The Bum's 2015 College Football All You Need To Know- Trends, Picks, News Etc.

[StarDust Bum]

Tech Trends - Week 4

September 22, 2015

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

CINCINNATI at MEMPHIS
Tigers 10-4-2 vs. line since LY including 41-14 win at Cincy. Tuberville only 3-4 as dog with Bearcats since 2013.
Memphis, based on recent trends.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

BOISE STATE at VIRGINIA
Mike London now on 8-2-1 run last 11 as dog. Cavs also 8-2 vs. spread last 10 at Charlottesville and are 5-1-1 last seven vs. line against non-ACC.
Virginia, based on team trends.

STANFORD at OREGON STATE
Beavs 3-12 vs. line since LY Stanford 5-0 SU, 4-1 vs. line last five vs. OSU. Beavs 1-6 as dog since LY, though Andersen 9-2 last 11 as dog dating to 2011 with Utags. Shaw was 8-1 as visiting chalk his first two years (2011-12) but has sagged to 3-7 in role since. Tree has covered 3 of last 4 after facing SC.
Stanford, based on team and series trends.


SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

BYU at MICHIGAN
Bronco Mendenhall covering again as dog, 3-0 TY, now 12-5 in role since 2011.
BYU, based on team trends.

ARMY at EASTERN MICHIGAN
Army finally got a long-awaited cover as visitor at UConn, had dropped 14 straight vs. line in role though have covered some neutral site games along the way. This is sixth meeting since 2008, Army 4-1 SU and 3-2 vs. line in those. If favored note EMU 0-3 as chalk since 2012.
Slight to Army, based on series trends.

NEVADA at BUFFALO
Leipold now 3-0 vs. line with Bulls and if favored note Buff is 6-1 as home chalk since 2013. Polian 6-1 vs. spread as visitor since 2014, and if dog, note 5-2 last seven as visiting dog.
Slight to Nevada, if dog, based on team trends.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN at MICHIGAN STATE
MSU 0-3 vs. line to start this season. Note Dantonio endured 0-6 spread mark at home in 2012, though was 8-6 in role past two years. Spartans had covered 7 of 8 vs. non-Big 10 prior to three Ls to start TY. MSU was 8-1 as DD chalk LY but 0-2 in role TY.
Slight to CMU, based on recent trends.

SOUTHERN MISS at NEBRASKA
Golden Eagles have covered first three TY and USM 5-2 as road dog since LY. Mike Riley teams just 5-10 last 15 as chalk (1-1 with Huskers).
USM, based on recent trends.

MISSOURI at KENTUCKY
Note that UK has covered only 2 of last 11 in game after facing Gators (2-7-2 vs. line). If dog, Stoops only 1-6-2 in role at home since 2013, though 1-4-1 of that came in 2013 debut. Pinkel has won and covered handily all by DD margins in three vs. Cats since joining SC in 2012. Tigers were 9-0 vs. spread as visitor past two years before non-cover at Ark State.
Mizzou, based on team and series trends.

TEXAS STATE at HOUSTON
Franchione did upset the Levine UH in 2012 opener. Franchione 10-5 vs. line since LY and 6-2 as dog. Cougs only 2-6 as home chalk since LY (0-1 for Herman).
Slight to Texas State, based on recent Franchione marks.

NAVY at UCONN
Diaco 4-11 vs. line since LY. Navy 14-8 vs. spread last 22 as visitor, Mids 11-8 as chalk since 2013.
Navy, based on team trends.

VIRGINIA TECH at EAST CAROLINA
Beamer has failed to cover last three vs. ECU since 2011 and 1-5-1 vs. spread in seven games against Pirates since 2007, though Hokies have only lost two of those SU.
ECU, based on series trends.

SAN DIEGO STATE at PENN STATE
Aztecs 8-18 vs. line against non-MW since Rocky took over in 2012. SDS 3-5 last 8 as road dog. Franklin was 5-0 vs. line in non-Big 10 LY but 1-2 thus far in 2015.
Slight to Penn State, based on team trends.

BOWLING GREEN at PURDUE
If BG a single-digit dog note 4-1-1 mark in role for Babers since LY. Falcs 11-7-1 vs. spread as visitor (counts Tenn at Nashville) since 2011.
BG, based on team trends.

KANSAS at RUTGERS
Jayhawks 6-15-1 vs. line on road since 2011. KU also 2-9 vs. spread since 2012 vs. non-Big 12. But 'Gers only 3-7 as DD chalk since 2012.
Slight to Rutgers, based on KU negatives.

WESTERN MICHIGAN at OHIO STATE
Urban only 11-12 as DD chalk since 2013, 6-7 laying 20 or more. Urban only 5-7 vs. spread against non-Big 10 at big horseshoe and no covers last four at home. . WMU 12-4 vs. line since LY, 5-1 last 6 as visiting dog.
WMU, based on team trends.

ARKANSAS STATE at TOLEDO
Go Daddy Bowl rematch from last January after Rockets won 63-44. Though Toledo only 1-3-2 as Glass Bowl chalk since L. Red Wolves no covers last four away from Jonesboro.
Toledo, based on recent trends.

INDIANA at WAKE FOREST
Hoosiers only 3-9 vs. line last 12 away from Bloomington. If getting points, note Deacs 5-1 last six as home dog.
Wake, if dog, based on team trends.

MARYLAND at WEST VIRGINIA
Terps had covered three straight in series before last season when WVU won and covered close, 40-37. Holgorsen 5-13 as Mountaineer Field chalk, also 5-8 last 13 vs. non-Big 12. Edsall 4-1 as visiting dog LY, also 11-6 vs. spread as visitor since 2012.
Maryland, based on team trends.

GEORGIA TECH at DUKE
Duke won at Atlanta LY but GT 9-1 last 10 vs. line since mid 2014. Jackets have also won SU five straight at Durham (4-1 vs. line in those). Cutcliffe, on 21-8-1 vs. line since 2013.
Slight to GT, based on team and series trends.

VANDERBILT at OLE MISS
Rebs have gotten Vandy the past two years but Dores had won and covered previous three meetings. Still Hugh Freeze now on 37-16-1 spread run since 2011 at Ark State and is 10-3-1 laying DD with Rebs. Dores are 6-2 as visiting dog past two years (3-1 for Derek Mason LY).
Ole Miss, based on team trends.

