Potential Vols DB starter facing charges

University of Tennessee safety Darren Myles Jr. “faces misdemeanor charges from an incident that occurred early Sunday morning,” according to a Sunday night release from the UT athletic department.
Knoxville Police Department and Knox County Sheriff’s Department spokespeople earlier in the day said they had no information on an incident involving Myles, who is projected to start as a sophomore next season.
There was no recent record of Myles being held at the Knox County Detention Facility, either, a facility spokesperson said Sunday night.
“I am disappointed in Darren’s behavior, and we are conducting a thorough investigation to determine a proper course of action,” UT coach Derek Dooley said through an athletic department release. “We will continue to implement our structures to educate, discipline and support our student-athletes so that they represent the University of Tennessee with class and integrity.”
No further details were available Sunday night from the football program’s first known police incident since Dooley took the job in January.
Myles, a highly-regarded young prospect who played sparingly for the Vols last season, mostly on special teams, intercepted quarterback Matt Simms in Saturday’s Orange and White game. Myles was also named one of the team’s four “Fourth Quarter Award” winners from the recently-completed spring practice session.

Vols Defensive backs steal the show

Tennessee's defensive backs owe fans attending the Orange and White Game an apology.
The 35,891 in Neyland Stadium were understandably there to check out UT quarterbacks Matt Simms and Tyler Bray. After all, there's a close competition at the sport's most marquee position.
Neither quarterback, however, was able to do much against UT's secondary, even without departed star Eric Berry. The top duo at quarterback completed just 30 of 66 passes for 325 yards, three interceptions and two touchdowns.
Simms was responsible for all the interceptions, throwing one to safety Darren Myles Jr. just before halftime.
"I saw the quarterback looking at the receiver the whole time-that was his mistake," said Myles, who also batted down another pass. "I just made a play on the ball. At the safety position, Janzen (Jackson) and I just have a connection and we like to confuse the quarterback."
Jackson, who also defended a pass at strong safety, has played closer to the line of scrimmage this season as opposed to last year when he roamed deep as a free safety.
"Janzen is good at everything; that's part of the problem," head coach
Derek Dooley said. "But he can't do everything."
Jackson has impressed Dooley so much with his athleticism that he even returned punts on Saturday, returning two for 43 yards.
"He's got ability back there," Dooley said. "He doesn't know how to hold the ball yet. That kind of worries me. He's not afraid. He's got the great returner mentality."
Said Jackson, "That is pretty new for me in college. I did it in high school, so I might be getting a chance at it this season."
Jackson also showcased the type of play that UT fans are used to when he rocked kick returner David Oku in the first quarter.
Even more importantly, Jackson has shown Dooley none of the shortcomings that nearly derailed his career last year when he was charged with attempted armed robbery last fall - a charge that was later dropped.
"I've seen nothing but a great smile, a phenomenal attitude, a phenomenal work ethic," Dooley said. "We're working very hard to support him off the field. He's been great. He's been a real treat to coach. I hope he continues to do that and I expect him to."

Shocker: UGA dismisses QB Mettenberger

Shocking news, Georgia has dismissed quarterback Zach Mettenberger from their football program. The release issued by the school this afternoon gave no specifics, instead giving the standard line of a "violation of team rules."
Mettenberger had already been suspended for the season opener following an arrest in early March in which he was hit with five misdemeanor charges, including underage consumption and disorderly conduct. Obviously, it's uncertain at this point in time whether the dismissal was related to the previous incident or if a new incident prompted head coach Mark Richt to boot a QB who was perhaps the Bulldogs' best player at the position this spring.
The logicality, would seem to indicate that the redshirt freshman had other issues that pushed Richt to make this decision.
Mettenberger had been in a battle with Aaron Murray and Logan Gray throughout the spring and, at least statistically, seemed to have an edge over the other two competitors, with the exception of the fact that, he would not be able to play in the opener.
The surprising move would seem to clear the way for Murray, the favorite heading into spring to solidify a somewhat tenuous hold on the job, at least until summer camp starts.

