09/02/10 - Bailey Woods, rJr/2012, Georgia State, 6-5, 238 (DS#39 TE) Parris Lee scored the first touchdown in Georgia State history, Drew Little threw a pair of scoring passes and the Panthers won their inaugural game Thursday night, beating Shorter 41-7 before a surprisingly large crowd of 30,237 at the Georgia Dome. The game marked the return to coaching for 67-year-old Bill Curry, who had not been on the sideline since being forced out by Kentucky in 1996. Even playing their first game as an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision independent, the Panthers had no trouble against Shorter (0-2), a tiny NAIA school from northwest Georgia that had lost its opener to Division II West Alabama 37-7. Lee scored on a 4-yard run with 9:07 left in the first quarter for the historic first TD in school history. He added a 10-yard scoring run in the third quarter. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Spencer Keith, So/2013, Kent State, 6-3, 215 (DS#36 QB) Spencer Keith threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns to lead Kent State to a 41-10 season-opening victory over Murray State on Thursday night. Two of Keith's scoring passes went to Jacquise Terry, including a 49-yarder that gave the Golden Flashes a 24-10 lead 1:13 before halftime. Keith's other scoring pass went to Sam Kirkland, who had nine catches for 126 yards. The loss spoiled Chris Hatcher's Murray State coaching debut. Hatcher compiled a 94-27 record in previous jobs at Valdosta State and Georgia Southern. Anthony Bowman's 92-yard kickoff return to start the second half widened Kent State's lead to 31-10 over its Football Championship Series opponent. Jeff Ehrhardt was 30-for-47 for 258 yards for Murray State, which finished with minus-65 yards rushing as Ehrhardt was sacked five times for 44 yards. The Racers didn't score in the final 39:17. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Pat Devlin, rSr/2011, Delaware, 6-3, 225 (DS#3 QB) Pat Devlin threw three touchdowns and Delaware defeated West Chester 31-0 in the season opener on Thursday night. Devlin, the second-year transfer from Penn State, completed 14 of 23 passes for 163 yards. Freshman Andrew Pierce ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for the Blue Hens. The victory was Delaware's 17th straight over the Division II Golden Rams. The Blue Hens, who also shutout West Chester for the second straight year, now lead the all-time series, 45-6-1. Delaware built a 21-0 halftime lead and then added 10 points in the third quarter. Devlin was taken out of the game after throwing a 23-yard scoring pass to Phillip Thaxton with 5:03 left in the third, giving Delaware a 31-0 lead. The Blue Hens scored on back-to-back possessions midway through the first half to open up a 14-0 lead. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Marcus Rivers, rJr/2012, Buffalo, 6-4, 207 (DS#78 WR) Jerry Davis threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns as Buffalo routed Rhode Island 31-0 on Thursday night in Jeff Quinn's coaching debut with the Bulls. Davis completed 21 of 35 passes with one interception. He threw for three scores in the second quarter alone: a 5-yard touchdown to Ed Young, a 38-yarder to Marcus Rivers and a 21-yard TD to Alex Neutz with 0:40 left as Buffalo took a 24-0 lead at halftime. Rivers had 10 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown. Neutz caught five passes for 99 yards. Davis added another 17-yard TD in the third quarter to Terrel Jackson. Rhode Island quarterback Steve Probst was 18-for-42 for 145 yards with one interception. The Rams were held to 207 yards of total offense while Buffalo had 423. Buffalo's last shutout was a 44-0 win over Ohio in 2001. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Terrelle Pryor, Jr/2012, Ohio State, 6-6, 235 (DS#5 QB) Terrelle Pryor tossed three touchdown passes, Brandon Saine rushed for 103 yards and two scores and No. 2 Ohio State rolled over error-prone Marshall 42-7 on Thursday night in a tuneup for a big date with Miami. Pryor completed 17 of 25 passes for 247 yards and TDs covering 6 and 11 yards to DeVier Posey and 65 yards to Dane Sanzenbacher before 105,040 at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes, who haven’t lost a home opener since 1978, next play on Sept. 11 against No. 13 Miami, which coasted past Florida A&M 45-0. It was a bleak debut for new Marshall coach Doc Holliday. The Thundering Herd fumbled the opening kickoff and were down 14-0 before running their first play in Ohio State territory. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Leonard Hankerson, Sr/2011, Miami, 6-3, 215 (DS#9 WR) Jacory Harris threw for 210 yards and three touchdowns before sitting out the second half, Leonard Hankerson caught six passes for 115 yards and two scores, and No. 13 Miami rolled past Florida A&M 45-0 Thursday night in the season-opener for both teams. It was Miami's first shutout since Oct. 14, 2006. Damien Berry had a 32-yard touchdown reception for the Hurricanes (1-0), who were up 35-0 after the game's first 25 minutes and visit No. 2 Ohio State next Saturday. Lamar Miller and Mike James had touchdown runs for Miami, and Ray-Ray Armstrong returned an interception 22 yards for another score. Philip Sylvester rushed for a team-best 45 yards for the Rattlers (0-1). - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Ted Stachitas, rSo/2013, Wake Forest, 6-1, 205 (DS#38 QB) Ted Stachitas had 160 total yards in his first college start and Wake Forest had six rushing touchdowns in a 53-13 rout of Presbyterian in the season opener for both teams Thursday night. Stachitas was 7 of 13 for 84 yards passing in two quarters of work and rushed for 76 more, including a 34-yard touchdown run that started the Demon Deacons' highest-scoring opener since 1941. Backup tailback Josh Harris scored twice, Alex Frye returned an interception 44 yards for an early score and receiver Devon Brown took an end-around 85 yards for a fourth-quarter TD - the fourth-longest rush in school history. Wake Forest gained 509 total yards, rushed for 415 and led 21-0 before allowing the outmanned Blue Hose a first down. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Frankie Hammond, rSo/2013, Florida, 5-11, 178 (DS#56 WR) No. 4 Florida will be without reserve receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. for its season opener Saturday against Miami of Ohio. Coach Urban Meyer says Hammond, who was charged with driving under the influence this summer, could be back next week against South Florida. Meyer says Hammond’s status is “week to week.” Hammond, a sophomore from Hollywood, had four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown last season. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Tom Compton, rJr/2012, South Dakota, 6-5, 300 (DS#105 OT) Nebraska linebacker Will Compton will likely miss Saturday’s opener against Western Kentucky with a foot injury. Coach Bo Pelini says Compton was injured during practice but did not give details of the injury. Last month, Nebraska lost linebacker Sean Fisher for the year with a broken leg. Fisher and Compton were expected to compete for playing time this year. Nebraska also said sophomore offensive lineman Brandon Thompson will miss Saturday’s game because of injury, but the team did not say what Thompson’s injury is. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - David Ruffer, Sr/2011, Notre Dame, 6-1, 176 (DS#999 K) David Ruffer will be Notre Dame’s No. 1 kicker for the home opener against Purdue on Saturday after beating out sophomore Nick Tausch. Taush made a school-record 14 straight field goals during a stretch last season but missed the final three games after injuring his foot. Ruffer, who transferred to Notre Dame from William & Mary after the 2007-08 school year, didn’t miss a field goal in five attempts a year ago. Along with field goals, he will also kick off. Coach Brian Kelly also listed tight end Mike Ragone as “doubtful” for Saturday’s game. Ragone, a senior from Camden, N.J., is still experiencing headaches, vertigo issues and an ear infection. He spent the night in the hospital earlier in the preseason while recovering from heat illness. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Tevin Jackson, Fr/2014, Texas, 6-2, 230 (DS#20 OLB) Texas freshman linebacker Tevin Jackson is ineligible to play and can’t enroll in school because he has not yet been cleared by the NCAA. The university said in a statement Thursday that an issue with Jackson’s high school transcript has kept him from being ruled eligible. University officials “will continue to pursue getting the issue resolved in order for Jackson to enroll.” But if the situation isn’t resolved quickly, he’ll be unable to enroll this semester and won’t be eligible to play for the Longhorns. The 6-foot-2, 230 Jackson, from Garland, was an All-State at linebacker in 2009. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Marcell Dareus, Jr/2012, Alabama, 6-3, 306 (DS#2 DE) The NCAA has declared Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus ineligible for two games for accepting improper benefits. The ruling Thursday also ordered Dareus to repay $1,787 dollars to a charity of his choice before regaining eligibility. The Crimson Tide opens Saturday night against San Jose State and then hosts No. 19 Penn State. Dareus was ruled ineligible for receiving preferential treatment and agent benefits, including airfare, lodging, meals and transportation during two trips to Miami, Fla. Alabama compliance director Mike Ward said Dareus didn’t intentionally violate rules or knowingly accept benefits from an agent. He says the university is considering an appeal. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - C.J. Fiedorowicz, Fr/2014, Iowa, 6-6, 245 (DS#1 TE) Iowa says it is extending coach Kirk Ferentz’s contract through 2020. Ferentz’s current deal runs through 2015 and pays him roughly $3 million per season. Ferentz’s new deal will total nearly $3.7 million a year. School officials expect the deal to be signed Friday. The announcement Thursday comes just two days before Iowa kicks off its most anticipated season in years. The ninth-ranked Hawkeyes, coming off an 11-2 season and a win in the Orange Bowl, host Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Iowa athletic director Gary Barta says the extension supports his goal of retaining Ferentz until he retires. Ferentz is in his 12th season as the head coach at Iowa. Last season, he was named the Big Ten’s Coach of the Year for the third time. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Lee Smith, rSr/2011, Marshall, 6-6, 265 (DS#11 TE) The 2010 season begins today at Ohio State and Smith has been content enjoying his final year with the Thundering Herd. He is already thinking about the future, however, and has a few additional things he aspires to accomplish before concluding his career in a Marshall uniform. But one dream that doesn’t allude him is progressing to the next level. “If you don’t shoot for the stars, you’ll never reach them,” he said. “As a team goal, I want to be in Memphis [at the Liberty Bowl]. I think every individual goal at this level should be to play in the NFL. If I could paint a fairy tale, I’m playing in a conference championship and then playing on Sundays in the future.” Smith has already attracted the attention of NFL scouts. He is a likely prospect for professional football because he is such a well-rounded athlete, Ratliff said. “Without a doubt, I believe he’s going to be an impact player in the NFL if God keeps him healthy,” he said. “He’s one of those old school tight ends that are hard to find. He’s got great hands. He’s faster on the field than you think he is. From everything I’m hearing from scouts, they’re just hard to find like Lee Smith.” - Marlowe Hereford, MU The Parthenon
09/02/10 - Cameron Heyward, Sr/2011, Ohio State, 6-5, 285 (DS#2 DE) PLAYERS TO WATCH: DE Cameron Heyward, the son of late NFL running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, had 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season. He's a candidate for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year - Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn will be right there, too - and six other defensive starters from the Rose Bowl winners return.
09/02/10 - Terrelle Pryor, Jr/2012, Ohio State, 6-6, 235 (DS#5 QB) PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Terrelle Pryor received plenty of attention for his Rose Bowl performance - and justifiably so. But the Buckeyes know he must be more consistent on a week-to-week basis if Ohio State is to contend for a national title. With four weeks to prepare for Oregon, Pryor looked like he was playing at a different speed and was never surprised by anything the Ducks threw at him (338 total yards). With four to six days to prepare during the season, he'll have to stay sharp and healthy to be effective on Saturdays. "I'm expecting great things from Terrelle," offensive lineman Justin Boren said in the Canton Repository. "He is the most capable athlete on this team ... Terrelle is an insane athlete." Coach Jim Tressel also expects great things from Pryor. He said it shouldn't be a surprise if he throws around 30 times a game this year. He attempted 37 passes in the Rose Bowl but averaged 23 attempts last season. He's only attempted 30 passes in two games, including against Oregon.
09/02/10 - Jake Stoneburner, rSo/2013, Ohio State, 6-5, 245 (DS#4 TE) PLAYERS TO WATCH: TE Jake Stoneburner - Big Ten defenses will scramble to keep Pryor in the pocket and might use tandem defensive backs to keep WR DeVier Posey in check. That's going to create a lot of seams for Stoneburner, who consistent caught the ball cleanly and turned heads in spring drills. At 6-5, 245, he moves well and is hard to miss in the red zone.
