College Football News and Notes Week - 4

Weis has Irish practice on Sunday
September 16, 2007

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is shaking things up for the winless Fighting Irish.

After a 38-0 loss to Michigan on Saturday - which tied the 38-0 loss to Michigan in 2003 for the eighth most lopsided in school history - Weis canceled his Sunday news conference and the usual session for players to run and watch film. Instead he held a full practice.

Weis said there was no need for players to see the game film because it wouldn't do any good.

``One game is worse than the next game,'' he said.

After falling to 0-3 for just the second time in school history, the Irish are starting from scratch. They are treating this week as though it were the start of training camp, going back to the basics. Weis said the team will focus on trying to get good at a nucleus of plays.

``You have to find something you can hang your hat on,'' he said.

The starting offense will work against the starting defense until they're worn out, he said. Then it will be the second-team offense against the second-team defense until they are exhausted. There will be no scout teams replicating the offense or defense of Michigan State (3-0), Saturday's opponent. The Irish will be focusing on themselves.

Players will be competing for starting jobs.

``Everything is even-steven, like it's the first day out there, and everything is up for grabs,'' Weis said.

The reason for the shake-up is the horrible numbers the Irish have put up so far. Of the 17 major statistics the NCAA tracks, Notre Dame is last in the nation in four, in the bottom 10 in three others and the bottom 21 in three more.

Just like in 2001, the other time the Irish opened 0-3, much of the blame falls on the offense.

The 2001 squad coached by Bob Davie lost to Nebraska, Michigan State and Texas A&M by a combined 45 points. This year's squad lost to Georgia Tech, Penn State and Michigan by a combined 89 points.

Davie's team scored just two touchdowns, covering a total of 10 yards, and ranked second worst in the nation in total offense at 211 yards a game. Weis' team has no offensive touchdowns and is last in total offense at 115 yards a game.

The 13 points scored by the Irish are the fewest through three games since the 1933 squad scored 12 in starting the season 1-1-1.

The most worrisome statistic, though, is that because the Irish have given up 23 sacks, leading to 167 yards lost, they are averaging minus-4.7 yards rushing.

``The easy answer to our problem would be us running the football. Because now if you run the football, everything becomes easier,'' Weis said. ``Now it's easier to throw a play-action pass. Now it's easier to protect. Now it's easier to move the ball consistently. That would be a heck of a way for us to get it started.''

It's not just the offense, however. There were quite a few missed tackles against the Wolverines, and the Irish gave up 289 yards rushing - the most by an opponent since Stanford ran for 322 yards in 1997.

Dating to last season, the Irish have given up 30 or more points in five straight games for the first time in school history. They've lost all five. The only time Notre Dame has lost six in a row came in 1960, when they lost eight straight.

So six weeks after Weis said he would never use the word ``rebuilding,'' the Irish are focused on rebuilding. Weis said he doesn't know how long he will stay in the training camp mode.

``I couldn't tell you when it's going to be done, but we're going to get it done,'' he said.

College Football Today - Week 3
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Stars

-Tim Tebow, Florida, threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 61 yards and two scores, and lifted the No. 5 Gators to a 59-20 romp over 22nd-ranked Tennessee.

-Anthony Morelli, Penn State, threw for 202 yards and a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Nittany Lions to a 45-24 win over Buffalo.

-Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic, threw for 463 yards and five touchdowns, and the Owls forced seven turnovers to beat Minnesota 42-39.

-Kellen Lewis, Indiana, rushed for a career-high 199 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Hoosiers on three second-half scoring drives to beat Akron 41-24.

-P.J. Hill, Wisconsin, tied a school record with five touchdowns in the Badgers' 45-31 victory over The Citdadel.

-Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns in a 54-3 win against Utah State.

-Curtis Painter, Purdue, passed for 360 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Boilermakers to a 45-22 victory against Central Michigan.

-Mike McLeod, Yale, ran for 157 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 28-14 victory over Georgetown.

-Graham Harrell, Texas Tech, threw a personal best six touchdown passes, and the Red Raiders scored 35 unanswered points for a 59-24 victory over Rice.

-Trey Elder, Appalachian State, threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 82 yards, helping the Mountaineers pull away from Northern Arizona 34-21.

-Matt Ryan, Boston College, threw for a career-best 435 yards and the No. 21 Eagles shut down Georgia Tech star Tashard Choice in a 24-10 victory.

-Ryan Perrilloux, LSU, threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 44-0 victory over Middle Tennessee.

- Blake Szymanski, Baylor, passed for 411 yards and five touchdowns to help the Bears beat Texas State 34-27 on Saturday night.

-Todd Reesing, Kansas, threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Jayhawks to a 45-13 rout of Toledo.

-Jordy Nelson, Kansas State, set single-game school records with 15 receptions for 209 yards, catching one touchdown pass and throwing another in the Wildcats' 61-10 victory over Missouri State.

-Philip Sylvester, Florida A&M, ran for 222 yards including a 94-yard TD in a 30-17 win over Howard.

