Tennessee suspends TB Coker 1 game
October 31, 2007
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Tennessee tailback LaMarcus Coker and defensive tackle Demonte Bolden will miss the game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday because of a violation of team rules.
Bolden is a starter on the defensive line while Coker returns kicks and plays behind starter Arian Foster.
``Those guys are important to us, and hopefully we can have them back for Arkansas,'' coach Phillip Fulmer said Wednesday. He didn't elaborate on the violation.
Coker was suspended for almost three weeks of practice in August for what team officials described as a medical issue. He was also suspended for several practices last December in advance of the Outback Bowl for undisclosed reasons.
Despite the absences, Fulmer said he does not anticipate issues with depth this week. He said freshman tailback Lennon Creer, who has suffered from soreness in his knee for some time, has responded well to his treatments.
``It is what it is,'' Fulmer said. ``You got 83 guys that are doing just the right things; a couple that don't.''
Look Ahead and Let Down -- Week 10
VegasInsider.com
Wasn’t it nice to finally have a week in college football that wasn’t dominated by upset upon upset?
No. 1 and No. 2 came through with victories. Although Boston College needed every last second in its game to beat the Hokies last Thursday. But that didn’t mean there were a few Top 10 teams were able to escape the upset bug. Florida and Southern Cal both fell, ending any hopes either had of winning the national title.
This week has its share of traps for teams to fall into, let’s take a look.
Clipping the Eagles’ wings…
Boston College led a charmed life last week when they escaped Blacksburg with a last second14-10 win over the Hokies as a three-point road underdog. The victory keeps the Eagles ACC Atlantic Division hopes alive, not to mention their national title aspirations.
You have to think any team that goes through a win like that will be both physically and emotionally spent the very next week. That could be trouble for BC this week as it hosts the Seminoles as a 6 ½-point home “chalk.”
The history of the two teams could barely fill a pamphlet, splitting the two matches between one another. Still, this game smacks of a let down where the spread is concerned.
In a Bulldogs’ age…
Perhaps there was no bigger statement made by a team last Saturday than the one made by Georgia in its 42-30 win over the Gators in Jacksonville as a 7 ½-point ‘dog. A lot of folks were upset that the entire team went out on the field after running back Knowshon Moreno scored the first touchdown of the game. But the emotion the Bulldogs showed after that play gave you the impression that they weren’t going to lose the game.
The ‘Dogs are now in the middle of a pair of traps as 17-point home favorites this week when Troy comes to Athens. The Trojans are the cream of the crop in the Sun Belt Conference, which amounts to being the most built out geek in the chess club. But Troy has a competent offense (34.5 PPG, 448.3 YPG) and can defend the pass well enough (175.6 YPG). Moreno will be able to run through the Trojan d-line though as it is giving up 201.5 YPG on the ground.
Georgia should have no problem winning this game, but they’re going to be recovering form beating UF the week before. And the Bulldogs get Auburn next week in a game that could be a preview of the SEC Championship game. So forgive Uga if he’s not his normal biting self when playing Troy “between the hedges.”
Regaining their chomp…
Well, the Gators officially have no chance of repeating as national champs after losing to Georgia last Saturday in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.” Most teams would fall flat the following week, but Florida should have no problems rebounding. And who better for the Gators to take their frustrations out on than against Vanderbilt in Gainesville as 16-point home favorites.
Florida is banged up on both sides of the ball, but should have no problem taking down the Commodores this week. History shows this to be true with the Gators as they’ve won their last five matches with Vandy, covering in only two of them. Don’t let that deter you from playing them this week against a Commodore offense that is thin at the quarterback position right now.
Big Ten Report
By ASA
The Badgers will look to make it four straight wins at the Horseshoe against the top-ranked Buckeyes. Michigan State, Northwestern and Indiana will aim to become bowl eligible. Curtis Painter and Purdue will attempt to reverse their struggles against Penn State. And Michigan hopes to welcome Chad Henne and Mike Hart back to the starting lineup.
Here’s a look forward to the week that will be in the Big Ten.
Illinois
Illinois earned bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2001 campaign with its 28-17 win over Ball State. The win also snapped a two-game slide and prepared the Illini for the final month of the regular season. Illinois will aim to make it two in a row when it travels to Minnesota to take on the winless Gophers as 11.5-point favorites.
This week’s game marks the first meeting between the programs since the 2004 season. The Illini were destroyed 45-0 in that game but this time around will be much different. Illinois has already matched its combined win total of the previous three seasons combined while Minnesota sits at just 1-8.
