Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 12:17 AM

RECORD GOING INTO THURSDAY GAMES : ( 10/15/15)

CFB: 17 - 17 SATURDAY DAY /NIGHT

*****............................... 3 - 6
double play.........................6 - 6
triple play...........................4 - 1
blow out.............................3 - 3

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECORD:

single play:.......................................25 - 25 - 1
double play:......................................38 - 37
triple play:........................................26 - 17
blow out:..........................................14 - 12
gow:.............................................. . ..1 - 0
gom:.............................................. . .0 - 0
goy............................................... .. ..0 - 0
upsets............................................ ....0 - 1
game of the day..................................1 - 1

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 12:19 AM

Sarkisian takes indefinite leave of absence
October 11, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) Southern California coach Steve Sarkisian is taking an indefinite leave of absence, athletic director Pat Haden says.

Haden announced the decision Sunday after Sarkisian didn't attend practice.

Offensive coordinator Clay Helton will take charge of the Trojans (3-2, 1-2 Pac-12), who have lost two of their last three games. USC visits Notre Dame on Sunday.

Haden wasn't specific about the reasons for Sarkisian's absence, only saying the second-year coach is ''not healthy.''

Sarkisian publicly apologized before the season after he showed up drunk at a pep rally and made a slurred public statement.

Sarkisian is 12-6 leading the talented Trojans, who lost 17-12 to unranked Washington last Thursday.

Helton is in his second stint as USC's interim coach. He led the Trojans to a Las Vegas Bowl victory in 2013.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 12:21 AM

Maryland fires head coach Randy Edsall
October 11, 2015

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) Randy Edsall has been fired as Maryland's football coach after the team's third straight lopsided defeat.

The dismissal, announced Sunday, comes in the middle of Edsall's fifth season with the Terrapins. Maryland is 2-4 and mired in a three-game skid in which the Terps have been outscored by a combined 122-34. Including an earlier defeat against Bowling Green, Maryland's four losses have come by an average of four touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley will take over on an interim basis. Maryland has a bye this week before facing Penn State in Baltimore on Oct. 24.

Edsall went 22-34 after taking over for Ralph Freidgen before the 2011 season. He accepted the job after going 74-70 in 12 years at Connecticut.

Rumors of Edsall's dismissal began last week, shortly before Maryland lost 49-28 to No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 12:22 AM

TCU, Baylor make statements in Kansas
October 11, 2015

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) TCU and Baylor made a pair of statements in the Sunflower State on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs showed their fortitude in a dramatic comeback win at Kansas State, while Baylor unleashed its score-a-second offense in a romp at Kansas. The results saw the teams switch spots in the new AP Top 25 poll - Baylor is No. 2, TCU No. 3.

But both remained unbeaten. Both stayed in the thick of the Big 12 title hunt. And both kept their national championship aspirations alive.

''Win and advance. Win and advance,'' said Bears coach Art Briles, whose team led the hapless Jayhawks 52-7 by halftime, before the starters got the second half off in a 66-7 victory.

''We understand that anything can happen on any given day and our job is to go out and perform at a championship level,'' Briles continued. ''There are trap games everywhere, there is one always sitting out there. We have to make sure we compete and execute.''

The Horned Frogs (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) were almost lured into a trap by the Wildcats.

TCU coach Gary Patterson had warned his players all week not to take them lightly, and was concerned when he noticed them joking and laughing through practice. But nobody was joking when coach Bill Snyder's injury ravaged crew raced to a 35-17 halftime advantage, energizing the 23rd straight sellout crowd at the stadium that bears his name.

But the Horned Frogs are a veteran bunch, and not surprisingly, it was a pair of seniors who managed to calm everyone else down and lead their comeback in a 52-45 victory.

Trevone Boykin added another page to his Heisman Trophy resume, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns while running for 124 yards and two more scores.

One of his runs, a 69-yard sprint with 6:07 left, gave TCU the lead. And his 55-yard pitch-and-catch with Josh Doctson with 1:10 remaining ultimately gave the Horned Frogs the win.

''You take it one play at a time, one drive at a time and one quarter at a time,'' said Boykin, who tied Andy Dalton's school record with his 21st consecutive game with a TD pass.

''In the first thirty minutes of the game, we were pretty much nonexistent,'' he said. ''We came back after halftime - we really did some soul searching and tried to find ourselves.''

