Zook, Carroll looking a lot alike these days
By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
LOS ANGELES -- One of the two men who will lead their teams into the Rose Bowl presented by Citi on New Year's Day was fired by his previous employer. He was given a pink slip even after compiling a winning record and leading his team into the postseason during his tenure. The coach was criticized for being too chummy with his players and not tough enough.
Surprisingly, that man was Illinois' Ron Zook and Southern California's Pete Carroll.
Zook was named Steve Spurrier's successor at Florida in 2002 and was fired after only three seasons. Before Carroll built the Trojans into college football's most recent dynasty, he was an unemployed coach who was out of work for one season after being fired by the New England Patriots.
Both found redemption at their new schools. Carroll has led USC to two national championships and has won 84 percent of his games there. Zook led the Illini to their first Rose Bowl since 1983 after producing the biggest turnaround in the country this season.
"I had a pretty good winning record at New England and got fired," Carroll said. "I can appreciate guys making it through and coming out on the other side."
Carroll, 56, was fired twice as an NFL coach. He lasted only one season with the New York Jets, after his team finished 6-10 in 1994. Hired three years later as coach of the Patriots, Carroll led his team to an AFC East title and the second round of the playoffs in his first season in 1997. The Patriots went 9-7 and made the playoffs the next year, but Carroll was fired after an 8-8 finish in 1999.
Zook took a similar path to Illinois. He led Florida to three consecutive winning records and bowl games, but was fired before his third season was finished. He was ridiculed for his energetic personality and tireless work ethic and was inauspiciously dubbed "The Zooker" by opponents and even his own team's fans.
As different as Carroll and Zook seemed three years ago, when the Trojans were putting the finishing touches on consecutive national championships and the Gators were showing their coach the door, they seem very much alike today. Both have defensive backgrounds. Both are great recruiters. And both are master motivators.
"In many ways, I think they are a lot alike," USC quarterback John David Booty said. "I don't know Coach Zook in a personal way, but I think they're probably pretty similar. I know the energy Coach Carroll brings. We look for a lot of our energy from him. We look for a lot of our motivation from him. I think the same thing is probably true of Coach Zook."
And now both are near the top of their profession.
Carroll has led USC to six consecutive BCS bowl games and Pac-10 Conference championships. The No. 7 Trojans have won 66 times in their past 72 games and have finished in the top five of the final AP Top 25 poll five straight times.
Zook's sudden success at Illinois has been just as remarkable. After winning only two games in each of Zook's first two seasons, the No. 13 Illini finished 9-3 this year. Illinois went 6-2 in Big Ten play, after losing 30 of its previous 32 games against conference foes. The Illini ended Wisconsin's 14-game winning streak with a surprising 31-26 upset in October, then stunned No. 1 Ohio State 28-21 on the road in early November.
Even Carroll sees a lot of Zook in himself.
"He's such a great worker and such an energetic guy," Carroll said. "I think he's always been a good football coach. He had a good run at Florida, too. I don't think there was ever any question he was going to be successful all along. To get this far this quickly, I think it's a tremendous statement about him. That's a program that had some hard, hard times the last several years. For him to turn it around is quite an achievement."
Zook said he had nothing to prove to himself or others after he was fired at Florida.
"It's not about redemption," Zook said. "I'm just thankful I was given this opportunity to come here and coach here. I think it's about timing in coaching. It's just like Coach Carroll, he didn't fail [in the NFL]. It's just the society we live in. I told our guys down there [at Florida] that we didn't fail. We just ran out of time."
If given more time at Florida, Zook's assistant coaches contend he would have been just as successful with the Gators.
"I think it would have happened at Florida," said Illinois co-defensive coordinator Dan Disch, who was Zook's secondary coach at Florida in 2004. "I don't think they gave him enough time. We're 9-3 in our third year here at a program that doesn't have the same resources or talent as Florida. I knew that when it ended at Florida, if he went somewhere and got the time he needed, he'd be successful. I think it was just a matter of giving him enough time to do it."
Like Carroll, Zook has long been regarded among college football's best recruiters. He recruited many of the Florida players who won a national championship under Urban Meyer in 2006.
"I think Coach Meyer has some pretty good players he's coaching that Coach Zook got for him," USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. "Obviously, it takes a guy who can call plays and motivate people, and Coach Zook has shown he can do that at Illinois. Obviously, where he's made his mark is in recruiting."
