NCAA Football FanHouse

Game-Winning Touchdown in Dispute: Did the Ball Hit the Ground?

Michael David Smith — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:50:00 EST

Washington linebacker Mason Foster was named Pac-10 defensive player of the week on Monday after he scored the game-winning touchdown off a deflected interception in Saturday's win over Arizona. But there's one big problem with Foster's big play: Many viewers don't think his interception should have counted at all.

These are the facts: With 2:49 left in the game, Arizona led 33-28 and was attempting to run out the clock when Arizona quarterback Nick Foles threw a screen pass to Delashaun Dean. After a bounce, Foster plucked the ball out of the air and ran to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

This is the dispute: Did the ball bounce off the ground, or off Dean's foot? The officials on the field ruled that it hit Dean's foot, and that Foster caught the ball before it ever hit the ground. That ruling was upheld on replay. But many viewers, especially Arizona fans, think it hit the ground.

These images, in particular, have been seized on by Arizona fans who say the ball hit the ground, and the play should have been ruled an incomplete pass. Washington fans, however, say the angle the ball took on the bounce indicates that it was bouncing off Dean's foot, not off the ground.

So what's the truth? Did the ball hit the ground, or did it just hit Dean's foot? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Game-Winning Touchdown in Dispute: Did the Ball Hit the Ground? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Concussions and Repercussions

John Walters — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Washington, Injuries, Daily Domer

SOUTH BEND, Ind -- The first and last plays of last Saturday's Washington-Notre Dame contest had something more in common than being the bookends of one of the most entertaining games waged in South Bend in years.

Each play featured a jarring hit that left one player with a concussion ... and those two concussions were only half the total the game rendered on its participants.

In all, four players -- Notre Dame special teams players Anthony McDonald and David Posluszny and Washington wideout D'Andre Goodwin and strong safety Nate Williams -- suffered concussions in the 37-30 overtime thriller.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow may be the poster boy of concussions this season, but the disturbing truth is that he is far from alone. And that it takes a player of his magnitude being carted off the field in a daze to shed light on this darker side of the sport.

"What a bizarre coincidence," says Jeanne-Marie Laskas, whose story about the perils of repeated concussions in NFL players appears in the October issue of GQ magazine. "The hit on Tebow reaffirms what we said in the article. The danger appears long before players make it to the NFL."

The GQ piece by Laskas, an English professor at the University of Pittsburgh, reads in part like a cloak-and-dagger suspense novel. Back in 2002, Bennett Omalu, a mild-mannered, Nigerian-born pathologist, performs an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steeler center Mike Webster. Omalu's curiosity leads him to spend up to $100,000 of his own money examining slides of the brains of both Webster and another former Steeler, Terry Long, both of whom suffered severe dementia before their deaths at the age of 50 and 45, respectively (Webster died of a heart attack while Long killed himself by drinking anti-freeze).

What Omalu finds is an inordinately high build-up of tau proteins, which are commonly found in Alzheimer's sufferers. Except that he discovers more tau proteins, and this is confirmed by an Alzheimer's specialist, Dr. Peter Davies, who serves as a consultant to the NFL, than seen in the most advanced cases of the disease.

Being a scientist, Omalu seeks more data. He examines the brains of other deceased ex-NFL players who exhibited signs of dementia or suicidal tendencies before their untimely deaths: Justin Strzelczyk, Andre Waters, Tom McHale, etc. All show the same evidence of excessive tau proteins. Omalu even coins a name for this "disease": Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE.

Omalu's findings are published in the peer-review journal Neurosurgery. The NFL's response? Three scientists on the league's payroll demand that the article be retracted because of its "serious flaws."

It's a fascinating piece and Omalu is a courageous voice in the wilderness. But the NFL has a Players' Association that hopefully serves the best interests of its members.

What does the NCAA have? The most popular parlor-game of the past 10 days among college football pundits is whether Tim Tebow will play when top-ranked Florida visits No. 4 LSU in its most difficult game of the season.

Granted, the University of Florida seems to have put that decision in the hands of team doctors, but Tebow's case is easily the most highly publicized perhaps in the history of college football. What about everyone else who just do not happen to be the most visible player in their sport, the one some have suggested is "the greatest college football player of all time?"

Last Saturday in South Bend, four players suffered concussions. Williams took a knee to the helmet in the third quarter, while Posluszny was injured on a kickoff. The hit on Goodwin, in which he received twin blows from Notre Dame safeties Kyle McCarthy and Harrison Smith a fraction of a second apart, was legal but gruesome. McCarthy launched himself into Goodwin's left side as the pass arrived, sending his momentum into Smith, who struck him at full speed, their helmets colliding. The ball, as well as Goodwin's helmet, went flying, as McCarthy and Smith understandably celebrated the hit that sealed the Irish victory.

In the aftermath, Goodwin lay in a daze on the turf for at least a minute or two while Washington trainers and teammates surrounded him. NBC's focus, however, was on the Irish victory. Watch past the 1:12 mark of the video, as announcers Tom Hammond and Pat Haden, oblivious to the fact that a player has been seriously injured, discuss "what a game" it was as two replays of the concussive hit are shown.

That oversight is not necessarily the fault of Hammond and Haden, by the way. A more alert producer would have recognized that Goodwin's condition was a priority. That, at the least, it deserved attention.

And yet the blow Goodwin suffered was not the most unsettling. Watch this clip of the opening kickoff and keep your eyes on the upper right portion of the screen. Anthony McDonald, a sophomore on the Irish kickoff unit, fails to see a Husky player approach from the outside and deliver a hit with his helmet into McDonald's facemask. McDonald falls backward in the background; you can see him stumble drunkenly-like to regain his balance. McDonald, as Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis noted on Sunday, is actually running in the opposite direction of the play. After the whistle McDonald, clearly in a fog, begins to jog over to the Washington sideline.

Weis, who has been a football coach at all three levels for nearly three decades, described the moment.

"I'm yelling for a trainer," Weis said Sunday. "I'm not even watching the kickoff now because I see him dazed and confused. I'm almost wanting to go out on the field myself because I'm yelling for the trainers, because you knew this is a guy who was knocked down on his feet at the time. He starts that way, then he starts running to their bench. I'm just yelling for the trainers to get over to him."

Collisions, and hence concussions, are inevitable in football -- at every level. "The helmet protects your skull," says Laskas, "but the incredible G-forces of the collisions do not protect the brain, which floats inside your skull, from banging against it. And in fact the helmet acts as a weapon."

None of this is news, and Laskas is the first to point out that "the incredible part of my story is that there is nothing new inside of it. No new studies."

What has changed, over the past two decades or so, is the size and speed of the young men who play college football. In 1985, a 300-pounder on an NFL roster was akin to having a 7-4 guy on an NBA roster. Today? Only one of the 10 offensive linemen on Notre Dame's two-deep chart weighs fewer than 300 pounds.

"If I'm a parent of a college football player at that level," says Laskas, "my first question is, 'Who's taking care of my kid?' "

To the degree that anyone knows, major college programs are acting responsibly in terms of treating concussions. Notre Dame, for example, issues its players a baseline cognitive test so that a player who suffered a concussion can be tested against that. Both McDonald and Posluszny were tested this week. At U-Dub the same holds true and it appears that neither Goodwin nor Williams will play on Saturday.

Yet, because of student-privacy laws, coaches are under no requirement to report player injuries or the severity of such. For example, quarterback Jimmy Clausen walks around in a boot each day and we are told it is only turf toe, but who outside of the Notre Dame program really knows for sure? Would a coach ever be so desperate as to play someone who hasn't adequately recovered from a concussion?

"The thing about concussions," says Laskas, "is that we just don't know the long-term effects. Not every NFL player who ever suffered a concussion went down the path that Webster and Long did. What is important is to make these kids aware of the potential danger they put themselves in. Things such as torn ACLs or even spinal-cord injuries, kids know about that. But do they realize that all those hits to the head could potentially drive them crazy?"

On Sept. 12, SMU cornerback Derrius Bell suffered a concussion in a game at UAB. Bell was sidelined for three weeks and returned for last Saturday's game with TCU. On his first play of the game, Bell hit Horned Frogs wideout Ryan Christian after a reception, forcing a fumble. Both Bell and Christian suffered concussions on the play. On Monday, with Bell still dizzy, SMU announced that he was done for the season.

"I'm afraid that's the best thing for him," coach June Jones told the Dallas Morning News. "Probably not the best for us, but it's in his best interest."

Said Bell, "I don't want to keep getting knocked out."

Concussions and Repercussions originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Tebow Returns to Practice

Brian Grummell — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:19:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, LSU, USC, Washington, SEC, Injuries

Its a simple headline but the implications are immense. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow returned to practice -- albeit in a limited manner -- Tuesday. This more than a week after a concussion against Kentucky left him a physical, hospitalized mess on national television. Florida has yet to publicly name Tebow's backup John Brantley the starter ahead of this week's game against LSU.

