rose Bowl berth with a win.
"We'll see how (Ben) feels. We'll see how Pat works during the week as well, and Osaar (Rasshan) we're going to bring along, too. There is a possibility we might use more than one quarterback. We're going to explore anything and everything for us to have some productivity this week."
With Olson and Cowan out, the Bruins were forced to use two inexperienced quarterbacks, Rasshan and walk-on McLeod Bethel-Thompson, in several games.
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While the Warriors are flush with excitement and anticipation, the Huskies are trying to regroup.
The Huskies had won two of their last three games and a positive conclusion to Willingham's third season at Washington seemed in the offing. But all the positives crumbled in the final 8 minutes against Washington State.
The Cougars erased a 35-28 deficit with two late touchdowns, the final one a 35-yard TD catch by Brandon Gibson with 31 seconds left on a communications breakdown between the coaching staff and the Huskies' defense that left Gibson alone with no defender in sight.
It was Washington's fourth loss by seven points or less.
Only once since 1948 has Washington played a regular season game after facing rival Washington State. That was in 2001 in a game at Miami that had been postponed because of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Huskies lost 65-7 -- not necessarily a great omen.
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Arizona is playing for a possible bowl bid, a scenario that seemed impossible when the Wildcats dropped six of their first eight games, sparking speculation about Stoops' future.
With three straight wins, including a nationally televised upset of then-No. 2 Oregon, the Wildcats (5-6, 4-4 Pac-10) find themselves in contention for an invitation to the Sun, Emerald, Las Vegas or Armed Services bowls.
Wildcats have to beat archrival ASU on Saturday night in Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona lost to the Sun Devils 28-14 a year ago, which left them 6-6 but out of the bowl picture for the eighth straight season.
Adding to the motivation, Arizona also can knock ASU (9-2, 6-2) out of a possible shot at a Rose Bowl or a Fiesta Bowl berth.
The Wildcats have not fared well in the annual battle for the Territorial Cup, losing the last two games and six of the last eight.
The 13th-ranked Sun Devils ceded control of their Rose Bowl destiny in an embarrassing 44-24 loss to Southern California on Thanksgiving night in Sun Devil Stadium. But while their Pac-10 title hopes took a heavy hit, the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2 Pac-10) can still qualify for their first Bowl Championship Series berth with a victory over Arizona.
Of course, the Sun Devils' BCS aspirations will evaporate with a loss to Arizona (5-6, 4-4 Pac-10). That would send them to the Holiday Bowl, at best, and they could drop as far as the Sun Bowl.
Carpenter still had a mark on his lower lip on Monday, four days after he was sacked six times by the Trojans. Carpenter left the game briefly while trainers patched up his mouth, which began bleeding after one particularly vicious hit.
"I feel like a million bucks," Carpenter said.
Only two of 119 major-college teams -- 2-10 Syracuse and 3-9 Notre Dame -- have allowed more sacks than the Sun Devils. ASU will need to do a better job of protecting Carpenter against an Arizona defense that averages 2.27 sacks per game, 46th in the nation.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A berth in the national championship game. The final home game for 20 seniors.
There is plenty of motivation for No. 2 West Virginia on Saturday night against Pittsburgh in the 100th version of the Backyard Brawl.
A loss would relegate the Mountaineers (11-1, 6-1) to a Bowl Championship Series game as the Big East champion and mark another setback for No. 2-ranked teams.
Pittsburgh (4-7, 2-4) is assured of its third losing season under coach Dave Wannstedt. Pride is what's important for the Panthers on Saturday.
"The West Virginia game was always the one that you circled and said it didn't make any difference what the records were at that point," said Wannstedt who is 0-2 against them as a coach losing 45-27 and 45-13 at WV in ‘05.
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Ray Rice doesn't usually remember a lot of details from the games he has played, but he still has a vivid memory of his last trip to Louisville two years ago.
"All I remember is constantly hearing the horn they have down there," Rice said of the Knights' 56-5 loss at Louisville in 2005. "It kept going off. I guess every time they scored a touchdown that horn goes off. It went off a lot that game."
Rutgers takes a 7-4 record into tomorrow night's game at Louisville with its bowl fate already determined, because win or lose, the Knights appear set for the International Bowl in Toronto on Jan. 5.
"Everyone says win or lose we're going to Toronto, but who really knows?" Teel said. "You don't know until all is said and done."
The Louisville game could still be an important one for Rice, who is one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award (presented to the nation's top running back) along with Arkansas' Darren McFadden and Mike Hart of Michigan. With 1,612 yards, Rice is also within reach of the single-season school record he set last year with 1,794 yards. He already owns 10 school records.
The Doak Walker figures to come down to McFadden and Rice, whose statistics dwarf Hart's.
Guard Anthony Davis was named a Freshman All-American by two outlets yesterday (Rivals.com and Scout.com). Juniors Courtney Greene and Ray Rice earned the distinction two years ago.
Kenny Britt clearly respects his elders. That's the good-natured message the Rutgers sophomore has for junior teammate Tiquan Underwood.
Both head into Thursday's regular-season finale at Louisville with a chance to become just the second and third wide receivers in school history to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
Louisville's generous defense -- the Cardinals are ranked 85th nationally overall in yards allowed per game -- could result in both Rutgers players reaching the mark in the same game.
Neither player has been able to pad his stats recently because of a nagging thumb injury that has limited quarterback Mike Teel -- and because Rutgers has turned more to the ground game in its past two victories. Britt has had five catches for 112 yards the past two games; Underwood has had one for three yards.
But with Teel healthy(Notes: Teel said having a few days off did wonders for his ailing right (throwing) thumb) and with the Cardinals ranked 88th nationally in pass defense, both Britt and Underwood could see their numbers get well again.
Starting left tackle Pedro Sosa, who missed the Pittsburgh game with a knee injury, is "doing a little more. So we'll see," Schiano said.
Scarlet Knights and Louisville may be privately thinking the same thing as they head into their regular-season finale on Thursday night: What's our motivation here?
The Cardinals, one of the country's biggest disappointments at 5-6, aren't going anywhere after this -- win or lose. Louisville, even if became by bowl eligible by beating Rutgers, the Cardinals will still get shut out because of the absence of any at-large bowl spots.
"You're playing on national TV in front of the whole country," Schiano said after practice last night. "You play 12 games a year. If our guys need more motivation than that, then we've got the wrong guys."
Louisville's motivation?
"It's senior night. It's their last home game. They have plenty to play for," said quarterback Mike Teel.
No post-season trip will be in Loo’s future TY for the first time in 10 years, and they're already assured of their first non-winning season since 1997's 1-10 mark. In a season of negatives — from the disappointing performance on the field to rampant criticism of the coaching staff — Kragthorpe said this is a chance to send UofL's 17 seniors out "on a very positive note."
Kragthorpe was facing the media for the first time since he denied rumors about his interest in the SMU job last Wednesday then left without taking questions. So he was asked if he had any contact with SMU about its coaching vacancy and gave a vague answer that amounted to a 'no comment.'
"In terms of that, it's something we really don't need to go into, because it puts either me or them in a bad situation," he said. "So we'll just move on."
Kragthorpe also declined to talk about off-the-field problems that have resulted in a number of suspensions and dismissals, the latest being starting cornerback Rod Council. Council was suspended for the 55-14 loss to South Florida on Nov. 17 and Kragthorpe said his availability for Rutgers will be a game time decision.
Despite inheriting 15 returning starters -- including Heisman Trophy candidate Brian Brohm at quarterback -- from last year's 12-1 Orange Bowl championship team, UofL has played poorly throughout most of the season.
