St. Francis (IL) 21, Valparaiso 0
JOLIET, Ill. -- Turnovers on three of the first four possessions of the second half helped St. Francis (Ill.) shut out Valparaiso 21-0 Thursday in the season opener for both schools.
In a game played in driving rain, the Fighting Saints finally scored at the 12:26 mark of the second quarter on a seven play, 70-yard ground drive. Javon Stewart, who carried six times on the drive, scored from 20 yards out to put St. Francis up 7-0.
Then, in the third quarter Donte Villery scored from three yards out. A bad snap on the conversion left Saint Francis on top 13-0 at the 8:26 mark. About four minutes later, Jason Fiske ran for a 10-yard touchdown, followed by a conversion to complete the scoring.
The Crusaders (0-1) managed just 24 yards of total offense in the second half.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Paterno's son says he's focused on spread offense, not moving up
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Jay Paterno feels that some day he could be a head coach, too, just like his famous father.
For now, though, he said his only priority is helping Penn State move to more of a spread-style offense next season and getting his dad and boss, Joe Paterno, more wins.
Most people tell me there is no lack of confidence in me," said Jay Paterno, the Nittany Lions' quarterbacks coach who helps call passing plays. "But I'm just worried about next year."
The elder Paterno said after the Alamo Bowl late last month that his son has the ability to be a head coach, "but I don't think Penn State would be a good place for him right now." Having his son succeed him would make it seem as if "I programmed the whole thing," JoePa said.
In a recent interview, Jay Paterno said becoming a head coach isn't at the top of his to-do list, even at Penn State, though "obviously, if that were to happen, I would have to prove myself."
He could coach or work elsewhere, he said, but he loves Penn State and the State College area. Jay Paterno just completed his 13th season on the coaching staff, his eighth coaching quarterbacks.
His father just finished his record 42nd year as Penn State head coach, though he is about to enter the final year of his contract, which expires after the 2008 season.
Joe Paterno, 81, has said recently he could coach at least a couple more years, and perhaps as many as five. His 372 career wins are one behind Florida State's Bobby Bowden for most among major college coaches.
Next season might bring a different look to the Penn State offense. Coaches have said the Nittany Lions will go back to more of the spread-style attack used in 2005, when run-pass threat Michael Robinson started at quarterback.
The 2008 squad will be led by a new quarterback because of the departure of two-year starter Anthony Morelli, who was more of a drop-back passer. The major question is whether holdovers Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin can handle the job.
Coaches have said the race is wide open, though Clark may come into spring practice as the first-stringer simply because he was the top backup. Clark showed a glimpse of his potential when he ran for 60 yards and a touchdown on five carries against Texas A&M in the bowl game, though he did not attempt a pass.
A wild card may be the destination of Terrelle Pryor, the athletic 6-foot-6 quarterback from Jeannette who is considered one of the top recruits in the country. Pryor has said Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon are among his options.
Regardless of who calls the signals, next year's Penn State quarterback should have some help -- all five starters return on the offensive line, as well as the receiving trio of Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood.
Jay Paterno said the team's goal is to both run and pass for 200 yards each game out what has been dubbed the "Spread HD."
"It's not a philosophical shift, but more of a personnel shift," he said. "It's a different system than people have seen the last couple years, but the whole idea is to give us the best chance to win."
He understands that he is sometimes a target of fans critical of the play-calling and the quarterback's performance. Perhaps with that in mind, he joked about what the "HD" stood for in the Nittany Lions' spread plans.
"It could stand for 'high-definition' or 'highly diverse,"' Jay Paterno said. "As long as it doesn't stand for 'huge dud."'
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
LSU's Dorsey presented with Outland Trophy
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- After capping his college career earlier in the week with a national title, LSU tackle Glenn Dorsey was properly sent off Thursday night by his former Tigers defensive coordinator, new Nebraska coach Bo Pelini.
Pelini, who coached the Tigers' defense in LSU's 38-24 victory over Ohio State in the BCS national championship game Monday night, introduced Dorsey before the tackle accepted the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman.
"Coming up here, I didn't know he was going to be here, so this is kind of my last opportunity to be with him, so to me it's real special," Dorsey said. "He's kind of a father figure to me; I can call and talk to him anytime."
