***Wed News Links***

[NamelessHusker]

12th game not a Big hit in the Big10

 

Beginning next year, college football schedules will be increased by one game, to 12.

 

But there's no reason to expect the added game will translate into added excitement. Instead of more of a good thing, the 12th game will offer more opportunities for teams to kick sand in the faces of overmatched opponents - before adoring fans, of course.

 

Apparently, most coaches aren't in favor of the 12th game, partly because it will mean an end to the bye week they currently enjoy, denying players a chance to heal and giving struggling teams a chance to regroup.

 

"I don't think many coaches are in favor of 12 games, but . . .," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said Monday during the first of the Big Ten conference's two media sessions.

 

"Twelve games without an open date is tough," said Ron Zook, the new Illinois coach fired by Florida last season. "I think you need an open date."

 

The coaches, though, had little say in the matter. The 12th game was added as a new revenue stream for ballooning athletic budgets. To feed those budgets, schools from the traditional power conferences feel the need to add a home game, so they will dangle nice paychecks in front of also-rans from lesser conferences to come to their stadiums and take a beating.

 

"I like to see marquee matchups as much as the next fan," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Monday. "I like them from the standpoint of selling television - the more marquee matchups the better. But I also understand the needs of the big-stadium guys to have seven home games to support 30 sports."

 

Delany was responding to criticism of the Big Ten nonconference schedule. For example, Penn State opens with South Florida, Cincinnati and Central Michigan - all at Beaver Stadium. In fairness, Cincinnati replaced Alabama on the Nittany Lions' schedule after Alabama dropped off because of NCAA sanctions.

 

And the Big Ten is not alone in padding its schedule with overmatched teams willing to come to their campuses to take a licking. Other power conferences such as the Southeastern and the Big 12 do the same thing.

 

"We don't have (a 12th game) yet for next season," said Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, who is stepping down after this season so he can devote all his energy to his other job in Madison - athletic director. "What's most important is to try to find somebody who wants to play at our place."

 

For Big Ten teams, the majority of opponents for the 12th game will come from the Mid-American Conference, of which Temple will become a full-fledged member in 2007.

 

The Big Ten media members voted Michigan as the preseason favorite to win the conference championship, followed by Ohio State and Iowa.

 

Purdue appears to have a good chance to take the title because of talent, experience and an extremely favorable conference schedule. The Boilermakers do not face Michigan and Ohio State, and they play Iowa at home.

 

"Actually, we have Michigan and Ohio State right where we want them," Purdue coach Joe Tiller deadpanned. Each Big Ten team plays eight conference opponents.

 

Media members also selected Iowa quarterback Drew Tate as the preseason offensive player of the year and Ohio State linebacker A. J. Hawk as preseason defensive player of the year.

 

Penn State coach Joe Paterno missed Monday's media session to remain in State College with his wife, Sue, who recently suffered a broken leg while on vacation at the family's summer home in Avalon, N.J. He was expected to attend Tuesday's session.

 

The Big Ten has two new coaches this season - Zook at Illinois and Terry Hoeppner at Indiana.

 

Zook, who followed Steve Spurrier at Florida, was never accepted by the Gators' demanding fans. Urban Meyer, who became somewhat of a national sensation at Utah, replaced Zook.

 

Hoeppner, a native Hoosier, led Miami (Ohio) to back-to-back MAC East Division titles and coached Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But Indiana has long been the most difficult coaching job in the conference.

 

Omaha World Herald

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One charge dropped, another reduced

 

Prosecutors dropped a felony aggravated assault charge against one Tennessee football player and reduced the charge against another Monday in a case stemming from a fight at a campus party last March.

 

Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers and linebacker Jerod Mayo, who both redshirted last season as freshmen, were charged with hitting a fellow student when several fights broke out between football players and members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

 

The charge against Mayo was dismissed after a witness would not cooperate with prosecutors.

 

The charge against Ayers was reduced to misdemeanor assault.

