UCLA Bruins

Oct. 29---college fotball ---
UCLA 30 ... Stanford 27 OT---college fotball ---
UCLA was all but dead after Stanford's Nick Frank rumbled for a seven-yard touchdown with 8:26 to play for a 24-3 lead. But the Bruins roared back with a crisp, 65-yard drive in 1:22 capped off by a six-yard Maurice Drew touchdown run. A 31-yard touchdown pass to Joe Cowan got UCLA within seven, and then Drew sent the game to overtime on a one-yard Drew touchdown run. In OT, Stanford got a 42-yard Michael Sgroi field goal, but UCLA answered with a 23-yard Brandon Breasell touchdown catch for the win.
Player of the game: UCLA QB Drew Olson completed 24 of 35 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 24-35, 293 yds, 2 TD---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 18-82, 2 TD. Receiving: Maurice Drew, 6-87---college fotball ---
Stanford - Passing: Trent Edwards, 18-25, 169 yds, 2 TD---college fotball ---
Rushing: Nick Frank, 13-61, 1 TD. Receiving: J.R. Lemon, 6-50, 2 TD---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: If nothing else, the team sure is exciting. For the fourth straight week, the Bruins came back in the fourth quarter to get a tough win. The team simply knows Drew Olson and Maurice Drew will get the job done when they have to. Don't dismiss this win over Stanford; the Cardinal is playing extremely well. However, there won't be fourth quarter comebacks against Arizona State or USC. The offense simply has to be sharper earlier. Is it possible to create a sense of urgency out of the gate?
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Oct. 22---college fotball ---
UCLA 51 ... Oregon State 28---college fotball ---
UCLA QB Drew Olson threw a school-record six touchdown passes with two to Marcedes Lewis and two to Maurice Drew. Oregon State got some big plays of its own with Matt Moore connecting with Mike Hass on two touchdown passes and Yvenson Bernard rushing for two short scores, but they weren't nearly enough to keep pace.---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA QB Drew Olson completed 31 of 43 passes for 338 yards and a school-record six touchdowns with an interception.---college fotball ---
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 31-43, 338 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 29-109, 1 TD. Receiving: Joe Cowan, 6-73---college fotball ---
Oregon State - Passing: Matt Moore, 14-25, 279 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT---college fotball ---
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 31-167, 2 TD. Receiving: Mike Hass, 7-199, 2 TD---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: UCLA is looking awfully BCS-worthy. A week after getting tested by Washington State, the Bruins were razor-sharp on offense in the blow out win over Oregon State. Drew Olson is red hot playing as well as any quarterback in America over the last few games, while there's always Maurice Drew making to worry about in the rushing game. The run defense is going to be the Achilles heel, but the Bruins don't play anyone with a ground game until USC. ---college fotball ---
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Oct. 15---college fotball ---
UCLA 44 ... Washington State 41 OT---college fotball ---
UCLA got some more fourth quarter magic with 17 fourth quarter points to force overtime with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Everett with :44 to play. Washington State could only manage a 37-yard field goal, and UCLA took advantage with a one-yard Maurice Drew touchdown run for the win. Drew Olson threw five touchdown passes with two to Marcedes Lewis, while the Cougars got out to a 38-21 lead helped by Jerome Harrison touchdown runs from 57 and 21 yards out. Harrison ran for 260 yards, and Alex Brink threw two touchdown passes and ran for another.---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA QB Drew Olson completed 31 of 43 passes for 338 yards and five touchdowns with an interception.---college fotball ---
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 31-43, 338 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 29-109, 1 TD. Receiving: Joe Cowan, 6-73---college fotball ---
Washington State - Passing: Alex Brink, 19-33, 169 yds, 2 TD---college fotball ---
Rushing: Jerome Harrison, 34-260, 2 TD. Receiving: Jason Hill, 8-65, 1 TD---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: UCLA keeps on needing big fourth quarter comebacks, and it keeps getting them. Is the team too reliant on the comeback? That's three straight weeks the Bruins couldn't stop the run and couldn't get the offense humming until it was almost too late. Washington State and Jerome Harrison ran wild, but fortunately for UCLA, Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona are up next; they don't/can't run. Drew Olson has been magnificent and showed a streaky side, in a positive way, that allows him to get red-hot when defenses get tired.---college fotball ---
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Oct. 8
UCLA 47 ... California 41---college fotball ---
Maurice Drew scored five touchdowns with runs from 12, one and two yards, an 81-yard punt return, and a 28-yard touchdown catch to take the lead for good with 1:35 to play. Drew's performance overshadowed huge days from Cal RBs Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch, who combined for 288 yards and two touchdowns helping the Bears roll up 545 yards of total offense. Down 40-28 going into the fourth quarter, UCLA came back with a one-yard scoring run from Drew Olson and two Drew scores. Cal's Tom Schneider hit four field goals. ---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA RB Maurice Drew ran 15 times for 65 yards and three touchdowns, caught two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, returned three punts for 162 yards and a touchdown, and one kickoff return for 20 yards. ---college fotball ---
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 17-33, 225 yds, 2 TD---college fotball ---
California - Passing: Joe Ayoob, 18-35, 215 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Justin Forsett, 10-153, 1 TD. Receiving: DeSean Jackson, 10-128, 1 TD
What to take away from this game: The win over Cal, and the electrifying performance from Maurice Drew, overshadowed some major problems. For the second straight week, the Bruins were outplayed and needed a late home comeback. Will that work on the road in Pac 10 play? That remains to be seen. The defense has been horrendous against the run, while the offense hasn't been consistent. While Drew was fantastic, he only ran for 65 yards making it 99 rushing yards over the last two games. Even so, the Bruins appear to be playing with confidence, and beat a great Cal team. ---college fotball ---