Its probably head games, but even if Tebow is 'cleared' Florida would have to be insane to play him. Head injuries are no joke and Tebow has well earned that baby rhinocerus nickname. Mix in his all-out style with LSU's terrific hitting and its an easy call: sit him. LSU is prepared for either quarterback and delaying only makes Meyer look desperate while potentially undermining Brantley before his first career start.

Similar delay arguably affected how USC quarterback Aaron Corp performed while the program stalled hoping freshman Matt Barkley's shoulder would improve in time for the eventual defeat against Washington. It didn't improve, Barkley never took a throw until Friday walk throughs when all game prep had already been handled, and Corp bombed when USC waited until the start of the game to acknowledge him the starter.

Brantley is no Tebow, but he's had plenty of live game reps and several years in the system. There's simply no preparation for going into Death Valley at night, but being a Florida quarterback means knowing that is on the horizon at some point in one's career, which is about as much prep as anyone can have. If his nerves are right, Brantley will be fine.

Tim Tebow Returns to Practice originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Irish Stand Tall Against Washington

John Walters — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:40:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Washington, Daily Domer

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- "Charlie, can you talk about what a relief it is to win by seven points as opposed to three?"

That was the opening post-game salvo, posed by local radio announcer Steve Moritz, following Notre Dame's 37-30 overtime win versus Washington Saturday afternoon/evening.

'Touche," answered Weis, his face a portrait of relief and joy.

Walters' Notebook: Another Irish Drama

After three consecutive games that were decided in the final minute, the Fighting Irish ratcheted the drama to levels that TNT does not even know. Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue: those three games had heads-or-tails type endings. Saturday at Notre Dame, by comparison, the coin landed on its side. It was that riveting.

"It was... a great college football game," said Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, who has already been involved in two of the best in his first five games with the Huskies. "For all the things that happened in this ballgame, I think as a fan everybody loved it."

Gracious words in defeat, and none more true.

This was a battle that was good to the last hit, which itself was the perfect exclamation mark to a memorable game. Jake Locker's fourth-and-19 pass in overtime found wideout D'Andre Goodwin on the 3-yard line, but only a millisecond before Notre Dame safeties Kyle McCarthy and Harrison Smith arrived.

Their one-two punch was so violent that both the football and Goodwin's helmet went flying, and in opposite directions, before both landed harmlessly on the turf.

Where do you begin? With Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen's personal-best 422 yards passing? With the longest reception (77 yards) and rush (31 yards) of Golden Tate's career? With Tate's 244 receiving yards, the most by an Irish player since Jim Seymour's record-setting 276 in 1965? With a school record-tying five field goals on as many attempts by freshman Nick Tausch?

No. You begin with defense, and once more we'll give the floor to U-Dub's charismatic young coach, Sarkisian.

"The bottom line," said Sarkisian, "is this game came down to we had two opportunities (three, actually) to score touchdowns from the one yard-line, and we came away with three total points. That's the bottom line."

The Huskies led 24-19 late in the third quarter when Locker connected with freshman wideout James Johnson on a third-and-16 from the Irish 30 down to the eight yard-line. That, for all intents and purposes, is when the game began.

A running play by freshman Chris Polk, who ran for a career-high 136 yards, gained four yards (Irish linebacker Brian Smith hit Polk at about the 13, but the Husky pup ran like Earl Campbell after halftime). Locker took a shotgun snap and ran three yards to the Irish one on second down. Two plays for one yard.

The Irish held. On third down. And then again on fourth.

That was only the beginning. The Irish marched quickly downfield for a first-and-goal at the seven only to settle for a field goal. In all, the teams combined for five different first-and-goal situations from the seven or closer today without scoring a touchdown.

It was the subsequent Husky drive, one that lasted 19 plays and 9:19 that will be remembered for quite some time. Washington ran a dozen consecutive plays from the Irish eight yard-line or closer without hitting paydirt.

Twice the Huskies had a first-and-goal from the one, an opportunity to go up at least nine points with fewer than seven minutes to play, and the Irish held.

"Penetrate your gap, get upfield," said junior defensive end Kerry Neal, who had his best game in a gold helmet.

"Simple as that."

"Just confidence and heart," echoed defensive tackle Kapron Lewis-Moore, who also put up a signature performance. "With each stop we just kept gaining momentum."

U-Dub ran a total of eight plays from the Notre Dame two-yard-line or closer in the second half, and each time the Irish denied it. The final six were a product of the Irish stopping the Huskies three times, and then being flagged for the ever-popular "roughing the snapper" penalty as the Huskies kicked a field goal. That flag moved the Huskies half the distance to the goal line, from the two, and required a third goal-line stand on the soggy turf.

"I think that the entire game, the ebb and flow of the game, probably the whole game came down to that double goal-line stand," Weis said.

The Irish prevented Washington from crossing a physical threshold and in so doing may have crossed a psychological one of their own. Suddenly, they were gritty.

"We had to sit around the last few weeks," middle linebacker Brian Smith said, "hearing about how great Notre Dame's offense is. How they're gonna have to score at least 30 points to win any game. It felt great for the defense to come through."

Washington kicked a field goal to go up 27-22 with 3:04 remaining, but it sure felt as if the Irish had gained ground.

It only took five plays for Notre Dame to take the lead, Clausen hitting tight end on a made-for-Michael Floyd fade route from 12 yards out. But it was the two-point conversion that was the defining play, as tailback Robert Hughes took a direct snap.

Hughes ran into a scrum at about the three yard-line. Clausen, who'd faked that the snap had sailed over his head, actually turned his back on the play, expecting that it was over ... but the whistle never blew.

The pile, with Hughes somewhere inside it, moved. Glacially, but it moved. Inconceivably, Hughes and an entourage of at least six other players fell into the end zone as the referee raised his hands. Such an effort, as it turned out, was the difference between victory and defeat. When the Huskies kicked a 37-yard field goal with 0:06 remaining in regulation time, Hughes' effort was the reason it was 30-30 and heading to overtime as opposed to yet another heartbreaking loss for the Irish, 30-29.

"It was just a fight," Hughes said about his two-point play. "You gotta win the fight."

"I got a little emotional on the sideline on that play," Smith said. "Just watching Robert refusing to give up."

The twin/triplet goal line stands heralded a transformation. It has been a long, long time since the Irish simply lined up across from an opponent, buckled up the chinstraps, and outhit them. But, in the fourth quarter and overtime, they did.

In overtime, in fact, the Irish sent two Huskies reeling with concussions. First, Tate, who is unable to go an entire game of late without making a memorable leap, attempted to vault over a Husky defensive back and into the end zone. There was just one problem.

"I thought I had a chance for the end zone," Tate said.

"I thought he was close to the goal line," said Clausen of his connection with Tate on the first play of overtime, "but I guess he took off from about the seven yard-line."

Tate went airborne, his knee striking the helmet of Husky safety Nate Williams. He helicoptered, at one point hovering 180 degrees upside down and at least three feet in the air, and somehow landed without fumbling.

"All I was thinking," Weis said, "was don't drop the ball."

Tate did not. Williams left the game with a concussion. One play later, Hughes and the Irish offensive line willed it in for the winning margin.

Four plays after that, McCarthy and Smith crushed Goodwin, who lay on the field a full minute after the game ended. It was violent, it was worrisome, it was euphoric, it was cathartic: all at once.

None of this happens, though, without the inspired play of the defensive line on those first-and-goal situations.

No Irish unit has been more criticized, and rightly so. The defensive line coach is a 39-year veteran, a man who spent his previous 21 seasons of coaching at the University of Washington. His name? Randy Hart. Funny, because if anything was proven in the cool gray squall enveloping South Bend Saturday, it's that these Irish, now 4-1, at least have that.

Irish Stand Tall Against Washington originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting 11: Willie Martinez Edition

Clay Travis — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Washington

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?

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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Latest College Football Photos

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)

Latest College Football Images

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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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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)

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)

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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Sarkisian Groomed for Upsets Like This

Lonnie White — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:43:00 EST

Filed under: USC, Washington, Pac 10, Coaching

For those who know Washington's Steve Sarkisian and have followed his journey from unknown junior college quarterback to first-year Pac-10 head coach, the Huskies' 16-13 victory over USC on Saturday should not come as a surprise.

That's because Sarkisian is a true idealist and competitor who had prepared himself for this moment for years.

And USC coach Pete Carroll -- the ultimate optimistic who loves every challenge -- knew this as well as anyone.

For seven seasons, Sarkisian worked under Carroll as an offensive assistant for the Trojans and although they may not have been best friends, the coaches grew close enough to respect the other's will to compete.

How could they not after spending so much time together?

From eating late night meals and holding team meetings to traveling on recruiting trips and playing pick-up basketball, it was always Sarkisian and Carroll.