 

In a statement Monday, coach Phillip Fulmer said that Ayers will have to sit out the first two games of the season, complete community service and anger management counseling and abide by a curfew during the fall semester.

 

Mayo was not suspended from the team

 

Omaha World Herald

[NamelessHusker]

Sooners' Stoops feels hot and strikes quickly

 

Bob Stoops can only hope his football team's season goes as well as his first roll at the bowling alley.

 

The Oklahoma coach stepped up to the lane and tossed a strike on his first roll Monday during an outing with boosters and reporters.

 

"I felt hot," Stoops said, "but then I quickly cooled off. I wasn't real worried about my score, but we had a good time."

 

Stoops preferred to hold off answering questions about his football team until later in the week.

 

OU players will report to fall camp on Wednesday

 

Omaha World Herald

[NamelessHusker]

Ex-Husker gets big hit for Oakland

 

Oakland Athletics rookie Dan Johnson scored the game-winning run against the Minnesota Twins and then found a present waiting for him in the clubhouse: A Twins jersey with "Johnson" scrawled on a piece of masking tape across the back.

 

Johnson's heads-up baserunning made sure his homecoming was a happy one, and Joe Blanton allowed two hits over seven innings in Oakland's 2-1 victory Monday night over the Twins.

 

Growing up in Coon Rapids, Minn., Johnson once dreamed of playing for the Twins. But considering how well the A's are playing, Johnson wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

 

The A's have been close to unbeatable since a slow start, winning a remarkable 32 times in their last 39 games.

 

Blanton (6-9) struck out four and walked two to get the first road win of his career, and Johnson scored the go-ahead run in the seventh to extend Oakland's win streak to five games.

 

As a kid, Johnson made the 20-minute drive from Coon Rapids to the Metrodome countless times. His dreams of one day playing for the Twins remained alive as a star at Blaine High School and then at Nebraska.

 

But hearing the cheers of more than 150 of his family and friends after he doubled off Cy Young winner Johan Santana and scored the winning run is something he'll never forget.

 

"This is one of my top moments in baseball," Johnson said. "It was above the College World Series. Coming home like this and knowing that all my family and friends were here to see me play for the first time in the big leagues, it was just a good feeling."

 

There are plenty of good feelings in Oakland these days.

 

After a 6-2 loss to Cleveland on May 29, the A's trailed the Los Angeles Angels by 12 games in the AL West. But they won 19 times in June, 20 times in July and have started August 1-0 to pull within one game of the Angels. They hold a two-game lead over the New York Yankees in the wild card race.

 

The Twins, meanwhile, have been in a free fall. They have lost nine of their last 11 and trail the A's by five games in the wild card.

 

"There's nothing you can do but wait until everything goes back to where it used to be and we win some games," said Santana (10-6), who watched another strong performance go to waste

 

Omaha World Herald

[NamelessHusker]

SI

 

Expectations high for Hester

 

Devin Hester is explosive, one of the best kick returners in the nation and someone that Miami coach Larry Coker believes is one of the best natural cornerbacks he's seen in 30 years of coaching.

 

And still, when the Hurricanes open training camp this weekend, Hester won't be listed as a starter.

 

Senior Marcus Maxey is currently penciled in as the starter for the Hurricanes at right cornerback, something that Coker insisted is warranted and isn't a slight in Hester's direction.

 

"He's been more productive," Coker said Tuesday in his pre-camp availability. "No other reason than that."

 

Maxey, who made four starts last year in the Hurricanes' nickel package, finished 2004 with 21 tackles, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

 

Hester started five games last year as a sophomore -- two at cornerback, one at nickelback, one at tailback and one at fullback. Plus, he returned three punts and one kickoff for scores last season, and he'll again be featured prominently in Miami's return game.

 

"I just want to be a key player," Hester said. "Whenever I'm called on, I just want to make the play at the right time. I want to step up and do my best. I would like to start, but I'm not concentrating on being a starter."