They managed to do it just in time.

The 18-point comeback was TCU's largest since 2005, when it rallied from a 34-16 deficit to beat BYU 51-50 in overtime. The Horned Frogs have now scored 50 points in five straight games, and have won 14 straight overall, second to Ohio State's 19-game streak.

''I'm just trying to win,'' Patterson said. ''I'm not trying to be the number-one team in the nation. I'm just trying to be an undefeated team, and now I'm trying to beat Iowa State. That is all we can control. We cannot control the voters or anybody else.

''I'm tired of hearing about style points. It is hard just to win.''

Unless, of course, you're Baylor visiting Kansas.

The Bears (5-0, 2-0) were so efficient in building their lead that they actually finished with a season-low 644 yards of offense. Seth Russell threw for 246 yards and three scores, but by playing only half, he failed to throw at least four TD tosses for the first time in six starts.

It wasn't just Russell putting up gaudy numbers in a half. Shock Linwood ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, giving him 2,852 yards for his career, second-most in school history. And Corey Coleman had a pair of TD catches, giving him 26 for his career, third-most in Baylor history.

''Those guys are phenomenal at what they do,'' Kansas coach David Beaty said.

Lest anyone think Baylor can only put up points, its overlooked and underappreciated defense also managed to hold the Jayhawks scoreless on their final 13 drives.

''We're starting to come together,'' Russell said. ''We don't take any game for granted.''

They can probably take a couple for granted with struggling West Virginia and Iowa State up next. But then comes the four-game stretch that will define its season: at Kansas State, Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State, and a trip to TCU on Nov. 11 that could decide the Big 12 title.

In the words of Briles, ''Win and advance. Win and advance.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 12:24 AM

Nebraska's Riley apologizes for players
October 11, 2015

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Nebraska is at the halfway point of the season, and there aren't many who believed the Cornhuskers would have just two victories after six games - especially the way they've been losing.

One way to view is that Nebraska is less than 20 seconds and an overtime from being 6-0. The reality is that new coach Mike Riley's team must win four of its last six games just to become bowl eligible.

The latest final-seconds loss came Saturday, when Wisconsin's Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 46-yard field goal for a 23-21 win - the fourth time the Huskers lost on the opponent's final offensive play.

''I'm sorry for those guys,'' Riley said of his players. ''I want to help them more, so we're going to keep working. That's going to be our coaches' job, just to keep working and get a good plan together and make it get better.''

Next up is Saturday's visit to Minnesota (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten), which has won two straight over Nebraska. Last year's 28-24 loss to the Gophers in Lincoln was almost as deflating as any of the four this season. Minnesota took its first lead with 3:25 left. Nebraska looked to be on its way to the winning touchdown when De'Mornay Pierson-El fumbled inside the Gophers' 5-yard line, and Minnesota ran out the clock.

The Huskers have lost seven of their last 10, matching the program's worst 10-game stretch since the 1959-60 seasons. This year's four losses have come on a Hail Mary by BYU with no time left, in overtime against Miami and with 10 seconds left against Illinois and 4 seconds left against Wisconsin.

SMU in 2007 is the only FBS team besides Nebraska to lose four games in a season in the last 10 seconds or overtime, according to STATS records dating to 1996.

''Moving forward through this week the message is going to be, it's another week, it's a new life,'' defensive end Jack Gangwish said. ''We still have goals. You know we want to come out next week firing on all cylinders.''

Nebraska, at 0-2 in the Big Ten, already is two games behind Iowa in the West Division. The Huskers hadn't lost their first two conference games since 2008 in Bo Pelini's first season, and the only years since 1968 they haven't gone to a bowl were 2004 and 2007 under Bill Callahan.

The Huskers have been hurt by injuries on defense, and Riley said he expects the team's health to be much improved this week.

Still, Nebraska would have been in position to win the last two weeks if it could have made one more first down or played stronger defense as time was winding down.

''There's not anything you can say. You just drive on,'' quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. said. ''You can't dwell on the past, you can't sit up here and pout about what was happening last week, because we've got another opponent that's preparing for us.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 12:25 AM

Michigan moving toward playoff contention

October 10, 2015

The rebuilding project at Michigan appears to be in overdrive while Georgia has been downgraded from College Football Playoff contender to promising team with a season slipping away.