NORTH TEXAS at IOWA
Not-so-Mean Green now 0-7 as road dog since LY! Ferentz is 8-5 last 13 vs. line.
Iowa, based on UNT road woes.

MTSU at ILLINOIS
Illini had been 4-8 as chalk since 2012 entering TY. MTSU has covered first three this season.
MTSU, based on extended trends.

NEW MEXICO at WYOMING
Bohl on 1-5 spread run since late LY, 3-9 last 12 on board. Lost to Davie LY and Lobos have covered 4 of last 5 in series. Davie 9-3-1 last 13 away vs. line.
New Mexico, based on team and series trends.

FIU at LA TECH
Skip 13-4 vs. line since LY. Ron Turner 10-5 vs. line since LY, 4-2 as road dog.
Slight to La Tech, based on recent trends.

RICE at BAYLOR
David Bailiff on 29-14-1 spread run and 11-2 last 13 vs. line since early 2014. Also 6-3 last 9 as DD dog. Baylor no covers three straight or five of six since late LY.
Rice, based on team trends.

TEXAS A&M vs. ARKANSAS (at Jerry Jones Stadium, Arlington)
Hogs have covered 4 of last 5 away from home. Ags 2-1 vs. line thus far after Sumlin was 9-17 vs. line previous two seasons.
Slight to Arkansas, based on team trends.

TENNESSEE at FLORIDA
Vols have not beaten Gators SU since 2004, when Ron Zook coached Florida. Gators have also covered 7 of last 10 meetings. McElwain 2-1 vs. line TY.
Slight to Florida, based on series trends.

OHIO at MINNESOTA
Solich 3-1 vs. line last four vs. Big Ten though Bobcats do not play Big Ten as much as most MAC teams. Solich had been a good dog for several years until 2013, when he was 3-9 as dog 2013-14 (1-7 as road dog that span), but did cover in role recently vs. Marshall.
Slight to Ohio, based on team trends.

MIAMI-OHIO at WESTERN KENTUCKY
RedHawks were 5-1 as road dog for Chuck Martin before getting routed at Wiscy on Sept. 12. Miami 6-1 as DD dog since LY. WKU was 2-0 as DD chalk LY and has covered 4 of last 5 at home.
Slight to WKU, based on team trends.

LSU at SYRACUSE
Cuse was only 2-5 as dog LY for Shafer. Les only 4-10 last 14 laying points away from home.
Slight to Syracuse, based on team trends.

UMASS at NOTRE DAME
Mass 9-5 vs. line since LY. Irish just 5-12 as chalk since 2013, 5-13 as DD chalk since 2012.
UMass, based on team trends.

NC STATE at SOUTH ALABAMA
Pack has covered last 6 and 8 of last 9 since late LY. USA just 1-5-1 last seven vs. line at Mobile.
NC State, based on team trends.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN at IDAHO
Vandals just 5-12 vs. line last 17 at Kibbie Dome.
GSU, based on Idaho home woes.

MARSHALL at KENT STATE
Note Doc Holliday was 1-8-1 as visiting chalk from 2010-13 before 4-2 mark LY, but lost first in role TY at Solich. Herd still 13-7-1 as DD chalk since 2013. Kent State was 3-1 as home dog LY, but Flashes 4-7 vs. line against non-MAC that span.
Slight to Marshall, based on team trends.

MISSISSIPPI STATE at AUBURN
Malzahn now on 0-8 spread skid, 2-12 last 14 on board. No covers last four at Jordan-Hare. MSU covered last three vs. Tigers, and Bulldogs have covered last seven as dog.
MSU, based on team and series trends.

UL-MONROE at ALABAMA
Nick will remind team that ULM beat his first Tide edition by 21-14 count in 2007. Bama, however, has failed to cover its last five at Tuscaloosa and is 1-4 last five laying 25 or more.
Slight to ULM, based on recent trends.

FAU at CHARLOTTE
FAU 0-5 as chalk since LY, though Owls 16-6 vs. spread away since 2012.
Slight to FAU, based on extended road marks.

TCU at TEXAS TECH
TCU 12-4 vs. line since LY (1-2 TY) though only 2-3 as visiting chalk. Kingsbury 6-3 last 9 as dog.
Slight to TCU, based on recent trends.

AKRON at UL-LAFAYETTE
Akron 1-9-1 last 11 on board, 8-17-2 last 27 vs. spread. Hudspeth has covered first two TY and is 5-3-1 last nine as chalk. Also 32-21-2 vs. spread since taking over Ragin' Cajuns in 2011.
ULL, based on team trends.

COLORADO STATE at UTSA
Coker now 2-5 vs. line last 7 at Alamodome and 3-10 last 13 overall vs. number. Mike Bobo 3-0 vs. line and Rams on 24-9 spread run since late 2012, also 12-2 vs. points last 14 vs. non-MW.
CSU, based on team trends.

UCF at SOUTH CAROLINA
Spurrier 2-8 last 10 as chalk, also 2-6 vs. spread last 8 at Williams-Brice. O'Leary had been 6-2 as visiting dog entering 2015 before L at Stanford.
Slight to UCF, based on team trends.

UTAH at OREGON
Kyle Whittingham 4-1 as dog since LY, 6-2 last eight getting points, and was 4-0 as road dog LY.
Utah, based on team trends.

APP STATE at OLD DOMINION
ODU 0-3 vs. line TY, 2-11 last 13 vs. spread since mid 2014. Also 1-7 vs. spread at Norfolk since LY. App on 6-2 spread run since mid 2014.
App State, based on team trends.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS at BOSTON COLLEGE
Addazio 5-2 as home chalk 2013-14 but only 4-6 vs. non-ACC that span. Huskies 18-4 vs. spread last 21 as visitor since mid 2011.
NIU, based on team trends.

OKLAHOMA STATE at TEXAS
Road team won SU last 6 and covered last 7 in series. OSU 7-4 last 11 vs. line away from home.
OSU, based on team trends.