When the player finally came face-to-face with his coach at a reception before the dinner, the pair embraced in a half-hug and joked heartily as they posed for pictures with passing fans, Dorsey smiling as he clutched his trophy.
"He's not only a great football player, he's a better person," Pelini said of the player hoping to be picked No. 1 in the NFL draft. "He's a leader and he's the type of guy that we want in our program here at Nebraska. He's a total package."
Dorsey said he was glad -- but not surprised -- that Pelini coached LSU's defense in its bowl game even after accepting the Nebraska job more than a month earlier.
"He puts his heart and soul into everything, that's why I wasn't surprised when he came back to coach in that championship game," Dorsey said. "He starts whatever he finishes."
Dorsey led Pelini's unit on the field that outplayed the nation's top-ranked defense, stifling Ohio State's offense as the Tigers scored 31 straight points after trailing by 10 early in the game. The Tigers allowed the Buckeyes to convert just three times on 13 third-down attempts.
The Outland is one of a handful Dorsey earned in a season he played at less than full strength. Battling knee and tailbone injuries and constant double-teams, he still managed strong enough numbers to win the Outland, the Lombardi Award (outstanding lineman) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (outstanding defensive player). Dorsey was also named the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year.
The All-American had 39 solo tackles, 25 assists, 11 1/2 tackles for losses, six sacks, four pass breakups and four quarterback hurries in 13 games.
Dorsey chose to return to LSU for his senior season instead of opting for the NFL draft, passing on a huge payday as many thought him a sure first-round pick.
The 6-foot-2, 303-pound Dorsey said earlier he would have regretted leaving early for the NFL. He said he didn't prefer any particular team to draft him in April, but said he was a fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys as a kid.
Former Oklahoma star Lee Roy Selmon also was on hand to accept a trophy for the Outland he won in 1975, after two years of leading a dominant defense on back-to-back national title teams. Winners didn't start getting an actual trophy until the late 1980s, so a past recipient is brought back each year for his own hardware.
"It's just as humbling as it was back in 1975 receiving a plaque," said Selmon, the top pick in the 1976 NFL draft. He played for Tampa Bay until 1984 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
"I'm going to probably display it at my home or maybe my restaurant."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Parry appointed national coordinator of college football officials
INDIANAPOLIS -- Longtime college and NFL referee David Parry will be the first national coordinator of college football officiating.
Parry, coordinator of football officials for the Big Ten, will oversee national training programs for referees, assign and evaluate postseason officiating crews, and coordinate national meetings of the referees, the NCAA said Friday.
The NCAA and the Collegiate Commissioners Association also established College Football Officiating LLC, which will be governed by a 15-member board.
Eleven representatives will come from the Division I Bowl Subdivision, two from Division I Championship Subdivision conferences and two will be appointed by NCAA President Myles Brand.
A subsidiary of the NCAA and the CCA, the CFO will aim to create consistency in applying game rules and officiating mechanics and to ensure officials and conferences adhere to directives from the NCAA and commissioners association.
"This cooperative effort ... enhances the existing strong system in place across conferences and will better position the officiating community in the future," Tom Jernstedt, an NCAA executive vice president and chairman of the CFO board, said in a statement. "College football is experiencing unprecedented fan and media interest and the potential for growth is very good. We want to ensure the best possible system is in place to support that growth."
The CFO will also appoint the national coordinator of officials. Parry, an NCAA official for 20 years and an NFL official for 15 years, was proud to be the first.
"Enhancing college football officiating to the highest level will be the challenge," he said. "By cooperation and leveraging the talent within our conferences and inside the NCAA, we can ensure a shared success."
Parry's experience includes 20 NCAA tournaments, 12 NFL playoffs and four NFL championship games. He officiated at the Super Bowl in 1983.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Johnson, Mack lead Utah to 35-32 Poinsettia Bowl win over Navy
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Invite the Utah Utes to a bowl game and the odds are pretty good they're going to win.
Brian Johnson threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and Utah opened the bowl season with a wild 35-32 victory over the Navy Midshipmen in the Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday night.
It was Utah's seventh straight bowl victory dating to 1999.
"Seven straight bowl wins, not a lot of people can say that," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "I tell you what, our seniors are 5-0. Fifth-year seniors, five bowl games, five rings. Unbelievable, the legacy they left behind."
