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The Big 12 North remains a ways from returning to the prominence it enjoyed when the conference first formed in the late 1990s, but if Saturday's matchup between Kansas State and Nebraska for the division title is any indication then better days are certainly on the horizon.

After years of struggles by the Kansas State Wildcats and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which have coincided with a dip in the North's strength, the two meet Saturday in Lincoln for a winner-take-all showdown. Neither team has had quite the season it anticipated but each has won enough for the right to play for the Big 12 championship, likely against No. 2 Texas, Dec. 5.

"Certainly we've been in this position before, probably in different ways," said veteran Wildcats coach Bill Snyder, who broke out of a three-year retirement to return to the sidelines this season. "By the same token, I can't remember other than the very early years that playing against the Nebraska teams was not a great challenge and certainly key ball games were after those initial years after they beat us so soundly."

It used to be that Nebraska was the football program many were measured by across the country when legendary coach Tom Osborne was running the Cornhuskers. The pull was even greater for an up-and-coming coach in the Big Eight, who dared dream he could turn Kansas State into a team capable of competing with mighty Nebraska.

"It was a dynamic conference, there were a lot of models," Snyder said this week. "I always had amazing respect for Tom Osborne and I loved the way he conducted his program, not just all the championships he had won, but just the fact of how he handled his program and how he worked with young people and what he meant to his state. It was a total package. Indeed it could serve as a model program for any one of us."

Eventually Snyder and his Wildcats caught up enough to make the early years of the Big 12 quite interesting. From the inception of the league in 1996 to 2000, either Nebraska or Kansas State won the North Division every season. But since then both teams have won the North just once as the division has taken a backseat to the South.

In the meantime, Nebraska has had three coaches and Kansas State moved on to Ron Prince for a few up and down seasons before returning to the stability of Snyder.

Both teams are still shadows of their former selves, but this may be sign of progress. Nebraska enters Saturday game 7-3, 4-2, while the Wildcats come into their regular-season finale 6-5, 4-3 with a chance to become bowl eligible (two of Kansas State's win are over FCS teams) and the division champs at the same time.

"Obviously, the game means a lot, this is going to determine the Big 12 North," said second-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "We have a lot of respect for our opponent in every way and we know we have to be ready to play our best football."
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Cyclones Gathering Strength

A few days into spring practice, first-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads felt he had plenty of reasons for concern after watching the team he inherited tackle.

But Rhoads and his staff had just as much to celebrate after the Iowa State Cyclones beat Colorado 17-10 to become eligible for the first time since 2005. Iowa State, coming off a 2-10 season last under Gene Chizik, has moved to 6-5 on the season to give Rhoads the biggest turnaround of any rookie coach this season.

"We've made a lot of progress before we got to this sixth win and bowl eligibility," said Rhoads, whose team is 3-4 in league play heading into Saturday's regular-season finale at Missouri. "Progress and improvement is what we wanted to accomplish. Now we've put the program a little bit more on the national map by gaining bowl eligibility.

"Hopefully the bowl game that will follow helps recruiting, helps people's perception of you, it begins to build tradition. Those are hopefully all things we can follow up with."

Interestingly, the defense that Rhoads was so concerned about this past spring has really stepped up at critical times this season. During the win over Colorado, the Cyclones stopped Colorado three times inside their 10 to preserve the win.

The Buffaloes were the third Big 12 opponent ISU has held to 10 points or less this season.

Rhoads is no longer as worried, though he knows major improvement still needs to made to get the unit back up to par of the Dan McCarney days.

"They keep improving, they keep listening to the coaching," Rhoads said. "I thought their preparation and their understanding of Colorado was as good as it's been all year. The communication that took place on the field, the adjustments and communication that took place on the sideline, just gave the appearance of a very smart football team in holding our third Big 12 team to 10 points or less, which is the first time it's been done since 1965 with conference opponents I think also speaks to their growth."

Alexander Making Most of Final Shot

Missouri senior receiver Danario Alexander anticipates getting a little emotional Saturday when he comes out of the tunnel at Memorial Stadium one last time.

"I've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now," Alexander said. "My time is coming to an end, and it's kind of bittersweet. I'm sure emotions will be flying everywhere, but I've got to try to contain them and play my best game."

It will be pretty difficult to top the two weeks Alexander has had, in which he caught for 414 yards in games against Baylor and Missouri. Alexander, whose career has been marred by serious knee injuries, blistered the Wildcats last Saturday for 200 yards and receiving touchdowns of 54, 16 and 18 yards to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

After the game, Snyder said Alexander was the best receiver in the Big 12 after watching him run circles around his defense. His opinion of the 6-foot-5 blazer didn't change a couple days later during the Big 12 conference call.

"I had not seen him play until the week of the game and I saw some things he did well," Snyder said. "He's a rangy guy, he's got the height that allows you to put the ball up in the air and for him to jump and go up and get it. I like the fact he can catch the ball over the middle, he' not afraid to lay out for the ball. He obviously has very good hands and has good speed to go with it.

"He's a complete receiver that creates a lot of difficult mismatches because of his height."

Alexander, who had to watch Missouri stars like Jeremy Maclin romp all over the field while injured, is certainly making up for lost time this season. He leads the conference with 81 catches for 1,238 yards and 11 touchdowns and he is averaging 123.8 yards per game receiving.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, who has had to watch Alexander endure several disappointing seasons, is pleased that the standout receiver is finally getting a chance to shine. Now he thinks the rest of the nation should take notice.

"His numbers speak for themselves," said Pinkel, whose team became bowl eligible last week for a school-record fifth straight year. "Because he had been injured the past couple years and didn't play on a consistent basis, I think without question his name should be out there for All-American honors. Based on stats, based on performance just week in and week out the consistency.

"I know there are great players in this league, I have great respect for all the players here but certainly from an offensive standpoint with two games left in the regular season, I think his numbers are really really outstanding."

Toilet Bowl

It's amazing that as disappointing as both Texas A&M and Baylor have been this season that either of them are in contention for a postseason bowl.

But it's fitting that their matchup Saturday in College Station will likely determine if either will qualify for a postseason bowl game. The Bears, who came into the season with hopes of breaking a long-standing bowl drought had their enthusiasm tempered when sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin suffered an early season-ending knee injury, must win its final two regular season games to be bowl eligible.

The Texas A&M Aggies, meanwhile, have been the biggest mystery of the season having overwhelmed the likes of Texas Tech and Iowa State while falling to Colorado. At 5-6, they need to win at least one of the final two to make a bowl.

But with No.2 Texas coming up on Thanksgiving night, A&M's best bet is to beat the 4-6 Baylor Bears at home Saturday.

"Every game we play is important and this one certainly has some implications for both teams and certainly that's out there," said second-year A&M coach Mike Sherman, who is looking for his first bowl bid. "There are two games left and we are excited about playing this one."

Baylor coach Art Briles, who has endured a heart-breaking season, says it's a victory just for his team to have a chance at a bowl game.



"The good thing is we've put ourselves in position, whereas a year ago we didn't have this position," said Briles, whose team takes on Texas Tech in the regular-season finale at Jerry Jones' Cowboys Stadium on Nov. 28. "We didn't have enough wins to be considered of an opportunity to become bowl eligible with two games remaining. We've got something in front of us, now we have to go take care of business and make it reality."

Hawkins Finds Humor in Job Security

When asked Monday if he had any communication with athletic director Mike Bohn and chancellor Phillip P. Di Stefano about his job status, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins let loose a loud and awkward laugh during the Big 12 conference call.

Then he gathered himself.

"They've been great, they've been awesome," Hawkins said. "Mike has been great and Phil has been great. They've both been very supportive about the whole deal."

But most believe Hawkins' job is in jeopardy after another disappointing season in which the Buffaloes are 3-7 and 2-4 heading into Thursday night's game at Oklahoma State. Colorado has been bowl eligible just once in Hawkins' four-year tenure.

Hawkins, however, said he didn't believe his job is in jeopardy. He inherited a program from Gary Barnett that had been rocked by a sensational recruiting scandal.

"Those guys are great," Hawkins said of Bohn and Di Stefano. "I think they understand the nature and scope of the position we have here and all the things that go on and have gone on. Everybody wants to win more games but in terms of helping get this place back on track after what it went through I think we've had to take on a number of tasks and done a great job with that."

Big 12 North Gets Nostalgic originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Art BrilesArtBrilesBaylor FootballBaylorFootballBig 12 FootballBig12FootballBill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBoPeliniDan HawkinsDan McCarneyDanario AlexanderDanHawkinsDanMccarneyGary PinkelGaryPinkelGene ChizikGeneChizikIowa State FootballIowaStateFootballJeremy MaclinJeremyMaclinKansas State WildcatsKansasStateWildcatsMike ShermanMikeShermanNebraskaFootballpaul rhoadsPaulRhoadsRobert GriffinRobertGriffinRon PrinceRonPrinceTexas AM AggiesTexasAmAggiesTom OsborneTomOsborneTerrance HarrisFri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: '05 Still Alive in Texashttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/notebook-feeling-of-05-alive-at-texas/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/notebook-feeling-of-05-alive-at-texas/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/notebook-feeling-of-05-alive-at-texas/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vince Young, Colt McCoyThe comparisons between the Texas Longhorns 2005 team and this season's team are inevitable.

At this point in the 2005 season, the Vince Young-led Longhorns looked pretty invincible. After a tough early season game against Ohio State , they romped over opponents with relative ease on the way to the BCS national title. These Colt McCoy-led Longhorns are doing the same with only their annual rivalry game against Oklahoma serving as the lone close challenge in putting together a perfect 9-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking.

It's just the second time since 1983 that the Longhorns have been 9-0. The other time, of course, was in 2005 when they put together an undefeated campaign that ended with a dramatic national championship victory over USC.

UT coach Mack Brown, who has gone through great pains at times to keep his team focused on the task at hand this season, agreed Monday that he sees favorable comparisons between his two teams. But he also cautioned there are still a couple obvious major differences.

"I would think right now you could compare them because there really has been only one close game from this team and there was only one through nine games for the 2005 team," Brown said during the weekly Big 12 conference call. "I think the biggest question will be the way that other bunch finished in 2005. Obviously they were the best in the country at this time and this bunch hasn't even won the Big 12 South yet."

McCoy, who was soaking it all up while as a redshirt in 2005, says he learned some valuable lessons from that team that he's passing along to this year's Longhorns as a seasoned senior.

"They had their edge," McCoy said. "They were focused every week. Not just focused and excited about going into the game, but focused all week, making sure everyone on the team is working hard and getting their minds right and understanding their jobs going into the game all week long.

"I think that is one thing that we have cleaned up well. We really practice hard. We really prepare each week so that we will be ready on Saturday."

While this year's team is undefeated, like 2005, these Longhorns are awaiting that complete game where they dominate an opponent from beginning to end and in all phases of the game. Defensively, they've been stout and arguably better than the 2005 defense thanks to defensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp.

But offensively, Texas has frequently been slow to get going. This past weekend, Central Florida led the Longhorns 3-0 in the second quarter before the Longhorns scored the next 35 en route to a 35-3 win.

McCoy is on the way to being the all-time wins leader for football's top division and remains in the Heisman conversation. McCoy and receiver Jordan Shipley have been an unstoppable connection, but the running game continues to be inconsistent.

For whatever reason, it seems whenever the Longhorns get one area fixed another seems to break down. Brown was still bothered Monday by flaws in the kicking game after kicker Hunter Lawrence missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter this past Saturday.

"You are happy at 9-0 obviously," he said. "But it seems like holes in the bottom of your boat -- when you fix one hole something else pops up. "

Still, most expect little to get in the Longhorns way as they march toward the BCS national title game at the Rose Bowl, the site of their 2005 national title. With three games left in the regular season, including Saturday's game at Baylor, the Longhorns most difficult remaining challenge may be Texas A&M in the Thanksgiving night finale.

Texas remains ranked third in the BCS standings behind Florida and Alabama, but with the Gators and Crimson Tide meeting in the SEC championship that opens the door for the Longhorns to most likely meet the SEC champion in Pasadena provided they win out and emerge as Big 12 champs.

Then the comparisons to the 2005 squad would really come into focus.

"At this time they've earned the right to be in conversation with the 2005 team," Brown said, "but they haven't earned the right to be considered as good because they've got to finish like that bunch did."

More Bad News for Sooners

The season and the news just keep getting worse for Bob Stoops and his Oklahoma Sooners.

If it wasn't bad enough that they're coming off a 10-3 loss to Nebraske, a loss that ensures Bob Stoops will lose four games in a season for just the second time since 2000, they have now lost three players to season-ending injuries behind that game.

A day after expressing optimism that versatile offensive lineman Brody Eldridge would return this season from a shoulder injury suffered Saturday, Stoops confirmed Tuesday that Eldridge is one of three players lost for the season. Joining Eldridge are offensive lineman Jarvis Jones and defensive end Auston English.

Eldridge, who has started this season at center, tight end and guard, has a sprained shoulder, suffered while making a tackle following one of quarterback Landry Jones' five interceptions. Jones has a fractured heel and English is having surgery to repair an ankle tendon.

The Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12), of course, lost Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford with a shoulder injury last month and All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham with a knee injury before the season began.
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Thomas Giving Wildcats a Boost

Junior college transfer Daniel Thomas came to Kansas State as a quarterback-wide receiver from Northwest Mississippi Community College

Yet, Thomas has certainly had one of the greatest impacts on the Wildcats surprising season as a hard-charging running back. Thomas leads the Big 12 in both rushing (1,087) yards and rushing touchdowns (11) through 10 games.

"Daniel is a very good young person, very conscientious," said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose team is 64- (4-2 in the Big 12) with a half-game lead over Nebraska for first place in the Big 12 North. "He's a hard worker. He's obviously has some physical capabilities. He gives us a kind of multi-purpose dimension."

Most importantly, he gives the Jayhawks a ground-controlling presence as a 6-foot-2, 227-pound power back. Thomas became just the ninth player in KSU history to go over 1,000 yards rushing this past weekend when he ran for a career-best 185 yards in the win over Kansas.

"I like that as a running back, he's a pretty physical running back," Snyder said. "He has reasonably good size, but he has, as demonstrated this past weekend, a major motor that kind of keeps him going. He stays on his feet well.

"He's gotten better as the season has progressed. That comes from understanding the system a little bit better, some comes from experience some of it from the daily practice routine. But his development has been very good and he's playing well."

Up and Down Aggies

Mike ShermanSecond-year Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman is probably as frustrated and confused about his team as anyone.

Just when it looks like the Aggies are ready to turn a corner, they pull a confusing loss like Saturday's 35-34 stumble at Colorado. Texas A&M looked like it were about to cruise to a third-straight win and bowl eligibility for the first 56 minutes against the Buffaloes.

Then things fell apart as Colorado rallied in the final minutes. Suddenly, things were feeling a lot more similar to the night they lost 62-14 to Kansas State.

So once again, Sherman is trying to pick up the pieces and making something positive happen in these final three games.

"We've had to do that before this year. I tell the guys I knew the season was going to be one that was going to be some high points and some rough spots, as well," said Sherman, whose 5-4 (2-3) Aggies travel to Oklahoma on Saturday for its final road game. "You just have to move on whether you win or you lose. You look at yourself critically whether you win or you lose and you learn from your mistakes.

"This was a tough one because certainly it was a winnable game and one we had in check for about 56 minutes of the ballgame and then at the end there... That's tougher than getting your butt kicked like we did at K-State in many ways because you are so close. We were never in the K-State game, but we were in this one until the last four minutes.

"With young guys we've just got to get them back on track again and try to go against a very good Oklahoma team."

Uncertainty at QB for Huskers

If Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is in a quandary over his quarterback situation, he certainly isn't letting on.

Junior Zac Lee struggled in his first year as a starter, so the Huskers turned to freshman Cody Green. But this past weekend, with the offense struggling to get anything going against Oklahoma, Pelini turned back to Lee.

Lee didn't do muchl, but he steadied the offense to help Nebraska to a surprising 10-3 win at home.

So how will Pelini, whose Cornhuskers are still very much in the North division race, deal with his quarterback situation during these final three games?

"That remains to be seen. We kind of go week to week," Pelini said. "We are going to do what we need to do to win each football game. I think it could a combination of the two. It could be Zac or it could be Cody. That's something we are going to figure out as time goes on and we put in game plan to give ourselves an opportunity to win football games."

Pelini insists he still has confidence in Green, who is Nebraska's future. But there is no denying that Lee seems a lot less rattled at this point.

