Local college football notes

Rocky Mountain News

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

CU

Trench monsters

Oklahoma’s five starting offensive linemen average 6-foot-5 and about 322 pounds — and they bring more than mere size. In the unit rankings of its preseason college football edition, The Sporting News rated the Sooners’ O-line as No. 2 nationally, behind Southern California.

Tackle Phil Loadholt, a transfer from Garden City (Kan.) Community College, is Oklahoma’s tallest starter ever. The aptly named Loadholt, of Fountain Fort-Carson High School, stands 6-foot-8 and weighs upward of 360 pounds.

Coach Bob Stoops said Loadholt has impressed since first arriving on campus: "He impressed us first during winter conditioning — and that’s one of the harder parts of our program. He’s a fantastic worker — we saw how well he worked and knew he was going to be good."

Still the one

Senior linebacker Jordon Dizon wasn’t as prolific in the Buffs’ 42-0 rout of Miami (Ohio), but he maintained his position as the leading tackler in Division I-A.

Dizon, of Waimea, Hawaii, registered six tackles (three solo, three assists) against the RedHawks, marking the first time in four games he has not reached double figures in total tackles.

Still, he is averaging a nation-leading 13.75 tackles a game, with his 9.5 solo average also the nation’s best.

Etc.

CU’s game at Baylor on Oct. 6 will kick off at 5:05 p.m. MDT. It will not be televised.

Homecoming festivities this weekend include a parade Friday in the University Hill area, followed by a pep rally in front of the Fox Theatre on 13th Street. Parade marshals include former players Matt Russell, Alfred Williams, Kanavis McGhee and Deon Figures.

Tickets for Saturday’s game are still available. Information: 303-492-8337.

He said it

"We used to be able to call coaches at midweek in high school and ask if we could play eight-man football. ... I think maybe I’ll call Coach Stoops this week and ask him if we could play with 12."

Dan Hawkins, CU coach, on how to defend Oklahoma, which averages a nation-leading 61.5 points a game.

Top of their game

Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 in NCAA Division I-A in six major statistical categories:

CSU

Kubiak released

Junior safety Klint Kubiak was released from a Houston hospital on Monday afternoon after spending two nights under observation for low blood pressure caused by a previously undetected ulcer.

Kubiak felt woozy before Saturday’s game at Houston and was taken to the hospital, where he was given a blood transfusion.

Kubiak, CSU’s leading tackler last season, spent Sunday night at the Houston home of his parents, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak and his wife, Rhonda. He’s scheduled to fly back to Colorado today.

CSU coach Sonny Lubick said it was unlikely Kubiak would play on Saturday at Texas Christian (5 p.m. MDT, the mtn.), but he may be able to return to practice in a limited fashion later this week. Senior Zac Bryson, who played well at Kubiak’s free-safety position against Houston, will start again if Kubiak can’t go, with sophomore Jake Galusha and perhaps redshirt freshman Michael Johnson also getting more playing time.

Brown back

The Rams know all about Aaron Brown, the TCU marquee runner who burned them for 166 yards and three touchdowns last season.

And though Brown has struggled with an early season knee injury, it appears CSU will have to deal with the junior star again.

Brown was injured in TCU’s season-opening win against Baylor and missed the Horned Frogs’ next two games. But he returned Saturday to run for 92 yards on 11 carries in TCU’s 21-7 win against Southern Methodist.

"I think, with Aaron Brown in there, and if they get some more continuity from their quarterbacks, they’ll be a more explosive offensive team," Lubick said.

Etc.

Lubick’s weekly television show — it bears the no-nonsense name The Sonny Lubick Show and is hosted by Susie Wargin — airs at 11:15 p.m. each Sunday on 9News. Fans who miss the show on Sunday evening can see archived video of it by going to www.9News.com, clicking on Sports and then clicking on The Sonny Lubick Show link.

Also, FSN Rocky Mountain reairs the show at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday.

Two Houston players were honored for their performances against CSU. Cornerback Kenneth Fontenette, who ran back a Kyle Bell fumble 37 yards for a touchdown and helped hold CSU receiver Johnny Walker to one catch, received Conference USA defensive player of the week honors. Kicker T.J. Lawrence won C-USA’s weekly special-teams honor after making five extra points and a 46-yard field goal against the Rams.

AFA

Limiting mistakes

Air Force needs to eradicate mistakes, and that was the focus in practice Monday, as the Falcons prepare for Saturday’s game against Navy in Annapolis, Md.

"We have to meet head-on, eyeball to eyeball, we have meet our mistakes," coach Troy Calhoun said. "That’s the only way you are truly going to be able to move forward. If we don’t do that, we are going to let some things slide by that are really going to pinch us on the backside throughout the rest of the season.

"That’s how you’ll end up playing faster, more assignment sound and more confident."

Numbers game

9-1 record for Navy under coach Paul Johnson against service-academy rivals Air Force and Army. The Midshipmen have won a combined nine consecutive games against Air Force and Army.

Campbell moves up

Chris Campbell is listed as the starter at right tackle ahead of Chris Monson in one of the changes on Air Force’s two-deep depth chart that was released Monday.

Senior Aaron Shanor, who started the first three games at inside linebacker before last Saturday’s game at BYU, has moved back into the starter’s role ahead of Austin Randle.

Senior Chad Smith has assumed the backup role at tailback behind starter Jim Ollis. Freshman Savier Stephens, who had 21 carries in the first three games as a reserve, played but didn’t carry the ball against BYU.

Etc.

Navy has played almost seven quarters (114 minutes, 40 seconds) since senior Greg Veteto was last summoned to punt.

Navy has gone 129 games without retuning a punt for a touchdown, the second-longest streak in the nation. Air Force hasn’t returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 257 games, also the second-longest drought in the nation. Navy has gone 112 games without a touchdown on a kickoff return.

Navy, the nation’s leading rushing team after four games, is trying to become the first team in NCAA history to lead the nation in rushing three consecutive years.

UNC

Getting better

The Bears seem to be turning the corner with their first-quarter performances.

The UNC defense gave up only seven points in the first quarter of a 34-14 loss at Northern Arizona on Saturday. In their first three losses, the Bears gave up 14 points to San Diego, 14 to Chadron State and 28 to Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the UNC offense is also picking up its first-quarter pace. The Bears gained 132 yards against Northern Arizona on the heels of 121 against San Diego, 35 against Chadron and 15 against Hawaii.

Wyoming

Moore wins MWC honor

Running back Devin Moore shared the Mountain West Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week Award with Nevada-Las Vegas running back Frank Summers.

Moore rushed for 198 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 34-33 come-from-behind victory at Ohio.

Summers ran for 190 yards and scored three touchdowns, as UNLV ended an 11-game losing streak to Utah dating to 1979.

UNLV linebacker Beau Bell was the defensive player of the week, and New Mexico placekicker John Sullivan won the special-teams award.

He said it

"I don’t think we’ll even turn the ball over seven times in one game ever again, knock on wood. We’ve got to learn from our mistakes, and it’s more fun to learn from your mistakes when you win."

Joe Glenn, Cowboys coach, on what the comeback win might mean to his team’s progress.

B.G. Brooks (CU), Randy Holtz (CSU), Jim Benton (Air Force) and wire services (UNC, Wyoming).