Boston College has won seven straight bowl games going into its matchup against Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl next Friday.
Running back Darrell Mack, who grew up in the San Diego area, scored the first and last touchdowns for Utah (9-4), which won for the eighth time in nine games.
The loss spoiled the head coaching debut of Navy's Ken Niumatalolo, who was promoted from assistant head coach and offensive line coach after Paul Johnson left for Georgia Tech.
Navy (8-5) had its four-game winning streak snapped.
"More than anything, I feel for our seniors," Niumatalolo said. "I'll coach again."
The Poinsettia Bowl is run by the same group that puts on the Holiday Bowl, so it was fitting that the teams combined for 50 points in the second half.
The game came down to a crazy final minute.
Navy pulled to 35-32 on Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada's 58-yard touchdown pass to Zerbin Singleton with 57 seconds left.
Singleton recovered the onside kick at the 42, but Kaheaku-Enhada was intercepted by safety Joe Dale on the second play of the drive to seal the victory. Dale had a team-high 12 tackles.
There was a questionable call late in the game.
With his Utes leading 28-25, Jerome Brooks caught a 3-yard pass from Johnson and lost the ball as he was diving for the corner of the end zone. The ball hit the pylon and went out of bounds. Officials could have ruled it a touchback for Navy, but after a review, the call on the field stood.
On the next play, Mack was stuffed for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Navy ended up getting stopped on fourth-and-2 from its 9.
Afterward, the officials released a statement saying a mistake was made, and the play should have been ruled a touchback, with Navy getting the ball at its 20.
"Who knows?" Kaheaku-Enhada said when asked if the controversial call made a difference. "We run the same three plays, if the ball's on the 1 or the ball's on the 20."
Johnson took a hit in the third quarter that seemed to wake him up.
He completed 11 straight passes spanning the second and third quarters. He expertly ran Utah's spread-option offense in leading Utes back from a 17-7 deficit by going 9-for-9 for 130 yards in the third quarter.
"Our four wide receivers did a great job for me making plays all night," Johnson said. "It feels great to keep the bowl streak going."
After Brooks scored on a 23-yard end-around pitch to pull the Utes within three, they went ahead on Johnson's 40-yard pass to Derrek Richards with 1:12 left in the third quarter.
Johnson scored on a 19-yard scramble early in the fourth quarter to give Utah a 28-17 lead.
Navy, which seemed to be wearing down against the larger Utes, got a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kaheaku-Enhada to Shun White, and a conversion run by Kaheaku-Enhada to pull to 28-25 with 8:48 left.
Mack's 1-yard TD run with 1:27 left seemed to give Utah a safe lead before Kaheaku-Enhada's big pass play.
"It feels good to come back home and win this kind of game," Mack said. "It was a good game, a lot of entertainment out there for the people who paid good money. I just wanted to go out there and play well in front of my family."
Johnson was 20-of-25 passing for 226 yards, with one interception. He ran 11 times for 69 yards.
After three turnovers in the first 7:20, the teams settled down.
Mack scored on a 5-yard run midway through the first quarter for a 7-0 Utah lead.
Navy then got its triple-option offense moving to score 17 straight points.
Kaheaku-Enhada scored on a 1-yard run, Joey Bullen kicked a 39-yard field goal and Eric Kettani broke a 46-yard scoring run.
"We definitely had opportunities in the first half, but we turned the ball over," Niumatalolo said. "I felt like we could have put the game away, or at least gotten some separation there."
Kettani carried 12 times for 125 yards.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Colorado State names Fairchild coach
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO (TICKER) -- Steve Fairchild, a quarterback at Colorado State in the late 1970s, is returning to his alma mater.
Currently the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator, the 49-year-old Fairchild was named the Rams' football coach on Wednesday.
Fairchild replaces long-time coach Sonny Lubick, who was fired last month after turning down an offer to work in the school's athletic department.
The Rams' starting quarterback as a senior in 1980, Fairchild coached under Lubick for eight years at Colorado State, serving as offensive coordinator from 1997-2000.
"I am honored by the opportunity to return to Colorado State University as head coach," Fairchild said. "This is an exciting time for my family, as well as myself, and I want to thank CSU president Larry Edward Penley and director of athletics Paul Kowalczyk. I also want to thank Bills owner Ralph Wilson and head coach Dick Jauron for the opportunity afforded to me the past two seasons.
