Arkansas will be without at least three starters against Texas
A&M on Saturday, Razorbacks coach John L. Smith said Thursday.
Tight end Chris Gragg, cornerback Tevin Mitchel and safety Eric
Bennett will all miss the game with injuries. Gragg was suffered a bone
bruise to his leg in the first quarter of Arkansas’ game against Rutgers
last week, Mitchel suffered an apparent concussion and later underwent
surgery to remove his gall bladder following a game against
Louisiana-Monroe two weeks ago, and Bennett has dealt with hamstring
injuries since the preseason.
The losses to Mitchel and Bennett are especially devastating for a
defense that ranks No. 111 nationally against the pass. In addition to
the injured players in the secondary, Smith said senior Darius Winston,
a preseason starter, is currently behind freshman Will Hines on the
depth chart at cornerback.
Arkansas has already without its top two fullbacks Kiero Small (broken foot) and Kody Walker (broken leg) for the season.
Running back Dennis Johnson, who missed Wednesday’s practice with
migraine headaches, practiced on Thursday and should be able to play
against the Aggies.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
SEC Richt concerned about special teams
"Overall, too many bad decisions, obviously," Richt said. "Not good
enough communication. I mean, we've caught the ball inside the 10 when
we shouldn't. We've let the ball bounce and not field it when we should.
We've had not a very good-looking fair-catch issue. And these are not
all Malcolm's issues. We've had very communication at times."
Nonetheless, if Mitchell keeps having issues, then former walk-on Rhett McGowan may get the call because he's dependable.
Mitchell and fellow sophomore Damian Swann have each returned five punts. McGowan has returned two and receiver Chris Conley has one. The longest return of the season is by Swann, for 30 yards.
"It may end up being Rhett McGowan before it's over if he can communicate the best, and secure the ball the best, and field the ball the best," Richt said. "We're trying to find an answer there."
Branden Smith doesn't appear to be an answer right now, despite having returned punts for much of the past three years. Why is that? Because, according to Richt, Smith had similar issues as Mitchell.
"I don't know if everybody's got a short memory or not, but we were having some of the same issues the year before," Richt said. "Right now we're trying to coach and teach, work it all out."
Smith, also speaking after Wednesday's practice, admitted he was surprised he hasn't been returning punts.
"Yeah I'm kinda surprised. But I'm just here to help the team. I'm just playing my role, basically," Smith said.
Then there is Richt's second area of concern: Extra points.
Freshman Marshall Morgan has been very solid on his field goals and kickoffs, but he missed an extra point at Missouri, had another bounce off the upright, and has had a couple more veer too close for Richt's comfort.
"He's an amazing guy. He must have played pinball as a kid," Richt said. "Especially extra points, you would think he could get it a little closer to the center post. I'm smiling now. But it could cost us. Trying to be patient."
Nonetheless, if Mitchell keeps having issues, then former walk-on Rhett McGowan may get the call because he's dependable.
Mitchell and fellow sophomore Damian Swann have each returned five punts. McGowan has returned two and receiver Chris Conley has one. The longest return of the season is by Swann, for 30 yards.
"It may end up being Rhett McGowan before it's over if he can communicate the best, and secure the ball the best, and field the ball the best," Richt said. "We're trying to find an answer there."
Branden Smith doesn't appear to be an answer right now, despite having returned punts for much of the past three years. Why is that? Because, according to Richt, Smith had similar issues as Mitchell.
"I don't know if everybody's got a short memory or not, but we were having some of the same issues the year before," Richt said. "Right now we're trying to coach and teach, work it all out."
Smith, also speaking after Wednesday's practice, admitted he was surprised he hasn't been returning punts.
"Yeah I'm kinda surprised. But I'm just here to help the team. I'm just playing my role, basically," Smith said.
Then there is Richt's second area of concern: Extra points.
Freshman Marshall Morgan has been very solid on his field goals and kickoffs, but he missed an extra point at Missouri, had another bounce off the upright, and has had a couple more veer too close for Richt's comfort.
"He's an amazing guy. He must have played pinball as a kid," Richt said. "Especially extra points, you would think he could get it a little closer to the center post. I'm smiling now. But it could cost us. Trying to be patient."
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
John L. continues tripping, stumbling toward unemployment line
Smith, hired on a 10-month contract as Arkansas’ head coach in the wake of the Bobby Petrino
scandal, has seen his Razorbacks start the season 1-3, with all of the
losses coming at home and two in embarrassing fashion — an overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe and a 52-0 throttling at the hands of Alabama,
the former which ended with Smith not shaking hands with the winning
coach and the latter prompting injured starting quarterback Tyler Wilson to label some of his teammates as quitters.