The Illini have lost three straight games to the Gophers dating back to 2002 but are in the rare position of being the favorite in the meeting. They have won the last four meetings in which they’ve been favored and are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in the last five occurrences in which they’ve been double-digit favorites. Only one of those five games came at Minnesota and it resulted in a 50-23 Illinois win in 1983.
Indiana
The Hoosiers remain one win shy of bowl eligibility following their 33-3 shellacking at the hands of Wisconsin, extending their losing streak to three straight. Indiana will look to pick up that elusive sixth win this weekend when it hosts in-state rival Ball State as 6.5-point favorites.
These two programs last met a year ago in the second game of the season for each team. Indiana fell behind 23-7 in the first half but stormed back to win 24-23, aided greatly by a missed Ball State extra point. The Hoosiers, who have allowed 40.3 points per game during their losing streak, will need to sure up their defense this week in preparation for Ball State’s 22nd-ranked total offense.
Indiana has played Ball State three times since 1997 and have gone 3-0 SU but 0-2 ATS, winning by just 6.5 points in the two lined meetings. The Hoosiers, who have already beaten Western Michigan and Akron, have won 18 straight contests over Mid-American Conference programs dating back to 1989 and are 6-2-1 ATS in those contests. Additionally, they are 5-1 ATS versus the conference at home.
Iowa
The final stats suggest Iowa had no right to beat Michigan State last week but stats aren’t always the be-all end-all. The Hawkeyes took advantage of short fields to down the Spartans 34-27 in double overtime despite passing for just 53 yards and being outgained 185 yards. They’ll look to make it two straight wins with their first true road victory of the season when they play at Northwestern as 1-point dogs.
Iowa was strongly outplayed in a 21-7 home loss to Northwestern so will have revenge on the mind. The Hawkeyes struggled to move the ball on offense and consistently failed to stop the ball on defense in that meeting. Iowa has yet to win a true road game this year, going 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS and losing by an average of 12.3 points per game.
The Hawkeyes have lost consecutive games to Northwestern but owned the Wildcats prior to that. From 1980 to 2002, Iowa went 19-4 SU and 15-8 ATS in the series. Also, the Hawkeyes have been underdogs to Northwestern just three times since 1980 and have gone 2-1 ATS in those contests. Overall, the underdog has gone 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings within this series.
Michigan
Chad Henne and Mike Hart received some much-needed rest while Michigan extended its winning streak to seven straight with a 34-10 win over Minnesota. The Wolverines outgained the Gophers by 330 yards despite Henne and Hart’s absences. Both players are hoping to return this week when Michigan plays at Michigan State as 4.5-point favorites.
The 15th-ranked Wolverines beat the Spartans 31-13 last year and have won five straight in the series overall. Michigan utilized its strong rushing game to win last year, with Hart running for 122 of Michigan’s 211 total rushing yards. The Wolverines are currently 22nd in the country with more than 203 rushing yards per game and should get a boost with the return of Hart to the starting lineup.
Michigan is 20-7 SU against Michigan State since 1980. They’ve been favored in 26 of those 27 meetings and have been favored by fewer than five points just four times, going 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS. Within those 27 meetings, the Wolverines are 8-5 in East Lansing but just 5-7-1 ATS. Michigan is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 road games overall.
Michigan State
The Spartans suffered from a case of the look-aheads in their 34-27 double-overtime loss to Iowa. They outplayed the Hawkeyes but were unable to finish the deal, perhaps due to their impending game against hated rivals Michigan. Michigan State will try to snap its five-game losing streak to the Wolverines Saturday as 4.5-point home dogs.
Head coach Mark Dantonio has quickly turned his team’s attention toward Michigan and has his team fired up for this contest. Dantonio has put major emphasis on this rivalry since becoming the head coach and that emphasis has continued this week. The Spartan defense, which has allowed 34 points a game in conference action, has to start playing better if Michigan State is to have a chance.
Most teams enjoy a home-field advantage. Michigan State doesn’t seem to be one of those teams. As a matter of fact, it has more of a home-field disadvantage. The Spartans are just 6-6 SU and 3-8-1 ATS at home since the start of the 2006 season. They are just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games overall and 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a home underdog.
Minnesota
The plight of the Gophers continued last week in a 34-10 loss to a Michigan team that rested both Chad Henne and Mike Hart. Minnesota is now 0-5 in conference action and hasn’t won since the second week of the season. The Gophers will look for that elusive first win this week at home against Illinois as 11.5-point dogs.