A lot of time to get to know each other's tendencies and for people like Sarkisian and Carroll, that's the definition of competition.

"As far as the relationship going into this game, there's nothing I've liked more than playing against people that I really love, and friends and people that I've worked with," Carroll said prior to Saturday's game. "For whatever sordid reason that is, I don't know. I can't explain it, but it's fun to go against our guys. It will be fun to match up with a program that is similar to ours."

Unfortunately for Carroll, years from now it's likely that Sarkisian will remember Saturday's matchup as fun.

Early on, however, it certainly didn't look like it would end up that way for Sarkisian and the Huskies.

With third-year sophomore quarterback Aaron Corp making his first start due to an injury to true freshman Matt Barkley, USC featured a punishing ground game and took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 19: Wide receiver Devin Aguilar #9 of the Washington Huskies just misses this catch at the goal line against Josh Pinkard #36 of the USC Trojans on September 19, 2009 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The Huskies defeated the Trojans 16-13. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Josh Pinkard;Devin Aguilar

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach Bill Stewart of the West Virginia Mountaineers yells to his players against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bill Stewart

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach Gene Chizik of the Auburn Tigers looks on during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gene Chizik

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Chris Todd #12 of the Auburn Tigers looks upfield against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Todd

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Chris Todd #12 of the Auburn Tigers rushes upfield against Franchot Allen #20 of the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Todd;Franchot Allen

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: A general view of Jordan-Hare Stadium during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Noel Devine #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers tackles Jake Ricks #91 of the Auburn Tigers returns an interception at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Noel Devine;Jake Ricks

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TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 19: Runningback Ryan Bass #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils rushes the ball for 5 yards against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks during the college football game at Sun Devil Stadium on September 19, 2008 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Warhawks 38-14. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ryan Bass

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Noel Devine #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers scores a touchdown against Neiko Thorpe #15 of the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Noel Devine;Neiko Thorpe

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 19: Craig Stevens #46 (L) and Michael Goggans #49 (R) of the Auburn Tigers tackle quarterback Jarrett Brown #16 of the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Craig Stevens;Jarrett Brown;Michael Goggans

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"Early in the game, you would have thought we would have gotten beat, 50-0," Sarkisian told reporters after the Huskies defeated USC for the first time since 2001 and avenged last season's 59-0 loss to the Trojans at the Coliseum.

The Huskies definitely looked like an overmatched team. Washington's defense was getting chopped up and the Trojans' running backs Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson ran through holes big enough to fit Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming at the same time.

But Sarkisian did not panic and his team responded. Once the Huskies figured out Carroll's conservative approach with Corp, Washington concentrated on shutting down USC's rushing attack on running downs.

A tactic that worked to perfection when the Trojans kept to the ground and failed to take advantage Corps' mobility (his biggest asset as a quarterback) by keeping him in the pocket.

"We didn't throw the ball very well today," Carroll said after the game. "It was obvious. We threw the ball for 110 yards and couldn't get the ball down the field. We rarely get in that situation."

Throughout the game, USC seemed content not to take chances passing the ball and this allowed Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt, who spent six seasons as an assistant working under Carroll at USC, to dictate play for much of the final three quarters.

Even when the Trojans had the Huskies on the rope, their conservative approach hurt them. That was the case late in the fourth quarter.

With Washington leading, 13-10, USC drove the ball to the Huskies' 11, thanks to two misdirection runs by McKnight and Johnson. But after catching Holt's defense off-guard for big gains, two of USC's next three plays were similar runs behind the right side of the line, which forced the Trojans to settle for a field goal to tie the score at 13-13 setting the stage for Sarkisian's biggest competitive move of the game.

With the Huskies needing only a field goal to win, Sarkisian did not force things with his play-calling on the Huskies' final drive. Instead of looking for big pass plays down the field, Washington quarterback Jake Locker was given plenty to work with underneath and that was a big plus against the Trojans' aggressive defense.

Yet, early in the game-winning drive, USC still had Washington's offense under control when the Huskies were stuck with a third-down and 15 from their own 28-yard line.

Following a time-out called by Carroll, who was looking to get the ball back to win the game, Sarkisian outguessed his mentor. Knowing Carroll's tendency to play it safe with a two-deep safety coverage in situations like this, Washington called on a pass play in the middle of the field.

With USC opting not to blitz and rush only four players, Locker had enough time to complete a key 21-yard pass to tight end Jermaine Kearse for a first down to keep the Huskies' drive alive.

The rest is history. Even though Washington made a couple of more big plays that led up to Erik Folk's game-clinching 22-yard field goal, the true turning point was Sarkisian's third down call to find Kearse.

It's a play that Carroll will remember and a moment Sarkisian likely had envisioned before.

That's what competition is all about.

Sarkisian Groomed for Upsets Like This originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yet Again, USC Ends Up Roadkill

Brian Grummell — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:12:00 EST

Filed under: USC, Washington, Pac 10

USC once again followed a tired pattern Saturday, losing its Pac-10 road opener to Washington thanks to a bevy of offensive problems. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Corp, starting in place of injured freshman Matt Barkley was ineffective, tossing a pair of interceptions inside the Washington 30-yard line as USC fell to the Huskies 16-13. Washington kicked a 22-yard field goal with seconds remaining to eclipse the No. 3 Trojans.

USC's Pac-10 troubles are well established, having lost to Oregon State in 2008, Stanford and Oregon in 2007, UCLA in 2006 and Cal in 2003. The road openers have been predictably troublesome, with the Cal and Oregon State losses in that mix. Of particular embarrassment, USC coach Pete Carroll lost to disciple Steve Sarkisian, who only last week snapped a 15-game losing streak for the troubled Washington football program.

In the pantheon of strange USC conference losses of the Carroll era, this is right up there with the UCLA and Stanford games, as the USC offense yet again wasted an above-average defensive outing to total just 13 points.

After an outstanding open to the 2009 season when USC rushed for over 300 yards against San Jose State, back-to-back road starts with inexperienced quarterbacks were just too much, barely escaping Ohio State last week before turning in that 18-point effort into an even worse 13-point showing this time around. Keep in mind this is the program that once set an NCAA record for most consecutive games with 20 or more points.

Massive credit of course must be directed at Washington, which stood toe-to-toe with a deeper, more talented opponent. Husky quarterback Jake Locker's scrambling and well-timed passes kept drive after drive alive. On the other side, Husky defensive coordinator Nick Holt, last seen as USC's defensive coordinator, got his revenge in holding the Trojans to 360 yards and a ridiculous zero-for-10 conversion rate on third downs.

The Trojans are in desperate need of a staycation, and they'll have it with a get-well home game next week against hapless Washington State in their near-impenetrable fortress that is the Coliseum. Once again USC wasted a great opportunity, as it was gaining ground on No. 2 Texas in the rankings only to falter like everyone anticipated it would. Nobody knew when or where, but the Pac-10 stumble was inevitable, and here it is. Soak it in.

Yet Again, USC Ends Up Roadkill originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite Leaky Defense, LSU Wins in Washington 31-23

Jim Henry — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: LSU, Washington

It was a good win, but not good enough for LSU's expectations. In fact, Tigers coach Les Miles called LSU's road game at Washington Saturday night a "setup game." Call it a blind date that nearly went terribly wrong.

Miles pointed out how LSU traveled the farthest it has ever been -- 2,550 miles to Seattle -- for a football game. He cited how the opener was played in rain and mist. He reminded fans the Huskies didn't have any distractions -- classes weren't in session last week -- and they returned a talented, experienced quarterback in Jake Locker.

"But we prevailed," Miles said. "We're 1-0 and looking forward to the rest of the season."

LSU fought past Washington 31-23, sending the Huskies to their 15th consecutive defeat -- the longest streak in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. Miles was right, too. The Tigers prevailed on the road against an opponent that had the entire summer to scheme, and that's always a good thing to escape with your scalp.

Even so, as LSU turns its attention to its home opener Saturday against an improved Vanderbilt team that smoked Western Carolina 45-0, questions this week will certainly focus on the Tigers defense.

Is it any better from a season ago?

The chatter this offseason was about LSU regaining its edge defensively under first-year coordinator John Chavis. Even Miles liked what he watched from his defense in preseason practiced, saying, "I think the enthusiasm, the attention to detail and the want to get to the ball (has changed). To me, I think our players had an existing culture and got used to playing dominant football on defense, and I think John Chavis instills that in them with how he coaches. What kind of difference? Hopefully extreme."

An extreme makeover it wasn't.

Washington carved LSU like a Thanksgiving turkey for 478 yards and 25 first downs. That's more yardage than LSU gave up in any game a year ago, and three yards more than national champion Florida gained against the Tigers in 2008.

