College Football - Football Betting

2005-11-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

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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2005-10-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

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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2005-10-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

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 -

2005-10-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-09-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-09-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

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 -

2005-08-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-08-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

College football: Trojans No. 1 in preseason AP poll

Here's why USC is No. 1 in The Associated Press preseason poll:

Every player who scored a touchdown in the Trojans' 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in last season's Orange Bowl is still playing for USC. And so is Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, who threw five TD passes. - College Football -

Leinart, Reggie Bush and the rest of Pete Carroll's crew provided a scary glimpse of what was to come in 2005 when they wrapped up their second straight national title on that warm January night in Miami. - College Football -

This year's goal is three in a row, something that's never been done.

"It's always good to be on top, but at the same time we're focused and coach Carroll always reminds us, 'Don't worry about who's No. 1 or No. 2. Just stay focused,' " said sophomore wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett. - College Football -

USC received 60 of 65 first-place votes in grabbing the top spot in the preseason for the fifth time.

No. 2 Texas, coming off an 11-1 season and a Rose Bowl win, got four first-place votes. Tennessee is No. 3 and Michigan and LSU round out the top five. No. 12 Louisville got the other first-place vote. - College Football -

Other ranked Pac-10 teams are No. 19 California and No. 20 Arizona State.

USC has been No. 1 in 19 straight AP polls, the second-best streak since the preseason rankings started in 1950

The Associated Press

2005-08-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

Husky Football Camp: Dawg Days Of Summer
UW players take some solace in the mild Northwest weather.

The name "fall camp", the term generally given to the three weeks of practice prior to the start of the college football season, is a misnomer. After all, it's still the middle of summer and by all scientific standards, fall doesn't start until after the Huskies have played their first three games.
So, really, it's summer camp. And, to most Husky players, it's a good thing that summers in Seattle aren't quite as hot as the average August afternoon almost everywhere else in the nation. - College Football -
After all, highs in Seattle in the summer months rarely make it out of the 80s and the humidity is never as thick as you'd find through the plains of the midwest, the deserts of the southwest or the marshes of the deep south.
"I think we're pretty fortunate," says junior tailback Shelton Sampson, a native of the Puget Sound area. "Washington seems to be known sometimes for the rainy weather, but when we have good weather here, it's really good weather and we appreciate it." - College Football -
In many places around the U.S., the high heat in August has forced teams to practice either very early in the morning or in the evening as a safety precaution for the players. While the medical staff at the UW still concerns itself with keeping the players hydrated and monitoring possible heat-related ailments, the Huskies are fortunate that the risks in Seattle aren't what they are in the warmer regions. - College Football -
"I never really thought about it that much, but I suppose it is a good thing that we have the weather we have," Sampson says. "My little brother [Shelvion Williams] plays at UNLV and he says that they have to practice early in the morning because it's blazing in the afternoon. So that makes me really appreciate it."
Junior punter Sean Douglas knows all about heat and humidity as he came to the UW from Bellevue, Neb., near Omaha, where the August thermometer regularly hits three digits and the humidity isn't far "I'd rather be here," Douglas says. However, he allows, "it's still pretty hot here because the sun seems so hot. - College Football -
"Summer time in Seattle is nice," Douglas says. "I hate the humidity back home."
"I'm glad it's not 100," Sampson agrees. "That's hard to play in."
"Football weather differs around the country," says junior cornerback Matt Fountaine, from Oakland, Calif. "You go with what you have. Whatever the day brings is what you deal with."
Most players would prefer a true fall day for a football practice -- the type of days that generally arrive in the Pacific Northwest come October. - College Football -
"I'd take it about 60 degrees," Fountaine suggests for his perfect practice weather. "That's what I like. You can get out there and run around and not get too much sweat in your eyes."
"I'd like it to be 68 degrees and party cloudy," says Douglas.
The Huskies continued their workouts Monday with a pair of split-squad, afternoon practices at Husky Stadium. Tuesday marks the first two-a-day session of the camp as the full squad will work out once in the morning and again in the afternoon. - College Football -
"We'll go from the mandated five-day acclimation period into the two-one, two-one rotation of modern college two-a-days," Coach Tyrone Willingham explained today. The rules mandate that a team can't practice twice in a day for two straight days. "For us, the real demands are on the players probably more so than the coaches."
Willingham admitted that, in his experience as a coach, teams might start to tire a little bit as the fall camp moves into its second week and into two-a-days. While he's aware of that tendancy, he intends to limit it as much as he can. - College Football -
"What I always ask of our team is that they go 100 percent," says Willingham, "and I can figure out everything else. But if you don't go 100 percent, I won't know what adjustments I have to make."
Willingham characterized Sunday's practice as "another positive step forward. The key is to take yesterday and then take another step today ... we need to keep moving on that upward climb."