The 18th-ranked Wolverines pitched a third straight shutout, hammering previously unbeaten and No. 13 Northwestern 38-0 Saturday to set up a huge rivalry game next week in Ann Arbor against No. 4 Michigan State.

The Spartans have owned Michigan in recent years, winning six of seven meetings. But this is Jim Harbaugh's Michigan. This looks like a very different bunch of Wolverines.

Michigan (5-1) has outscored its last three opponents 97-0 and 160-14 during a five-game winning streak since losing the opener at No. 5 Utah.

''The fellas really came out ballin' right from the start,'' Harbaugh said Saturday after the latest rout.

Harbaugh's arrival at his alma mater was the story of the offseason, but conventional wisdom was it would take the former Michigan quarterback at least a year to get the Wolverines back into the national championship conversation.

Well, now Michigan is a win away from barging into the thick of the playoff race seven games into the Harbaugh era.

While the Wolverines are trending up, No. 19 Georgia is sliding fast.

A week after getting crushed at home by Alabama, the Bulldogs let a 21-point lead get away at Tennessee, losing 38-31. Georgia also lost Heisman Trophy contender Nick Chubb to a knee injury on the game's first snap. The severity is still unknown, but coach Mark Richt was hopeful after the game that his star won't need surgery.

A bright spot, yes, but the last two weeks have been crushing for Georgia. So much was expected of Richt's team and the SEC East looked ripe for the taking this season, with Tennessee still growing up, Florida in its first season under a new head coach and Missouri doing some retooling after consecutive division titles.

With two SEC losses already, that division crown could already be out of reach for the Bulldogs.

''I feel like we're a resilient team and we'll be able to come back and move forward from this,'' quarterback Greyson Lambert said.

Home games against Missouri and Florida in the next three weeks will determine how the Bulldogs move foward.

---

SEE YA SOONERS

No. 10 Oklahoma is not out of the College Football Playoff race after being upset 24-17 by Texas at the Cotton Bowl, but the Sooners simply don't look like a team that is a real threat to run the table in a very competitive Big 12.

Oklahoma got pushed around on both lines by the Longhorns, which does not bode well for next week's trip to Kansas State, not to mention a November game at No. 3 Baylor.

Sooners fans have been beyond frustrated with coach Bob Stoops' program in recent years. Oklahoma, which owned the Big 12 for so long, has slipped into the pack.

Stoops revamped his staff in the offseason, bringing in offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley to rev up the Air Raid offense, but the Sooners are still stuck outside the elite programs in the country.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 09:55 PM

USC fires head coach Steve Sarkisian
October 12, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) Southern California fired Steve Sarkisian on Monday, one day after the troubled coach was put on leave.

Athletic director Pat Haden made the move one day after determining Sarkisian showed up at school in no condition to lead practice, although Haden refused to reveal specifics about the coach's condition. Offensive coordinator Clay Helton was appointed interim coach Sunday.

The school hasn't been specific about Sarkisian's problems, but the second-year coach had an embarrassing public display in August at a pep rally where he appeared to be intoxicated while giving a speech. Sarkisian later apologized and said he had combined alcohol and medication, but promised not to drink again during the season.

''After careful consideration of what is in the best interest of the university and our student-athletes, I have made the decision to terminate Steve Sarkisian, effective immediately,'' Haden said in a statement.

''I want to add how proud I am of our coaching staff and players and the way they are responding to this difficult situation. Through all of this we remain concerned for Steve and hope that it will give him the opportunity to focus on his personal well-being.''

Helton, Sarkisian's offensive coordinator, will officially lead his first practice Tuesday as the Trojans (3-2, 1-2 Pac-12) prepare for their annual rivalry game with No. 14 Notre Dame.

Sarkisian went 12-6 at USC, where he was an assistant coach under Pete Carroll with the program's dominant teams of the past decade. He spent five years as Washington's head coach until 2013.

Sarkisian also in the midst of a divorce from his wife, Stephanie, and he recently sold a palatial house south of Los Angeles. They have three children.

The hallowed USC football program has endured turmoil for most of the past six years since Carroll left the school for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks in 2009.

After the tumultuous 3 1/2-year tenure of fired coach Lane Kiffin, Sarkisian and his players have made several public missteps during his short tenure. Sarkisian's coaching also faced widespread scrutiny after a 17-12 loss to Washington last week dropped the preseason No. 8 team out of the AP Top 25.