At the half Washington had 296 yards and had converted seven of nine third downs, a troubling trend. Overall, The Tigers were unable to get off the field on third down as the Huskies finished 11 of 19. The average distance to go on the 11 conversions was more than six yards; Washington also converted its lone fourth-down conversion.

Locker kept the 18-point underdog Huskies close throughout, despite a first-quarter interception for a touchdown that gave LSU a lead it wouldn't give up. Locker was 25-of-45 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 51 yards. Washington averaged 5.8 yards per play and outgained LSU 478-321.

Following the game Miles, however, offered a unique interpretation of Washington's offensive success under first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, a young, rising former USC offensive assistant who was credited by the media for outfoxing Chavis.

"They just studied John Chavis from Tennessee," Miles said.

"They were in great position to game plan. It was a set-up game. It was a great opportunity for them to sneak up on us." Miles also added this doozy, which could be blamed on sleep deprivation due to the three-hour time difference. "Our new defensive staff did an outstanding job. They got our players in good position to make tackles and they improved as the game went on. A lot of the night, we ran the Tiger defense that I want to see."

To be fair, Miles didn't entirely flip his lid. Chavis made some effective adjustments at the half. The Tigers limited the Huskies to just 61 yards through the first 21 minutes of the second half. They also held when it counted most, stopping a third down to force a field goal and keep Washington at arm's length at 24-16 with 5:24 remaining.

LSU's offense also did enough to win the game despite running just 48 plays - Washington ran 83.

Junior receiver Terrance Toliver caught two long touchdowns and setup a third. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson was 11-of-19 passing for 172 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. The offense had the ball for nine series, and it was basically hit or miss for the Tigers. LSU scored on four possessions - the three Jefferson touchdown passes and a 24-yard field goal.

"It was a good way to start the season," offensive tackle Ciron Black told Rivals.com.

"Washington has improved a lot. There were a lot of good things and a lot of bad things. We wanted to take the heart out of their defensive line early and we didn't do that. "But, we were able to withstand their surge. Eventually we wore them down and put points on the board."

Miles wasn't complaining either - at least publicly. Openers have a way of closing shut on teams and ruining seasons.

"We should have put it away early in the game," Miles said. "We should've have taken control earlier. But, it was a satisfying win. First-game jitters are behind us. We're 1-0 and looking forward to the rest of the season."

Defensive lapses aside -- don't worry, the guess here is those will be corrected -- it certainly beats the alternative.

Despite Leaky Defense, LSU Wins in Washington 31-23 originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The FanHouse Walk: Giving Football the Old College Handshake

Brian Grummell — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:24:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, Washington, Wisconsin, Pac 10, SEC, Coaching, Division II, FCS

Every week during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Good Cop Bad Cop -- The American Football Coaches Association is trying to inject some sportsmanship into an opening week pregame near you. The AFCA has put forth a non-binding proposal that teams shake hands en masse before each Week 1 game, roughly four minutes before spending the next four hours in violent, competitive, collision-heavy contact.

Kudos, I guess. It's well-meaning and doesn't necessarily do any harm, but this seems more for show than sincerity given the necessarily violent nature of the game. As AFCA honcho Grant Teaff says, "It is symbolic, but it is, we think, a very important initiative." Meanwhile, the NCAA rules committee has cooked up its own, much more dangerous plan to counter unsportsmanlike play.

Remember this play (1:19 in)?

If a proposal eventually gets its way through the committee, such on-field taunts might be considered a live penalty, effectively erasing a touchdown that was otherwise unaided by any other penalty. As it is, such actions warrant an easy unsportsmanlike conduct, docking the offending team after the conclusion of the play. That is the way it should be.

On-field taunts are unfortunate but there are already procedures in place to punish such actions. The rules committee is clearly trying to take things a step further and pre-empt any further incidents. Says Southeastern Conference coordinator of football officials Rogers Redding, "I think the sense is it would stop it in a heartbeat."

No doy.

Regardless, if a touchdown is accomplished without the aid of a hold or any other assisting penalties, it needs to stand. Period. Slippery slopes and such. See Redding again, telling USA Today: "The line gets crossed when there's taunting and inciting."

The endless on-field banter is in itself its own form of taunting and inciting that often leads to more visible taunts like the one above. Either everything gets thrown in that boat or almost nothing does. The rules in place work, occasional crossing of the lines is going to happen and there's more than a few repercussions from the dead ball penalty to the player getting chewed out or benched by his coach, team conduct penalties during the week that we don't see, and so on.

Taking away the most exciting and difficult to execute plays in football is asinine, backwards and counterproductive in erasing only a handful of the most egregious transgressions while also taking away the element of the game most fans and competitors are there for. Stop the madness.

We've Got Plenty -- Heather Dinich and the ESPN college football blog crew have been busy today listing their top villains in college football. No. 3 on her list and certainly near the top of mine: Congress. I love Dinich because she speaks her mind efficiently and brutally. Quoth the ACC writer:

It doesn't belong in college football. It wasted taxpayers' money -- twice. And it doesn't understand the BCS. But give Utah's biggest fan a national stage, and Sen. Orrin Hatch suddenly has his own column on SI.com.

Heh.

The NCAA rules committee is inching up my list after the above plus their horrendous cave-in to broadcast networks with rule 3-2-5-e from a few years back. The NCAA is like the reverse Midas, where everything it touches turns something on the opposite end of the spectrum from gold.

History -- Florida is the second team of this decade to attempt to corner three championships in a brief span.

Everyone's obviously pointing to the 2005 USC team that gave out just 19 seconds from history. Regardless Florida deserves high marks for getting this far, it ain't easy and the pressure builds with each game. Their schedule is relatively light but math, science and the season-wrecking Gods of college football will do their darndest to align against the Gators this year.

Now wouldn't be ironic if USC was the team to put the brakes on the Gators' own charge at history? Ask me again in a few weeks but that's actually my view of how this season will play out as we cruise through the middle of August.

Stereotypin' -- Vegas Insider checks in with the returning offensive and defensive starters for each FBS college football team. Make note that seven SEC teams have eight or more returning defensive starters. Contrast that with the Pac-10 and its five teams with eight or more returning offensive starters.

Stereotypes are stereotypes but sometimes there's a bit of truth behind them.

In The Age of Political Correctness -- Nicholls State retired an offensive 'white-bearded, gray-uniformed mascot' in 2004 that conjured up Civil War images. In its place a new mascot has finally arrived, and folks are rightly not taking to it.

I'll let the people do the talking:

"Menacing."

'"'It looked like a Nazi soldier -- a very angry Nazi soldier"

" The new image seems evil, faceless and inhuman."

"It comes down to one word: propaganda."

See where this is going? I'm trying to understand what they were trying to do, but the logo came out wrong. The propaganda thing is dead-on, it looks like the 'Colonel' jumped out of a Stalin-era propaganda poster (although some of that same imagery revived itself with those creepy two-tone Obama posters in the recent election) and into a Louisiana university. If we're going to be snarky, it actually strongly reminded me of the M. Bison character from the 'Street Fighter' video games.

Folks have set up some Facebook pages in protest, but so far the University is sticking with its logo. It's so strange as to maybe work in a few years once people figure out to not take it seriously and it becomes a running joke among the student body. Maybe.

Beer Isn't The Only Thing Brewing In Madison -- Wisconsin recently suspended two players indefinitely for violating team rules. This stuff happens all the time but things are about to get real ugly as both players' fathers are now involved claiming the program mishandled the situation as they attempt to clear their sons' names.

Transfers have to be imminent when stuff like this from Aubrey Pleasant's father hits the papers:

"I hate to say this, but you just can't treat people any old way. I think that is what he is used to doing. Maybe this is how they do things at Iowa.

"And I hate to say that... but I hope the guy comes to his senses. Lawyers have been contacted, and we just want the kids' names cleared."

After a smooth start, it's been downhill for Badgers' coach Bret Bielema. This only adds to the trouble after athletic director and legendary Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez didn't exactly give him the ringingest of endorsements recently.

Overtime, Ball on the 25

-- Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer has signed on to be a studio analyst for CBS College Sports. He'll do great there, and I'm shocked ESPN didn't swoop in and grab him as a potential centerpiece to their growing SEC coverage. The man is still obviously itching to coach, but I'd have taken the risk of having him for only a year as an informed and surprisingly gregarious broadcast voice.

-- Speaking of unsportsmanlike, Washington is unabashedly coaching its linemen to cut block this season under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Judging by the quotes the players don't much have the stomach for it but are following orders

-- Phil Steele projects Cal a big winner over Maryland this year and looks at the sneaky good Illinois/Missouri rivalry game as well.

-- A UCLA football commit and brother of USC defensive end Malik Jackson wore a UCLA shirt and matching socks to a recent USC football practice. He'll pay for that, on the field of course.