"We have a very important game this weekend with the Cleveland Browns that requires all of my concentration, and I do appreciate CSU and the Bills for allowing me to finish out my responsibilities here in Buffalo prior to assuming my new role."
During Fairchild's first coaching stint at Colorado State, the Rams made five bowl appearances and finished in the top 25 three times.
"Steve Fairchild has a long-standing history of success at Colorado State, both as a student-athlete and coach," Kowalczyk said. "I know that he has great passion for this university, this program and this community."
"We are pleased that Steve Fairchild, with his significant coaching expertise and history at Colorado State, is going to return to his roots as a champion for our football program," Penley added.
However, the program has fallen off in recent years and the Rams posted just a 3-9 record last season, leading to Lubick's firing.
With the Bills still in contention for a playoff spot, Fairchild will not leave his current job until the conclusion of the NFL season.
"We would never jeopardize his current commitment," Kowalczyk said.
Fairchild is in his second season as the Bills' offensive coordinator. He also served as the St. Louis Rams' offensive coordinator in 2004-2005, tutoring quarterback Marc Bulger.
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano to stay at Rutgers, turns down Michigan job
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Greg Schiano rejected overtures from Michigan and will remain the football coach at Rutgers.
Schiano met with the team Friday and told the Scarlet Knights of his decision, Rutgers spokesman Jason Baum said.
It marked the second time in less than a week that Michigan was rebuffed in its efforts to find a successor to Lloyd Carr. Les Miles decided to remain at LSU last Saturday.
"I was contacted earlier this week about the Michigan coaching vacancy, but I have decided to remove my name from consideration," Schiano said in a statement. "I look forward to our third straight bowl game and to bringing a national championship to Rutgers and the state of New Jersey. I will have no further comment."
Rutgers athletic director Robert E. Mulcahy, Bryan Harlin, Schiano's agent, and Michigan spokesman Bruce Madej did not immediately return telephone calls by The Associated Press.
Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and Schiano met for several hours in New York on Tuesday.
The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Schiano tentatively accepted the job on Wednesday, but he had a change of heart on Thursday.
A New Jersey native, Schiano orchestrated one of the most impressive turnarounds in college football during his seven seasons at Rutgers. When he took over in Piscataway, the program was one of the worst in the Division I-A.
The Scarlet Knights have enjoyed three straight winning seasons and will be making their third consecutive postseason appearance at the International Bowl against Ball State on Jan. 6. They went 7-5 this season, a disappointment after starting the season ranked No. 16 in the nation.
Schiano's decision to talk to Michigan came just a day after he gave the impression that he was not interested in the job.
"I haven't spoken to anybody about any job," Schiano said Monday when asked about Michigan at his weekly news conference, "and that's where I'm going to leave it."
Within 48 hours, that all seemed to change, which is similar to a year ago when he turned down a chance to return to Miami; he was the Hurricanes defensive coordinator before coming to Rutgers.
After pulling out of contention for the Miami job, Schiano signed a four-year extension through 2016 that will pay him $1.7 million annually. That deal contains a buyout of $750,000 if Schiano were to leave Rutgers between the end of the 2007 regular season and the beginning of the 2008 campaign.
Instead of a new contract, Schiano's decision to stay might influence an expansion of the Rutgers football stadium. The university's Board of Governors recently put off a vote on a stadium expansion proposal after Gov. Jon Corzine expressed reservations about floating a $30 million state loan for the project.
The addition of 12,000 seats, luxury boxes and a dining club to the stadium is expected to cost $120 million.
Schiano's decision leaves Michigan 0-for-2 in its search to replace Carr, who retired on Nov. 19 after 13 seasons.
The 62-year-Carr posted a 121-40 record, including an 8-4 mark this season. His .752 winning percentage is seventh among active coaches behind Florida State's Bobby Bowden and ahead of South Carolina's Steve Spurrier.
Michigan's list of potential candidates still includes Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, California's Jeff Tedford, Missouri's Gary Pinkel, North Carolina State's Tom O'Brien, Ball State's Brady Hoke, Michigan offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and Wolverines defensive coordinator Ron English.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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