Sarkisian's former colleagues and opponents offered words of compassion and encouragement Monday after he began his leave. The school hasn't said whether Sarkisian is seeking treatment.

''It breaks my heart to see how this has gone,'' Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said on 710 ESPN radio in Seattle. ''But he recognizes it, and he's going to do something about it, so this is the day the turn occurs. I'm grateful for everybody around him that he's finally figured it out. We'll see nothing but good stuff to happen. It's going to take a long time, it's a big battle, and we'll pull for him all the way.''

Sarkisian never faced any public scrutiny for alcohol use in Seattle, although his enthusiasm for nights out became part of his identity among fans and media.

Washington athletic director Scott Woodward issued a brief statement: ''It is evident that Steve is dealing with a serious personal matter and we wish him the best in facing whatever challenges lay ahead.''

Chris Petersen was a candidate for the USC job won by Sarkisian, and the former Boise State coach replaced Sarkisian at Washington shortly afterward. Petersen then beat Sarkisian in their first meeting last Thursday, leading the unranked Huskies past USC 17-12.

''This is a tough job,'' Petersen said Monday. ''You just feel bad for the whole situation for everybody. We could talk a long time about that. It's hard enough to lose. It's a hard enough job when you're doing well, and when something doesn't go right in your situation and everybody piles on, I think it's very tough. Everybody has got their opinion now, and I don't think everybody knows exactly everything that goes on to have an opinion like that.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 09:57 PM

Florida QB Grier suspended for PEDs
October 12, 2015

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Florida quarterback Will Grier has been suspended one year for violating the NCAA's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The school announced the suspension at a news conference Monday and said it will appeal.

The eighth-ranked Gators are not facing a forfeiture of any wins. But the suspension could cost Grier 25 percent of his college eligibility, making the redshirt freshman a junior when he returns next October.

Grier, who gained 20 pounds in his first 18 months on campus, failed a drug test in the last two weeks. Grier said Monday he took an over-the-counter supplement, but did not specify which one.

''I did not check with the medical staff before taking it,'' Grier said during an emotional, minute-long apology. ''I really hope that people can learn from this, learn from my mistake. I'm really, really sorry to everyone. Just really sorry.''

According to NCAA rules, Grier will remain suspended during the appeals process. But he can practice with the team while he's ineligible.

The Gators play at No. 6 LSU on Saturday night, and sophomore Treon Harris will make his first start since the season opener.

Coach Jim McElwain said Grier made a mistake that could have been avoided by talking to the team's medical staff.

''You and I can both go get it,'' said McElwain, who said he learned of the suspension Sunday. ''Anyone in this room can. Anybody in this country can. The mistake is, and the lesson for whoever out there, make sure - just like we educate our guys now - you check with your medical staff before you put anything in your body.''

McElwain also did not identify what Grier took.

''Doesn't matter. Cough medicine. You have to know what you're putting in your body. Will admitted he didn't do it. I think that speaks for him. He's not putting it on anybody else. He's a stand-up guy. That's how he played the game and plays the game. He'll be back.''

Grier apologized to teammates before doing the same to Florida fans publicly.

''When you have an opportunity to sit down and visit with him and see the remorse and the sorrow, that's hard,'' McElwain said. ''That's really hard. As a coach, but more so as a human, to see someone go through that. It's not easy. But he knows we're here for him.

''It's a loss. But we also have other guys and we've got to move forward. Hopefully guys will learn from this and see, as he said, it's an opportunity through his choices. Hopefully some guys will learn from it.''

Grier and the Gators have been one of the most surprising teams in the country in their first year under McElwain, the former Colorado State coach and Alabama assistant. The Gators (6-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) already have matched last year's regular-season win total and have a commanding lead in the league's Eastern Division race.

Harris will be tasked with helping them stay there.

Harris started the opener and split snaps with Grier in the second week against East Carolina. He has not thrown a pass since. He is 19 for 27 for 269 yards and two touchdowns.

He played nine games as a freshman last season, completing 45 percent of his passes for 1,019 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions.

Former Vanderbilt receiver Josh Grady will serve as the backup against the Tigers (5-0, 3-0).

''We have two really good quarterbacks and have a package for another one,'' McElwain said. ''This is not an excuse. It happened. Things happen in life, and if you want to use it as an excuse, so be it. But that's not what we're going to do. We're going to have a great week of practice, we're going to play our tails off against one of the best teams in the country on their turf and this out to be a blast, man.