Rutgers leads the all-time series with Louisville, 5-1, and that includes a 28-25 triumph last season in what is being considering the biggest win in the program's history. The two teams were both highly ranked and undefeated in 2006 and the Knights came out on top at home and handed the Cardinals their only loss of the season.
Defensively, the Knights have done a solid job slowing down their opponents this season, as they are giving up just 20.1 ppg and only 305.2 total ypg. The unit has been especially strong against the pass, yielding just 153.6 ypg and only 10 touchdowns through the air. Getting to opposing quarterbacks is another strength of this unit, which has 30 sacks to its credit.
For Louisville, its strength on offense resides on its passing game and that is accounting for 351.5 of the team's 489.0 total ypg. Quarterback Brian Brohm is in the midst of another tremendous campaign and he leads the Big East with an average of 344.3 passing ypg. Brohm has also thrown for a school-record tying 29 touchdowns passes, which also leads the league. Brohm however, is coming off his worst performance of the season, as he threw for just 213 yards and a touchdown against three interceptions in a lopsided loss to USF. It was an uncharacteristic performance from Brohm, who completed just 18-of-37 tosses.
The big problem for Louisville this season has been its defense, which is allowing 30.8 ppg and 416.4 total ypg. The unit hasn't shown it can stop the run (166.5 ypg) or the pass (249.9 ypg), and it has recorded just seven interceptions and only 17 sacks. In the club's last contest, the Cardinals were torched by USF for 481 total yards, including 230 on the ground. The defense gave up six touchdowns in the game and allowed USF to convert 7-of-15 third down attempts.
LOUISVILLE - Defensive end Deantwan Whitehead (11/15, spinal stenosis) will miss the remainder of the season. Defensive end Michael Adams (10/1, concussion) is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Defensive tackle Adrian Grady (10/29, torn pectoral ) will miss the remainder of the season. Tackle Mike Donoghue (10/22, spinal stenosis) will miss the remainder of the season. Wide receiver JaJuan Spillman (10/8, disciplinary) will miss the remainder of the season. Linebacker Willie A. Williams (9/27, disciplinary/legal) was dismissed from the team. Safety Latarrius Thomas (9/10, torn left ACL) will miss the remainder of the season. Guard Marcel Benson (8/3, heart) will miss the entire season.
RUTGERS - Defensive tackle Charlie Noonan (11/26, knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against Louisville. Safety Zaire Kitchen (11/21, knee surgery) will miss the remainder of the season. Tackle Pedro Sosa (11/26, knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against Louisville.
Central Michigan (7-5) and Miami of Ohio (6-6) play in the MAC Championship Game on Saturday, with the winner likely headed to the GMAC Bowl. If Miami loses and falls below .500, it will not get one of the league's three bowl bids because there are two other teams with at least seven victories, the league announced yesterday.
CM’s SQB LeFevour has already thrown for over 3,000 yards and is within reach of rushing for 1,000 with two games to play. LeFevour may also reach 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in two more games, which is a feat that has earned Tim Tebow, of Florida, Heisman acclaim. The LeFevour-directed offense led the MAC with its 33.7 points per game
Ontario Sneed had a nice game in place of the injured Justin Hoskins. It has been an odd year for Sneed, who has dealt with some injuries throughout the year, but when he's on his game, he is a very dangerous weapon. Hopefully going back to Ford Field this week will be a boost for Sneed, as he found the end zone four times in CMU's two games in Detroit last season.
With the win last Friday over Akron, a bowl bid is assured to the Chippewas, taking a little bit of heat off this week. Not to say that a MAC Championship isn't important enough, but knowing a bowl bid was also at stake would have been more pressure added than needed this week.
In the big picture, Saturday's game is another landmark game for the CMU football program, as the team could become back-to-back MAC Champions
CMU is 2-1 all-time at Ford Field. Its wins are a 31-10 win over Ohio in the 2006 MAC Championship Game and 31-14 win over Middle Tennessee State in the 2006 Motor City Bowl.
CMU has won 11 consecutive contests against MAC opponents from the state of Ohio. The last MAC member from Ohio to defeat the Chippewas was Toledo (27-22) on Oct. 23, 2004.
CMU has won nine straight games against opponents from the MAC East Division, including last year’s MAC Championship Game win over Ohio. Since the MAC expanded to two divisions in 1997.
Dan LeFevour was named MAC Offensive MVP, while Antonio Brown was MAC Offensive Freshman of the Year. Ike Brown and Red Keith were also named to the All-MAC First Team Defense.
In seven conference games, LeFevour has completed 185-of-269 passes (68.8 percent) for 1,998 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has also rushed 88 times for 606 yards (6.9 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns. LeFevour is averaging 285.4 yards per game passing and 86.6 yards per game rushing in conference games for an average of 372.0 yards per game of total offense in MAC games.
Miami enters Saturday's game with a 6-6 record, needing to beat CMU to get to a bowl bid. Miami has been an up-and-down team like CMU, as the RedHawks lost to Temple and Ohio in MAC play, but holds a 14-13 win at Ball State. Miami doesn't have a clear strength on offense or defense. The RedHawks average about 370 yards per game on offense and allow just over 380 yards per game on defense.
Although sophomore SQB Daniel Raudabaugh has thrown five interceptions and only one touchdown pass in the last two games, Montgomery doesn't appear to have lost faith in his young quarterback.
"He played pretty well in the first half (at Ohio)," Montgomery said. "They blitzed the safeties a lot. He missed one or two opportunities, but in the first half I thought he played well.
Miami defense in MAC-only games led the league in scoring defense (18.6 ppg allowed), pass defense (186.3 ypg allowed), rush defense (108.9 ypg allowed), total defense (295.1 ypg allowed), pass efficiency defense (114.1 rating) and sacks (27).
The RedHawks lost two of their three captains to knee injuries, quarterback Mike Kokal and tailback Brandon Murphy, the two players who were expected to touch the ball on offense more than any others. So far they've missed a total of 16 games.
"When you lose offensive guys like we have throughout the year, it's been tough," Montgomery said.
The low point, Montgomery said, was the 42-0 loss at Colorado which had followed the 47-10 loss to Cincinnati.
"That was the worst offensive performance I've been around," he said of the Colorado game, in which the RedHawks were outgained 634-139.
INJURY UPDATE: Junior tight end Jake O'Connell and freshman wide receiver Chris Givens, both of whom left the Ohio game with foot injuries, are expected to be back against Central Michigan. Senior running back Austin Sykes, who missed the OU game with an ankle injury against Akron on Nov. 14, also is expected to play Saturday.
Bear Pascoe's ankle injury slowed the calf roper to a trot, not Fresno State's offense
Isaac Kinter and Jesus Tapia deserve some credit for that. The two reserve tight ends have filled in as a combination package -- Tapia blocking, Kinter receiving -- for Pascoe, the team's leading receiver with 38 catches. Kinter's solid play has been more apparent because statistics draw attention -- he's made 12 catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns this season.
"He's a physical player and tough," Kinter said of Tapia, who is 6 feet, 6 inches and 260 pounds. "He can get out there and block defensive ends, guys who might be bigger than him."
Kinter, on the other hand, is 6 feet, 1 inch and 240 pounds, a former high school wide receiver who is a speedier fullback/tight end hybrid known as an H-back. He's more suited as a blocking back or receiver.
At the beginning of the season Kinter was seeing the end zone through a camera lens. After struggling with bone spurs and arthritis in his right foot, doctors told him that it would be best to end his career.