Oct. 1---college fotball ---
UCLA 21 ... Washington 17---college fotball ---
UCLA went 73 yards in eight plays converting a fourth-and-one and getting a 39-yard catch and run from Marcus Everett leading to a one-yard Maurice Drew touchdown run with just over a minute to play for the win. Washington scored on a one-yard Isaiah Stanback touchdown run in the third quarter after a controversial fumble call, which appeared on replay that it should've been UCLA's ball, and got a 20-yard Kenny James scoring run in the second quarter. UCLA converted a muffed punt into points early in the third quarter with a four-yard touchdown pass to Marcedes Lewis.---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA QB Drew Olson completed 29 of 44 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 29-44, 287 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 14-33, 1 TD. Receiving: Marcedes Lewis, 8-77, 1 TD---college fotball ---
Washington - Passing: Isaiah Stanback, 14-27, 188 yds---college fotball ---
Rushing: Louis Rankin, 18-109. Receiving: Craig Chambers, 4-65---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: UCLA showed great heart against Washington in a game that easily could've gone the other way. Considering how well the Husky defense bottled up Maurice Drew and took away most of the Bruin receivers, QB Drew Olson did a nice job of getting the offense moving when he had to. A better offensive team would've put the Bruins away, so it'll be important to get Drew back in the mix, not commit so many penalties, and be far, far better on third downs.---college fotball ---
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Sept. 17---college fotball ---
UCLA 41 ... Oklahoma 24---college fotball ---
Drew Olson threw three touchdown passes and Maurice Drew ran for a nine-yard score capping a 21-point fourth quarter to put the Sooners away. The UCLA defense forced three fumbles, including a return for a score from Spencer Havner, and held Adrian Peterson to 58 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. OU got up first on a 56-yard Travis Wilson reverse for a score and pulled within three late in the third quarter on the Peterson touchdown run, but the Bruins responded with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Marcedes Lewis and put it away on a seven-yard scoring pass to Chris Markey.---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA QB Drew Olson completed 28 of 38 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. ---college fotball ---
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 28-38, 314 yds, 3 TD---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 15-69, 1 TD. Receiving: Marcus Everett, 6-66---college fotball ---
Oklahoma - Passing: Rhett Bomar, 20-29, 241 yds---college fotball ---
Rushing: Travis Wilson, 2-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Travis Wilson, 7-103---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: It doesn't matter than Oklahoma is a bit down, this is a huge, huge win for Karl Dorrell and the Bruins as the team showed toughness, talent, and a living, breathing run defense. The Sooners did a great job of keeping Maurice Drew in check, so Drew Olson stepped up his play and performed almost perfectly. With two weeks off before Pac 10 play starts, it'll be important to keep focus and not lose the momentum built off this game before facing Washington. This was a physical game, so the Bruins can't be too upset at the time off.---college fotball ---
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Sept. 10---college fotball ---
UCLA 63 ... Rice 21---college fotball ---
Rice QB Joel Armstrong ran for a 23-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. That was one of the only bright spots of the game for the Owls as UCLA ripped off 49 first half points not needing to punt until the second half. Drew Olson threw three touchdown passes with two to Junior Taylor, and Maurice Drew scored on a four-yard run and a 66-yard punt return. The Bruins cranked out 578 yards of total offense and sat most of the starters early on in the second half. ---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA RB Maurice Drew ran 11 times for 95 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for seven yards in just over a half of play. He also returned two punts for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 18-25, 296 yds, 3 TD---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 11-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Junior Taylor, 5-93, 2 TD
Rice - Passing: Joel Armstrong, 5-9, 32 yds---college fotball ---
Rushing: John Wall, 4-58. Receiving: Jared Dillard, 4-43---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: UCLA's offense is operating on all cylinders thanks to the inspired play of QB Maurice Drew. From his punt returns to his big runs, he's a spark plug that makes UCLA special. It also helps that QB Drew Olson is red hot and playing as well as he ever had. It helps to play a defense like Rice's, but it's still nice to crank out an easy win a week before the showdown at Oklahoma. The run defense allowed 192 yards, but that was against the Rice offense that tries to pass occasionally, but can't.
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Sept. 3---college fotball ---
UCLA 44 ... San Diego State 21---college fotball ---
Maurice Drew ran for a 64-yard score on UCLA's first play from scrimmage and finished with two rushing touchdowns and a punt return for a score. Drew left the game with cramps, but the team had the game in hand up 31-6 before Aztec QB Kevin O'Connell connected with Jeff Webb. Lynell Hamilton, on his first game back from missing all of last year, ran for two one-yard scores for the Aztecs. Chris Markey ran for two second half scores for the Bruins. ---college fotball ---
Player of the game: UCLA RB Maurice Drew ran 11 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns and returned two punts for 72 yards and a touchdown, all in just over a half of play.
Stat Leaders: UCLA - Passing: Drew Olson, 10-15, 152 yds---college fotball ---
Rushing: Maurice Drew, 11-114, 2 TD. Receiving: Marcedes Lewis, 7-131---college fotball ---
San Diego State - Passing: Kevin O'Connell, 19-26, 204 yds, 2 INT---college fotball ---
Rushing: Lynell Hamilton, 24-82, 2 TD. Receiving: Jeff Webb, 5-71, 1 TD---college fotball ---
What to take away from this game: It wasn't a total thing of beauty, but UCLA might have gotten rid of the taste of the Wyoming loss with the easy win over San Diego State. Maurice Drew showed what kind of a weapon he is, but he has to prove he can hold up for an entire game, much less an entire season. It's still a little disturbing that the defense wasn't all that tight allowing 402 yards, but the intensity didn't seem to be there after getting the big lead. LB Spencer Havner had another All-America performance with 13 tackles with three tackles for loss, one interception and one sack. ---college fotball ---
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2005 Schedule ---college fotball ---
Sept. 3 – at San Diego State (4-8, 3-5 in Mountain West) – Offense: Just erase what happened last year as injuries prevented the offense from being everything it could be. For starters, top back Lynell Hamilton never saw the field missing the season still recovering from a broken ankle. Next, the offensive line was 100% healthy for about 45 seconds meaning a year-long reshuffling job. Finally, the quarterback situation was never settled with any sort of steady production. All should change this year as the Aztecs get Hamilton back, boast a strong line, and have the best receiving corps in the Mountain West. If a quarterback emerges from the derby as a bona fide playmaker, the offense will be outstanding.
Defense: With only three returning starters and the top seven tacklers gone including the great linebacking corps it might be hard for the Aztecs to be better than last year when it was one of the Mountain West's top defenses. The secondary will end up being fine in time thanks to the return of CB Jacob Elimimian and the moving of Marcus Demps from corner to safety. The front seven is the concern replacing too many players to expect last year's production. It'll be a long year for the run defense if the linebacking corps struggles.---college fotball ---
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Sept. 10 - Rice (4-7, 4-4 in Conference USA) – Offense: Another year, another claim by the coaching staff that there will be more passing. Trying to take a cue from Utah, the Owls will go to a shotgun a bit more and run a little bit of a spread attack, but this will still be a rushing offense. Joel Armstrong is a good all-around quarterback who needs to be more of a consistent passer. The backfield is loaded with speedy options that fit the system perfectly, while the line should be fine.---college fotball ---
Defense: The Owl defense was more than fine at preventing long drives finishing 50th in the nation, but it was killed by lousy field position and couldn't do anything when offenses got within scoring range evidenced by finishing 104th in scoring defense. Enough experience returns to hope for a better season with a good front line, a deep group of linebackers and some excellent safeties. The problem is the overall size in the back seven and the lack of a true shutdown corner.---college fotball ---
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Sept. 17 – Oklahoma (9-2, 6-2 in Big 12 South) – Offense: There are some massive losses with QB Jason White, WRs Mark Clayton, Brandon Jones and Mark Bradley, and star linemen Jammal Brown and Vince Carter gone. Fortunately, all-everything back Adrian Peterson returns to carry the offense. The line and receiving corps needs retooling, but they'll each be solid with a little bit of time. The quarterback situation will get the most attention up until the opener with Rhett Bomar, Paul Thompson and Tommy Grady all good enough to get the nod with Bomar the likely starter after a few games.
Defense: This might not be the star-studded killer of past seasons, but it's still full of great athletes and should still be fantastic against the run. The main concern is in the secondary after OU only came up with eight picks. Top athletes like Eric Bassey and Chijoke Onyenegecha have to play up to their potential and new safeties Darrien Williams and Jason Cater have to shine right away. The front seven fill be more than solid thanks to the return of Dusty Dvoracek at tackle along with the emergence of an unheralded, but talented linebacking corps.---college fotball ---
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Oct. 1 - Washington (2-9, 1-7 in Pac 10) - Offense: The Washington offense was among the most painful in America to watch turning it over 42 times and finishing dead last in scoring and passing efficiency. Take away the 31 point outburst against UCLA and the Huskies averaged 12.3 points per game. There's experience returning, but there didn't appear to be much improvement this spring running a version of the West Coast attack. The veteran line has to start blocking better and there has to be some sort of production at quarterback, or nothing else will work. There's big-time talent at receiver waiting to break out, and the backfield has good rushing prospects, but they need holes to run through.
Defense: The defense was better than the stats would indicate after getting no help from the offense, but it wasn't always a rock having major problems against the run. Nine starters return with the linebacking corps and safeties the strength of the team. Manase Hopoi leads a line that could be good if a bunch of sophomores grow into playmakers. Cornerback and pass rush from the ends will be a problem early on.
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Oct. 8 - California (9-2, 6-2 in Pac 10) - Offense: It's asking a lot to replace a 2,000-yard running back, a first round NFL draft pick quarterback, and some of the top receivers and hope to be even better. It won't happen right away needing either Joseph Ayoob or Nathan Longshire to shine at quarterback, while all the superstar receiver prospects have to play like steady veterans. There aren't any concerns about the running game with Marshawn Lynch leading a deep running back corps behind one of the nation's best lines.---college fotball ---
Defense: All the fireworks from the offense overshadowed a fantastic year from a defense that finished second in the nation against the run and eighth in scoring defense. The 2005 D is even more talented with more speed and skill than Cal has ever had, but it's going to take a while for everything to come together with all the new faces in key places. The entire linebacking corps needs to be overhauled and there are some big losses on the line, but the talent is more than there to replace the lost production. This defense will attack, attack and attack some more; fortunately there are two experienced corners in Harrison Smith and Daymeion Hughes to handle the pressure.---college fotball ---

