31 October 2008 Morning Headlines

Great Pumpkin at Spurrier: Phil Fulmer is 5-8 all-time vs. Steve Spurrier — and that was with good teams. The Vols rank 113th in total offense. One less touchdown, and game tickets would be tax-deductible. Cover your eyes, children. Tennessee: meet 1-5. South Carolina covers 6. – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

USC football practices sometimes attract actors and other entertainment personalities, but Thursday saw the biggest Hollywood production of the Pete Carroll era. A stuntman fell from a platform, another ran across the field on fire. Both were “saved” by actor Will Ferrell, who wore a mask, half an Ironman costume and a Speedo-style swimsuit as Captain Compete. Thursday’s stunt began as the Trojans gathered after their final drill. Offensive line coach Pat Ruel began yelling at a man atop a mechanical lift used for filming practice. The man fell from the lift, on the street outside a fence that surrounds Howard Jones Field, and landed on a cushion out of view of those attending practice. A few seconds later, Ferrell burst through the gate carrying the unhurt man. As Ferrell addressed players, most of whom were laughing, another man emerged from behind the end zone engulfed in flames. After the flames were put out, Ferrell doused the man with water. – Los Angeles Times

Mark Richt quashed a rumor that Georgia was going to dress in all-black uniforms Saturday. He played coy, however, with beat reporters when the discussion went to red. “A blackout? No, man, no,” Richt said. Richt was then asked if the Bulldogs were going to wear their traditional red jerseys. “Do you really want to know? Don’t you just want to wait and see? Do you really want me to answer that question? You want me to straight up answer that question?” “Yes,” the reporters said in unison. “We’re wearing red.” Richt clammed up when asked if that meant red pants, too. “We’re going to wear red,” he said with a laugh. “Put that in the celebration category.” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Terrelle Pryor was dejected Saturday after Ohio State lost to Penn State 13-6, which might explain why offensive quality-control coach Nick Siciliano accompanied the freshman quarterback to postgame interviews. Siciliano sat next to Pryor and repeatedly patted him on the back and even interjected after one question that the loss wasn’t Pryor’s fault. Although Pryor’s gloom was evident — “I’ve never faced adversity like this before,” he said — it was the first time the team’s beat reporters could remember a player being given this kind of treatment after a game. Coaches have demonstrated their sensitivity to the news media’s treatment of Pryor in at least one other way. He has not been made available for any of the media-luncheon or after-practice interview sessions since being named the starting quarterback after the game against Southern California on Sept. 13. – Columbus Dispatch

Penn State coach Joe Paterno said the week off will give him time to have doctors examine his bothersome hip and noted that if surgery is required, he will have it done after the season so he can “get on the road and recruit.” There would seem to be a message there, that maybe the 81-year-old coach plans to return for yet another season. – Columbus Dispatch

Keith Price, the first of the Washington Huskies’ five football recruits to commit, is a little nervous because he hasn’t heard from anyone at the UW in the past two weeks. He wonders who will replace coach Tyrone Willingham, who was forced to resign this week, and said the upheaval on Montlake “shakes things up a bit” as far as his commitment. Price said he intends to sign a letter of intent with Washington in February, but said he plans to visit other schools and expects to take a trip to the University of Utah in December. Boise State and Washington State have also expressed interest in the 6-foot-2, 175 pound quarterback at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif. – Seattle Times

Less than a year ago, as Illinois savored its surprise Rose Bowl berth in coach Ron Zook’s third season, Zook was asked about the future of his program. “I don’t think there’s any question we’ll be a better football team next year,” he said. Zook never guaranteed a better record, but last year’s 9-3 regular-season mark is beyond the reach of this season’s 4-4 team. Losses to Missouri, Penn State, Minnesota and Wisconsin have left the Illini needing two victories in the final four games just to be bowl-eligible, beginning with Saturday’s home game against Iowa (5-3). And one of the games is against No. 13 Ohio State in Champaign on Nov. 15.”We could be 6-2,” Zook said. “It evens out in the long run. Maybe we won a couple of games last year we shouldn’t have. I still believe we’re a better football team. We’re not there yet. We have a long way to go.” – Chicago Tribune

When asked about a possible Big 12 vs. Southeastern Conference national title game, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said it’s too early to predict given the upsets that usually occur late in the year. Then he added, “I’m rooting for JoePa.” It makes us wonder: If the season ended with three undefeated teams at the top of the polls, how much would a sentiment similar to Spurrier’s affect voters given the impact Penn State’s soon-to-be-82-year-old coach, Joe Paterno, has had on the game? – USA Today

USC coach Pete Carroll thinks there is another reason for the offense’s struggles. “We’re playing teams in conference that know us and played against us for years,” Carroll said. “It’s harder to play them than when you see an opponent for the first time.” Maybe that explains how USC routed Ohio State (35-3) and Virginia (52-7) but struggled with Oregon State and Arizona. Sanchez admitted the games in conference seem to be more intense. “There’s more at stake for us and it’s a different deal,” he said. – LA Daily News

Mike Leach came to Texas Tech with the Spread Offense, which he learned from Hal Mumme at Kentucky. He refined it at Oklahoma with Bob Stoops, and planted its roots in west Texas. Every coach who has spent time as the Red Raiders coach knows he must have something unique to offer recruits because most places will be more attractive with bigger personalities. Leach is the perfect man for Lubbock since he does not seem to care about fluffy things. Mike promised young, aspiring quarterbacks and receivers that they could blossom and excel in his offense. They could have fun, set records, and become somewhat famous with their play. Michael Crabtree won the Fred Biletnekoff Award last year as the outstanding wide receiver in the country — and he was only a sophomore. His numbers are not as impressive this year but only when compared to last season. He still brings headaches to defensive coaches and players. – Desert Sun

When Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi replaced Glen Mason with the tight ends coach of the Denver Broncos, Tim Brewster imparted the impression that he would become a public relations whirlwind who would need to learn how to run a football program. Brewster never had worked as a coordinator or head coach above the high school level. He talked a good game. There existed no evidence that he knew how to coach a good game. With the Gophers at 7-1 and facing Northwestern this weekend, and with a New Year’s Day bowl a possibility, what is most remarkable about Brewster’s reign as the Gophers’ football coach is that he has proved far better at running the program than promoting it. – Star Tribune

Tim Tebow suffered a hyper-extended knee in the Oct. 4 game against Arkansas, but coach Urban Meyer said Thursday it has not affected Tebow’s play at all and he hasn’t missed any practice time. “It’s fine,” Meyer said. “Go to sleep tonight knowing he’s fine.” The injury was revealed after CBS play-by-play announcer Gary Danielson said Thursday that Meyer told him Tebow had been injured earlier in the season, but Florida had kept it quiet. Meyer said the injury happened on an interception throw in the Arkansas game, and he didn’t not talk about it because Tebow continued to play. Meyer said Tebow isn’t one to talk about his injuries, pointing out that Tebow told him before last year’s Georgia game that he was “fine.” “I later found he couldn’t pick his arm up,” Meyer said. – St. Petersburg Times

Who is the only true freshman to lead the Pac-10 in rushing for a season? Answer: no one, but Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers is more than halfway there, averaging 116 yards through seven games. That’s a comfortable margin over California’s Jahvid Best (107.2) especially with Arizona State’s No. 84-ranked rush defense up next Saturday. – Arizona Republic

The storyline has become less and less juicy as the years go by, but a trip back to Oxford, Miss., for Tommy Tuberville and a number of coaches on his staff still brings back the memories. The unkind reception from an anti-Tuberville fanbase has also tempered, making the trip just a tad more relaxing. “It’s not quite as brutal as it was early in my tenure,” Tuberville said. “It’s always fun to go back and see old friends. They even call for tickets. I never give them to them but they call for tickets.” The enemies certainly outnumbered the friends in Tuberville’s first couple of return trips to Ole Miss. Days before he signed with Auburn following the 1998 season, Tuberville made one of his more infamous statements: “They’ll have to carry me out of here in a pine box,” an enthusiastic commitment to the school where he began his head-coaching career. The words, obviously, did not sit well with fans, who have let Tuberville hear it when he returns every other year. The worst reaction came in his first trip back, in 2000, when Auburn players carried Tuberville on their shoulders after the Tigers’ victory. The Vaught-Hemingway crowd heavily booed the display. – Opelika-Auburn News

USC safety Kevin Ellison will not play on Saturday against Washington and could be out two to four weeks after suffering a knee injury in practice. Ellison, a senior who is tied for the team lead in tackles, said early Friday morning that an MRI exam revealed a torn meniscus in his right knee and that he might require surgery. – Los Angeles Times

He hasn’t been asked to host Saturday Night Live yet, or be a presenter at the ESPYs, but new Oregon State coach Craig Robinson is considered a big ‘get’ for TV and radio types. And after he’s done answering the obligatory questions about you-know-who, Robinson jumps at the chance to talk about Beavers’ basketball and the job he has bringing it back to respectability. Inauguration Day is Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. … normally, Robinson would be in Corvallis, helping OSU prepare for a Pac-10 roadie Jan. 22 at Cal. … and the Fox guys asked if Robinson would instead be in D.C. for the ceremony. “Well, if if works out on Tuesday, there is a very good chance that on the 20th, the team will be practicing without me there,” said Robinson. “But we will still be preparing for Cal.” – The Oregonian

Kansas running back Jake Sharp has been averaging 5.1 yards a carry for the Jayhawks in Big 12 play. He keyed KU’s comeback win at Iowa State with a 67-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown, and it’s no secret how he did it. Speed. Sharp has spent the last two years chipping away at that disappointing 40 time. In May, Sharp ran a 4.38 — down .15 seconds from his freshman year and the fastest on the team, according to Dawson. Safety Darrell Stuckey is second at 4.48, a full tenth of a second slower than Sharp. To Sharp, that’s exactly as it should be. “Speed is the No. 1 factor to my game,” Sharp said. “It’s why I’m able to play here.” – Kansas City Star

UCLA coaches will give the players today and Saturday off, using that time to visit recruits who could bring needed reinforcement next fall. “Big weekend for us,” Coach Rick Neuheisel said. “We’ll be out in earnest all day tomorrow and junior college recruiting on Saturday.” Junior college transfers could be of immediate help, but it remains to be seen how much leeway the university will allow in terms of admissions. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will be in the San Francisco Bay Area. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow will travel a little farther, flying to his native Hawaii. Coaches aren’t allowed to discuss recruits, but rivals.com has reported that UCLA has oral commitments from running back Dalton Hilliard and receiver Roby Toma of Punahou High in Honolulu. – Los Angeles Times

Aundre Dean was considered one of the jewels of UCLA’s recruiting class, but two-thirds of the way through the season the freshman has barely been on the field and would not commit to being a Bruin in 2009. The tailback has been slowed by an ankle injury, and has two carries for one yard. Although he is on UCLA’s travel roster, his only action came late in games - Sept. 13 at BYU and Oct. 4 at home against Washington State. When asked if he would be at UCLA next season, Dean was non-committal. “I’m pretty sure I will be, but we’ll see how it goes,” Dean said. “I’m working right now. That’s all I can do right now, and finish out the year. Work, work, work. That’s all I can say. I don’t want anybody to say I didn’t work hard, so that’s what I’m doing right now, working my butt off. It’s way down the road. I have no idea (about transferring).” – LA Daily News