 

The Hurricanes, who have nine starters returning on defense and finished 9-3 in 2004, hold their first formal practice of the new season on Saturday afternoon.

 

The cornerback battle is really one of the most intriguing entering camp, especially since the Hurricanes have already decided on a starting quarterback; Kyle Wright won the job in spring practice over Kirby Freeman.

 

Coker stressed that there will be plenty of competition for most jobs. Consider this: Greg Threat, a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference preseason selection as a defensive back, enters camp listed as the second-string strong safety on Miami's depth chart behind Brandon Meriweather.

 

And no matter who starts, Coker expects Hester to log plenty of playing time.

 

"Devin's going to be a great player for us and I just haven't been around a corner more talented than Devin Hester," Coker said. "And we expect him to be a really great corner. But again, he's been there one year. And let's understand, Marcus Maxey is very talented. He's an awfully good player or he wouldn't be there."

 

Notes: Coker said he and school officials will agree in the next few days on a contract extension. ... The coach, who's entering his fifth season at Miami, seemed mildly miffed at a proposed deal that would have the Hurricanes playing at Florida in 2008 -- and not getting a return home game from the Gators until 2013. "We need to get some of these big games in the Orange Bowl first," Coker said. ... Miami's players report on Friday

[NamelessHusker]

Hundreds watch as Spurrier opens practice

 

Steve Spurrier moved a step closer to his college football return as he opened fall practice at South Carolina on Tuesday night.

 

It's the first college camp he has led since his final season at Florida in 2001. In less than month, Spurrier, with a humbler attitude and wearing a new Gamecock visor, will take the field again when South Carolina faces Central Florida on Sept. 1 at a sold-out Williams-Brice Stadium.

 

"They know what they're doing, so that's encouraging," Spurrier said.

 

Practice Tuesday began with a message from school president Andrew Sorensen, dressed in a tweed jacket, bow tie and a bright, white South Carolina visor.

 

When Spurrier walked on to the practice field he gave a brief wave to the fans behind security ropes near the entrance, then he went right to work.

 

After some simple stretches and loosening drills, the team broke into positions with Spurrier joining the offense.

 

Several hundred fans came out for the first fall practice of the Spurrier era at South Carolina.

 

Spurrier was happy with what he saw. "We may be the fastest team we've ever had here right now, especially with those freshman receivers and running backs," he said. "But anyway, we've got a long way to go, a long way to go. But we've got some talent."

 

Spurrier's enthusiasm, and the hope for big-time success he has fostered in South Carolina fans, has been the Gamecocks' chief asset so far.

 

Spurrier's confidence comes from winning six Southeastern Conference titles in 12 years at Florida and one Atlantic Coast Conference crown in three years at Duke.

 

Spurrier has several areas of concern with the Gamecocks, however, heading into camp.

 

Sophomore Blake Mitchell is the only quarterback on the roster with any experience -- and he threw just 22 times over five games with a touchdown and three interceptions.

 

Dismissals and suspensions have cost South Carolina its two top tailbacks in Demetris Summers and Cory Boyd. With senior Daccus Turman having to sit out a one-game suspension for his actions in the Clemson brawl last November, that means it's likely someone who hasn't ever carried the ball for South Carolina will do so against the Golden Knights.

 

The team's top receiver from last year, Troy Williamson, gave up his senior season to go seventh overall to Minnesota in the NFL draft, so Spurrier's choices at that spot also are unsettled.

 

South Carolina's defense appears to be its best quality. Linebackers Lance Laury and Ricardo Hurley lead an experienced unit, while safety Ko Simpson is a preseason all-Southeastern Conference selection and anchors a secondary that could be one of the league's best.

 

Spurrier has limited his quips since returning. He says two seasons with the Washington Redskins where he went 12-20 gave him a different, muted perspective of the game. He understands and appreciates the effort all coaches put in to make their teams successful. "I was lucky to have a lot of great teams in Florida, no question about it," he said.

 

The South Carolina fans watching practice, much like the record of 38,000-plus who attended Spurrier's first Gamecocks spring game, were eager to cheer their team.