Under Zook, Illinois has signed many players who would have never considered the Illini in the past. Freshman receiver Arrelious Benn turned down scholarship offers from Florida State, Notre Dame and USC, among other more established programs. Sophomore cornerback Vontae Davis was another highly recruited player from Washington, D.C., and quarterback Juice Williams and linebacker Martez Wilson were highly sought-out prospects from Chicago.
"You either get on the bus or you don't," Disch said. "He's just really going so fast and believing in himself so much that you really don't have to make a choice. You just believe in the guy."
It didn't take the Trojans long to begin believing in Carroll. After USC went 6-6 in his first season, it has won at least 11 games in every season since (Nebraska, Florida State and Oklahoma are the only other programs to accomplish that feat in five straight seasons). Carroll recruited Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush and at least two dozen other NFL draft choices.
"I think he's the model," Sarkisian said of his boss. "For a young football coach like myself and having Pete as a mentor, you want to have the energy he has to get on the recruiting trail and practice field. He never has a bad day."
There aren't many bad days for Zook anymore, either.
Mark Schlabach covers college football and men's college basketball for ESPN.com. You can contact him at schlabachma@yahoo.com.
Copyright (c)2007 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.
XM to Air 30 College Football Bowl Games in December and January
December 17, 2007: 09:45 AM EST
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM Satellite Radio today announced that it will air 30 college football bowl games in December and January, culminating with the exclusive satellite radio broadcasts of the five 2008 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070313/XMLOGO )
XM will broadcast the 30 bowl games to its 8.5 million subscribers across the continental United States starting December 20 as Navy plays Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl, building up to the Allstate BCS National Championship Game on January 7 as top-ranked Ohio State takes on No. 2 LSU. The full schedule of bowl games on XM is listed below, and can be found online at www.xmradio.com/onxm/features/bcs-2008.xmc.
The satellite radio network today also announced the sportscasters who will provide play-by-play coverage and analysis of the BCS games on XM, and it announced that ESPN will produce a BCS special hosted by Colin Cowherd to air exclusively on XM.
XM's Dave Sims and Gary Danielson will announce the Allstate BCS National Championship Game and the FedEx Orange Bowl. Sims, who calls college football games for ESPN and NFL games for Westwood One, is also the co-host of XM's "Basketball and Beyond with Coach K." Danielson, the former college football and NFL quarterback, is a college football analyst for XM and CBS Sports.
XM's T.J. Rives and Don McPherson will announce the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Rives is the anchor of "XM Sports Nation This Morning" and "College Football Coast to Coast" and the co-host of "The SEC Now" on XM, as well as a college sports play-by-play announcer and pro football reporter. McPherson, the veteran college football and NFL player, is a college sports analyst for XM.
XM's Gino Torretta and Bill Rosinski will announce the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Torretta, the 1992 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and NFL veteran, is a college football analyst for XM who calls games for Touchdown Radio, ESPN, and SportsUSA Radio. Rosinski is heard on XM calling ACC football and basketball for ISP Sports, and he is an NFL play-by-play announcer for Westwood One.
For the Rose Bowl, XM will carry the ESPN Radio broadcast featuring sportscasters Mike Tirico of "Monday Night Football," college football analyst and veteran coach Bob Davie, and sideline reporter and all-star athlete Stacey Dales.
The ESPN special on the BCS hosted by Cowherd will air exclusively on XM on December 29 on ESPN Radio (XM Channel 140). The show will air at 8 a.m. ET and replay at 2 p.m. ET, with encores on Dec. 30 at 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, December 31 at 7 p.m. ET and January 1 at 8 a.m. ET.