Minnesota’s defense has been absolutely awful from the opening snap this year but it may actually have a chance against the Illini. One bright spot for the unit could come this week, though. The Gophers are last in college football with 332 passing yards allowed per game but are facing an Illinois passing attack that averages just 147 yards per game. If Minnesota can keep the Illini running game somewhat in check, it may have a chance to keep this game close.
The Gophers are 5-1 both SU and ATS in the last six meetings with Illinois, including a 45-0 win the last time these squads met in 2004. This Minnesota team is far different than that 2004 edition, though, as evidenced by its 2-5-1 ATS in its last eight games. The Gophers have been double-digit home dogs just three times in the last six years and two of those games came earlier this year. They are just 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 games as double-digit dogs and 1-4-3 ATS in their last eight games as a home underdog.
Northwestern
The Wildcats failed at their attempt for a fourth straight win with a 35-17 loss at Purdue last week. They’ll look to start another winning streak and become bowl eligible when they host Iowa this weekend as 1-point favorites.
Quarterback C.J. Bacher is the lifeblood of this team and if he’s playing well the Wildcats are winning. If he’s playing bad, the Wildcats are losing. In Northwestern’s five wins, Bacher has thrown 14 touchdowns and just one interception. In Northwestern’s four losses, he has thrown just one touchdown to go with 10 picks. Iowa is 11th in the country with a plus-9 turnover margin with 10 interceptions and seven fumbles forced. Bacher will need to keep his interception total down to give the Wildcats a chance.
Northwestern has won two straight over Iowa, including a convincing 21-7 road win as 20-point dogs in last year’s meeting. The Wildcats have been favored over Iowa just three times since 1980, going 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS. Northwestern hasn’t historically fared well as a favorite, though, going just 7-22 ATS in its last 29 games as a home favorite and just 1-4 ATS in its last five games as a favorite overall.
Ohio State
The top-ranked Buckeyes passed their first big test in a big way with a 37-17 road win at Penn State. Many thought Ohio State was in a great position to be upset but it responded to the hype with perhaps its best game of the year. The Buckeyes will look to maintain their firm grip on the No. 1 ranking this week when they host Wisconsin as 15.5-point favorites.
No team in the Big Ten has given Ohio State more fits over the years than the Badgers. The Buckeyes fell 24-13 at home the last time these programs met in 2004, which followed a loss in 2003. Since 1980, Ohio State has a winning 12-10-1 SU record but is just 6-15-2 ATS in those contests, including four straight ATS losses. The Buckeyes were favored in each of those 23 meetings with a high of 26.5 points in 1996. Within those games, Ohio State was double-digit favorites in 11 of them, going 8-3 SU and 3-6-2 ATS.
The Buckeyes are riding a wave of momentum like no other team in college football right now, though. They’ve taken a beating from the media, which has made several claims that Ohio State isn’t deserving of a No. 1 ranking. The Buckeyes are 20-6 in their last 26 conference games, 12-5 ATS in their last 17 home games and 21-7 in their last 28 games overall.
Penn State
As has become the norm during the Anthony Morelli era at Penn State, the Nittany Lions failed to win the big game, this time falling 37-17 at home to Ohio State. Penn State was a perfect 5-0 at home before that loss and will look to get back in the win column this week when it hosts Purdue as 7-point favorites.
The Nittany Lions won an ugly one with the Boilermakers last year, winning 12-0 in a game full of miscues. One positive was the effort from the Lion defense, which held Purdue to just 246 yards while forcing three turnovers. They’ll need a similar effort this time around against Purdue’s 22nd-ranked scoring offense.
Penn State has historically dominated this series, going 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings and 7-1 ATS in the last eight. The Lions have won the last two meetings by an average of 15 points a game and have covered by 6.5 points per contest. They have struggled in conference action overall, though, going just 2-6 ATS in their last eight Big Ten battles.
Purdue
West Lafayette continued to treat the Boilermakers well this week as they improved to 5-1 at home following a 35-17 win over Northwestern. Now they must head back out on to the road for just the fourth time this year as 7-point dogs at Penn State.
Quarterback Curtis Painter has struggled against the tough Nittany Lion defense the past two years. He completed just 6-of-17 passes for 60 yards in 2005 and threw two interceptions in captaining a scoreless Purdue offense last year. Painter has played better than ever this year with 268.9 yards per game and a 24:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’ll need to be the 2007 version if the Boilermakers are to have a chance.
The Boilermakers are a solid 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight road games but have struggled in the role of underdog away from home. They are just 6-17 ATS in their last 23 games as a road dog, including a 27-point loss at Michigan as 4.5-point dogs earlier this year.