SOUTHERN CAL at ARIZONA STATE
Trojans routed last two at Tempe and have lost SU three of last four, and failed to cover five of last six vs. Sun Devils. Trojans just 2-9 as visiting chalk since 2012.
ASU, based on series trends.

BALL STATE at NORTHWESTERN
Lembo 12-6 as visiting dog since 2011 under HC Pete Lembo and has covered its last three tries vs. the Big Ten. Cats already 3-0 SU and vs. line in 2015, but 2-8 as home chalk since 2013 and no covers last six vs. MAC foes!
Ball State, based on team trends.

HAWAII at WISCONSIN
Norm Chow 11-5 vs. spread against non-league foes since 2012. Chryst on 9-16 spread run at Pitt & Wiscy.
UH, based on team trends.

UCLA at ARIZONA
Mora is 3-0 SU and vs. line against Rich-Rod since 2012 and 7-4 vs. line last 11 away from Rose Bowl. If Cats home dog note 4-0 mark in role for Rodriguez since 2012.
Slight to UCLA, based on recent series trends.

CAL at WASHINGTON
U-Dub has thus won and covered six straight in series. Bears 5-1 vs. line away since LY.
Slight to UW, based on series trends.

FRESNO STATE at SAN JOSE STATE
Fresno has covered just one of last five in series (1-3-1 vs. line) Dog House. Caragher 4-1 as chalk since LY though Spartans on 3-11 spread run last 15.
Slight to San Jose, based on team trends.

[StarDust Bum]

Pac-12's best RBs to be showcased

September 22, 2015

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, preparing the No. 13 Ducks for this weekend's game against No. 18 Utah, seemed less concerned about who the Utes would start at quarterback than he was about Devontae Booker.

Or rather, stopping Booker.

''First and foremost, Devontae Booker,'' Helfrich said. ''Whoever's in there (at quarterback), they play off Devontae Booker differently.''

The Pac-12 is known as more of a conference of quarterbacks - last season's Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota solidified the reputation - but a number of strong running backs have emerged three weeks into the season.

Saturday's game between the Ducks (2-1) and the Utes (3-0) features two of them: Booker and Oregon's Royce Freeman. Two more - Arizona's Nick Wilson and UCLA's Paul Perkins - will also be showcased on Saturday when the No. 9 Bruins (3-0) visit the No. 16 Wildcats (3-0).

Those four backs rank among the top 20 rushers (in total yards) at the FBS level, one shy of the five in that group that are from the SEC. One interesting note for the conference: Oregon State freshman quarterback Seth Collins ranks 40th nationally, with 294 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Collins is averaging 98 yards rushing per game, ranking him sixth in the Pac-12.

A look at some of the conference's top running backs:

DEVONTAE BOOKER, Utah: Booker (5-foot-11, 212 pounds) made a splash as a junior college transfer to Utah last season, rushing for 1,512 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors. This season he's averaging 115 yards with four touchdowns through three games. He ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns in the Utes' 45-24 victory over Fresno State last Saturday. He also caught five passes for 56 yards. ''He's got great balance, great vision. He can run inside, he can run outside. He's just a natural,'' coach Kyle Whittingham said before the start of the season. ''Some guys have it with the ball in their hands. Some guys don't. He's got it.''

ROYCE FREEMAN, Oregon: Freeman (5-foot-11, 230 pounds) was named the Pac-12 freshman of the year on offense last season after running for 1,365 yards and 18 touchdowns, school records for a freshman. This season, he ranks third in the conference with an average of 124.3 yards per game with five touchdowns. Whittingham this week called him a tremendous back, adding that Freeman and the Ducks' running game is what ''makes them go.''

PAUL PERKINS, UCLA: Perkins (5-foot-11, 210 pounds) ran for 219 yards in the Bruins' 24-23 victory over BYU last weekend, the most yards for a UCLA running back since Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 322 in 2006 against Washington. Overall, Perkins ranks second in the league behind Wilson, averaging 143 yards a game and 7.4 yards a carry. A junior, he's got three touchdowns. Stanford coach David Shaw said this week: ''He's one of those guys that flies under the radar, but as a football coach when you look at film, it's like, `That guy's good.'''

NICK WILSON, Arizona: Wilson (5-foot-10, 190), currently leads the league with an average of 144.7 yards per game and five touchdowns. He is averaging seven yards per carry. The sophomore ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns during the Wildcats' 77-13 rout of Northern Arizona last weekend, resting after Arizona built a big lead. UCLA coach Jim Mora said: ''We recruited him. Obviously, we didn't get him.''

DEMARIO RICHARD, Arizona State: Richard (5-foot-10, 220 pounds) has emerged this season as a versatile offensive weapon for the Sun Devils, rushing for 294 yards and two touchdowns through three games, while catching eight passes for 178 yards and two more scores. Richard caught a pass from quarterback Mike Bercovici for a 93-yard touchdown in Arizona State's 34-10 victory over New Mexico last weekend. He finished with 151 receiving yards on four catches, a Sun Devils record for a running back. He also rushed for 104 yards. `'That's a pretty good night,'' Sun Devils coach Todd Graham said. Richard is the first FBS-level running back with 100 yards rushing and 150 yards receiving in the same game since Lance Dunbar of North Texas in 2011.

[StarDust Bum]

Stanford QB Kevin Hogan questionable for Friday at Oregon St

September 22, 2015

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan suffered a left ankle injury early in the second half of Saturday's 41-31 upset of Southern California and will sit out most of this week's practices, Cardinal coach David Shaw said Tuesday.

Shaw said Hogan will test his ankle on Thursday. No. 21 Stanford plays at Oregon State on Friday night.

Backups Ryan Burns and Keller Chryst, the son of San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, have minimal game experience. Burns appeared in two games last year and completed his only pass attempt. Chryst played against Central Florida, completing a pass for 20 yards.

Hogan was injured on the third play of the second half when he was sacked by Trojans linebacker Anthony Sarao, who landed on Hogan's ankle.

[StarDust Bum]

Cal looks for redemption against Washington

September 22, 2015

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) California is looking to avoid a repeat performance against Washington.

A year after a promising season was derailed by a lopsided loss to the Huskies, the Golden Bears come into the rematch on a roll.