Oct. 15 – at Washington State (6-5, 3-5 in Pac 10) - Offense: Inconsistency at quarterback and the overall lack of a running game, until Jerome Harrison took over late in the year, kept the Cougar offense from being its normal, explosive self. The potential is there for a huge bounce-back season if the offensive line can do a better overall job despite losing its starting tackles. The passing game should rock with improved Josh Swogger and Alex Brink at quarterback and one of the nation's deepest receiving corps led by All-America candidate Jason Hill. The concern is running back depth with Jerome Harrison the only viable option.---college fotball ---
Defense: The Cougar D wasn't a rock last year, but it wasn't bad. The front seven will be outstanding as long as there aren't any major injuries with LB Will Derting and DE Mkristo Bruce among the Pac 10's best at their positions. The concern is in the secondary without anyone to count on besides CB Alex Teems and no backups whatsoever.---college fotball ---
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Oct. 22 – Oregon State (6-5, 4-4 in Pac 10) - Offense: The offense should be a bit more diverse after finishing dead last in rushing and seventh in passing. The receiving corps is there with the top four pass catchers returning led by human highlight reel Mike Hass and tight end Joe Newton. The line has three returning starters, but it very young and needs more time to become better for the running game. Florida transfer Jimtavis Walker will combine with Yvenson Bernard to try to add more pop to the running game, but all eyes will be on the quarterback situation where Ryan Gunderson will battle with UCLA transfer Matt Moore this summer for the job.---college fotball ---
Defense: This won't be the same production as last year when the Beavers had the second best defense in the Pac 10, but it'll still be strong if some key players can be replaced. A pass rush has to develop now that Bill Swancutt is gone, while the corner situation is a little iffy until JUCO transfers Edorian McCullough and Aaron Miller can prove themselves. There's no concern at linebacker where Trent Bray, Keith Ellison and Chaz Scott should combine for at least 200 tackles. The line will be fine as long as tackle Alvin Smith plays as well as he did this spring, and Jeff Van Orsow turns into a pass rusher.---college fotball ---