Wisconsin
The Badger defense put forth its second consecutive dominating performance in leading Wisconsin to a 33-3 win over Indiana. That made it back-to-back games holding the opposition to just three points. The Badgers will need a similar performance this week when they travel to Columbus to take on the top-ranked Buckeyes as 15.5-point underdogs.
P.J. Hill’s expected absence will make a strong defensive showing even more important for Wisconsin. Hill left last week’s game with a bruised left foot and his return is questionable right now. That would leave the Badgers with third-string freshman back Zach Brown. Quarterback Tyler Donovan will not be able to carry the offense against Ohio State’s top-ranked pass defense so the Wisconsin defense has to show up big.
The Badgers are one of the few Big Ten teams that have actually enjoyed significant success against the Buckeyes. Wisconsin has won three straight meetings at Ohio State and are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings in the Horseshoe overall. The last three meetings have seen the Badgers be an average of 7.3-point underdogs only to have them win outright by 13 points per game, covering by an average of 20.3 points.
News and Notes - Week 10
Northcoast Sports
Week 10
We all knew about the strength of the Ohio St's top ranked defense but taking on a top-notch Penn St D, the Buckeye offense rolled up over 200 yards rushing & passing & 453 yards of offense in a dominating 37-17 win. Once again the Buckeye D did not give up as many points as the score would indicate as PSU got a 97 yd KR TD with just 3:16 left trailing 37-10...
USF had a game of blown opportunities vs Connecticut. In the 1Q they missed 26 & 45 yard FG's & trailed 3-0. UC got a 23 yd IR TD mid-2Q & led 16-0 at the half. In the 2H USF had a 3rd & goal from the 4 & was int'd in the EZ. USF blk'd a punt & could have fallen on it for a TD but UC managed to fall on it for a safety which cost them 5 points. USF had a tying TD pass with 8:00 left called back on a hold & then on 3rd & 10 Hill dropped a TD pass as he was being held & they settled for a FG. On USF's last drive they had a 2nd & goal at the 1 needing a TD to tie but on 3rd & goal Grothe was sk'd & his 4th down pass was incomplete...
Washington led Arizona 41-26 with 12:32 left & actually had 415 yds offense in the 1H but fmbl'd twice inside the redzone keeping the game close. It came back to bite them as AZ rebounded for a 48-41 win. UA QB Willie Tuitama passed for a school record 510 yds...
Miami, Oh led 13-10 midway through the 3Q vs Vanderbilt but the VU D held them to just 30 yards on their next 3 drives while VU got a pair of TD's to roll to a 24-13 win. MacKenzie Adams started the game over previous starter Chris Nickson but left with a chest injury & did not return & Nickson QB'd the rest...
Clemson RB James Davis said "We're going to win, guaranteed." prior to the Maryland game then rushed for 129 yds. CU took advantage of a Terps team that made a lot of mistakes & was injury plagued & CU led 30-3 in the 4Q en route to their 30-17 win...
Delaware is a top-notch IAA team that came in 6-1 & they rolled up 581 yards offense vs Navy's D. Navy had 506 yards but lost 59-52 which was the most combined points scored in a Navy football game since 1919...
S Carolina finished with a 31-16 FD edge vs Tennessee. Despite only being outgained 205-148 in the 1H, they trailed 21-0. The 2H was all SC but despite finishing with 501-317 yd edge they lost due to missed opportunities. SC went for it on 4th & 4 at the UT 4 & threw incomplete on a play when pass interference could have easily been called. After scoring TD's on their next 3 drives, SC fmbl'd at the UT 17 & then was int'd at the UT 17 (4:05). SC nailed a 49 yd FG with 1:24 left to apparently pull out the win & UT fmbl'd on 3rd & 1 which looked like it ended the game but SC did not fall on the ball. In fact, new OL Jacques McClendon who replaced their inj'd LT, fell on it at the 26 for an 18 yd gain. UT missed the game tying FG but a false start had them rekick the 48 yarder which just made it through the uprights & SC missed a 40 yd FG in OT...
Ole Miss trailed Auburn in the 4Q 10-3 & started at their own 1 & lost QB Seth Adams to injury on the 3rd play but backup Brent Schaeffer led them to the Auburn 20 yd line with 7:07 left. On 2nd & 8 Schaeffer was int'd in the EZ & Auburn drove 80/9pl for a clinching TD with 3:15 left. Auburn did have a 420-193 yd edge...
E Carolina delivered a 3H Key Selection winner for us on these pages in a dominating 41-6 win over UAB. UAB starters never got any deeper than the EC 25 yd line...