-Ricky Santos, New Hampshire, threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth, leading the Wildcats to a 48-35 win over Marshall.

-Jayson Foster, Georgia Southern, ran for 253 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-34 victory over Coastal Carolina.

-Corey Leonard, Arkansas State, ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more to lead to a 45-28 victory Saturday night over Southern Methodist.

NO LUCK FOR THE IRISH

Michigan handed Notre Dame its worst loss since beating the Irish by the same score in 2003, 38-0 on Saturday. Notre Dame is winless after three games for just the second time in school history, putting coach Charlie Weis in unwanted company with Bob Davie. The Fighting Irish have lost five straight for the first time since the 1985-86 seasons.

STREAKING

No. 5 Florida extended its winning streak to 10 games, its home winning streak to 18 and improved to 3-0 against Tennessee under coach Urban Meyer after a 59-20 victory over the 22nd-ranked Volunteers on Saturday. ... No. 7 Wisconsin extended the nation's longest active winning streak to 12 games after a 45-31 victory over The Citadel. ... Ohio State tied its school record for consecutive wins in the regular season with 21, matching a mark set from 1967-69, beating Washington 33-14. ... Appalachian State beat Northern Arizona 34-21 to extend Division I's longest winning streak to 17 games.

WHAT A KNIGHT

Ray Rice ran for three touchdowns and Mike Teel threw for three more in the lightning-quick outburst that carried Rutgers to a 59-0 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday. the No. 13 Scarlet Knights produced the biggest second quarter in the school history, and all it needed was 11 plays and 91 seconds to amass 277 yards and score 42 points. The 59 points and the margin of victory were the biggest for Rutgers since a 59-0 win over Buffalo in 2000.

SNAPPED

Duke snapped the longest losing streak in the country at 22 games, beating Northwestern 20-14 Saturday night. Thaddeus Lewis threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Devils, whose last win came on Sept. 17, 2005 against Virginia Military Institute. Duke (1-2) hadn't defeated a major college team since Nov. 13, 2004, against Clemson, a span of 27 games.

UPSETS

Andre Woodson threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Steve Johnson with 28 seconds left and Kentucky shocked No. 9 Louisville 40-34 Saturday night, the Wildcats' first victory over a top-10 team in three decades. ... Tommy Grady threw for three touchdowns, Darrell Mack ran for 107 yards and Utah capitalized on a long list of mistakes by No. 11 UCLA in a 44-6 rout of the Bruins. Utah scored 30 straight points and beat the Bruins for the first time. Utah had been 0-8 against UCLA, which failed to score a touchdown for the first time in four years.

IT'S GOOD!

Iowa State kicker Bret Culbertson tied a school record with five field goals, the final a 28-yarder with 1 second left, and the Cyclones upset Iowa 15-13 Saturday for coach Gene Chizik's first win. The victory was Iowa State's fourth in five tries at home against the Hawkeyes. The Cyclones have taken seven of the last 10 from their in-state rival.

WINLESS

Syracuse dropped its first three games for the first time in 21 years after falling to Illinois 41-20 on Saturday. The Orange have been outscored 118-32 by three teams whose combined record in 2006 was 13-24. ... The Miami Hurricanes sent Florida International to its 15th straight loss, beating their South Florida rivals 23-9.

SCHOOL RECORD

Division III Bethany, W.Va., broke school records for total yards (739) and rushing yards (482) in a 66-7 victory over St. Vincent on Saturday.

MAKING HISTORY

History was made Saturday night during Memphis' 35-14 victory over Jacksonville State. Sarah Thomas, a veteran high school official in Mississippi, became the first female official in a Bowl Subdivision football game, when she served as a line judge.

SPEAKING

''It irritated me a little bit. I guess they wanted to put up as many points as they could in the first half. That's not necessarily sportsmanlike. But that's the route they chose, and they got the job done.'' - Norfolk State quarterback Casey Hansen after Rutgers coach Greg Schiano called three timeouts in an attempt to get the ball back just before the half with the Scarlet Knights (3-0) ahead 45-0.

''If we get 12 of these wins right here, then that would be just fine with me. You really can't complain with this stuff.'' - Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford after the Sooners' 54-3 win over Utah State.

Three big injuries will test No. 6 California's depth in Pac-10 play
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERKELEY, Calif. -- Although California certainly isn't sinking, defensive coordinator Bob Gregory has plenty of holes to plug.

The Golden Bears head into Pac-10 play this week with a No. 6 ranking, a 3-0 record and a wealth of talent on a quickly maturing offense.

They also have serious concerns about their defensive depth after three starters were knocked out of a 42-12 victory over Louisiana Tech with potentially serious injuries.

Defensive linemen Matt Malele and Rulon Davis both hurt their feet against the Bulldogs, with Malele likely tearing tendons and Davis possibly incurring a stress fracture. Zack Follett, the Bears' strong-side linebacker and emotional leader, also developed a neck stinger in the first half and didn't return.