2007-08 College Football Bowl Games Schedule on XM
December 20
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Utah v. Navy
9:00 pm ET on XM Channel 231
December 21
R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Memphis v. Florida Atlantic
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 22
Papajohns.com Bowl
Southern Miss v. Cincinnati
1:00 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 22
New Mexico Bowl
Nevada v. New Mexico
4:30 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 22
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
UCLA v. BYU
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 193
December 23
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl
Boise State v. East Carolina
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 26
Motor City Bowl
Purdue v. Cent. Michigan
7:30 pm ET on XM Channel 196
December 27
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl
Arizona State v. Texas
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 28
Champs Sports Bowl
Boston College v. Michigan State
5:00 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 28
Emerald Bowl
Maryland v. Oregon State
8:30 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 29
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Connecticut v. Wake Forest
1:00 pm ET on XM Channel 190
December 29
AutoZone Liberty Bowl
UCF v. Mississippi State
4:30 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 29
Valero Alamo Bowl
Penn State v. Texas A&M
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 30
PetroSun Independence Bowl
Alabama v. Colorado
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 199
December 31
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
California v. Air Force
12:30 pm ET on XM Channel 140
December 31
Sun Bowl
South Florida v. Oregon
2:00 pm ET on XM Channel 203
December 31
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Georgia Tech v. Fresno State
2:00 pm ET on XM Channel 190
December 31
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Kentucky v. Florida State
4:00 pm ET on XM Channel 199
December 31
Insight Bowl
Indiana v. Oklahoma State
6:00 pm ET on XM Channel 196
January 1
Outback Bowl
Wisconsin v. Tennessee
11:00 am ET on XM Channel 140
January 1
Cotton Bowl
Missouri v. Arkansas
11:30 am ET on XM Channel 241
January 1
Gator Bowl
Texas Tech v. Virginia
1:00 pm ET on XM Channel 190
January 1
Capital One Bowl
Michigan v. Florida
1:00 pm ET on XM Channel 199
January 1
Rose Bowl presented by Citi
Illinois v. USC
4:30pm ET on XM Channel 140
January 1
Allstate Sugar Bowl
Hawaii v. Georgia
8:30pm ET on XM Channel 144
January 2
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma v. West Virginia
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 144
January 3
FedEx Orange Bowl
Virginia Tech v. Kansas
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 144
January 5
International Bowl
Rutgers v. Ball State
12:00 noon ET on XM Channel 203
January 6
GMAC Bowl
Bowling Green v. Tulsa
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 231
January 7
BCS National Championship Game
LSU v. Ohio State
8:00 pm ET on XM Channel 144
About XM
XM is America's number one satellite radio company with more than 8.5 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2007 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.
XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, and Ferrari, is available in 140 different vehicle models for 2007. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/ .
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 3-1-07. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department. Programming is subject to change.
(c)2007 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
College Football | Rutgers' Schiano won't take Michigan job
By The Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Luring coach Greg Schiano from Rutgers is proving to be difficult, even for some of the nation's high-profile programs.
Miami couldn't swing the deal last year, and Michigan failed to entice Schiano to one of the sport's most prestigious jobs after a two-day courtship this week.
Schiano's latest decision left the Wolverines 0 for 2 in their bid to find a successor to Lloyd Carr, who announced his retirement last month. Louisiana State's Les Miles, a former Michigan player and assistant coach, last weekend rejected overtures to return to Ann Arbor.
In a statement Friday, Schiano said, "I was contacted earlier this week about the Michigan coaching vacancy, but I have decided to remove my name from consideration. I look forward to our third straight bowl game and to bringing a national championship to Rutgers and the State of New Jersey. I will have no further comment."
A fatigued Schiano addressed his players Friday at 7 a.m. Eastern time to inform them of his decision.
"The University of Miami and the University of Michigan came calling, and he's still our football coach," Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel said several hours later. "I don't think we have much to worry about."
Johnson leaves Navy
for Georgia Tech
ATLANTA - Coach Paul Johnson, previously at Navy, was hired to replace Chan Gailey at Georgia Tech. Johnson will get a seven-year contract worth "a little north of $11 million," athletic director Dan Radakovich said.
Gailey had six consecutive winning seasons at Georgia Tech but was 0-6 against Georgia.
Johnson was 45-29 at Navy, including 6-0 against rival Army. He said he will not coach Navy in the Dec. 20 Poinsettia Bowl against Utah in San Diego.
Notes
The Heisman Trophy will be presented tonight in New York, and a player from the Southeastern Conference - either Florida quarterback Tim Tebow or Arkansas running back Darren McFadden - is expected to win the award. The other finalists are quarterbacks Colt Brennan of Hawaii and Chase Daniel of Missouri.
Tebow, a sophomore, would be the first sophomore or freshman to win the Heisman.
- Appalachian State began the season by stunning Michigan and will end it playing for a third consecutive national championship.
Armanti Edwards rushed for 313 yards and four touchdowns and threw for 182 yards and three more scores as Appalachian State advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision - formerly Division I-AA - title game with a 55-35 win over Richmond.