Auburn showcases quarterbacks but doesn't tip hand in A-Day exhibition

AUBURN -- Head coach Gene Chizik's effort to manage the flow and content of information about Auburn's spring football season met with 63,217 prying eyes Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
And Chizik still may have won.
The annual A-Day spring exhibition game shed little light on the biggest unresolved question of the season, the race for Auburn's No. 1 quarterback.
Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn rotated four quarterbacks seamlessly from team to team; the only candidate not to put up monster numbers was Cam Newton, the one who most expect to win the job.
"Today is one day out of 15," Chizik said. "Obviously it was good to see guys step out here when there was a crowd situation and make plays. But at the end of the day, it's a comprehensive evaluation of 15 days."
Senior Neil Caudle, a veteran backup, completed 17-of-21 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Barrett Trotter completed 7-of-9 for 154 yards and two touchdowns. All four quarterbacks played for both the "white" and "blue" teams. For the record, the Blue team won 21-17.
The game was witnessed by an announced crowd of more than 63,000 sun-soaked fans who filled up almost the entire lower bowl of the stadium. It was likely a generous estimate, as is often the case on A-Day, but it was indisputably the biggest crowd for an Auburn spring exhibition game that anyone could remember.
Newton played the least of any of the quarterbacks (a clue, perhaps?), and completed 3-of-8 passes for 80 yards. Redshirt freshman Clint Moseley didn't enter until the second half, but got a healthy amount of reps, amassing 55 yards on 10-of-12 passing.
As is typical in spring games, Chizik said both sides of the ball were reduced to the most "vanilla" sets, and Newton said that affected the tenor of the offense.
"It was slowed down a lot, but it's a game for the fans," Newton said. "We just wanted to come out and execute and look polished in the things that are really the base of our offense."
Newton received a loud ovation from the fans when he walked onto the field for the first time, and he appreciated the recognition.
"It was ecstatic," he said. "It was the first time I got to showcase my ability to most of the fans at Auburn. So it was an adrenalin rush, no doubt. But today wasn't a practice that you could really evaluate. It was just something to give the Auburn fans something to brag about."
Auburn's receivers were the beneficiaries of all the passing, and Chizik raved about the Tigers' continued growth in "YAC," or yards after catch.
Moseley said quarterbacks were even joking on the sidelines that their numbers were being inflated by the receivers' after-catch runs.
"We were throwing a lot of side-to-side routes, not very far down the field," said Trotter. "We were stretching out the defense. It's worked throughout the spring and it's going to continue to work. It has a lot to do with yards after catch."
Trotter had the longest pass of the day by the air, a 50-yard bomb to walk-on Nathan Taylor. Quindarius Carr had a 70-yard touchdown in which he used his blazing speed to outrun defenders down the sideline. Terrell Zachery broke tackles and juked his way into the end zone on a 23-yard touchdown catch.
"You can see those guys getting more confidence and making plays," Malzahn said. "If they square their shoulders we've got some guys that can make people miss in one-on-one situations. So that's what we try to do."

Vandy Football closes out with strong scrimmage

On campus in Nashville, Tenn. – After a pair of disappointing scrimmages in recent weeks, the Commodore offense finished off Vanderbilt’s spring drills in style Saturday by scoring three quick touchdowns in the team’s final practice.The offensive fireworks came in the Commodores’ 15th spring session, an abbreviated scrimmage held Saturday morning in Vanderbilt Stadium.After failing to reach the end zone last weekend in the featured Black & Gold Scrimmage, the offense enjoyed plenty of success Saturday, scoring on its first three drives during the abbreviated 41-play scrimmage.Afterward, Head Coach Bobby Johnson said his entire Commodore squad improved during the team’s five-week spring drills. He also liked seeing the offensive success Saturday.“Overall, I think we got better as a football team, especially over the last week to 10 days,” Johnson said. “Offensively, we’re starting to move the football, and see some positive results from the work we’re putting in. “I feel good about our intensity level and effort the entire spring. We’re been able take a close look at several younger players, guys that I definitely think can help us this season. We think this team enters the summer with a lot of optimism and feeling pretty good about itself,” Johnson added.The touchdowns Saturday came on a 11-yard pass from Larry Smith to tight end Brandon Barden, a 2-yard rush by tailback Zac Stacy, and a 19-yard hookup between Jared Funk and receiver Tray Herndon.