Most Cal fans don't know the names of the players who replaced them against the Bulldogs, but Gregory professes confidence in every player he coaches.

''I liked the way we responded when guys went down, but we won't really know about us until Pac-10 play,'' said Gregory, in his sixth season as Jeff Tedford's right-hand man. ''We'll see where our depth is, and I think guys will step into bigger roles.''

The extent of all three injuries wasn't known Sunday, but any setback is bad news for a defense that's still working to replace the top three players from last season. Cornerback Daymeion Hughes, linebacker Desmond Bishop and defensive tackle Brandon Mebane all went to the NFL, leaving Gregory to rebuild his core.

Cal's line is its greatest concern, since Malele already was the only returning starter from last season. Gregory filled the holes against Louisiana Tech with everyone from fifth-year senior John Allen, who recovered a fumble in the first extensive playing time of his career, to promising freshmen Derrick Hill and Cameron Jordan.

The Bears hope Follett will be back for Saturday's home game against Arizona, but Eddie Young and Michael Mohamed filled in capably against Louisiana Tech.

''It's going to hurt us, but that's why we've got depth,'' said middle linebacker Worrell Williams, who has been solid in Bishop's place this season. ''If they don't come back, we'll have other guys stepping in, ready to play. We've got a lot of guys who have been waiting for that chance.''

Despite its holes, Cal's defense is showing signs of progress after Tennessee moved the ball well in the Bears' opener. Cal had four sacks and 12 tackles for loss against Louisiana Tech while allowing just one play longer than 20 yards.

While lining up each week against the Pac-10's outstanding athletes and inventive offenses, Gregory's defenses usually rely on a knack for killing drives by forcing turnovers.

''We're always talking turnovers - get the ball,'' Williams said. ''We're a big opportunity team. We're going to get to the route before you. We want to stop them, but we'd rather have a turnover than get them to punt it.''

Cal has forced seven turnovers in its first three games, including three by Louisiana Tech, which managed 274 total yards and several sustained drives.

''Big plays have been huge,'' said defensive back Robert Peele, who had an interception on a tipped ball. ''Teams have been driving on us, but we somehow come up with a fumble or an interception. We have the ability to force teams to make mistakes like that. We don't care about yards so much. The only stat we keep is takeaways.''

Louisiana Tech and Tennessee both had success against Cal with a no-huddle offense, though Gregory couldn't understand why the officials wouldn't allow him to substitute at times during the hurry-up drill, and Williams criticized the Bulldogs' quick-snapping technique.

''They're supposed to give us a chance to get lined up, and they were doing something that was borderline (illegal),'' Williams said. ''We still got it done, and that's all that matters. It's all about the scoreboard.''

College Football Recap
VegasInsider.com

A couple of ranked teams were taken to the woodshed Saturday in the third week of the college football season. Nine of the top-10 Associated Press teams won Saturday, with the lone exception occurring in the Blue Grass State.

The ninth-ranked Louisville Cardinals fell to rival Kentucky Saturday night as a 5 ½-point road favorite, 40-34, while the combined 74 points went ‘under’ the 77-point closing total.

Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson tossed a 57-yard scoring strike with just 28 seconds remaining to shock Louisville. That marked the Wildcats’ first victory over a top-10 team in three decades. The improbable win also ended a four-game losing streak to their in-state rivals.

Moving on to the top-ranked team in the country, don’t let the final score fool you. Southern Cal dominated 14th-ranked Nebraska to prevail as a 10 ½-point road favorite, 49-31. The Trojans found themselves down, 10-7, in the second quarter before scoring the game’s next 35 points. The combined 80 points soared ‘over’ the 50 ½-point closing total.

USC entered the fourth quarter with a comfortable 42-10 lead before the Cornhuskers scored a few touchdowns late in the game. The Trojans recorded five rushing touchdowns against Nebraska en route to 313 yards on the ground. Stafon Johnson paced the ground game with 144 yards and a score, helping the team to the third-most points by an opponent in Lincoln.

Perhaps the biggest beatdown of the day occurred in the SEC matchup between fifth-ranked Florida and 22nd-ranked Tennessee. The Gators routed their rivals as an eight-point home favorite, 59-20, while the combined 79 points obliterated the 56-point closing total.

The Volunteers were actually in striking distance at 28-20 in the third quarter before the wheels came off. However, a fumbled exchange between quarterback Erik Ainge and Arian Foster was returned for a touchdown and the rout was on. Florida proceeded to score the next 31 points to turn this contest into a laugher.

Quarterback Tim Tebow was 14-of-19 passing for 299 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Percy Harvin enjoyed a monster game with nine rushes for 75 yards and a score, while catching four passes for 120 yards.

One of the biggest surprises of the day was the UCLA-Utah contest, and not just the outcome but the final score. The Utes pounded the visiting Bruins as a 16 ½-point home underdog, 44-6, while the combined 50 points went ‘over’ the 44 ½-point closing total.