-- Football Outsiders looks at college football's best defensive lines from 2008. Not much mention of USC's defensive line, which was part of one of the better defenses of this era last year. Either the numbers need some work or those linebackers and secondary did a surprising amount of the heavy lifting in last year. On defense, success is usually heavily linked to the trenches, so the work the linebackers did behind USC's front four last season was, according to these rankings, all the more impressive.

-- Interesting stance the NCAA is taking on new media as it relates to injury reports and coaches' general efforts to obscure team health matters.

The FanHouse Walk: Giving Football the Old College Handshake originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huskies' Locker Signs With Angels

Gary Washburn — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:39:00 EST

Filed under: LSU, Washington

The University of Washington should be relieved that quarterback Jake Locker signed a professional baseball contract with the Los Angeles Angels because it could potentially free up another scholarship.

Locker, a 10th round pick of Los Angeles, confirmed Saturday night that he has agreed to terms on a deal and likely will receive a signing bonus. Because of that he will need to relinquish his scholarship to retain his amateur football status, giving coach Steve Sarkisian another coveted scholarship.

Locker said he will play his final two seasons for the Huskies and may pursue the NFL. Baseball, something he played in high school and during college summers, is merely a fallback.

For now, Locker is working feverishly to resurrect a program that sunk to a low point last season with an 0-12 record. Locker missed the final eight games with a broken right thumb. The running-style quarterback is completely healthy and has taken snaps as the No. 1 quarterback in spring and fall drills.

The Huskies open the 2009 season Sept. 5 against LSU.

Huskies' Locker Signs With Angels originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-10 Predictions: Can Rest of League Finally Bear Down on USC?

Gary Washburn — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac 10

So is this the year someone besides USC wins the Pac-10 title and gains the automatic BCS bowl berth?

If there is ever a year for USC to get chased from behind and caught, this is this year. The Trojans are breaking in a new quarterback in Aaron Corp and replacing several departed starters to the NFL draft.

So who's it going to be? Cal? Can the Golden Bears overcome early-season trap games and win the games they are supposed to and make it interesting? Can Oregon beat USC at home and win difficult road games and take the title? And how about Oregon State? Do Mike Riley teams always have to start 1-3 before getting into high gear?

And what about the rest of the field? Is this Stanford's breakout year? Is UCLA ready to become a Pac-10 factor again? And is Arizona really the third worst team in the conference as it was picked by the media? These are all intriguing questions that will be worked out in the coming weeks.

Our standings preview and records predictions are after the jump.

1. USC (10-2 overall, 8-1 conference). You have to knock out the champion to take the title and the Trojans are vulnerable but still strong enough to retain the crown. They may trip with an early season game at Ohio State. There are three difficult conference road games (at Cal, at Oregon and at Arizona State) and the Trojans will lose one of those, likely at Oregon.

2. Cal (10-2, 7-2). Cal tailback Jahvid Best said the team is ready for the opener at Maryland, but the question is whether the Bears will be prepared for the Oct. 4 matchup against USC followed by a road game at Oregon. The Bears still split those two games but will lose at Arizona State, a place where they have never played well. And the final two games at Stanford and Washington are trap games. The Bears will have to be careful.

3. Oregon (9-3, 6-3). The Ducks may be 0-1 before anybody else if they lose to Boise State in the opener. The good news is that all of their difficult conference games are at Autzen Stadium, a place they play extremely well. If you would ask any top-tier Pac-10 team, they would lose a road schedule of UCLA, Washington, Stanford and Arizona. So the Ducks, behind bruising quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, have a chance to grab the title.

4. Oregon State (8-4, 5-4). The Beavers have a chance to be 3-0 going into their conference opener at Arizona, but you know with Riley's team, matters won't be that easy. Oregon State plays at Arizona State, at USC and at Cal in a five-week span, all teams they were beaten at Reser Stadium last season and looking for payback. So it maybe rough for the Beavers to compete with the big boys, especially with an uncertain situation at quarterback between Lyle Moevao and Sean Canfield.

5. Stanford (6-6, 4-5). Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh knows he's close to producing a winner and Stanford could be 4-1 heading into a two-game road stretch at Oregon State and Arizona. Stanford has to win the early conference games because the Cardinal ends with Arizona State, Oregon, USC and Cal back-to-back. So it will be Stanford's first trip to a bowl in years but with a .500 record. Can Andrew Luck withstand the brutality of the Pac-10 as a redshirt freshman? Harbaugh is banking on that.

6. Arizona State (6-6, 4-5). Danny Sullivan takes over at quarterback for Rudy Carpenter, but the Sun Devils were really average last season with a lot of talent, so someone is going to need to respond to prevent another disappointing season. They will get their chins checked in week 3 at Georgia but like Stanford, the Sun Devils don't face the meat of their conference schedule until the end. So Sullivan will get a chance to gain experience before the really rough games. Look out for receiver Kyle Williams, the son of Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams. Kyle could be a first-team Pac-10 selection this season.

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Louisville receiver Trent Guy spins a football on his finger during the team's media day for the upcoming NCAA college football season in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Nebraska's Kyler Reed (25), and J.T. Kerr work on blocking drills Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, during the first day of fall football practice camp in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Nebraska's Menelik Holt catches a football on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, during the first day of fall training camp in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy speaks during a media availability Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Nebraska quarterback Cody Green, a freshman from Dayton, Texas, throws a football on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. during the first day of fall training camp in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh runs Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, during the first day of fall football training camp in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy speaks during a media availability Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Nebraska's Brandon Kinnie catches a football on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, during the first day of fall training camp in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee throws the ball on Saturday Aug 8, 2009, during the first day of fall football training camp. (AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Texas head football coach Mack Brown speaks during a news conference Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Austin, Texas. The Texas football team reported to preseason training camp Saturday and received a message from coach Brown: Forget the BCS. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

7. Arizona (6-6, 3-6). It would be beneficial for Mike Stoops' team to nab early wins at Oregon State and Washington because the schedule gets no easier, and maybe that's why the media picks the Wildcats to finish eighth. Stoops has still not made a decision at quarterback - either Matt Scott or Nick Foles - and the Wildcats have never been a great offensive team, so there are some major questions. Arizona will have to rely on a tough decision and likely a ball-control offense.

8. UCLA (5-7, 3-6). The Bruins are getting closer but not quite ready yet for prime time. They have five conference road games, including four of their final six. Coach Rick Neuheisel named Kevin Prince as the starting quarterback, but the Bruins don't have any proven offensive compliments to help him out. They are still very young, so UCLA will take its lumps, but the pain is all means to an end. Look for the Bruins to pull off a Halloween Night stunner at Oregon State.

9. Washington (3-9, 2-7). We just don't know enough about Washington's talent to pick the Huskies in any games besides Washington State and Arizona at home. But that may change soon under Steve Sarkisian. The schedule starts with LSU and includes Notre Dame on the road. USC comes to Seattle in Week 3, so the theme may just to try to stay healthy in the early going to survive the season and make positive strides.

10. Washington State (3-9, 1-8). Second-year coach Paul Wulff has had to put out more fires off the field than on the field, which is a major issue in Pullman. Has he had enough time to concentrate on improving the Cougars or has he spent so much time ridding the program of bad guys? Who is the quarterback? Who replaces Brandon Gibson as their best offensive player? The Cougs have five road games in seven weeks, so their lone win may come in the opener against Stanford.

Pac-10 Predictions: Can Rest of League Finally Bear Down on USC? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-10 Media Day Notebook

Gary Washburn — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac 10

LOS ANGELES -- USC was picked to win the Pac-10 football title for the seventh consecutive year by the media, and yet the coaches from all nine competitors -- including Arizona's Mike Stoops (right) and even USC coach Pete Carroll -- touched on the uncertainty of the Trojans this season.

USC received 28 of the 32 votes with California receiving three while third-place Oregon collected one vote. The Trojans will be breaking in a new quarterback and several new defenders since 11 players were taken in the NFL Draft. Perhaps this is the year another school emerges and takes the crown out of Los Angeles, but they approached Thursday precariously and with respect. There were no declarations that USC is going down or the reign is over -- not even from UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel.

"Eighteen months later, from the time I got the job we are athletic, stronger and more physical," Neuheisel said humbly after a 4-8 debut season in Westwood. "We're still relatively inexperienced. But I think great things are in store for our program."

Humility was the theme of the morning. There is a quiet confidence in many coaches that their programs have improved, but the proof will be on the field, and in the past seven years, USC has proven that it is superior -- winning many games with ease -- other than a couple of hiccups against Oregon State.

Has the rest of the field caught USC? Perhaps fans will see on Sept. 12 when USC visits Ohio State or maybe when Oregon kicks off the season at Boise State or UCLA faces Tennessee in Knoxville.

The uncertainty is apparent amongst other Pac-10 coaches because their teams -- like USC -- face inexperience at key positions. There is no team that appears loaded for a title run. Clubs such as Cal, Oregon and Oregon State will have to rely on newcomers immediately to puncture the USC aura, and the quest won't be easy.