Oct. 29 – at Stanford (3-8, 1-7 in Pac 10) - Offense: Ten starters return to an offense that struggled with its consistency and had a hard time putting up points averaging a mere 22 points per game. Walt Harris, who also serves as offensive coordinator, will run the West Coast offense which should get the most out of his veteran receiving corps. Quarterbacks Trent Edwards and T.C. Ostrander are talented veterans who should be better as long as the offensive line, which allowed 41 sacks last year, gives them a little bit of time. There are several options at running back led by J.R. Lemon.---college fotball ---
Defense: The Cardinal will stick with the 3-4 defense to better take advantage of its deep linebacking corps. The run defense should be good with Babatunde Oshinowo holding down the front line, while outside linebackers Jon Alson and Timi Wusu should be pass rushing terrors. The problem is in the secondary which has to replace three starters and lacks a true shut down corner hoping star kick returner T.J. Rushing turns into a playmaker.---college fotball ---
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Nov. 5 – at Arizona (4-7, 3-5 in Pac 10) - Offense: The offense was one of the worst in America finishing next to last in scoring and 112th in yards. Youth and lack of proper personnel was the main problem as offensive coordinator Mike Canales tried to do what he could with his spread offense. There's still a general lack of talent, but things should be better with a more physical line paving the way for a good backfield led by Mike Bell. Quarterback Richard Kovalcheck has a little bit of experience and will look to build on his season-ending performance against Arizona State. Syndric Steptoe and newcomer B.J. Vickers are a decent 1-2 receiving punch.---college fotball ---
Defense: The Stoops boys are still working mostly with what was handed to them two years ago, but they're starting to mold this group into something special. Eight starters return with all four, including all-stars Antoine Cason and Darrell Brooks, to a secondary that should be much tighter if it gets any help from a pass rush that wasn't there for most of last season. Instead of getting funky with blitzes, the hope is for the line to get more of a push. This isn't a big defense, especially at linebacker, but it'll get by on its speed.
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Nov. 12 – Arizona State (8-3, 6-2 in Pac 10) - Offense: Sure to be one of the nation's most explosive attacks, QB Sam Keller has more than his share of weapons to work with including All-America candidates Derek Hagan and Zach Miller. Four starters return to the line including all-stars Grayling Love and Andrew Carnahan, but the front five has to be more consistent. Rudy Burgess, Antone Saulsberry and Randy Hill have to give the running game more of a boost.---college fotball ---
Defense: The defense was overlooked last year with all the attention paid to the offense, but outside of a midseason slump against USC and UCLA, it was strong and should be even better with seven returning starters including corner R.J. Oliver from a foot problem and a great linebacking corps led by Dale Robinson and Jamar Williams. Getting into the backfield won't be a problem with DT Jordan Hill and DE Kyle Caldwell sure to be All-Pac 10 stars. The key will be to avoid giving up the big play and to get everyone (especially the corners) healthy.---college fotball ---
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Dec. 3 – at USC (12-0, 8-0 in Pac 10) - Offense: Find the weakness. USC has a Heisman winning quarterback returning (Matt Leinart), a Heisman finalist running back (Reggie Bush) and top workhorse in the backfield (LenDale White), one of the nation's best 1-2 receiving punches in Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, and a line that has six players with starting experience returning. There's only one thing missing: Norm Chow. The star offensive coordinator left for the Tennessee Titans meaning Lane Kiffin and former BYU quarterback Steve Sarkisian will be in a no-win situation. If the offense is the best in the country, everyone will say it's because of the talent. If it slips, the coaches will get the blame. Don't expect any problems with good backups everywhere in case injuries strike.---college fotball ---
Defense; It won't be the killer it was last year when it led the nation in run defense and finished sixth overall, but it won't be bad. The loss of star tackles Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, along with linebackers Lofa Tatupa and Matt Grootegoed, leaves gaping holes to fill for the run defense. Linebacker Dallas Sartz and ends Frostee Rucker and Lawrence Jackson must play bigger roles. The secondary will be the strength led by star safety Darnell Bing, and there won't be a problem with the front seven getting to the quarterback.---college fotball ------college fotball ---
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Instant AnalysisAlabama 31 ... Florida 3By Matthew Zemek ---college football---
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There’s a good reason why they put a big, fat “A” in the middle of Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa: if you take the “A” off “Bama,” you’re left with “BAM!”And that, in itself, is the simple reason why the Crimson Tide—at least at this point in the season—look like the best team not just in the SEC West, but in the whole Southeastern Conference.
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The Tide rolled over a stunned and impotent Florida team with huge plays and huge sticks, thunderous hits of Chris Leak and lightning-bolt game-breakers.BAM! The Tide stuffed Florida’s offense on its first six plays from scrimmage, shrugging off a fumbled punt to keep the game scoreless.---college football---
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BAM! Brodie Croyle threw touchdown passes of 87 and 65 yards to Tyrone Prothro and Keith Brown, igniting a quick-strike attack that Florida has obviously not yet regained in the Urban Meyer era.---college football---
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BAM! The red-shirted defense bruised and battered Leak, Florida’s flummoxed and frustrated quarterback, by getting the Gator offense in predictable passing situations and then pounding him after every throw.---college football---
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This Bama beatdown was thorough and decisive. It occurred out of the locker room at the beginning of the game, and it continued out of the locker room at the start of the second half. The Tide’s speed and physicality were superior on both defense and offense. The quarterback position was no contest, as Brodie Croyle exhibited a smoothness and command that Chris Leak isn’t remotely close to capturing.---college football---
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There’s really little room for spin in the wake of this game, at least from the Alabama side of things. If the romp over South Carolina seemed hollow or not fully legitimate—a reasonable-enough conclusion—this drubbing of a team that beat Tennessee (who subsequently defeated LSU, Bama’s main SEC West challenger) put any doubts to rest about the Tide’s return to prominence in SEC football.---college football---
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The questions from this game will surround Urban Meyer’s offense and Chris Leak’s quarterbacking. With LSU and Georgia ahead in the month of October, things need to be fixed quickly if the Gators’ win over the Vols two weeks ago—so huge at the time—is to still translate into an SEC East title. ---college football---
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Football notes: Stats deceptive in Wildcats' loss to No. 1 USC