U of Kentucky Has Second Major Spring Scrimmage

Kentucky’s second major scrimmage of spring practice, held Saturday morning at Commonwealth Stadium, was remarkably similar to the first a good start by the offense and a rally by the defense.
The format featured the first-team offense vs. the first-team defense and the second-team units against each other. The ball was placed on the 30-yard line for the majority of the scrimmage, requiring the offense to go 70 yards for a touchdown. Late in the workout was a short-field scrimmage in which the offense was given the ball on the defense’s 25-yard line.
Quarterbacks Mike Hartline, Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski each played with the first and second teams.
“The offense started off fast, all three of our quarterbacks did some really good things,” Phillips said. “I’m really pleased with what I’m seeing at wide receiver, catching the ball (by) big, physical guys. We have to do a better job on the perimeter blocking at wide receiver. We should be better at blocking because of our big bodies because I think we have some really nice backs.
“Defensively, the thing we did not do is get ourselves off the field on third down and a lot of that had to do with our tackling, especially in the secondary, we have to be better tacklers. Some guys who still continue to progress are Tristian Johnson (defensive end) and Mark Crawford (defensive tackle). I’m really pleased with what Collins Ukwu is doing (at defensive end) and Qua Huzzie (linebacker). Those four guys continue to show up and we still have (linebacker) Danny Trevathan, who shows up a lot, we know he can play. We just have to get more guys around the football and be able to tackle.”

Bray, Poole lead Vols Offense in Spring Game

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray is young enough to still be a high school senior. In Saturday's spring scrimmage, the freshman played with the poise of someone with much more experience.
Bray, who graduated high school a semester early and enrolled at Tennessee in January, threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore to lead the white team to a 16-7 win in the Orange and White game. Bray finished 18-for-40 for 200 yards to lead all quarterbacks.
"I was real pleased with his presence out there," first-year coach Derek Dooley said. "He's really a high school senior (but) wasn't nervous, nothing jittery and performed the way he'd been performing all spring. I think that says a lot about him."
Bray was at his best during the Volunteers' hurry-up drill just before halftime that led to the touchdown. He completed six of nine pass attempts in that drive, hitting Tauren Poole twice on 14-yard tosses and Ben Bartholomew on two 9-yard passes.
Bray is competing for the starting job in the fall with junior-college transfer Matt Simms, who also had a few strong drives but faltered late in the game.
Simms connected with Gerald Jones three straight times for passes of 20 yards, 33 yards and a 6-yard touchdown strike to pull the orange team within 10-7. He finished 12-for-26 for 125 yards but gave up two of his three interceptions late in the second half that led to field goals of 28 yards and 48 yards by Chip Rhome for the white team.
"I did some things well. I did some other things not so well," Simms said. "I wanted to come out and put on a show for the fans and get ready to work for the summer. It was good to get a little game preparation."
Poole, who put on a show by bouncing off defenders like a pinball, lead the offense with 101 all-purpose yards, 58 yards receiving on three catches and 50 yards rushing on 12 carries. Dooley praised him for performing consistently well throughout the spring.
"Hopefully I can show them that I can be an SEC running back," Poole said.
Jones led receivers with 84 yards on six catches, Matt Milton added 47 yards on six catches and Moore had 39 yards on three catches.
Linebacker Herman Lathers led the defense with nine tackles and had one sack. Marlon Walls had three sacks for a loss of 16 yards.
It was Tennessee's first Orange and White game under Dooley, who introduced a major change to the format. Previously the spring scrimmage pitted the offense versus the defense, but Dooley allowed the senior Vols to draft teams to play in a regular game.
Dooley said much of the spring was spent determining what could be done with the Vols' offense. He cautioned that it would be hard to judge the quarterbacks much on their performances.
"With the quarterbacks, this game is always tough," he said. "Matt and Tyler are very different in the things they do well. It's hard to shape and gameplan to fit their strengths. That's why you don't want to put too much on this game."