Eleventh-ranked UCLA coughed the ball over five times, committed 10 penalties and allowed Utah to post 30 straight points. The Bruins were shutout in the second half, and went without a touchdown for the first time since 2003. Quarterback Ben Olson completed 20-of-40 passes for 290 yards, but was intercepted three times.

Down Big Ten Takes A Few More Hits
Sept. 16, 2007

Could be time for Jim Delany to write another letter.

The Big Ten commissioner felt compelled to defend his football teams with an open letter in February after they went 2-5 in bowl games and drew poor marks from recruiting gurus.

Well, the new season has provided more fodder for Big Ten critics, and they're not just talking about Michigan.

On Saturday, Minnesota lost to Florida Atlantic, a Sun Belt Conference team that had never beaten a team from a BCS conference. In fact, the Owls had been outscored 506-89 in 11 previous games against the big six leagues.

Later in the day, Iowa lost to previously winless Iowa State. Sure it's a rivalry game, but Iowa State had lost its first two games to Kent State and Northern Iowa, which plays in the second-tier of Division I.

The topper came Saturday night, when Duke snapped the longest losing streak in the nation by winning at Northwestern. The Blue Devils hadn't won in 22 games and hadn't beaten a major college team since 2004.

While none of those losses will register nationally the way Michigan's embarrassing defeats to Appalachian State and Oregon did the first two weeks of the season, they are hits to Big Ten football's beleaguered image.

And image is everything.

Less than a year ago Big Ten football was as proud as can be, with Ohio State and Michigan Nos. 1 and 2 in the country. Then both teams went bust in their bowl games, and just like that the Big Ten was back to being too slow to keep up with the speedy Southeastern Conference teams and sleek Pac-10 squads. As if suddenly all the players in the Big Ten players were running in lead shoes.

When signing day came around about a month later, the Big Ten didn't make the grade with the supposed experts and the critics started piling on. That's when Delany decided to go on the offensive.

An open letter from the commish was posted on the Big Ten Web site, detailing recent success against the SEC in bowl games - 2-1 last season and 8-6 over the last five years. He also took what came across as a dig at SEC academics with this line:

"I wish we had six teams among the top 10 recruiting classes every year, but winning our way requires some discipline and restraint with the recruitment process," Delany wrote. "Not every athlete fits athletically, academically or socially at every university. Fortunately, we have been able to balance our athletic and academic mission so that we can compete successfully and keep faith with our academic standards."

Delany's plan to blunt the critics backfired and he came across as a sore loser who was making excuses for a lagging league. He also didn't help himself or the conference during the summer when he got into a war of words with Comcast over the cable companies' refusal to carry the fledgling Big Ten network on its basic tier.

Here's the way things have been going for the Big Ten so far this season: After Appalachian State stunned Michigan and essentially knocked the Big Ten favorite out of the national title race in the first week of the season, the Big Ten Network was touting the historic upset as proof it had "can't miss" games.

How's this for a slogan, "The Big Ten Network: Where history is made at the Big Ten's expense." Surely, that's not what Delany had in mind.

OK, reality check: The Big Ten is not terrible. Far from it.

After three weeks, only Minnesota and Michigan have losing records. Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State are ranked in the top 10 this week. Michigan could still turn its season around, though the last thing the Big Ten needs is to be represented in the Rose Bowl by a team that lost to Appy State.

Yet, there's no doubting the Big Ten is down.

No Big Ten team could match up against Southern California, LSU, Oklahoma or Florida. The middle of the conference - Iowa, Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue - scares no one. At the bottom, Northwestern and Minnesota could be in for long years, and don't be fooled by Indiana's 3-0 against terrible competition.

Still, no league - not the ACC, not the SEC, not the Big 12 or even the Pac-10 - outdoes the Big Ten in tradition. As far as balancing academics and athletics, the Big Ten is as good as it gets.

Right now, though, on the field, the Big Ten isn't measuring up to its own lofty standards and there's plenty of detractors happy to point that out.

cstv.com

thanks bski

Miles unsure about Doucet's condition
The Daily Reveille

September 17, 2007

Many LSU fans were surprised to see senior receiver Early Doucet on the sidelines for Saturday's contest with Middle Tennessee State, but it may not be the last time Doucet dons street clothes this season.

At his Sunday press briefing, LSU coach Les Miles said Doucet suffered a "pretty sugnificant" injury in Friday's walk through practice.

"He'll be a guy that we look at regularly," Miles said.

Miles would no say exactly what Doucet injured, but he did say the St. Martinville native was hurt in a peculiar fashion during a non-contact practice.

"He just made a quick movement, it was a nothing, and it just popped on him," Miles said. "It would certainly operate in the unusual category."

When asked if Doucet could miss more than one game because of the injury, Miles replied, "That's our fear."

Senior guard Will Arnold was also inactive for the No. 2 Tigers 44-0 victory, but Miles said Arnold's absence was not injury related.