Pat Hill said he's not looking to coach anywhere but Fresno State, and that he has not been contacted for any coaching openings.
In a write-up from a Seattle newspaper, Hill was mentioned as a coach who could possibly be considered in Washington State's search for a head coach.
"If it ever happens, I'll be gone so fast, and it'll happen so fast," Hill said. "But I'm not going anywhere."
Fresno State locked up a bowl spot last weekend with its win against Kansas State and Nevada's loss to San Jose State.
Fresno State could play in the Hawaii Bowl if Hawaii goes to a BCS game. That would pit the Bulldogs against a Conference USA team, almost certain to be East Carolina (7-5).
"I really do care about getting our eighth win. I want to go from 4-8 to 8-4," Hill said at Monday's weekly news conference. "I read all the time that when another team does that it's a miraculous turnaround. To me, that's what we're supposed to do."
The Bulldogs are trying to prove they are still among the elite of the Western Athletic Conference -- with Hawaii (11-0) and Boise State (10-2) -- by finishing the season 8-4. They're 13-0 all-time against the Aggies.Pat Hill is 2-0 all-time against the Aggies, winning at Las Cruces 37-7 in 2005.
7 teams on this year’s sked played in a bowl LY. Have allowed 17 sacks TY, fewest in the WAC while getting 31 sacks, 2nd in WAC. Committed 71 penalties, fewest in Conf. The 4 losses by Fresno were vs. Opps with a combined 35-10 record and 3 currently in the Top 20.
Here are some of the injury issues confronting the Bulldogs:
* Tight end Bear Pascoe still is nursing an ankle injury suffered against Utah State.
* Cornerback and kick returner A.J. Jefferson likely will be out for the game with a high-ankle sprain that occurred in practice last week.
* Receiver Marlon Moore, who had a career day Saturday, injured his thumb and sat out most of the second half before catching the onside kick Kansas State attempted late in the game. He practiced Monday.
* Running back and punt returner Clifton Smith injured his hip Saturday but is expected to play.
* Running back Ryan Mathews was battling an ankle injury but should be fully recovered by game time.
* Lonyae Miller is a third running back trying to recover from injury after suffering another bruised quadriceps muscle that kept him from running in Sunday night's practice, Hill said. Miller was still hobbled Monday.
* Reserve safety Lorne Bell is out for the season with a knee injury suffered Saturday.
The team responded to injuries Saturday the way it has all season, with backups filling in admirably. Running back Anthony Harding ran for 115 yards and one touchdown againstKansas State, and might play more this weekend if Mathews takes a downturn and neither Smith nor Miller recovers in time.
Harding had not received much playing time since running for two touchdowns against Texas A&M because Miller and Mathews stood out. But the sophomore from Turlock might get another shot, as might his older brother. Will Harding, a senior cornerback, will mix into the safety rotation this week because of injuries, Hill said.
Scouting the Bulldogs
This season the Bulldogs have been balanced team through the air and on
the ground, averaging 202 yards passing and 199.4 yards rushing a game.
FSU has been out scoring its opponents 32.5 points per game to 27.3 this
season. With a 7-4 record the Bulldogs have been great in the red-zone, converting
on 81 percent of their trips inside the 20-yardline. This past weekend
the Bulldogs defeated Kansas State, 45-29.
Individually for the Bulldogs, quarterback Tom Brandstater has thrown for
2,164 yards and 14 touchdowns in 11 games for FSU, averaging 196.7 yards
in the air. Ryan Mathews leads the rushing attack for FSU, averaging 76.7
yards a game and scoring 13 touchdowns, while Bear Pascoe and Marlon
Moore lead the receiving corps, as Pascoe has 38 catches for 474 yards and
four touchdowns, while Moore has recorded 37 catches for 508 yards and five
touchdowns. Marcus Riley leads the Bulldogs defense with 110 tackles on the
season.
New Mexico State has had its own injury problems this year. Coach Hal Mumme said during Monday's Western Athletic Conference teleconference that 10 starters had been out for a combined 33 games this season.
Quarterback Chase Holbrook has been hurt this season, but the most significant injury has been receiver Chris Williams, perhaps one of the nation's best wideouts, who broke his collarbone. He played in eight games and still leads the team with 11 receiving touchdowns and 772 yards.
Last season, Williams teamed with Holbrook to lead the nation in receiving yards per game (117.9) and catches per game (7.66).
Still, the Bulldogs beat the Aggies 23-18 last season to stop a seven-game losing skid.
NMEXST:
Record: 4-8, 1-6 WAC
Wins against: Southeastern Louisiana 35-14, Texas-El Paso 29-24, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20-17 and Idaho 45-31
Losses to: New Mexico 44-34, Auburn 55-20, Boise State 58-0, Louisiana Tech 22-21, Hawaii 50-13, Nevada 40-38, San Jose State 51-17 and Utah State 35-17
Quarterback Chase Holbrook leads the league's second-most potent passing attack after juggernaut Hawaii. He's passed for 3,543 yards, 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
Sun News Report
Article Launched: 11/26/2007 01:20:09 PM MST
New Mexico State defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer announced his retirement on Monday, but will coach the team in Friday's regular season finale against Fresno State at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
Commentary: Best of luck to the new defensive coordinator of the "Air-Raid"
By Teddy Feinberg/Sun-News Sports Editor
Article Launched: 11/27/2007 12:00:00 AM MST
Two weeks ago I said that Woody Widenhofer would be the fall guy for the Aggies' problems. On Monday, the veteran coach retired from his perch as NMSU's defensive coordinator.
was it Woody's fault, or the entire group as a whole? Was it Woody's fault that the team never put adequate pieces in place, that one of the starting middle linebackers this year was a backup running back in 2006? That the team has backup receivers galore but had to dig through the recycling bin for a backup cornerback? Heck, even the starters were patchwork at times. That every time you looked up, the opposition seemed to have the ball around the 50, and moving swiftly into Aggie territory? Partly, yes, I'm sure. Fully? I don't know. I really don't think so though.
Now lets be honest, the unit was bad this year. There were depressing performances - at UNM when getting a stop proved to be close to impossible; hosting Nevada, when freshman Colin Kaepernick ran circles and threw bombs over every living, breathing defender in sight; at Louisiana Tech, when quarterback Zac Champion turned into Tom Brady in the final seven minutes of action. And we're not even mentioning four separate road outings when the team gave up over 50 points
.
Last Time against the Bulldogs
Dwayne Wright rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score midway through fourth quarter, as Fresno State ended a seven-game losing streak with a 23-18 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday.
NMS SQB Holbrook completed 39 of 51 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Despite three first-half turnovers, New Mexico State limited the Bulldogs to 116 yards of offense and five first downs. The Aggies also enjoyed a 7-minute edge in time of possession.
On the season, Holbrook has 3,543 yards passing, 25 touchdowns, is averaging 322.1 passing yards per game and completing 71.3 percent of his passes.
Quarterback Chase Holbrook for the third straight week claimed another Aggie football passing record. Against Utah State, Holbrook broke the school record for passing attempts in a career with his 40th pass attempt. He ended the game with 58 and now has 1,058 attempts to date. Two weeks ago with his 318 yards passing against San Jose State, Holbrook became the Aggies’ all-time leader in passing yards for a career with 7,795. He surpasses Cody Ledbetter’s record of 7,480 that stood for more than 12 years.
For his career, Holbrook has now passed for 8,162 yards and 59 touchdown passes. He also needs four touchdowns either passing or rushing for the school record for touchdowns responsible for and five touchdowns passing or rushing to break the Aggies record for most points responsible for (408). He has 64 touchdowns to date; five rushing and 59 passing.