By Charles Renning
Arizona Daily Wildcat

Much has been said about the school-record 724 yards the Arizona football team gave up against No.1 Southern California Saturday, not to mention the Wildcats being out-gained by nearly 500 total yards. - College Football -

Arizona head coach Mike Stoops said what most people don't look at in terms of offensive production are special teams yards, which are often impossible to see by merely looking at a box score.

The Wildcats outgained the Trojans 172-17 in return yards, shutting down USC return specialist Reggie Bush and dominating the field-possession game in Los Angeles. - College Football -

"I thought our special teams were outstanding and really gave us a chance," Stoops said in his weekly press conference yesterday. "Those were the underlying yards that gave us an opportunity late in the game." Arizona junior receiver Syndric Steptoe had all of the Wildcat return yards, outshining Bush in that respect. - College Football -

Steptoe finished the contest averaging 31.8 yards per kick return and had a career-long 76-yard effort that might have been a touchdown had he not tripped while trying to make a cut near the 20-yard line.

A big reason for the lack of production out of Bush was the Wildcats' ability to kick and cover. The Trojans had no punt return yardage off six Danny Baugher boots and got off only one kick return because junior Nick Folk blasted every other kickoff out of the end zone.

"Our cover teams have been really solid," Stoops said. "Our kickers have been great, and Step has been fantastic running the balls back. - College Football -

"That has really been the strength for us and the most consistent part of our team," Stoops said.