''This ought to be a celebration, this game, for what this is all about. This is fun. This is why we do it. If you don't like this, get out of it, man.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 09:59 PM

Coach blaming himself for G-Tech's slide
October 12, 2015

ATLANTA (AP) It's gotten so bad for Georgia Tech that coach Paul Johnson can no longer count on his beloved spread option offense to run basic plays.

With the Yellow Jackets struggling as much as they in his eight-season tenure, Johnson huddled the team together Monday to discuss Football 101.

He's blaming himself and his assistants for poor coaching. He's blaming the players for poor execution.

''When you line up and you're trying to run an option play and the kids can't tell the difference between a 50 defense and a 4-3 and a 6-1, you've got issues,'' Johnson said. ''If you look and can't see if the guard is covered or uncovered, you've got issues.

''So you go back to basics and keep (repeating) it and hope they do that.''

There's plenty blame to go around as Georgia Tech (2-4, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) prepares to host Pittsburgh (4-1, 2-0 ACC) on Saturday.

Junior quarterback Justin Thomas is trying to do too much. Linemen are missing basic assignments for an injury-riddled offense that played five true freshmen in last week's blowout loss at Clemson.

Four weeks ago, the Jackets were ranked No. 14 and favored to win at Notre Dame. Now they're riding a four-game losing streak and about to face a Pitt defense that ranks sixth in the nation.

Johnson has no plans to tinker with his offensive scheme. Instead, he wants Thomas and others to focus on the basics of the spread option to create more short-yardage scenarios on second and third downs.

Against Clemson, Georgia Tech had over 20 plays of zero or negative yardage. Johnson said he'd never called so many third-and-long plays in 19 seasons as a head coach.

''When it goes like that, if you're not careful, you lose a little confidence and so you start pressing and trying to do more,'' Johnson said. ''That's (what) makes it worse.''

Johnson has challenged Thomas, a second-team All-ACC selection last year, to trust himself more in the run game. He had a career-low 3 net yards rushing on 14 carries at Clemson.

To avoid that kind of meltdown again, Thomas must make better decisions and his teammates must block better.

''In this offense, you're the featured ball carrier, and it's not your job to dish it to everybody else,'' Johnson said. ''Now can (the defense) take that guy out? They can, but I'm not sure anybody has. We kind of take him out ourselves (by) not sealing inside and not looking to turn it'' up field.

Johnson has no plans to open up more of the playbook in hopes of finding solutions.

''We're not bad on third downs because of the scheme,'' he said. ''We led the nation and set an all-time record last year running the same plays. We've got to do them at a high efficiency and play better.''

Note: It appears senior long snapper Sean Tobin is out of a job. After watching the ball sail over punter Ryan Rodwell's head for a third straight week, Johnson replaced Tobin with Casey Wilson during the Clemson game. ''Do it once, shame on you,'' Johnson said ''Do it twice, shame on me. I don't think we'll do it again. He won't.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 10:01 PM

Ole Miss back on the road against Memphis
October 12, 2015

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) During the summer it looked like Mississippi's game against Memphis would be little more than a speed bump for the Rebels before a five-game stretch against Southeastern Conference teams to end the season.

That's not the case anymore.

No. 13 Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1 SEC) travels to face undefeated Memphis (5-0) on Saturday in a surprisingly intriguing non-conference matchup. The Tigers haven't lost in a full calendar year, winning 12 straight games thanks to a stellar offense led by quarterback Paxton Lynch.

Now it's their chance to knock off a regional rival and a team from the SEC. The two schools are about an hour's drive apart and the connections run deep.

Ole Miss running back Jordan Wilkins is one of 11 players on the roster from the Memphis area. He said he knows several Tigers and has even had to engage in a little trash talk with his girlfriend, who is a cheerleader at the school.

Wilkins said Memphis' elevated status in the college football world only adds to the excitement.

''It's just natural that it hypes you up a little more when the game is competitive.'' Wilkins said.

It's also familiar territory for Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, who coached at a high school in Memphis for about a decade before a quick rise through the college coaching profession.

Freeze had nothing but praise for Lynch and fourth-year coach Justin Fuente, who is only 39 years old and viewed as one of the rising stars in the profession. Ole Miss beat Memphis 24-3 last season in Oxford.