New Mexico State is the second least penalized team in the WAC in terms of yardage, averaging 45.7 penalty yards per game and the Aggies third in the conference in time of possession, averaging 31:11 a game. Offensively, the team ranks second in passing offense, first in first downs, fourth in total offense, fourth in third down conversions, fifth in scoring and seventh in rushing offense.
On the defensive side, NMSU ranks seventh in total defense, seventh in passing defense, fourth in rushing defense, sixth in opponent third down conversions and first in opponent fourth down conversions.
I will focus the rest of these notes on the lesser games TW as there's plenty of mumbo jumbo on the big games out there.
LT at Nev:
If the LT Bulldogs (5-6, 4-3) are to get past Nevada (5-6, 3-4) in an important regular season finale in Reno, they’ll have to stop a unique offensive attack that is called “The Pistol.”
In this formation, the Wolf Pack line up the quarterback three or four yards in back of the center rather than the five or more yards that is usually the standard in the more seen “shotgun” alignment.
Honed by head coach Chris Ault — he’s considered the “guru” of the system — the formation mixes up draw plays, misdirection and options. When the team elects to pass, it is invariably distinguished by well-disguised play-action and quick-timing routes.
Two of those guys are freshman quarterback Colin Kaepernick and junior running back Luke Lippincott.
A 6-1 and 225-pounder, Kaepernick has been dangerous as both a runner and passer, combining for more than 2,000 yards via those modes of operation. He’s rushed for 580 yards and six touchdowns and thrown for another 1,634 yards and 16 touchdowns in less than 7 full games.
Lippincott is the No. 1 ground gainer in the Western Athletic Conference with a 115.27 per game average and a total of 1,268 yards and 11 touchdowns on 232 carries.
But it’s simply the Kaepernick-Lippincott show in “The Pistol.”
If need be, Ault and his staff can look to sophomore quarterback Nick Graziano(home site states that he's out for season) and second-year running back Brandon Fragger for production, too. Graziano has thrown for 1,115 yards and 10 touchdowns and Fragger has gained 316 yards and scored twice on 87 rushes.
Nevada ranks No. 1 in the WAC for rushing offense with a per game average of 224.82 yards.
�� Nevada has rushed for more than 200 yards in six games this season, including 406 against
Boise State. The Wolf Pack has been held under 100 yards just once in the season opener at
Nebraska (77 yards).
But when the Wolf Pack elect to throw, they’ve got six receivers with double digit totals in receptions, the leader being wideout Marko Mitchell with his 495 grabb for 993 yards and eight touchdowns.
Nevada has been competitive, nearly beating the WAC's top two teams, No. 11 Hawaii and No. 24 Boise State, losing to Hawaii on a last-second field goal and losing to Boise State in quadruple overtime. But the team has also underachieved and been highly inconsistent in losses to Northwestern, Fresno State and San Jose State, and in narrow victories over two WAC teams, Utah State and New Mexico State, who are among the bottom 10 in the country, according to the Sagarin ratings. The four Football Bowl Subdivision teams that Nevada has beaten this season (UNLV and Idaho are the others) are a combined 9-39.
Some of the reasons for the Pack's struggles -- the team is 3-5 in games decided by eight points or less -- can be attributed to injuries to key personnel, mistakes on the field, a defense that struggled mightily in the first half of the season and sporadic special teams play.
The Wolf Pack has outscored opponents, 194-167, in the first half, and has been outscored, 93-48, in the third quarter. Nevada has lost two games (to Northwestern and San Jose State) in which it led by 14 points at halftime.
Since head coach Chris Ault returned to the sidelines prior to the 2004 season, Nevada has
recorded an 18-5 record at Mackay Stadium. The Wolf Pack has gone 5-1 at home in the friendly
confines each of the last three seasons and is 3-2 so far this season. In WAC play, Nevada is 11-
4 at home since the start of the 2004 season.
Through 11 games this year, Nevada is 10th in the nation in total offense, racking up 475.1
yards per game. Nevada is averaging 6.5 yards per play and has scored 47 offensive touchdowns
on the season. Overall, Nevada ranks 42nd nationally in passing offense with 250.3
yards per game. Eleven different players have caught passes and eight different players have
caught touchdown passes.Nevada’s pistol offense has evolved into a big-play machine this year. Through 11 games, the
Wolf Pack has scored 22 offensive touchdowns on plays of 25 yards or more. That number
ranks second in the nation.
Nevada has had four starters this season who began their careers with
the Wolf Pack as walk-ons. Sophomore cornerback Jonathon Amaya,
senior safety Justin Jackson, sophomore tight end Junior Puloka and
junior center Josh Catapano each walked on at Nevada and each has
started at least one game this season. If you include specialists, Nevada
has a total of seven former walk-ons who are considered starters as
junior kicker Brett Jaekle, senior punter Zachary Whited and senior
punt returner Alex Rosenblum each came to Nevada as a walk-on.
When the season started, 58 of the 99 players on the roster were freshmen or sophomores
Junior inside linebacker Joshua Mauga had been a force through the
first seven games this season for the Wolf Pack. Through six games, Mauga
recorded a whopping 70 tackles and was leading the WAC and was
fifth in the nation at 11.7 tackles per game. The brilliant start earned
Mauga a place on the watch list for the Butkus Award, which is given
annually to the nation’s top linebacker.
But Mauga’s season probably came to an end in game seven as he
suffered a knee injury that will likely keep him on the sidelines for the
rest of the season.
Red Zone:
Nev:22TD/ 11FG /.846 OPPs 28TD/9FG/.860
The “Pistol” alignment has played a major role in Nevada winning the last two games against Tech.
In 2006, the Wolf Pack slammed the ‘Dogs 42-0 in Ruston after having won 42-27 in Reno during the 2005 season.
�� The series tends to be a high-scoring affair as well. The lowest point total ever between Tech and
Nevada was 42 points last year (all scored by Nevada). The average total points scored is 75.6.
------
“It will definitely be a challenge for us, but we saw LSU use something similar to ‘The Pistol’ this year,” said Tech sophomore defensive lineman D’Anthony Smith. “And I’d have to say that when the team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time was using it, then we got a chance to see a very good team use it. It’s definitely an exciting, effective offense and we’ll have to play at our best.
“If Hawaii wins, then it’s this simple: the winner between us and Nevada will go to a bowl game,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Derek Dooley during his weekly media luncheon “But we can’t get too caught up in
Tech has gone from a 3-10 overall record in 2006 to a current mark of 5-6.
Dooley’s squad has had a solid second half of the season after losing four of its first five games.
The club’s lone loss since Oct. 27 was a 58-10 setback to then No. 2 nationally ranked LSU. Four of Tech’s six defeats have been against teams who were ranked in the nation’s top 25 at the time they played the Bulldogs.
Before an open date last weekend, the Bulldogs had outlasted San Jose State 27-23 in a home finale. Nevada has dropped back-to-back games, including a tough 27-24 loss to SJSU last weekend.
The first-year head coach was also glad Tech got a break before preparing for the Wolf Pack.
“We had some guys banged up, so we needed a week to heal up,” Dooley said. “It came at the right time for us.”
Among the Bulldogs needing to heal up is Daniel Porter, a sophomore running back whose 592 yards is second best on the squad. The Baton Rouge product has been recovering from an ankle injury.
Louisiana Tech ranks eighth in the country this season in passes intercepted as the Bulldogs have
registered 19 interceptions in 11 games this season.