Cal (3-0) survived last week at Texas with help from a missed extra point and has won the first three games of the season for the first time since 2011.

The Bears were on a similar roll a year ago when they took a 4-1 mark into a home game against Washington only to fall flat. Cal drove down the field to open the game only to have quarterback Jared Goff fumble at the goal line and Shaq Thompson return it 100 yards for a score.

That sent the Huskies off to a 31-7 win and Cal to six losses in the final seven games of the season to fall a win short of a bowl game.

''They whipped us physically up front on both sides of the ball last year,'' coach Sonny Dykes said Tuesday. ''I think our guys were embarrassed. Certainly we didn't do a very good job getting them ready as coaches. They came in here and humiliated us. Just physically beat us up, outcoached us and outplayed us.''

The Huskies have been just about the only defense to slow down Goff and the Bear Raid offense the past two years. Cal has averaged more than 43 points a game since the start of last season playing anyone other than Washington and Stanford is the only other opponent to hold Cal under 30 points.

Goff fumbled three times and failed to throw a TD pass against a defense that had four players picked in the first round of the NFL draft.

The Huskies took away the deep pass from Cal last year and that seemed to sap the Bears' energy.

''It seemed like we were going through the motions,'' receiver Stephen Anderson said. ''We weren't coming out as aggressive as we should have. They dropped their safeties back like 20, 25 yards and they made us earn it all the way up the field instead of having the opportunity to take those shots.''

Cal is looking to open the season with four straight wins for the first time since 2007. That was also one of the last years the Bears were nationally relevant. They rose to No. 2 in the rankings after four games and were poised to move into the top spot for the first time ever before an end-of-game meltdown in a 31-28 home loss to Oregon State.

The Bears have a 43-55 record since that game, including just nine wins in the last three seasons.

But that has all started to change this year behind Goff, who is playing the best football of his career as a junior. Goff is completing 73.1 percent of his passes, an increase from 62 percent a year ago, and has also gotten a significant boost in yards per attempt from 7.8 to 9.7 this year.

Goff has also gotten help from an improved running game that generated 280 yards on the ground at Texas for the biggest rushing performance in Dykes' three years at the helm. That came despite the absence of injured starter Daniel Lasco, who could return this week.

Khalfani Muhammad ran for 164 yards and a touchdown and Vic Enwere added 73 and two scores, making it tough for defenses to just key on Goff and his stable of talented receivers.

Even the defense has improved with a league-high nine forced turnovers and eight sacks through three weeks. Now the Bears want to take that nonconference success into the Pac-12 season.

''Our guys understand they are nowhere close to where they want to be but we've made significant strides,'' Dykes said. ''They just want to keep getting better.''

[StarDust Bum]

Big Ten might let schools slide on playing Power 5 opponent

September 22, 2015

Big Ten schools can petition the conference to waive a requirement in the new football scheduling policy that teams must play one nonconference game a year against an opponent from one of the other five most powerful leagues.

Conference officials would decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow a team to play an opponent from one of the Group of Five conferences and have the game count as if it were against a Power Five, associate commissioner Scott Chipman said Tuesday.

Commissioner Jim Delany in July unveiled the new scheduling model, effective in 2016 when the Big Ten goes to a nine-game conference schedule. In addition to eliminating games against teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, the policy has each school playing at least one game a year against a team from the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big 12 or Pacific-12 conferences. Delany said games against independents Notre Dame and BYU also would count.

The Big Ten will allow schools to play future schedules not including a Power Five opponent if contracts for those games were finalized before the new policy was announced.

Since the new policy was announced, however, Indiana has received permission from the conference to count games against Connecticut in 2019 and 2020 and Cincinnati in 2021 and 2022 as Power Five opponents, the Indianapolis Star reported. UConn and Cincinnati both play in the American Athletic Conference, one of the Group of Five leagues.

''We looked at their RPI for the last five or six years,'' Big Ten senior associate commissioner Mark Rudner told the newspaper. ''If someone comes to us with a request, we'll evaluate it. That's what happened with these two. Those seemed to fit.''

Rudner was not available for an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Maryland coach Randy Edsall said he doesn't understand how exceptions could be made, given that games are lined up far in advance.

''You can schedule a game now and you might not play that game for five to seven years,'' Edsall said. ''How do you know a team is going to be good in five to seven years? You don't know that, so I think there are some issues there.''

Rudner told the Indianapolis newspaper that the Big Ten has denied one request for an exemption and accepted another. He declined to name the schools.

The impetus for the Big Ten's policy was to build strength of schedule to enhance conference teams' resumes for College Football Playoff consideration.

[StarDust Bum]

No. 19 USC requires a quick rebound from early-season loss

September 22, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) Southern California has scored 145 points in its first three games, and Cody Kessler is completing nearly 79 percent of his passes for an offense that hasn't committed a turnover.

Yet if the No. 19 Trojans (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12) lose their second consecutive conference game when they visit Arizona State on Saturday, they realize their season will have fallen apart even before September ends.

Kessler doesn't see tension in this scenario. He only sees opportunities for fun.

''I'm excited. I've always loved road games,'' Kessler said after practice on campus Tuesday.

''Don't get me wrong, the Coliseum is great,'' added the quarterback, who ranks third in the nation in pass efficiency. ''But I'm a big fan of away games when you're the underdog and you go in there, and there's automatically adversity about you when you step on the field. It's going to be fun.''

The Trojans are fully aware of the lofty expectations placed on the shoulders of anybody in a cardinal-and-gold jersey. They realize their 41-31 loss to Stanford last weekend was a crushing disappointment for fans expecting a return to championship form in coach Steve Sarkisian's second season.

''We didn't expect to lose, but we've got to move on,'' said rushing leader Tre Madden, who was limited in practice due to a calf injury. ''All of our goals are still in front of us.''

And though the offensive players gamely parroted the usual lines about complete team losses and victories, it seems clear that the defense has more homework to do.

Stanford shredded the USC defense for 474 methodical yards, converting eight of 12 third downs and holding the ball for nearly 39 1-2 minutes. The Cardinal's dominant ball possession while scoring points on seven of eight drives meant that Kessler's offense could only run 60 plays, dramatically limiting its ability to match Stanford's scoring.