"He has some kind of viral infection, and it's really effecting his knees," Miles said. "It's not an injury - it's not a specific issue. It's more of a sickness. We hope like heck we can get him back this week, but I'm not certain if that's possible."

Miles said there is good news, however.

Senior quarterback Matt Flynn, who sat out Saturday's game with a lower leg injury, should be ready to go for next week's showdown with No. 12 South Carolina.

"He's gonna be a lot better this week than he was last," Miles said. "But yet we want to make sure it's right. He wanted to play. There isn't any question he wanted to play. I think he could've played, but would've only asked it had it been an injury situation."

With the injury bug affecting the Tigers offense, Miles said he is happy with the way second-and third-string players have performed through three games.

"It gives us the opportunity to turn to a guy like [junior receiver] Demetrius Byrd or [freshman receiver] Terrance Toliver and for that matter [sophomore receiver] Jared Mitchell and tell them it's time for you to step in and play - and I think they did," Mies said. "It was a good outing from that point certainly."

Miles said sophomore quarterback Ryan Perrilloux's winning performance in his first collegiate start did not surprise him, but he said there are some things he could have done better.

"[Perrilloux] didn't manage a couple situations just right - made some mistakes, but all in all, I think he played well," Miles said. "I think his overall grade would be a very solid one. I think he handled being in the spotlight."

Perrilloux finished the game completing 20-of-25 passes for 298 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

Miles said the Tigers have even managed to get some younger defensive players action on the nation's No. 1 rated defense.

"It really gives us the point that these young guys have got to come through for us as we get going in the the stretch-run here," Miles said. "Giving them those snaps gives them a feel for competition in this conference. I think the defense is playing with so much confidence."

Sophomore quarterback Andrew Hatch got som playing time since the walk-on joined the team this season.

Miles said the Harvard transfer was a little nervous in front of 92, 407 fans.

"He was taking some deep breaths when he went into the game," Miles said. "Don't pretend for a minute it's just another day when it's their first one."

Freshman linebacker Finch out for season
Independent Florida Alligator

September 17, 2007

Freshman linebacker Jerimy Finch is out for the season with a broken bone in his lower right leg, UF coach Urban Meyer said during his Sunday teleconference.

Finch broke his leg after he intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and had a Tennessee player fall on top of him. He was then carted off the field.

Finch's loss will be felt on kickoff coverage, where he received the majority of his playing time.

Meyer said Sunday he is "not pleased" with kickoff coverage, so the loss of Finch will not help that, either.

As of Sunday morning Finch had just been released from the hospital, and Meyer said he had some "ligament issues."

In addition to the interception, Finch had seven total tackles on the season, tied for 10th on the Gators.

Coming in, Finch was a four star-recruit and the top prospect in Indiana, according to Rivals.com.

OTHER INJURIES: Meyer said wide receiver Andre Caldwell will miss Saturday's game against Mississippi.

Caldwell sprained his right MCL against Troy and was ruled out for the Tennessee game the following Monday. Meyer said he hopes to have his team captain back Sept. 29 against Auburn in The Swamp. Caldwell has 111 yards receiving and one rushing touchdown on the season.

In Caldwell's absence, the Gators went to do-it-all sophomore Percy Harvin more, and he responded with 195 total yards of offense and one touchdown.

Meyer said he also did not have any further news on the status of offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey, who went down with a right ankle injury early in Saturday's game.

The good news for the Gators is that X-rays on the freshman's ankle came back negative.

Meyer said he would know more about Pouncey's ankle, as well as the status of Markihe Anderson (right knee) today.

NFL Fantasy 2007

Pouncey is the second UF offensive lineman to go down this season. Senior tackle Phil Trautwein went out with a stress fracture in his right foot four days before the season opener against Western Kentucky.

Redshirt freshman Maurice Hurt replaced Pouncey in the lineup.

DEFENSE EARNS PRAISE: There was a common theme during Sunday's teleconference: Meyer was thrilled with the performance of his defense.

He was especially impressed with cornerbacks Wondy Pierre-Louis and Joe Haden.

Meyer said Haden and Pierre-Louis made tackles on 18 of the 19 opportunities they had.

"I want to say Joe Haden was perfect - 9 for 9 - on making plays," Meyer said. "He's turned into a very good football player.

"The reason we won that game was excellent defense."

After the defense - especially the defensive line - had been criticized by Meyer earlier in the week, it appears the Gators learned their lessons from the first two games.

Tennessee coaches and players said they had planned to come in and run the ball against UF, but there was little give in the Gators' defensive line, as they allowed just 37 net rushing yards.

"Tennessee made it public," Meyer said. "They wanted to run the ball against us. I don't blame them. I was watching how our defense kept hanging in there and they were doing a fantastic job. I don't want to say I was shocked, but I was."

Nebraska lineman Christensen out for season

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Nebraska guard Andy Christensen will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left knee against Southern California, coach Bill Callahan said Monday.