09/02/10 - Jamie Wood, rFr/2014, Ohio State, 6-1, 198 (DS#15 SS) PLAYERS TO WATCH: Safety Jamie Wood - A prep All-American with size and range to solidify the back end of the defense, he was a high school sprinter who redshirted in 2009. He might not be the starter in September, but it won't take long for him to make an impact if he stays healthy.
09/02/10 - Noel Devine, Sr/2011, West Virginia, 5-08, 180 (DS#3 RB) After angry environmentalists objected to a Nike promotional ad for a new West Virginia University football uniform, the athletic apparel giant said Thursday it will modify a graphic depicting a mountaintop removal mine. Nike issued a statement through the university, repeating what the school had said earlier in the day: The new black and white Pro Combat uniform was designed to honor the heritage of coal mining and 29 men killed in the April explosion at Upper Big Branch mine. “We are modifying the graphic of the player on our website to address concerns,” the statement said. The Oregon-based company did not return repeated messages from The Associated Press. The Mountaineers will wear the coal-themed uniform for only one game this season, the Nov. 26 Backyard Brawl at Pittsburgh. Nike paid for the new gear. The problem environmental activists had with the ad was not the color of the gear - off-white that appears coated in coal dust - or the number 29 on the coal-black helmets. It’s the depiction of a mountaintop removal mine behind the image of a player, complete with flat, treeless mountaintop, the sound of an explosion and the image of falling rock. The ad appeared to be a tacit endorsement of the controversial form of strip mining, the activists argued. Before Nike announced it would modify the ad, opposition was rampant. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Victor Johnson, Jr/2012, Oklahoma State, 6-0, 195 (DS#999 SS) Authorities have dropped a drug charge against Oklahoma State safety Victor Johnson, though he still faces accusations of obstructing a police officer and driving under the influence of alcohol. Court records show that a charge of possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, was dropped Wednesday and an Oct. 18 hearing was scheduled for the remaining charges. Johnson was arrested in July after university police responded to a suspicious odor complaint at his apartment. Officers said they found marijuana after obtaining a search warrant. Johnson’s attorney, William Baker, said a woman made a statement to authorities that she was responsible for the marijuana. Prosecutors filed the DUI charge against Johnson in June. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Terrelle Pryor, Jr/2012, Ohio State, 6-6, 235 (DS#5 QB) Pryor is always the story at Ohio State, good or bad. He doesn't particularly like it, but he accepts it. He's used to being the center of attention. "Everyone just praises you and holds you on a pedestal all the time," Pryor recently told ESPN.com. "Sometimes, it’s hard when you're getting more recognition than some of your teammates. I don't like that individually because I feel like everyone really should get the same recognition. But at the same time, that's the life we live in, the game that we play, and people love the quarterbacks and they put some people on different pedestals. "You have to humble yourself." Pryor sounds more humble these days, admitting that Ohio State's dominant defense has "bailed me out in a lot of games." The Buckeyes junior certainly has his share of critics, who harp on his passing mechanics and decision-making. Many view him as overhyped and scoff at his 19-3 record as Ohio State's starting quarterback. Most agree that he has a lot more to prove this season. "It comes with it," Pryor said of the criticism. "I watch a lot of Vince Young and Michael Vick and guys like that, they’re scrutinized guys and [critics] try to jump on people. I'm in the learning process, and whatever people have to say about me, that's what they've got to say. "It's not going to bother me, it's not going to stop me from doing what my goals are and what I want to accomplish." - Adam Rittenberg, ESPN