 

After young runner Bobby Wallace sped through the right side of the line on one drill, fans buzzed about his quickness. When freshman wide receiver O.J. Murdock made a sliding catching in the pass drills, people cheered. An over-the-shoulder catch by Carlos Thomas a few plays later, brought similar shouts and "Attaboys" from those watching.

 

"We liked finally getting the chance out here," freshman tailback Mike Davis said.

 

Practice broke past the 10 p.m. listed finishing time, with Spurrier holding his fist out for his players to pound in what quickly has become the team's preferred greeting.

 

Through the ups and down at South Carolina, Spurrier has kept smiling -- and pointing players to what he believes will be an eventual SEC championship down the road.

 

Of the dismissed players? Spurrier says they made their own choices not to be part of South Carolina's team and he's pleased with the hard work from his new group.

 

South Carolina has "not done all that much in the past," Spurrier said, "but everything is there as far as facility, stadium, fans, the alumni give generously to the school. Everything is there for us to do it.

 

"So we have absolutely no excuses not to get it done."

 

Sports Illistrated

[NamelessHusker]

USC again unanimous choice to win conference title

 

Two-time defending national and Pac-10 champion USC was an unanimous choice to win the Pac-10 title again in a poll of media members who regularly cover the conference's football teams.

 

All 41 voters predicted that the Trojans would finish atop the standings. It was the second consecutive year that USC received all the first-place votes, something that had not be done previously since the Pac-10 era began in 1978.

 

California finished second in this year's voting with 300 points based on a scale with 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote, down to one point for a 10th-place vote.

 

Arizona State was only four points back in third at 296. Oregon got 290 points, followed by UCLA with 282, Washington State with 189, and Oregon State with 159.

 

Arizona was picked to finish eighth (131), followed by Stanford (106) and Washington (96).

 

The preseason poll has correctly predicted the Pac-10 champion each of the past five years and six of the last seven, but only 22 of 44 times since it was started

 

Sports Illistrated

[NamelessHusker]

Bowden's Preseason Sweet 16

 

With a month left until the first game it's time to pick my top 16 preseason football teams. I'm picking just 16 because that would be the number of teams I would like to see in a playoff at the end of the season. So we will start today and continue until the season is over when I will name our final 16 playoff (I wish) teams.

 

I will be a little more in depth on my top four because I believe our championship game will feature two of those schools. Then I will give a tidbit or two on the other 12 teams.

 

USC 1. USC Trojans

 

This is a no-brainer. After back-to-back national championships, the Trojans will be led by an offense that includes Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, the best tailback tandem in the country, three great receivers and an incredible offensive line. There are some holes to fill on defense, but after having three straight great recruiting classes under head coach Pete Carroll there are plenty of able bodies around to fill in the gaps.

 

The greatest concern for USC is the loss of offensive coordinator Norm Chow and three other assistant coaches. With a Pac-10 that has no other team in my Sweet 16, staff chemistry and a tough road schedule are the only things that stand in the way of a third straight national championship.

 

Texas 2. Texas Longhorns

 

After five straight losses to Oklahoma, this is the year the Longhorns finally break through to win the Red River Shootout. Quarterback sensation Vince Young can beat you with his arm or his legs and will be protected by the nation's No. 1 offensive line. And if nine starters back on defense were not enough, head coach Mack Brown hired defensive coordinator Gene Chizik away from Auburn, where he molded the No.1 scoring defense in the land.

 

If Texas can handle Ohio State in Columbus on Sept. 10 and Texas A&M at the end of the season, there is no one they could meet in the Big 12 Championship that would keep them out of the Rose Bowl.

 

Tennessee 3. Tennessee Volunteers

 

In the 13 years Phil Fulmer has been the head coach at Tennessee, the Vols have been the most consistent team in the SEC. Tennessee is the only SEC school that has won at least eight games every year since the league went to divisional play and a conference championship in 1992. More importantly, this looks to be Fulmer's most talented team since their national championship in 1998.