White team wins Alabama A-Day game 23-17 on TD pass on last play

In the football-obsessed state of Alabama, you could probably gather a crowd of a few thousand strong in the middle of February if Tide wind sprints were open to the public. Coming off a national championship season and a spring game is involved?
Well, say hello to nearly 100K of your closest friends. A.J. McCarron threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson after time had expired on a fourth-and-15 play to lead the White team to a 23-17 victory over the Crimson team in Alabama's A-Day game today at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Crimson team featured the first-team offense; the White team featured the first-team defense.
A crowd of 91,312 was announced. Admission was free and the game was televised on ESPN until the broadcast ended after time ran out with the score at 17-all.
Time expired on an incomplete Hail Mary pass on third-and-15, but the White team was allowed to run one more play.
The Crimson team led 10-7 at halftime and extended the lead to 17-7 early in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Eddie Lacy. That TD was set up by a 60-yard run by Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner.
The White team came back with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Star Jackson to Demetrius Goode with 10:42 left in the game and a 27-yard field goal by Cade Foster with 3:13 to go.

Ole Miss has Record Crowd for Cellular South Grove Bowl

Nathan Stanley directed touchdown drives in the opening two series of each half, leading the Blue to a 49-35 win over the Red in Saturday's Cellular South Grove Bowl, which drew a record crowd of 30,229 for Ole Miss' spring football finale.
“I made some good decisions and our line and receivers did a really good job,” Stanley said. “I'm not where I want to be physically or as a leader just yet, but compared to where I was, I think there is night and day difference.”
After two seasons backing up Jevan Snead, the sophomore debuted at 11-of-16 for 166 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, Stanley put together consecutive scoring series to open each half.
“Nathan Stanley will go out there first,” confirmed Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt. “In those opening series, we saw exactly what we needed to see.”
The Blue had the designed personnel edge, consisting of the No. 1 offense, defense and special teams units. The Red was alloted seven points each quarter and included several projected top reserves.
Quarterback Raymond Cotton, playing with a sore throwing shoulder, was impressive in selected series with both squads. Cotton was 5-of-7 for 178 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Grandy.
“We're not afraid to play Raymond Cotton,” Nutt said. “He's can rise to the occasion. We will make a decision on his physical status in the next two weeks. The best case scenario is Raymond can rehab and play, but we're going to do what is best for Raymond.”
The spring game confirmed the offseason expectations from the coaches. The No. 1 defensive unit was dominant, limiting the Red to 132 yards and included a pair of interceptions by Charles Sawyer.
“Are we where we need to be? Not yet. But our defense gives us a chance to be good,” Nutt said. “I love this team. I love their personality. I like the way they listen. They have good listening skills and they want to get better."
Grandy led all receivers with three receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown. Melvin Harris added a 61-yard touchdown pass to go along with the scoring catch by Summers.
“We're still getting there as an offense,” Grandy said. “But our quarterbacks threw it well today and our running backs were really good.”

Chizik still juggling Auburn's QB decision

The Auburn faithful may have to wait awhile to learn the identity of their starting quarterback.
Head coach Gene Chizik has stated on multiple occasions leading up to spring practice that, in a perfect world, a starter would emerge before before the end of the sessions. As evidenced by the fact that Dane Cook is a success, though, this is far from a perfect world.
Chizik has not, per the Birmingham News, named a starter for Saturday's spring game and might be leaning away from picking a starter even when the page is turned and the book is closed Monday on Spring Practice 2010.
Chizik stated that "we'll sit down... after the last two practices" and discuss the situation, but in no way said that a decision was even remotely imminent.
The perception though, even with Chizik unwilling to go there, is that it's Cam Newton's job to lose, and Neil Caudle, Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley will have a substantial row to hoe in order to catch the JUCO transfer.