Appalachian State will play the winner of today's Delaware-Southern Illinois game for the title Friday in Chattanooga, Tenn.
- Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy had a one-year contract extension approved by regents, extending his deal through 2013.
- Texas A&M regents approved a contract buyout for ex-coach Dennis Franchione worth up to $4.4 million over three years.
- Ohio State junior James Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker.
Copyright (c) 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Noles end Boston College's dream start to season
By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
Updated: November 4, 2007, 2:16 AM ET
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Boston College trailed Florida State by a field goal with less than two minutes to play Saturday night at Alumni Stadium.
The No. 2 Eagles had the football, and quarterback Matt Ryan had it in his hands with a chance to win the game for the second week in a row.
"We had a chance," Eagles free safety Jamie Silva said. "It's exciting to see the ball in Matt's hands, seeing what he did last week and what he's done in the past. ... When he took the field, I said, 'Here we go.'"
Instead, there went Boston College's national championship hopes and Ryan's chances of winning the Heisman Trophy. On second-and-7 from the BC 33, Ryan dropped and threw to the left side for tight end Ryan Purvis. Seminoles linebacker Geno Hayes jumped the route and wrested the football from Purvis' hands for an interception. Hayes returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and a 10-point lead with 1:10 to play.
The Seminoles held on for a 27-17 victory, stunning much of the crowd of 40,065 fans, most of whom came to Alumni Stadium expecting to see the Eagles improve to 9-0 in their magical season.
Instead, with one mad dash to the maroon end zone, Hayes shattered Boston College's dreams of playing in the BCS National Championship Game. With the Eagles and No. 4 Arizona State losing Saturday, there are only three unbeaten teams left in major college football: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 8 Kansas and No. 14 Hawaii.
Boston College's unbeaten season wasn't supposed to end this way. Not when the Eagles had the football in Ryan's hands again.
Nine days earlier, at Virginia Tech on another rain-soaked night, Ryan elevated himself to the top of a lot of Heisman Trophy ballots by throwing two touchdowns in the final 2:11 to stun the Hokies 14-10 at Lane Stadium. Ryan displayed pinpoint precision and swift decision-making in the Eagles' final two drives in that game, a victory that kept Boston College undefeated.
"I thought we had a real good chance," Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "I thought we were going to go down there and score, and it just didn't work out that way."
Perhaps there shouldn't have been much surprise at the way things ended. After all, Boston College and Florida State had reversed roles coming into the game. The Seminoles won two national championship in the 1990s but hadn't won much of anything in the new millennium. The Eagles hadn't been 8-0 since 1942 and had never been ranked as high as second in the BCS standings.
The Seminoles were reduced to an underdog and ended up spoiling more than a broken icebox.
"How long has it been since we beat a No. 2 team?" Florida State coach Bobby Bowden asked. "It's been quite a while. We're trying to get back to where we were."
The Seminoles hadn't beaten a No. 2 team since they defeated Virginia Tech and Michael Vick 46-29 in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, a game that won them their latest national championship. FSU hadn't beaten a top-five opponent in the regular season since 2000, the last time the Noles were even in the national title discussion.
"It's definitely a step in the right direction," Bowden said of beating the Eagles. "There's no way you can look at a win over a No. 2 team and say it's not a step in the right direction. Who knows what's going to happen next? We're really about to play the toughest part of our schedule."
So are the Eagles, who play their next two games at Maryland and at Clemson before finishing the regular season at home against Miami on Nov. 24. Boston College still has a one-game lead over Clemson and defending ACC champion Wake Forest in the Atlantic Division standings.
The Seminoles, who still must play road games at Virginia Tech and at defending national champion Florida, are two games behind the Eagles in the division standings.
"This win means a lot," FSU receiver Preston Parker said. "It gives us a lot of confidence. It makes everybody happy and makes everyone want to win more."
The Seminoles have a chance to win again because junior quarterback Drew Weatherford is playing well enough to win. Weatherford, who lost his starting job to junior Xavier Lee before winning it back two weeks ago, completed 29 of 45 passes for 354 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Weatherford wasn't looking over his shoulder, either, as Lee was suspended for two games this week for what Bowden called a violation of team rules.