''It's a quality, quality football team and they're playing with great confidence,'' Freeze said. ''And they have what a lot of us desire in a really sound, good quarterback. He's one of the better ones I've seen on film.''

Memphis was off last weekend, giving the Tigers nearly two weeks to prepare for Saturday's game. In some ways, Ole Miss had an off weekend too, breezing past New Mexico State 52-3 while resting several starters who were nursing nagging injuries.

Memphis hasn't had a problem scoring this season. The Tigers rank fourth nationally with 47.8 points per game.

The problem is their schedule hasn't exactly included college football's finest. A win over the Rebels would give Memphis a signature moment - and the national attention - it craves.

''Honestly, every week we're trying to prove something,'' Memphis receiver Phillip Mayhue said. ''We're just trying to prove that we're basically here. We're not a slouch. We worked hard and we're going to prove each and every week that hard work pays off.''

The game figures to be a difficult test for the revamped Ole Miss secondary. The Rebels shuffled players at several positions since star safety Tony Conner went down with a knee injury three weeks ago.

The newest lineup was fine against New Mexico State, but the Aggies didn't have anything near the firepower that the Tigers possess.

''All five of us mesh pretty well back there,'' Ole Miss safety Mike Hilton said. ''We have more experience, more speed out there now. We miss Tony, he was a big piece, but with the guys we have in place we are not losing a step.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 10:02 PM

UNC aims to keep momentum going
October 12, 2015

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) North Carolina carried plenty of momentum from a big win into a bye week. If the Tar Heels can maintain it, they'll be able to keep talking about contending for a division title.

Heading into Saturday's game against Wake Forest, the Tar Heels (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won four straight after rallying from a huge deficit to win at Georgia Tech for the first time since 1997. That's also the last time UNC stood at 2-0 in the ACC, coming in Mack Brown's final season before taking over at Texas.

Coach Larry Fedora said the team spent the first part of its bye week correcting mistakes and tweaking the game plan before focusing on any prep work for the Demon Deacons (3-3, 1-2).

''I'm trying to distance everything from the past and just take the mistakes and learn from them and make sure this team understands who they are,'' Fedora said Monday. ''It doesn't matter that everybody made a big deal we hadn't won in Atlanta in (18) years. So what? This team hadn't played in Atlanta until that Saturday. So I'm really trying to get away from all those things.''

North Carolina started the year with a mistake-filled loss to South Carolina, but things have gone fairly smoothly otherwise. The defensive overhaul led by former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik has worked well enough to go from allowing 497.8 yards and 39 points per game last year to 357.2 yards and 18 points through five games.

UNC's offense has been so efficient that the Tar Heels have punted just 12 times, second fewest in the country to No. 2 Baylor (10).

And Williams has shaken off that rough opener, leading the Tar Heels in passing, rushing and receiving yardage in the 38-31 win at Georgia Tech on Oct. 4. The Tar Heels rallied from 21-0 down in that one, earning the biggest comeback in program history.

The schedule certainly sets up to give the Tar Heels a good chance to keep momentum going toward that goal of winning the Coastal Division. Next up is a Wake Forest team that has scored one touchdown in the past two games and is coming off a 3-0 win at Boston College, while the next game comes at home against Virginia - who has lost five straight to UNC.

''We understand that we haven't accomplished anything yet,'' linebacker Jeff Schoettmer said. ''Our two goals at the beginning of the year were state champs and Coastal champs. Neither one of those we've accomplished.''

Earlier Monday, the school announced two injuries.

Freshman defensive tackle Aaron Crawford will have season-ending surgery Thursday to repair a broken left foot suffered in practice last week. He had played in two games and the school will apply for a medical redshirt for him.

The school also said redshirt freshman tight end Caleb Samuel has ended his career due to a heart condition. He played in all five games.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 10:04 PM

Arizona State facing stiff challenge at No. 4 Utah
October 12, 2015

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) Arizona State has gotten its season back on track by playing its two best games of the season.

If the Sun Devils are to keep the momentum going, they'll have to play even better than they did the past two weeks.

With a road game against No. 4 Utah up next, Arizona State will have the double task of playing one of the nation's best teams in one of the country's most difficult places to play.