Here are notes from each team's discussion with the media Thursday.

ARIZONA
Coach Mike Stoops said he could use two quarterbacks -- Nick Foles and Matt Scott -- entering the season and they will battle it out in fall camp. Stoops was not pleased being picked to finish eighth in the conference: "I think our lack of respect in this conference is built around maybe our ability to replace a very quality player in Willie Tuitama. I believe that we will be able to replace Willie with a couple of very able players."

Tight end Rob Gronkowski is a beast of a player who has drawn raves around the conference and could be a first-team All America this season.

ARIZONA STATE
The Sun Devils were picked fifth by the media but will use redshirt senior Danny Sullivan to replace the graduated Rudy Carpenter and will rely on gifted receiver Kyle Williams, bruising fullback Dimitri Nance and cornerback Mike Nixon. The question is whether Arizona State can respond from a highly disappointing season with games at Georgia, Oregon and UCLA. ASU does get Cal, USC and Arizona at home.

CAL
Coach Jeff Tedford said quarterback Kevin Riley is the starter heading into fall camp, but that doesn't mean Brock Mansion doesn't have a shot at the job. Tedford played roulette with his quarterbacks last season, benching both Riley and Nate Longshore. With the latter gone, Riley is the favorite, and Tedford would like to see one quarterback seize the job instead of a committee.

"I don't think there's any question if we achieve our goal, we need to be more consistent in the passing game," Tedford said. "Kevin has matured a lot. His experience puts him a step ahead. I am not a fan of quarterback by committee but I don't regret how we handled the quarterback situation last year because the bottom line is we have to be consistent. I don't know if we had one guy step up and handle it like they should. Hopefully we do have that this year."

OREGON
New coach Chip Kelly is excited about his potentially high-powered offense but the question is whether his wide receivers -- all relatively new -- will respond and catch passes. Rory Cavaille and Jamere Holland will be depended on to replace Jaison Williams and Terence Scott. The former duo have combined for six catches, but Oregon has reached a point of reloading, not rebuilding.

"Two years ago, people said we weren't going to recover after losing Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart and all of a sudden Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount show up," Kelly said. "So we are excited about our guys and they have an opportunity to step up. If people are going to deploy themselves defensively to take Ed (Dickson) away then that's going to free up some of our other guys. So if you've got to devote two people to Ed, then someone else has got to win."

And Kelly made it clear that he and cornerback Walter Thurmond III voted for Tim Tebow for first-team All SEC.

OREGON STATE
Coach Mike Riley said the Rodgers brothers -- or Brothers Rodgers -- Jacquizz and James -- are healthy and will be 100 percent going into fall camp. Jacquizz Rodgers, the conference's offensive player of the year as a freshman, missed most of the final three games with a shoulder injury. His healthy return will be essential to the Beavers' success. Riley also revealed that quarterback Lyle Moevao is not completely recovered from right shoulder surgery, leaving the door open for Sean Canfield to perhaps be the starter when Oregon State takes on Portland State on Sept. 5.

Canfield was instrumental in wins at Arizona and the critical win over then-No. 2 Cal in 2007.

STANFORD
Redshirt freshman Andrew Luck is the starting quarterback entering fall camp but coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't expect incumbent Tavita Pritchard, who led the Cardinal to its program-changing victory over USC two years ago, to give up the job.

"Tavita has started 19 games for Stanford and he is just not going concede to Andrew," Harbaugh said. "I would say this is far from settled but Andrew will be given the first chance to win the job and start at Washington State."

Toby Gerhart, a redshirt junior, could be Stanford's most physical runner since Tommy Vardell and is coming off a school-record 1,136-yard season.

UCLA
Neuheisel endorsed Kevin Prince as the team's new starting quarterback and he seems to be well adjusted for a redshirt freshman. Prince excelled during spring drills and appears to have won over his more experienced teammates.

"I think being a redshirt freshman, he was very composed out there (at spring practice)," linebacker Reggie Carter said. "We talked a lot of trash and said some crazy things to him. He did what he had to do and make some smart decisions. Once he gets the ball to where he needs on time, he will be a great player."

Also, running back Christian Ramirez, who missed last season because of academic ineligibility, will be the starter.

USC
Coach Pete Carroll said he has not given up on trying to find a way for freshman Frankie Telfort to play football. The freshman linebacker was advised to quit football because of a heart condition.

"We aren't going to give up on him," Carroll said. "We talked with his family about it. He's a good kid. He was unusually gifted as far as understanding football. I can't tell you we had anybody who knew so much about football as Frankie did."

Carroll revealed that weakside linebacker Malcolm Smith had surgery on his esophagus and is not 100 percent while strongside linebacker Luthur Brown may not be academically eligible.

WASHINGTON
Coach Steve Sarkisian was brimming with enthusiasm during his first media day as a head coach and said the Huskies are going to be "excited" for the season opener against LSU at Husky Stadium.

"I'm 35 years old, I'm crossing the 520 bridge, I'm staring at Husky Stadium and I'm the head coach at the University of Washington football program. This is an unbelievable honor," he said. "There's an aura about that place that is exciting. We're not the same football team [as eight months ago]."

Running back Chris Polk, highly touted before missing most of last season with shoulder surgery, should be back in the mix. Sarkisian said he still is waiting on the status of five junior college transfers.

WASHINGTON STATE
Quarterback Marshall Lobbestael is recovering from knee surgery but will compete with Kevin Lopina for the starting quarterback job. Weakside linebacker Louis Bland hurt his knee in spring drills and is still not completely healthy. Coach Paul Wulff said the Cougars wants to play a no-huddle offense to prevent injuries and increase depth.

2009 Pac-10 Preseason Media Poll:
1. USC (28) 316
2. California (3) 277
3. Oregon (1) 250
4. Oregon State 216
5. Arizona State 155
6. Stanford 150
7. UCLA 145
8. Arizona 142
9. Washington 74
10. Washington State 35

Pac-10 Media Day Notebook originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sarkisian Expects Jake Locker to Sign With Angels

Gary Washburn — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, Pac 10

LOS ANGELES -- Steve Sarkisian is trying to restart a winning tradition at the University of Washington and having quarterback Jake Locker will help that cause.

Yet, he realizes that Locker is such a gifted athlete, there will be other demands for his services, such as baseball. And Sarkisian said he believes Locker will sign a professional baseball contract with the Los Angeles Angels, who drafted him in the 10th round in June's amateur draft.

Locker, a rising junior, coming off missing the final eight games with a broken finger, is slated to start for the Huskies and finished 16-for-18 in the UofW Spring Game.

"Eventually that will probably get done," Sarkisian said. "He's been very patient (but) I think it will get done, a deal with Angels."

If Locker signs with the Angels and accepts a signing bonus, it may free up another scholarship for the Huskies since Locker would be considered a walk-on. Locker has maintained that football is his first priority.

Sarkisian Expects Jake Locker to Sign With Angels originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will Year of Transition in Pac-10 Lead to USC's Ouster?

Gary Washburn — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac 10

LOS ANGELES -- Perhaps there was a reason Pete Carroll pleaded with Mark Sanchez to return to USC for his senior season. He knew his Trojans would lose their gorilla grip on the Pac-10, and that is the enduring theme entering the conference's media day Thursday at the LAX Sheraton Hotel.

The Trojans are not the prohibitive favorites, but the precarious favorites with a slew of teams chasing them. But there's one major catch in their pursuit, most of the conference teams -- outside Washington -- are breaking in a new or less experienced quarterback. USC should be voted the favorites Thursday, but who is second?

Cal? The Bears have talent, including Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best, but will quarterback Kevin Riley play consistently enough to lead them to big victories?

Oregon? The Ducks lost immense talent to the NFL draft and need a No. 1 wide receiver.

Arizona State? Rudy Carpenter is finally gone (didn't he back up Jake Plummer?)

Arizona? The Wildcats will be breaking in a quarterback who tossed 11 passes last year. Assuming he holds off the other candidate that tossed seven passes two years ago.

Oregon State? The Beavers have a dynamic running game but not much to pass.

So it will be a wide-open conference race, and this may be the year USC is brought down. Carroll named Aaron Corp the starting quarterback heading into fall camp and his responsibility will be to manage games and allow the superior rushing attack and defense win games.

Also, there has been no decision on the NCAA investigation regarding Reggie Bush, and that may be hovering over the program, but Carroll has overcome adversity before and the Trojans, who, with their perennial top-5 recruiting classes, reload, not rebuild.

California has to shake the tag of being a pseudo-power that shrinks in big games. The Bears haven't beaten USC in six years and were soundly beaten by Arizona on the road last year. Best is a brilliant running back but has durability issues and Cal will have to replace a trio of productive linebackers.

Oregon bullied Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl and found its quarterback in the process, Jeremiah Masoli. The Ducks have a new coach in Chip Kelly but lost a group of key players on offense and defense -- including Jeremiah Johnson, Jaison Williams and Patrick Chung. LeGarrette Blount turned in a rather quiet 1,000-yard season but will be depended on to thrive in Kelly's offense. The question with Oregon is the offensive line and a defense that returns just five starters.

The Beavers have the brothers Rodgers at running back but a quarterback controversy with Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao and have to replace productive wide receiver Sammie Stroughter.

Arizona is coming off a job-saving bowl win for Mike Stoops but lost four-year starter Willie Tuitama and will counter with sophomore Matt Scott and top-notch tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Wildcats will be a dark horse team but will have to mature fast.

Arizona State is coming off a disappointing losing season and will hand the quarterback reigns to Danny Sullivan, but Kyle Williams -- the son of Chicago White Sox GM Ken Williams -- is an all-conference candidate and will be depended on to spark the offense.

Stanford is making great strides under coach Jim Harbaugh and has a shot at a bowl game. Tailback Toby Gerhart is a tough runner who will set the pace for the offense, and the Cardinal hope newcomers Andrew Luck is more consistent than Tavita Pritchard.

UCLA is going to take some time to challenge USC but quarterback Kevin Prince could be a future star. The Bruins have to find a starting running back and more talented skill players than in recent years. Senior defensive back Alterraun Verner is the best in the conference.

Latest College Football Images

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy answers questions during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, July 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy presses his lips together as he listens to a question during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, July 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Texas Tech offensive lineman Brandon Carter is shown during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, July 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Kansas State quarterback Carson Coffman is shown during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, July 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford talks to the press during the Big XII media day in Irving, Texas, on Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News/MCT)

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Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops signs his autograph on some commemorative footballs during the Big XII media day in Irving, Texas, on Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News/MCT)

MCT

Baylor head coach Art Briles autographs a commemorative helmet during the Big XII media day in Irving, Texas, on Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News/MCT)

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Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops talks with the reporters during the Big XII media day in Irving, Texas, on Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News/MCT)

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Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is shown during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is shown during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Tuesday, July 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

That leaves us with the Washington schools, both of whom are in major transition. The Huskies have new coach Steve Sarkisian and returning quarterback Jake Locker, and have to be better than last year, when they finished 0-12 under Tyrone Willingham. Locker is an improving quarterback with great skills but he will need help for Washington to be competitive.

WSU coach Paul Wulff has dealt more with off-the-field issues than on-the-field since his tenure began, and the Cougars may not win a conference game.

Will Year of Transition in Pac-10 Lead to USC's Ouster? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington Tackle Skyler Fancher Nabs Purse Snatcher Despite Broken Leg

Michael David Smith — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Washington

Skyler Fancher is an offensive tackle for the Washington Huskies who broke his leg during spring practice, requiring two surgeries. But he's still surprisingly nimble for a big guy, as a purse snatcher on the Washington campus found out the hard way.

Fancher was having dinner at a Chipotle Tuesday night when he heard a woman scream that her purse had been stolen. He looked up, saw the thief running away, and decided to run him down.

Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times picks up the story:

The chase lasted about 10 minutes, according to Fancher. It included two other men, one of whom suffered knee and nose injuries while trying to catch the purse snatcher. During the pursuit, Fancher, who has had two surgeries on his right leg since he injured it during spring practice, also climbed a wall.

"After coming off surgery, I'm not in top shape, so I was pretty tired," Fancher said Thursday afternoon. "It took us at least 10 minutes to catch him, but it seemed like forever. ...

"I would just say I'm a normal citizen," said Fancher, who did not reinjure his leg during the chase. "We're all just trying to look out for each other, right?"

The thief was a 14-year-old boy who climbed a tree to try to get away from Fancher. He was ultimately apprehended by police. And Fancher says he feels good about what he did, and that his leg feels fine -- even though doctors haven't even cleared him to run

Follow sports? Follow @MichaelDavSmith on Twitter.

Washington Tackle Skyler Fancher Nabs Purse Snatcher Despite Broken Leg originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Football Remains Focus as Jake Locker Mulls Angels' Offer

Gary Washburn — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:36:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, Pac 10

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Washington quarterback and summer collegiate baseball player Jake Locker in the 10th round of the amateur player draft Wednesday, and the former Pac-10 freshman of the year said he would be interested in signing with the club.

Locker, who hit .273 in 10 games with the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast Baseball League last summer, is slated as the Huskies' starting quarterback. He has maintained football is his primary focus.

"Definitely," he said when asked about the possibility of signing in a teleconference. "If we can come to an agreement about a contract in terms - it's something that I'm looking into now. But again, they understand that it would probably be a couple of years before I was playing baseball anyway."

Locker ruffled some UW football faithful by choosing to play summer baseball before last football season, though then-coach Tyrone Willingham allowed him to do so. His football season ended prematurely with a broken right thumb sustained laying a block last September against Stanford. With two more years of football eligibility left, Locker's NFL chances are rather vague considering he has not established himself as a polished passer.

Baseball could become more of a possibility in about 18 months.

"The [Angels] contacted me before the draft and asked me my interest in playing; I think it's the same that it's always been," he said. "It's not a priority. I had a couple of other teams that came to me about possibly signing to hold rights to me, so if football didn't work out, you know baseball would be an option. I'm very up front with them about that. They understand that football is my priority, and that I'm going to give my devoted effort to it right now, and we'll see where it goes from there."

The Angels drafted Locker as a center fielder and he has some options in signing. If he decides to sign and accept a signing bonus, he will be considered a football walk-on, which would free a scholarship for new coach Steve Sarkisian. If Locker hires an agent, he would be considered a professional, so his father, Scott, likely would negotiate any deal with the Angels to preserve eligibility.

"I don't know how [a contract] wouldn't be enticing to anybody," he said. "But nothing is guaranteed to anybody in anything. This is just something, if things don't happen to work out as I hope they will, then I have the opportunity to still play for a living, and I think that is a pretty good opportunity.

Locker alleviated any of Sarkisian's concerns by saying he will pass on baseball this summer to concentrate on football. The Huskies start a pivotal season Sept. 5 with LSU and Locker is ready.

"[Winning] very important. I haven't lost focus on that," he said. "That's what my goal is, to turn this program around, and be part of the team that did it. That's what we're focused on. I'm not playing [baseball] this summer. I'm going to focus all of my attention on football here, and this doesn't change any of that."

Football Remains Focus as Jake Locker Mulls Angels' Offer originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nick Montana Commits to Washington

Gary Washburn — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, Pac 10

Nick Montana, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana, has given an oral commitment to the University of Washington, his Oaks Christian High School coach, Bill Redell, told FanHouse.

Montana, who is listed at 6-feet-1, 180 pounds, is ranked the No. 13 quarterback in the class of 2010 by Scout.com and gives new Washington coach Steve Sarkisian a potential program-changing quarterback. Montana threw for 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a junior and possesses many of the same skills as his famous father, according to Redell.

"He can run, he's got tremendous feet, he's got great timing on his passes," Redell said. "He's got great touch on the ball. He's got great leadership ability. He's the type of kid who can throw on the run, like his dad could."

Montana met Sarkisian when he was an assistant at USC and that relationship cultivated when Sarkisian took the Washington job in January. The Huskies are coming off an 0-12 season and a tumultuous tenure of Tyrone Willingham. He chose the Huskies over Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Arizona State and Ohio State among others.

"Washington's very fortunate to get him, and also his family, they are a very nice family," Redell said. "It was his decision. I think he was very comfortable with Steve Sarkisian and I think Steve Sarkisian was the key in getting the kid to Washington, and the facilities and the Pac-10, all those things came into consideration."

Redell also coaches Trevor Gretzky, the son of hockey Hall of Famer Wayne, and Trey Smith, the son of actor Will Smith.

"It's a lot easier to coach the [Trevor] Gretzkys and Nick Montanas because their fathers understand what it takes to play at the next level and they understand the game," Redell said.

Nick Montana Commits to Washington originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to Program the Pac-10 Network

Clay Travis — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:19:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac 10, Fans, General CFB Insanity

Pity the poor Pac-10; its revenues are barely half of the SEC, Big Ten, and, shudder, the ACC.

As a result, the Pac-10 is exploring a route that has already made it rain on the SEC and the Big Ten, starting their own network. The Big Ten started their own network in conjunction with FOX and netted $66 million from the network last year. Rather than start their own network, the SEC partnered with CBS and ESPN. Beginning this year the SEC will bring in -- wait for it -- $205 million a year just from television rights. Why does that matter? The Pac-10 conference had revenues of just $88.78 million in 2007. Yep, by 2009, the SEC will triple the Pac-10 in sports revenue. That's a huge deal in the arm's race that is major collegiate sports.