�� The Bulldogs return 19 starters this season and have three other players with starting experience on the roster. Louisiana Tech’s defense has 10 starters
returning. Another year of experience should help the Bulldogs rebound from being ranked statistically as the No. 119 defense in the nation last year.
Record of the Bulldogs, who have won three of four, is a bit deceiving; they are 5-2 when playing teams outside of the Top 25 (either currently or on the date of the game)
FAU Faces Troy on Saturday
On the line for the winner is the Sun Belt Championship and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl on December 21.
Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger
New Opportunity for a Conference Title
It is a new thing for us to have a game that has such monumental consequences. I'm anxious to see how our team responds to this kind of situation. They don't have a great deal of experience in it. It will be our first major test of playing at this level against a very good team. I noticed outstanding concentration yesterday. We consider it one of the best practices we have had.
DB, Taheem Acevedo
Facing Troy a team you have never beaten(0-4) including a 24-17 victory last season.
It was the big plays that hurt us last year. If we eliminate those I feel we will be successful.LAST MEETING
Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook had a happy homecoming, passing for 325 yards and three touchdowns, all from more than 50 yards, as the Trojans held off a game FAU squad 24-17.
Response from head coach Howard Schnellenberger
In as much as we have five seniors and more than 90% return, we must realize the talent level of all the Sun Belt Conference teams are very close to each other.
**3rd Str Rd Game for FAU**
Injury Report
Josh Savidge (knee) - Out -was SDE
Josh Pinnick (knee) - Out big time loss as DL-lot of pre-season awards Both Out since 9/22
Avery Holley (knee) - Out
Willie Floyd (knee) - Out
Jeff Blanchard (leg) - Out
Julian Myers (shoulder) - Out
Michael Hancock (ankle) - day-to-day
P Steele’s FAU All Sun- Belt mid-season team members
OL Jarrid Smith . . . . . . . .1st Team
TE Jason Harmon . . . . . . .1st Team
OL John Rizzo . . . . . . . . .2nd Team
C Nick Paris . . . . . . . . .2nd Team
QB Rusty Smith . . . . . . . .2nd Team
WR Cortez Gent . . . . . . . .2nd Team
CB Corey Small . . . . . . . .1st Team
LB Cergile Sincere . . . . . .1st Team
DB Taheem Acevedo . . . .1st Team
LB Frantz Joseph . . . . . . .2nd Team
P Keegan Peterson . . . .2nd Team
CB Tavious Polo . . . . . . . .1st Team
-----------------------------------------------------
NCAA
Ranks: TROY FAU
Tot Off: #3-453 #48-411
Scr Off: #2-34 #52-29
P.Eff.D: #3-107.9 #64-126.1
Scr D: #5-23 #100-34
PR: #8-17.4 #119-2.7
Ps D: #5-172 #71-234
Sacks: #6-2.45 #109-1.2
If the Trojans lose to the Owls, it would mean sharing the Sun Belt crown, watching FAU go to New Orleans, and waiting to see if a spot in another bowl is available.
The Trojans come in having dominated their last five Sun Belt foes to the tune of 31-7 on average. In fact, in Troy’s eight wins this year, the average margin of victory has been 35.6-13.5.
Trojans have also been virtually unbeatable at home. Since the start of the 2003 season, Troy has posted a 20-3 mark at Movie Gallery Stadium
Troy is 26-35 all-time against teams from Florida, including a 1-1(L at Fla, W vs. FIU 34-16) mark this year ...
Over the last five games the Trojans have turned the ball over 18 times after having just 10 in the first six games ..
Troy has scored seven non-offensive touchdowns this season, which is tied for third most in the nation ... The Troy defense continues to rank first in the country on third downs, allowing just a 24.8 percent conversion rate.
Below is a list of those Trojans
dealing with some pain.
�� Junior DB Trevor Ford (knee)
returned for the MTSU game.
�� Junior DT Dion Gales (back) is
probable.
�� Senior QB Omar Haugabook (hamstring/ribs) is probable.
�� Senior WR Tim Johnson (groin) returned for the MTSU game.
�� Sophomore DE Brandon Lang (knee) is doubtful following
knee surgery on Sept 16. He is expected to miss three months.
�� Junior LB David McDowell (hamstring) returned for the MTSU game
.
In their 45-7 victory over North
Texas the Trojans committed seven turnovers, the most
in a game since the move to Division IA in 2001. The
Mean Green failed to convert any of the turnovers into
points.
The turnover bug continued in the
win over Arkansas State with four but, once again, those
miscues did not result in points. Georgia, however, did
take advantage of four Troy turnovers, converting them
to 17 points. Over the last five games the Trojans have
turned the ball over 18 times.
13 different Trojans have touchdown catches this season,
In terms of both number of players with catches and number
of players with touchdown catches, the Trojans lead
all of the Bowl Championship Subdivision. Here are the
top teams in college football in terms of number of players
with receptions and number of players with TD catches.
In Sun Belt Conference play this year the Trojans have allowed a total
of 85 points, or just over 14 points per game.
North Texas leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 16th nationally in passing offense. Like North Texas, Florida International has struggled through a transitional season with a new head coach.North Texas (2-9, 1-5) will close out the 2007 season at Florida International (0-11, 0-6)
The Golden Panthers rank 119th nationally in scoring offense (13.0 ppg) and 118th nationally in total offense (262.9 ypg). Florida International has been very disciplined under first-year head coach Mario Cristobal, committing a Sun Belt Conference-low 67 penalties in 11 games.
This will be the third meeting between North Texas and Florida International with North Texas winning in 2005 and 2006. The two previous games were decided by a total of six points, including a 25-22 Mean Green win in seven overtimes last year. North Texas won 13-10 in Miami in 2005.
Florida International has been out-scored 104-10 in the third quarter while North Texas has been out-scored 106-54 in the same frame. The Mean Green scored 14 points in the third quarter last week against Western Kentucky, which was the first time this year that it has scored more than seven points in that quarter.
Last year’s meeting between North Texas and Florida International tied an NCAA record by going seven overtimes with North Texas eventually winning 25-22. The game broke the NCAA record for most field goals attempted by two teams when they combined to try 16 field goals.
Thomas, a senior from Longview, Texas, rushed for all three of the Mean Green's touchdowns in the win over Western Kentucky. He finished the game with 16 carries for 147 yards. It was his 13th career 100-yard rushing game, which ranks third in school history. It was also the first time since his freshman year that Thomas has recorded mutliple touchdown games in back-to-back contests.
The Matchup – North Texas and Florida International will test each other’s deficiencies this week when the two teams meet. Florida International ranks last in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense and total offense. North Texas ranks last in the league in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense. The two teams also rank at the bottom of the conference in turnover margin with North Texas having a margin of -9 and Florida International having -17. Florida International ranks last in the league in both pass efficiency offense and pass efficiency defense. The Golden Panthers have been excellent in avoiding penalties, committing a Sun Belt-low 67. In conference games only, Florida International leads the league in punt return average (16.8).
There will be 16 seniors making the trip to Miami to play in the last game of their North Texas career. Of the 16 seniors, 11 will finish their careers as four-year letterwinners. There are 259 career starts by the 16 seniors, led by Jeremiah Chapman who will be starting his 36th game this week. Five of the 16 seniors expected to play this week played in the last bowl game that North Texas participated in.
Florida International holds the edge in combined total offense in the two games 645-495 and the Golden Panthers have 33 first downs compared to 27 by North Texas. The difference comes in turnovers gained where North Texas holds a 10-5 advantage. In 2005 Florida International fumbled six times and threw two interceptions while North Texas had just one fumble. Last year North Texas committed three interceptions and one fumble while Florida International had two fumbles.