"He's a little bit older, obviously he doesn't have a ton more experience but he has a little more experience," Pelini said. "I go by off what I see in practice. For the most part I have confidence in both guys. We'll just see how it plays out."



Leach Closing in on Milestone

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach says he didn't necessarily look at Lubbock as a destination spot or somewhere he'd achieve greatness when he came aboard 10 years ago.

"I never really thought about it," Leach said. "I just tried to be the best I could from week to the next and see where that all takes you."

Where it has taken Leach is on the brink of becoming the program's all-time winningest coach. Leach needs just one more win to surpass Spike Dykes' 82 career wins collected over 13 seasons with the Red Raiders.

Leach has brought recently unthinkable levels of success to Tech. He hasn't come close to a losing campaign and last year tied at the top of the competitive Big 12 South.

"I'm just excited for Mike, he has done a great job there with Tech," said Stoops, who hired Leach as his offensive coordinator at Oklahoma before Leach left for Tech. "He did a great job for us. ... I obviously felt he could be a head coach when I hired him and those were my words to him. I felt if he did a good job here and we got things rolling here that he'd have an opportunity to be head coach in the first year though. It just happened quickly but he's done an excellent job. All of here still keep in touch with Mike and we're happy for him."

Big 12 Notebook: '05 Still Alive in Texas originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBob StoopsBobStoopsBrody EldridgeBrodyEldridgeCody GreenCodyGreencolt mccoyColtMccoyJordan ShipleyJordanShipleyMack BrownMackBrownMike LeachMike ShermanMikeLeachMikeShermanvince youngVinceYoungWill MuschampWillMuschampZac LeeZacLeeTerrance HarrisWed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST 'Fat Little Girlfriends,' a Leach Readerhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/fat-little-girlfriends-a-leach-reader/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/fat-little-girlfriends-a-leach-reader/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/fat-little-girlfriends-a-leach-reader/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mike LeachThere are some people who just see the world different and therefore have an unorthodox way of expressing their views.

Then there is Texas Tech coach Mike Leach.

He is, without any close challengers, the Big 12's best-rehearsed resident oddball.

When Leach has been at this best over the years, he's filled up reporters' notebooks with gems like his fascination with pirates, tips on dating, his ability to predict the weather better than the local meteorologists, his views on world piece and his wacky approach to offensive football.

This past Saturday, when his 21st-ranked Red Raiders were stunned 52-30 by struggling Texas A&M, Leach delivered some sound bites that won't soon be forgotten.

Leach accepted blame for himself and the coaching staff for not preparing the players well enough to overcome the ego-inflating talk of their "fat little girlfriends." He reiterated his point during the team's weekly press conference Monday.



"We didn't coach well enough to beat A&M, and we didn't play well enough to beat A&M" to "We're not gonna listen to our fat little girlfriends," Leach said Monday.

This little diatribe has been picked up on airwaves all across the country. At face value it seems quite offensive to the would-be girlfriends of the Tech football players.

But when you know Leach you know not to always take what he says at face value. Let's go back to the outcome of Saturday night's game and the outcome that led to the seemingly politically incorrect tirade.

The Raiders were coming off a defeat of an A&M team that had suffered three straight losses, including a 62-14 plastering at the hands of Kansas State a week earlier. That's the same Kansas State team Leach's Raiders had destroyed two weeks earlier 66-14.

If scoring means anything in college football, it seemed that the Raiders should have been a real threat to put 100 points up on the Aggies last Saturday night in Lubbock, a place where A&M hadn't won since the early 1990s.

Certainly fans and friends were telling the Raiders players they had nothing to worry about last week. Just maybe they began to believe that if they simply showed up against A&M the victory would be hand delivered.

Consider this as a reasonable explanation. Just maybe Leach's "fat little girlfriends" reference was a metaphor for the friends, fans and family members he believed had pumped so much sunshine in his players ears that it drowned out the coaching staff's warnings about taking A&M too lightly based on their past?

"I think between a guy looking at the score themselves and then going out into the community and being told how great they are and how easy it's going to be, I think somehow you have to have the ability to overcome it," Leach said during Monday morning's Big 12 coaches' teleconference. "I think we have to find a better way to do that."

That's considerably toned down from the Saturday night rant that got the controversy started.

That was following this postgame rant after Saturday's stunning upset.

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"We pound on Kansas State, so A&M looks at the film all week," Leach said last Saturday night. They strut around and laugh. And, you know,ho-ho-ho, ha-ha-ha, and they listen to their fat little old girlfriend, and, then pretty soon they -- you know, what happens in Manhattan happens."

Leach, a law school graduate, who enjoys being the smartest guy in the room has flat out refused to apologize for Saturday night's comments and to make his point, he said it again Monday. But that's classic Leach trying to keep the focus off his team and the potential problems.

Instead of news gathering organizations examining why the Red Raiders fell apart against a mediocre Texas A&M team last weekend or trying to figure out whether Taylor Potts or redshirt freshman Seth Doege is going to start at quarterback against Kansas on Saturday, there has been the fixation on Leach's alleged offensive remarks aimed at his players girlfriends.

In Leach's twisted mind, he has fooled everyone. Well, almost.

But just for fun, let's take a look at some of Leach's more compelling diatribes.















'Fat Little Girlfriends,' a Leach Reader originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mike LeachMikeLeachTerrance HarrisWed, 28 Oct 2009 18:53:00 EST Stoops, Snyder Resume Friendly Rivalryhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/stoops-snyder-resume-friendly-rivalry/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/stoops-snyder-resume-friendly-rivalry/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/stoops-snyder-resume-friendly-rivalry/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There is nothing new about Bob Stoops matching coaching wits with old mentor and boss Bill Snyder. They've done plenty of that over the years in Big 12 cross-divisional play.

But that doesn't mean Stoops isn't a little surprised to see Snyder, 70, back on the Wildcats sideline. The longtime Kansas State coach retired four years ago to pursue opportunities outside coaching, but was lured out of retirement last winter.

Stoops, whose 22nd-ranked Sooners host the Wildcats on Saturday, admits it's a little unexpected to be going up against his old boss again, but he was stunned when Snyder was no longer there, too.

"I always believe you have something in the tank, but I guess I was surprised because I was surprised initially that he did retire," said Stoops, who served on Snyder's staff at K-State from 1989-95 as defensive backs coach and later co-defensive coordinator. "I know how well thought out everything Coach Snyder does is that I figured that was it for him. But life changes I guess, the way people keep asking me what's going to happen with me in the next five to 10 years. Heck, I don't know. You just don't know.

"In the end, life changes and he felt that it was right for him to go back and I'm happy for him that it's working out well."

Working well may be the biggest of understatements. The Wildcats, who were up-and-down in the three seasons under Ron Prince, came into the season expected to finish near the bottom of the division race. But after the first three weeks of Big 12 play K-State (5-3, 3-1) stands alone in first place in the North division having won back-to-back league games and four of its last five.

The three-time defending Big 12 champion and last season's BCS championship game participant Sooners (4-3, 2-1), meanwhile, have fallen on difficult times this season with three defeats and the loss of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford for the season.

Still, the Wildcats will get their greatest of the season Saturday and it comes courtesy of someone who knows Snyder and his tendencies rather well.

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"It may make it more difficult because they probably have a better understanding of me than I do of them over a period of time," Snyder said. "Having been out of the game for three years I didn't study what other teams were doing or how consistent Oklahoma was in doing the things I was more attuned to at that particular point in time. What makes it most difficult is just the fact I know the quality of coaching that exists there.

"Bob and his staff there have done extremely well. You always know that you are going to play an excellent football team and a well coached football team a very aggressive football team and one that is difficult for anybody to beat."

Stoops is always aware of what to expect from a Snyder-coached football team, as well. The Wildcats will play great disciplined defense; offensively they will start by effectively running the ball both with the running back and quarterback and they won't beat themselves.

Knowing that, Stoops said he wasn't surprised when Snyder blasted his team in victory last week over Colorado for stumbling and bumbling offensively in the second half.

"He's always looking for improvement," Stoops said. "I spent a long time with Coach Snyder, seven years at Kansas State and I was around him for 10 years at Iowa so I know all about it."

Snyder, who has come back slightly kinder and gentler than before, admits he might have been a little harsh on his team after last Saturday's impressive home win.

"It wasn't good for a lot of different reasons, some I mentioned and some I didn't," Snyder said. "I was probably a little angrier than I should have been. Nevertheless, it's apparent we've got some improvement to make there."

What's Inside a Score, Really?

It was interesting to see if anyone could make sense out of three scores and three teams in the last three weeks in the Big 12.

Follow this: Texas Tech torched Kansas State, 66-14, in Week 6. The following week the Wildcats took out their frustration on Texas A&M by stomping the Aggies 62-14 in Manhattan. And then this past weekend, the Aggies went up to Lubbock, Tex. and destroyed the 21st-ranked Red Raiders 52-30.

So what, if anything, can be derived from college football scores these days?

"Don't look at them because history will repeat itself if you do," said Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who insinuated afterward that his team went into the A&M game a little full of itself having seen what the Wildcats did to the Aggies a week earlier. "I just think it doesn't matter how much you talk about it during the course of the week, because we talked about it in the course of the week because we spent most of the week talking about it doesn't matter what that Kansas State score was, you've got to be ready play. Somehow as coaches, we weren't able to reach them. We've got to find a better way to do that.

Mike Sherman"I think between a guy looking at the score themselves and then going out into the community and being told how great they are and how easy it's going to be, I think somehow you have to have the ability to overcome it. I think we have to find a better way to do that."

Second-year A&M coach Mike Sherman was also at a loss to explain his team's dramatic one-swing that ended a three-game losing streak.

"If I could, I probably could write a book and sell it to a lot of coaches across the country," he said. "Each week presents different challenges. Obviously last week our back was against the wall and there was only way you could go and that's to come out swinging which I thought they did."

Snyder used the odd turns of events in the three games as an excuse this week not to gush over his team's surprising first place standing in the North division.

"There is no real way of predicting how things will turn out," Snyder said. "Just look at the past few weeks involving us, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. That just shows you how much of a guessing game this really is."

Sherman, who of course spent some time as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans, said the scores in college football can be misleading from week to week. Unlike in the NFL, college kids are dealing with a lot of extenuating circumstances like mid-terms and papers to write.

And there is the injury issue. In the NFL, it's released who is healthy and who will play from week to week. College teams release such information at their discretion and coaches like Leach don't discuss injuries or who might be out at all.

"In college football you have guys playing hurt no one else knows about, different guys playing different positions," Sherman said. "I think it's very difficult because you don't have the full extent of knowledge of what a team is presented with. So I think every team is different."

As The Quarterback Turns At Colorado

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins made it clear Monday that sophomore Tyler Hansen would remain the Buffaloes starting quarterback this week.

But what is a little uncertain is whether Hansen will carry the load or will Hawkins' son, Cody, take most of the meaningful snaps? Hansen was pulled out of his redshirt three weeks ago and given the starting job over ineffective Cody Hawkins.

After guiding the Buffaloes to a surprising win over Kansas, however, Hansen struggled early during last weekend's loss at Kansas State. Cody Hawkins then spent the majority of the second half playing as the Buffaloes tried to come from behind.

Hawkins, a junior and three-year starter, moved the ball effectively at times but he also threw two costly picks, including one into triple coverage in the end zone that iced the game on the final drive. Immediately there were questions after the game about who would start this week against Missouri.

While continuing to back Hansen as the starter, Hawkins left open the door for his son to play in the hurry-up offense and in no huddle situations.

"You just have to kind of see how it goes, you have to play it by feel," he said. "I think Cody has a little better handle on the no huddle part of it."



Quarterback Issues II

Colorado, however, is far from alone in having quarterback dilemmas.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has continued to stick with first-year starter Zac Lee much to the dismay of the Nebraska Cornhuskers faithful who've been given a little taste of freshman Cody Green and they want more.

Then at Texas Tech, the cradle of record-breaking college quarterbacks, Leach is possibly looking at starting his third quarterback of the season Saturday against Kansas.

Former walk-on Steven Sheffield, who came off the bench and led the Red Raiders to a three-game winning streak, is out with a broken football suffered two weeks ago. Taylor Potts, the season-opening starter, was practically booed off the field during Saturday's stunning home loss to Texas A&M in his first start since Oct. 3 when he suffered a concussion.

Redshirt freshman Seth Doege could make his starting debut against the Kansas Jayhawks after seeming to light a spark in the Red Raiders during the second half of the A&M game. Leach, of course, wouldn't reveal his starter Monday.

But he did discuss Potts' shaky confidence after fans at Jones AT&T Stadiu chanted "No More Potts" as he walked to the locker room at halftime after losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions in the Aggies territory.

"I think it's an issue," Leach said. "Confidence is probably the most important asset that a quarterback has. No matter who you are, there are things that you have to fight through.

" I think on an individual level [Potts] needs to ensure that he's confident because no quarterback is going to be effective unless they are."

Pelini, meanwhile, said the fans won't decide who places a spark in the Cornhuskers who are riding a two-game losing streak into Saturday's game at Baylor. Lee, a junior, has struggled in conference play completing 50-of-93 passes for 534 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.

As a consequence Nebraska's offense has been lethargic, ranking 10th in the Big 12 in scoring with a 14.7 points per game average in league play.

"I do believe the offense needs a spark, where that spark comes from that's up for us to determine where that comes from," Pelini said. "I think that can come from a lot of different areas. I can say this, we need to light a fire under it. Somebody has to step up and make some plays."

Stoops, Snyder Resume Friendly Rivalry originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBob StoopsBobStoopsBoPeliniCody HawkinsCodyHawkinsDan HawkinsDanHawkinsDeion SandersDeionSandersDez BryantDezBryantKansas JayhawksKansasJayhawksMike GundyMike LeachMike ShermanMikeGundyMikeLeachMikeShermanNebraskaFootballRon PrinceRonPrinceSam BradfordSamBradfordSteven SheffieldStevenSheffieldtaylor pottsTaylorPottsTyler HansenTylerHansenZac LeeZacLeeTerrance HarrisWed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: North by North Messhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-12-notebook-north-by-north-mess/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-12-notebook-north-by-north-mess/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-12-notebook-north-by-north-mess/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bill SnyderIt's just three weeks into the full-swing of Big 12 play but the North Division is looking like any of the six teams could win the race.

That doesn't necessarily bode well at all for the weaker half of the two-division league.

Nebraska and Kansas came into the season as the presumed favorites to represent the North, but after two weeks of inconsistent play neither seems as powerful. The same can be said for two-time North champion Missouri, which started the season a surprising 4-0, but has dropped its first two games of the Big 12 season.

The standings looked a little odd to start this week when Kansas State and Colorado joined Nebraska and Kansas at the top of the North standings as one-loss teams. The Wildcats, who were expected to be in major rebuilding mode in the return of Bill Snyder, actually sit alone in first place as they've played one more game than the other top three and have a 2-1 league record.

"Certainly this far into the season, it looks like it's going to be kind of a wild race," said KU coach Mark Mangino. "For us, we understand this is a great conference and that anybody can win on any day. I don't think you can discount anybody in the conference. You've got to be ready to play and play smart football.

But the signal that this could be a wacky year in the North is much more than team records. It's what's happened in the first couple weeks.

Kansas State lost to Texas Tech 66-14 two weeks ago and then, last week, made a big statement by stomping Texas A&M 62-14. Nebraska, meanwhile, pulled off a late fourth-quarter win over Missouri only to fall apart and stay that way against Texas Tech this past Saturday.

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Snyder, who built the Wildcats into an unlikely North power in the 1990s and the early part of this decade before his retirement, can't explain the dramatic swing, from dazed in the opener to sitting atop the standings.

"It probably tell us we are a little goofy and we have no idea who we are or what we are," Snyder said. "Why does it happen? Everybody has their own opinion about it.

"I think in our situation, there was certainly a major embarrassment from the week before. The preparation in a lot of different ways improved over the course of the week."

Then there are the Jayhawks, who, thanks to steady diet of cupcakes in non-conference play, jumped out to a 4-0 record but barely squeaked by Iowa State before being upset Saturday by a one-win Colorado team Saturday. The Buffaloes also gave No. 2 Texas a scare week earlier before falling to the Longhorns in the second half.

Even the two bottom teams, Iowa State and Colorado still have a chance. The Cyclones, under first-year coach Paul Rhoads, have played both K-State and Kansas tough while they pulled out a convincing win over Baylor this past week.