 

With a 1,000-yard rusher (Gerald Riggs Jr.) and a run-crushing defense, this is a vintage Tennessee football team. If there is one slight weakness it is in the secondary, and the prospects of getting another national title may come down to the Sept. 17 confrontation with the SEC's best passing attack down in the Swamp.

 

Ohio State 4. Ohio State Buckeyes

 

I just love what the athleticism of quarterback Troy Smith has done for this Buckeye offense. Because of that I make the Buckeyes the favorites in the Big Ten.

 

Last year, after Smith took over for Justin Zwick, Ohio State won four of its last five games including a dominant victory over Michigan. Don't expect to see three yards and a cloud of dust as OSU has no real go-to tailback, but it doesn't really matter because Smith will be throwing to two unbelievable wide receivers including the nation's most exciting player, Teddy Ginn.

 

There are nine starters back on defense, led by A.J. Hawk, and the best linebacker corps in the country. The biggest loss is kicker Mike Nugent, which will make coach Jim Tressel's patented close games a bit scarier. The Buckeyes play Texas and Iowa early, and whether they win one or both of those games will determine which championship (Big Ten or national) will be riding on the regular-season finale at Michigan.

 

Michigan 5. Michigan Wolverines

 

With quarterback Chad Henne, running back Michael Hart and wide receiver Steve Breaston, Michigan has enough firepower on its offense to contend for the Big Ten championship. But you have to be somewhat skeptical of the defense after the collapse at the end of last year. Overall, last year's defense gave up the most points (279) in school history. With the loss of a couple of linebackers and two All-Americans in the secondary, I'm not convinced it will get any better.

 

LSU 6. LSU Tigers

 

LSU has as much talent as anyone in the country, and new head coach Les Miles should make it to the SEC championship game in his inaugural season. Nick Saban pretty much ran the defense last year so question No. 1 is how they will do under new defensive coordinator Bo Pellini. The bigger question, though, is whether the leadership and intangibles exist at a quarterback position that was much too inconsistent last season.

 

Virginia Tech 7. Virginia Tech Hokies

 

The ultimate success of this team will fall squarely on the shoulders of first-year starter Marcus Vick, who hasn't played in an actual game in nearly two years. North Carolina State will throw everything but the kitchen sink at Vick in the very first game, and it won't stop until he proves he can make better decisions on the field than he has made off the field in the past two years. Other than that, the Hokies are loaded with talent, albeit a somewhat youthful secondary, and the schedule looks very accommodating.

 

Oklahoma 8. Oklahoma Sooners

 

For the first time since Bob Stoops' first season, it looks like the Sooners may be doing a little rebuilding. They must break in a new quarterback, fill a lot of holes on the offensive line and in the receiving corps, and replace seven starters on defense. It is awful nice, though, to rebuild around the best back in college football, Adrian Peterson.

 

The biggest concern is that Oklahoma did not appear to fight for 60 minutes when it fell behind USC in the championship game last season. How have they dealt with this in the offseason?

 

Miami (Fla.) 9. Miami Hurricanes

 

Miami must break in a new quarterback in Kyle Wright and find a go-to tailback. But if the Hurricanes can beat Florida State in Tallahassee on Labor Day, they should be able to ride their 10 returning starters on defense to an 8-0 record heading into their trip to Blacksburg on Nov. 5.

 

This defense has enough talent to be as good as any Miami has had in recent years, but there are just enough question marks on offense to make you wonder more about if the Canes will win their first ACC title than their sixth national championship.

 

Florida 10. Florida Gators

 

New head coach Urban Meyer has Gator Nation believing that great things are going to be happening in Gainesville, and I think he is exactly right. Chris Leak will be lighting up the scoreboard throwing to all his favorite receivers, and if it weren't for the fact that Florida is playing four of the teams on this list I'd have them in the SEC championship game this year. Just be patient, Gator faithful. It's only a matter of time.