Weatherford threw a 42-yard touchdown to senior De'Cody Fagg that put the Seminoles ahead 20-10 with 8:11 left to play.
"He's relaxed and playing well, and he and I are on the same page more," said FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher. "There are a lot of options in our offense. He's doing things on his own and trusting his instincts. He's playing with his guts and heart and isn't overthinking things."
The Seminoles' speedy defense had Ryan thinking a lot Saturday night. The senior from Philadelphia threw for 415 yards and two touchdowns, but he also was intercepted three times in 53 pass attempts.
Ryan threw an interception at Florida State's 2-yard line late in the first quarter, then threw another one at the FSU 34 with 8:13 to go in the third quarter.
But the interception Hayes returned for a touchdown was the one that really hurt.
"I dropped back, had a crossing route underneath and made a poor throw on it," Ryan said. "I thought I could have been there if I had a good throw, but there wasn't much down the field with a lot of guys backing into coverage. I just really didn't make a good throw, and consequently it was intercepted and taken back for a touchdown."
Boston College was only 2-for-4 in red zone opportunities. After the Seminoles went ahead 13-7 with about 11½ minutes to play, the Eagles had first-and-goal at the FSU 6 and seemed poised to take the lead.
But a false-start penalty backed up Boston College to the 11, then Ryan was penalized twice for illegal forward passes because he threw the football beyond the line of scrimmage. Those mistakes moved the Eagles back to the FSU 18, where they settled for Steve Aponavicius' 35-yard field goal to make it 13-10 with less than nine minutes left.
"We were able to get in the red zone and move the ball pretty good," Ryan said. "We just left it down there, and it hurt. We were never able to punch the ball in with some good opportunities. It's all forgot if you can't put it in the end zone."
And the Eagles can forget about their BCS championship hopes now, too.
Mark Schlabach covers college football and men's college basketball for ESPN.com. You can contact him at schlabachma@yahoo.com.
Copyright (c)2007 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.
No. 5 Oregon Beats No. 12 USC 24-17: College Football (Update3)
By Bob Bensch
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Jonathan Stewart ran for two second- half touchdowns to lead the University of Oregon to a 24-17 win over Southern California.
Quarterback Dennis Dixon also rushed for a score for the Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pacific-10 Conference), the fifth-ranked team in college football's Bowl Championship Series. Mark Sanchez threw two touchdown passes for No. 12 USC (6-2, 3-2).
The game was the first between two top-10 teams in the 41- year history of Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.
Dixon ran for a 2-yard touchdown to help Oregon take a 10-3 halftime lead. Sanchez then threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Patrick Turner early in the third quarter to tie the game.
Stewart put Oregon back on top with a 16-yard touchdown run with 5:25 left in the quarter. He then increased the Ducks' lead to 24-10 with a 1-yard scoring run early in the fourth.
Sanchez threw a touchdown pass to David Ausberry with 4:44 remaining to pull USC within 24-17. The Trojans got the ball back and drove to the Oregon 33-yard line before Matthew Harper intercepted a Sanchez pass with nine seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
Dixon passed for 157 yards and ran for 76 yards, and Stewart rushed for 103 yards. Sanchez completed 26 of 41 passes for 277 yards with two interceptions, and Turner caught seven passes for 107 yards.
Top-ranked Ohio State beat No. 25 Penn State 37-17. Todd Boeckman threw three touchdown passes and Chris Wells rushed for 133 yards as the Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) won their 19th straight conference game, tying the record set by Michigan in 1990-92.
A.J. Lewis returned a kickoff 97 yards for a Penn State (6-3, 3-3) touchdown.
In other games involving teams in the BCS top-25, it was No. 4 Arizona State 31, California 20; No. 7 West Virginia 31, Rutgers 3; No. 9 Kansas 19, Texas A&M 11; No. 23 Connecticut 22, No. 10 South Florida 15; No. 18 Georgia 42, No. 11 Florida 30; No. 13 Missouri 42, Iowa State 28; Mississippi State 31, No. 14 Kentucky 14; North Carolina State 29, No. 15 Virginia 24; Tennessee 27, No. 16 South Carolina 24; No. 19 Texas 28, Nebraska 25; No. 20 Michigan 34, Minnesota 10; and No. 22 Auburn 22, Mississippi 3.