And 0-2 Missouri has been the victim of a forgiving start to the Big 12 season that includes facing Nebraska and Oklahoma State and it continues this week when No. 3 Texas comes to Columbia. The Tigers fortunes should change the final five games with a slate that includes Colorado, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas.

"It's kind of hard to figure, I don't know what's going on," said Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel. "Everybody is playing different people at this time. We are on a real tough stretch obviously. We knew going into this it was going to be tough.

"There is a lot left in the season, a lot of things are going to happen by the end of October and November will be interesting to see how that all works out."

So the theme for the North is to expect the unexpected and hold on for a rather wild ride.

"What I see is that a lot of teams in the North, probably everybody is still got an opportunity," Mangino said. "For us, we just have to take care of the business at hand. We've just got to win as they come and let that stuff kind of figure itself out at the end. But it certainly looks like it's going to be a wild race, no question."

Longhorns sitting pretty at No.3

It may have seemed like a slight to some Texas fans when the Longhorns came in No.3 during the first BCS poll released this week.

But with either No.1 Florida or No.2 Alabama sure to take a fall in the SEC championship game at the latest, the third-ranked Longhorns just have to keep winning and they will punch their ticket to the BCS national title game.

The key for the Longhorns is to keep winning, but tough back-to-back road games coming up against Missouri and Oklahoma State that could prove difficult.

It doesn't really matter to me," UT senior quarterback Colt McCoy said of being third in the BCS rankings and what that might mean. "We don't care about that. We care about beating Missouri this week. Other than that, it doesn't matter."

Mack BrownBut coach Mack Brown recognizes the challenges that are in front of his team as it attempts to make a run at the BCS national title this season. The Longhorns were just seconds away from earning a trip last season when they fell to Texas Tech on a last-second play. That was all that stood between them and an undefeated record.

"The pressure is there being No. 3, because everybody says to every one of our kids that unless you win them all you're not going to have a chance to get what you want," said Brown, whose team dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the polls after an unimpressive win over Colorado two weeks ago. "What we want for them is to try to enjoy the ride. What a wonderful time that these kids have given us as fans, you as media, this is fun.

"Two years in a row they have been in the mix after mid-season. Two years in a row they have beaten Oklahoma to jumpstart the writing of the first BCS polls that come out.

"There is pressure, regardless of whether you are [No.] 1 or 3 and I don't think that the kids feel there is any difference because they know that it changes. They know it changes per week so I feel like they know that if you are in the top 3 or 4 than it is okay."


Who's at QB For Tech this week?

It appears that new star quarterback Steven Sheffield may have been injured during the Nebraska game and won't play in Saturday's home game against Texas A&M.

That means, if Sheffield isn't able to go, he will be replaced by starter Taylor Potts, whom Sheffield replaced a few weeks ago when he went down with an apparent concussion against New Mexico.

But don't expect to hear anything official from head coach Mike Leach or Texas Tech. Injuries are guarded under lock and key. We'll see Saturday.

But does it really matter? Whoever is at quarterback, the Red Raiders will throw for a lot of yards and score a bunch of touchdowns against A&M. Don't they always?

Pelini mum on quarterback situation

Nebraska nearly pulled ineffective quarterback Zac Lee during the second half of the Missouri game two weeks ago, but Lee got things going just in time to pull off the rallying win.

Lee, a first-year starter, didn't have that same magic this past weekend and in came freshman Cody Green, who did guide the Cornhuskers to a score in the loss to Tech.

Now head coach Bo Pelini has a full-blown quarterback controversy on his hands. Surprise, he isn't tipping which way he's leaning, either.

"Right now nothing has changed," Pelini said. "If and when the change occurs we'll announce it."

So does that mean the competition is open?

"It's always open," the always short on words coach said. "That's kind of how we always approach it."

That's certainly not helpful information to Paul Rhoads, whose Iowa State Cyclones have the task of preparing for two quarterbacks instead of one this week.

"You have to certainly analyze all their film and study what they've done and build a basic game plan and preparation based on those plays and look long and hard when the different players are there. Did the play go any different? Is there a significance to that?," Rhoads said. "If there is then you have to devise a little bit different play calling scheme.

"You can't over prepare, there just is not enough time, not enough reps in a day or a week. That's where the problem can come up if there is significant difference and the time that goes along with it."

There is also the possibility the Cyclones could face both Lee and Green. Maybe.

"It depends on how it goes," Pelini said. "We're not real big on the rotating quarterback system. It's hard to get a guy in a rhythm. We'll see how it goes and how they practice and how they perform and we'll go from there.

"There are a lot of variables, there is a lot of things that could happen, but it's hard for me to look into a crystal ball and say this will happen for sure."

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Anyiam stepping up in place of Dez Bryant

Oklahoma State has needed someone to step in place of suspended All-American receiver Dez Bryant and so far that person has been sophomore Hubert Anyiam.

During Saturday's win over Missouri, Anyiam put forth a Bryant-like performance with 10 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown to earn Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday. Anyiam has 16 catches for 223 yards and two scores on the season.

"Hubert has played well for us, he still has a ways to go but he's made catches for us," said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "He's a great example of a young man taking advantage of an opportunity. He hadn't had as many reps when Dez was playing and available to us, but since then he's had to step up and play a considerable amount of reps and done a good job."

As for when Bryant might be reinstated for lying to the NCAA about his friendship with Deion Sanders, Gundy said he still doesn't know. Bryant has been held out of the Cowboys last three games, all wins, but last week he went to Indianapolis to ask for reinstatement. No decision has been made.

Griffin gets a medical redshirt

Baylor sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin has been granted a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last month so he will have three to play upon returning in 2010.

Griffin opted to have surgery to repair his ACL last week, effectively ending his season. Now begins a lengthy rehab, which head coach Art Briles hopes will have him ready to participate some in spring ball.

"I think he is going to depend on how his rehab goes," Briles said. "I think he is going to be able to participate but certainly on a limited basis right now."

Big 12 Notebook: North by North Mess originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Art BrilesArtBrilesBig 12 FootballBig12FootballBill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBoPeliniCody GreenCodyGreencolt mccoyColtMccoyDeion SandersDeionSandersDez BryantDezBryantGary PinkelGaryPinkelJerrod JohnsonJerrodJohnsonMack BrownMackBrownmark manginoMarkManginoMike GundyMike LeachMike ShermanMikeGundyMikeLeachMikeShermanpaul rhoadsPaulRhoadsRobert GriffinRobertGriffinryan tannenhillRyanTannenhillSteven SheffieldStevenSheffieldtaylor pottsTaylorPottsZac LeeZacLeeTerrance HarrisTue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST Upsets Send Big 12 North's Rep Southhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/upsets-send-big-12-norths-rep-south/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/upsets-send-big-12-norths-rep-south/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/upsets-send-big-12-norths-rep-south/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

So much for the Big 12 North being taken seriously this season.

On a day when division leaders Kansas and Nebraska had a chance to make a statement, both teams were upset, and stunningly so.

No.15 Nebraska was exposed offensively in a 31-10 loss to unranked Texas Tech in Lincoln, Neb. And the 17th-ranked Jayhawks, which hadn't played a quality opponent until Saturday, was stunned, 34-30, by a one-win Colorado team for their first loss of the season.

Both defeats have left the door open for supremacy in the North with darkhorses Colorado and Kansas State perhaps having a shot at the division title. The Wildcats exploded on Texas A&M Saturday for after struggling offensively most of the season.

Nebraska, meanwhile, seems like a team that could be on the verge of big trouble.

A week after head coach Bo Pelini flirted with benching starting quarterback Zac Lee against Missouri, he pulled the trigger Saturday by replacing ineffective Lee with Cody Green in the fourth quarter. There is no word on who will start next week when Iowa State comes to town.

But for the second time in as many games, the Cornhuskers couldn't get anything going in the first three quarters. But unlike against the Tigers, Nebraska was unable to turn it on in fourth quarter against Tech. The Cornhuskers managed just 285 yards of offense for its lowest output since 2007.

"We didn't execute from the beginning to the end," said Pelini, whose team slipped to 4-2, 1-1 Big 12. "On offense, we didn't come off the ball. We didn't catch the ball. We didn't make the right reads at quarterback. We didn't run the ball effectively.
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"On defense, we didn't make plays. You can sit there and ask all of the questions you want in the world. It comes down to we got beat because we didn't make plays. We got outplayed and outcoached."

In the Jayhawks road loss, they came across a re-energized Colorado team that was starting Tyler Hansen at quarterback for the first time this season. Hansen may have caused more problems for head coach Dan Hawkins with his performance Saturday.

Hawkins reluctantly benched his son, Cody Hawkins, last week in favor of Hansen. Prior to coming off the bench in the Texas game, Hansen was on his way to a redshirt season after losing out to Hawkins for the starting job during two-a-days.

Hansen sparked the Buffaloes defense with one passing and one rushing touchdown. Hansen completed 14 of 25 passes for 175 yards with one interception while rushing 11 times for 35 yards.

The Jayhawks (5-1, 1-1), meanwhile, were explosive with their trio of quarterback Todd Reesing and receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. But it was the ground game that took a real hit after finishing with minus-7 yards. Kansas lost the time of possession battle soundly, with Colorado holding a 35:12 to 24:48 edge.

But even still, the Jayhawks had their chances in the end with touchdown passing attempts to both Briscoe and Meier being swatted away to preserve the Colorado upset.

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Upsets Send Big 12 North's Rep South originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bo PeliniCody Hawkinsdezmon briscoekerry meierTodd ReesingTyler HansenZac LeeTerrance HarrisSat, 17 Oct 2009 23:52:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: As Usual, Red River Rivalry Is More Than a Gamehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/big-12-notebook-red-river-runs-through-it/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/big-12-notebook-red-river-runs-through-it/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/13/big-12-notebook-red-river-runs-through-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sam Bradford, Colt McCoyIt's not like Texas and Oklahoma ever needed a reason to make their annual Red River Rivalry game in Dallas any more intense.

The tradition of the two programs, the bordering states and the fight for superiority in fertile recruiting ground of Texas use to be enough. Who knew this early season game would take on so much more meaning when both teams joined the Big 12 in 1996?

This game has become about so much more than school pride and bragging rights, as one of these two teams has won the South each of the last 10 years, and it has sometimes set the stage for the national championship picture.

"It's a definite highlight, how could it not be?" OU coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "It's a definite highlight, a definite challenge and all of that.

"But it's not unlike anyone else. If you are in a good league, you are going to play against teams where you've got your hurdles, your challenges throughout the year. You embrace them and you go play them."

Saturday's game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, like so many of the past 10 years, will have huge Big 12 South implications. Oklahoma and Texas, the only South division champs since 1999, were both picked as the co-Big 12 South champs in the preseason media.

The Longhorns, undefeated (5-0) and ranked third in the country, not only have Big 12 implications riding on this but are trying to keep pace with Florida and Alabama for a shot at the BCS national championship. The 20th-ranked Sooners (3-2), who have been injury plagued all season, are probably out of the national title picture, but they still have their sights on a fourth straight Big 12 championship.

Giving this game an even more interesting twist is the fact UT actually defeated Oklahoma by 10 points in this game last season, but it was the Sooners who advanced to the Big 12 championship game and also into the national title game following a controversial three-way tiebreaker decision that sent 7-1 Oklahoma to the conference championship game and left 7-1 UT and Texas Tech home to watch.

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"It's a conference game, and I think if you ask both teams, it's crucial," said UT senior quarterback Colt McCoy, who comes into Saturday's game 2-1 against the Sooners. "For us, we can't look at their record and the things that have gone on in the first five games of the season. We have to understand that it doesn't matter who we're playing, we're going to get their best shot. This game is the most important game for us this season."

On the surface, this will be billed as a matchup of two Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterbacks who happen to be good friends in OU's Sam Bradford and McCoy. Last season, Bradford won the prestigious award and McCoy finished second. This season, McCoy could have the edge right now just by virtue he has been healthy and Bradford just returned last week from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss two complete games.

But underneath it all, this should play out as a classic matchup of two outstanding defenses.

The Longhorns, led by defensive end Sergio Kindle and linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy, rank fourth in the nation in overall defense after allowing teams an average of 233.0 yards per game. Against a much tougher slate, Oklahoma's defense is allowing 256.00 yards per game and has given up just six touchdowns to rank ninth in country in overall defense.

"We have the two best defenses in the country," said UT coach Mack Brown, whose team slipped from No.2 to No.3 this week in the AP poll. "It will be really fun to watch the two defenses play because they play well every week."

But for everyone on both sides, it will be fun just because it's Texas vs. Oklahoma.

"This game is one of the reasons why you come to Texas," said UT guard Charlie Tanner. "I grew up watching the Texas vs. OU game. Going to the Cotton Bowl is one of the most awesome games of college football. You got half the stadium crimson, half the stadium orange and coming out of that tunnel is everything you could want in a college football game."


Todd Reesing for Heisman?

Kansas coach Mark Mangino, as a practice, doesn't campaign for his players to win national awards like the Heisman Trophy.

So that might explain why his trumpeting senior quarterback Todd Reesing for the Heisman Trophy on Monday seemed a little odd and ill-timed.

"We've only played five games, but I believe, this is an opinion, he certainly merits the right to be a part of the Heisman conversation," Mangino said during Monday's Big 12 football media call. "When you look at him statistically you are impressed.

"But I think the true way you judge Todd Reesing is you have to see him play. If you watch him play, the way he just has great leadership, he's in control, how he can take what looks to be a minus-yardage play and turn it into a gain or big gain. The real appreciation is after you watch him play. It's not fair just to look at his statistics."

There is no doubt Reesing is an exciting player. The 5-foot-11 quarterback certainly makes the 17th-ranked Jayhawks fun to watch as he dodges tackles, squares his shoulders and heaves the football down field to either Dezmon Briscoe or Kerry Meier.

But is he Heisman Trophy worthy? The numbers and the competition to this point just don't seem to support such an assertion.

Reesing ranks third in the Big 12 in total offense with 1,680 yards in five games, he's second in the league in passing per game (315.8), passing efficiency (157.6) and passing yards (1,579). He has completed 133 of 192 passes while throwing for 13 touchdowns and three interceptions while guiding the Jayhawks to a 5-0 record so far.

All of this fancy work has come against a slate of Northern Colorado, UTEP, Duke, Southern Miss and Iowa State. Let's talk Heisman after these next six weeks when Reesing will have matchup against the likes of Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Nebraska, Texas and Missouri.

Praise for Suh

Coming into the season, there probably wasn't a more hyped defensive lineman in the country than Nebraska senior tackle Ndamukong Suh.

All indication were after the way he ended last season that he could be the best to ever come through Nebraska. Six games into his final season in Lincoln, Suh is appearing to be worth the hype and then some.

At 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, he has been doing it all for the Cornhuskers: rushing the passer, stopping the run, dropping back into passing lands and yes intercepting passes.

Suh was the defensive catalyst in the Cornhuskers come-from-behind 27-12 win at Missouri last Thursday night. He not only had six tackles, a forced fumble, a sack and a pass deflection, but his fourth quarter interception changed the game. Nebraska was trailing 12-7 when he got his hands on a Blaine Gabbert pass near the line scrimmage. That pick led to the go ahead touchdown for the Cornhuskers.

"That's pretty special when a guy like that can make those kind of plays and create turnovers," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

He will get no argument for Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, who watched his team try to do everything it could within the rules to neutralize Suh. Nothing seemed to work as Suh put up numbers worthy of him being named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

In the type of production normally seen from linebackers and safeties, Suh leads Nebraska in tackles (32). The preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is the top tackling defensive lineman in the conference where is tied with Oklahoma defensive back Quinton Carter for 22nd with 6.4 tackles per game.

"I think he's a great player," Pinkel said. "You can double team a player every single (down). We played him year ago and I thought he was a good player then. We played him earlier in the season a year ago, by the end he was first team All-Big 12.

"The things he does, the numbers he puts up at that position, at that size, he's a very dominant player. As he's done with everyone else he's played, he caused us a lot of problems."

Oklahoma' Red Zone Problems

The Sooners knew they would miss All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham when he went down with a season-ending knee injury before the season began.

But they didn't know it would be this much. Gresham had been one of Bradford's primary targets in the red zone the past couple seasons, but without his presence the Sooners touchdown success has plummeted.

Last week alone, Oklahoma made seven trips into the red zone and had to settle for four field goals and just two touchdowns as receivers had major drop problems in the win over Baylor.

The success rate is even more troubling when you consider that in two one-point defeats to BYU and Miami, the Sooners made eight combined trips inside of the red zone and came away with just three touchdowns. That could be the major difference in them being 5-0 instead of 3-2.