USC's offense started with the ball at or inside its own 20-yard line on nine of 11 drives. The bad news for Arizona was that all six Trojan touchdown drives went for 80 yards or more.

"At least we made them go 80 yards and didn't give them 40-yard fields," Stoops said. "That keeps us in the game." - College Football -

Krogstad to miss at least one week

The only significant injury the Wildcats suffered in their 42-21 loss this weekend was that by sophomore linebacker Dane Krogstad.

Krogstad hurt his knee, and Stoops said he is still being evaluated. - College Football -

"It'll be a week or two," Stoops said of when Krogstad could return. "They're still trying to diagnose what they are going to do with his knee."

Krogstad's is just one in a long line of injuries the Wildcat linebacker corps has suffered this year. The team has spent time without senior Randy Sims, freshman Ronnie Palmer, junior John McKinney and sophomore Spencer Larsen.

"That's college football for you," said senior linebacker Sean Jones. "The next man has to step up and help us out." - College Football -

Arizona gets a little bit of help when Palmer returns to practice this week. Stoops said he expects him to be at full strength.

Pac-10 in the polls

There was a lot of movement among members of the Pacific 10 Conference in this week's Associated Press national top-25 poll after four of the league's top five teams competed against one another.

For the 36th straight week, USC held the top spot, while Los Angeles neighbor UCLA moved up eight spots to No. 12 with its 47-40 win Saturday over then-No. 10 California. The Golden Bears dropped to No. 18. Arizona State found itself out of the top 25 after its 31-17 loss in Tempe to Oregon. The Ducks moved up five spots to No. 20 with the win. - College Football -

© Copyright 2005 - The Arizona Daily Wildcat - Arizona Student Media

Bowdoin football 2-0; key win for field hockey

AMHERST, Mass. — The Bowdoin College football team took advantage of seven Amherst turnovers and improved to 2-0 with a 16-13 victory over the Jeffs on Saturday afternoon. The Polar Bears beat Amherst for the first time since 1998 and avenge last season's heart-breaking double-overtime defeat to the Jeffs. - College Football -

Amherst dominated the line of scrimmage all game, rolling up 399 yards of total offense, including 282 on the ground, while holding the Polar Bears to just 139 offensive yards.

The scrappy Polar Bears managed to come up with a trio of interceptions and jumped on four of six Amherst fumbles. Linebacker Dave Donahue led the way returning an interception 65 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. - College Football -

Men's soccer
Middlebury improved its defensive scoreless streak 557:24 as they earned their sixth consecutive shutout with a 3-0 victory over NESCAC foe Bowdoin on Sunday.

Baer Fisher, Gabe Wood and Derek Cece had a goal each for Middlebury.

Nathan Lovitz made four saves for Bowdoin.

On Saturday, Bowdoin's Wolf Grueber re-directed a shot from teammate Dominic Fitzpatrick eight minutes into overtime, lifting the Polar Bears to a thrilling 3-2 victory at Amherst.

Women's soccer
Middlebury's Ashley Pfaff notched a hat trick as the Panthers topped Bowdoin 3-2 in a key NESCAC contest on Dragone Field on Sunday. - College Football -

Ann Zeigler scored twice for Bowdoin.

Adele Plunkett made seven saves in goal to earn the win, while Anna Shapell made nine saves.

On Saturday, Bowdoin's Zeigler scored the game's only goal as the Polar Bears took a 1-0 victory at Amherst.

Field hockey
Middlebury saw its 18-game NESCAC regular-season winning streak come to an end on Sunday as Bowdoin picked up a 2-1 double overtime win. - College Football -

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead early in the second half as Ashley Lyddane scored. Bowdoin tied the game just 1:57 later on a Christi Gannon goal.

Bowdoin ended the game 1:40 into the second overtime. Taryn King scored the goal off a Val Young pass.

Meghan McGillen ended the game with eight saves for Middlebury, while Kate Leonard made three saves for Bowdoin. - College Football -

On Saturday, Bowdoin dominated Amherst taking a 2-0 victory.

Gessy LePage and Lindsay McNamara each scored within eight minutes of each other in the second half.

PRO FOOTBALL: Steelers' hot starts putting games in deep freeze

By ERIC McHUGH

Through two weeks of the NFL season, the second halves of Steelers games have yet to make for riveting TV ... unless you're a big fan of rubbing it in. - NFL Football -

How dominant has Pittsburgh been before intermission? Consider:

—Steelers outscored the Titans and Texans by a combined 40-7 in the first and second quarters and more than doubled their total yardage (522-250).

—The Steelers have scored on eight of nine first-half drives (four touchdowns, four field goals) with their only empty trip coming last weekend when the clock ran out on them.

—Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 18-of-24 passing for 378 yards with four TDs and no interceptions before halftime. That works out to a passer rating of 156.3, only two points off a perfect score.

—Willie Parker, Pittsburgh's out-of-nowhere running back sensation, has carried 27 times for 136 yards, a 5.0-yard average. - NFL Football -

Predictably, those fast starts have translated into easy wins - 34-7 over Tennessee at home and 27-7 over Houston on the road. Every team in theNFL likes to play from ahead, but for the Steelers in particular a big first-half lead plays right into their hands, allowing them to unleash their trademark blitzes while hammering opposing defenses with their time-munching ground game.