Ole Miss QB may be facing surgery

According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Cotton may have a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, an injury that dates back to his high school playing days. Head coach Houston Nutt is hoping that redshirt freshman can play through the pain, but surgery is a realistic possibility.
If forced to undergo a medical procedure to repair the damage, Cotton would be out 4-6 months.
Cotton has been limited in practice for the past week or so, allowing the sophomore Stanley to get a leg up in the fight for the job of replacing Jevan Snead.

Richt not ready to name QB quite yet

Coming to you from Hilton Head Island and the site of the Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament. We have known that Richt was expected to release a post-spring depth chart at some point before the end of this week but, according to the Athens Banner-Herald, that's not going to happen.
Instead, a new depth chart is not expected to be released until next week at the earliest. The Banner-Herald reports that player exit interviews have taken longer than expected, which is holding up the new chart's release.
Statistically, Zach Mettenberger has seemingly enjoyed the better spring, but it's uncertain how his arrest on alcohol charges and subsequent one-game suspension -- he's already been ruled out for the opener , will impact the competition. Aaron Murray entered spring ball as the favorite to win the job, while Logan Gray would seem to be a semi-long shot at this point in time.

Georgia's Brandon Boykin Named To Lott Trophy Watch List

Georgia defensive back/kickoff returner Brandon Boykin has been named to the 2010 Lott Trophy Watch List, according to an announcement by Ronnie Lott and the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation on Thursday. Boykin, a 5-10, 183-pound junior from Fayetteville, Ga., set school records with 38 kickoff returns for 988 yards and three touchdowns last season, including a pair of 100-yard returns. Boykin tied a Southeastern Conference record with his three scoring returns and is the only player in league history to have two 100-yard returns in the same season. Boykin was also second on the team with three interceptions in 2009 and fourth on the Bulldog defense with 54 tackles. Boykin is one of only six players from the SEC on the 42-player Watch List. David Pollack is the only Bulldog to ever win the Lott Trophy after he was honored in 2004.“This is a superb list of young men,” said Lott as he announced the list. “We at the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation are always pleased to see the accomplishments of such outstanding student-athletes, all of whom are worthy of consideration for the Lott Trophy.” Sponsored by The Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the award is given to a player who exhibit’s the same characteristics Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

Kentucky Wildcats Passing Game Continues to Progress

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Coach Joker Phillips continues to be pleased with the progress of the passing game during spring practice.
“That's our emphasis in the spring, make sure we come out of this feeling good about our passing game,” Phillips said. “Saturday ,during the scrimmage, we took a huge step in making some plays and throwing to the right people. Every time we come out here, that's the emphasis, throwing the football. The thing we have to do is get our passing game up to speed offensively so we can be balanced.
“The receivers have to make plays. The quarterbacks have to trust that those guys to make plays. I see a trusting relationship with both of them, the quarterbacks give them a chance and the receivers make plays for them, so the quarterbacks give them more chances.”
It's interesting to note that the UK offense had good balance at the start of the 2009 season before quarterback Mike Hartline was sidelined by injury. With Hartline starting the first five games of the season, the Wildcats had a perfect balance between the run and the pass, averaging 167.4 rushing yards per game and 167.4 passing yards per game.
Following Hartline's injury at South Carolina, Kentucky became more of a running team. During the final eight games of the season, the Wildcats averaged 206.1 rushing yards and 123.4 passing yards per game.