''We're going up against probably the best opponent that we've played all season,'' Sun Devils quarterback Mike Bercovici said Monday. ''We're excited about our match-up. We feel this is going to be a week that defines us as a program and as a brotherhood.''

Arizona State (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12) played inconsistently through its first four games, sandwiching wins over Cal Poly and New Mexico between an opening loss to Texas A&M and a blowout home loss to Southern California.

The Sun Devils finally started living up to expectations with a road win over UCLA, which was in the top 10 at the time, and controlled Colorado in a 48-23 home victory last Saturday.

The back-to-back victories put Arizona State back in position to reach one of its goals, winning the Pac-12 South.

But to do that, the Sun Devils will need to beat Utah (5-0, 2-0) and keep playing well the rest of the season. Arizona State beat the Utes last season in Tempe, but Utah is a better team this season and will be playing at home.

''Obviously, it's a very difficult place to play,'' Arizona State coach Todd Graham said. ''It will be very loud, a very challenging place. But that's going on the road in the Pac-12. That's the way it is. But obviously they're very deserving of their fourth ranking in the country.''

Utah was picked to finish fifth in the Pac-12, yet has become the team to beat at the midpoint of the season.

The Utes are physical on both sides of the ball, have one of the nation's best running backs and have hit their stride under coach Kyle Whittingham after a few years of struggling in the Pac-12.

''The thing I'm most impressed of on tape is watching how hard his players play on kickoff cover, how hard they play on defense, how hard they play on offense,'' Graham said. ''Every year it's a dog fight because he does such a great job. I've got a lot of respect for him. You can tell the character and toughness and fundamentals. They're very well-coached.''

A big key for Arizona State will be stopping Devontae Booker.

The Utah senior is an explosive runner and receiver out of the backfield who ranks ninth nationally with 171.8 all-purpose yards per game and 15th with 665 yards rushing. Booker ran for 222 yards and two touchdowns last week against California.

Arizona State has had some success against one of the nation's top runners already.

In the win over UCLA two weeks ago, the Sun Devils held Paul Perkins, the Pac-12's No. 2 rusher at the time, to 63 yards on 18 carries.

''Those two guys have got to be as good as there is in this league,'' Graham said. ''He's a powered, downhill runner, makes a lot of his yards straight ahead and cutting it back.''

The other key: Holding onto the football.

Arizona State was one of the nation's best teams at limiting turnovers last season, but had 13 fumbles through the first four games, losing seven. The Sun Devils have gotten better over the past two games with one turnover in each, both interceptions by Bercovici.

Utah is the nation's most opportunistic defenses, entering Saturday's game second nationally with a turnover margin of plus-10. The Utes have recovered five fumbles and intercepted 12 passes, including five last week against Cal's Jared Goff, one of the nation's top quarterbacks.

''Utah's a very opportunistic football team,'' Bercovici said. ''They've done a great job thus far. They play with energy and they play with passion, and that's something that we've got to match and surpass.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 10:06 PM

Jim Harbaugh removes countdown clocks and won't look back
October 12, 2015

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged, albeit reluctantly, that the countdown clocks for Michigan State and Ohio State games have been removed from Schembechler Hall.

''Winning the next game is the goal,'' Harbaugh explained. ''That's the most important thing. There's nothing more important than that.''

Michigan State's football program, meanwhile, posted a picture on Twitter of its countdown clock Monday afternoon to help kick off a week of hype for a game that people beyond the state will probably pay attention to on Saturday.

The seventh-ranked Spartans (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are coming to the Big House to play the surging, 12th-ranked Wolverines (5-1, 2-0) and the showdown holds more than provincial interest because both teams are ranked and potentially have a lot at stake this season.

Harbaugh has led a dramatic turnaround in his first year, matching last season's total number of wins under Brady Hoke with a five-game winning streak since opening with a setback at Utah. Mark Dantonio is 6-2 against Michigan, doing and saying all the right things to help Michigan State have its best stretch in the series in more than a half-century.

Michigan has historically dominated the series that dates to 1898, winning nearly two-thirds of the matchups.

The Spartans have flipped the script lately with their best stretch in the series in more than a half-century.

Here's a look back at some memorable Michigan-Michigan State games:

1990: The top-ranked Wolverines were stunned and sour after Desmond Howard was tripped - or defended - by Eddie Brown as he caught and dropped a 2-point conversion, allowing unraked Michigan State to hold on for a 28-27 win.