While Stoops admits the offense misses Gresham, he says the problems in the red zone have been far more complex than just one missing player.

"Sometimes it's blocking, it's just executing the run game a little bit better, sometimes it's being able to work offensive coverage and sometimes we've had some drops, as well," he said. "It doesn't take much when you are down there for that to happen."

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In this Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, photo, Florida State tight end Caz Piurowski is checked by team trainers following his knee injury during an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State announced Monday, Oct. 12, that Piurowski will miss the remainder of the season due to the injury. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)
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    In this photo taken on Sept. 26, 2009, Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead (22) carries the ball against Louisiana-Lafayette during an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb. Burkhead injured a foot in practice on Monday, Oct. 12, 2009, and Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini said the freshman would be out "for a while." (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

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    Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno smiles during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State host Minnesota on Saturday in an NCAA college football game. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    ** RECROPPED VERSION ** Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno smiles during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State host Minnesota on Saturday in an NCAA college football game. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno addresses the media during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State host Minnesota on Saturday in an NCAA college football game. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno enters his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State host Minnesota on Saturday in an NCAA college football game. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    In this photo taken Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy is shown before his team's 38-14 win in an NCAA college football game against Colorado in Austin, Texas. Texas, ranked No.3, is set to play No. 20 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 in Dallas. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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    In this Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, photo, Florida State tight end Caz Piurowski is checked by team trainers following his knee injury during an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State announced Monday, Oct. 12, that Piurowski will miss the remainder of the season due to the injury. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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    In this Sept. 26, 2009, photo, Michigan cornerback Boubacar Cissoko (33) trails Indiana wide receiver Tandon Doss (2) on a long pass during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan has suspended Cissoko indefinitely for violating team rules. Coach Rich Rodriguez made the announcement Saturday night, Oct. 10, after Iowa beat the Wolverines 30-28. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

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    Washington's Desmond Trufant returns an intercepting of a pass from Arizona's Nick Foles at the end fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Earlier in the quarter Washington intercepted another pass returning it for a touchdown to win 36-33 over Arizona. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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Quick Hits

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin elected to have surgery to repair his torn ACL, effectively ending his sophomore season. Griffin, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2008, should be back in time to begin the season in 2010...Stoops said receiver Ryan Broyles could return to the lineup as early as this week after being projected to be out four-to-six weeks with a shoulder injury ... Texas A&M receiver Jeff Fuller has began practicing with the team after suffering a cracked right fibula in the Aggies second game of the season on Sept. 19 ... Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Kendall Hunter, the Big 12 leading rusher in 2008, has began practicing with the team after missing the last couple games with ankle injury. It's not certain if Hunter will be back the lineup for Saturday's home game against Missouri...In addition to Suh, Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors after throwing for seven touchdowns against Kansas State in his first start. Texas receiver/punt returner Jordan Shipley was named the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter Saturday in the win over Colorado.

Big 12 Notebook: As Usual, Red River Rivalry Is More Than a Game originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bob StoopsBobStoopscolt mccoyColtMccoydezmon briscoeDezmonBriscoeGary PinkelGaryPinkelJermaine GreshamJermaineGreshamJordan ShipleyJordanShipleyKendall HunterKendallHunterkerry meierKerryMeierMack BrownMackBrownmark manginoMarkManginoMike GundyMikeGundyndamukong suhNdamukongSuhRed River RivalryRedRiverRivalryRobert GriffinRobertGriffinRoddrick MuckelroyRoddrickMuckelroyRyan BroylesRyanBroylesSam BradfordSamBradfordSergio KindleSergioKindleSteven SheffieldStevenSheffieldTodd ReesingToddReesingTerrance HarrisTue, 13 Oct 2009 19:33:00 EST Big 12 Weekend in Review: Career Days For Kansas Triohttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/big-12-weekend-in-review-career-days-for-kansas-trio/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/big-12-weekend-in-review-career-days-for-kansas-trio/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/big-12-weekend-in-review-career-days-for-kansas-trio/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We all knew the Kansas Jayhawks offense had a chance to be lethal this season with quarterback Todd Reesing and wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier setting the pace.

Well, the trio took it to a ridiculous level Saturday as the receivers bested each other during the Jayhawks' 41-31 win over Iowa State. First Briscoe set the school record for career receptions, then Meier jumped ahead of him. Meier, a converted quarterback, has 167 career catches while Briscoe sits at 165 after making 12 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns Saturday.

Meier also established a new school record with 16 catches in a game, while gaining 142 yards and scoring two receiving touchdowns.

And not to be overlooked were Reesing's career-high 442 yards and four passing touchdowns on the day.

--Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson established a new Big 12 mark by extending his streak of consecutive passes without an interception to 228 during Saturday's 36-31 loss to Oklahoma State.

Ships-A-Hoy!

Texas' Super-Duper senior Jordan Shipley had a monster game during the No. 2 Longhorns' 38-14 victory over Colorado on Saturday.

Shipley, perhaps one of the most underrated players in the country, accounted for 273 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on the day. The sixth-year senior had 11 catches for 147 yards and a 39-yard touchdown reception. And then he capped his day with a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

A Get Well Card

While 2008's Big 12 leading rusher, Kendall Hunter, nurses an ankle injury, his backup at Oklahoma State, Keith Totson, is continuing to make quite an impression. The senior produced 204 all-purpose yards, rushing for 130 yards on 26 carries and adding 74 yards on two catches against the Aggies.

Happy Return

After missing four weeks and three games, Oklahoma's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford made a triumphant return to the Sooners' lineup Saturday.

And probably even better, Bradford showed no ill-effects from the sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, as he completed 27-of-49 passes for 389 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's rout of Baylor.

The return was just in time as the Sooners get ready to face No. 2 Texas during next week's anticipated annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas.

One thing the Sooners will want to clear up is Bradford's career-high 22 incomplete passes, which were due in large part to a number of drops by the receivers.

Quarterback Controversies Abound

The Colorado fans and boosters may have had enough of quarterback Cody Hawkins for weeks now, but finally his father/coach Dan Hawkins had his fill during the second half of Saturday's loss to Texas, when Cody tossed interceptions on back-to-back series, with the first going for a 92-yard touchdown on the return.

Hawkins yanked his son and pulled the redshirt off sophomore Tyler Hansen, who lost out in the battle with Cody during fall camp. It's the second time in as many seasons Hansen seemed headed for a redshirt year only to have it yanked away during the middle of the season. Last year, it was seven games into the season that Hawkins put Hansen in as Cody struggled. He waited five games this season.

"I guess I'm getting kind of used to burning this redshirt," Hansen joked afterward Saturday. "They came to me last week and gave me a couple of days to decide. It pretty much came down to -- I can get an injury tomorrow and never play again. So when you have the opportunity to play, especially in college at the D-1 level in this atmosphere, you take it."

Obviously, the ball should remain in Hansen's hands the remainder of the 1-4 Buffaloes season, no matter the outcome. Hawkins says Hansen is the starter now. Of course, Hansen has been jerked around plenty of times as Hawkins tries to balance fatherhood and being the head coach of a Division I-A program.

"We're just going to have to see," Hansen said. "We'll do whatever's best for the team. I'm ready to get this thing going. I just want to win games."

Texas Tech, meanwhile, may have a quarterback controversy on its hands in a good way.

With starter Taylor Potts sidelined Saturday with what is believed to be concussion, former walk-on Steven Sheffield came in and the Red Raiders' high-powered offense didn't miss a beat. In fact it seemed fine-tuned with Sheffield throwing for 491 yards and seven touchdowns in the 66-14 slaughter of Kansas State on Saturday.

The offense scored on its first six possessions and nine of its first 10, while scoring the most points in a Big 12 game since defeating Nebraska, 70-10, in 2004.

Oh, what will Mike Leach decide when Potts is ready to return from an injury he doesn't even acknowledge?

A Costly Victory

Texas got the win over the Buffaloes, but may have lost its two top running backs in the process with the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma coming up next week.

Not good.

Tailback Vondrell McGee exited the game when he suffered a left shoulder injury Saturday, while Tre' Newton left in the first half with a mild concussion.

The injuries, along with the fact the Longhorns netted just 46 yards on the ground against the Buffaloes, left Mack Brown more than just a little concerned about what was supposed to be an improved ground attack this season.

"What we're trying to do is get better in the running game. It didn't work," said Brown, whose team was surpassed by Alabama for the No.2 spot in the latest AP poll despite defeating Colorado. "We've just got to keep looking at it and keep doing what we need to do."

Big 12 Weekend in Review: Career Days For Kansas Trio originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Cody HawkinsCodyHawkinsDan HawkinsDanHawkinsdezmon briscoeDezmonBriscoeJordan ShipleyJordanShipleykerry meierKerryMeierMack BrownMackBrownMike LeachMikeLeachSam BradfordSamBradfordTodd ReesingToddReesingTre NewtonTreNewtonTyler HansenVondrell McGeeVondrellMcgeeTerrance HarrisSun, 11 Oct 2009 12:28:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: North Heats Uphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/big-12-notebook-north-heats-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/big-12-notebook-north-heats-up/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/big-12-notebook-north-heats-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Maybe it's premature to start trumpeting the return of the Big 12 North, but if the non-conference success of the big-three North teams is any indication this could be an interesting season.

Nebraska and Kansas were expected to dominate the weaker of the league's two divisions, but it appears they will have company. Missouri, which is supposed to be in a rebuilding mode after back-to-back North titles, is off to a surprising 4-0 start that catapulted the program into the Top 25 this week at No. 24.

The North has three teams in Top 25 this week with the 4-0 Jayhawks at No. 16 and the Cornhuskers (3-1) ranked No. 21 in the latest AP poll. But before we anoint the North as the dominant division in the Big 12 this season, let's remember there isn't a Top 25 victory among the top three. So don't expect the national fireworks that the three-way tie in the South between Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech set off last season.

It does, however, make for a potentially interesting race as league play gets going in earnest this week. It should be a lot more interesting than the South race where it looks like the Longhorns are now the clear favorites.

For obvious reasons, nobody is quite ready to discuss the North Division race.

"I am not looking at the big picture at all," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said during Monday's Big 12 coaches call. "The way we are handling things is that we have to take care of the business at hand. A byproduct of having a great season in the North for us is paying attention to each opponent as they come.

"But to tell you where people are, how they are going to be three weeks, a month from now, I'm not able to do that."

Things start off in hurry for this week for Missouri and Nebraska when they open up against each other in primetime Thursday night in Columbia, Mo. in what has become quite an intriguing rivalry. The Cornhuskers once upon a time owned Missouri, but the Tigers have reeled off three straight impressive wins over Nebraska at Faurot Field by an average of 23 points and have won four of the last six meetings in the Gary Pinkel era. The Tigers blasted Nebraska 52-17 at Memorial Stadium last year.

Initially, this seemed like the year Nebraska might be able to swing the rivalry back to its favor, but first-year Mizzou quarterback Blaine Gabbert has been impressive in his replacement of Chase Daniel. Gabbert is coming off a 414-yard, three passing touchdown effort against Nevada on Sept. 25, which bested his 319-yard effort in the season opener against Illinois.

Nebraska, meanwhile, in attempt to return to prominence has been successful against Florida Atlantic, Arkansas State and UL Lafayette while losing a heart-breaker near the end at Virginia Tech in a matchup of Top 25 teams.

So is Nebraska back and is Missouri here to stay?

"I'd like to think yes to both questions," said second-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, whose team generated excitement with four straight wins at the end of last season, including 26-21 victory over Clemson in the Gator Bowl. "We still have ways to go. We'll see what happens Thursday."


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Could Griffin Return?

It was generally assumed super sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin was done for the season when he suffered the isolated tear of his right ACL during the first quarter of the win over Northwestern State Sept. 26.

But head coach Art Briles said the surgical procedure that would have cost him the rest of the season has not yet been scheduled. He left open the door that Griffin could return at some point this season. He would obviously lose some mobility but there is a chance Griffin could not injure the knee any worse.

"That's strictly his decision because there are positives and negatives with going either way," Briles said Monday. "That's a decision that will be based on what's best for Robert in the long term."

His loss certainly was a blow to the Bears ending their postseason drought, though they came out of non-conference play 3-1 despite having to start third-string quarterback Nick Florence during Saturday's 31-15 win over Kent State.

Senior backup Blake Szymanski was also injured in the Northwestern State game and was unavailable last week, leaving the freshman as the best option.

Florence completed 20-of-27 passes for 216 yards and did not throw any interceptions while also running for two touchdowns.

"I thought Nick did what we asked him to do and that's to be careful with the football, give us an opportunity to be productive on the offensive side and put us in the position of winning the game," Briles said. "So he did all of those things. He played with a lot of awareness, a lot of intelligence, a lot of passion."

Briles said Monday he still wasn't certain whether Szymanski or Florence would start Saturday at No. 19 Oklahoma.

"As far as Blake, he wasn't available yesterday at workout," he said. "We'll have to see how it looks (Tuesday) when we get back on the field."

Potts' Progress

It's hard to find out any official news on the progress of Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts, who was knocked out of Saturday night's win against New Mexico and hospitalized overnight with an apparent concussion, since head coach Mike Leach won't even acknowledge that he was hurt.

Leach, like most college coaches, has a policy of not discussing injuries. But as with almost anything with Leach, the Red Raiders coach takes his policy over the top by not even being willing to discuss what thousands at Jones AT&T Stadium witnessed.

"He's doing well, a great member of our team and we continue to look forward to his success," Leach said when asked about Potts progress.

When asked if there is any reasonable way Potts could play Saturday against Kansas State after suffering an apparent concussion, Leach remained evasive.

"First of all, I've never acknowledged that an injury exists," Leach said on the Big 12 Conference call. "So write what you want to write."

The only thing Leach did confirm was that offensive lineman and captain Brandon Carter has returned to the team after the team captain was indefinitely suspended last week for violation of team rules. Carter, a guard, practiced with the team Sunday.

Leach has not discussed what Carter did to be suspended and declined to say what transpired to allow him to return to the team after missing all of last week's team activities.

"Since we didn't talk about his case to me to begin with, it seems to me it's an internal matter so we are not going to go into it now," he said.

It's unknown whether or not Carter will resume his role as a team captain.

Kansas State Has QB Dilemma

There probably wasn't anyone in Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday who was surprised when well-traveled senior quarterback Grant Gregory trotted out to start for Kansas State against Iowa State.

That included Gregory, whose workload had certainly increased in the week leading up to the game.

"We have been practicing pretty well overall," Gregory said. "We just go out there every day. Wednesday and Thursday practices I started taking number one reps, but I said I'll believe it when I get on the field."

Gregory quickly became a believer Saturday and perhaps so did many on the Wildcats' sideline as he made several big plays to spark Kansas State to the 24-23 come-from-behind win over the Cyclones. Coach Bill Snyder, who has long favored mobile quarterbacks, went with Gregory over Carson Coffman as the starter for the first time this season.

Both players had played quite a bit throughout the first three games, but Coffman had been the starter. But with Gregory possessing a few more physical tools, including being a better runner, Snyder turned it over to the senior who has played with three different college programs in six years.

And Gregory didn't disappoint, completing 16-of-23 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns while he also ran for 29 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He threw two fourth quarter touchdowns, which included the go-ahead 54-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Banks with 5:36 left to play.

Surprisingly, Snyder wouldn't commit to Gregory as his starter against Texas Tech.

"I thought Grant did some really positive things in the ballgame. He created some big plays for us, which was important for us to have," he said. "There was certainly some of his performance that needs vast improvement on. There were some mistakes that were critical in the ballgame, threw an interception and some other things.

"There are just things that are going to come with constant focus on improvement and more experience on the field. He's a hard working young guy who is very focuses and conscientious. They will go to the practice field and continue to compete as they have all season."

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In this Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 photo, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden is shown walking the sideline during the second half against Boston College of an NCAA college football game at Alumni Stadium in Boston. Boston College won 28-21. The chairman of the Florida State University trustees wants Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of this season. Jim Smith said Monday, oct. 5, 2009, the arrangement with Bowden as head coach and his successor, Jimbo Fisher, as offensive coordinator isn't working. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
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    In this photo taken Sept. 12, 2009, Illinois' QB Eddie McGee (10) heads down field against Illinois State during the second half of the NCAA college football game at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill. Illinois will start backup quarterback Eddie McGee on Saturday against Michigan State instead of Juice Williams. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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    In this photo taken Oct. 3, 2009, Illinois' quarterback Juice Williams (7) scrambles out of the pocket against Penn State during the first half of the NCAA college football game in Champaign, Ill. Illinois will start backup quarterback Eddie McGee on Saturday against Michigan State instead of Juice Williams. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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    In this Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 photo, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden is shown walking the sideline during the second half against Boston College of an NCAA college football game at Alumni Stadium in Boston. Boston College won 28-21. The chairman of the Florida State University trustees wants Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of this season. Jim Smith said Monday, oct. 5, 2009, the arrangement with Bowden as head coach and his successor, Jimbo Fisher, as offensive coordinator isn't working. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)

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    Washington State running back Logwone Mitz, top, attempts to leap in for a touchdown but is stopped short by the Oregon defensive during the second half of their NCAA college football game in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. Oregon beat Washington 52-6.