You know that ‘‘Steelers Football'' is right on target when it's Week 3 and Roethlisberger has thrown only eight times in the second half. Compare that with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, whose droopy running game has forced him to launch 43 passes after halftime, including 25 in last Sunday's loss at Carolina.

‘‘Pittsburgh is very good at playing from ahead. We know that,'' said New England coach Bill Belichick, whose club visits Heinz Field on Sunday. ‘‘The statistics are just overwhelming, really. Scoring first, being ahead, getting turnovers, running the ball, all of those numbers are very, very high in their winning percentage and that's understandable because that's the way they play.'' - NFL Football -

That was the way the Steelers played in last year's regular-season meeting with the Patriots - a 34-20 victory on Halloween that snapped the Pats'NFL -record 21-game winning streak. The Patriots, playing without Corey Dillon and Deion Branch, turned the ball over three times in the first half, found themselves down 21-3 after the first quarter and could not recover.

The second-half play-calling: Steelers - 27 runs, six passes; Patriots - 24 passes, two runs. Time of possession for the game: Steelers - 42:58; Patriots - 17:02.

The story line reversed itself in the AFC title game. In that one, the Patriots hit the big plays early --and were up 24-3 at the break. The second-half play-calling that day: Steelers - 14 runs, 14 passes; Patriots - 22 runs, 10 passes. Time of possession: Steelers - 31:31; Patriots - 28:29.

Steelers coach Bill Cowher says it's too early to get worked up over his team's first-half brilliance. That's a wise strategy since neither the Titans nor Texans look very strong.

‘‘I think there are still some things everyone is learning about our football team this early in the season - how you bounce back from a tough loss, how you handle close games, how you handle adversity (regarding) injuries,'' Cowher said. ‘‘I think we are all in that kind of fact-finding mode right now.'' - NFL Football -

Dillon of the Patriots isn't the only 30-something running back in the AFC East who is scuffling. Curtis Martin is actually averaging fewer yards per carry than Dillon (2.5 vs. 2.7), part of the reason Martin's New York Jets have scored three TDs in two games.

Martin has a bruised right knee but is expected to make his 110th consecutive start Sunday when the Jets host Jacksonville and its stingy run defense. Martin carried 31 times against Miami last weekend and was tackled 11 times for no gain or a loss - the most non-plus-yardage carries he's had in a game since 1998. - NFL Football -

Last year, en route to winning the NFL rushing title with 1,697 yards, Martin had 315 yards on 51 carries through the first two games. This year, with the same number of attempts he's got 129 yards.

‘‘It's going to be difficult to run, essentially, the rest of the season,'' said Jets guard Pete Kendall, of Weymouth. ‘‘You look at the defenses we are playing the rest of the season. Anybody who thinks scoring points is going to be easy for us ... is a little bit delirious.'' - NFL Football -

Romeo Crennel was 6-0 against Peyton Manning and the Colts while serving as the Patriots' defensive coordinator. Now he gets to face them as Cleveland's head coach.

Perhaps he should follow Jacksonville's lead from last weekend and drop eight players into coverage. That strategy appeared to put Manning off his game. He was 13-of-28 for only 122 yards and an INT with an un-Manning passer rating of 44.0.

Through two games Manning has completed 53 percent of his throws and has only two TDs.

Said coach Tony Dungy: ‘‘No, we aren't concerned or think that people have caught up with our offense and know how to play us. Jacksonville played us very smart and we'll have to make some adjustments the next time we play them.'' - NFL Football -

Brett Favre says he's looking forward to the challenge of helping the Packers dig out of an 0-2 hole.

No, really.

‘‘At 0-2 and (with) a lot of question marks, it's uncharted territory, I guess you could say from my standpoint,'' Favre said. ‘‘There's no way I can sit up here and talk Super Bowl or even talk playoffs right now. We have to talk about winning a game first. I consider this stage in my career maybe the biggest challenge I've ever faced ... because more so than any other time in my career ... I have to play a perfect game in order for us to win.''

Is the Ravens' offensive line over the hill? Four of Baltimore's five starters are on the wrong side of 30, and the line averages 336 pounds. Old and fat isn't a good combination.

The Ravens' main problem on offense is the lack of a quality quarterback, with or without Kyle Boller. But the O-line has to take some of the blame. Baltimore has allowed nine sacks in two games and was held to a franchise-low 14 rushing yards by the Titans last weekend.

Eagles safety Brian Dawkins joined teammate Donovan McNabb answering phones in New York for the NFL's Hurricane Katrina relief telethon last Monday. The celebrity studded help included several Hall of Fame players. - NFL Football -

‘‘People's reactions were great,'' Dawkins said. ‘‘Some of them would hang up. They'd be like, ‘This is Brian Dawkins?' I'd say ‘Yes,' and they'd hang up. A lot of times they would ask for different people, like, ‘Could you pass the phone to John Elway?'''

