Tennessee defense best after turnovers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- With its offense struggling, Tennessee's defense has been doing damage control often this season.
The Volunteers (1-3) have thrown four interceptions and lost four fumbles, but their defense has limited opponents to only 16 points off those turnovers.
"To be quite honest with you, over the years we've been our best in sudden change," defensive coordinator John Chavis said.
The Vols, who face Northern Illinois (2-2) on Saturday, rehearse those momentum swings as much as possible. During offseason scrimmages, coaches might yell "sudden change" after the offense has been on the field for only a few plays.
That makes those sudden change times a little less of a surprise when they happen during games. Tennessee's dominant defense helped keep the Vols competitive in its 14-12 loss to Auburn last Saturday.
"It's a mind-set we have as a defense that we have to go out there, get a stop and get the ball back to the offense," defensive end Chris Walker said. "That's something our coaches preach and something we've bought into."
Tennessee has allowed only one long drive following a turnover, a 12-play, 75-yard drive by Florida that resulted in a field goal after a fumble by Jonathan Crompton.
On two drives, the defense has prevented its opponent from making a first down. After UAB intercepted Crompton, Walter Fisher sacked Blazers quarterback Joe Webb for a 7-yard loss, and UAB punted after losing 8 yards on the 3-play drive.
Ten of the points scored off Tennessee turnovers were practically impossible to prevent. Auburn scored a touchdown after recovering the ball fumbled in the end zone on a handoff between Crompton and Arian Foster.
Florida recovered a fumble at the Tennessee 22 and kicked a field goal after running three plays for no gain.
"You would like to have the idea that you're going to play that way on every play, but it's got to mean something," Chavis said. "It's got to mean something when you're put in that situation, and our guys have done a good job of responding because we've worked it."
The Vols rank 17th nationally in total defense having allowed an average of 158 yards per game this season. They rank 34th in scoring defense with an average 18.5 points allowed.
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STRUGGLING FRESHMAN: Kentucky freshman receiver Aaron Boyd was expected to make an immediate impact this season. He hasn't been able to deliver.
Before the opening game against Louisville, the highly rated recruit was diagnosed with mononucleosis and missed considerable practice time. Healthy again for the second game against Norfolk State, Boyd has still struggled to make the starting lineup, largely because of his work ethic, coach Rich Brooks said.
"I'm going to keep my patience," Brooks said. "You have to practice well and you have to perform well and you have to know what you're doing and you have to do it full speed in this league or you won't play as much."
Kentucky (4-0) lost three starting receivers after last season, and it was hoped that Boyd could help pick up the slack with returnee Dicky Lyons Jr.
But the freshman has lacked focus and initiative, according to his coach.
"When he starts getting that, he'll play more," Brooks said.
Boyd did catch all three passes thrown to him is the Wildcats' win against Western Kentucky, which Brooks called encouraging.
"But he's got a lot of work to do and he has to understand the level of intensity it takes to play in this league," Brooks said.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Gerald Jones hopes to pass out of Vols' 'G-gun'
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Gerald Jones is tired of being grounded.
The Tennessee wide receiver who moonlights as a quarterback in what's called the "G-gun" package said he must attempt some passes behind center rather than just handing the ball off or tucking and running if he's going to keep opposing defenses honest.
He's hoping his first pass attempt of the season comes Saturday when Tennessee (1-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) faces No. 15 Auburn (3-1, 1-1).
"A lot of people are going to be expecting the run, so I wouldn't be surprised if come Auburn we do run it and I might be throwing it," he said. "There's so many things we can do out of that package that we haven't brought out yet."
Even though the Vols' offense has shown it can put together long drives, players have struggled with drive-killing mistakes. A few big plays from Jones could help minimize those problems.
The sophomore figured to play a large role this season in first-year offensive coordinator Dave Clawson's offense which focuses on getting the ball to the best and most versatile athletes.
"We have more out of it. We feel Gerald Jones is one of our best playmakers, and the G-gun package is there in part to ensure that he has his hands on the football," Clawson said.
Jones was the Gatorade player of the year in 2006 in Oklahoma as a quarterback and defensive player at Millwood High School, but was recruited as a receiver or cornerback.