USC's inability to get pressure on Kevin Hogan allowed the Cardinal quarterback to pick apart the defense with his arm or legs. The Trojans' blitzes appeared to be sparing and ineffective, and Hogan repeatedly escaped pressure even when it reached him.

The entire scenario could be disastrous against Arizona State's Mike Bercovici, who presents similar challenges. He also led the Sun Devils to a victory over USC last season on a Hail Mary to Jaelen Strong at the Coliseum.

But the only sign of tension in the Trojans' first practice of the week was linebacker Su'a Cravens' pointed refusal to talk about the Stanford loss. Cravens likely had the best individual game on the USC defense, making a team-leading 13 tackles and getting a sack.

''We already forgot what happened,'' Cravens said. ''We're playing a (Pac-12) South opponent this week, and that's all that matters. ... We've just got to execute. A lot of people say it's the coaches, but sometimes it's the players. We've just got to exercise our assignments.''

Kessler remains optimistic that his senior season will live up to expectations. He certainly seems to be doing his part, going 70 for 89 with 922 yards and 10 touchdowns already.

''He's playing really good for us right now,'' Sarkisian said. ''And to his credit, he has fixed some of the things that we wanted to work on after the first game. Livening his feet up, his feet have been better. He's throwing the deep ball really well right now. ... I don't know what more we could really ask of the guy. He's playing at a high level.''

[StarDust Bum]

Spread energizes Bowling Green, Tulsa

September 22, 2015

Baylor's spread offense is spreading and making opposing defenses sick.

The top three FBS teams in yards per game this week are Baylor and two programs led by proteges of Bears coach Art Briles.

Bowling Green is second in the nation in yards per game (609.3) in year two under former Baylor assistant Dino Babers. Tulsa is third (607 yards per game) in its first season with former Baylor offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery as head coach.

Briles' player-friendly system is easily transferrable and highly effective. The fifth-ranked Bears (2-0) have been first or second in total offense the last four years and are averaging 754 yards this season.

''I don't know why you'd want to make things difficult if you don't have to,'' Briles said.

The offense is deadly simple in its approach.

First, go fast. Second, spread the field about as wide as possible. Third, run inside to take advantage of all that space created by receivers lined up outside the hash marks. Fourth, go deep - a lot.

''It's easy to buy into it because you see results and I think the biggest part about it is it's fun,'' said Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans, who is second in the country with 390.7 yards passing per game after throwing four touchdowns in a 52-38 loss at Oklahoma. ''And when something is fun it's really easy to put in the hard work, the time it takes to start figuring this offense out.''

Tulsa (2-1) ranked 59th in the country in total offense last season - with many of the same players - while winning two games. The Golden Hurricane has been quickly transformed by Montgomery, who worked for Briles for 20 years, going back to Stephenville (Texas) High School.

''From a base standpoint all three of us are doing things that are similar,'' Montgomery said. ''With that being said, everybody's got their own twists, and working with the personnel that you have.''

Tulsa's twists might be tougher to identify.

''They're identical,'' Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. ''We've got to find a better way to deal with it.''

The Sooners lost 48-14 to Baylor last season and play the Bears in Waco, Texas, on Nov. 14.

The Baylor offense rarely asks quarterbacks to make NFL-style progressions and defensive reads. Running backs and tight ends are hardly ever used in the passing game.

''We still have progressions, but it's more seeing what happens before the ball's snapped to right after the ball's snapped,'' Evans said. ''Since we are going so fast it would be really hard to have to do all that stuff. When we go fast the defense gets simplified.''

The Baylor offense is a receiver's dream because it produces lots of one-on-one opportunities from its three- and four-receiver sets.

''We don't run out-of-this-world routes, or whatever, but just keep it as basic as we can, running the football, throwing up the ball, not throwing so many routes that we can't grasp all of them at one time,'' Baylor receiver Jay Lee said.

But calling the offense simple is an oversimplification.

''When I first came in, I had to learn 180 plays in a small amount of time, and I got thrown out there running the wrong stuff, so it wasn't that easy,'' Lee said.

Babers and Bowling Green are a little different.

''You'll see them do a few more traditional NFL concepts,'' said Chris B. Brown, the author of ''The Essential Smart Football'' and ''The Art of Smart Football.'' ''It's not that Baylor doesn't have that stuff, it's that they don't have to use it.''

Babers spent nearly 25 years in coaching before landing on Briles' staff at Baylor in 2008 as wide receivers coach.

''I'm a little bit older than Coach Montgomery so I've got some other people in me,'' Babers said.

The 54-year-old Babers cites the late Homer Smith, a longtime UCLA and Alabama offensive coordinator, former Hawaii coach June Jones and former NFL coach Mike Martz as influences.

Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation in passing at 452.7 yards per game for the Falcons (1-2), who have sandwiched competitive losses against Tennessee and Memphis around a victory against Maryland. Bowling Green will try to take down a second Big Ten team Saturday at Purdue.

''It's one of those offenses that once you run it and once you learn it as a player, you're going to always run it,'' Babers said. ''You're going to always learn it because you have such fun playing it.''

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No. 7 Georgia's offensive balance 'all comes together'

September 22, 2015

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) Georgia redefined its offensive perception with a balanced haul in last week's win over South Carolina.

Suddenly No. 7 Georgia is more than the Nick Chubb Show.

Coach Mark Richt said Tuesday the Bulldogs' run-pass ratio in the impressive 52-20 win over South Carolina ''is the type of balance we're looking for.''

Chubb was strong again, posting his 11th straight game with at least 100 yards. This time, however, he shared the spotlight.

Quarterback Greyson Lambert completed his last 20 passes, setting a school record. He set a NCAA record by completing 96 percent of his attempts.

Led by Lambert's breakout game, Georgia ran for 246 yards and passed for 330 with three touchdowns.

It was an unexpected display of balance, especially following a win over Vanderbilt in which Georgia relied heavily on Chubb.

''It let teams know that we are able to throw the ball,'' said tailback Sony Michel, who ran for a touchdown and had two scoring catches against South Carolina.