The on-field gloom and doom prompted Smith, in the aftermath of the Tide evisceration, to bizarrely demand of the media “Smile!… If not, I’m not talking!”
Off the field, Smith has filed for bankruptcy — documents showed he had just hundreds of dollars at his disposal and $25.7 million in liabilities — and, last week, flew to Idaho midweek to bury a younger brother who had passed away.
The on-field gloom and doom prompted Smith, in the aftermath of the Tide evisceration, to bizarrely demand of the media “Smile!… If not, I’m not talking!”
Off the field, Smith has filed for bankruptcy — documents showed he had just hundreds of dollars at his disposal and $25.7 million in liabilities — and, last week, flew to Idaho midweek to bury a younger brother who had passed away.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Razorbacks' QB Wilson cleared to play against Rutgers
Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson has been cleared to play Saturday
against Rutgers, Razorbacks coach John L. Smith said Thursday.
Wilson suffered a concussion in the second quarter of Arkansas' loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 8 and hasn't played since, including a game against No. 1 Alabama last weekend.
"That's very exciting and we're thankful that he is able to go," Smith said. "All the preparation we put into him is definitely not going to go to waste. I know our football team is excited about that, as are we as coaches. I'm sure the fans will be as well."
Smith said Wilson has practiced all week for Arkansas without contact. Wilson said Monday he felt optimistic he would be able to play in the game as his post-concussion tests neared baseline levels.
The concussion was the second in less than one year for the fifth-year senior. Wilson suffered one against New Mexico on Sept. 10, 2011, but was cleared to play the following week.
"I'm not going to risk my health," Wilson said Monday. "When I feel better, I'm going to be out there on the field, period.
"I'm not going to go out on the field unless I can give everything I can give. I'm not going to approach the game different."
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
UGA's Jarvis Jones says "I am Ready...to Play"
Jarvis Jones practiced fully on Tuesday, and even though his strained
groin isn't 100 percent yet, Georgia's star linebacker says don't
worry."I'm gonna play," Jones said after Tuesday's practice.
Jones missed Saturday's win over Florida Atlantic with the strained groin, which he hurt prior to the Missouri game. Jones played through it in that SEC opener, then sat out the FAU game. But with another SEC opponent, Vanderbilt, coming to town this weekend, Jones seems less likely to sit out.
"I'm fine. I've been treating it ever since it happened," Jones said. "I'm just getting back in the groove. They put me back out there this week. We're taking it slow, we ain't trying to do nothing fast and probably re-injure myself. It's a process. I'll be fine."
Jones said it was a game-time decision to sit out last Saturday. Freshmen Jordan Jenkins and Josh Dawson got the starts at outside linebacker for the Bulldogs, who struggled in the first half but locked it down after halftime.
"The young guys went out there and played well," Jones said. "Coach (Todd) Grantham just wanted to give them a chance to experience it, and work on the small things that they need to work on. I think they handled it well. And they didn't need me."
Grantham, the defensive coordinator, expressed cautious optimism on Tuesday that Jones would be out there against Vanderbilt.
"He did all the stuff that we're doing and got a good workout in," Grantham said. "We'll continue to do it day by day and see how he progresses. And hopefully he'll be at full strength come Saturday."
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
3 UK players charged with marijuana possession remain with team
Campus police have charged three University of Kentucky football players with possession of marijuana.
Running back Raymond Sanders, cornerback Marcus Caffey and wide receiver Bookie Cobbins were all cited Thursday night, according to a uniform citation filed by UK Police. They are due in Fayette District Court Oct. 9.
The citation states that while on patrol near the 700 block of Woodland Avenue around 9:55 p.m. on Thursday, an officer noticed a "strong scent of marijuana was coming from the basement area" of a building at Cooperstown Apartments.
Each player admitted to the officer that he had smoked marijuana, and the drug was found inside the address listed on the citations.
Sanders and Cobbins were suspended for Saturday night's loss to Western Kentucky. Caffey is sitting out this season after failing to qualify academically.
At his weekly Monday news conference, Coach Joker Phillips said that Sanders and Cobbins will be eligible to play at Florida on Saturday.
"Kids don't always do all the things right," Phillips said. "We hold our kids accountable. We disciplined right away. We don't wait. We try to get as many of the facts as we possibly can. We got them on Friday and we disciplined right away."
Sanders is third on the UK depth chart at running back behind Jonathan George and CoShik Williams. George likely will be the starter in Gainesville.
"The way he played, he deserves to be the starter," Phillips said of George's three-touchdown performance against WKU. "CoShik is banged up, won't practice until Thursday. So George deserves to be the starter."