Wyoming's Karsten Sween did not start vs UNLV & Ian Hetrick hit 5 of 16 for 64 yds. Sween replaced him & threw 2 int's early & UNLV had leads of 17-9 & 24-23 but WY went 63/9pl for a TD with 5:42 left to take the lead & LV's final 2 drives were SOD at the WY 43 & 50 yd lines...
The SBC better take notice as W Kentucky topped 50 points for the 2nd straight week scoring on all 9 of its poss vs overmatched NC Central last week...
Toledo put up 812 yards, the most by any IA team this year in their 70-21 win over N Illinois. Aaron Opelt ret'd to the lineup after missing some games & hit 22-28 for 387 yards. It was 70-14 before NI got a TD with 3:00 left...
Kalvin McRae rushed for 200 yds & a 58 yd IR TD keyed Ohio's 38-27 upset of Bowling Green. BG was down 2 & driving when the int happened. BG had a 27-20 FD edge...
Two weeks ago we pointed out how NC State would use the bye week to turn their season around & they may have done that. Daniel Evans threw for 347 yds vs a solid UVA D & upset the #21 ranked team 29-24...
Tulane RB Matt Forté had his 4th straight 200+ rushing game carrying a school record 44 times for 278 yards. He broke the school record for rushing beating the mark of Minnesota Vikings RB Mewelde Moore & still has 4 games to go. Only 3 RB's in NCAA history have had 5 consecutive 200 yard rushing games & those are some pretty nice names in Marcus Allen (USC), Barry Sanders (Okla St) & Jamario Thomas (N Texas). Memphis got a TD with :36 left to pull out a 28-27 win...
Not too many teams can overcome 6 TO's & W Michigan couldn't do it vs E Michigan. They fumbled twice inside the EM 20, once on the goal line & with 6 TO's, lost 19-2...
If you live on the East Coast you have a different impression of Arizona St than do most of the other folks in the nation. Usually when people on the East Coast are heading to bed, Arizona St always trails & they trailed Cal 20-14 at the half thanks in part to a 13 yd FR for a TD. When folks wake up & read the next morning's paper, they wonder how they not only won but covered their game & that was the case again this week as they rolled to a 31-20 win over Cal. Arizona St did have a 25-18 FD edge...
New Mexico K John Sullivan set a school record connecting on his 18th consecutive FG which was his 4th of the game vs Air Force & proved to be the game winner, 34-31. Ironically, NM got the ball back but Sullivan missed a 32 yd'r with 2:18 left ending the streak but the Lobos benefitted from 5 AF fumbles on Thurs night...
Nothing fluky about Colorado's upset of Texas Tech as they had leads of 14-0, 24-6 & 31-19 before Tech got an 80/17pl drive for a TD with just 2:08 left but CU rec'd the onside kick & had 217 yds rushing.
#2 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY BITES THE DUST AGAIN
Oops. Watching the Boston Coll/Virg Tech game, it was over. At the half, VT had a 147-59 yd edge & led 7-0 & extended it to 10-0 with just 6:01 left in the game. VT got an int at the BC 31 yd line & BC's offense had done nothing all game with just 166 yards. VT lined up for a 46 yd FG but punted pinning BC at the 8. The announcers even mentioned that the #2 team in the country had basically lost their 4th straight. It was another miracle for BC. They went 92/9pl & on 3rd & 10 Matt Ryan got a 16 yd TD pass with 2:11 left, rec'd the onside kick then on 3rd & 20 when a 41 yd FG in poor conditions would have been highly improbable, Ryan scrambled around & hit a 24 yd TD pass with :11 left. BC got a miracle win in a game anyone watching would have conceded it was VT's victory until the final :11. A key play that did not have an impact on scoring but did on field position came after VT's 3Q FG. BC was pinned on 4th & 31 & punting from their own EZ when a VT defender with hands in the air had stopped running, but touched the BC P who did a complete flop. The ref amazingly bought the flop & called it not running into the K but roughing the K giving BC a FD which after their punt 5 plays later, would set VT up at their own 33 as opposed to in BC terr...
Missouri looked like it would dominate Iowa St taking their first 2 drives for TD's but an IR TD made things close. MO came in avg 518 ypg & was held to a season low 366 yds. ISU, thanks to taking over with 3:39 left & driving 63/16pl on their last drive, finished with a yardage edge (389-366). ISU QB Bret Meyer became the 2nd Big XII QB ever to top 9,000 career yards passing & WR Todd Blythe became ISU's career record holder for rec's...