Christensen was hurt on the Cornhuskers' second offensive series when he was blocking downfield on a shovel-pass play. Mike Huff replaced Christensen and likely will start against Ball State on Saturday.

Christensen started eight of 14 games last season after sitting out 2005 with a shoulder injury.

Callahan said cornerback Zackary Bowman, who limped to the sidelines in the second quarter and didn't return, is OK and will play against the Cardinals.

Inside the Boxscores - Part 1
By Matt Fargo

Inside the Boxscores is a weekly feature from Matt Fargo that has been widely recognized as one of the best summations in college football. He takes an in-depth look at each game and pulls out the most pertinent information that will help you handicap games in the future. College football is filled with quirky plays, misleading scores and surprise endings. Fargo takes you inside the action.

(5) West Virginia 31 MARYLAND 14

West Virginia racked up 353 yards rushing on 48 carries (7.4 ypc) while the Mountaineers defense held the Terrapins to 89 yards rushing 39 carries (2.3 ypc). The Mountaineers took a commanding 31-7 lead with just under 11 minutes remaining but Maryland drove 91 yards in 4:49 to cut the lead to 17 points which was right around the cover line. The Terrapins recovered the onsides kick but went four and out.

AIR FORCE 20 T-C-U 17

TCU pulled ahead 17-3 early in the fourth quarter before the Falcons made a charge. Air Force stopped the Horned Frogs on 4th down at the 28-yard line and then drove 72 yards to pull within a touchdown. The Falcons then forced a punt and tied the game on a 71-yard run. TCU had a chance in regulation but was intercepted at the Air Force 22-yard line. The Horned Frogs won the yardage battle 409-339 but were hurt by three turnovers.

TROY 41 Oklahoma State 23

Troy pulled off another huge home upset over a Big XII team by putting up 562 yards of offense including 388 through the air. It was a wire-to-wire cover as the line was never a factor. The Trojans built a 41-10 before two garbage 4th quarter touchdowns by the Cowboys. Oklahoma St. finished with 432 total yards but 190 of those came in the final period. The Cowboys had five turnovers which led to 14 Troy points.

Eastern Michigan 21 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 19

Northern Illinois scored on its first three possessions to build an early 13-0 lead and an early cover but the offense shut down as it gained just 57 yards in their next seven possessions. The Eagles rallied with the next three scores to take the lead and Northern Illinois could have tied the game with 4:20 left but failed on the two-point conversion. Eastern Michigan missed two 2nd half field goals which would have iced the game.

(10) PENN STATE 45 Buffalo 24

The Bulls outgained Penn St. 395-393 but most of those yards came in garbage time. Buffalo took a 3-0 lead and held that lead for the first 23 minutes of the game. Penn St. tied the game with a field goal and then ran off 28 additional points to pull away. The majority (202) of Buffalo’s 395 yards came on its last three possessions when it scored three touchdowns. Penn St.’s largest lead was 28 points, never putting the 32.5-point line in jeopardy.

PURDUE 45 Central Michigan 22

Purdue jumped ahead 38-0 before the Chippewas rallied to cut the deficit to 16 points early in the 4th quarter. The Boilermakers then scored with 9:07 left and stopped Central Michigan three times at their end of the field to secure the frontdoor cover. Purdue put up 583 yards of offense and the score could have been much worse but it committed five turnovers which led to 14 points and killed two other scoring drives.

Virginia 22 NORTH CAROLINA 20

Virginia scored first and never relinquished the lead although a 16-0 lead was almost lost as North Carolina scored a touchdown with 1:57 left but failed on the two-point conversion. The Tar Heels finished -3 in turnovers and all three of those miscues occurred in Virginia territory. The Cavaliers, despite getting outgained 399-350 won the time of possession by over 18 more minutes and covered the game from start to finish.

MICHIGAN STATE 17 Pittsburgh 13

It was a frustrating day for Michigan St. backers as the Spartans missed on several scoring opportunities. They had five possessions that ended in Pittsburgh territory but resulted in no points. All three of the Spartans scores came by way of Panthers turnovers. Pittsburgh finished with only 85 yards through the air and the 11 points it was getting was never covered by the Spartans. The teams combined for 21 penalties.

INDIANA 41 Akron 24

Indiana outgained the Zips 475-370 but needed two late touchdowns to pull away including the final score with 2:43 remaining that gave the Hoosiers the frontdoor cover. Indiana finished with 338 yards rushing on 49 carries (6.9 ypc) and it crossed over into Akron territory in 11 of its 12 possessions. The Zips had a chance to backdoor but was intercepted at the Indiana 26-yard line with 21 seconds remaining.

Cincinnati 47 MIAMI-OHIO 10

There was no letdown for Cincinnati as the defense was the story once again. The Bearcats forced four turnovers, a turnover on downs and scored on a safety. Miami Ohio fumbled on its first play of the game and Cincinnati responded with a touchdown 10 plays later and the safety six minutes after that gave the Bearcats the cover they never gave back. The RedHawks finished with only 56 yards rushing on 24 carries (2.3 ypc.).