Last weekend's Best Drive Award went to Kansas City for its 15-play, 53-yard third-quarter odyssey that chewed up an astounding 9:18 against the Raiders. The Chiefs, who had to overcome 35 yards in penalties, capped the march with a 39-yard field goal. The drive was a nice answer to Randy Moss' 64-yard TD catch and swung momentum back in KC's favor ...The bloom is off the rose for 49ers QB Tim Rattay, who came back down to earth by throwing three INTs in a Week 2 blowout loss in Philly. However, Niners coach Mike Nolan says he won't go to the bullpen for rookie No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith ... Week 3's best matchup might be the Bengals' talented receivers (Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh) against the Bears' underrated secondary. The Bears, who might have the fourth best defense in the NFC behind the Eagles, Panthers and revitalized Bucs, introduced three cornerbacks - Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher and nickel back Jerry Azumah - with the starting lineup last weekend because they believe all three are starting quality.

Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Tough times for Temple

TOM MULHERN

Near the end of a telephone interview with Wisconsin media members Monday, Temple football coach Bobby Wallace was asked what area of his football team he considered to be a strength.

A lengthy pause followed - which spoke louder than anything else Wallace had to say.

It's hard to find many strengths on the field these days for the Owls, who opened their season with a 63-16 loss at Arizona State Thursday. - College Football -

The good news for Temple is it has a football program at all. A university task force was put together last fall to study the program's future. Among the options explored were disbanding and dropping down to Division I-AA.

The Owls have won three games the last two years and 2004 was their final season in the Big East Conference, getting bounced by school presidents in the conference, in part because of a lack of drawing power.

The school was accepted into the Mid-American Conference in May and will play as an affiliate member before becoming a full member in 2007. - College Football -

Wallace, with a 19-61 record in his eighth season, previously had to deal with updating the team's practice facilities and finding a home stadium. After playing at a variety of venues, the Owls now play their home games at the Philadelphia Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field.

"Obviously, those are not recruiting plusses, so it hurts you a little bit trying to recruit," Wallace said of everything the program has endured. "At the same time, I think it's good that it's all behind us now. Now, the administration is 100 percent behind having a Division I program."

Whether Wallace, who is in the final year of his contract, will be around to reap any of the benefits, remains to be seen. - College Football -

He faces a murderous schedule that includes eight bowl teams and a combined opponents' record of 83-48 from last season.

The Owls lost seven players, including five starters, who were declared academically ineligible for the entire season, with Wallace giving the team the news four days before the opener.

"It hurts to lose players," Wallace said. "I think we had a lot of chemistry with our team as far as closeness. I'm sure a lot of players are hurting for the guys that aren't playing, but we've got to go on."

The biggest loss might be senior running back Tim Brown, who rushed for 432 yards last season. Senior fullback Umar Ferguson, the leading returning rusher with 439 yards last season, moved to running back. He managed 42 yards on 16 carries, as the Owls rushed 35 times for 62 yards against Arizona State. - College Football -

"We couldn't block them up front," Wallace said. "We've got to be able to run the football better as the season goes on for us to have a chance to win a game."

Going into the opener, Wallace thought the team's strength would be its defensive front, but it was shredded for 300 rushing yards by the Sun Devils, who are not known for their running game. The same can't be said about Saturday's opponent, the University of Wisconsin, which rushed for 388 yards in its opener against Bowling Green.

The Owls use five defensive backs in their 4-2-5 base defense - hardly conducive to good run defense - and the two linebackers are new starters. - College Football -

"It's almost overwhelming, how well they ran the football against Bowling Green," Wallace said. "We've got our hands full just to try and slow them down."

After giving it some thought, Wallace mentioned the leadership of senior quarterback Mike McGann as the team's strength. McGann started 19 games his first two years, then lost the job the last two years to Walter Washington, who provided most of the offense last year, averaging 281.5 yards with his running (889 yards on the season) and throwing (2,207).

The Owls are going back to a more pro-style offense and McGann, who took a medical redshirt last year, threw for 203 yards in the opener, but also had two costly interceptions.

"He does a good job of understanding the offense and getting us in and out of good and bad plays and throwing the football," Wallace said. - College Football -

Copyright © 2005 Wisconsin State Journal

Miami Hurricanes at Florida State Seminoles

Brian Covert

Line: Miami is a 3–point favorite for Monday’s game
Total: The total is set at 39-points

What a bizarre summer for the Florida State football program.

A starting quarterback diagnosed with Lyme disease, freshmen arrested, starters injured or deemed academically ineligible, you would think all these off-field headaches might make 76-year-old Bobby Bowden want to give up coaching. - College Football -

But the NCAA’s all-time wins leaders says otherwise.

“People have said to me, `Boy, I bet this summer has been murder. How could you stand this summer?` Well, it happens all the time,” said Bowden. “This is a sign of the times.”

Bowden just needs to look to his running game and defense to start feeling better about things. Returnees Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker, who ran for 1,838 yards and 11 touchdowns last season combined, lead the offense while linebackers Ernie Sims, A.J. Nicholson and Buster Davis return to a defense that allowed less than 14 points last season. - College Football -

The Miami Hurricanes are led by a defense that returns nine starters and should be very strong. But their Achilles Heel may be their offense which lost seven starters including their top rusher and receiver from last season. They also lost quarterback Brock Berlin who will be replaced by the inexperienced Kyle Wright. - College Football -

That said, Miami beat Florida State twice last year and has not lost to their interstate rivals since 1999.

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