Oregon deserved their win over USC last week. In the 1H the Ducks had a 224-112 yd edge. USC had a 30 yd FG after the Ducks fmbl'd the punt & the Ducks were SOD at the USC 13 & settled for a 41 yd FG & only led 10-3. They led 24-10 when USC got a TD with 4:44 left & UO dropped an open 3rd & 5 pass & punted with 3:10 left. USC got to the UO 32 but was int'd at the 22 with :11 left...
Illinois secured bowl eligibility for the first time since 2001 with a 28-17 win over Ball St. Leading 28-17 Illinois took over with 8:41 left & went 87/14pl ending the game at the Ball St 3.
COACHES ON THE HOTSEAT
Kansas had built some impressive stats vs a ridiculously weak schedule but in their toughest test in the year, went into Texas A&M & held the #5 rushing offense in the country to just 56 yds rushing through 3Q's. A&M did have a shot at the end trailing 19-11 getting to midfield but a pair of Hail Marys fell incomplete. With Coach Franchione under pressure heading into the season & then his newsletter snafu at mid season, looking at A&M's remainder of the schedule (Oklahoma & Missouri on the road & Texas at home) the Aggie AD Bill Byrne is probably already scheduling interviews this week...
Phil Bennett did not have a great tenure at SMU but did a solid job building the team & led them to 6-6 last year & promised a breakthrough & a bowl this season. Another hard luck loss may see the announcement of Bennett stepping aside at the end of the season before this week is out. SMU led Tulsa 23-21in the final minutes & had a 1st & goal at the 5. On 3rd & goal from the 1 they were stuffed. On 4th & goal at the 1 instead of a FG which would have put them up by 5 he opted to go for it. You cannot fault him for that as if you can't make a yard, you don't deserve to win it, right? Well, they were stopped with 1:58 left. Tulsa converted on 3rd & 10 & got to midfield with :59 left. They still needed 2 FD's to get the game winning FG but Paul Smith hit a 51 yd TD pass with :43 left & Tulsa, which had trailed most of the game, pulled out the win. SMU's AD said he would not announce plans for Bennett until they were eliminated from the bowls & after that tough loss, they have been eliminated...
It's official Colorado St has been eliminated from bowl contention with their 7th loss of the year. Utah had a 452-271 yd edge in what may be Sonny Lubick's last season as the HC at CSU...
Nebraska and Bill Callahan deserved better vs Texas as the Longhorns led 17-3 in the 3Q but Jamaal Charles rushed for 216 yards in the 4Q & finished with 290 & Texas rallied for a 28-25 win. Callahan is clearly a coach on the hotseat even though he signed a brand-new contract after the first game of the season & is locked in for the next four years.
GREAT SITUATIONS = UPSETS
Kentucky was coming off 3 straight monumental games including an upset of #1 LSU & a close loss to Top 10 Florida. They had nothing left in the tank for Miss St & there was nothing fluky about the Bulldogs' 31-14 win. While UK turned it over 6 times in the 2H, MSU took their opening 2 drives 80/14pl & 80/17pl for TD's to lead 14-7 & had a 209-157 yd edge at the half. UK trailed 31-14 when Woodson had 2 int's on their final 3 drives...
Wash St was at home, off a bye, & waiting for a UCLA team that got a big upset over Cal the previous week. WSU, which plays much better at home than they do on the road, dominated UCLA with 31-14 FD & 545-267 yd edges in their 27-7 win as the Underdog Play on this pages.
KEY PLAYS
A key play happened in the Indiana/Wisconsin game. Trailing 17-3 Indy late 3Q got an 84 yd TD run but a holding penalty on WR Hardy & a celebration penalty on Thigpen after the score, forced a 4th & 17 & Indy punted. Instead of being down 17-10, they allowed UW to go 78/8pl for a TD on the last play of the 3Q to lead 24-3 & they tacked on a garbage TD with 1:53 left after Indy was SOD...
L'ville was in control of Pitt leading 14-0 when a pass was bobbled by the receiver & int'd with 2:38 left in the half. Pitt ran a trick play & got a TD on the next play & despite being outgained 175-53 only trailed 14-7 at the half. L'ville, was up 17-7 had a 47 yd FG blk'd with 13:35 left & Pitt put together a drive getting a 35 yd FG with 13:35 left. L'ville led 24-17 & Pitt had gotten an apparent TD with 1:02 left but was ruled down on the 1 & on the next play fmbl'd so UL escaped with the win.