North Texas has had success getting out to a fast start in several games this season, but has had difficulty holding on to significant first-half leads. In five games this year, North Texas has held a double-digit first-half lead, but held on to win just one of those games. Against SMU the Mean Green was up 14-3 before eventually losing 45-31. Against Florida Atlantic North Texas held a 17-3 lead before losing 30-20. North Texas was up 21-0 against Louisiana-Monroe and held on to win 31-21. Against Navy, North Texas held a 21-3 advantage before eventually losing 74-62. The latest came against Arkansas State when the Mean Green jumped out to a 21-0 lead and lost in the final minute of the game 31-27.
It was a record-breaking night when North Texas lost to Navy 74-62 Nov. 10. For starters, the combined score of 136 was the most points scored by both teams in a game decided in regulation. It ties the record for most combined points scored in any game, which was set earlier this year when Boise State and Nevada combined for 136 in a four-overtime game. North Texas and Navy also combined to score 63 points in the second quarter, breaking the NCAA record of 61 set by San Jose State and Hawaii in 1999. The 19 combined touchdowns in the game tied an NCAA record which was set by San Jose State and Rice in 2004.
After 11 games this year, North Texas has had 32 plays from scrimmage go for at least 30 yards. Of those 32 plays, 25 have been passes and seven have been runs and 13 have gone for touchdowns. Wide receiver Casey Fitzgerald leads the way as the “big play” man, with eight plays covering at least 30 yards while Brandon Jackson is close behind with seven. In 12 games last year, the North Texas offense had eight plays that went for 30 yards or more.
Since the beginning of the Sun Belt Conference in 2001, North Texas has enjoyed much more success against conference teams than it has in non-league games. North Texas is 30-16 (.652) all-time in Sun Belt Conference games and 6-32 (.158) in non-conference games. Against Sun Belt Conference teams all-time, the Mean Green has averaged 26.6 points and 346.8 yards of offense per game.
In league games, North Texas has allowed an average of 35 points per game, 158 yards rushing per game and 424 yards of total offense per game. In the overall statistics which include all games played North Texas ranks last in the Sun Belt in every defensive statistical category. In Sun Belt only games, ranks seventh in scoring defense, fourth in rushing defense, eighth in passing defense and sixth in total defense.
Florida International University head football coach Mario Cristobal confirmed his starting quarterback for Saturday.
“We’re going to start off with Paul McCall,” Cristobal said. “But we’re also going to use Colt Anderson. Both guys have earned the chance to play. They have practiced well and worked hard.”
Both Anderson and McCall stepped under center following Wayne Younger’s injury in the second quarter of last Saturday’s loss against Florida Atlantic. McCall, a redshirt sophomore, had a career game, completing 23-of-35 passes for 181 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Anderson went 1-for-3 for 10 yards.
The sack pack: TU’s offensive linemen hope to play better than they did in the 44-23 loss at UCF on Oct. 20. They
should at least be healthier.
Center Jody Whaley missed the earlier game and tackle Walter Boyd played out of position, covering Whaley’s spot. TU coaches said it was enough to knock everything out of kilter.
The Knights sacked Hurricane quarterback Paul Smith five times and had him under constant pressure — the main reason Smith threw a career-high four interceptions.
The Knights lead Conference USA and rank 26th nationally with 32 sacks. Said Hand: “We didn’t play our best game against them the last time, but they had something to do with that.
UCF running back Kevin Smith ran for 170 yards and three TDs against TU and currently leads the nation in rushing. His 2,164 yards are the fourth-highest total in Division I-A history.
Tulsa's 48-43 victory over Rice, to clinch the Conference USA West Division title and a spot in the league's championship, was exactly what we've come to expect in college football this season.
There were 66 first downs and 1,292 yards of offense.
Tulsa has had bad and good quarters in just about all of its games.
The Golden Hurricane has survived five straight victories, four of which were high-scoring shootouts that could have gone either way.
Tulsa has the nation's top-ranked offense, gaining 548.6 yards per game and is third nationally in passing (369.3), fourth for pass efficiency (163.1) and ninth for scoring offense (40.7).
In the Red Zone . . .
TU Opp
Times Penetrated 57 53
Total Scores 46 44
TDs Scored 41 34
FGs Made-Att. 5-9 10-13
Scoring% 80.7% 83.0%
Touchdown% 71.9% 64.2%
The Earlier Meeting . . .
UCF 44, Tulsa 23
October 20, 2007
UCF tallied 453 total yards and held Tulsa, the nationÕs second-leading offense, to 193
yards under its season average en route to a 44-23 victory in front of 45,510 fans at Bright House Networks
Stadium.
UCFÕs Kevin Smith, the nationÕs third-leading rusher, led the Knights with 170 yards and four touchdowns,
while quarterback Kyle Israel completed 21-29 passes for 224 yards.
TulsaÕs Paul Smith threw for 316 yards and two TDs, but suffered a seasonUCFÕs Kevin Smith, the nationÕs third-leading rusher, led the Knights with 170 yards and four touchdowns,
while quarterback Kyle Israel completed 21-29 passes for 224 yards.
TulsaÕs Paul Smith threw for 316 yards and two TDs, but suffered a season-high four interceptions.
The Knights had scored on four straight possessions,
going back to the second quarter, outscoring the Hurricane 24-3.
The UTEP Miners entered Saturday's game vs. CFL ranked third in Conference USA in scoring offense, averaging 34.8 points per game.UTEP ended the game with 20 points, including one touchdown.
The Knights needed their freshmen wide receivers to play like veterans this year after losing key widedouts last year.
The freshest faces on the UCF roster have stepped up to help balance the Knights' offensive attack.
Freshman receiver A.J. Guyton turned in a strong performance against the Miners, grabbing four catches for 96 yards and one touchdown.
True freshmen have accounted for nine touchdowns this
year. Kamar Aiken paces the rookies with five touchdowns - all on receptions. A.J. Guyton has a pair of
39-yard receiving touchdowns and Darin Baldwin and Khymest Williams have scored on an interception
and kickoff return, respectively.
Before facing UTEP, Guyton was averaging 14.3 receiving yards per game.
Offensively, despite some red-zone troubles the past few weeks, senior quarterback Kyle Israel said he expects their production to continue this week because of the unit's lack of egos.
The offensive line has been particularly notable as it helped Smith post his 11th 100-yard effort of the season Saturday
Off to a 5-1 start at their new facility, including five consecutive wins, there is a definite home-field advantage
for the Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF has totaled 252 points at the new on-campus
venue so far this season - good for an average of 42.0 ppg. In 2006, the Knights played seven home
contests at the Florida Citrus Bowl and scored a total of 143 points at the stadium.
In the last six games, Israel is back on target, completing 87-of-126 passes
(69.0 percent) for 1,114 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The UCF defense has forced 19 turnovers during the Knights’ six-game winning
streak after going four full games without one. Remarkably, 17 of those have
come via interceptions. UCF has recorded 20 interceptions on the campaign,
which is one shy of the school record (20; 1987) and nine different Knights have
registered at least one pick on the year.
The UCF defense leads Conference USA with 32 sacks on the season and have
also added 22 quarterback hurries.
Patrick Cowan, who hasn't played since suffering a concussion and slight collapse of his right lung Nov. 3, will start at quarterback for UCLA against No. 8 Southern California on Saturday. He has played in four games this season, completing 59-of-111 for 540 yards and three TDs with one interception.