09/02/10 - Jake Locker, rSr/2011, Washington, 6-3, 230 (DS#1 QB) Jake Locker has been called a potential first-round NFL pick for so long that you might think he attends the University of NFL Combine. If, like much of America, you believe the two most important sports in America are the NFL and the NFL Draft, you have heard of Locker. Locker actually plays for the University of Washington, which is relevant if you care how good he is, not just how good he is supposed to be someday. And this weekend, in one of the more interesting storylines of this college football season, Locker can start to show he deserves the hype. Frankly, he has not shown it yet. Ask yourself: What are the qualities that usually make NFL teams reach into their pockets and pull out $50 million in small, unmarked bills to give to a quarterback? Accuracy? Locker completed 58 percent of his passes last year -- pretty good, but not special. Yardage? He threw for 2,800 last year, 33rd in the FBS. Leadership? Locker has yet to post a winning record. Locker has an unusual combination of size and athleticism -- he is going to amaze people at his workouts. And he might turn into an All-America this year. I'm not saying he won't be a great NFL player. I'm saying that, to this point, the hype has far exceeded the production. It is an absolute mystery to me why Locker might be considered a better NFL prospect than Stanford's Andrew Luck or Arkansas's Ryan Mallett. The beautiful thing about college football -- well, one of many beautiful things -- is that we start to get answers right away. - Michael Rosenberg, SI.com
09/02/10 - Trent Richardson, So/2013, Alabama, 5-11, 220 (DS#2 RB) No. 1 Alabama is handing off to Trent Richardson earlier than expected. The Crimson Tide tailback is temporarily taking over for Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. Ingram is out for Saturday night's opener against San Jose State with a knee injury. Tide coach Nick Saban says Ingram's recovery time figures to be "relatively short." The presence of the playmaking Richardson helps ease Alabama's concerns. He was already set to play a prominent role in the offense after running for 745 yards as a freshman. Richardson will also return kicks. He ran for 109 yards against Texas in the BCS national championship game. Richardson joined Ingram as a preseason first-team All-SEC pick. - AP Sports
09/02/10 - Pat Devlin, rSr/2011, Delaware, 6-3, 225 (DS#3 QB) On a humid August morning, two Cleveland Browns scouts made the trek to Delaware Stadium. Like the countless other NFL personnel who have come before, they followed Pat Devlin's every move during Delaware's intrasquad scrimmage. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback didn't disappoint, firing crisp and precise passes in the Blue Hens' spread offense. Perhaps seeing enough, the scouts quietly exited the stadium after one of Devlin's on-the-money throws midway through the scrimmage. As he has been since transferring to Delaware from Penn State in 2009, the fifth-year senior was oblivious to the attention. "I'm just focused on taking the team as far as I can," he said, shrugging off the NFL attention. "We want to win a national championship. That's our ultimate goal...I want to do whatever I can to help this team achieve that." Perhaps. But scouting Devlin appeared to be a top priority for NFL teams this summer. "We have been averaging three or four [NFL teams] every day," Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said. "And a lot of them are sending two per team. A lot of them are sending, like, player personnel directors. So we are getting a high-level group of guys coming through here." - Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer
09/02/10 - Brandon Harris, Jr/2012, Miami, 5-11, 195 (DS#3 CB) ``Brandon is exceptional in his work ethic,'' said defensive end Adewale Ojomo, a fourth-year junior. ``He's always in front of our line, and when we're sitting around in the locker room he always has something constructive, something positive to say. ``If a guy says something negative, Brandon will say, `Oh man, don't think like that, man. Don't say that. You have to think positive.' He's younger than me, so it amazes me to hear the things he says. He could have gone in the tank early, but he believed in himself.'' Linebacker Jordan Futch, who had his own struggles in recuperating from reconstructive knee surgery, is another Harris fan. ``Brandon Harris -- oh man, he's a hard worker, real hard,'' Futch said. ``This guy hits the motor and never stops. He's very enthusiastic. He's out here working extra. Sometimes you can see him here at night by himself, just working - cornerback drills, cone drills, sometimes just running to get in better shape.'' Harris studies business and said he wants to be an entrepreneur and get businesses created in Liberty City. He intends to one day give back financially to his neighborhood. His parents want him to leave UM with his degree, even if he turns pro early. Better yet, they would like him to stay all four years and work toward his master's. "I'm just so proud of watching him mature,'' Chonita said. "He's a special kid and he'll have a special season.'' - Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald
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