CSTV Networks.

2005-08-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

'Madden,' 'Blitz' Remain As Football Video Game Field Thins

As NFL teams gear up at training camp and the latest edition of Electronic Arts' monstrously successful "Madden" game works its way to stores this week, fans of video game football may notice that there's something a bit different about this season.
"Madden" is still around, but none of the other NFL gridiron gaming regulars will appear on store shelves this year. There won't be a new "NFL GameDay" or an "NFL Fever." There won't be a new edition of the "NFL 2K" series, which sold more than 2 million copies last year and took a bite out of the traditional 80 percent share of the market held by "Madden." There also won't be another "NFL Blitz," though the game's makers have come up with a bold way to compensate, by crafting an edgy football league of their own — "Ron Mexico" urine-testing included — and making a game about it. But for your NFL fix, there will only be "Madden."Where did all the video game football go?Critics, publishers and fans pin the blame on "Madden" maker EA. Last December the company announced that it had secured the exclusive video game rights to NFL teams for the next five years, and shortly thereafter announced that it had struck a similar deal to lock up exclusive rights to players on NFL rosters. Fans of NFL games other than "Madden" cried penalty."The major reaction when EA announced their exclusive deal in December was, 'God, this is a huge loss, not just for sports games but for the industry in general,' " said Chris Phillips, a 20-year-old college sophomore in Detroit. Phillips, who is also an editor for video game site OCGN.com, said he has been a big fan of "Madden" and the "NFL 2K" series.Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities, points out that exclusive deals are actually the norm in video games. No one thinks it's strange that only one company has the rights to make games about Tony Hawk or James Bond, he said. The fact that multiple companies could make NFL games or can still make NBA games is the exception. Still, he agreed that there was reason for concern. "I think it's inevitable that it will affect the quality of football games," he said. "Innovation is driven by competition."The move by EA last December meant that competing developers would have to think outside the NFL end zone and go with plan B. What fans of the "2K" series didn't know then is that their series, which routinely stacked up to "Madden" critically, if not commercially, had no plan B for 2005. "I am truly bummed that it's gone," Phillips said. Phillips added that he had been especially impressed with how "2K" made virtual football resemble broadcasts of the real thing. Now the series is on ice."2K" publisher Take Two Interactive declined to comment about its company's football future, but it has retained the services of Visual Concepts, the development studio behind the football franchise. The developer is rumored to be working on a football game that will star retired NFL legends, but if Take Two proceeds with such a game, it will not come out this NFL season.The first company to actually announce a survival strategy wasn't Take Two but Midway, publishers of the over-the-top "NFL Blitz." The day after EA's announcement, Midway announced that it had already decided to drop the NFL license and was taking its all-ages franchise into M-rated territory with a game that explores the dark side of pro football. (Midway is owned by Sumner Redstone, who also runs Viacom, the parent company of MTV.)Midway initially dubbed their new game "Blitz: Playmakers," a play off a then recently canceled ESPN show called "Playmakers," which also depicted football's seedier aspects. Now set for October release, the game has been renamed "Blitz: The League."Executive producer Mike Bilder, who has worked on "Blitz" games for five years, said he had been itching to put things in a football game that the NFL hasn't allowed. "Over the years the NFL has gotten more and more restrictive with what we could put in the product," he said. The old "NFL Blitz" had been a franchise defined by gravity-defying tackles that resembled pro-wrestling finishing moves. The team would create numerous brutal tackles, but then an NFL representative would review the moves. "They would inevitably nix about a third of them," he said.Bilder's team decided they could have more fun working with a league of their own. Midway brought in Peter Egan, a writer on ESPN's "Playmakers," to help craft a story about an edgy football league. While sports games usually skip story, Egan's narrative would actually propel a player through the season. "What we wanted to do was give the player the gritty, realistic experience they're looking for," said Egan. That means gamers playing "Blitz" will encounter dirty players, drug use, groupies and other less-than-Sunday-best aspects of pro football. If a member of the team is injured, players can choose to shoot him up with painkillers. Players can allow their team to train with supplements, buy clean urine to pass drug tests, bet on their own team's games to earn money — and face the financial and legal consequences of getting caught. Meanwhile, they'll face down a leg-breaking opposing lineman named Quentin Sands, who is colorfully voiced by NFL legend Lawrence Taylor. As a sign that they're having some fun with the NFL, the quarterback of the game's Atlanta Redhawks will be named Ron Mexico, the alleged alias of the Falcons' QB Michael Vick.Midway wasn't the only football developer looking to take its series in a grittier direction this year. After the EA exclusivity deal nixed the prospects of another "NFL GameDay," that franchise's caretaker, Sony, announced a new pigskin game called "Road to Sunday." Sony representatives had promised a non-NFL football game that included elements borrowed from fighting games and a story that involved Jamaican drug lords. Last month Sony canceled the game, with company representatives saying the game was simply not coming together.Also not making the dance this year is Microsoft's "NFL Fever," though the series was actually cut in early 2004, prior to the EA announcement. Microsoft representatives cited quality concerns.At this point, Pachter said, don't expect any new publishers to start making football games. Publisher Ubisoft, which produces the "Splinter Cell" and "Prince of Persia" games and is making a foray into basketball with a game based on the "And1" streetball scene later this year, was exploring the possibility of making football games last year, according to a source who discussed the plans with the company. But the company hasn't announced any plans for 2005.So for now, "Madden" and "Blitz" are gamers' football options. Will it be Michael Vick or Ron Mexico? Take your pick. —