TALK ABOUT EMOTIONS
Florida usually had the benefit of a bye week prior to playing Georgia while Georgia was usually playing the week before & UF won 15 of the last 17 but this time however UGA had the bye. Mark Richt instructed his team that if they did NOT get a celebration penalty after their first TD, he would be angry with them. UGA scored first & the entire team went on the field to celebrate. Amazingly twice in the game, refs threw double pers foul pen's vs UGA costing them 30 yds. UGA RB Moreno rushed for 188 yds & 3 TD's & the Bulldogs led throughout in their 42-30 win.
MISLEADING FINALS, FRONTDOOR & BACKDOOR COVERS
On paper Arkansas dominated Florida Int'l & was in control for most of the game in their 58-10. win FIU not only turned it over 7 times, they also dropped a punt snap for a 17 yd loss back to their own 6 which set up a Hog TD. In fact at the end of the 1H Ark led 31-10 but only had a 220-201 yd edge. At the end of the game, FIU was at the Hog 14 yd line threatening the backdoor cover but was SOD with just 1:03 left & on the next play, RB Smith ripped off an 81 yd run for a garbage TD with :47 left clinching the Arkansas cover...
Nevada did have a 362-212 yd edge vs Idaho but in the 1Q scored a TD & a FG on drives of 33 & 16 yds & then got an 11 yd IR TD & led 17-0 after 1Q. UN did miss 26 & 54 yd FG's in the 2Q & led 17-7 at the half. They took over with 4:16 left in the 3Q leading by 3 & went on an amazing 87/18pl drive that ate up 12:23 scoring a TD with 6:53 left. After a punt they went 85/6pl & got a TD with 4:22 left for the apparent frontdoor cover, 31-14 but Idaho went 65/7pl scoring a TD with 2:10 left for the backdoor cover, 31-21. UN rec'd the onisde kick & backers were thrilled when a 4th & goal run went 11 yds for a TD with :27 left but UN missed the xp...
Kansas St only led Baylor 16-6 at the half with a slim 180-143 yd edge (not what you would expect from a team that won by 38). After BU got a 37 yd TD pass following a fumble to pull within 37-13 with 12:28 left, K-St went 88/10pl for a TD to get ahead of the spread, 44-13 (9:08). Baylor fumbled at the K-St 30 (7:10). K-St was SOD at the BU 36 with 2:08. BU punted with just :31 left & Jordy Nelson ret'd it 92 yds for a TD, 51-13...
Florida St had a dominating 534-222 yd edge vs Duke & Drew Weatherford ret'd to the starting lineup hitting 35-47 for 339 yds. Duke appeared to get the backdoor cover with a 3 yd TD pass with 6:53 left making it 22-6 but FSU got a 35 yd FG with 1:16 left for the frontdoor cover...
It appears Wake Forest had a blowout win over N Carolina & they did win 37-10 but NC had a 313-269 yd edge. WF got an int on the game's first play ret'd to the NC 30 setting up a FG & an 83 yd KR set up a 1 play, 14 yd TD & then a 77 yd IR TD (14 point swing) made it 37-10 in the 3Q...
Purdue trailed 17-14 late 3Q but rallied for 2 TD's to lead 28-17. Northwestern punted on 4th & 20 from its own 27 with 2:44 left, basically conceding the game & PU got 1 FD & then a 50 yd run to the 7 with 2:13 left. On 3rd & goal from the 1 with just :14 left instead of taking a knee, the Boilers got the TD for the frontdoor cover. Northwestern had a 16-6 FD edge at the half but PU had a 13-4 FD edge in the 2H.
INJURIES OF NOTE
Michigan decided to rest both Chad Henne & Mike Hart as they were only playing Minnesota. Despite a 226-124 yd edge at the half, the Wolves needed a TD with 2:49 left to lead just 13-10 thanks to Minny getting a 46 yd FR for a TD. The chances of Michigan covering looked bleak until they got a TD late 3Q. In the 4Q they scored a TD on their next drive & got an 85 yd TD run by Brown with 8:37 left to get ahead of the spread, 34-10...
Oregon St lost their star RB Bernard who had rushed for 62 yds before leaving in the 1H with a shoulder inj. Backup Matthew Sieverson rushed for 68 yds on 16 carries. Stanford was playing without their top 2 RB's, Anthony Kimble & Jason Evans & vs the Beavers tough run D allowed -8 yards rushing in OSU's 23-6 home win...
Middle Tenn's Dwight Dasher was injured early in the 3Q (ankle) & is undergoing an MRI. Joe Craddock replaced him & hit just 6-17 for 44 yds. MT pinned N Texas twice at the 1 yd line & then recorded safeties in the 4Q to extend a 33-28 lead to 37-28. MT then got a TD with 6:43 left to get the frontdoor cover, 48-28 despite being outgained 383-335 by NT...