UCLA coach Karl Dorrell made the announcement after practice Thursday, saying Cowan would get the nod because of his mobility. Dorrell also said it's possible that Ben Olson and Osaar Rasshan would see action at quarterback as well against the Trojans.
Dorrell gave a hint of what was to come on Wednesday, saying: "This is a pretty fast defense. Whoever is playing has to have his mobility. That's a concern with Ben, given his injury and his recovery from the injury."
Cowan was cleared to practice just this week, but has taken most of the snaps with the first team. He completed 12 of 21 passes for 114 yards and gained 55 yards on 10 carries in UCLA's 13-9 upset of USC last season, knocking the Trojans out of the BCS championship game and snapping their seven-game winning streak against the Bruins.
USC coach Pete Carroll said earlier in the week he expected Cowan to start.
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"There's no question we're a lot better than we were last year at 6-6," he said.
One reason is Arizona's offense, which has finally found its stride under new coordinator Sonny Dykes. The conservative Stoops has allowed Dykes to ditch the running game and throw caution -- and everything else -- to the wind.
The Wildcats have scored 116 points in their last three games, and Tuitama has 10 touchdown passes against two interceptions in that span.
No one seems to care that the Wildcats rush for a paltry 79.7 yards per game, fewer than all but six major-college teams.
"There's no question we're a lot better than we were last year at 6-6," he said.
One reason is Arizona's offense, which has finally found its stride under new coordinator Sonny Dykes. The conservative Stoops has allowed Dykes to ditch the running game and throw caution -- and everything else -- to the wind.
The Wildcats have scored 116 points in their last three games, and Tuitama has 10 touchdown passes against two interceptions in that span.
No one seems to care that the Wildcats rush for a paltry 79.7 yards per game, fewer than all but six major-college teams.
ASU’s #65 Pass D at 230y/g and 15TD and #17 at Pass Eff D with 109.17.
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Slaton's and White's two-game numbers against Pitt appear to have been accumulated on some unrealistic video game: White, 440 yards rushing (220 in each game), four touchdown runs, three touchdown passes; Slaton, 394 yards, four touchdown runs, three touchdown catches.
Shutting down both White and Slaton might be too much to ask, especially considering Pitt's previous struggles against spread or option-type offenses. Navy ran for 331 yards and totaled 497 yards in a 48-45 upset at Heinz Field on Oct. 10; South Florida hung up 38 points in the second half of last week's 48-37 win at Pitt.
Pitt has yet another worry, too; freshman Noel Devine ran for 118 yards against Connecticut during West Virginia's 66-21 rout last week.
Still, coach Dave Wannstedt's biggest worry -- besides Slaton and White -- might be how McCoy and quarterback Pat Bostick handle so big a stage so early in their careers. Bostick was in high school last season, McCoy was in prep school, and this game represents a major jump in quality of opponent and visibility.
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Udofia, a fifth-year senior, has been at Stanford for five straight losses to Cal, matching the school's longest skid in a series that dates back to 1892.
Udofia said a victory over the Bears would be a "program-changing win" that would resonate in recruiting, attendance and other aspects of building a program.
For those involved, it would be bigger than the 24-23 upset of then-No. 2 and 41-point favorite Southern Cal on Oct. 6 that shook up the college football world.
But the Cardinal have been unable to capitalize on that game, winning just one of six games since.
Injuries have played a big role in Stanford's struggles this season. The Cardinal have lost seven starters to season-ending injuries, including running back Toby Gerhart, tight end Jim Dray, defensive tackle Ekom Udofia and offensive lineman Allen Smith.
There have many other injuries too, sidelining running backs Anthony Kimble and Jason Evans, cornerback Nick Sanchez among others.
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So in a week previously reserved for holiday relaxation and resting up for Saturday's 110th Big Game against Stanford, Tedford put the Golden Bears through remedial classes in Football 101.
The simple drills are Tedford's last-ditch attempt to restore the vigor to a Cal (6-5, 3-5 Pac-10) squad that has plummeted from the heights of the national polls to the lowest abyss of his coaching staff's six seasons in Berkeley.
Cal is likely to land in San Francisco's Emerald Bowl with a sixth straight win over the Cardinal (3-8, 2-6), but an upset loss might even push the Bears out of the bowl picture altogether.
Cal should have major advantages at most positions, but after the tribulations of the season's second half, Tedford isn't taking anything for granted.
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Update: Leaf (ankle) will likely not play Saturday against Oregon State, The Oregonian reports.
Recommendation: Leaf was filling in for the injured Dennis Dixon. The Ducks will now look to Cody Kemp as their top quarterback, with Justin Roper backing him up. Matt Flynn QB, Louisiana State Tigers 11/28/07, Time: 1:17 am News: The Daily Times is reporting Flynn is still battling the effects of a shoulder injury suffered against Arkansas, but the Tigers expect him to start. Analysis:
If Flynn cannot start, Ryan Perrilloux would get the nod. Perrilloux has seen significant snaps this year and is a better runner than Flynn DeSean Jackson WR, California-Berkeley Bears 11/28/07, Time: 2:36 am News: ESPN.com is reporting Jackson's status for Saturday's game against Stanford is up in the air. Jackson is battling a bruised leg, which is also causing pain in his knee.
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Passing has been the Vols' focus again this season -- they have 1,275 more yards by air than by ground. But the ground game has been key to winning for Tennessee (9-3, 6-2 SEC), which gained more than 150 yards rushing in wins over Georgia and Arkansas, and ground out 273 yards in a lopsided 59-7 homecoming win over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Tennessee tailback Arian Foster has quietly amassed 1,107 yards while climbing the school's career rushing chart.
Freshman defensive back Brent Vinson will be playing with an injured shoulder that will require surgery following the season. Fulmer noted that slight miscues, even away from football, can cause the shoulder to become re-aggravated.
Sophomore tailback Montario Hardesty, who has been slowed all season by a recurring ankle injury, is also a question for Saturday. His ankle was injured once again in the Vols four-overtime win at Kentucky, and he has been working with a trainer on the sidelines this week.
"I was encouraged Tuesday, not so much Wednesday, but I'm very encouraged today. Hopefully he'll be available if we need him," Fulmer said.
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The Mizz Tigers are the only school in the country to score 30 points in every game this season, but they also held conference opponents to a Big 12-best 353.9 yards per game.
Texas Tech is second in the nation in total offense, but managed only 10 points against Missouri. Nebraska and Colorado both were held to 10 points.
Missouri had only four returning starters on defense, so it wasn't a surprise to Williams that Illinois, Mississippi and Western Michigan totaled 83 points in the first three games. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has made subtle adjustments during the season, moving to a zone instead of trying to load up to stop the run game and using more movement up front to confuse opponents.
Mizz has 3 Off, 3 Def and All purpose yardage players on All B12 1st team; 2 on 2nd
Okl has 1 Off, 2 Def, and Kr on 1st with 5 on 2nd team.
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The Huskies (4-8) are allowing 438.8 yards per game, the second-worst in the Pac-10, and 98th nationally. Should Hawaii gain more than 400 total yards, it would be the first time in Washington history the Huskies had allowed 400 or more yards to eight opponents in one season.
While the run defense has struggled -- most notably the 465 yards rushing allowed to Oregon -- it's been the vulnerability of Washington's pass defense most apparent in recent weeks.
In the last month, the Huskies allowed a school-record 510 yards passing to Arizona's Willie Tuitama and last week, Washington State's Alex Brink set an Apple Cup record throwing for 399 yards.
