C.J. Spang, Minnesota Daily: A student reporter has a discouraging encounter with Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman (thanks to the Midwest Correspondent).Scott Carter, Tampa Tribune: A Florida State alum, upset over the team's fall from the elite, has started Retire Coach Bowden.
Tom Oates, Wisconsin State Journal: If the Miami job opens, don't look for former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez to apply.
Molly Yanity, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Oklahoma is threatening to back out of its 2008 game at Washington if the Pac-10 doesn't change its policy regarding officials.
Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette: West Virginia running back Steve Slaton is playing with a painful injury to his right wrist.
Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Suddenly, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is no longer known as LLLLLoyd Carr (subscription, story is in comments).
Paul Buker, Oregonian: Former Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson brings his Idaho team to Corvallis and some Beaver fans would like him back on their sideline.
Steve Sneddon, Reno Gazette-Journal: Reno mayor Bob Cashell wants area businesses to close early so fans can get to Nevada's home game against Northwestern, scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Pacific.
Reid Hanley, Chicago Tribune: The Big Ten is looking more and more like the Big Two and the Little How Many? (registration).
Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard: The biggest potential challenge ahead for USC could come from an attorney's office.
Greg Wallace, Anderson Independent-Mail: Clemson has announced that a trust fund has been set up to help defensive back Ray Ray McElrathbey raise his 11-year-old brother.
Luciana Chavez, Raleigh News & Observer: Duke is trying anything to get a victory. The latest is computer simulation to help prepare the Blue Devils for games (registration).
Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Tech will wear throwback jerseys in Thursday night's game against Virginia (registration).
Michelle Hiskey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Maybe this is Colorado's problem: Ralphie IV, the Buffaloes' mascot, is a girl (registration).
Tim Gayle, Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama coach Mike Shula says Tyrone Prothro's third surgery is "not a setback."
Lee Barfknecht, Omaha World-Herald: It's clear that the Big 12 is suffering through a power outage.
2 comments:
The Hlist
Mike Hlas
Cedar Rapids Gazette
FIRST DOWNS
1. Carr Revved: Suddenly, Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr is no longer known as LLLLLoyd Carr.
The man who has coached four Big Ten titlists and a national champion improved to 4-1 all-time against No. 2-ranked teams, 82 against Top Five teams, and 16-6 against Top 10 foes when his Wolverines devoured Notre Dame, 47-21.
"If you coach enough of these games, you're going to win some and lose some," said WWWWWoyd Carr, who still isn't very glib, but did quiet many of his critics.
More quotable was Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch, who said "I knew our defense was a special group, so really I'm not surprised at all. . . . I really see no limit to our talent."
Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis hadn't shared Branch's foresight.
"I'm surprised from me on down how we laid an egg," Weis said.
2. Free Cheese: Nobody quite understood what Florida safety Tony Joiner was trying to say last week before the Gators went to Tennessee.
"We really want to get into somebody else and take their cheese," Joiner said. "Make a sandwich in the kitchen. Ham and cheese with a little turkey, mustard and mayonnaise."
Maybe he was hungry.
Florida won, 21-20. The cold cuts probably tasted great.
3. Orange Not Blue: Syracuse is giddy after snapping its 11-game losing streak with a 31-21 conquest of Illinois.
"Guys are going to feel good walking on campus. They're going to actually feel good about themselves," said Orange quarterback Perry Patterson after the game. "It's a nice sunny day. It's a nice day for the Syracuse team."
Asked if he was relieved to bury the losing streak, SU Coach Greg Robinson said: "It's not about relief to me. I'm fired up."
4. Alive and Kicking: Northern Colorado scored on a blocked punt in its 14-13 upset over 2005 Division I-AA national semifinalist Texas State. It was NCU's first road win in three years.
Which added surprise to weirdness, since Northern lost two punters during the week when starter Rafael Mendoza was treated for a 3- to 5-inch puncture wound after being stabbed in the thigh of his kicking leg. Backup punter Mitch Cozad was arrested, accused of knifing Mendoza.
NCU strong safety Jason Hildebrand punted six times for a 29.3-yard average before getting hurt in the third quarter. Next was Michael York, whose first punt went 8 yards. But his team intercepted a pass on the next play.
Hildebrand called the week ''bizarre to say the least."
FUMBLES
1. Swagger Staggers: The 1-2 Miami Hurricanes thoroughly embarrassed themselves before and during their 31-7 loss at Louisville.
First, they stomped on the Cardinals' logo at midfield of Papa John's Stadium (known as the "Pizza Palace"). Then they got stomped.
"You never win off swagger," Miami quarterback Kyle Wright said. "It's all nice to jump at midfield on the logo, but if you don't go out and take care of business, it's nothing.
"It's fake hype. I'm tired of it."
Miami Coach Larry Coker is in the second year of a five-year contract worth almost $2 million a year. Two words leap to mind: "Buy" and "Out."
2. Banned Band: Stanford's notoriously raucous marching band missed the school's first football game at new $100 million Stanford Stadium.
The band is on suspension until at least the end of September for members' alleged vandalism of an on-campus trailer with spray paint and sledgehammers.
Navy's band put on the halftime show and played Stanford's fight song on occasion. It didn't help the home team, which got pounded, 37-9.
"I honestly don't know what to say," said Evan Moore, a receiver for the 0-3 Cardinal. "It's just embarrassing."
The Stanford band should send its school's administration a thank-you note for being withheld from the rout.
3. Thud: We hate to pick on Indiana, since Hoosiers Coach Terry Hoeppner had brain surgery last week.
But a 35-28 home loss to I-AA Southern Illinois marked the first time in 18 tries that a Gateway Conference team beat a Big Ten opponent.
"I say a Big Ten school is a college just like us," said Salukis cornerback Craig Turner.
"They have a few more scholarships (85 to 63) than we do. That's all."
That's big talk. If Southern Illinois beats a good team on its schedule, like Northern Iowa, then Turner can brag.
4. Three Key Points: Minnesota's Jason Giannini kicked a 41-yard field goal with 3:50 left in the Gophers' game against Temple. That was huge, since Minnesota held a slim 59-0 lead over the hapless Owls before the field goal secured a glorious 62-0 triumph.
"I knew that in some respect, they would be outmanned," said Minnesota Coach Glen Mason.
The Hlist guesses Mason knew it the day he put Temple on the Gophers' schedule.
FROM THE PAPERS
"It could've been worse for Coach Bill Callahan. He could've woken up today and still been the coach of the Raiders." - T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times.
Callahan's Nebraska team was dominated by USC, 28-10.
FINAL WORD
"I'll be nice about that and politically correct like you're supposed to. But that was the sorriest offensive effort I've ever seen. Today, I coached the worst offense in America." - Texas Tech's Mike Leach, after his club's 12-3 loss at TCU.
Mike.Hlas@gazettecommunications.com
"...Tyrone Prothro's third surgery is "not a setback."
No, a twisted ankle is a setback. I will feel fortunate to ever see that young man walk without a limp again. My personal opinion is that he will never play another down in football.
On a happier note, I would love to see Mike Shula give him a coaching position, grad assistant at least. Tyrone stuck with Alabama through the worst years in their history. You almost have to reward someone with that much loyalty to this school. Every painting and picture that is and will be produced of Tyrone's catch against Southern Miss will be money in the school's pocket.
As soon as the school is done honoring his scholarship, they need to help him out financially.
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