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    In this Oct. 3, 2009 photograph, Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright (34) attempts to block a first half pass by Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt (9) during their NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss. Josh Nesbitt is making it tough on defensive coordinators. The Georgia Tech quarterback did a little bit of everything the last two weeks, baffling defenses in wins over Mississippi State and North Carolina. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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    Stanford running back Toby Gerhart (7) scores a touchdown past UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner (1) in the first quarter of their NCAA football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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    Houston quarterback Case Keenum and UTEP defender Aaron King chase a fumble during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in El Paso, Texas. Keenum was unable to recover the ball and it was instead picked up by UTEP's Roddray Walker and run 70 yards for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Victor Calzada)

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    Houston's Brandon Brinkley agonized after UTEP's Donald Buckram scored his fourth touchdown of the evening during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in El Paso, Texas. UTEP linemen celebrated with Buckram in the background. (AP Photo/Victor Calzada)

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    UTEP defender Roddray Walker sprints 70 yards for touchdown after recovering a Houston fumble during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Victor Calzada)

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Jayhawks Might Turn Sharp Loose

Kansas running back Jake Sharp could be back in the lineup Saturday against Iowa State, but Mangino isn't saying yet.

Sharp suffered an unknown injury in a non-contact drill in the week leading up to the Sept. 19 Duke game and since playing sparingly against the Blue Devils he sat out the Southern Miss game and the Jayhawks had a bye this past week.

"For Jake, we feel pretty good about his progress," Mangino said. "We will see him all-out, full-speed on the practice field this week, and if he's feeling good and no effects, he will play against Iowa State."

In his absence, freshman Toben Opurum has turned quite a few heads with his versatility. During the 44-16 win over Duke, he put up a total of 120 yards while scoring two touchdowns and averaging 4.1 yards per play. He came back the following week and rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 21 yards, which included a 12-yard touchdown.

Mangino said the bye week was good learning time for the freshman.

Toben got a chance to assess what he has done," he said. "He's gone over with his coaches all the positive things and all the things he needs to work on. So it was a very positive big week of learning for Toben."

Longhorns not overlooking Colorado

The second-ranked Texas Longhorns have a big one in couple weeks against the Sooners in the annual Red River Classic game in Dallas.

But before then, they will host struggling Colorado on Saturday. Head coach Mack Brown said there is no way his team overlooks the Buffaloes.

"It's something that comes up because OU is like a bowl game in the middle of the football season," Brown said." But this football team is excited about the home game this weekend against Colorado. We'll have over 100,000 here plus they had a weekend off so we are pumped. We've had some great ballgames with Colorado since we've been here and I do think our fans will get excited about this game, as well.

"We do understand we have to get better. We have not played near our best yet. This weekend gives us a chance to improve on some things we were able to look at and re-evaluate over the bye week."

Big 12 Notebook: North Heats Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Art BrilesArtBrilesBill SnyderBillSnyderBlaine GabbertBlaineGabbertBo PeliniBoPeliniBrandon CarterChase DanielChaseDanielGary PinkelGaryPinkelJake SharpJakeSharpMack BrownMackBrownmark manginoMarkManginoMike LeachMikeLeachRobert GriffinRobertGriffintaylor pottsTaylorPottsToben OpurumTerrance HarrisMon, 05 Oct 2009 23:30:00 EST Taylor Potts Released From Hospital After Apparent Concussionhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/04/taylor-potts-released-from-hospital-after-apparent-concussion/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/04/taylor-potts-released-from-hospital-after-apparent-concussion/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/04/taylor-potts-released-from-hospital-after-apparent-concussion/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon after being kept overnight from complications of an apparent concussion suffered in the second quarter of the Red Raiders' 48-28 win over New Mexico.

An operator at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Tex. confirmed to FanHouse that Potts was discharged Sunday while free safety Nathan Stone remains hospitalized with what is believed to be some type of spinal cord injury. The hospital would not release any information on the health of the two players.

But the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Potts suffered a concussion and that Stone had a spinal injury.

Potts got hit a few times in the first half and was then knocked out on a hard hit near the sideline in the second quarter. Former walk-on Steven Sheffield came in for Potts with the score tied 7-7 and guided the Raiders to a 35-7 lead. Seeing the most extensive time of his career, Sheffield finished the night with 238 yards and three touchdowns while completing 16-of-23 passes.

Meanwhile, Potts' availability for this week's game against Kansas State remains uncertain. But if he did sustain a concussion it's highly likely he will be cleared to play, making it very well possible that coach Mike Leach will have his starting quarterback miss a game for the first time in Leach's 10-year tenure.

But don't expect Leach to provide much insight into any of the injuries or the possible availability of Potts anytime soon.

"Well I expect everybody to be back since there hasn't been an injury around here in five years or whatever it started," Leach said to reporters after his team stopped a two-game losing streak Saturday night. "I don't know why this week would be any different. And so, you know, we'll go out and practice and see what happens."

Taylor Potts Released From Hospital After Apparent Concussion originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mike LeachMikeLeachtaylor pottsTaylorPottsTerrance HarrisSun, 04 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST Short and Tweet: Leach Bans Twitterhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/28/short-and-tweet-leach-bans-twitter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/28/short-and-tweet-leach-bans-twitter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/28/short-and-tweet-leach-bans-twitter/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mike LeachTexas Tech coach Mike Leach has apparently fixed the Red Raiders Twitter problem in quick and absolute fashion.

Less than 24 hours after offensive lineman Brandon Carter and linebacker Marlon Williams vented frustration on their Twitter pages, Leach has taken action to make certain none of his other players make the same mistake.

"Anybody that wants to play for us doesn't have a Twitter page," Leach said Monday when asked about the two posts.

Carter, who was suspended indefinitely for an incident separate from his Twitter post, vented about no longer being a captain before it was removed, according to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal.

"I am not a captain anymore and will not be playing this week. Good luck red raiders ill still be cheering on my family from the stands!!:)"

Williams was far more pointed in his comments, showing his frustration with Leach's tardiness to a team meeting and also the direction of the team following back-to-back losses in which Leach's coaching decisions weighed heavily on the outcome.

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During the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 29-28 loss to Houston, Leach elected to go for it on fourth-and-one at the goal and quarterback Taylor Potts was stuffed, paving the way for the Cougars comeback win. Had Leach elected to kick the short field goal at that point, his team would have been ahead by eight points which would have forced the Cougars to not only score a touchdown but also make good on a two-point conversion just to force overtime.

A week earlier, a controversial on-side kick decision in the second half against Texas seemed to re-ignite a struggling Longhorns offense on the way to a 34-24 win.

"Wondering why I'm still in this meeting room when the head coach can't even be on time to his on meeting," wrote Williams, whose Twitter name was Kos39 before apparently deleting his account.

In a tweet right after the UH loss, Williams let out his frustration, as well.

"WTF I can't believe what happened man my senior season isn't goin anything like what I busted my azz for .... New week now F$&@"

Leach responded to Williams tweets in a stern way Monday.

"Anybody that's a malcontent doesn't stay around here very long because we have a pretty good line of recruits that are fully willing to replace him," Leach said. "Interestingly enough, he doesn't have a twitter page anymore."

But Texas coach Mack Brown brought up a point later in the conference call when asked about his team's policy on social network sites like Twitter, Myspace and Facebook. Brown, most college coaches across the country, would like to ban use of the sites by his players but may have his hands tied.

Brown, of course, had an embarrassing situation occur last year when one of his former players posted a racially charged message against then Presidential-candidate Barack Obama on his Facebook account.

"It's against state and federal law, I think to say that you can't be on Twitter, you can't be on Facebook, Myspace because basically they can," Brown said. "It would be a football rule and when they are away from us they are really more under the guise of the university more than football.

"What we have done is encourage them not to be on it and if they are on it then they need to be classy and not put anything on there they don't want their mom to read because these kids think they are just in conversation with buddies but that's public information. They can go private but a lot of people are smart enough to get in there.

"When there is a hint of trouble people are going to go immediately to their Facebook and Myspace page to see what's on there."

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As far as the reason for Carter's indefinite suspension or if he might return to the team, Leach wasn't willing elaborate Monday.

"None of that stuff is privy to the media. That's for violating team rules," Leach said. "Anything he needs to do to get back, that's pretty much between me and him."

Williams' status with the team remains unclear.

Short and Tweet: Leach Bans Twitter originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>mack brownMackBrownmike leachMikeLeachTerrance HarrisMon, 28 Sep 2009 13:37:00 EST Texas Tech Has a Twitter Problemhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/texas-tech-has-a-twitter-problem/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/texas-tech-has-a-twitter-problem/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/texas-tech-has-a-twitter-problem/#commentsFiled under:

Brandon CarterTexas Tech had a bad day on Saturday, dropping a 29-28 heartbreaker to Houston for its second consecutive loss. But it had a downright weird day on Sunday, with one of its best players being suspended indefinitely and announcing that suspension via Twitter, and another senior leader turning to Twitter to rip the football program and head coach Mike Leach.

Tech offensive lineman Brandon Carter tweeted on Sunday, "I am not a captain anymore and will not be playing this week. Good luck red raiders ill still be cheering on my family from the stands!!:)" Carter appears to have deleted his Twitter account (@BCSLAM) after that, but not before the Lubbock Avalanche Journal noted the tweet and the suspension, which has been confirmed by the Tech athletic department.

That's not the only Twitter issue Tech had this weekend. Linebacker Marlon Williams, who posts on Twitter @Kos39, tweeted on Sunday afternoon, "Wondering why I'm still in this meeting room when the head coach can't even be on time to his on meeting." In a previous tweet shortly after the loss to Houston, Williams had gotten out his frustration by writing, "WTF I can't believe what happened man my senior season isn't goin anything like what I busted my azz for .... New week now F$&@"

It's not clear why Carter was suspended, and it's not clear whether Williams' complaint about Leach being late to a meeting is representative of any larger issue the players have with Leach. But it's probably safe to say that if Texas Tech doesn't already have a social media policy, one will be coming this week

Do you think Texas Tech has a Twitter problem? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

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Texas Tech Has a Twitter Problem originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Mike LeachMichael David SmithSun, 27 Sep 2009 22:00:00 EST Is Houston Next for Reality Check?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/is-houston-nex-for-reality-check/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/is-houston-nex-for-reality-check/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/26/is-houston-nex-for-reality-check/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

HOUSTON -- Already today we've found out Miami and Florida State aren't quite back as much as we believed and Cal isn't quite the threat we thought.

Could there be another back-to-reality moment coming tonight with the 17th-ranked University of Houston Cougars host Texas Tech in a heavily anticipated matchup of high-powered offense. The Cougars, of the Conference-USA became BCS buster candidates two weeks ago when they went into Stillwater, Okla. as an unranked team and left with a stunning 45-35 win over then No.5 Oklahoma State.

Follow after the jump for the rest of Terrance Harris' live blog from Houston.

UH is trying to make it two Big 12 teams in a row tonight against the Red Raiders in a matchup of old Southwest Conference foes. But for the first time this season, the 2-0 Cougars will be facing a team that is strong both offensively and defensively. The Red Raiders are definitely a defensive upgrade over Oklahoma State, which create problems for Houston and quarterback Case Keenum.

The Red Raiders (2-1) are coming off hard fought 34-24 loss to No. 2 Texas last week in a game in which they gave Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Colt McCoy serious trouble at times. Tech's first-year starting quarterback Taylor Potts, who leads the nation in most major passing categories, also was impressive during the loss on the road to the Longhorns.

If the Cougars, who are favored to win, are able to come away with another Big 12 win, they will be considered a legitimate contender for BCS acceptance should they then make it through C-USA play undefeated.

Houston is expecting a sold out crowd to pack Robertson Stadium for what could be the biggest game the Cougs have played in the last 20 years. Kickoff has been pushed back to 9:26PM ET.

FIRST QUARTER

This isn't quite the start Texas Tech was looking for. On the Raiders opening drive, quarterback Taylor Potts fumbled the ball away at the Red Raiders 34 on the drop back.

The Cougars show showed their appreciation by converting the turnover into a score when Kennum connected with James Cleveland on perfectly placed slant pass for a six-yard touchdown pass that put them ahead 7-0 with 10:43 to play. Keenun also had a perfect sideline pass on a rollout to Cleveland that moved UH to the 22.

*************
Okay let the fireworks begin. Minutes after the Cougars scored their first touchdown of the night, Texas Tech responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with running back Baron Batch running around the left corner for a six-yard touchdown that made it 7-7 with 6:59 left in the first quarter.

**********
After two quick touchdowns early in the quarter, the first quarter morphed into a defensive struggle for both explosive offenses.. What' looked like a shootout in the making ended in a 7-7 tie.

SECOND QUARTER

The Cougars are still seeking their second touchdown of the night, but they did come away with 30-yard field goal by Jordan Mannisto after a promising drive died at the 13 yard line to give them the 10-7 lead with 8:52 remaining in the first half. Keenum took a costly sack with the Cougars within striking distance that could have re-energized the capacity crowd.

***********

So who says Texas Tech can't run the football? In a drive that began with a 35-yard end around by running Harrison Jefffers, the Red Raiders ran the ball down the throats of Houston. And it was only fitting that the drive end with a 11-yard run up the middle by Batch to give the Raiders their first lead of the night at 14-10 with 5:59 remaining in the second quarter. Tech ran the ball five times during the seven-play, 85-yard drive.


***************
Intent on establishing the run for the first time this season, Mike Leach makes his point with back-to-back long drives highlighted by gashing runs. That's right runs. Batch had a couple nice runs up the middle, but then it was Jeffers who raced up the middle breaking tackles along the way for a 13-yard touchdown run that gave the Raiders a 21-10 lead with 59 second remaining in the first half. All three of the Raiders touchdowns in the first half have come on runs.

The interesting thing on the most recent rushing touchdown, is it came right after a Houston timeout.

**************

The Cougars put together a scoring drive in the final 59 seconds that ended with a 50-yard field goal by Mannisto after some curious use of timeouts near the end. The Cougs went into halftime trailing 21-13.

************
Those who are expecting a shootout between the two high-powered offenses of Texas Tech and Houston have to be scratching their heads after the first two quarters.

It's been anything but the aerial attack this non-conference has been billed to be. The Cougars weren't able to get on track during the first half, scoring their only touchdown on a short drive following a turnover early in the first quarter. They've had to settle for two field goals in the second quarters.

Texas Tech, the most prolific passing offense in the country, has pulled the old bait-and-switch in the first two quarters. They've relied heavily on the run to completely confuse the Cougars. The Raiders have rushed the ball 19 times for 117 yards. They have just 145 yards through the air.

Baron Batch has been the workhorse with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in the first two quarters.


THIRD QUARTER

The Cougars finally get going offensively with an impressive third quarter drive that reduced their deficit to 21-20 when Beall plunged in from one-yard out with 7:14 remaining in the quarter. UH marched 87 yards on seven plays as Keenun's passing touch returned. The biggest of the pass plays was a 45-yard bomb to Tyron Carrier in which the reciver had to come back for the ball at the Tech 26.

***************

Who would have guessed it would haven taken Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts until the end of the third quarter to throw his first touchdown pass? Well with Leach fascinated with the run, Potts finally got his first touchdown pass with 4:19 remaining in the third when he hit Tramain Swindall on a short slant that turned into a tackle-breaking 24-yard touchdown reception that put the Raiders back in control with a 28-20 lead.


***************

UH doesn't appear ready to fold them yet. The Cougars keep fighting back. Sparked by the second Tech turnover of the night, the Cougars converted a 20-yard field goal attempt by Mannisto to pull within 28-23 of the lead with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The Cougs final scoring drive of the third quarter has set up an interesting fourth quarter that is sure to produce some sparks.