Stephen Totilo
MTV News

2005-07-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

Is Tennessee football out of bounds?

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Before University of Tennessee football players get a playbook, they get a Think Card. It is an orange card small enough to fit into their wallets. On the front it says, "THINK," followed by a series of questions designed to help the player assess his behavior and make the appropriate decision. - College Football -
On the back of the card are the home and cell phone numbers of the Tennessee coaching staff so players can call for help.
The Think Card is part of a safety net of counselors, tutors and role models the university has been constructing since 1995 after eight football players had run-ins with the law in a one-year span. - College Football -
But during the last 16 months, players frequently have fallen through. Tennessee football players have been in at least 20 incidents involving shoplifting, assault, gun charges, motor vehicle citations, disturbing the peace and failing a drug test.
Even after coach Phillip Fulmer gathered his players for a meeting during spring practice in April and told them the bad behavior had to stop, linebacker Daniel Brooks and defensive back Corey Campbell were suspended after off-field incidents. - College Football -
Brooks pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of driving without a license and three other charges were dismissed by a Knox County General Sessions Court judge. Brooks will miss the first three games this season.
While court dates await other Volunteers players, Fulmer is scheduled to face reporters today in Birmingham, Ala., at the annual Southeastern Conference media days.
In an interview last week, Fulmer tightened his lips and took a deep breath when asked about the recent incidents. "It's embarrassing to our administration, to our fans, to our coaches, to me and to a large portion of the other kids," said Fulmer, Tennessee's head coach since 1992. "You would hope that young men who have the opportunities they have, to be on the stage they're on, would make better choices." - College Football -
Assault accusations
Among the poorer choices:
• Carolyn Goodrich said her son thought he had been hit accidentally by an elbow during a pickup basketball game Jan. 12. - College Football -
It wasn't until the next day, while looking at a university surveillance videotape, that Deshaun Goodrich saw he had been punched on the right side of his face when he wasn't looking by a Tennessee football player.
"He'll have a metal plate in his mouth the rest of his life," Carolyn Goodrich said.
Tony McDaniel, the 6-7, 300-pound defensive tackle who was shown on the videotape hitting the 6-4, 205-pound Goodrich, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and is scheduled to enter a plea Thursday in Knoxville General Sessions Court.
• Shadiyah Murphy also never saw who broke his jaw March 4. The Tennessee student said he was hit from behind in an altercation with several Vols football players at a fraternity dance, according to court affidavits and police incident reports. - College Football -
Murphy's jaw had to be wired shut to heal.
Jerod Mayo, a freshman linebacker, and Robert Ayers, a freshman defensive end, have been charged with aggravated assault in the Murphy case and are scheduled to appear in court Monday to answer charges. - College Football -•
Quantavios Emerson did see who hit him, opening a cut on his head that required four staples to close April 10 in a fight in a dormitory lobby. Emerson, who was in the fight with Bret Smith, a Tennessee wide receiver, and Brent Schaeffer, a quarterback, said he was struck while on the floor. - College Football -
Smith and Schaeffer pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and were ordered to pay restitution to Emerson. Smith was suspended from the team; Schaeffer left the program voluntarily.
Vols' safety net
The school has devoted resources and considerable effort to the issue of student-athlete conduct. At least three full-time employees of the football program have duties that include steering players from trouble. - College Football -
• Former Tennessee quarterback Condredge Holloway is assistant athletics director for player relations and counsels players on their behavior off the field.
• Running backs coach Trooper Taylor, the assistant head coach, also handles player development issues. - College Football -
• Judy Jackson, the associate director of student-athlete welfare, has an office with a window looking out on the indoor practice facility. She coordinates players' participation in community-related projects through the G.O. V.O.L.S. service program.
The list of football players who have participated in the program in Knoxville is substantially longer than the list of players who recently have faced criminal charges. During the spring semester alone, football players logged more than 1,000 hours of community service, from Habitat for Humanity to reading in schools to Boys & Girls Club activities and others, according to a record kept by the athletics department. - College Football -
The Knoxville Police Department has assigned an officer to act as liaison between the Tennessee team and the police department and to counsel players.
Tennessee's athletics department also is participating in a program sponsored, in part, by the SEC. MVP, Mentors in Violence Prevention, is a program conducted by Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society in which college athletes try to teach youngsters how to avoid confrontation. - College Football -
A cycle of problems?
The caretakers of Tennessee's football program — President John D. Petersen, in his second year at the school after coming from the University of Connecticut; athletics director Mike Hamilton, on the job since July 2003 and at the school since 1992; and Fulmer — say there is no systemic problem with the program and college football programs across the country have the same issues with handling young, immature football players.
"When we adjusted the NCAA rules a couple of years ago to limit the amount of contact with prospective student-athletes, I think it limited the ability of coaches to get to know the athletes better," Hamilton said. "You're having to make quicker judgments sometimes assessing a student-athlete's ability to fit in." - College Football -
Asked if he thought there was a recruiting problem at Tennessee and if the Vols were recruiting athletes at risk to get in trouble, Peterson said the university's issues with athletes are a "cyclical thing we see."
Peterson said he did not think Fulmer was recruiting athletes at risk for bad behavior. Nevertheless, Hamilton said Tennessee might be willing to join the growing list of universities conducting criminal background checks of athletes to see if there is anything that might reveal a potential for problems. But he did not view it as a panacea.
"Is it something we're doing for PR sake, or is it something we're doing that will help us make a better decision to accept a student-athlete?" Hamilton said. "If it helps us make better decisions, then I'm for it." - College Football -
Citing Georgia and South Carolina, Peterson said football teams at other SEC schools have had their share of problems off the field. Eleven South Carolina players have been arrested since the end of the 2004 season. At Georgia, three returning players have been suspended for the season opener against Boise State for off-field incidents and a fourth has been kicked off the team. Five members of Georgia's incoming recruiting class failed to meet academic requirements.
Peterson said Fulmer has demonstrated a get-tough policy on athletes who repeatedly caused trouble. The president said Fulmer dismissed wide receiver James Banks — "the best pure athlete on the football team" — in December after several incidents.
"Is it acceptable? No," Peterson said of the rash of incidents. "Is it a concern? Yes, it's always a concern when things like this happen."
Gary Holliday, a spokesman for the Knoxville Police Department, said authorities do not feel there is a security issue with Tennessee football players and their interaction in the community.
There is a difference in opinion on campus, however. Chemistry professor Jeffrey Kovac said the recent incidents suggest something is not right.
"My impression is that these kids are under close supervision by coaches, but there is still trouble. So is there a systematic failing?" said Kovac, a longtime critic of the football program.
"I think coaches have a responsibility to set tones and standards, and if there are a lot of incidents, it suggests there is a problem." - College Football -
Quarterback Rick Clausen said Fulmer gathered the team near the end of spring practice after the April assaults and demanded some accountability.
"He said, 'You guys made this problem and you're going to fix it,' " Clausen said.
Clausen, one of six team captains, said the 18 seniors have been leaning on freshmen and sophomores to reel in their strike-back mentality when they get into confrontations. But they are not always successful. - College Football -
"Some guys don't get it. It's very few, but those few you can't help them," Clausen said. "It's frustrating."

Ray Glier, special for USA TODAY

2005-07-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

The 24/7 dilemma

In 1991, the NCAA's Division I schools — at the behest of a group of campus CEOs known as the Presidents Commission — passed a rule limiting college football players' participation in practice and film study to 20 hours a week during the school year.
Thomas Hearn, president of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and former president of Wake Forest, was a member of the Presidents Commission in 1991. The idea behind time limits, he said, was to produce a more well-rounded student who was part of the overall student body. - College Football -
The year-round devotion to a sport, Hearn said, is something that starts in high school and has become a "terrible" thing.
"What you need is a genuinely voluntary program," Hearn said of the summer strength and conditioning programs. "I'm sure there are people who do not want to be there and want to go on vacation with their families and want to do something else that will contribute to their growth and development." - College Football -
But Georgia's Golston insisted he is chasing a dream and would be in a weight room somewhere if the Bulldogs training facility was padlocked. "When I was younger, I missed being home with my family in the summer, but right now this is my family."
Golston said the players gathered at the home of the offensive linemen for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. There were about 60 players, and they grilled steaks and hamburgers and watched the game on TV. - College Football -
Golston said a crowd of players will also go bowling. "It's fun, but we're not very good," he said.
Georgia head coach Mark Richt insisted passionate players are doing what they want to fulfill a dream.
He also wonders what players would be doing with their free time if they were not working out.
"Would they be home playing video games all day? Vegging out on the couch?" Richt said. "We're not talking about an all-day workout here." - College Football -
Georgia Tech's Henderson said he would be back home in New Orleans "getting in trouble."
California coach Jeff Tedford said his players are taking courses during the summer and can graduate early and move into graduate programs by the time they are starting their last season of eligibility. According to NCAA rules, if athletes are enrolled in summer school, they must take a minimum of six hours.
"They want to be together, they want to accomplish their goals, but it's not something they spend all day doing," Tedford said.
Besides taking classes, athletes hold part-time jobs. Shockley works the lunch hour during the week waiting tables at the restaurant at the university's conference center restaurant.
Part of the arms race - College Football -
The voluntary summer camps for players seem as mandatory these days as the facilities arms race in college football. Keep up or fall behind is the mantra. If one school renovates its weight room, the next school renovates its weight room.
Georgia Tech's Henderson was told about the numbers of players at rival Georgia and said, "We're working just as hard as they are."
Hearn calls this relentlessness surrounding college athletics "unfortunate." He added that, without fear of reprisal, he could find players who would admit they do not want to participate in the voluntary workouts but feel pressured. - College Football -
"The idea you need constant improvement to develop yourself and your team is a pretty standard idea," Hearn said. "The question is, is it voluntary?
"The difference between rules and the enforcement of rules is all the difference in the world. What coaches and athletic directors do with those rules is where the substance of the matter lies." - College Football -
Steve Mallonee, a managing director for membership services in Division I, said complaints about the nature of the summer camps and whether athletes are forced to participate are rare.

Ray Glier, special for USA TODAY

2005-07-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Heat on college players to join summer workouts

ATHENS, Ga. — It's 8:22 a.m., and University of Georgia junior wide receiver Mario Raley already is bathed in sweat. He has just completed an 80-minute workout, including 22 minutes of running in the steamy morning heat.

Georgia football players run sprints on July 11. As many as 58 players have attended 'voluntary' workouts at the university.
By Michael A. Schwarz, USA TODAY
Although the NCAA's rules say summer strength and conditioning programs are voluntary, he raises an eyebrow when he hears the word voluntary.
"It's mandatory to us," he said between gasps for air. "Camp is less than a month away.
"You work now or go home. If you want to be great, this is what you have to do."
Georgia is not unique in this commitment to a summer workout program. College football players at Division I schools across the country routinely stay on campus in the summer to train and practice for the coming season.
• Georgia Tech has all its scholarship players in Atlanta working out, senior defensive end Eric Henderson said. The Yellow Jackets set up four times during the day for players to work out, the first at 6 a.m.
• Georgia Southern, a I-AA powerhouse, had about 80 players participating in its summer workouts in June and July, athletic department spokesman Pat Osterman said. I-AA schools can offer 63 football scholarships, but some of those scholarships are split between two players.
• Yale, which like all Ivy League schools does not award athletic scholarships, has close to 30 players working out at school, strength and conditioning director Emil Johnson said. That number will edge toward 50 around Aug. 1, about three weeks before training camp begins, Johnson said.
• California, which ended last season ranked No. 9 in the nation — its highest ranking since 1991 — had all of its scholarship players on campus for summer conditioning, according to athletic department spokesman Herb Benenson.
• Michigan defensive tackle Mike Massey said the Wolverines were working out this summer with all their scholarship players. - College Football -
Players have been staying at college in the summer for years, largely to take summer school classes. While coaches can't pinpoint a time the practice intensified, the numbers have grown since the early 1990s. When maybe 30 or 40 players stayed then, nearly everybody stays now. The Bulldogs have 101 players — veterans, incoming freshmen and walk-ons — participating in their summer workouts, which started June 6 and go through July, with players able to attend either of two sessions. On a recent day, 43 Georgia players participated in the morning workout and 58 in the afternoon. - College Football -
Players establish the culture in the offseason and keep attendance.
"If somebody is not here," senior defensive lineman Kedric Golston said, "we'll know it by the end of the workout and see what's up. We'll make sure they are OK and not hurt, and then we'll talk."
"Everybody is committed to the other guys on the team," senior center Ryan Schnetzner said. "And if you're not here, somebody playing your position is here working to get better."
An offseason of getting ready - College Football -
In Division I-A and Division I-AA, NCAA rules say football players can work out in a "non-mandatory" weight training and conditioning program in the summer with a strength coach for eight hours a week for eight weeks. Georgia's workouts are usually Monday through Thursday, with Fridays limited to running only.
The players bear down in the weight room with the steady beat of music. Dave Van Halanger, Georgia's strength and conditioning coach, is there for safety purposes but also to promote team-building and manage the process. - College Football -
"We work, but we tease a lot, we try and keep it fun," Van Halanger said. "There are very, very few times where I have to get after these guys in here, because they want to be great."
The eight allowable hours a week during the summer do not include the players gathering to run plays in seven-on-seven drills with no pads. Coaches are not permitted to conduct or watch the scrimmages, which start at 4:30 p.m. at Georgia and can last two hours.
Senior quarterback D.J. Shockley is one of the players in charge of the afternoon workout, where the Bulldogs quarterbacks, running backs and receivers run the team's pass routes against the defense. Linemen, Shockley said, work on their own drills.
"This way, by the time we get to the fall camp, we're fine-tuning, guys know the plays, we have some timing together," Shockley said. "We're motioning, we're running underneath patterns, the defense is blitzing." - College Football -
Reporters are not permitted to watch, though workouts are not officially sanctioned by the school.
And football players aren't alone on Georgia's campus in the summer. Rebecca Rowsey, a sophomore pre-med major on the women's basketball team, said all of the Lady Bulldogs were here in June lifting weights, playing pickup games and attending summer school.
"We would lift weights together three days a week, then we would do running and quickness and agility the other days of the week," said Rowsey, who was taking biochemistry in summer school. "We don't have to be here, but it is a good time to get some classes out of the way. And if we're at home, we don't get to talk to each other, and we get to be more laid-back when we're playing the pickup games. ... It's a great way to bond." - College Football -
While the football players were on their practice field, members of Georgia's defending national champion gymnastics team were on the track running laps.