(c)2007 BLOOMBERG L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
College Football: Roundup
Published: October 14, 2007
No. 3 Ohio State 48, Kent State 3
In Columbus, Ohio, Brian Hartline returned a punt a school-record 90 yards and Donald Washington brought back an interception 70 yards to lead the Buckeyes (7-0) to an easy victory over Kent State.
The game was little more than a tuneup for the Buckeyes for the Big Ten stretch drive.
No. 4 Boston College 27, Notre Dame 14
In South Bend, Indiana, Matt Ryan threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns, Andre Callender scored three times and Boston College remained undefeated by downing Notre Dame.
The Eagles (7-0) appeared ready to blow the game open when Ryan threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Callender to make it 20-0 with 11:42 left in the third quarter.
However, the Irish (1-6) scored a pair of touchdowns 95 seconds apart to cut it to 20-14.
No. 5 South Florida 64, UCF 12
In Tampa, Florida, playing at home for the first time since climbing into the Top 10, the Bulls dominated Central Florida for their school record-tying eighth straight victory dating to last season.
George Selvie, the nation's sack leader, led a swarming defense that corralled the nation's leading rusher, and Matt Grothe threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more to help the Bulls (6-0) extend the best start in the school's relatively brief football history.
No. 6 Oklahoma 41, No. 11 Missouri 31
In Norman, Oklahoma, Chris Brown ran for three second-half touchdowns, Curtis Lofton returned a fumble for a touchdown and Oklahoma knocked Missouri from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Brown put the Sooners (6-1, 2-1 Big 12) ahead to stay with his 1-yard touchdown run with 12:26 remaining, and Lofton scooped up a botched handoff and returned it 15 yards for a score 46 seconds later.
No. 7 South Carolina 21, North Carolina 15
In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chris Smelley threw a career-high three touchdown passes in the first half and South Carolina withstood a late rally.
The redshirt freshman improved to 4-0 as a starter, helping South Carolina (6-1) build a 21-3 lead through three quarters and successfully defend its first top 10 ranking since 2001.
No. 9 Oregon 53, Washington St. 7
In Eugene, Oregon, Dennis Dixon threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns and Oregon handed Washington State its fourth straight loss.
No. 10 USC 20, Arizona 13
In Los Angeles, Southern California got back to winning, but it was a struggle all the way.
No. 12 Virginia Tech 43, Duke 14
In Durham, North Carolina, Sean Glennon threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns in relief of injured Tyrod Taylor, and Virginia Tech's defense shut down Duke.
No. 14 Arizona State 44, Washington 20
In Tempe, Arizona, Keegan Herring had a 76-yard touchdown run, and Dimitri Nance had a 57-yarder to help Arizona State overcame a four-point halftime deficit.
Louisville 28, No. 15 Cincinnati 24
In Cincinatti, Brian Brohm threw three touchdown passes and made a gutsy, game-turning 51-yard completion, rallying Louisville.
Iowa 10, No. 18 Illinois 6
In Iowa City, Iowa, Brett Greenwood intercepted an Eddie McGee pass at the goal line with 1:12 left and the Hawkeyes snapped the Illini's five-game winning streak.
Penn St. 38, No. 19 Wisconsin 7
In State College, Pennsylvania, Rodney Kinlaw ran for 115 yards and a touchdown, Anthony Morelli threw for 216 yards and another score and Penn State capitalized on mistake-prone Wisconsin.
No 20 Kansas 58, Baylor 10
In Lawrence, Kansas, Todd Reesing threw two touchdown passes and Jake Sharp rushed for 110 yards and another score in a game delayed more than two hours by lightning and heavy rain.
No. 22 Auburn 9, Arkansas 7
In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Wes Byrum kicked his second game-winning field goal in three weeks, this one from 20 yards with 21 seconds remaining to give Auburn victory.
No. 23 Texas 56, Iowa St 3
In Ames, Iowa (AP), Colt McCoy threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as Texas ended its longest conference losing streak in 51 years.
No. 24 Georgia 20, Vanderbilt 17
In Nashville, Tennessee, Brandon Coutu kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to help Georgia overcome a 10-point halftime deficit.
No. 25 Tennessee 33, Miss. St. 21
In Starkville, Mississippi, Erik Ainge threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns and Lucas Taylor had career highs of 11 catches for 186 yards for Tennessee.