FOURTH QUARTER

Leach might have made the biggest mistake of the night by electing to go for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1 instead of kicking the field goal that would have put the Raiders ahead by 8 points. Potts was stuffed on the quarterback sneak, turning the ball over on downs midway through the fourth quarter. Texas Tech has no timeouts remaining should UH reclaim the lead on the ensuing drive.


****************

Texas Tech appears to have stopped the momentum of the Cougars by coming up with a huge interception of a Keenum pass to Monroe over the middle. Backup safety Will Ford stepped in front of Monroe for the pick at the Tech 34 that stopped a potential go-ahead scoring drive by the Cougars.


************


Heading down to the sidelines for postgame interviews with the Raiders holding a 28-23 lead with 6:40 remaining.


The Cougars drive 95 yards on their final drive and Keenun runs in from four yards out with 49 seconds remaining for the decisive touchdown for the 29-28 win over Texas Tech. The 17th-ranked Cougards have now defeated two straight Big 12 opponents in a row.

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Is Houston Next for Reality Check? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Terrance HarrisSat, 26 Sep 2009 20:49:00 EST Texas Tech, Houston Share More Than Offensive Flairhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/25/texas-tech-houston-share-more-than-offensive-flair/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/25/texas-tech-houston-share-more-than-offensive-flair/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/25/texas-tech-houston-share-more-than-offensive-flair/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Dana HolgorsenHOUSTON -- Reclined way back with his feet kicked up on a table in the Houston Cougars' film room Tuesday and answering questions in a philosophical yet aloof way, Dana Holgorsen was channeling his inner Mike Leach without even realizing it.

The voice, the demeanor and delivery were all Leach -- albeit a younger, less clean-shaven Leach.

"I sat in the same room as him for many, many years," Holgorsen, the Cougars second-year offensive coordinator said when reminded of the similarity. "All of that stuff rubbed off, I guess."

Apparently much more than some not-so-subtle mannerisms rubbed off on Holgorsen throughout their time together -- including eight years on Leach's Texas Tech staff -- first as his receivers coach, and later as his co-offensive coordinator before heading to UH. Off and on during the last 20 years, Holgorsen has had a chance to learn firsthand the unorthodox way Leach approaches offensive football, spreading the field and using a quick-strike passing game to move the ball downfield much the way traditional offenses use the running game.

Holgorsen was like sponge until breaking out on his own last year.

Much of what Holgorsen has picked up from Leach will be heavily debated Saturday night when the 17th-ranked Cougars host the Texas Tech Red Raiders in what is expected to be a display of explosive offenses that very much mirror one another.

"At times there are going to be a lot of the same plays that are run that look incredibly the same," Holgorsen told FanHouse. "I think probably the biggest thing is what's called in certain situations is going to be probably the biggest difference.

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"Part of it is he has five offensive linemen who are as big as that door. So he can just sit back and maul people. He's got a big tall quarterback, so [Taylor Potts] being able to throw it 60 or 65 times is a little more realistic than us at this point."

But that isn't to suggest the Cougars see themselves taking a backseat to Leach and his Raiders in this meeting of old Southwest Conference teams. UH has shown in two games this season that it's as explosive as Tech -- and in some cases perhaps more.

Led by an experienced quarterback in junior Case Keenum, the Cougars' 50.0 points per game in their first two contests lead the nation. Texas Tech ranks 19th in the country after averaging 39.0 points per game in its first three games this season.

Both offenses enter Saturday's game as two of the more prolific passing units in the country. The Raiders lead the nation in passing offense with 443.33 yards per game, while UH ranks fourth with 406.50 yards per game. Each offense will spread the field with four and five receiver sets and try to create mismatches in space with quicker receivers on slower defenders at a fast-break pace.

But interestingly, both sides seem to see as many differences as they do similarities.

"They are into motion more than we are," said Leach, who still remains close to Holgorsen. "They motion players around some, that would be the main thing. But there are a lot of similar plays, similar philosophy and stuff like that."

Motioning players is a wrinkle Holgorsen put into his version of the spread attack and quite possibly is something he suggested during his tenure at Tech that Leach elected to pass on.

"We're not scared to change some things up, not that he's scared," said Holgorsen, whose ties to Leach go back to the early 1990s when he played wide receiver for Leach's offense at Iowa Wesleyan. "He's not scared to change things, he's just reluctant to change things based on the fact it has worked for many, many, many years."

Second-year UH coach Kevin Sumlin admits to similarities in the two offenses but also insists there are major differences beginning with the ground attack. Leach has long used the rush as a means to keep defenses honest and as a change of pace.

The Cougars are much more committed to the run as evidenced by the production of running back Bryce Beall last season when he ran for 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns on 198 carries as a freshman.

And that difference is already apparent this season with UH averaging 118.5 yards per game on the ground compared to just 28.7 yards per game for the Raiders.

"I think what we've been able to do is be a fairly balanced attack last year by creating a running game," Sumlin said. "It created a 1,300-yard rusher last year and he would have had more yards had I had sense enough to start him before the fourth game."

But Keenum also is capable of putting the ball in the air with speed guys like Tyron Carrier capable of getting open for big catches. It was Keenum's play two weeks ago that helped pave the way for the 45-35 upset of then-No. 5 Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

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The Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off a 34-24 loss to No. 2 Texas in Austin during the Big 12 opener last week that may have done more to bolster the reputation of Potts. Facing his first real test as a first-year starter, the 6-foot-5 signal-caller won the respect of many as he stood in and made key throw after key throw under enormous pressure from the Longhorns.

Potts completed 46 of 62 pass attempts for 414 yards in the losing effort. Potts, who leads the nation in most major passing categories, has passed for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns in three games and is averaging 427 yards per game through the air.

The numbers seem to suggest when Keenum and Potts trot their respective offenses onto the field Saturday night that it will be bombs away.

"People thought that when we went to Stillwater," Sumlin said. "Somehow when we play, people bring that up. You would be crazy if you didn't think that way just based on statistics, but that's all I heard about that game - could we outscore them? We played decent defense against Oklahoma State and won the game.

"We are set up and built for whatever happens."


Texas Tech, Houston Share More Than Offensive Flair originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>case keenumCaseKeenumkevin sumlinKevinSumlinmike leachMikeLeachtaylor pottsTaylorPottstexas tech footballTexasTechFootballTerrance HarrisFri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Starting 11: Willie Martinez Editionhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/23/starting-11-willie-martinez-edition/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/23/starting-11-willie-martinez-edition/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/23/starting-11-willie-martinez-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has to go at Georgia.

Bulldog football fans know it, Mark Richt has to know it, anyone with a semblance of intelligence about sports knows it. My favorite part of watching Saturday's games was seeing Willie Martinez on the sideline after Georgia's defenders gave up one big play after another to Arkansas. Often, you could just see him in the background, arms raised, a puzzled, crestfallen look on his face. My favorite shot was in the third quarter after a Georgia defensive back stood flat-footed and didn't move as a wide receiver ran right by him.

The camera caught Martinez in the background with a pained look on his face. He looked like he'd just stepped in Uga's dog poo while barefoot. Or been forced to coach in red pants. Which would be awful. But what's even worse is that you know every single Georgia fan on earth looked the exact same sitting in front of their television. Without further ado, let's hit the ClayNation Starting 11.

1. The Charlie Weis era came down to Michigan State's quarterback Kirk Cousins missing a wide open receiver in the back corner of the end zone.

Doesn't it seem like 40 years ago when Weis almost upset USC with Ty Willingham's players? Anyone else see the irony of Steve Sarkisian beating USC with Willingham's players? Logic dictates that the best way to beat USC is to fire Tyrone Willingham the season before you play them.

But back to Charlie Weis -- have Notre Dame's football fortunes fallen so far that all it takes is a home victory over Michigan State -- Michigan State! -- to get Irish eyes smiling again? Right now, Notre Dame still controls their own destiny towards a BCS bowl game whipping. Which, honestly, tells us more about the BCS than anything else.

2. Landry Jones threw six touchdown passes for Oklahoma.

I've asked this question before, but in light of the fact that a guy like Landry Jones can come in and lead the offense with such precision, isn't it time Heisman voters start considering Oklahoma signal callers "system quarterbacks?" I think the "system quarterback" argument is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard, because it only gets applied to schools with strong quarterbacks that aren't traditional powers.

At least if the media is going to be consistent about applying the label, they ought to make Oklahoma quarterbacks wear the badge as well. For instance, every Texas Tech quarterback, running a very similar offense to Oklahoma's, is called a "system quarterback" which, as used, is a pejorative designation that serves to disqualify Mike Leach's signal callers from winning a Heisman.

Why isn't the same true for schools like Oklahoma? It's the same system. If running it disqualifies Graham Harrell shouldn't it also disqualify Sam Bradford? Otherwise, let's just ditch the system quarterback cliche for good.

3. Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez can't even get his metaphors correct.

The sideline reporter, Erin Andrews, reported that Willie Martinez was telling his players not to worry about the Arkansas offense because they were just throwing grenades.

A perplexed Todd Blackledge then delivered the line of the night: "But grenades hurt when they explode."

4. Best new analogy I've thought of for going for it on 4th down, like moving a baby inside the house after they fall asleep in the car.

This is one of the most difficult calls I have to make. If my son is asleep in the car, do I go get a newspaper and sit in the car while he sleeps, i.e. punting on third down, or do I try to move him inside, i.e. go for it on fourth down, and transfer him to a bed knowing that if he wakes up, the nap is over and dad's back on the hook for playtime?

Honestly, this is such a difficult decision. I consider time of day, likelihood of ambient noise that could wake him up and weather conditions (Could the sunlight wake him? Is it raining?). I'm going to do a whole column on this at some point. Every parent turns into a head coach in this situation, you want the drive, i.e. the nap, to continue, but is it worth the risk?
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5. Brian Kelly continues to write his own check for the next job.

Cincinnati beat Oregon State Saturday night. But you didn't even notice because the game happened so late. Look at this schedule and tell me they aren't going to be favored to win every game for the rest of the season. In fact, if you had to look at remaining schedules, Florida, Texas, and Cincinnati are probably the only three teams in America that will be favored to win all of their games.

Now that doesn't mean it will happen for the Bearcats, but it does mean that they're sitting pretty and you should be paying attention to them. If only so you can go on the message boards and argue that Brian Kelly should be hired to replace your present coach.

6. Trooper Taylor's hypnotic towel-waving at Auburn.

Last week I talked about Auburn's offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, this week I want to talk about assistant head coach Trooper Taylor. You might remember Taylor from previous stops at Baylor, Tennessee, and Oklahoma State. Taylor is incredibly popular with players yet his public persona seems to consist of three traits: A.) wears hat backward B.) jumps around a lot on the sideline and congratulates players with bear hugs and jumping backside bounces C.) waves a towel.

The towel is the most important, his go-to move: If you took away Trooper's towel, you'd strip away 75 percent of his coaching ability.

And, I'm not going to lie, the towel-waving is hypnotic. So much so that Auburn fans are now selling official Trooper Towels on the Internet. They only cost $5. That, and your masculinity. Pompoms are bad enough, but combining the two?

Who knew that all it took to get your team to perform to its highest level was waving a towel maniacally on the sideline?

7. Tyrod Taylor's touchdown pass for Virginia Tech against Nebraska was unexpected.

Raise your hand if you're a Virginia Tech fan and you had any confidence at all that one of his final passes was going to be caught for a touchdown? Even when he threw that pass while scrambling right, you were screaming, throw it away, throw it away!

And be even more honest, you expected Taylor to get sacked on a scramble and for time to run out.

It's okay, you can be honest with me, I won't tell anyone.

8. The hit that Texas Tech's quarterback Taylor Potts took from Texas's Sergio Kindle would have killed you or me.



Couple of things:

A.) The hit was illegal.

B.) Is this the least likely quarterback name and defensive end name to end in a sack-fumble combo on the year? First, even though he threw for 420 yards, Taylor Potts sounds like the androgynous kid who was born after his parents turned 40. Second, Sergio Kindle? Seriously, Sergio Kindle.

Right after the sack, Kirk Herbstreit says, "Well, for all the people who have been wondering where Sergio Kindle has been..." And I was like, he's been on a beach in Ibiza. Clearly. That's the only place where you can ever find people named Sergio Kindle.

Having said all that, he wasn't flagged for the hit, and if I was a Texas fan this video would play in endless loops on my computer. I don't think I would work for a week. It takes that to get over the Crabtree reception last year.

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Allyson Duckworth of Oxford, Miss., sets up an open spread of eats at her tent at "The Grove," Ole Miss' famous tailgating site, outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, hours prior to the school's home opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Swine flu is swirling through the nation's campuses, but despite all the warnings, flu kits and prominently displayed jugs of hand sanitizer, many students just aren't that worried. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
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    An Ole Miss decorated dispenser of hand sanitizer rest next to football themed napkins and an almost empty tray of crackers and dip, at the tailgate setup of the Deaton family of Booneville, outside the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., Saturday Sept. 19, 2009, prior to the home opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana. Lori Deaton, who works as a medical technician, said her concern about Swine Flu led her to bringing the hand sanitizer. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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    Two University of South Florida students take turns drinking from a cup during a college football game Saturday Sept. 19, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. Swine flu is swirling through the nation's campuses, but despite all the warnings, flu kits and prominently displayed jugs of hand sanitizer, many students just aren't that worried. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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    Thousands of Mississippi fans mill around "The Grove," a tented tailgate site outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, prior to the home season opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana. The threat of both seasonal flu and Swine Flu virus being spread, is especially great among such type gatherings with open food and drink being served and a lack of available hand sanitizing dispensers at each tent. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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    Allyson Duckworth of Oxford, Miss., sets up an open spread of eats at her tent at "The Grove," Ole Miss' famous tailgating site, outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, hours prior to the school's home opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Swine flu is swirling through the nation's campuses, but despite all the warnings, flu kits and prominently displayed jugs of hand sanitizer, many students just aren't that worried. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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    In this Aug. 5, 2008 photo, North Carolina Central head coach Mose Rison, center, calls a play for the offense during the team's NCAA college football practice. North Carolina Central and Duke will meet this week for the first time in football, as the schools hope to bridge a gap that has stretched beyond the five miles that separate the campuses. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Jason Arthurs)

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    Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini reflects on last week's 15-16 loss to Virginia Tech during his weekly news conference, in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. With the exception of a few unguarded moments, Pelini refused to let his weekly news conference turn into a pity party. Pelini said that he and his Cornhuskers are going to turn the fallout from last week's crushing 16-15 loss into positive energy. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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    Penn State football coach Joe Paterno answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Iowa in an NCAA college football game on Saturday in State College. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    In this Sept. 19, 2009 photo Mississippi tailback Brandon Bolden sprints past a Southeastern Louisiana defender on his way to a 44-yard run in an NCAA football game in Oxford, Miss. The fourth-ranked Rebels will need as much as they can get out from Bolden as they head into Southeastern Conference play. Their first big challenge of the season comes Thursday night against South Carolina and the SEC's No. 2 rushing defense. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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    Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee talks about his bandaged thumb, due to a splinter fracture, during a news conference in Lincoln, Neb., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. Nebraska takes on Louisiana-Lafayette in an NCAA college football game on Saturday in Lincoln. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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    Penn State football coach Joe Paterno listens to a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Iowa in an NCAA college football game on Saturday in State College. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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9. Florida State putting up 54 on BYU has to be one of the most shocking results of the year.

I still don't have any idea what happened in this game. Imagine all that BYU lost on Saturday. With the USC loss, BYU would have surged into the top five in the country. The BCS bid would be a foregone conclusion. All they would have needed to do is hang around and it's very likely they would have been playing in the BCS title game.

Now?

Their season is effectively over. A loss would have been one thing, but an utter embarrassment at home?

Wow.

10. My boys at Roundtable Radio in Birmingham, Ala., ran an online poll. If you could only take two people on a modern day ark, who would you take first? The winner? Nick Saban.

He beat out several hot women, including Megan Fox. Which two people would I take? Sienna Miller, her turn as the Baroness still keeps me up nights, and Megan Fox. Unless my wife is reading this. Then I would take my wife and son.

But Nick Saban?

You know the Crimson Tide love affair is intense, but what is he going to do on the ark? Get the giraffes excited to play a game?

11. Jake Locker and Washington beat USC.

If there was ever any doubt about how much college football has become like the NFL, Jake Locker should stand as exhibit A in any argument. And I don't know that there even needs to be an exhibit B. Last year Washington went winless without Locker. This year they've already played a competitive game against LSU and knocked off USC.

All because of Locker.

In major college football the days of a place-holder quarterback are over. Look across the scope of the country, if a team is going to be successful, they're only as good as their quarterback is. Think about what this means for year-to-year variety in college football.