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Injuries have decimated both No. 18 Oregon (8-3, 5-3 Pacific-10) and Oregon State (7-4, 5-3) in advance of the 111th annual rivalry game this Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
The most notable absences are at quarterback -- on both sides.
Oregon's Dennis Dixon, once a Heisman candidate, tore a ligament in his knee in the Ducks' 35-23 victory over Arizona State on Nov. 3.
Backup Brady Leaf hurt his left ankle versus Arizona and then injured his right in Oregon's 16-0 loss to UCLA last weekend.
Because third-string quarterback Nate Costa was hurt in practice last month, the Ducks turned to a pair of redshirt freshmen, Cody Kempt and Justin Roper. Kempt will likely start, Roper will be his backup, and the Ducks could turn to tailback Andre Crenshaw in a pinch.
Besides Dixon, the Ducks had already lost wide receiver Brian Paysinger for the season with torn knee ligaments, then running back Jeremiah Johnson suffered a similar injury and receiver Cameron Colvin broke his ankle. Linebacker John Bacon tore his ACL and is out for the season.
There is uncertainty about how much tailback Jonathan Stewart will be affected by a sprained toe. While he hasn't missed any games, he struggled in Oregon's loss to the Bruins last week.
Oregon State will turn to its backup, sophomore Lyle Moevao, to start for the third straight game. Sean Canfield remains out with a shoulder injury.
Moevao, 2-0 as a starter, will be the most experienced quarterback on the field.
Earlier this season, the Beavers lost receiver and punt returner Sammie Stroughter because of a bruised kidney.
Several other Beavers are banged up but could play, including Dorian Smith (sprained knee), offensive guard Jeremy Perry (broken fibula), safety Daniel Drayton (strained groin) and cornerback Keenan Lewis (knee sprain).
The biggest question for Oregon State will be whether running back Yvenson Bernard will play.
Oregon State's senior tailback, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last week, hasn't been practicing, and coach Mike Riley said his progress is "maybe not as far along as we had thought it might be."
Still, Riley wasn't counting him out just yet.
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This year, the Army Black Knights have 45 three-and-out drives, are averaging 86 yards rushing and 18 points per game to rank 111th out of 119 schools in both categories. They're still looking for their first 100-yard rusher in a game.
It may be no coincidence that the Army mascot is a mule. It's taken seven years for academy brass to realize they had a pretty good thing going with the wishbone attack before former head coach Todd Berry jettisoned it in favor of a pro-style set, to disastrous results.
First-year head coach Stan Brock has finally seen the light. He plans to meet with his coaching staff after the season to discuss implementing at least some aspects of the option, which produced victories in the first two bowl games in academy history (10-6 over Michigan State in the 1984 Cherry Bowl and 31-29 over Illinois in the 1985 Peach Bowl) and its only 10-win season.
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going thru this and trying to read between lines, UCF, Ntx, Trot, Lt, CM, WV, and Haw looks
ASU's lack of protection and Az's sack prowess tends to look good for Az.
Army sucks, but Navy's D is terrible...but if can't score how can you win?
USC's healthy and playing well, but UCLA's healthy
Ore and OSU's both MASH units, but I tend to believe Ore has better players left.
Can't play on Stan, just can't.
CM's D is scary, but again, if you can't score......
Tulsa's D is the Helen Keller of NCAA.
VT's playing too well and both QBs are healthy..already hit em.
Tend to look at the over in Tenny game.
Not touching Mizz/Okl..just gonna enjoy.
Why wouldn't BYU play in this game? SDST has played dodge ball D lately.
A few trends while looking at past series' histories:
WV 3-1 ATS as HF>20 TY.
AZ vs ASU Dog 8-2 ATS
FAU 0-3 as RD TY, Troy 3-0 as HF TY.
NTX won only 2 vs FIU by 3 each, FIU 0-3 ATS as D of 10 or less TY.
CM 2-0-2 as Fav -3 TY
Tulsa 0-2 as Dog, CFU 3-0 at H fav 2'-14.
BC 8-2 ATS L10 in series, 3-0 as RD. VT 4-0 as RF TY.
Tenn vs LSU Dog of 4 or more 4-1 ATS. LSU 0-4 as RF TY.
BYU 8-2 both vs SDST L10. 1 L as Dog other as -13' F.
Ore vs OSU HD 3-0 ATS.
Updated: November 30, 2007, 3:52 PM ET
An injury to Matt Flynn's throwing shoulder could mean an expanded role for LSU backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux in Saturday's SEC championship game against Tennessee.
LSU coach Les Miles confirmed following practice Wednesday that Perrilloux had been taking increased first-team snaps. On Friday, Miles said Flynn would be a game-time decision.
If Flynn is unable to play or is limited, the Tigers will turn to Perrilloux for his first substantive action since early in the season.
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound sophomore was suspended for the Alabama game and wasn't used against Arkansas. He did play briefly against Mississippi but didn't have a rushing attempt or attempt a pass.
Tennessee's defensive staff was already preparing some for the possibility of seeing more of Perrilloux after hearing about Flynn's injury coming out of the Arkansas game.
"The other thing is that he and Flynn are very similar in what they do, so you don't have to change up a whole lot anyway in getting ready for them. We'll adjust our plan and be ready for both."
Sophomore defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois, who's been suspended all season for academic reasons, has been reinstated, Miles said. Jean-Francois was a freshman All-American a year ago and one of the top defensive line prospects in the country when he came out of Carol City High School in Miami.
The Tigers, plagued by injuries in the defensive line, can use the depth.
The 6-foot-3, 227-pound sophomore’s only career start and extensive playing time came Sept. 15 against Middle Tennessee State. With Flynn out because of an ankle sprain, Perrilloux was spectacular against the Blue Raiders: 20-for-27 for 298 passing yards and three touchdown passes, plus 37 rushing yards.
Other than that, Perrilloux has played sporadically and not in critical situations since he lost a fumble Oct. 20 against Auburn. He’s thrown 11 passes since the Middle Tennessee game.
“The jury is still out on him because he’s had some problems off the field and hasn’t established himself as a leader yet. This would be a big confidence boost for him because he’s gotten a new lease on life with the chances he’s gotten.
Two years ago, Flynn was thrust into duty in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia when starter JaMarcus Russell was knocked out with a shoulder injury. Flynn, who like Perrilloux had seen spot duty that season, was shaky in that contest with only 36 passing yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown in a 34-14 loss.
Senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and junior linebacker Darry Beckwith, who have been slowed by a variety of ailments in the latter part of the season, are something close to 100 percent, and sophomore wide receiver Trindon Holliday, an important arrow in the Tigers' quiver who did not play against Arkansas, is ready to go, Miles said.
On the Tennessee front, head coach Phillip Fulmer said his team is also healthy. Unlike LSU, which comes to Atlanta reeling from the loss of its national championship aspirations, Tennessee arrives on a 5-game SEC win streak and in position to complete a remarkable comeback from a season that saw them lose two of its first three games.
By Drew Edwards (Contact)
Originally published 12:00 a.m., November 30, 2007
Updated 09:47 p.m., November 30, 2007
All-America defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey has been hobbled by back spasms, even admitting this week that he won't be playing at 100 percent.
Safety Craig Steltz, tailback/kick returner Trindon Holliday and safety Curtis Taylor aren't fully healthy, either.
Those injuries have played a major part in the recent decline of LSU's defense.
In LSU's last two conference games, Arkansas rolled up 513 yards of total offense and Ole Miss - the same Ole Miss that went winless in the SEC and ranks ninth in the conference in total offense - posted 466 yards and 24 points.
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