CONNECTICUT 22 Temple 17

This game was closer than expected as the 31.5 points never came into play. Connecticut never led by more than a touchdown while Temple took a one-point lead late in the 3rd quarter. The Huskies responded with a touchdown drive to regain the lead and then the defense tightened the rest of the way. The Owls put together a 61-yard drive but failed on a 4th down attempt with 40 seconds left at the Huskies 11-yard line.

Illinois 41 SYRACUSE 20

Illinois outgained the Orange 508-226 as it jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Syracuse tried to make a comeback. The Orange pulled to within 10 points midway through the third quarter and were covering by a point but Illinois then ran off the next 21 points to pull away. Syracuse’s last two scores came late in the 4th quarter. Illinois won the rushing battle by a whopping 378 to 63, gaining 7.4 ypc compared to the Orange’s 1.9 ypc.

Mississippi State 19 AUBURN 14

Auburn was upset as home for the second straight week as Mississippi St. didn’t even need the 13 points it was getting. The Tigers outgained the Bulldogs 323-213 as the defense played outstanding but the offense turned it over five times which led to 16 Mississippi St. points. The Bulldogs used an interception late to set up the winning drive. Auburn drove to the Bulldogs 12-yard line but failed on 4th down with 48 seconds left.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC 42 Minnesota 39

Florida Atlantic piled up 580 yards of offense and never trailed in this game as it easily picked up the start to finish underdog cover. The Gophers hurt themselves with seven turnovers which led to three Owls touchdowns. Five of those miscues occurred in Florida Atlantic territory including a fumble at the one-yard line. Minnesota had a last chance drive to tie but an interception with three seconds left ended the game.

IOWA STATE 15 Iowa 13

Iowa St. scored on its first four possessions of the game but all four scores were field goals. The Hawkeyes then rallied in the second half to take a one-point lead with 3:38 remaining but Iowa St. drove 56 yards on the next possession to kick the game winning field goal with one second remaining. A missed field goal by Iowa midway through the 4th quarter ended up costly. The 17.5 points the Cyclones received never came into play.

(17) VIRGINIA TECH 28 Ohio U 7

Ohio jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter thanks to a fumble recovery but the offense could get nothing going. The Bobcats finished with 114 total yards including 38 yards rushing on 36 carries (1.1 ypc). Virginia Tech tallied 473 yards of offense but couldn’t muster enough points to cover the 22.5 points. The Hokies had four different drives that netted 43 or more yards but resulted in no points.

(25) MISSOURI 52 Western Michigan 24

Missouri racked up 619 yards of offense but the Broncos wouldn’t go away as they pulled to within 14 points early in the 4th quarter. The Tigers then scored on offense and stopped Western Michigan at the six-yard line then drove 94 yards to pull away and grab the cover. The Broncos were just 3 for 17 on third down and failed on two of four possessions inside the redzone.

Texas Tech 59 RICE 24

Texas Tech outgained the Owls 592-311 but Rice was still in the game early on as it pulled to within four points midway through the 2nd quarter. The Red Raiders then ran off the next 35 points to complete the rout and get the road cover. Texas Tech pulled away easily despite piling up 16 penalties for 183 yards. Rice had only one less first down but seven of those 25 came by way of penalty.

(4) OKLAHOMA 54 Utah State 3

Oklahoma dominated the Aggies by outgaining them in total yards 617-183 including putting up 343 rushing yards on 39 carries (8.8 ypc). The Sooners scored on nine of their first 11 possessions while the defense allowed only one drive of more than 22 yards. Utah St. had one last shot as it got down to the Oklahoma 36-yard line but fumbled which prevented a backdoor cover as the Sooners covered the 47.5-point line.

(7) Texas 35 U-C-F 32

Texas was involved in its third straight tough game as it had to rally from a 4th quarter deficit to pull out the win. The Longhorns outgained the Golden Knights 488-326 but three turnovers led to 14 points. Texas took a five-point lead, recovered a fumble three plays later and scored a touchdown on its next offensive play to ice the game. A 13-point lead in the 3rd quarter was as close as Texas came to covering the 17-point line.

(8) Ohio State 33 WASHINGTON 14

Washington held the Ohio St. offense in check for the first half as it took a four-point lead into the break but the Buckeyes came out in the second half by scoring the first 24 points to pull away. Ohio St. easily covered the number thanks to 263 yards rushing on 46 carries (5.7 ypc) while the defense forced four Huskies turnovers. Washington finished just 1-3 inside the redzone.

(3) FLORIDA 59 Tennessee 20

Florida outgained the Volunteers 554-298 but the outcome was still undecided midway through the third quarter after Tennessee returned an interception 96 yards to pull within eight points. However, it was all Gators the rest of the way as they scored the final 31 points and outgained Tennessee 267-62 over that stretch while also returning a fumble for a touchdown. The Volunteers finished with only 37 yards rushing on 21 carries (1.8 ypc).