In the NFL if you find a guy who is a stud and plug him in at quarterback, you've basically got a decade's worth of playoff appearances scheduled. College football? You've got to scramble every couple of years to find the right guy or your team and season can go off the tracks in a heartbeat. This is really the story of college football in the modern era, the quest for competent quarterbacks is becoming every bit as important in college as the pros. Only you can't rest on your laurels in college once you find your man, it's already time to replace him.

Starting 11: Willie Martinez Edition originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisWed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: Texas' Tre Newton Earns Starting Job on the Runhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/big-12-notebook-texas-tre-newton-earns-starting-job-on-the-run/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/big-12-notebook-texas-tre-newton-earns-starting-job-on-the-run/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/big-12-notebook-texas-tre-newton-earns-starting-job-on-the-run/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tre NewtonIt was of little surprise Monday when Texas coach Mack Brown named redshirt freshman running back Tre' Newton as the starter for Saturday's UTEP game.

Newton gave the second-ranked Longhorns everything they had been looking for in a tailback for the last two seasons during Saturday's win over Texas Tech, picking up difficult yards and moving the chains. Filling in for injured starter Vondrell McGee in the second half, Newton rushed for 88 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.

His 18 carries for 81 yards in the second half proved pivotal in keeping Texas Tech's explosive offense off the field as the Longhorns escaped with a 34-24 win. It was the inability of the Longhorns backs to pick up critical yards late that paved the way for their upset loss to Tech last season.

"He was like he has been every time we've seen him," Brown said. "We've just got to keep playing him more."

Coming into fall camp, Newton and redshirt freshman D.J. Monroe seemed to take a backseat to proven tailbacks Cody Johnson, Fozzy Whittaker, McGee and even true freshman Chris Whaley. But Newton has stepped up with McGee and Whittaker continuing to struggle to stay healthy.

Starting out the second half after McGee tweaked his ankle Saturday, Newton made an impact on the opening drive with carries of 6 and 7 yards before he burst through the line for a 19-yard touchdown run that put the Longhorns ahead 17-3.

That was all the UT coaches needed to see to keep running him for the remainder of the night.

"Tre' has good patience, good vision," said UT offensive coordinator Greg Davis. "We had a couple guys who were (banged) up and we just felt like he was healthy and playing well."

Newton, the son of former Dallas Cowboy great Nate Newton, was excited after receiving his first extended opportunity Saturday night.

"It felt good," said Newton, who leads the Longhorns backs with 178 yards in three games. "Going into the game I was backing up Vondrell, just ready to do whatever they asked me to do. I just try to make sure I'm always ready for when the opportunity comes."

A learning experience for the Cornhuskers

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini couldn't hide his frustration on the sideline Saturday afternoon as Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed an 11-yard touchdown with 21 seconds remaining to rally the Hokies to a 16-15 win over the Cornhuskers.

The Cornhuskers came so close to the signature win the program needs. But two big plays -- the 11-yard touchdown pass and then a 76-yard kickoff return run that set up a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter -- were really all that denied Nebraska its biggest win in years.

Pelini was a little more philosophical Monday than he was on the sideline Saturday after the 11-yard touchdown pass.

"You have to finish things off and you have to execute for four quarters and unfortunately we didn't do that and it cost us," he said. "That's what we are working towards, getting that aspect fixed.

"I've moved on, we've moved on. It doesn't change whether we stopped them on that last drive or not. There is a lot of things we need to get fixed and it shouldn't have come down to that anyway. We had plenty of opportunities to put that game away on both sides of the ball and on special teams. Everybody contributed to us not finishing that game off."

Still, Pelini realizes the value in such a game even in loss. The Cornhuskers went into a hostile environment against a top-25 opponent and played better in all facets, except the final score.

"Playing in a game like that helps you get ready for conference play because you've been tested, you've been in a tough environment and we know we are going to face that once we get into conference play," said Pelini, whose team dropped down to No.25 in the latest AP poll. "So I think we will be a better football team because of it."

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Fuller out for 4-6 Weeks at A&M

It wasn't much of a shock when Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman confirmed Monday that star sophomore receiver Jeff Fuller will miss four to six weeks after cracking a bone in his leg.

But what was a little surprising was to hear that doesn't mean backup quarterback/receiver Ryan Tannehill will necessarily see his workload increase at receiver. Tannehill, a sophomore, showed he was a true natural last season at receiver.

He competed with Jerrod Johnson for the starting quarterback spot, as promised by Sherman, during spring and fall practices but lost in his bid to unseat Johnson. Tannehill views himself as a quarterback who can play receiver though his heart is really at quarterback.

His value to the Aggies is at receiver, but Tannehill's desire is to be a college quarterback. Certainly Sherman finds himself in an awkward situation.

"You have to really appreciate Ryan to see him practice and throw the football to realize he really is a quarterback," said Sherman, whose team hosts UAB on Saturday. "But he keeps playing receiver, I'm sure from the outside looking in and even from my standpoint, he's equally adept at both. It's a very unique combination. I don't know if I've ever seen anything quite like it."

Tannehill has thrived as a receiver, who doesn't put in the work meeting with the receivers and rarely practices. Yet goes into the games and excels with limited work.

"He sits with the quarterbacks, he doesn't meet with the receivers, he doesn't practice receiver a lot, just certain plays at certain times," Sherman said. "It's just amazing to me what he does with the limited amount of time. You can argue both sides of the coin but to appreciate him as a quarterback you have to watch him in practice."

So instead of seeing Tannehill's reps increase and introducing more risk to the No.2 quarterback spot, Sherman said you can expect to see more of freshmen Brandal Jackson and Kenric McNeal along with an increased workload for Uzoma Nwachukwu and Terrence McCoy to fill Fuller's void.

Baylor's run defense gets exposed

Two weeks after a feel-good road win at Wake Forest, Baylor seemed like the same old Bears during Saturday's deflating 30-22 home loss to UConn.

The Bears allowed UConn to run the ball down their throats the entire game in front of 40,147 at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Huskies picked up 235 yards of their 382 total yards on the ground, while winning the time of possession battle 39:44 to 20:16.

Andre Dixon led the way for UConn with 149 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries while Jordan Todman accounted for 103 yards, marking the second time the duo had both eclipsed the 100-yard barrier in the same game.

"It was embarrassing as a defense to get the ball run down our throats like that," Baylor safety Jordan Lake said to the Waco Tribune. "We knew they were going to run the ball, but we didn't come out with the energy we needed to stop them up front. They did a good job of using their big line to push the ball downfield, and then Dixon would pop out and get four or five more yards."

Baylor coach Art Briles and his staff will likely have to restore a lot of confidence in his defensive front before having to face the likes of Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter or Missouri's Derrick Washington during the Big 12 season.

"As far as the defensive line and stopping the run, that's something you've got to be able to do," Briles said. "That's something each week is an opportunity to get better at. We know what we need to do now we need to go out and do it. We'll have that opportunity this Saturday."

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A swarming Alabama defense stops North Texas running back Jeremi Mathis (24) during the second half of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Defending for Alabama is Cory Reamer (13), Luther Davis (96), Nick Gentry (58) and Kerry Murphy (64). Alabama won 53-7. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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    In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy talks with coaches during a fourth quarter time out in his team's 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech in Austin, Texas. McCoy had the flu last week, causing him to miss a day of practice and kept him out of most drills. By Saturday night's game, he said he was still not feeling 100 percent. But a halftime spent downing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and slugging back a hydration drink, made him feel better. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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    In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Texas wide receiver Dan Buckner is shown during the pregame warmup before his team's 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech in Austin, Texas. With Buckner in the lineup, quarterback Colt Mc Coy has a new passing target in the Longhorns' offense. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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    A swarming Alabama defense stops North Texas running back Jeremi Mathis (24) during the second half of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Defending for Alabama is Cory Reamer (13), Luther Davis (96), Nick Gentry (58) and Kerry Murphy (64). Alabama won 53-7. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Texas head football coach Mack Brown talks on his headset during the fourth quarter of his team's 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. For the second week in a row, the Longhorns used their quick-snap "jet" tempo to pull themselves out of the doldrums of a clunky first half and rode it to a victory. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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    Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy talks with coaches during a fourth quarter time out in their 34-24 NCAA college football victory over Texas Tech Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Austin, Texas. For the second week in a row, the Longhorns used their quick-snap "jet" tempo to pull themselves out of the doldrums of a clunky first half and rode it to a victory. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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    PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: UCLA Bruins head coach Rick Neuheisel looks on from the sideline in the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rick Neuheisel

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    PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder looks on during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bill Snyder

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    PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Alterraun Verner #1 of the UCLA Bruins is brought down by Brandon Banks #83 of the Kansas State Wildcats after intercepting a pass in the first half at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alterraun Verner;Brandon Banks

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    PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Kevin Craft #3 of the UCLA Bruins congratulates teammate Eddie Williams #62 following a touchdown against the Kansas State Wildcats in the fourth quater at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kevin Craft;Eddie Williams

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    PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 19: Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder yells towards the bench during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl on September 19, 2009 in Pasadena, California. UCLA defeated Kansas State 23-9. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bill Snyder

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Stoops could have QB quandary

With a bye coming this week, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Monday he doesn't want to begin speculating about the availability of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford for the Oct. 3 mega non-conference showdown at Miami.

Bradford has been out since opening week when he suffered a shoulder injury.

"No updates on Sam but he continues to do well," Stoops said Monday. "But we are not getting into any speculations about when."

The way redshirt freshman Landry Jones is playing could be a reason Stoops doesn't have to worry about his quarterback position. Jones is coming off one of the best performances of any freshman quarterback in NCAA history.

Jones threw six touchdowns in the Sooners' 45-0 win over Tulsa on Saturday, the second most touchdown passes in a game by a freshman in NCAA history. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after also completing 25-of-37 passes for 336 yards against Tulsa.

"I feel good. I think if it is Landry he's handling it really well," said Stoops, whose team jumped up to No. 10 in the AP poll this week. "He's been nothing but consistent and solid. I think more than anything it's the players around him and in the last couple of weeks the players around him have played better. Regardless of who is in that position, the players around him have to protect that position. You have to protect him, you've got to be able to run the ball, you have to be able to get open and catch it when you have the opportunities.

"But as far as his part, he's doing a really good job."

Muckelroy honored

Middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy showed up big for the Longhorns Saturday night, constantly harassing quarterback Taylor Potts and serving as virtual shadow to Texas Tech running Baron Batch all night.

Muckelroy finished the night with seven tackles, which including two tackles for loss, and one sack while playing a major role in the Longhorns limiting the Red Raiders to minus-6 yards rushing.

Muckelroy was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

"I've been very proud of his progress, he's started all three games for us at the Mike (middle linebacker)," said UT defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. "He's a guy you enjoy to coach in the way he approaches the game. He certainly showed up (Saturday) an awful lot and played well."

Big 12 Notebook: Texas' Tre Newton Earns Starting Job on the Run originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>art brilesArtBrilesbo pelinibob stoopsBobStoopsBoPelinidemarco murrayDemarcoMurrayderrick washingtonDerrickWashingtonfozzy whittakerFozzyWhittakerjeff fullerJeffFullerkendall hunterKendallHunterlandry jonesLandryJonesmack brownMackBrownmike shermanMikeShermannate newtonNateNewtonroddrick muckelroyRoddrickMuckelroyryan tannenhillRyanTannenhillsam bradfordSamBradfordtaylor pottsTaylorPottstre newtonTreNewtontyrod taylorTyrodTaylorvondrell mcgeeVondrellMcgeewill muschampWillMuschampTerrance HarrisMon, 21 Sep 2009 20:20:00 EST Fun Night for McCoy as Texas Gets Evenhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/20/fun-night-for-mccoy-as-texas-rolls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/20/fun-night-for-mccoy-as-texas-rolls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/20/fun-night-for-mccoy-as-texas-rolls/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Colt McCoyAUSTIN, Texas -- Just think, Texas coach Mack Brown worried last week that quarterback Colt McCoy wasn't having as much fun as he use to have playing the game.

McCoy showed his coach what fun really looks like Saturday night as the second-ranked Longhorns and Texas Tech got caught up in a virtual game of H.O.R.S.E. during the third quarter. With each touchdown the Red Raiders scored to try to reclaim the lead, McCoy was only too happy to match them.

"In the second half, he had a blast," Brown said. "When they'd score he'd say 'Look out, what a game. We've got come back and score.' He was the old Colt for the second half."

What's become understood around the Texas program the last few years is that when McCoy is enjoying himself that only means good things for the Longhorns. That was certainly case Saturday night at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium as McCoy out-dueled his Texas Tech counterpart, Taylor Potts, in a relatively low-scoring 34-24 win for the Horns in the first Big 12 game of the season.

After both teams exchanged touchdowns throughout the third quarter, McCoy and the Longhorns distanced themselves in the fourth quarter to preserve the revenge victory over the Raiders. Texas Tech placed the lone blemish on the Longhorns record last season and likely cost them a shot at the BCS national championship.

Meeting much earlier this season and without quite the drama of last season, the Longhorns would not be denied this time.

"I'm really proud of the kids, proud of the coaches," said Brown, whose team never trailed again after taking a 7-3 lead on a 46-yard punt return by Jordan Shipley midway through the first quarter. "I thought this was a great football game."

But it certainly wasn't the scoring football game that most of the state-record 101,297, standing room only crowd expected after watching both offenses score 40 and 50 a pop in their two outings this season. Neither offense scored a touchdown in the first half as UT went into halftime leading 10-3.

This one was surprisingly about defense for roughly three-quarters of the night.

Both the Raiders and Longhorns played hard-hitting, attacking styles that hindered the offenses from finding their rhythm most of the night. The only thing was the Longhorns (3-0 overall, 1-0 Big 12) hit a little harder and played a little more aggressively around the line of scrimmage.

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Potts, who had enjoyed a charmed existence his first two outings as a starter, was pressured and hit all night. The Longhorns mixed up four and five-man blitzes to sack Potts three times while leveling him on at least a third of his 62 passing attempts.

The biggest of the hits came when defensive end Sergio Kindle came crashing in on Potts from his blindside for a ball-jarring sack that the Longhorns use to open up a two-touchdown, 31-17, lead early in the fourth quarter.

"I seen him coming, but I knew they didn't see him," UT middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy said of Kindle's hit on Potts. "Next thing I knew, he was there."

But really it was the dirty work of Muckelroy and Kindle together that gave Potts fits throughout. Facing an offense that is designed to get the ball out quick to avoid hits and sacks, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp brought pressure from more places than the Raiders could plug.

It made for a long night for Potts, who still ended up with a decent outing with 46 pass completions for 420 yards and three touchdowns. His problem came when he constantly had to account for Muckelroy and Kindle.

"No quarterback likes people in their face so we had a sense that we were getting to him, we just had to keep getting to him," said Muckelroy, who ended up with seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss on the night. "He started getting a little comfortable in the second half and he started throwing the ball because we weren't getting as much on him as did in the first half. We felt like had to go back to what worked."

Still, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach seemed proud of Potts in his first true test as a starter. Potts, who entered the game as the nation's passing yards leader and touchdown passes leader, kept getting back up after every vicious blow by the Longhorns defense.

"He's really tough," said Leach, whose team dropped to 3-1 overall, 0-1 in the Big 12. "He got hit hard a number of times and kept getting up. I don't think it affected his play to the negative. He's a rare, rare, rare quarterback."

But Potts came up against one of the best quarterbacks in the country Saturday night in McCoy. And McCoy didn't disappoint, even in a game where he found it hard to get into rhythm at times. McCoy completed 24 of 34 passes for one touchdown and two interceptions.

He hit a couple timely passes in the opening drive of the second half that got the third quarter shootout going after neither offense produced a touchdown in the first half. McCoy, aided by the switch to faster pace no-huddle approach in the final two quarters, helped guide the Longhorns to three second-half touchdowns and a field goal.

McCoy said the second half outburst was testament to the offenses patience.

"It had nothing to do with me, we just had to keep fighting as a team," he said. "It's a tough first half, but not everything is going to go our way every time we step out on the field. We just regrouped, came out in the second half and played football."

Fun Night for McCoy as Texas Gets Even originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>colt mccoyColtMccoymack brownMackBrownmike leachMikeLeachroddrick muckelroyRoddrickMuckelroytaylor pottsTaylorPottswill muschampWillMuschampTerrance HarrisSun, 20 Sep 2009 01:39:00 EST Live Blog, Texas Tech vs. Texashttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/texas-tech-down-to-1-defensive-end/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/texas-tech-down-to-1-defensive-end/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/texas-tech-down-to-1-defensive-end/#commentsFiled under: , ,

AUSTIN -- The Texas Tech Red Raiders could be in a little defensive trouble tonight against No.2 Texas with just one healthy defensive end on the trip in Austin.