Fortunately, as a lover of all things college football, I'm here to help the Pac-10 ensure their network is a hit. How do we do that? Programming, baby, it's all about the programming.

Some people think Pac-10 fans don't care about football. That's a shameful stereotype. People in the Pac-10 care an awful lot about football. If they didn't care a lot about football, would 77,715 people turn out to watch spring games? That's an average of almost 8,000 per game! And it's just 18,007 fewer people than the 95,722 who showed up to watch Ohio State's spring game. So there. Pac-10 football rules. Face. End of argument. Except, you know, at Washington State. Where just 400 people showed up. Seriously, 400? I've had more people at one of my book signings. And that's in the South, where most people can't even read.

Plainly, people aren't showing up for Pac-10 spring football because the conference isn't selling itself well enough. There needs to be more zest, more verve, more feeling ... in short, Pac-10 network, better programming.

With that in mind, I've drafted a series of can't miss shows for your network to be.

1. Pete Carroll shirtless -- Watch as Carroll tweets, adds Facebook friends, talks on the phone with recruits, and goes for jogs in Southern California. All shirtless.

2. LenDale White's Taste of the Town -- Piggybacking on the insane popularity and extreme awkwardness of Todd Blackledge's Taste of the Town segment during ESPN football telecasts, White brings the experience to the Pac-10. Opening video montage shows LenDale trying to squeeze a live, wriggling octopus between two giant Oreo cookies, explaining that the best fish tacos feature twinkies, and closing with his catchphrase, "If I won't eat it, it ain't food."

3. Washington State football highlights 2008 -- Watch as the band executes complicated turns on the field! Meet a ticket-taker who always rips perfectly along the perforated edges! Is that Ryan Leaf waving from the crowd? All of this leads up to the game of the century, Washington vs. Washington State for all the marbles.

4. USC Song Girls vs. UCLA cheerleaders-- Bikini quiz bowl. Opening question: Which of these is an oxymoron? A) A Pac-10 sellout, B) Spencer Pratt, C) Jumbo shrimp or D) everything but B?

Second question: What is the plural of boob job? Debate.

5. "ElimiPete," Pac-10 coaches discuss the biggest game from every year, the time they upset USC -- Watch as former UCLA coach Karl Dorrell, Oregon State's Mike Riley, and Stanford's Jim Harbaugh take us through upsets for the ages. Harbaugh: "I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not sure my team could have scored against air. Certainly not a strong air, like a bad wind that whipped up dust, no way."

6. How Bad USC Would Have Beaten You: Fired Pac-10 Coaches explain how bad you would have lost if you'd had to play USC -- Fired Washington State coach Bill Doba explains: "Your team would have lost 148-0. At least, maybe 248-0."

Latest College Football Images

In this Nov. 1, 2008, photo, Boston College's Mark Herzlich plays against Clemson in an NCAA college football game in Boston. Herzlich, the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, has cancer. Herzlich said Thursday, May 14, 2009, he was diagnosed earlier this week with Ewing's Sarcoma after feeling pain in his leg and will undergo more tests in his home state of Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Josh Halter is swarmed by family and friends after being named the drum major for The Ohio State University Marching Band in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (Jeff Hinckley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT)

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaks to reporters in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009, in front of a statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the founder of the university. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, left, and West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, right, are sworn in before giving their testimony before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, left, testifies before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. Also testifying on the panel are, from left, West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, President and CEO of Valero Alamo Bowl Derrick Fox and Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier, right, testifies before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. Also testifying on the panel are, from left, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, and President and CEO of Valero Alamo Bowl Derrick Fox. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

7. The Sellout -- Coaches reconstruct exactly what it was like to play in front of a sell-out crowd (Stanford and Arizona State excluded). "I remember I looked into the stadium, and there were no seats empty. I couldn't see a single seat! And I thought, my God, everyone on Earth is in the stadium. Right now, the whole Earth."

8. The Civil War starring former Oregon right tackle Geoff Schwartz and Civil War Journal's Danny Glover -- A fantastical melding of football with history. For 14 minutes, Schwartz, the self-professed largest Jewish man on Earth, takes us through the annals of Oregon and Oregon State. Then, just as you realize you don't really care, bang, Glover arrives and we all go on a walk along the sunken road at Antietam.

9. Cheat Like a Pro, Starring Reggie Bush -- Bush: "Some people say cheaters never win. I say, look at me, b***h." In each episode Reggie explains how to cheat in every sport, from spitballs in baseball to lead weights in the toe of your shoe for kickball. In the end it's all about making sure your family can live a life of luxury in Southern California.

10. Arizona State explains that they are, in fact, a member of the Pac-10 Conference -- Dennis Erickson takes us on a tour of campus. Included highlights: the football stadium and a Pac-10 banner flying from the upper deck, "I'm telling you, they don't just let you fly a Pac-10 flag for fun. You've got to be in the Pac-10."

11. "Back When I was Awesome," starring Lane Kiffin -- "Okay, I want you to be still for just a second, okay? Do you even know how awesome I was? So awesome I didn't even call the plays and got all the credit, okay. So awesome that if Clay Travis was calling the plays we would have averaged 40 points a game, okay. So awesome. A, okay, W, okay, E, okay, S, okay, O, okay, M, okay, E, okay..."

12. The Mountain West Conference Owns Us: Paid Programming -- Watch as MWC teams that the Pac-10 won't allow to join their conference, explain what it was like to go undefeated against the big, bad, Pac-10. As a special bonus, BYU gives 59 reasons why UCLA is godless.

13. It's Hard Out Here For An Asian: Norm Chow hustles his way to a head coaching job -- Opening monologue features Chow talking about his strengths, "I have the greatest calves of any offensive coordinator, I wear glasses, my voice is impeccable and deep, I sound like the whitest man on Earth. I don't understand why no one will hire me to coach."

Then Chow raps:

You know it's hard out here for an Asian
When he tryin' to get that money for the head coach
For the Philip Rivers' and the Carson Palmer's
Cause a whole lot of b***hes coachin' Tennessee

14. What football seems like under the influence of weed laced with other hallucinogenic compounds, starring the students of Cal-Berkeley -- Watch as drug-addled Cal students attempt to describe the best running plays of the year featuring Jahvid Best. "Best is like the best. He takes the football, and for just a minute he stands still, and then he's like, he lifts the football to the sky and all these scorpions are coming to take the football and Best is like, 'No, scorpion, you can't have my football. I'm going to run with it and then if I get hungry I might eat it and use it to feed all the people in Africa without food. Or I'm going to take a nap and curl up in the football, and then when the ladybugs knock on my door, I'm going to let them come inside too and we're all going to roll around in the grass where everyone touches down."

How to Program the Pac-10 Network originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 18 May 2009 16:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tyrone Willingham Apparently Won't Coach in UFL After All

Michael David Smith — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Stanford, Washington

On Tuesday we noted a report that former Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham had accepted a new job as an assistant coach in the upstart United Football League. But now it appears that Willingham won't be a UFL assistant after all.

The original report came from the Seattle Times, citing the web site FootballScoop.com, but now the Times and FootballScoop.com both say Willingham was not able to reach an agreement to work for the UFL's San Francisco franchise.

Willingham moved back to the Bay Area after he was fired at Washington, and he's good friends with San Francisco's UFL coach, Dennis Green. So it wouldn't be unreasonable to think he'd take a job with the team. But apparently he's not planning to do so.

The UFL, a four-team league, is planning to start play in October. In addition to Green coaching the San Francisco franchise, the UFL has Jim Fassel, Ted Cottrell and Jim Haslett lined up as head coaches.

Tyrone Willingham Apparently Won't Coach in UFL After All originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 14 May 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tyrone Willingham Reportedly Set to Be Assistant Coach in UFL

Michael David Smith — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: Notre Dame, Stanford, Washington

Former Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham has reportedly found a new job, as an assistant coach in the upstart United Football League.

The Seattle Times, citing the web site FootballScoop.com, reports that Willingham will be the special teams and running backs coach for the UFL's San Francisco franchise. It will be Willingham's first job as an assistant -- and first job coaching professional players -- since he was the running backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings in 1994.

Obviously, that makes this quite a step down for Willingham, who not long ago was considered one of the most promising head coaches in football. Now he's going to be an assistant on a team that doesn't exist yet. But by taking the San Francisco job, Willingham is reuniting with his old friend (and boss) Dennis Green, who was the head coach of the Vikings when Willingham was a Minnesota assistant.

And it's impressive that the UFL is continuing to sign accomplished coaches. The UFL says it its four teams will be coached by Green, Jim Fassel, Ted Cottrell and Jim Haslett. We don't yet what caliber of players the UFL will sign, but we do know the UFL will have some impressive coaches.

Tyrone Willingham Reportedly Set to Be Assistant Coach in UFL originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 12 May 2009 14:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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