Georgia (3-0) plays Southern University on Saturday in what is expected to be a warmup for visit from Alabama in two weeks.

Richt said Lambert's big day won't lead to a decreased emphasis on Georgia's running game.

''We absolutely don't want to get away from running the football,'' Richt said. ''We're good at it, we've got good backs, but the better you run the football the better your play-action pass can be.''

Georgia ranks 12th in the nation with its average of 257 yards rushing. Richt said Lambert often threw on plays where he had the option to hand off, but South Carolina's defense was loaded against the run.

''Sometimes nine times out of 10 you run it, sometimes nine times out of 10 you throw it,'' Richt said of the option plays.

Opposing defensive coordinators preparing game plans for the Bulldogs now must respect Georgia's passing game.

That's good news for Chubb, Michel and Georgia's other tailbacks.

''Being able to throw the ball always opens up the run game in any football game,'' Michel said.

South Carolina's defense left Georgia receiver Malcolm Mitchell in man coverage. Mitchell had 122 yards receiving, easily a season high, with a touchdown.

Mitchell said defenses can't afford to dedicate more than one player to a receiver when they have to worry about stopping the running game.

''You want to be careful not having enough people in the box against us with the running backs we have, so I think it'll continue,'' Mitchell said.

One year after leading the Southeastern Conference with 41.7 points per game. Georgia looks just as strong, averaging 44.7 points under new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Can this year's offense be better than last year's version?

''I think we'll be more consistent,'' Mitchell said. ''Last year we had a lot of things going on.''

Chubb emerged last year when Georgia lost star tailback to a four-game suspension and then a season-ending knee injury.

This year's big question was Lambert, the transfer from Virginia, who beat out Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta for the starting job.

Through two weeks it seemed Lambert's job was to just manage the game and get the ball to Chubb. Richt said the performance by Lambert and the offense against South Carolina was a confidence-builder for players and coaches.

Richt said the message was ''We know what we're doing. We're teaching it right, we're doing the right things against the right defenses. It all comes together.''

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Utah State loses QB Chuckie Keeton to injury, again

September 22, 2015

LOGAN, Utah (AP) Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton will miss the next four to six weeks with a right knee injury.

Coach Matt Wells announced the injury Tuesday afternoon. Keeton sprained an MCL during Saturday's 31-17 loss to Washington.

Sophomore Kent Myers moves up the depth chart after starting five games in 2014.

Keeton played the entire game against Washington, but his movement was visibly limited the previous week against No. 18 Utah.

The senior has battled injuries throughout his career, but his 8,233 career yards of total offense rank No. 2 in school history. He set a slew of school records while leading the Aggies to an 11-2 record as a sophomore, but injuries cut his season short in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Utah State (1-2) hosts Colorado State on Saturday.

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Meyer looking for answers to Ohio State offensive woes

September 22, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has a good idea who will be his starting quarterback against Western Michigan and may reveal the answer Wednesday.

''We're going to have a really clear starter this week, at the right time,'' he said Tuesday. ''I kind of already know.''

Meyer said he planned to have his team's offensive issues resolved by Saturday, when either Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett will start for the top-ranked Buckeyes against the Broncos of the Mid-American Conference.

He made that vow in the locker room of Ohio Stadium after the Buckeyes scored one offensive touchdown and settled for field goals of 31 and 24 yards during a 20-13 win against Northern Illinois.

''Anytime the head coach of the football team makes a promise like that you know he's going to come through with it and do his part to help the offense get up to speed,'' cornerback Eli Apple said.

Ohio State (3-0) ranks 75th in total offense at 411 yards per game but after opening the season with 572 yards at Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes dropped against Hawaii and Northern Illinois.

One factor could be the departure this season of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman to become head coach at Houston.

Herman had the offense humming at the end of the 2014 season when Ohio State scored 143 points while averaging 544.3 yards in wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to claim a national title.

Offensive line coach Ed Warinner was promoted to offensive coordinator this season, a position he previously held at Kansas from 2007 through 2009.

Tim Beck was hired from Nebraska to be the quarterbacks coach and Tony Alford came from Notre Dame to replace running backs coach Stan Drayton, now the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears.

''We're getting there. It's not as smooth (a transition),'' Meyer said. ''Stan Drayton was a very quality coach and so was Tom Herman, obviously. But we've hired two very quality guys.''

While Herman called the plays from the press box, Meyer wanted Warinner on the sideline with his players.

''Offensive line is the most critical (spot),'' Meyer said. ''That has to be the best coached position on your team.''

But with the offense struggling to block, missing assignments and committing five turnovers against Northern Illinois, a change may be coming with Beck, who's been in the press box, getting more involved in the play calling.

''It's not like it's a demotion or something like that,'' Meyer said of Warinner. ''Tim's been here long enough.''

Meyer said the shift could help as the pace increases.

''If we go jet tempo, that's got to be from upstairs, because you can't see anything from down there,'' Meyer said. ''So those are all things we're going to get cleaned up.''

Freeing Warinner of some responsibilities may help him solve some of the problems facing an experienced line that has four returnees and a first-time starter in fifth-year senior Chase Farris.

Last week, Northern Illinois switched to a three-man front from a 4-3 to befuddle Ohio State, just as Hawaii did the previous game. The Huskies won't be the last team to employ that scheme until the Buckeyes figure it out.

Ohio State is double teaming the block and opening holes, but in the 3-4 a linebacker often shoots through the gaps on a blitz to disrupt the play.

Ohio State left tackle Taylor Decker said Northern Illinois on film showed a 4-3 defense about 80 percent of the time but half of the plays against the Buckeyes were in a 3-4.

''You prepare for one defense, they come out in another one,'' he said. ''Obviously everyone is going to play odd against us now. We've showed that we struggled against it. It's very frustrating. We know we're capable of a lot better execution.''

Opening holes for running back Ezekiel Elliott is Ohio State's forte but getting him to second line of the defense has been not been easy. In the past two games he's averaged 4.18 yards on 50 carries after rushing for 122 yards on 11 attempts versus Virginia Tech.

''If you look historically what an Ohio State offense is for us,'' Meyer said, ''it's control the line of scrimmage, best perimeter blocking in America, which we had last year, and a very good, solid play, action passing attack. That's not what's going on. So we're going to get that fixed.''