Last year as a freshman, he earned playing time while surrounded by a crowded field of talented receivers and had crucial touchdown and first-down catches in overtime in a 52-50 win over Kentucky.
But he generated buzz at quarterback, taking eight snaps from center. He rushed for 58 yards for a 7.2 yard average and two touchdowns.
This season, he's taken nine snaps -- three against UCLA and six against Florida -- and the Vols are averaging 9 yards for every snap Jones has taken.
The Gators' defense had a hunch what was coming during one G-gun play in the second quarter when Jones kept the ball and linebacker Ryan Stamper tackled him in the backfield for a loss of a yard.
"I actually thought we were going to pass the ball, because toward the end you saw Florida just really biting on the run. That's all it was going to be," Jones said. "I felt like if we would have snuck somebody out the back and let me throw it ... but we didn't."
Clawson said he's been adding to the G-gun package as Jones absorbs more of the offense.
But he's not quite ready to concede to Auburn that he'll use Jones to pass.
"Oh, maybe," Clawson said with a smile.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Auburn DBs look forward to another shot at LSU
AUBURN, Ala. -- Cornerback Jerraud Powers and Auburn would take their chances with the play again if they had a do-over. Powers was defending -- and in good position -- on LSU's risky, go-for-broke touchdown pass last season.
Matt Flynn's 22-yard pass ended up in receiver Demetrius Byrd's hands as the final seconds ticked down for a 30-24 LSU win. Like any good cornerback, Powers has both the confidence and a short enough memory not to get rattled by the play.
There's always next time, which comes when No. 10 Auburn hosts No. 6 LSU on Saturday night.
"I knew that question was going to be brought up a lot from last year's game," Powers said. "I haven't been sitting, worrying about it, thinking about that play. I haven't put it on my wall and said, 'I can't wait to go against these guys again,' because I knew this chance was going to come."
Besides, Powers had pretty good coverage. Flynn just threw a near-perfect ball and Byrd came up with it.
"I've said many times if we did it 10 times, we wouldn't change the defense," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "We wouldn't change how we covered. I've heard the receiver say, 'I never really saw the ball. I just stuck my hands up,' and the ball went into his hands. It was very unusual."
Powers said he has not watched the replay since last year. He insists he doesn't even remember it all that well, though for many Auburn fans the memory is crystal clear.
"You know, he made a play and I didn't," Powers said. "That's all it came down to. I was in good coverage to make a play, but he came down with the ball. That's all I remember from last year."
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NO TAKEAWAYS: Arkansas has takeaways going into the Southeastern Conference season against No. 9 Alabama.
Coach Bobby Petrino started talking about turnovers immediately after Arkansas edged Louisiana-Monroe two weekends ago, and he's still a bit anxious for his team's luck to change.
"We've got to start getting some turnovers coming our way, get some short fields, score on defense, score on special teams," Petrino said. "It'll take all those things to win this game."
Arkansas beat Western Illinois in its opener but dropped multiple interception chances in that game. The Leathernecks also fumbled four times, but Arkansas didn't recover any of them. The following weekend, Louisiana-Monroe fumbled twice and didn't lose either one.
"We're trying to work extremely hard on creating turnovers," Petrino said. "The first guy tackling, the second guy stripping the ball. We need to catch the ball better. We've dropped four opportunities for interceptions. And the ball has been on the ground. We just haven't been quick enough or close enough, or maybe it bounced the wrong way."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
USC's Carroll, OSU's Tressel fit their schools
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One springs practical jokes on his team, oozes charisma and sprinkles his conversation with the word "dude." He's been called an "aging hipster dad."
The other wears sweater vests, refers to his players as "young champions" and appears to part his hair with a laser pointer it's so straight. Even those closest to him marvel at his single-point focus and privately chuckle that he may not have human emotions.
Southern California's Pete Carroll and Ohio State's Jim Tressel are both in their mid-50s and have been coaching ultra-successful college football programs for eight seasons.
They meet in a showdown Saturday night at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Their programs have so much in common, yet it would be hard to fathom two more different personalities at the top.
"Carroll is like one of the kids. I can't wait to see him when he's 70," said Trev Alberts, former Nebraska star and an analyst for CBS College Sports. "Tressel couldn't be that way -- he'd get laughed at. But he is very comfortable and confident in who he is and how he does things."