Both Boise St & Fresno St were missing their starting RB's in the Fri night game where Fresno had the situational edge catching Boise travelling for a 2nd consecutive week & playing on a short week. Boise's replacements, DJ Harper (19-153) & Jeremy Avery (18-124) each topped 100 yards while Fresno's replacement, Ryan Mathews had just 49 yards on 15 carries. It looked like it would be a high scoring shootout as it was tied at 14 with 4:31 left in the 1Q but a blk'd FG by Boise which turned into a Boise 34 yd FG was the only scoring the rest of the 1H (17-14). In the 2H Fresno missed a 39 yd FG & was int'd in the EZ with 1:12 left & Boise walked away with a 34-21 win where they had a 440-352 yd edge...
Rutgers QB Mike Teel was playing with a bruised throwing hand & in heavy rain but was also done in by 6 dropped passes vs W Virginia. The Mountaineers led 17-3 at the half as RU had a pair of long drives end in short FG's & the Mountaineers coasted to a 31-3 win.
Parsons booted from UNI football team
November 1st, 2007
Cedar Falls, IA (Sports Network) - Northern Iowa starting safety Chris Parsons has been dismissed from the football team for a violation of team rules.
Parsons started all eight games this season for the top-ranked Panthers, recording 29 tackles and three interceptions.
Parsons was a preseason All-American on the Sports Network team, and also earned second team all-Gateway Conference honors last season. As a three-year starter for UNI, Parsons registered 11 interceptions and 192 tackles.
Junior Nick Nelson is listed second to Parsons on the depth chart, though Panthers head coach Mark Farley did not comment on who will take his place.
Northern Iowa (8-0) has been ranked No. 1 for three weeks in the Sports Network FCS Top-25 poll and seeks to clinch at least a share of the conference title Saturday at Missouri State.
Cougars' RB Tardy out for season with knee injury
November 1st, 2007
Spokane, WA (Sports Network) - Washington State running back Dwight Tardy will reportedly miss the rest of the season after injuring his left knee last Saturday against UCLA.
According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Washington State head coach Bill Doba said Tardy's injury will require surgery. The injury occurred when Tardy broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run in the final minute of the Cougars' 27-7 win over the Bruins.
Tardy, a junior, ran for a career-best 214 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Tardy has carried 143 times for 676 yards this season for the Cougars.
Doba also said backup senior Kevin McCall will start Saturday at California.
Booty to start at quarterback for Trojans on Saturday
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES -- John David Booty has his job back.
Booty will start at quarterback Saturday night when the 15th-ranked Trojans face Oregon State. He sat out three games because of a broken middle finger on his throwing hand and was replaced by Mark Sanchez.
''We're going with John David,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said after practice Thursday. ''It's clear he had a good, solid week. He's good to go, he's ready to play, he's had a couple of weeks off. We look for him to jump back where he left off. Mark also is ready to go.''
Booty broke his finger when he hit it on a helmet in the second quarter against Stanford on Oct. 6. The fifth-year senior played on, and threw four interceptions in the second half as the 41-point underdog Cardinal rallied to upset the Trojans 24-23.
Sanchez, making the first three starts of his career, passed for 130 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 20-13 victory over Arizona, 235 yards and four TDs with no interceptions in a 38-0 win at Notre Dame and 277 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in a 24-17 loss at No. 4 Oregon on Saturday.
Carroll said the status of left tackle Sam Baker, who has an injured hamstring, is uncertain for Saturday night's game.
''Sam Baker took some snaps yesterday and today,'' Carroll said. ''He wants to try to play, but we'll see what happens on Saturday. We're planning on Butch Lewis starting until something changes.''
Oregon State (5-3, 3-2) brings a three-game winning streak at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Beavers beat the Trojans 33-31 last season in Corvallis, Ore., to snap USC's 27-game Pac-10 winning streak.
The Trojans (6-2, 3-2) are 20-0 in November games since Carroll became their coach before the 2001 season.
Tennessee dismisses tailback LaMarcus Coker
November 2, 2007
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Tennessee has dismissed sophomore tailback LaMarcus Coker for undisclosed reasons.
Coach Phillip Fulmer had suspended Coker from one game for a violation of team rules, but said after further investigation he decided to dismiss the player.
Fulmer said Coker did not do was what asked of him and he wanted a positive environment for No. 24 Tennessee.
Coker was suspended for almost three weeks of practice in August for what team officials described as a medical issue. He was also suspended for several practices last December before the Outback Bowl for undisclosed reasons.
Coker was a kick returner and a No. 2 tailback behind Arian Foster.