MIAMI-FLORIDA 23 Florida International 9

This was a big sandwich game for the Hurricanes coming off Oklahoma and with Texas A&M on deck but the defense played its part holding the Golden Panthers to 134 total yards and three points through the first three quarters but failing to cover the 32-point line. The offense stalled several times however, missing a chip shot field goal and throwing interceptions at the Florida International 22-yard line and 15-yard line.

WAKE FOREST 21 Army 10

Wake Forest pulled out the victory despite getting outgained 256-213. The Demon Deacons scored only one offensive touchdown as the other two scores came on a punt return in the first quarter and an interception return in the second quarter. Army committed two turnovers in Wake forest territory but its one touchdown was enough to cover the 20-point line.

MICHIGAN 38 Notre Dame 0

Notre Dame was held in check on offense for the third straight game as it gained only 79 total yards and crossed midfield just twice the entire game. 21 of Michigan’s first 24 points came off three Irish turnovers as it built 24-0 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back, easily covering the 9.5-point line. Michigan rushed for 289 yards but did mange only 90 yards through the air thanks to a 61-16 rush/pass play disparity.

UTAH 44 U-C-L-A 6

Utah scored a touchdown on its opening possession and then scored the final 37 points of the game to complete the rout. Despite the 38-point win, the Utes outgained UCLA by just 13 total yards but the Bruins were hurt by five turnovers, leading to 24 Utah points. The Utes managed only 168 total yards in the second half but scored 30 points and covered the spread by a whopping 53 points.

Arkansas' Mitchell suspended for Kentucky game
September 17, 2007

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -Arkansas defensive tackle Ernest Mitchell has been suspended by coach Houston Nutt for Saturday night's game against No. 21 Kentucky.

Mitchell was ejected from last weekend's loss at Alabama after apparently grabbing an opponent's helmet and hitting him with it. Nutt said he spoke with Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive on Monday.

``I visited with Commissioner Slive this morning and told him that while the NCAA policy only mandates the suspension of the player for a half in the following game, I felt that a full-game suspension was appropriate in this circumstance,'' Nutt said. ``Ernest got caught up in the heat of the moment and made a poor decision. I'm extremely disappointed in his reaction to the situation. There is no excuse for that type of behavior.''

Arkansas is trying to bounce back from a 41-38 loss to the Crimson Tide. Nutt mentioned Fred Bledsoe as a candidate to step into Mitchell's spot.

Mitchell is the second defensive lineman suspended by Nutt this season - Marcus Harrison missed the season-opening win over Troy after being arrested shortly before that game on drug charges.

Arkansas also is shaking up its secondary after Alabama's John Parker Wilson threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns against it. Safety Michael Grant will move to Jerell Norton's cornerback spot.

``He's probably one of the fastest guys on our team, and we just think it'll help our defense,'' Nutt said of Grant. ``We'll put him in a position to be able to make more plays instead of playing center field.''

Kevin Woods appears set to replace Grant at safety.

Nutt said Marcus Monk, the school's career leader in touchdown catches, is unlikely to play this week. He's been out since preseason with a knee injury.

``He's getting closer,'' Nutt said. ``Nobody knows the exact date. It would be a long shot for him to play this weekend. We're hoping next week or the week after.''

3 Texas players reinstated for Rice game
September 17, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -Three Texas football players suspended for the first three games have been reinstated and should be available to play Saturday against Rice, coach Mack Brown said Monday.

Sophomore linebacker Sergio Kindle and junior defensive end Henry Melton were suspended for three games at the start of training camp after summer drunken driving arrests. Wide receiver Billy Pittman was suspended for three games after the school determined he received improper benefits for the use of a friend's car.

``(Kindle and Melton) are great players. I think they can be very effective,'' cornerback Brandon Foster said.

Pittman has 69 catches for 1,206 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Gamecocks' DL Pepper done for season
September 17, 2007

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina defensive lineman Nathan Pepper will have surgery on his injured left knee and miss the rest of the season, coach Steve Spurrier said.

Pepper hurt his knee on a 19-yard interception return for a touchdown in Saturday's 38-3 win over South Carolina State.

Pepper, a junior, could get a medical redshirt so he wouldn't lose a season of eligibility, Spurrier said after practice Monday.

Pepper had five tackles and has started all three games for No. 12 South Carolina this season. The Gamecocks travel to No. 2 LSU on Saturday.

Rutgers RB Kordell Young to miss rest of season
September 17, 2007

Associated Press

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- Rutgers backup running back Kordell Young will miss the remainder of the season after injuring his left knee in Saturday's 59-0 win over Norfolk State, the Rutgers athletic department announced Monday.

Young will undergo surgery Tuesday, the school said.

Young, a sophomore from West Deptford, was second on the depth chart at running back behind Ray Rice and rushed for 58 yards on 18 carries this season. He also averaged 32 yards on three kickoff returns.

No. 11 Rutgers has an open date this weekend and returns to action against Maryland on Sept. 29.