Both are hard workers, of course. Both have also been accused of being overly ambitious. They've taken widely divergent paths to get to the apex of their sport.
Carroll, like Tressel, was a quarterback in high school. He spent three years as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Pacific, before working as a GA for another season at Arkansas. Earle Bruce, then the coach at Iowa State, gave him his first full-time job coaching the secondary in 1978 and then brought him along when he succeeded Hall of Famer Woody Hayes as the head coach at Ohio State in 1979.
Bruce, now retired and living part of the year in Columbus where he is an Ohio State football analyst on radio, remembers Carroll as a young, raw coach.
"Pete was alert, he knew the game of football," he said. "He could relate well with kids. But the Southern Cal kid he would relate to better. He really fits the Southern Cal job very, very well."
Carroll spent only one year at Ohio State, but has vivid memories.
One day he was sitting in a football office at drab St. John Arena. He then spotted Hayes, who had been fired for punching a player at the 1978 Gator Bowl, walking back from teaching a class. Carroll ran outside.
"I introduced myself and we walked for about 10 minutes. He knew who I was. I was all thrilled," Carroll said. "We talked football. That was my one chance I had to visit with him."
Six years later, Carroll was an NFL assistant. After nine years as an assistant he spent a year as the head coach of the New York Jets, going 6-10. Fired from that job, he spent two more years back in his hometown of San Francisco as the 49ers' defensive coordinator before going 27-21 in three years as the head coach of the New England Patriots. Let go after the 1999 season, he was hired at USC in 2001. Since then, all he's done is go 76-14, win national championships in 2003 and 2004 and guide his team to the No. 1 spot this year.
"Pete is very effervescent, very likable," said former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, now an analyst for ESPN. "He has high energy."
Tressel, the son of a legendary Ohio small-college coach, has never coached in high school or the pros. His stops along the way to the capital of football-mad Ohio included Akron, Miami (Ohio) and Syracuse before he was hired by Bruce to coach quarterbacks in 1983.
After three years with the Buckeyes, Tressel became the head coach at Youngstown State in 1986 and in 15 seasons led the Penguins to four I-AA national championships. When John Cooper was fired after the 2000 season, Tressel beat out former Ohio State player (and Minnesota head coach) Glen Mason for the Buckeyes' job. Since then he has gone 75-16, winning the 2002 national championship and losing in the title game each of the past two years.
"Jim Tressel is a card player; you never know what he has," Holtz said. "He plays it very close to the vest. But still he's very confident, very smart."
His players say Tressel never wavers, never falters.
"He tries not to change his persona or his preparation because he feels like we should take the same precautions for every game," cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said. "But when big games come, he puts emphasis on doing all the little things right and making sure that guys are focused and enthused about what we're trying to get done."
One in La-La Land, one in America's heartland. They are perfect fits for their schools and their cities.
"They both have a commitment from (their administrators) and a belief system about the way things should be done," Alberts said. "They're consistent."
Two coaches, two paths, two personalities.
"They are very different," Holtz said. "But they arrive at the same place."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Miles and Tigers weather another storm
BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU coach Les Miles still had no power at his house on Wednesday.
He has a pool in the backyard, but wasn't about to use that either.
"A tree smashed the back fence and fell inches short of the house and it's getting plenty of water because it's in the pool, so it'll be alive when we chop it up," Miles said with a grin.
Miles has moved his family into LSU's football operations building and also invited his entire staff and their children to stay in the stout, concrete and stucco structure as Hurricane Gustav approached on Sunday night.
"All of our staffs' kids have become just great friends because they live in the operations building," Miles said. "It's sleep-over at all times. ... It's a lot of family time, a lot of kids, some pretty special moments."
They're all still there because the building has backup power.
Some of his assistants had roof damage, in addition to having trees and fences blown down.
"The good fortune is that there is a facility like this that we can gather in and be safe and practice in and regroup and go," Miles said. "The best place for us is right here."
Miles has been sleeping on the couch since attempting to join his wife on an air mattress the first night. He said it kept deflating and he ended up spending part of the night on the floor.