Sanders, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound junior from Stone Mountain, Ga., struggled with injury much of last season. But he had seemingly bounced back this season, including a career game against Kent State Sept. 8 with 13 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Raymond Sanders, cornerback Marcus Caffey and wide receiver Bookie Cobbins were all cited Thursday night, according to a uniform citation filed by UK Police. They are due in Fayette District Court Oct. 9.
The citation states that while on patrol near the 700 block of Woodland Avenue around 9:55 p.m. on Thursday, an officer noticed a "strong scent of marijuana was coming from the basement area" of a building at Cooperstown Apartments.
Each player admitted to the officer that he had smoked marijuana, and the drug was found inside the address listed on the citations.
Sanders and Cobbins were suspended for Saturday night's loss to Western Kentucky. Caffey is sitting out this season after failing to qualify academically.
At his weekly Monday news conference, Coach Joker Phillips said that Sanders and Cobbins will be eligible to play at Florida on Saturday.
"Kids don't always do all the things right," Phillips said. "We hold our kids accountable. We disciplined right away. We don't wait. We try to get as many of the facts as we possibly can. We got them on Friday and we disciplined right away."
Sanders is third on the UK depth chart at running back behind Jonathan George and CoShik Williams. George likely will be the starter in Gainesville.
"The way he played, he deserves to be the starter," Phillips said of George's three-touchdown performance against WKU. "CoShik is banged up, won't practice until Thursday. So George deserves to be the starter."
Sanders, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound junior from Stone Mountain, Ga., struggled with injury much of last season. But he had seemingly bounced back this season, including a career game against Kent State Sept. 8 with 13 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Vols safety done for the year with ACL tear
Brian Randolph, who left Saturday’s 37-20 loss in the fourth quarter favoring his right knee, may be done for the year. On his Facebook page, Randolph posted ”Thanks for all the support from everyone… I’ll be back next year!“
Derek Dooley has yet to specify what the injury is, but could do so tomorrow during his regularly scheduled press conference. During his TV show Sunday, Dooley said Randolph’s injury “didn’t look good.”
Randolph was the team’s leading tackler heading into the Florida game with 15 tackles and exited with 22 total tackles. He also made the SEC all-freshman team last year with 55 tackles. Obviously, there’s no overstating how tough a loss this would be if Randolph is out for the year, or any amount of time for that matter.
It also adds to the fact that Dooley cannot catch a break whatsoever.
Derek Dooley has yet to specify what the injury is, but could do so tomorrow during his regularly scheduled press conference. During his TV show Sunday, Dooley said Randolph’s injury “didn’t look good.”
Randolph was the team’s leading tackler heading into the Florida game with 15 tackles and exited with 22 total tackles. He also made the SEC all-freshman team last year with 55 tackles. Obviously, there’s no overstating how tough a loss this would be if Randolph is out for the year, or any amount of time for that matter.
It also adds to the fact that Dooley cannot catch a break whatsoever.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Tide slaughters the Hogs 52-0
Arkansas played without Wilson, committed five turnovers and took a
monumental 52-0 loss at home. It was the first time Arkansas was shut
out in Fayetteville since 1966 and the first time the Crimson Tide (3-0)
recorded back-to-back shutouts since 1980.
"I think you have to understand that Tyler Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and their whole team is built around him," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. "It was a tough circumstance for them."
"We have really been fighting against allowing ourselves to accept average," he said. "I thought we started out a little bit average today, but I was pleased that we got better as the game went along. With the weather situation, playing our first conference game on the road ... our players responded."
Neither team played well early in the sloppy conditions, a steady rain that might have contributed to the first Alabama touchdown as Razorback punter Dylan Breeding could not handle a snap, giving UA field position at the Razorback 6-yard line. Eddie Lacy scored the first of his three touchdowns on the next play. Lacy added two more short touchdown runs, Amari Cooper went 20 yards with an AJ McCarron pass to account for a second-quarter Alabama touchdown. Two UA reserves, running back Kenyan Drake and quarterback Blake Sims, added fourth-quarter scores.
"I didn't think we improved much from Game 1 to Game 2," Saban said. "But we still had too many penalties (seven for 74 yards), and those will kill you in a close game."
McCarron exited the game in the third quarter but turned in another solid performance, completing 11 of 16 passes for 189 yards and the touchdown to Cooper. The junior quarterback suffered a hand injury when scrambling for a loose football, but Saban said the hand was only bruised and McCarron could have continued if needed.
The frustrations of the day, with Arkansas (1-2) gaining just 137 total yards, came out in the words of Wilson.
"It wasn't pretty to sit on the sidelines and watch as a player," Wilson said. "It sucks I can't do anything about it. Do I feel that we, at times, gave up out there? Absolutely."
"I think you have to understand that Tyler Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and their whole team is built around him," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said. "It was a tough circumstance for them."