Ray Glier, special for USA TODAY

2005-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

New Harris poll to replace AP in BCS formula

More than 100 former coaches, administrators and players, plus media members, will vote in a college football poll launched Monday by the Bowl Championship Series and overseen by the Harris market research firm. - College Football -
It's a simple switch for the BCS, which will insert the new poll in its composite standings in place of the Associated Press media rankings - pulled by the AP in the wake of perennial BCS controversy. The Harris poll will count one-third, the USA TODAY coaches' poll one-third and computer ratings one-third.
The stakes are high. The top two teams in the composite standings qualify for the BCS' national championship game, played this season Jan. 4 in the Rose Bowl. The standings also can determine at-large entries in the BCS' four-game, high-dollar lineup. And, long-range, they'll settle which conferences automatically qualify their champions. - College Football -
The BCS hopes to identify 114 voters in the new poll by the start of the season: 10 apiece from nominees submitted by the 11 major conferences and four from separate lists submitted by independent schools. Three of the latter voters will be Notre Dame nominees.
"It's a ... group that has knowledge of college football and has a real passion," said Big 12 commissioner and BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg.
As of Monday, Harris representatives had commitments from more than 80 voters. Unlike the coaches, who'll continue with preseason and early-season polls, Harris won't release its first ranking until Sept. 25. The votes of both final regular-season polls Dec. 4 will be publicized, a BCS stipulation arising from questions about voting patterns in 2004.
AP will continue to conduct a weekly poll and crown a national champion that could be different than that of the BCS. - College Football -
The BCS has said it would like to see the elimination of preseason polls, which some believe give highly touted teams an unfair headstart in the rankings.
"This allows for some games to be played in the current season rather than allow teams to be ranked purely on preseason expectations," Weiberg said.
The BCS had used the AP poll in its formula for ranking teams since 1998. Last season, however, the AP told the BCS it could no longer use its media poll.
Recently, ESPN pulled out of participating in the coaches poll.
When Texas made up late ground on California in the BCS standings last season and grabbed a spot in the Rose Bowl, Cal and Pac-10 officials called for the coaches' votes to be made public. The AP poll never provided a secret ballot for its voters.
"We thought it was important for there to be consistency with the two human polls," Weiberg said. "To make the ballots public on a weekly basis during the season, we feel the focus would be on who voted for whom and detract from the games being playing."
Last season, the BCS standings emphasized the polls more than ever and AP voters' ballots were scrutinized as three unbeaten teams competed for the top two spots.
Weiberg said voters in the new poll will be allowed to make their votes public at any point in the season if they choose. - College Football -
"We've made very good progress in terms of people responding affirmatively to wanting to be part of the poll," he said.
The AP preseason poll will be released Aug. 20, with the first regular-season poll Sept. 6. The AP national champion will be crowned after the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4.
Last season, Southern California and Oklahoma held the top two spots in both the AP and coaches' polls in the preseason and kept those positions throughout undefeated regular seasons.
Auburn, which began the season ranked in the teens in the polls, went unbeaten but never could pass the Trojans or Sooners in the polls. USC finished No. 1 in the final BCS standings and Oklahoma was No. 2, mostly on the strength of their top-ranked computer score.
All three teams finished the regular season unbeaten and USC and Oklahoma played for the national title in the - College Football -
Orange Bowl' Auburn went to the Sugar Bowl, finished the season 13-0 and had to settle for a final ranking of No. 2 in the polls behind national champion USC.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said the preseason rankings put his team at a disadvantage because they had too much ground to make up in the BCS standings before games were even played. - College Football -
Each conference nominated 27 people to be placed into a pool of possible Harris poll voters, and each conference will have 10 of its nominees in the panel.

By Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY

2005-07-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

UW band to play in Francis Creek

FRANCIS CREEK — They’ve played in college football stadiums around the country, marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade, and tens of thousands of people regularly remain at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison for their post-game “Fifth Quarter.”
Now members of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band are coming to Francis Creek to march in the village’s French Creek Days parade, which starts at noon Sunday.
It’s something parade chairman Pat Zigmunt has been wanting for years.
“That was my mission,” he said. - College Football -
Zigmunt, who has organized the French Creek Days parade for 30-some years, said he had tried to get the UW Marching Band to Francis Creek but without success.
Then a friend put him in touch with Clare Schmitt, a 2003 Roncalli High School graduate who plays trombone in the band.
“The first time I met her I knew she was interested in helping,” Zigmunt said.
Schmitt contacted band manager Ericka Binkley, a trumpet player from Monroe who is in charge of scheduling the band’s non-regular appearances.
Binkley said the band is scheduled on a first come, first served basis, and July 10 wasn’t taken yet, so she reserved it for Francis Creek. - College Football -
Such performances are not required of band members, according to Binkley. When enough musicians have signed up — with the right mix of instruments — she confirms the band’s appearance.
Between 30 and 40 band members are expected for French Creek Days, she said.
The cost for bringing the band here is $65 per band member, which the students receive, plus an additional $200, according to Binkley. If 35 musicians participate, the cost would be $2,475. The musicians also will receive a free lunch at the park. - College Football -
“We are having the Fifth Quarter at the park, too,” Zigmunt said.
Fifth Quarter is the band’s unique post-game show that began drawing attention in the 1970s. According to the Web site http://badgerband.com, it was about 1978 when the press dubbed the show the “Fifth Quarter.”
The festive Fifth Quarter has become known for its audience involvement and the band members’ zany antics. It’s when the band does “all the fun, crazy songs,” Binkley said, like “The Chicken Dance.”
She said the French Creek Days version of Fifth Quarter will last 20 to 25 minutes.
“We do stuff that nobody else really does as far as crowd entertainment and participation,” Schmitt said. - College Football -
“We like to put on a good show,” said Heather Vogel, a 2003 Roncalli High School graduate who plays trumpet with the UW Marching Band. She said band members have fun getting the audience involved during the Fifth Quarter.
Vogel said she has performed with the band in Sheboygan and Green Bay, but this is the first time she’ll be coming home to Manitowoc County for a show.
It will be great to play for her family, friends and co-workers from the Manitowoc Parks and Recreation Department who haven’t had a chance to see the band, she said.
The UW Marching Band keeps busy in the summer, doing three or four parades per month as well as other events like wedding receptions, corporate meetings and birthday parties, according to Binkley. - College Football -
Zigmunt said he’s heard how good the band is, and he thought it would be “just something different for our village.”