Senior Ra' Jon Henly and freshman Ryan Haliburton will not play in tonight's game due to injuries, leaving senior Daniel Howard as the lone true defensive end on the roster. That means a couple of Texas Tech linebackers like 6-foot-3, 240-pound Bront Bird will have to put his hand in the dirt and apply pressure to quarterback Colt McCoy and the rest of the Longhorns offense tonight.



Henley and Haliburton are listed on the two-deep roster, but a Texas Tech spokesman confirmed that neither player will play. Also being held out on the Texas Tech side will be starting strong safety Franklin Mitchem, who also has sustained an undisclosed injury.

Tonight's game is a revenge matchup for the Longhorns, who received their lone blemish on last season's record from Texas Tech on a last second touchdown pass from quarterback Graham Harrell to receiver Michael Crabtree. Both players have since departed for professional careers, but that hasn't changed Texas' desire to avenge last season.

FIRST QUARTER

Jordan Shipley makes a nice 46-yard punt return for a touchdown to put Longhorns on the board with a 7-3 lead with 7:02 left in the first quarter. That middle return was made possible by nice blocks by Williams and Giddeon.


You have to give Will Muschamp's defense a lot of credit for really containing the Texas Tech offense in the first quarter. The Longhorns have forced a couple rare three-and-outs by Tech. They are doing it by surprisingly getting pressure on quarterback Taylor Potts. Texas hasn't sacked Potts but has forced some bad throws and just now a hit by Eddie Jones on Potts forced a fumble and loss of 32 yards to force another punt.

Tech had only punted twice in first two games but has already punted three times in the first quarter.


SECOND QUARTER


How about that Wildcat? The Longhorns used the trendy offensive set to set up a 43-yard field goal to take 10-3 lead early in the second quarter. The field goal was set up on the first play of the drive when receiver John Chiles lined up at quarterback and raced 34 yards up the middle to the Texas Tech 25 to put the Longhorns in good field position.


HALFTIME


With all the scoring both Texas and Texas Tech had done in their first two games of the season, it seemed that their matchup was a shootout in the making.

But through two quarters, neither offense has managed a touchdown as the Longhorns hold a 10-3 lead at halftime. Texas has converted two field goals and Jordan Shipley had the 46-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Tech offense hasn't done anything since converting a field goal on its opening drive of the game.

Potts, a first-year starter and the national leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, has been pressured all night by the Longhorns defense. The result has been Potts has not been able to find a groove. Colt McCoy and the UT offense hasn't done much better.

The Red Raiders actually own an edge in total yards (156 to 124) and time of possession (17:01 to 12:51) in the opening half.

But the first two quarters have all been about defense on both sides of the football. Both defenses have accounted for two turnovers in the first half.


THIRD QUARTER

It's looking more and more like Tre' Newton is becoming the Longhorns featured back. He started the second half over Vondrell McGee and immediately showed why. He had a couple nice runs and then displayed burst in a 19-yard touchdown run that gave UT a 17-3 lead with 11:22 remaining in the quarter. Newton, the son of former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton, also had gains of six and seven yards during the 11-play, 66-yard drive that began the second half for the Longhorns.

*************

Okay finally it looks like we have some offense.

After neither offense failed to score a touchdown in the opening half. both offenses have scored touchdowns on the first two offensive possessions of the third quarter.

First the Longhorns converted on Newton's run. The Raiders followed with an impressive drive that ended with Potts finding Lyle Leongalone in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown to pull within 17-10 of the Longhorns with 6:27 to play in the quarter.
*********


You have to be wondering what Leach was thinking calling for a onside kick on the drive immediately following his team's first touchdown.

The unsuccessful attempt gave the Longhorns excellent field position at Tech 47 to start the drive. It didn't take the Longhorns long to make the Raiders pay for the mistake as Johnson plunged in from one-yard out to cap a six-play drive to make it 24-10.

****************
Texas Tech is keeping pace with the Longhorns. The Raiders just answered the UT's latest touchdown with an 84-yard, eight play drive that ended with Potts hitting Leong over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown that pulled them within 24-17.

Both offenses scored touchdowns on every possession in the third quarter after neither produced a touchdown in the first half.


FOURTH QUARTER

Okay for a minute there it didn't look like either team wanted to score with the offenses exchanging turnovers early in the fourth quarter.

But finally the Longhorns broke through when Mccoy found Buckner in the back of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown that has given them a two touchdown lead at 31-17 with 9:11 left to play in the game.
The Longhorns scoring drive was jut 19 yards after Tech committed it's second turnover of the quarter. The Longhorns have committed one turnover in the fourth.
********


Get the feeling in this one that no lead will be safe? Not long after Texas took what appeared to be a commanding two touchdown lead, the Raiders answered with a nice drive that ended with Tramain Swindall getting behind the UT secondary and Potts finding him for a 22-yard touchdown reception that reduced their deficit to 31-24 6:58 to play.
**********

Heading to the field with the Longhorns driving again. This will come down to the wire.

Live Blog, Texas Tech vs. Texas originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Terrance HarrisSat, 19 Sep 2009 19:39:00 EST Texas Can't Escape Last Year's Losshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/texas-cant-escape-last-years-texas-tech-loss/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/texas-cant-escape-last-years-texas-tech-loss/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/texas-cant-escape-last-years-texas-tech-loss/#commentsFiled under: , ,

AUSTIN, Texas -- Considering what was at stake and what was likely lost that, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has tried to erase the ending of last year's Texas Tech from his memory.

On the game's final play last November, Tech quarterback Graham Harrell fired the football to star receiver Michael Crabtree in double coverage near the right sideline. It appeared Crabtree's momentum or a push from one of the Texas defenders would take him out of bounds, and game over, Texas prevails. But instead Crabtree spun away and high-stepped the remaining yards into the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown reception to give the Red Raiders a 39-33 upset win over No.1 Texas in Lubbock.

A defining moment in the 2008 college football season had been made. And then shown over and over.

"It's pretty much on every commercial, but give them credit. That was an amazing play," McCoy said this week as his No.2-ranked Longhorns get set to host Texas Tech on Saturday in the Big 12 opener that has revenge game written all over it. "That play will be replayed forever. That's one of the best plays ever I think."

Perhaps there is some solace to be found in that when you consider what the final two plays of that game _ true freshman safety Blake Gideon allowed an interception to escape his grasp a play before Crabtree's catch _ ultimately cost the Longhorns. Those two plays were all that stood between them an undefeated season and a shot at the BCS national title game.

Instead, the Longhorns had to swallow the bitterest of pills when a three-way tie in the Big 12 South left them out of the conference championship game mix in favor of an Oklahoma Sooners team they had beaten by 10 points on a neutral field earlier in the season.

The Longhorns claim they've moved on as they eye another shot at the national championship this season.

"We quit talking about last year. We quit talking about the end," said UT coach Mack Brown. "We said, `We are Texas, quit talking about BCS, quit talking about the standings, quit talking about style points. Be the best football team you can be.' That's what we've been working on every day with our team."

But there is no way to make a clean break from last season. Not with what was stake then. Not with what Texas and Texas Tech have now become to each other, the biggest rivalry in the state of Texas.

Last season, the Red Raiders seemed just a bit sharper in that game than Texas as they took an early lead in a quest to stop a five-game to the Longhorns. But McCoy & Co. came charging back to set the stage for the late-game festivities that left the record-crowd of 56,333 at Jones AT&T Stadium on the edge of their seats.

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<"To be able to come back like we did was great," McCoy said. "We felt like we had won that game in the end, but we could have definitely done a lot of things a lot better."

There were certainly several plays the Longhorns would have loved to have had back throughout that night. Gideon's missed interception is the one that still sticks in the throat of the UT fans, much more than the Crabtree catch and spin move for the win.

But this year's players insist they are trying to move on.

"The thing about the way coach Brown has us handle these situations, is that he's so good about helping people realize that every week is a new week," said UT receiver Jordan Shipley. "As soon as the game was over last year, we were focused on the next game and we went out and played well. Coach always says don't let a loss beat you twice, so we're really excited about this year. "

Brown knows his players haven't forgotten last season or what the Tech game likely cost them. But he successfully sidestepped any suggestion that last year's game will provide any motivation for Saturday night's early season matchup with the Raiders.

"When you've got a 120 players, you never know what motivates them," Brown said. "But I really think they remember last year's game but they have moved forward. That was last year's team and this year's team is 2-0."

This is a new year for the Raiders, as well. Junior Taylor Potts has taken over for Harrell and is carrying on the high-producing tradition of Raiders quarterbacks in the Mike Leach era. Texas Tech is 2-0 but a lot less hyped and again face the Longhorns as the underdog.

That seems perfectly fine by Leach.

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"I guess I don't care one way or the other, they looked at us as the underdog last year, too," he said. "We just want to go out and play the best game we can play and do the best we can."

Texas Can't Escape Last Year's Loss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>colt mccoyColtMccoygraham harrellGrahamHarrelljordan shipleyJordanShipleymack brownMackBrownmichael crabtreeMichaelCrabtreemike leachMikeLeachoklahoma soonersOklahomaSoonerstaylor pottsTaylorPottsTerrance HarrisSat, 19 Sep 2009 13:30:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: Overrated?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/big-12-notebook-overrated/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/big-12-notebook-overrated/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/big-12-notebook-overrated/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oklahoma State, HoustonEvery college football season there seems to be at least one major conference that's projected to be among the best , only to find out it's all just hype.

Could this season be the Big 12's turn?

Projected to be one of the top two conferences in the country, along with the SEC, there is now a small mountain of evidence indicating the Big 12 isn't the conference we thought it would be. The league has already suffered more than it share of stunning upsets in non-conference play, starting at the top.

Oklahoma, the preseason favorite with Texas to win the Big 12 South and the nation's third-ranked team to start the year, had its hopes of another BCS national championship berth jolted after an opening week loss to BYU. This past weekend, Oklahoma State, ranked fifth in the nation (their highest ranking in 24 years, following a win over Georgia) came falling back to reality when Houston strolled out of Stillwater with a convincing upset.

Just like that, the Big 12 lost two of its three Top 10 team preseason teams, leaving No.2 Texas carrying the weight of the Big 12 by itself. But even the Longhorns struggled at Wyoming in the first half last week before pulling away from the Cowboys, as did Missouri against Bowling Green.

It certainly seems as though the Big 12's quest for a third BCS national championship appearance in five years is already in jeopardy. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, whose team moved back up to No.12 in this week's AP poll, believes it's too early to make such assertions.

"There is a ton of football to go," Stoops said. "I've never tried to project in the first or second week where you are going to be for a Big 12 or national title. It's a long road, so you have to keep working and try to improve as you go."

But early evidence says the league has a lot of work to do to make up for the perception-altering performances of its top teams. In addition to the Oklahoma State loss last weekend, Kansas State also went to Louisiana-Lafayette and suffered a stunning defeat to the Ragin Cajuns of the Sun Belt Conference. And then there is Colorado, which doesn't seem capable of beating anyone after falling apart against Mid-American Conference foe Toledo on Friday night to fall to 0-2 on the season.

So far this season, the Big 12 has suffered defeats to the Mountain West, Conference USA, Sun Belt and Mid-American Conference. None of the other major conference can make that claim to this point.

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"It's a 12-game season. It's a grind," Kansas coach Mark Mangino said to FanHouse. "I wouldn't judge the Big 12 on the first couple weeks. I really think you have to look at the body of work throughout the season. Those kind of discussions arise at the end of the year.

"Sure there has been some games where we've gotten beat when we were favored, but I think you have to look at the whole body of work and wait until the season is over because this is a pretty doggone good conference."

Stoops seems to think what we've seen so far in the Big 12 early is just a symptom of parity created by the scholarship limits. So far we've seen Boise State dominate Oregon and Central Michigan delivered a blow to Michigan State to name a few other upsets outside of the Big 12.

"In the end there are a lot of good teams and if you are not at your best anybody can beat you," Stoops said. "I don't know that that's like any other year or unlike any other conference. I think you see it around the country with everybody every year.

"Every week you see different people with upsets around the country. I don't know any year that hasn't been the case."


Fast-Break Offenses

The Big 12 season kicks off Saturday when No. 2 Texas hosts Texas Tech in what should be a fast-paced, high scoring affair based on what both teams have showed so far.

Through the first two games, both teams lead the Big 12 in scoring offense. The Longhorns, behind the proven arm of Colt McCoy, are averaging 50 points per game and have scored 13 touchdowns combined against Louisiana-Monroe and Wyoming.

Mike Leach's Red Raiders, who seemed to have invented fast-break offense in college football, are second in the conference in scoring offense with first-year starting quarterback Taylor Potts after averaging 46.5 points and having scored a total of 13 touchdowns against North Dakota and Rice.

Both teams also rank around the middle of the pack in the Big 12 in scoring defense.

"This will be a great fan game," said UT coach Mack Brown. "There is going to be balls flying all over the place. People come to see offense. Both defenses are improved, they're playing well but I'm going to tell you there will be some sparks flying in this game on offense because we're more uptempo than we've ever been and Tech has been that way from the beginning. So I think it will be a great game to watch."

It will be interesting to see how both offenses handle the obvious elevation in competition.

Snyder staying the course

Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said he doesn't anticipate making a change at either quarterback or placekicker, despite some obvious struggles in both areas in the first two games.

Quarterbacks Carson Coffman and Grant Gregory have combined to complete just 49.1 percent of their passes. The Wildcats struggled early against Louisiana-Lafayette before scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter prior to falling to a late field goal.

But Snyder says he doesn't anticipate a change heading into Saturday's game at UCLA.

"We have what we have," he said. "I don't know that we could go any further than we are right now."

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The same goes for junior placekicker Josh Cherry, who has missed all three of his field goal attempts through the first two games. Cherry missed two field goals in the loss to ULL and also missed on an extra point attempt.

"The major thing right now is to re-establish his confidence," Snyder said. "He's a very intent young guy, he really cares, he's very genuine. He's pained by it, as well, and I certainly understand it and appreciate that. I have great confidence in him and will continue to work with him. I think he will continue to move forward and eventually become the kicker I'm quite confident he's capable of becoming."

But most glaring right now is the play of Snyder's quarterbacks. Both went into fall camp in a tight race for the job, but Coffman emerged as the starter.

So far Coffman has struggle, completing just 27 of 52 passes for 360 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Gregory has been worse after not completing a pass in four attempts.

"It's quite obvious that we need to have substantial improvement at that position," Snyder said. "We have to make better decisions, we have to throw the ball more accurately. Those are the two main situations and get us in the right plays we can get into and not put us jeopardy. It's just a matter of trying to make improvement and that's true of the entirety of our football team.

"We are trying to make improvements at every position we have but the quarterback position stands out dramatically for any football team and it's quite obvious we need those improvements."

Tech not missing a beat at QB

Taylor Potts is just two games into his first year as a starter and already he seems on the way to being another record-setting Red Raiders quarterback.

Potts was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after completing 36 of 57 passes for 456 yards and seven touchdowns in the 55-10 win over Rice on Saturday. Potts became the first Raiders quarterback to throw for at least seven touchdowns in a game since B.J. Symons tossed eight touchdowns against Texas A&M in 2003.

After two games, Potts leads the Big 12 in passing with 430.5 yards per game to go along with nine touchdowns and just three interceptions. He has also completed 70 of 105 attempts for 861 yards.

"He's playing and is getting better every game out there," Leach said. "He's thrown for a bunch of yards both games and he's getting sharper and sharper."


Cowboys hope to recover

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy compares the uphill battle his Cowboys face in trying to recover from Saturday's stunning loss to University of Houston to challenges of recovering from failure in everyday life.

"The only difference in college football than any other aspect of life is we are in the public eye.," Gundy said. "Everything we do, every weekend people see it and there is a lot of talk about it. There are great lessons to be learned here."

The Cowboys, who went from No.5 in the country to No.16 this week, begin their recovery process Saturday when Rice pays a visit to Boone Pickens Stadium.

Cody Hawkins expected to play for Buffaloes

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said he expects his son, quarterback Cody Hawkins, to play Saturday when Wyoming comes into Boulder.

Hawkins suffered a mild concussion at the end of Friday's loss to Toledo.

Big 12 Notebook: Overrated? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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