Majors On Vols' HC Dooley

There's not much better for an SEC football fan than talking the sport with Johnny Majors. Here are some of his thoughts from a recent conversation.
On Derek Dooley coaching at UT even though his father, Vince Dooley, coached at Georgia for 25 years:
"I'd say a lot of people probably wouldn't have thought about that happening. But stranger things have happened. I'd say it's going to be interesting."
On Derek Dooley's challenge to turn the Vols around after two losing seasons since 2005:
"I think they've got a challenge here for the next two or three years. To get it turned around is going to be challenging. But you never know, with the right type coaching. Coaching makes a difference."
On the impact a coach can have on a team:
"A coach can take a poor team and make them respectable by the way they line up, the way the come off the ball, they don't get stupid penalties, that they're disciplined, they're orderly and they give effort...and they know how to play the kicking game."

Gator fans take billboard dig at FSU counterparts

Last year, some Ohio State fans, specifically, FriendsOfWoody.com, took out space on a billboard in Detroit to remind Michigan fans that their Wolverines have been in a drought when it came to one of the best rivalries in all of sports.
Now, Gator Nation is doing the same.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Gatortailgating.com is collecting donations for a billboard to be placed on I-10 just outside of Tallahassee as a gentle reminder that the Seminoles have not beaten the Gators since November of 2003. And, really, it's just a "friendly message" from one college fan base to another, and the organization behind the billboard is just trying to have a little fun at the expense of with their counterparts.
From the Gatortailgating website:
We truly feel that the billboard will be all in good fun. Far from being "in their face," the billboard's placement will be located on I-10 westbound outside of Tallahassee, not in their city limits, and certainly not where FSU fans are going to see it every day. Of course they're going to see it at some point, but so will thousands of Gator fans who live in the Tallahassee area, as well as Gator fans who will be making the trip up for the game this year. This rivalry has a 50+ year history, and even our own coaches, namely Spurrier (who dubbed FSU "Free Shoes University") and Meyer, who refers to FSU as "The School Out West," publicly poke fun at them. Lately the rivalry hasn't been as heated as in years past, and we're just trying to spice it up a bit, we hardly feel like we're taking it too far.

Gators' Joe Haden to Attend NFL Draft

Florida cornerback Joe Haden (Ft. Washington, Md.) is among 16 players, three from the Southeastern Conference, who have accepted invitations to the NFL Draft.
The NFL draft will take place April 22-24 at Radio City Musical Hall in New York City, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.
In 2009, Haden earned consensus first-team All-American recognition and was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, in addition to being honored as a first-team All-SEC player by the coaches, Associated Press and Phil Steele.
Haden started all 40 games that he played in at UF and finished his career with 218 total tackles, 157 solo tackles, 34 pass breakups, eight interceptions and 3.5 sacks.
In 2007, Haden became the first true freshman to start at cornerback in Florida history. He was part of Florida’s 2008 SEC Championship and National Championship squad, as well as the 2009 SEC Eastern Division champions.

Dooley takes closer look at mistakes

Dooley looked over UT’s past two seasons and found seven games the Vols lost because of mistakes in the last four minutes.
“The lesson is that you don’t have to do anything special at the end of the game,” Dooley said Tuesday. “You just have to do the common things uncommonly well.”
Dooley was critical of his team for mistakes like dropped passes, penalties and bad snaps in last Saturday’s scrimmage.
“It was amazing the number of critical, game-changing mistakes that we made,” Dooley said.
Bad snaps , often in the shotgun formation with a defenders shifting, has been a consistent problem throughout spring camp.
Dooley said he’s still concerned with the center position but seemed encouraged by the play of junior Cody Pope, who has played guard and tackle this spring.
“We’re starting to see some promise with Cody Pope,” Dooley said. “I think we might have found a home for him.”
Dooley said Pope will continue to compete with senior Victor Thomas, a converted defensive tackle, for first-team snaps.
Pope actually practiced at center in preseason camp after signing with the Vols in 2006. Coaches were pleased with his development before he was forced to return home to California because of an unforeseen academic issue.