Copyright (c) 2007 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved
College football roundup
By ending Wisconsin's streak, Illinois rushes to the fore
October 7, 2007
Last weekend's upset of a ranked Penn State team wasn't enough to get Illinois ranked. Maybe this one will be.
Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams carried the surprising Illini to a 31-26 win over No. 5 Wisconsin yesterday in Champaign, Ill., ending the Badgers' national-best 14-game winning streak.
Mendenhall ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and Williams added another 92 yards rushing as Illinois improved to 5-1 overall. The Illini are off to a 3-0 start in the Big Ten for the first time since 1990, when they earned a share of the conference title.
Coach Ron Zook's resurrection of Illinois has mirrored his own. He was run out of Florida after three winning seasons, only to surface in Champaign in 2005. After winning only four of his first 23 games, and just one in the conference, he has Illinois talking Big Ten title.
The Badgers (5-1, 2-1) hadn't lost since Sept. 16, 2006, at Michigan. It was also only the second loss in 19 games for coach Bret Bielema.
Mendenhall, the Big Ten's third-leading rusher at better than 122 yards a game, had 100 by halftime, and his two touchdowns carried Illinois to a 17-6 lead.
Wisconsin charged back behind Tyler Donovan, who completed 27 of 49 passes for 392 yards and two TDs but also had two interceptions in Illinois territory.
Ohio St. 23, Purdue 7 - The No. 4 Buckeyes held the No. 23 Boilermakers to more than 200 total yards below their average, and Todd Boeckman supplied the offense with 200 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Ryan Pretorius made all three of his field goal attempts for Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten). Purdue (5-1, 1-1) had averaged 45 points and 496 yards per game, but totaled just 272 (only 4 rushing), while Jared Armstrong tied a school record with 12 punts.
South Florida 35, Florida Atlantic 23 - Playing with the highest ranking in school history, the No. 6 Bulls (5-0) needed strong games from Benjamin Williams and Matt Grothe to hold off the upstart Owls (3-3) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Williams ran for 186 yards and four touchdowns, and quarterback Grothe added 120 yards rushing and a score for South Florida, which committed four turnovers for the second straight game.
Oklahoma 28, Texas 21 - Showing poise and patience, freshman quarterback Sam Bradford threw for three scores and hardly made a mistake in Dallas as the 10th-ranked Sooners ended a two-game losing streak to the No. 19 Longhorns.
Bradford was 21 of 32 for 244 yards, keeping Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) in control against its biggest rival, and on the heels of last weekend's meltdown at Colorado, Texas (4-2) is 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 1956.
Tennessee 35, Georgia 14 - Arian Foster rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns as the Volunteers (3-2, 1-1 SEC) put an emphatic end to the 12th-ranked Bulldogs' three-game winning streak in Knoxville, Tenn.
It was Georgia's worst loss since the 2003 Southeastern Conference championship, a 34-13 loss to LSU, and coach Mark Richt's first loss at Tennessee. It also was the most points allowed this year by the Bulldogs (4-2, 2-2).
West Virginia 55, Syracuse 14 - Fullback Owen Schmitt scored his first two touchdowns of the season, and the No. 13 Mountaineers (5-1, 1-1 Big East) delivered coach Rich Rodriguez his 100th career victory with a blowout in Syracuse, N.Y.
Missouri 41, Nebraska 6 - While Chase Daniel passed for a career-best 401 yards and ran for two scores in leading No. 17 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) to 606 total yards, the host Tigers' defense did the most damage against No. 25 Nebraska (4-2, 1-1), as the Cornhuskers were held without a touchdown for the first time since 2004.
Arizona St. 23, Washington St. 20 - Thomas Weber kicked a 37-yard field goal with 50 seconds left, and the No. 18 Sun Devils (6-0, 3-0 Pac-10) avoided the upset in Pullman, Wash.
Cincinnati 28, Rutgers 23 - At Piscataway, N.J., Ben Mauk threw two of his three touchdown passes in a 19-second span late in the third quarter, and the 20th-ranked Bearcats (6-0, 1-0 Big East) forced the No. 21 Scarlet Knights (3-2, 0-1) into four turnovers.
Kansas 30, Kansas St. 24 - At Manhattan, Kan., Todd Reesing threw for 267 yards and three TDs and the Jayhawks knocked off the No. 24 Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) in their Big 12 opener to start a season 5-0 for just the third time in 39 years.
(c) Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
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