"We have really been fighting against allowing ourselves to accept average," he said. "I thought we started out a little bit average today, but I was pleased that we got better as the game went along. With the weather situation, playing our first conference game on the road ... our players responded."
Neither team played well early in the sloppy conditions, a steady rain that might have contributed to the first Alabama touchdown as Razorback punter Dylan Breeding could not handle a snap, giving UA field position at the Razorback 6-yard line. Eddie Lacy scored the first of his three touchdowns on the next play. Lacy added two more short touchdown runs, Amari Cooper went 20 yards with an AJ McCarron pass to account for a second-quarter Alabama touchdown. Two UA reserves, running back Kenyan Drake and quarterback Blake Sims, added fourth-quarter scores.
"I didn't think we improved much from Game 1 to Game 2," Saban said. "But we still had too many penalties (seven for 74 yards), and those will kill you in a close game."
McCarron exited the game in the third quarter but turned in another solid performance, completing 11 of 16 passes for 189 yards and the touchdown to Cooper. The junior quarterback suffered a hand injury when scrambling for a loose football, but Saban said the hand was only bruised and McCarron could have continued if needed.
The frustrations of the day, with Arkansas (1-2) gaining just 137 total yards, came out in the words of Wilson.
"It wasn't pretty to sit on the sidelines and watch as a player," Wilson said. "It sucks I can't do anything about it. Do I feel that we, at times, gave up out there? Absolutely."
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Commodores run wild and at will in win 58-0
"One of the things I'm real happy about is that we are able to get other guys in the game and got realistic reps," Franklin commented.
Florida 37, Tennessee 20
Trey Burton’s 80-yard touchdown tied the game 20-20 for Florida in the third quarter.
Then Jeff Driskel threw TD passes of 23 yards to Jordan Reed and 75 yards to Frankie Hammond.
The Vols (2-1, 0-1 SEC) lost to the Gators (3-0, 2-0) for the eighth consecutive year.
ULM takes Auburn to OT,but comes up short...Auburn 31 Louisiana-Monroe 28 OT
Cody Parkey hit a 35-yard field goal in
overtime on Saturday to lift Auburn to a 31-28 win over a
Louisiana-Monroe team trying to pull off another Southeastern Conference
upset on Saturday.
The Tigers (1-2) stopped
Kolton Browning and the Warhawks to start overtime, and Justin Manton's
37-yard field goal attempt was deflected by Angelo Blackson. Then Tre
Mason rushed for 10 yards, and Kiehl Frazier downed the ball on the next
play to set up Parkey's winning kick.
The
Warhawks (1-1) rallied from 28-7 down to shock Arkansas in overtime a
week ago, a rare victory against the SEC. This one wouldn't have been
that much of a shocker against struggling Auburn, which led 28-14 midway
through the fourth quarter.
Onterio
McCalebb rushed for 128 yards and a 27-yard touchdown on 11 carries for
the Tigers. Kiehl Frazier threw one touchdown pass and caught another,
both 33 yards.
The Warhawks are 4-35 against teams from the SEC but are hardly an automatic victory these days.
Most
Auburn fans didn't stick around long to celebrate the escape against a
team (0-9) and a league (0-19) that has never beaten the Tigers, who
host No. 3 LSU next week.
Browning threw two incompletions in overtime, overthrowing Je'Ron Hamm in the end zone on third down as he was hit by Dee Ford.
He
went 28-of-46 passing for 237 yards and three touchdowns, two in the
final 6:15. He also ran 14 times for 58 yards even if he couldn't
duplicate his 412-yard passing performance against the Razorbacks.
Frazier
rebounded from a five-turnover game against Mississippi State. He
completed 10-of-18 passes for 130 yards and a 33-yard touchdown to
Sammie Coates. Frazier also caught a 33-yard scoring pass after
lateralling to Quan Bray and then sprinting down the sideline after the
receiver threw it back across the field to him.
Frazier attempted just six passes in the second half, completing one 16-yarder.
Alabama 52, Arkansas 0...Ouch!
This was arguably the worst home loss in Arkansas history. Baylor beat the
Razorbacks 7-0 at Razorback Stadium in 1966. A shutout loss by this
margin? Hasn’t happened since 1914, a 44-0 loss to Missouri School of
the Mines. Arkansas struggled to move the football without quarterback
Tyler Wilson, gaining 137 total yards and averaging 2.2 yards per play
with five turnovers. Defensively the team started strong, but was worn
down by the end, allowing 438 yards.
Turning PointCoach John L. Smith changed deep snappers based on a coverage the Arkansas coaching staff saw from Alabama and the decision seemed to backfire. Will Coleman sailed a snap over the head of punter Dylan Breeding for what went down as a 31-yard rushing loss. Alabama took a 7-0 lead thanks to Eddie Lacy’s 6-yard touchdown and the game was over from there.
Player Of The GameAlabama running back Eddie Lacy made the most of his 12 carries. He ran for 55 yards — never going backwards —and ran for three touchdowns. Lacy scored touchdowns of 6, 1 and 10 yards.
Two-quarterback SystemArkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson was dressed and went through pregame warmpus with the team. But the Razorbacks had no intention of playing him.
Instead they opted for a two-quarterback system, using Brandon Allen and Brandon Mitchell. Neither had a great game.
Allen, who started the game and gave way to Mitchell one snap later, completed 10 of 18 passes for 60 yards and two interceptions. Mitchell, who gave the team more of a running threat, completed one of seven passes for 19 yards and ran for 18 yards on six carries.
Arkansas waited until game time to make a public announcement on Wilson’s status for the game. Wilson was knocked out of last week’s ULM loss with a concussion and was not cleared to play after seeing local doctors and a specialist in Pittsburgh.
Turning PointCoach John L. Smith changed deep snappers based on a coverage the Arkansas coaching staff saw from Alabama and the decision seemed to backfire. Will Coleman sailed a snap over the head of punter Dylan Breeding for what went down as a 31-yard rushing loss. Alabama took a 7-0 lead thanks to Eddie Lacy’s 6-yard touchdown and the game was over from there.
Player Of The GameAlabama running back Eddie Lacy made the most of his 12 carries. He ran for 55 yards — never going backwards —and ran for three touchdowns. Lacy scored touchdowns of 6, 1 and 10 yards.
Two-quarterback SystemArkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson was dressed and went through pregame warmpus with the team. But the Razorbacks had no intention of playing him.
Instead they opted for a two-quarterback system, using Brandon Allen and Brandon Mitchell. Neither had a great game.
Allen, who started the game and gave way to Mitchell one snap later, completed 10 of 18 passes for 60 yards and two interceptions. Mitchell, who gave the team more of a running threat, completed one of seven passes for 19 yards and ran for 18 yards on six carries.
Arkansas waited until game time to make a public announcement on Wilson’s status for the game. Wilson was knocked out of last week’s ULM loss with a concussion and was not cleared to play after seeing local doctors and a specialist in Pittsburgh.
Friday, September 14, 2012
LSU faces Idaho for NCAA Record
LSU hasn't lost a non-conference regular season game since 2002, a
streak that spans 39-games heading into Saturday's contest. The
second-ranked Tigers will look to extend that streak to 40 on Saturday
night when LSU hosts Idaho in Tiger Stadium.
Kickoff between the Tigers and Vandals is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Death Valley.
Currently, LSU is tied with Kansas State for the longest non-conference winning streak in FBS history. A win over Idaho will make LSU the first team in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to win 40 straight non-conference regular season games. The Tigers are also one victory away from breaking the longest winning streak in Tiger Stadium history, which stands at 19 straight.
Kickoff between the Tigers and Vandals is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Death Valley.
Currently, LSU is tied with Kansas State for the longest non-conference winning streak in FBS history. A win over Idaho will make LSU the first team in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to win 40 straight non-conference regular season games. The Tigers are also one victory away from breaking the longest winning streak in Tiger Stadium history, which stands at 19 straight.
Status Of Razorback QB Tyler Wilson 'Game Time Decision'
Arkansas Coach John L. Smith said no official word on quarterback
Tyler Wilson's status will be available until Saturday's game with No. 1
Alabama.Here's the statement:
“There will be no further update on Tyler Wilson’s status today and he will be a game time decision.”
Smith said on Thursday that a decision on Wilson would be made Friday."I would expect at the latest some word Friday morning," Smith said. "... yeah, a decision has to be made."
While Wilson's status won't be "official" until kickoff, multiple sources tell SEC Football Online not to expect Wilson to play against the Crimson Tide. Wilson did not practice on Thursday after throwing with the team on Wednesday.
Arkansas is prepping redshirt freshman Brandon Allen and wide receiver Brandon Mitchell to play quarterback in Wilson's absence.
Mizzou QB James Franklin questionable against ASU
Tentatively, backup Corbin Berkstresser
is reportedly going to get the start. The injury to Franklin apparently
isn’t anything more than soreness, but it sounds as though he is a game-time decision.Missouri has not commented on the report, and per Dave Matter of the Columbia Tribune, doesn’t plan to do so. Unless that changes, this will come down to kickoff.
Franklin being unavailable would obviously be a huge loss for the Tigers. Missouri went head-to-head with Georgia for three quarters last week before the Bulldogs pulled away and Franklin did alright in the passing game. Arizona State is off to a 2-0 start under first-year coach Todd Graham.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Arkansas' Tyler Wilson’s availability vs. Tide, up in the air
Arkansas players welcomed quarterback Tyler Wilson back to the
practice field on Wednesday, but the Razorbacks’ starter still hasn’t
been cleared to play Saturday against No. 1 Alabama.
Wilson practiced for the first time since suffering a head injury against Louisiana-Monroe last weekend. On his radio show Wednesday night, Arkansas coach John L. Smith said Wilson only threw passes and was not allowed to take contact.
“He was out there on the field today, leading like he should,” Smith said.
Earlier Wednesday on the SEC coaches’ teleconference, Razorbacks coach Smith said he was optimistic Wilson would be able to play against the Crimson Tide.
“That decision has not been made yet and it’s not in my hands,” Smith said. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
Defensive players and coaches said Wilson looked normal in practice Wednesday. He had watched from the sidelines the day before.
“Tyler looked good today,” defensive end Chris Smith said. “His throws were sharp and everything like that, so he’s going to be ready to go Saturday, if he can play.”
Wilson practiced for the first time since suffering a head injury against Louisiana-Monroe last weekend. On his radio show Wednesday night, Arkansas coach John L. Smith said Wilson only threw passes and was not allowed to take contact.
“He was out there on the field today, leading like he should,” Smith said.
Earlier Wednesday on the SEC coaches’ teleconference, Razorbacks coach Smith said he was optimistic Wilson would be able to play against the Crimson Tide.
“That decision has not been made yet and it’s not in my hands,” Smith said. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
Defensive players and coaches said Wilson looked normal in practice Wednesday. He had watched from the sidelines the day before.
“Tyler looked good today,” defensive end Chris Smith said. “His throws were sharp and everything like that, so he’s going to be ready to go Saturday, if he can play.”
Miss. St. players said they knew Auburn’s play calls
Members of the MSU football defense said they had the Auburn
University offensive signals and calls stolen by the start of the game
Saturday.
Senior defensive back Corey Broomfield and senior linebacker Cam Lawrence have said after MSU's 28-10 victory over Auburn University Saturday that they were sure what the Tigers offense was calling from the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped.
"We do a great job of preparing and we knew what the play was before they ever ran them," Broomfield said. "That's not a joke. We knew what they were doing, where the ball was going and who was getting it before the ball was snapped."
Lawrence had a team-high 10 tackles Saturday with 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack of Auburn quarterback Kiehl Frazier. The Bulldogs middle linebacker said after the game he saw in Frazier's early demeanor that their pressure had gotten to him.
"It makes our job as coaches so much easier when Cam Lawrence is signaling over his head every time they were calling a pass," MSU co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Geoff Collins said Monday.
Frazier, who had just 18 yards passing through the first three quarters in Starkville, was completely taken out of comfort zone from behind center was what the MSU coaching staff called the 'trickle down effect.' The effect is similar to when a baseball team steals the signs of the opposing team but the obvious difference being the speed of the reaction time and physical nature of what happens in football after the play begins.
Senior defensive back Corey Broomfield and senior linebacker Cam Lawrence have said after MSU's 28-10 victory over Auburn University Saturday that they were sure what the Tigers offense was calling from the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped.
"We do a great job of preparing and we knew what the play was before they ever ran them," Broomfield said. "That's not a joke. We knew what they were doing, where the ball was going and who was getting it before the ball was snapped."
Lawrence had a team-high 10 tackles Saturday with 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack of Auburn quarterback Kiehl Frazier. The Bulldogs middle linebacker said after the game he saw in Frazier's early demeanor that their pressure had gotten to him.
"It makes our job as coaches so much easier when Cam Lawrence is signaling over his head every time they were calling a pass," MSU co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Geoff Collins said Monday.
Frazier, who had just 18 yards passing through the first three quarters in Starkville, was completely taken out of comfort zone from behind center was what the MSU coaching staff called the 'trickle down effect.' The effect is similar to when a baseball team steals the signs of the opposing team but the obvious difference being the speed of the reaction time and physical nature of what happens in football after the play begins.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Vandy Football best Hits from NWestern game
Hey you Vandy fans, check out the best of the best hits in the last game at... Jacked Up: The Northwestern Game. Check out the best hits from last Saturday's game. - http://bit.ly/Pt4Y4r
Tahj Jones one of four LSU players ineligible for season
Head coach Les Miles confirmed Wednesday that linebacker Tahj Jones, as well as three other Tigers, have been ruled ineligible for the 2012 season. The others are tight end Tyler Edwards (26 career games, no starts), offensive lineman Evan Washington (hasn’t played) and linebacker D.J. Welter (seven career games, zero starts). Jones and RB M. Ford were fighting ineligible issues prior to the season opener. Ford was cleared and an appeal for Jones was ensuing, apparently the appeal has been revoked.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Georgia defense getting 2 suspended players back
No one was more relieved than Sanders Commings when Georgia got through its first two games unscathed.
Now, he's ready to start doing his part.
Commings, a versatile player who can start at either cornerback or safety, has completed a two-game suspension after being charged during the offseason for domestic violence. He is eager to get back on the field for the seventh-ranked Bulldogs, who play host to Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
''It was tough,'' Commings said Tuesday. ''But I've just been practicing hard and making sure I was ready when it was time to come back.''
That time is now, and he's not the only one. Linebacker Chase Vasser has served his suspension for a DUI arrest, giving a further boost to a defensive unit that was short-handed for wins over Buffalo and Missouri.
''It feels like everything is starting to come together,'' nose tackle John Jenkins said. ''We're starting to get our guys back.''
Still unresolved is the status of two other suspended starters on defense - All-American safety Bacarri Rambo and inside linebacker Alec Ogletree.
Coach Mark Richt has been vague about their transgressions and just how long they'll be out, though it appears Rambo's suspension will last at least two more games. The player's high school coach already revealed that Rambo had a second positive drug test for marijuana, which would result in a four-game suspension under school policy.
Now, he's ready to start doing his part.
Commings, a versatile player who can start at either cornerback or safety, has completed a two-game suspension after being charged during the offseason for domestic violence. He is eager to get back on the field for the seventh-ranked Bulldogs, who play host to Florida Atlantic on Saturday.
''It was tough,'' Commings said Tuesday. ''But I've just been practicing hard and making sure I was ready when it was time to come back.''
That time is now, and he's not the only one. Linebacker Chase Vasser has served his suspension for a DUI arrest, giving a further boost to a defensive unit that was short-handed for wins over Buffalo and Missouri.
''It feels like everything is starting to come together,'' nose tackle John Jenkins said. ''We're starting to get our guys back.''
Still unresolved is the status of two other suspended starters on defense - All-American safety Bacarri Rambo and inside linebacker Alec Ogletree.
Coach Mark Richt has been vague about their transgressions and just how long they'll be out, though it appears Rambo's suspension will last at least two more games. The player's high school coach already revealed that Rambo had a second positive drug test for marijuana, which would result in a four-game suspension under school policy.
SEC suspends Ole Miss DB for ‘flagrant and dangerous act’
A play very late in the win over UTEP this past weekend will cost Ole
Miss a player for their upcoming game against a school from the same
state.
With 3:18 left in the fourth quarter, freshman defensive back Trae Elston went high and hard on a Miners wide receiver near the goal line, although the play didn’t draw a flag. It did, though, draw the attention of the SEC.
Commissioner Mike Slive announced Tuesday morning that Elston has been suspended for the Sept. 15 Texas at Ole Miss football game. The release stated that the one-game suspension was “the result of a flagrant and dangerous act” on the part of Elston, and used both the NCAA’s rulebook and the conference’s own constitution to explain the reasoning behind the punitive measure.
With 3:18 left in the fourth quarter, freshman defensive back Trae Elston went high and hard on a Miners wide receiver near the goal line, although the play didn’t draw a flag. It did, though, draw the attention of the SEC.
Commissioner Mike Slive announced Tuesday morning that Elston has been suspended for the Sept. 15 Texas at Ole Miss football game. The release stated that the one-game suspension was “the result of a flagrant and dangerous act” on the part of Elston, and used both the NCAA’s rulebook and the conference’s own constitution to explain the reasoning behind the punitive measure.
The action is in violation of Rule 9-1-4 of the NCAA Football Rule Book, which reads, “No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, elbow or shoulder,” and Rule 9-1-3 which states, “No player shall target and initiate contact against an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet.”
This action is taken in accordance with Southeastern Conference Constitution, Article 4.4.2 (d) which states that a student-athlete may be suspended if it is determined that the student-athlete has committed a flagrant or unsportsmanlike act.
Arkansas drops out of the latest AP poll
Lose to a Sun Belt team (S-B-C), get knocked out of the Associated Press top 25.
Previously eighth-ranked(SEC) Arkansas found that out the hard way in a stunning 34-31 overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe Saturday night. The Hogs were nowhere to be found on Sunday in the latest AP poll, taking the second-largest fall out of the rankings in history. Only No. 5 Michigan in 2007 had a larger tumble after losing to Appalachian State.
The AP’s top five? That was a little less exciting. Alabama, USC, LSU and Oregon all held constant in the top four spots with Florida State tying Oklahoma for the fifth spot. The Tide received 48 first-place votes with USC receiving eight and LSU receiving four. The Seminoles beat Savannah State 55-0 in a weather-shortened game.
Georgia, on the heels of its 41-20 win over Missouri, is No. 7. Rounding out the top 10 is South Carolina, West Virginia and Michigan State.
But Arkansas wasn’t the only team to fall out of the top 25. No. 13 Wisconsin was also dropped after losing to Oregon State. As a result, spots 11-15 are as follows: Clemson, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Texas and Kansas State. No. 16 Nebraska and No. 18 Oklahoma State fell out of the top 25 too after losing to a pair of Pac-12 schools in UCLA and Arizona, respectively, meaning TCU, Michigan, Florida, Louisville and Notre Dame close out the top 20.
Previously eighth-ranked(SEC) Arkansas found that out the hard way in a stunning 34-31 overtime loss to Louisiana-Monroe Saturday night. The Hogs were nowhere to be found on Sunday in the latest AP poll, taking the second-largest fall out of the rankings in history. Only No. 5 Michigan in 2007 had a larger tumble after losing to Appalachian State.
The AP’s top five? That was a little less exciting. Alabama, USC, LSU and Oregon all held constant in the top four spots with Florida State tying Oklahoma for the fifth spot. The Tide received 48 first-place votes with USC receiving eight and LSU receiving four. The Seminoles beat Savannah State 55-0 in a weather-shortened game.
Georgia, on the heels of its 41-20 win over Missouri, is No. 7. Rounding out the top 10 is South Carolina, West Virginia and Michigan State.
But Arkansas wasn’t the only team to fall out of the top 25. No. 13 Wisconsin was also dropped after losing to Oregon State. As a result, spots 11-15 are as follows: Clemson, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Texas and Kansas State. No. 16 Nebraska and No. 18 Oklahoma State fell out of the top 25 too after losing to a pair of Pac-12 schools in UCLA and Arizona, respectively, meaning TCU, Michigan, Florida, Louisville and Notre Dame close out the top 20.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Spurrier says QB Shaw’s shoulder will be re-evaluated Wednesday
The Gamecocks
are 2-0 after Saturday’s 48-10 win over East Carolina, and they moved
up from No. 9 to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll, while holding
steady at No. 9 in the coaches’ poll.
This
Saturday night against Alabama-Birmingham, the Gamecocks will try to
win their fourth straight game as a top-10 team, dating to the final
game of last season. They have never won four straight as a top-10 team,
and entering this season, they were just 9-10 when in the top 10.
The
ECU win made it three straight wins as a top-10 team, obviously. That
had happened just once before in USC history – the Gamecocks’ first
three games as a top-10 team, in 1984.
USC
started this season No. 9 in both polls. Before the Gamecocks finished
No. 9 last season, they hadn’t been higher than No. 10 since October
2007, when they were No. 6 and 6-1 entering a loss to Vanderbilt. USC
has climbed higher than No. 6 just once – in 1984, when it was No. 2 and
undefeated coming off those aforementioned three straight wins, then
lost to Navy.
USC
can probably beat UAB without starting quarterback Connor Shaw,
especially considering how well understudy Dylan Thompson played against
ECU. And the coaches are going to let Shaw take his time in recovering
from a bone bruise in his right (throwing) shoulder – an injury suffered
in the Aug. 30 season opener at Vanderbilt, two weeks ago this
Thursday.
Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson day by day return following injury
In Tyler Wilson‘s
first season as Arkansas’ starter last year, the quarterback was on the
receiving end of several brutal hits Unfortunately, that trend has
continued into the 2012 season.
The senior suffered what for the time being is only described as an above-the-shoulder injury in the first half of the No. 8 Razorbacks’ game with Louisiana-Monroe. The injury will force Wilson to the sideline for the duration of the non-conference game.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette‘s Matt Jones wrote that “officials declined to comment whether Wilson had suffered a concussion.”
Next weekend, Arkansas will host No. 1 Alabama so, yes, this will be a development we’ll be following throughout the week.
The senior suffered what for the time being is only described as an above-the-shoulder injury in the first half of the No. 8 Razorbacks’ game with Louisiana-Monroe. The injury will force Wilson to the sideline for the duration of the non-conference game.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette‘s Matt Jones wrote that “officials declined to comment whether Wilson had suffered a concussion.”
Next weekend, Arkansas will host No. 1 Alabama so, yes, this will be a development we’ll be following throughout the week.
Tide's Jalston Fowler will have surgery and is likely out for the season
Alabama’s junior running back/fullback/H-back will have surgery, coach Nick Saban said today, and probably will not return this season.
Fowler injured his left knee Saturday in a 35-0 victory over Western Kentucky.
"Jalston's been a great player in the program -- a really good special teams guy," Saban said. "A great backup player for us. A really good attitude guy. Lots of character. Really good competitor.
"I know he feels badly. We feel badly , too, for him that he can't be a part and be able to contribute to our team this year
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