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Northwestern is 3-0, Fitzgerald is looking to add polish

September 22, 2015

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is happy to be 3-0, though he sees no cause for celebration yet.

The Wildcats are ranked No. 17 entering Saturday's home game against Ball State. Their 16-6 win over then-No. 21 Stanford to open the season looks even better after the Cardinal beat a sixth-ranked Southern California last week, and the Wildcats are coming off a 19-10 road victory over a Duke team known for its offense.

Fitzgerald can't be blamed for keeping his emotions in check. It was just two years ago the Wildcats started 4-0 and led Ohio State by 10 points in the second half of their Big Ten opener before the season went off the rails. The Wildcats lost seven straight and ended up 5-7.

Fitzgerald said Tuesday he hasn't used the 2013 freefall as a cautionary tale.

''The guys who lived through it in the locker room understand why that happened,'' Fitzgerald said. ''We lost our focus and had things happen to us - the Hail Mary (at Nebraska). The guys who are older understand why that happened. Right now at this point, with the maturity and leadership to this point, I haven't had to go back there.''

First-year starting quarterback Clayton Thorson has been solid, and Justin Jackson looks as if he'll go over 1,000 yards a second straight season. But the story of this team is a defense that has allowed a nation-low total of 16 points.

''I think we're a team that's working hard to improve,'' Fitzgerald said. ''We haven't played three phases of clean football in our first three games. We've been fortunate enough to find a way to win. I think we're far from the team we're capable of.''

STAR SPARTAN

It seems the nation is just starting to notice Michigan State senior receiver Aaron Burbridge, who had his third straight 100-yard game and caught three touchdown passes against Air Force. Coach Mark Dantonio knew it was a matter of time.

''He's always been a very, very good player,'' Dantonio said. ''Sometimes it takes opportunity. People expected him to be that his sophomore year, be that guy. But other guys have good years. Three are in the NFL now. So we've had playmakers at that position, and we've gone with six guys. He's getting more opportunities now.''

Other Big Ten notes:

- Redshirt freshman David Blough is replacing junior Austin Appleby as Purdue's starting quarterback. Appleby threw six interceptions and lost a fumble the first three games. ''The No. 1 goal for our football team is to not turn the ball over,'' coach Darrell Hazell said. ''We've done that too many times in the first three weeks so we felt we needed to make a change right there.''

- Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis said this week he and his mates could be the best secondary in the country. Coach Jim Harbaugh didn't tamp down Lewis' enthusiasm. ''It's an ascending group for our team,'' he said.

- Wisconsin's Paul Chryst said running back Corey Clement's status for Saturday night's game against Hawaii remains uncertain. Clement has been battling a groin injury since the week of the opener.

- Rutgers hosts a Kansas team that's lost 30 straight road games, and interim head coach Norries Wilson said his linemen must play better than they did last week at Penn State. ''We've been emphasizing the line of scrimmage,'' he said, ''to make sure they don't tee off on us.''

- Illinois QB Wes Lunt's 61-percent completion rate doesn't reflect how well he's playing, coach Bill Cubit said. ''Without the drops, he's throwing for like 72 percent.''

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Patterson defends TCU following arrests of 2 players

September 22, 2015

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) TCU coach Gary Patterson called suspended defensive end Mike Tuaua one of the most-liked players on the team and said the facts will come out in a case that has the senior and another player facing robbery charges.

While not elaborating on what those facts might be, Patterson on Tuesday defended Tuaua and his program, saying, ''right or wrong, just like a parent, I've got his back.''

Tuaua and freshman receiver Andre Petties-Wilson were arrested Monday on the same charge - one count each of robbery with bodily injury - for an incident Sept. 4, the day after both played for the third-ranked Horned Frogs in their season-opening victory at Minnesota. Neither has played since and both have been suspended from the team.

''Outside in our community and with kids, (Tuaua) is the most liked kid we have on team besides (quarterback) Trevone Boykin,'' Patterson said. ''The facts will be fact, and those facts will someday come out.''

According to a Fort Worth police report, Tuaua and Petties-Wilson were arrested following an investigation of allegations by another TCU student that the two players stole a case of beer after attacking him and his friends.

In a later interview with police, with his attorney present, Tuaua said he came outside to see Petties-Wilson surrounded by three males and that there was pushing and shoving. Tuaua said he ran to stop the fight, and admitted to punching one man to get him off his teammate. He said he saw the beer, but didn't know what happened to it.

''I'm just telling you as far as just a person, I'm not going to let you say, well, this kid is a bad person,'' Patterson said. ''If he made a mistake, he made a mistake.''

Tuaua and Petties-Wilson each posted $15,000 bail and were released from a Fort Worth jail Monday.

''It's not even close to what happened south of here,'' Patterson said, a clear reference to Big 12 rival Baylor.

Baylor has hired a Philadelphia law firm to independently investigate the university's handling of sexual assault complaints, including one against defensive end Sam Ukwuachu. A transfer from Boise State who never played for the Bears, Ukwuachu was sentenced last month to six months in jail and 10 years of probation after being convicted of sexually assaulting a former Baylor women's soccer player.

Patterson has had several off-field incidents to deal with in recent years.

Before last season, Devonte Fields, the preseason Big 12 defensive of the year, was barred from campus and all school activities after he surrendered to authorities on a misdemeanor assault warrant amid allegations that he threatened his ex-girlfriend and punched her. Fields enrolled at Louisville last month after the case against him was dismissed in June, following the completion of an anger management course.

Also last year, two players were arrested in separate incidents on marijuana charges.

Four games into the 2012 season, former quarterback Casey Pachall was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. He left the team for the remainder of that season to enter substance abuse rehabilitation and returned in 2013. In February 2012, four TCU football players were among students arrested by Fort Worth police after a six-month drug sting. All four players were kicked off the team and received probation after pleading guilty to marijuana delivery charges.

''I've been through a lot of different situations here, and you've always seen how I handle it,'' Patterson said. ''My job is also to be a father to my players, and if they screw up, they screw up. And in my lifetime here at TCU in 18 years, we've had a few of those, but not as many as others.''