 

Iowa 11. Iowa Hawkeyes

 

All-Big Ten quarterback Drew Tate has made a believer out of almost everyone after leading an offense that rushed for only 72.6 yards per game (116th in Division I-A) to a 10-win season and a conference co-championship. The running game should be much healthier this year, and the linebacker group is one of the best in the country. However, the loss of all four starting defensive linemen will keep the Hawkeyes from being as dominant on the defensive side of the ball.

 

Florida State 12. Florida State Seminoles

 

Just when it looks like the quarterback woes at FSU have come to an end, Wyatt Sexton gets Lyme disease and is out for the season. Redshirt freshmen Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford are more talented but will be nowhere near ready to open up the year against a defense as strong as Miami's. However, Miami is starting a youngster at quarterback, too, and the Seminoles' defense is pretty sporty. If the 'Noles can find a way to get enough production out of their two sensational tailbacks against the 'Canes, they just might be undefeated going into that final regular-season game against Florida.

 

Georgia 13. Georgia Bulldogs

 

With David Greene finally gone at quarterback, Georgia must lean on its running game if it is going to get past Tennessee and Florida and into the SEC championship game. With all five offensive linemen returning along with tight end Leonard Pope, there ought to be some pretty big holes opened up for three very good running backs. I'm just not convinced D.J. Shockley is a good enough decision-maker to have a consistent passing attack. Of course, the reason the Bulldogs will have a chance to have their fourth consecutive season of 10 or more wins is that they are going to reload, as usual, with great defensive talent.

 

Purdue 14. Purdue Boilermakers

 

How can you be in the Big Ten and not play Ohio State or Michigan? Well, Purdue is so lucky. Because the Boilermakers have only one Sweet 16 team on their schedule (Iowa), they are going to have a pretty good year. Eleven starters back on defense is a very good thing, too, although they must become more aggressive this year at taking the ball away. The big experiment this year is on offense, where the option will be added to coach Joe Tiller's basketball on grass. I don't know if it is more because of how well new starting quarterback Brandon Kirsch can run or because of how poorly he can throw, but I imagine it is a little of both. But if it works, this could be some kind of year for the Boilermakers.

 

Auburn 15. Auburn Tigers

 

You don't lose three first-round draft picks in your backfield and have an offense as good the next year, period. Therefore, the Tigers must hang their hat on their defense, especially the front seven, until they can get some experience at quarterback and running back.

 

I would be very concerned about the loss of defensive coordinator Gene Chizik to Texas, but head coach Tommy Tuberville's credentials as a defensive guru himself make up for the loss. If LSU doesn't find a quarterback, Auburn could find itself right back in the SEC championship game.

 

Louisville 16. Louisville Cardinals

 

Louisville leaves Conference USA to join the Big East and immediately becomes the league favorite. I don't see a team on their schedule that is Sweet 16 material, and the Cardinals will be favorites in every ballgame. However, the Big East is a step up in talent, and the Cardinals will be tested much more often than last season. It's nice that they are able to depend on quarterback Brian Brohm to make a trip to their first BCS game a little more likely.

 

YahooSports

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Leinart: has `No regrets about coming back'

 

Matt Leinart had a million reasons to pass up his final year of eligibility at USC. Maybe 10 million reasons.

 

``I did see what Alex Smith signed for and that was some pretty cool numbers,'' said Leinart, the Trojans' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

 

USC coach Pete Carroll, seated beside Leinart on the podium at Tuesday's Pac-10 media day, shook his head and joked, ``Yeah, pretty cool numbers.''

 

Smith, also a quarterback, passed up his senior season at Utah and signed a six-year, $49.5 million contract with San Francisco as the first player taken in this year's NFL draft.

 

Leinart still likes his decision to remain in college another year.

 

``I have no complaints about how I'm living right now. I'm happy and I have no regrets about coming back,'' he said.

 

With a comic's sense of timing, he paused, then finally grinned and added, ``But it would be nice to have that kind of money.''