Cindy Hodgson

2005-06-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

A chance to learn high school football techniques
function create

OK, I get to brag one last time before my son Kyle Bacon heads off to college. Kyle was selected to play in the Sparks Sertoma Football Classic with fellow Carson High player Matt Moore. Matt didn't get to attend because of a hamstring pull he received in track this season. He was sorely missed, but we still won without his great ability on the field.It was an honor to watch these young men with the best of the best in Northern Nevada playing at Mackey Stadium. They were outstanding, and yes, the Silver won. Maybe next year, Blue will win.Carson High School head football coach Shane Quilling was there with his young son Chance, cheering for Kyle at his last game. If you want your son to get out this summer and put down the video controller, check out the Carson High football program. The Senators are revamping and getting ready for another season and could use a few more kids out there on the line and running a few more routes. One of the best quotes I ever heard from my son was, "Even when I hated school, sports kept me going." Your child is worth that extra mile or two to keep him or her involved in a healthy environment, and the football staff is a great bunch of coaches. They will be starting the next session soon.Carson High football summer classesWhen: Through June 30. The next session is July 11-21, Monday through Thursday.Where: 1111 N. Saliman Road, football fieldWhat: Educational instruction, weight training and conditioningCost: $100, plus student gets a credit for physical education classContact: Coach Quilling at 283-1915 or go to the CHS Guidance Office My good friend Doreen FitzHenry dropped me an e-mail asking about the annual school shopping spree at Mervyn's. This event is sponsored by Carson City Kiwanis and Salvation Army. It helps children receive new clothing and shoes, plus a backpack with supplies, for the first day of school. It is beyond personal gratification to help little children get brand-new shoes and clothing for school that would not otherwise have them.I helped an 8-year-old girl one year, and the biggest thing she wanted was Winnie the Pooh underwear, with lace of course. She was thrilled when she received such nice, new undies. You can help by sponsoring a child. If you know of a child that would qualify for the program, please call Salvation Army for more information. The shopping spree is discreet and helpful to the children in need.School Day Shopping SpreeWhen: First week of AugustCOST: Full donation is $100, but anything will help. Contact: Vi Bibee 887-9120 or Virginia Nuzum 882-6576The Historic Fourth Ward School presents a rare opportunity to experience the historic site of Sutro. For one day, the town of Sutro will be highlighted in a living tour. Sutro was built by Adolph Sutro in the early 1860s, three miles east of Dayton at the drainage point of the 3.8-mile long Sutro Tunnel, which connected to the Savage Mine in Virginia City. The tunnel took nine years to complete. It was conceived to ventilate the deep mines of the Comstock, drain water, and transport ore to the mills along the Carson River."I have received hundreds of requests to tour the historic grounds of the Sutro townsite over the years," said Pete Leonard, president of Sutro Tunnel Co. This day's events feature transportation by trolley from Dayton to Sutro (no private cars permitted) and guided tours by local historians of the privately owned grounds and buildings of Sutro. Afterwards, enjoy a barbecue. Bring walking shoes and sunscreen. This is a rare event you might not want to miss if you love Nevada history.Historical Tour of SutroWhen: July 9Cost: Prepaid tickets - $30 general, $20 Fourth Ward School members; $35 day of the event
by Kim Riggs

College Football Playoff

2005-06-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

College Football Playoff