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Coach Steve Spurrier makes QB switch at South Carolina

September 22, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Another week, another new starting quarterback at South Carolina.

Getting the call: freshman Lorenzo Nunez.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier had promised changes ahead after his team's 52-20 loss at No. 7 Georgia last week. The coach began the moves by replacing former walk-on Perry Orth with true freshman in Nunez.

Orth started against the Bulldogs last week, but Nunez came on for several snaps. Nunez was the leading rusher for South Carolina with 76 yards on 10 carries and hit four of five passes for 18 yards. He also scored on a 7-yard run.

Spurrier says the 6-foot-3 Nunez gives the Gamecocks a spark and a running, zone-read option that Orth does not.

South Carolina (1-2) faces UCF (0-3) on Saturday.

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Auburn switching quarterbacks, will start Sean White

September 22, 2015

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) The Auburn Tigers are changing starting quarterbacks, turning from a struggling Jeremy Johnson to redshirt freshman Sean White.

Coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday that White will start Saturday night's game against Mississippi State, but didn't rule out playing Johnson, too. Johnson was billed in the preseason as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate but has thrown six interceptions in three games.

White hasn't played a game for Auburn yet.

''Any time you change quarterbacks, it's not an easy decision,'' Malzahn said. ''Really probably (Tuesday) is when me and coach (Rhett) Lashlee made the decision. We feel like that's best for our offense right now.

''Sean White is a guy that has gotten a lot of reps. He's responded very well in practice and very well in scrimmages. I feel like he needs a shot right now, and we've got a lot of confidence in him.''

The Tigers have fallen out of the rankings after starting at No. 6, losing 45-21 at LSU on Saturday after needing overtime to beat FCS Jacksonville State. They rank 113th in total offense.

The defense also has struggled, and help is not on the way; Auburn will be without one of its best players indefinitely.

Malzahn said defensive end Carl Lawson's hip injury is more serious than was initially believed. Lawson missed the past two games with a right hip injury sustained in the first half of the opener with Louisville. Lawson had four tackles, including two for a loss, a sack and two tackles for a loss in less than a half of play.

He missed last season recovering from knee surgery.

''He's going to be out for an extended period of time,'' Malzahn said. ''I'm not ready to say exactly when that is. We're hopeful that we'll get him back before the season's out.

''Obviously he's an impact player. It's been really tough on him, especially going through last season and having another. He's a great competitor and he's going to do everything in his power to get back on the field.''

For Johnson, it's been a rapid decline for quarterback who thrived off the bench in two seasons as Nick Marshall's backup. He started twice, including last season's opening win over Arkansas.

Johnson has struggled with both accuracy and decision-making since taking over that role fulltime against Louisville to start the season.

''It is a little surprising but at the same time from a coaching standpoint, you have to do each week what you feel like is best for your team and for your offense,'' Malzahn said. ''That's where we're at. We have confidence in him. I'm looking forward to seeing Sean.

''He's a guy that can flat-out throw it and he can run it to. He's got that little air of confidence that quarterback have.

The 6-foot, 200-pound White was rated as one of the top 10 quarterback prospects by several recruiting services out of high school in Boca Raton, Florida.

Left tackle Shon Coleman said the move wasn't a total surprise but that he has confidence in both quarterbacks.

''Every time I see (White) throw the ball, he's an accurate passer,'' Coleman said. ''He has that `it' factor, like coach Malzahn says. He's a great leader. I think he'll do a great job.''

Malzahn said receivers Jason Smith and Jonathan Wallace, both former quarterbacks, will get some practice time at their old position.

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No. 9 UCLA still working on consistency with Rosen, offense

September 22, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) UCLA receiver Devin Fuller isn't exerting much effort to find out whether Arizona All-American linebacker Scooby Wright will return from a knee injury to play in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.

''I haven't really looked into it too much,'' Fuller said.

The ninth-ranked Bruins (3-0) have plenty of respect for Wright, but can't waste time trying to decipher his status while their passing offense struggles.

After his spectacular debut against Virginia, freshman quarterback Josh Rosen has completed just 33 of 65 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in wins over UNLV and BYU. Rosen now leads the Pac-12 with those four picks - no other quarterback in the conference has thrown more than two - and ranks eighth in completion percentage and passer rating.

With Rosen throwing three interceptions in the first half against the Cougars, UCLA was forced to rely on a heavy dose of running backs Paul Perkins and Nate Starks and some timely defensive stops to secure the 24-23 comeback win. Perkins and Starks combined for 300 yards rushing, two touchdowns and a healthy dose of confidence that UCLA can overcome adversity.

''We're never out of the fight,'' Fuller said. ''That's basically what I took from the game.''

Perkins rushed for a career-high 219 yards and was especially impressive in keeping the chains moving, as half of his 26 carries gained at least five yards. Fuller offered up the gushing praise that the soft-spoken redshirt junior usually goes out of his way to deflect to teammates, saluting Perkins as an unsung leader of the offense.

''You know what you're going to get from Paul every game,'' Fuller said. ''You're getting consistent runs, hard-fought earned runs. He is going to get the offense in position to score. He does what he needs to do every game to put us in the right position to win.''

Until Rosen gets back on track, Perkins and Starks will be carrying the offense. That will be difficult if Rosen can't improve on his meager 4.6 yards per pass attempt average against BYU.

The Cougars primarily used five-man pressures to get after Rosen, forcing him to recognize where linebackers were in coverage. He wasn't able to do that at the goal line in the first quarter, throwing the ball right to linebacker Harvey Langi.

Yet Rosen responded with a perfect 19-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Payton in the fourth quarter. It was the kind of throw that has already secured the trust of Rosen's teammates.

''He's not scared to go out there and lead us,'' Starks said.

Fuller said Rosen has not lost any confidence despite his recent struggles, and continues to display the even temperament that coach Jim Mora pointed to when he chose a starting quarterback. And with a powerful rushing offense led by Perkins and a veteran defense, Rosen only needs to manage the game for UCLA to keep winning and to challenge for the Pac-12 South crown.

''He's not worried about the mistakes,'' Starks said. ''It's all about moving on to the next game. We're getting ready for Arizona, and that's the main goal.''