 

Leinart, who grew a beard over the summer and looks quite Lincoln-esque, and the two-time defending national champion Trojans open practice this week to get ready for what could be a run at an unprecedented third consecutive title. No team has finished atop The Associated Press rankings three straight years.

 

Carroll, however, said that is not even on the team's radar right now.

 

``We can't focus on the end of the season or the rankings or the BCS bidding,'' he said. ``Things like that are somewhere down the road.

 

``To put any focus on that now is just a waste of time. Our guys know we can't do anything about that now.''

 

Leinart said he's fine after undergoing surgery for tendinitis in his throwing (left) elbow in January. He missed spring practice.

 

``I feel really good. I'm anxious to get back, feels like I've been out forever,'' he said.

 

After leading USC to its second consecutive national championship, winning the Heisman, then deciding to return for his senior season, Leinart has achieved celebrity status -- not that he wants it.

 

He mentioned meeting, among others this summer, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a string of sports stars. He was particularly impressed by meeting Maria Sharapova, saying, ``That was sweet.''

 

``That lifestyle's not really me, but I do have fun,'' Leinart said. ``I'm living like an NFL player right now, but in college life in L.A. I'm just a normal kid who has had opportunities to do a lot more things than other people would.

 

``It all hasn't really hit me. I don't think it will really hit me until I'm 95 or so.''

 

Then there's the beard.

 

``That might be my new thing this year, a beard,'' Leinart joked. ``No, it's part lazy, part that I've never been able to grow a beard like this. Mostly laziness, though.''

 

Carroll said he wouldn't object to the quarterback sporting a beard, ``So long as it doesn't hang below his helmet.''

 

Source: Yahoo Sports

[NamelessHusker]

Time to Break Out?

 

 

Here's the reality of Glen Mason's football program:

 

• Three consecutive bowl appearances, all victories over big-name opponents from Bowl Championship Series conferences

 

• Five bowl appearances in the past six seasons

 

• Forty-three victories the past six seasons, including 10 in 2003, the U's best streak since 1903-08

 

Not bad when one considers Mason inherited a team that had two winning seasons, both 6-5, and no bowl appearances in the previous nine years. But then there is this reality, as well:

 

• Close to 20,000 empty seats, on average, last season

 

• Last-minute breakdowns against Michigan that derailed Big Ten Conference championship hopes the past two years

 

• No Rose Bowl appearance since 1962, the longest such streak in the conference

 

"I've been one of those coaches who has been at places that have been down, Minnesota, Kansas and Kent State," Mason said, "and at each place you show up they say, 'Coach, as long as you're competitive and win some games, everyone is going to be happy.' Then before long they wonder when the breakout year is coming."

 

That's been the knock on this team: good but never great.

 

"That is the general consensus with people," center Greg Eslinger said, "but this year we'd like to prove them wrong."

 

The Gophers start trying Sept. 1 at Tulsa. They have tools to work with, including an offensive line anchored on the interior by Eslinger and guard Mark Setterstrom, both first-team all-Big Ten performers. Behind them is one of the nation's most exciting tailbacks, junior Laurence Maroney, poised for more carries after sharing the load - and gaining more than 1,000 yards - with Marion Barber III each of the past two seasons.

 

But there are problem spots as well. Can quarterback Bryan Cupito hit enough targets to keep teams from stacking the line of scrimmage? And can the defense, which gave up 27, 51, 30, 38 and 29 points in five of its six final regular-season games, get better?

 

"I definitely feel like if the defense made a couple of more stops last season, it would have changed the outcome of a couple games," said senior nose tackle Anthony Montgomery.

 

Mason won't disagree. At this point, he said, the difference between good teams and great ones is a key play here or there. The trick is being ready for them.

 

"You don't know when those key plays are coming. You just don't," he said. "Everybody always looks at key plays at the end of the game, but when you go back and look at it under a microscope, it could have been in the first quarter. And if you really want to achieve (greatness), every play is the most important play.

 

"Boy, that's easy to say, but it's hard to get that type of concentration and that type of effort in every game."

 

Mason said he probably underestimated the long-term effects of the Michigan losses, which turned undefeated, Rose Bowl campaigns into winning but disappointing seasons. The Gophers were winning in the fourth quarter of both games.

 

But Mason is quick to point out that the Gophers are close, specifying last-minute losses last season to Big Ten co-champions Michigan and Iowa. And he isn't ready to minimize his team's accomplishments. The Gophers' last game was a 20-16 victory over Alabama in the Music City Bowl, capping a 7-5 season.

 

"I will say this: The perception of Minnesota football, when you travel nationally, is a hell of a lot better than when you sit in the Twin Cities," he said. "People around the country, let's face it, when they turn on the TV and watch Minnesota beat Alabama, they go, 'Wow.' I mean, Alabama - you talk about a commitment there that is second to none. No one could run the ball on them; we ran it up and down the field (276 yards). People were shocked.

 

"I think if you talked to other coaches, the superlatives would be surprising, because they know some of the obstacles we have to overcome. We've had three bowl victories over Arkansas, Oregon and Alabama. A guy who wants to be negative will say, 'Well, he's rationalizing.' No, I'm not. We lost the game to Michigan, we lose to Iowa in the last second; we win those two games and we go to the Rose Bowl."

 

John Shipley covers University of Minnesota football

 

YahooSports

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Holtz Defends USC tenure

 

 

 

Former coach Lou Holtz is standing by his decisions at South Carolina despite the school admitting to 10 NCAA violations during his six-year tenure.

 

"I don't think I would have done anything differently ... absolutely not," Holtz said Tuesday night on ESPN's "SportsCenter."

 

The statements came from Holtz' appearance on the new ESPN show "Quite Frankly." New Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis and Notre Dame alum and TV talk-show host Regis Philbin also were guests in the program.

 

"Anytime you violate an NCAA rule, willingly or unwillingly, you should feel bad about it," Holtz said. "But there were 10 violations, and five were self-reported.

 

"There was never any money given to any player - not like Alabama ... not a single cent. It was not about recruiting inducements. There were no players being bought and paid, there were no players being worked out illegally.

 

"Were there isolated cases here and there? That's going to happen. Am I proud? Absolutely not."

 

The only violation for which Holtz is cited is a January 2004 incident in which Holtz met with Orangeburg-area recruits Matt Raysor and Alonzo Middleton in the presence of a newspaper reporter and photographer.

 

Holtz said he is not concerned about his legacy as a college football coach.

 

"They're going to forget all about Lou Holtz. This is not about my legacy. Don't worry about when I die. Three days later people are going to realize that I am not resurrected."

 

YahooSports

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Associate Press

 

 

Paterno returns for 40th season

 

 

Entering his 40th season as Penn State's head coach, Joe Paterno is often asked when he will retire. The easy answer: He doesn't know, or he isn't telling.

 

Paterno, 78, said he isn't ready to follow in the footsteps of Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez, who has decided to step down from coaching after this season to become the school's full-time athletic director.

 

"Barry said he knew when it was time. I don't know. I honestly wish I could tell you. I think I'll know [when it is time]," Paterno said on the second day of the Big Ten's preseason media gathering

 

Paterno has had four losing seasons in his last five and hasn't won a bowl game since 1999. Last season the Nittany Lions finished 4-7 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten.

 

"I haven't gotten to that point yet where I really want to say, 'Hey, I'm going to get out of it this year or next year,"' he said.

 

Last year's team started 0-6 in the Big Ten, putting even more heat on Paterno, who achieved legendary status at the school and boasts a 343-116-3 all-time record.

 

"He always talks about 'I'm not going to put the team in somebody else's hands while we're at a low point,"' quarterback Michael Robinson said. "He definitely doesn't want to turn the team over and us not be good. I definitely feel he has an obligation to all the fans and the players who came before us. We feel the same way."