Miles said his team was hoping to be able to play this Saturday night at home against Troy and was disappointed by Wednesday's decision to postpone the game until Nov. 15, but understood.
"There's a great deal of compassion from this program, from this athletic department, for people in this state that were affected," Miles said. "We wish everybody well. We understand there's a lot of rebuilding and a lot of discomfort right now."
LSU remains scheduled to play at home on Sept. 13 against North Texas. He said his players wanted to keep practicing this week and look forward to getting back on the field to lift the spirits of fans who may be hurting personally. LSU embraced a similar mission in 2005, when hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit within one month.
"It's interesting," said Miles, who now has seen his team disrupted by three major storms in four seasons. "I could not dictate in my words what they should want to do, and I asked the unity council, which is the leadership of our team, and had them stand and tell us what was in their heart."
Miles recounted defensive end Tyson Jackson saying, "I'm not worth a dang as a carpenter and I can't drive nails. ... Really the thing I do best is play football, so let's do that."
"So we took his lead," Miles said.
The Tigers will keep practicing until Friday, then get the weekend off, when some players will return to their home towns in Louisiana to help their families deal with damaged property. They'll return on Monday, when classes also are expected resume.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
LSU's DE Jackson and LB Beckwith plan to return; DE Pittman seeking 6th season of eligibility
BATON ROUGE (AP) -- Top LSU defenders Darry Beckwith and Tyson Jackson will return for their senior seasons with the national championship squad.
Kirston Pittman, another defensive standout, also might return to the team if the NCAA approves his application for a sixth year of eligibility, coach Les Miles said.
Pittman, a defensive end, may be able to return because he missed 2005 and 2006 with injuries but took a medical redshirt for only one of them.
Mirian Segar, LSU's associate athletic director for student services, said it could take three to four weeks for the NCAA to decide Pittman's status once the paperwork has been filed.
"We are obviously excited that they have decided to return to LSU for another season, not just because they are outstanding players, but they are quality young men with tremendous character who will be among the core leaders on next year's team," Miles said Monday night in a statement.
Pittman, who also played in LSU's 2003 team that won a BCS title, started all 14 games in 2007. He was in on 68 tackles and finished with team highs of 13 1/2 tackles for losses and eight sacks. Pittman was also credited with 14 quarterback hurries and an interception.
Beckwith started 12 games at middle linebacker, making or assisting on 65 tackles. He also had 6 1/2 tackles for losses, 1 1/2 sacks and an interception.
Jackson, a defensive end, had 36 tackles, including 4 1/2 tackles for losses and 3 1/2 sacks. Jackson, who has started for three seasons, also led the Tigers with 15 quarterback hurries and batted down 10 passes.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Michigan expects to lose WRs Manningham, Arrington and QB Mallett
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Rich Rodriguez does not expect to coach wide receivers Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington or quarterback Ryan Mallett at Michigan.
Manningham and Arrington will skip their senior seasons and Mallett will transfer, according to Rodriguez.
Those are the indications I've gotten," Rodriguez told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. "I've talked to all three at various times recently. I talked to Adrian today, and he told me he's leaning toward going pro.
"We wish all of them the best."
When told what Rodriguez said, Jim Mallett insisted his son has not made a decision.
"Coach knows more than I do, I guess," Jim Mallett told the AP.
Rodriguez later told reporters Manningham and Mallett did not attend a team meeting Monday.
Manningham might be a first-round pick after catching 72 passes for 1,174 yards and 12 touchdowns and running 19 times for 119 yards and a score last season. The 6-foot, 178-pound native of Ohio had 65 receptions for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns during his first two seasons for the Wolverines.
Arrington caught 67 passes for 882 yards and eight touchdowns last season. The 6-3, 195-pound native of Iowa had nine receptions for 153 yards and two scores in Michigan's 41-35 Capital One Bowl victory over Florida.
Mallett played in 11 games as a freshman, filling in for Chad Henne when he was injured. He was 61-of-141 for 892 yards with seven TDs and five interceptions.
He enrolled at Michigan a year ago after being voted Texas' Class 4A offensive player of the year. The 6-foot-7, 252-pound quarterback threw for more than 2,500 yards and 27 scores as a senior at Texarkana High School, where he was a three-year starter.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
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