1995: Unranked and Nick Saban-led Michigan State capped a comeback with an 11-play, 88-yard drive that ended with Tony Banks' 25-yard pass to Nigea Carter with 1:24 left for a 28-25 win to beat the seventh-ranked Wolverines.

1999: No. 11 Michigan State held on to beat No. 3 Michigan 34-31. The Spartans took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and won by just three after Tom Brady, who was alternating with Drew Henson, threw two TD passes over the last eight-plus minutes.

2001: T.J. Duckett caught a game-winning, 2-yard touchdown lob from Jeff Smoker with a still-disputed second left in what is infamously remembered at the ''Clock Game,'' to give the unranked Spartans a 26-24 upset against No. 6 Michigan.

2003: No. 11 Michigan beat No. 9 Michigan State 27-20 thanks to Chris Perry's 219 yards rushing and a score on 51 carries and John Navarre's third TD pass that gave the Wolverines a 17-point lead in the fourth.

2004: Braylon Edwards caught a third TD in triple overtime to lift the 12h-ranked Wolverines to a 45-37 win over unranked Michigan State after trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter.

2007: Michigan's slide in the series started after its 15th-ranked team beat the unranked Spartans 28-24. ''Sometimes, you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball - let them get the lead. And, then you come back,'' former running back Mike Hart said after helping the Wolverines overcame a 10-point deficit midway through the fourth. Dantonio, who was in his first year, later lashed out and said, ''pride comes before the fall.''

2012: The 23rd-ranked Wolverines beat unranked Michigan State 12-10 - their only win in a seven-year stretch - after Brendan Gibbons kicked a 38-yard field goal with 5 seconds left and limiting Le'Veon Bell to 68 yards rushing on 26 carries.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-12-2015, 10:08 PM

Oklahoma's road back after Texas loss starts at Kansas State
October 12, 2015

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Despite Oklahoma fans' shock and disappointment following last Saturday's 24-17 loss to rival Texas, their Sooners are in virtually the same position they were in before the game.

The schedule presents multiple chances to get back into the playoff picture. Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) still has yet to play No. 2 Baylor, No. 3 TCU and unbeaten No. 16 Oklahoma State. The 19th-ranked Sooners still have big-time goals, and they are using Ohio State's example from last season as a rallying cry.

''If you look at it, not many teams at all go undefeated,'' Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield said. ''Last year, Ohio State won the national championship and they lost to a Virginia Tech team at home. They got it going, and they fought back. You can't harp on the losses. It can either make you better or make you worse.''

The route back to the playoff hunt starts Saturday at Kansas State.

''It's simple,'' Stoops said. ''Like I said a year ago, we won this game (against Texas) and didn't end up having a great year. Two years ago, we lost this game and ended up going on and winning the Sugar Bowl. So we'll see. All you can do is get ready to play this week and be the best we can and make improvement and take it game by game.''

Traditionally, Oklahoma bounces back well. The Sooners haven't lost back-to-back regular-season games since 1999, a span of 34 straight wins following losses. They'll face a formidable Kansas State squad that lost a 52-45 heartbreaker at home against TCU last Saturday.

''We're going to be ready for a Kansas State team that's going to give us their best shot,'' Mayfield said. ''They took TCU down to the wire. It's just a tough environment to play at. We've just got to be ready to come in there with the right attitude and be hungry.''

How the Sooners lost to Texas is as big an issue as the score. Mayfield was sacked six times and the Sooners rushed for just 67 yards on 37 carries. Center Ty Darlington said the offensive line can't accept numbers like that.

''I think a lot of it is the tone we set as leaders and what you accept every day in practice and the level of intensity and the level of competiveness that you approach every day with,'' he said. ''Especially where we're a pretty young group. and even the guys that aren't younger are inexperienced. But by this point, we're almost halfway through the year. You can't just keep saying inexperienced.''

Darlington believes the Sooners will recover.

''What it's going to take from here on out is an incredible level of character,'' he said. ''Our character gets revealed in times of adversity. This is definitely an adverse situation, but at the same time, all is not lost. We have a lot of our goals still out in front of us, and we're going to have a lot of opportunities to prove who we are.''

Announcement

The Bum's College Football Week # 7 Rated Plays, Trends, News Etc. !!

The Bum's College Football Week # 7 Rated Plays, Trends, News Etc. !!

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment