LSU Tigers Scrimmage Before Break, Trip to Orlando

LSU put the finishing touches on its first nine days of practice for the Capital One Bowl with a two-hour scrimmage here Tuesday at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility.
The Tigers will now break for the next three days before heading to Orlando, Fla., on the morning of Dec. 26 to start their on-site preparation for the New Year’s Day contest against Penn State. LSU will have five practices and one walk-through in Orlando leading up to the contest against the Nittany Lions.
LSU and Penn State will meet at noon CST on Jan. 1 in the Capital One Bowl in what will be just the second meeting between the two programs. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.
“I like what we have accomplished during our nine days of practice,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We have practiced hard and improved all phases of our team. We really did some things we needed to do to get better. I thought it was a productive nine days of practice.”
Tuesday’s scrimmage had Miles and the coaching staff putting the first and second units through 40 snaps each. The scrimmage was situational in nature as it had the Tigers focusing on different aspects of the game such as third-down, goalline, redzone and special teams.
“We got a lot accomplished,” Miles said of the scrimmage. “I’ll be the first one to tell you we aren’t ready to play a game today. I can tell you that we needed this (scrimmage), this simulation if you will, so that our coaching staff could take this film to Orlando and go right through it to look at the game plan, what we need to fix and what we need to square away.
“It will be a great piece for us and a great film to teach from.”

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Vols focused on tale of the tape

Monte Kiffin has had a couple weeks to prepare, and he still has one more.
The Tennessee defensive coordinator will take all of the time he can get.
A full season's worth of game film has given Kiffin plenty to work with as he breaks down Virginia Tech for the Chick-fil-A Bowl on New Year's Eve in Atlanta (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.). But all it has really done is give him more to worry about. The Vols already knew they'd have their hands full with the versatile Hokies.
"Well, I'll tell you what I'd like," Kiffin said. "I'd like to have another three weeks. We'd be ready then, you know what I mean? That'd be great.
"We can't do that, so we'd better get ready."
The Vols (7-5, 4-4 SEC) did plenty of that over four physical practices leading into Christmas break, and they've been doing even more of it in the film room since the match-up was set earlier this month.
They've seen the offense line of the Hokies (9-3, 6-2 ACC) grow together and build more confidence. Every yard running back Ryan Williams gained during his breakout freshman season has been viewed at least once, and UT has seen all the issues multi-purpose quarterback Tyrod Taylor can pose.
At this point, the biggest problem for Kiffin might just be trying to get the loop of Hokies video to stop playing in his head as the Vols buckle down for one last week of practice starting Saturday.
"If I put on the tape which our players have seen, you would be amazed if you put up all 12 games," Kiffin said. "And see the problem is, when you play somebody the third game or the fourth game or the fifth, then you've only got four or five games; then, of course, you go back and look at last year. When you play somebody after 12 games, you have a four-game scouting report then you go back and you see them all.
"So when you prepare for a bowl game, it's kind of like the home opener. There's a lot of tape to look at, and the more tape you look at, I just see No. 5 (Taylor) making plays and making plays and making plays, I've seen too many plays. I've seen too much tape. I've got to quit watching so much tape."


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Tim Tebow is undecided on playing in Senior Bowl

Tebow has not decided whether he will participate in the Senior Bowl, the annual showcase for the country’s top senior college football players. The game will be played Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to anybody about it,” Tebow said. “If the people I talk to that are wise think that I should play in it, I’ll go play in it. If they don’t, I won’t. I don’t know.
“I’ll do whatever I need to do [to impress NFL scouts and GMs] — throw out here a million times, I don’t care.”
UF coach Urban Meyer said he and Tebow have spoken briefly about the game but said he won’t advise Tebow until he speaks to several NFL people that he trusts.
There’s no hurry, though. Senior Bowl spokesman Kevin McDermond said there is no deadline for players to commit to the game and it’s not uncommon for players to be added to just days before the game.
“We’ve brought in guys Thursday during game week,” McDermond said. “That’s typically because injury. There really isn’t a cutoff.”
McDermond said he has received a commitment from one Florida player but said the bowl would announce it at a later date.
The bowl on Monday announced that Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon, the SEC’s second-leading rusher, had committed to play in the game and last Friday announced that five Alabama players — safety Javier Arenas, defensive tackle Terrence Cody, kicker Leigh Kiffin, offensive lineman Mike Johnson, and former Bolles School standout Colin Peek — accepted invitations.
More than 800 NFL coaches, general managers, scouts and agents travel to Mobile to watch the squads practice the week before the game. The squads are coached by NFL teams’ coaching staff. The Jaguars coached the South to a 35-18 victory over the North last January.The staffs will be announced following the end of the NFL regular season.
The game will be televised on NFL Network.

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Alabama Kareem Jackson submits paperwork to be evaluated for NFL draft

After starring at cornerback for three years for Alabama, it’s only natural that junior cornerback Kareem Jackson would take a look ahead.
Jackson said on Sunday he submitted paperwork to the NFL asking for an evaluation of his draft stock.
“Yeah, I did it,” he said. “I guess I’ll wait til it comes back in and see what it says. I’m not really putting a whole lot of emphasis on it right now. I’m just focused on getting ready for this game and that’s about it.”
Several pre-draft Web sites project the 5-foot-11, 192-pounder to go in the second round.
“I had a couple conversations with coach Saban, but other than that, I hadn’t really got any other feedback from anyone else,” Jackson said. “It’s not really where my mind is right now. It will come. If it happens, it happens, but if it doesn’t, so be it.”
Alabama coach Nick Saban will typically tell a player to return for his senior season unless they’re projected as a first-round draft choice.
Jackson is sixth on the team in tackles with 46, including three for loss. He has 13 passes defended, 12 breakups and one interception that he returned 79 yards.
The Macon, Ga., native spent a year at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, then stepped into a starting role his freshman season at Alabama.
“Once I get the feedback, I’ll just go from there,” Jackson said. “I’m just focusing on the things I’ve got to do to make this team better to play my part and get ready for this national championship.”

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Surgery forces Gators' James out of Sugar Bowl

Florida will be without starting wide receiver and star kick returner Brandon James for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl.UF coach Urban Meyer said Monday that James recently underwent foot surgery and will not play in the game.
Meyer said James' role in the offense will be filled by tailback Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. Demps and Rainey also will return kicks and punts, along with cornerback Joe Haden possibly returning punts.
"(James) is a heck of a player, especially in the return game," Meyer said. "The good thing is Demps and Rainey are also capable guys. I'm kind of excited to watch them go get it."
James is the only injured player to come out of UF's four pre-bowl practices over the weekend. The Gators broke for Christmas after Monday morning's practice and will report back to campus on Saturday for the trip to New Orleans.

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Two Auburn fullbacks were arrested for Driving under the Influence

Two Auburn fullbacks were arrested for driving under the influence in separate incidents this month.
Auburn police Capt. Tom Stofer told the Press-Register that John Douglas was arrested for DUI on Dec. 5, and Jason King was arrested for the same offense on Saturday.
Douglas is a scholarship sophomore from Augusta, Ga., while King is a walk-on junior from Newnan, Ga.
Douglas was arrested on West Longleaf Drive on the south side of the city at 12:57 a.m., Stofer said.
King was arrested at South Gay Street and East Thach Avenue near downtown and the Auburn campus at 1:38 a.m., according to Stofer.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said both players were suspended and would not make the trip to the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl.


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Rainey returning to Gators in 2010

Gators running back Chris Rainey told the Sentinel he’s staying in school for “at leat another year” after rumors of the redshirt sophomore entering the NFL draft.
Bruce Black, safety Ahmad Black’s father, told the Gainesville Sun two weeks ago that Rainey, a former Lakeland High School star along with Black, wanted to leave school early for the pros.
Rainey rushed for 548 yards on 85 carries and four touchdowns this season on 6.4 yards per carry in 2009. Last season, Rainey rushed for 652 yards on one less carry.
It appears Florida will keep intact its trio of running backs — Rainey, sophomore Jeff Demps and reedshirt junior Emmanuel Moody.

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Dunlap to play in Sugar Bowl

Less than three weeks after his DUI arrest, star Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap was reinstated to the team Friday and will play in the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl.The announcement came from UF coach Urban Meyer after Friday's practice. Meyer said the decision was reached by the school's administration after he had discussions with athletic director Jeremy Foley and UF president Bernie Machen on Friday.
"He's going to play if he takes care (of some things)," Meyer said. "(I talked) with the administration, with the president and also the athletic director. What was involved was it was (Dunlap's) first mistake. It was a real serious one, but he paid a serious price as well. It was a real serious mistake. But since he's been here he's been a good student, a good person and represented (UF) well. It devastated him."
Meyer said Machen and Foley recommended Dunlap be reinstated.
"There were a lot of discussions," Meyer said. "(There was no) previous track record. It's case by case. If there was another issue, it would be an issue, and there hasn't been. That's basically what the administration let me know. They actually let me know."

Crimson Tide players voted to travel as a team to bowl site in California

The late date of the BCS national championship game presents several logistical challenges for a team fortunate enough to reach it.
For instance, Alabama's Jan. 7 game against Texas falls after the university was set to begin spring classes. That means all players -- included those who've already graduated -- must enroll for another semester, even if they plan to withdraw at a later date.
Perhaps the most interesting decision for the Crimson Tide in recent days was whether the team would travel individually or separately to California.
NCAA rules specify that players can receive a set dollar amount for individual travel to bowl sites, and players then can pocket the remaining cash. Nearly all teams do this, as Alabama did for the Independence Bowl in 2007 and the Sugar Bowl last season.
But the late date of this year's game presented a problem in that most teams break for the holidays and then meet at the bowl site. Alabama could not do that unless it arrived very early for the BCS title game.
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban left the decision on travel this time to his captains, linebacker Rolando McClain, left guard Mike Johnson and cornerback Javier Arenas, and the entire team. Encouraged by those captains, a UA official said, the Crimson Tide unanimously voted to forego the stipend and travel as a team Jan. 1 to the Los Angeles area.
The decision made things earlier on the team in many ways, since practices can continue in Tuscaloosa after Christmas break and the Crimson Tide can also avoid the type of delays that can come with traveling individually across the country.

Uk's Brooks Named SEC Coach of the Year

Kentucky's Rich Brooks has been named the 2009 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year as chosen by CollegeFootballNews.com.
Despite numerous obstacles, Brooks' squad fought its way to a 7-5 record and will advance to a school-record fourth-consecutive bowl game when the Wildcats play Clemson on Dec. 27 in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.
Accomplishments during the 2009 season include:
At least seven wins for the fourth-consecutive season, the first time that has been done at Kentucky in nearly a century, since 1909-12.
Kentucky broke the school record for consecutive non-conference wins with 18 straight. It's the nation's second-longest current streak.
Kentucky went 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference, tying for fourth place in the Eastern Division.
It's interesting to note that Kentucky exceeded the expectation of every preseason prediction of the national magazines and Web sites we saw. UK finished tied for fourth in league play, but was projected fifth or sixth by all national predictors. (It's also interesting to note that those predictions were made in the spring, before Jeremy Jarmon had been ruled ineligible by the NCAA.)
Kentucky notched three SEC road wins – at Auburn, at Vanderbilt and at Georgia – for the first time in 32 years, since 1977.
Kentucky defeated Auburn for the first time in 43 years, since 1966.
Kentucky won at Georgia for the first time in 32 years, since 1977.
Kentucky's 42-0 win over Miami (Ohio) was the Wildcats' first shutout in 13 years.
Kentucky's win over Louisville was the third year in a row against the in-state rival.
Three come-from-behind wins in the fourth quarter (Louisville, Auburn, Georgia), giving the Wildcats 12 such wins over the last four seasons.
Among the obstacles Brooks and the team had to overcome were:
UK had a total of only 10 returning offensive and defensive starters from the 2008 season – the fewest number of returning starters of any team in the SEC.
All-SEC defensive end Jeremy Jarmon was unexpectedly lost for the season after being declared ineligible by the NCAA.
All-America cornerback Trevard Lindley was fully healthy for only three and one-half games, incurring a severe high-ankle sprain against Alabama on Oct. 3. Lindley missed the next four games and has played courageously at less than top speed since returning in November.
Starting cornerback Paul Warford missed two games with an injury, forcing UK to play at South Carolina without either of its regular starting cornerbacks.
Starting quarterback Mike Hartline sustained a knee injury at South Carolina on Oct. 10. Originally headed for a redshirt season, true freshman QB Morgan Newton came off the bench and started the last seven games. With the coaches juggling Newton, junior reserve Will Fidler and wide receiver Randall Cobb as a “Wildcat” formation quarterback, the Wildcats managed to post a 5-2 record in those seven games, including road wins against Auburn, Vanderbilt and Georgia.
Cobb and tailback Derrick Locke, the top yardage producers for the UK offense and kick returns, each missed one game entirely and were limited in others because of various injuries.
Brooks also was recognized by CollegeFootballNews.com earlier this month when Pete Fiutak wrote, “Kentucky's Rich Brooks deserves to be in the discussion of national coach of the year. His team was ravaged by injuries, he pieced together an offense around a No. 3 quarterback, and Kentucky still survived in the SEC East and is in the mix for a nice bowl game.”

Arkansas sells out of bowl allotment

The University of Arkansas Athletic Department announced Saturday that the school has sold out of its total allotment of more than 25,500 tickets to the 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2 at 4:30 p.m. CT. Response from the Razorback fans has been overwhelming as the school has sold more than double its original allotment of 12,000 tickets to the game. A limited amount of tickets to the game remain available to fans through the bowl web site. "In uncertain economic times, the response shows the incredible passion of the Razorback fans and this is what will boost our profile for future bowl invitations," said UA Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long. "We are looking forward to a tremendous week in Memphis and appreciate the support of our fans." Arkansas will play Conference USA Champion East Carolina for the first time in school history in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Razorbacks will be making their 37th bowl appearance and first under head coach Bobby Petrino. The Razorbacks will be making their fourth appearance in the Liberty Bowl (1971, 1984 and 1987). The bowl will be the ninth in the last 12 years Arkansas.

Georgia Continues Work On Game Plan For Texas AandM

The University of Georgia football team continued to fine tune its game plan for facing Texas A&M in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl by conducting a two hour practice Saturday morning at the Woodruff Practice Fields.
Saturday's workout marked the fifth of eight bowl practice days in Athens. The Bulldogs will practice each of the next three days in the Classic City before holding a travel day on Dec. 23 and reconvening in Shreveport, La., on Dec. 24.
"Much better weather today," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said of the Bulldogs' practice with temperatures in the mid to upper 40's compared to colder and rainy weather on Friday. "I know the guys enjoyed some sunshine. It was still a little breezy out there."
Georgia's original practiced schedule featured two practices for Saturday, but a decision was made earlier in the week to combined the two into one.
"Today was a day that we were going to go two-a-days," Richt stated. "We were going to spend the first practice on special teams and the second practice on offensive-defensive but decided to combine the two into one longer practice to get on the road the last day that coaches get on the road before a quiet period tomorrow. The dead period starts Monday. They had to grind it out a little bit, but they did a good job."
Richt also noted that the scout team has showed improved play and tempo and is being lined up by student assistants Jonathan DeLay and Stephen Crowson. Richt went on to discuss Texas A&M's offense compared to that of Auburn's.
"We hear that the tempo is even faster than what Auburn is doing,"

'Great first day' of practice for Vols Kippy Brown

Brown, 54, hit the ground running to start working on it, seemingly getting out of the car after 13 hours and heading straight to meetings and the practice field.
The 13-year NFL coaching veteran and former UT assistant (1983-89, 1993-94) didn't have the terminology down, he's still learning the playbook and is probably as familiar with the personnel as they are of him. But Brown jumped right into the mix as the Vols (7-5) prepared for a New Year's Eve matchup (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.) with Virginia Tech (9-3) that's beginning to creep up.
"I'm a liability right now, to be honest with you," said Brown, who most recently worked as assistant head coach and passing game coordinator with the Detroit Lions in 2008. "I haven't been here, I don't know the offense. They know a lot better than I do, so they're telling me and I'm asking questions - I'm asking more questions than them. 'You know what your split is? What's your depth here?' They're telling me, and that's good and healthy.
"(The transition) won't happen before the bowl game, I promise you. But it won't take long. Plays are plays and everybody does a lot of the same stuff. Right now I'm struggling with the terminology. You know, once I see the play I know what it is, I know what we called it at Houston, I know what we called it at Detroit, and I know what we've called it at other places. But I've got to put it into Tennessee's terms. Once I learn the terminology and the little nuances, then I'll be fine."
Brown had plenty of help with that from his new receivers, who received a packet of information detailing the finer points of his resume and highlighting the players he's worked with during his career.
Not that Brown needed it, but that bought him instant credibility with the Vols, and they lined up to help him start soaking up the offense.

Tim Tebow Named a 2010 NCAA Top VIII Winner

University of Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow and Duke golfer Amanda Blumenherst are among the 2010 NCAA Top VIII Award winners who will be recognized at the NCAA Convention in Atlanta, Ga., next month. The Today’s Top VIII award recognizes current student-athletes, who have completed their athletic eligibility, for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community. Recipients will be honored January 15 at the NCAA Honors and Delegates Celebration.

Joining Tebow and Blumenherst as Top VIII honors, including two other SEC winners, are:
Courtney Kupets, Georgia, gymnastics
Venessa Lee, Pittsburg State, cross country and indoor and outdoor track
Jeff Lerg, Michigan State, men’s ice hockey
Kent Raymond, Wheaton (Illinois), basketball
Brittany Rogers, Alabama, softball
Sarah Stevens, Arizona State, indoor and outdoor track

The Top VIII honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of eight athletics administrators at member institutions, and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.

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Vols name Kippy Brown wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator

Lane Kiffin stayed tight-lipped in the afternoon.
But when the Tennessee coach officially had a deal in place to fill the first vacancy on his staff, he had plenty to talk about.
The Vols are bringing Kippy Brown back for a third tour of duty, and Kiffin could hardly be happier about bringing the former UT and NFL coaching veteran to take over the wide receivers and become passing-game coordinator.
“This is a great day for Tennessee football,” Kiffin said in a UT release Thursday evening. “When hiring assistant coaches you sometimes feel like you hit a home run. By bringing Kippy back to the Tennessee family, I feel like we hit a grand slam.
“Having known Kippy since 1990, I never imagined being able to add him to our staff, but we always start our searches at the top.”
Kiffin has made clear all along he wouldn’t be rushed into any decisions during the search, but with mutual interest from a target at the top of the list, he didn’t have to wait long to bring in a replacement for Frank Wilson.
Less than two weeks after losing Wilson to LSU, the Vols got their guy — again — and Brown will be back with them today as they resume preparation for the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia Tech on New Year’s Eve (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m.)

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LSU's new coaches get NCAA clearance

New LSU assistant football coaches Billy Gonzales and Frank Wilson were cleared by the NCAA on Thursday to begin coaching.
"They're on board," LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Thursday night. "They were not at practice this afternoon because they're out recruiting, but they are expected back on Friday."
LSU head coach Les Miles wanted to use 10 coaches, which is one over the limit, by never using more than nine at one time so he could let Larry Porter coach in the bowl practices leading up to the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1 against Penn State.
LSU asked the NCAA for approval of the unique coaching lineup, but it was denied. So Porter will not coach LSU through the bowl and focus on his new head coaching job at Memphis.
Porter has been Miles' running backs coach and one of his best recruiters since he came to LSU in 2005. He recently accepted the head coaching job at Memphis.Wilson, who was the wide receivers coach at Tennessee last season, will replace Porter as running backs coach and will also be recruiting coordinator. Gonzales, who was the receivers coach at Florida for the last several seasons, will replace D.J. McCarthy as receivers coach and will also be the passing game coordinator.

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Kiffin jokes that he has trouble following rules

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin says he is "very confident" the NCAA's inquiry into the university's student ambassador program will reveal no rules violations by his staff.
Kiffin and Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer visited Atlanta on Thursday to preview the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
A smiling Kiffin drew a laugh when asked by a fan what has been the biggest challenge of his first year as the Vols' coach, he said, "Following all the rules."
Female members of the school's Orange Pride ambassador group traveled nearly 200 miles to a high school football game where three players are being recruited by Kiffin's staff.
Kiffin says the NCAA has interviewed Tennessee recruits but has not contacted him. The SEC Rocks!

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Honors continue for Vandy's Warren Norman

Postseason accolades continue to roll in for Vanderbilt standout Warren Norman.
The first-year Commodore tailback/return specialist was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News, the highly regarded sports publication and website announced Wednesday.
Norman, a product of Chamblee High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., has swept the SEC's top freshman honors. The Sporting News recognition comes on the heels of Norman earning Freshman of the Year honors last week from SEC coaches and Associated Press beat writers.
Norman was joined on the Sporting News' SEC All-Freshman Team by fellow Commodore Ryan Fowler, who matched a Vanderbilt record with 16 field goals.
The Sporting News also named Norman to its Freshman All-America squad on Wednesday. He was named as a kickoff returner on the team after tying a league mark with three kickoff returns for touchdowns.
Norman was named to Sporting News' SEC All-Freshman team as the kickoff returner and tailback. He was splendid in both roles this season, rushing for 783 yards and amassing 1,050 yards on returns. He also became the SEC's all-time freshman leader with 1,951 all-purpose yards, breaking a 29-year-old record established by former Georgia legend Herschel Walker. The SEC Rocks!