Nevada:
After Chris Ault watched record-setting running back Stefphon Jefferson
tote the ball 40 times in the Wolf Pack’s win over Texas State last month, Ault
revealed why Jefferson has been able to grind out big chunks of yards despite
his heavy workload.
“We’ve brain-washed him pretty good,” the coach joked.
It’s fair to say Jefferson’s ability to sustain at a high level,
despite an NCAA-leading 219 carries, has less to do with voodoo and more to do
with his offseason training.
While Jefferson leads the nation in rushing (1,140 yards) and
touchdowns (15) and had a seven-touchdown and 247-yard game this year, his
ability to carry such a heavy workload is more impressive. Jefferson’s 31.3
attempts per game are the most in school history.
Boise State:
At BoiseStateFootball.com, the website catered to recruits, there are
eight tabs on the home page.
The most popular, much to coach Chris Petersen’s surprise: uniforms.
That’s why Boise State has embraced the national trend of frequently
changing its game-day style — never more dramatically than Saturday, when the
No. 24 Broncos will confront UNLV wearing all-black uniforms on the blue turf
(1:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network).
The blackout has been talked about for years. Julius Brown, the former
director of player personnel (recruiting), was among those who lobbied for the
look.
Fresno State:
BOISE, Idaho – If it hasn’t happened already, expect Boise State to
reach out to Fresno State about continuing the schools' football series as a
nonconference affair.
With Boise State moving to the Big East Conference next season and
Fresno State staying in the Mountain West, the teams aren’t scheduled to play
again anytime soon.
Boise State, however, is searching for teams to play out West to reduce
some of its travel issues the Broncos are bound to face with their switch to an
East Coast conference.
Then, Fresno State might finally have the upper hand on Boise State for
once … at least in terms of negotiations.
Athletic director Thomas Boeh and coach Tim DeRuyter can decide whether
it benefits the Bulldogs to keep playing the Broncos and perhaps set the terms
in Fresno State’s favor.
San Diego State:
After a three-week absence, defensive lineman Dontrell Onuoha is back
with the Aztecs.
San Diego State coach Rocky Long said Onuoha returned to practice on
Tuesday, and has been practicing with the scout team.
Onuoha started four games at defensive end, but missed the last three
because he’s been away from the team dealing with what Long termed “personal
issues.” In his absence, Cody Galea has taken over as the starter at defensive
end across from Jordan Thomas.
But it might be a few weeks before Onuoha sees game action.
“It was a personal issue he had to handle, it took him three weeks to
handle it. He kinda left his teammates hanging. He missed three weeks, so he
won’t play for three weeks,” Long said. “The fourth week he might play.
“He has to get back in good graces with me I guess.”
Air Force:
There’s a surprise when you meet Air Force’s offensive linemen:
They actually resemble normal college students.
These are not behemoths with big guts. Not one of the starting linemen
approaches 300 pounds. They are, by modern college football standards,
remarkably slender.
And yet …
These linemen have opened holes big enough to allow Air Force runners
to rush for 363 yards per game, second in the nation behind Army.
Coach Troy Calhoun was shaking his head in admiration this week as he
considered his linemen’s work this season.
“There’s an old adage in football that mass kicks, you know, rump,”
Calhoun said.
But Calhoun and offensive line coach Clay Hendrix are doing their best
to defy that adage. Air Force embraces a go-small approach.
New Mexico:
There isn't much that will alter the total focus of Bob Davie from his
job of rescuing a downtrodden football program at New Mexico.
If and when he needs a boost, he can let his mind wander back to a time
years ago when he coached at Notre Dame.
"I still can smell the grass and what it smells like in Notre Dame
Stadium," Davie said Wednesday via phone before taking the Lobos on the
practice field to continue preparations for Saturday's game at Air Force.
He's moved on from his days as a college football coach of one of the
highest-profile teams, but memories of those days add direction to what he
wants to do in his new job.
Davie, who was defensive coordinator for the Irish from 1994-96 then
head coach from 1997-2001, returned to coaching this season after a 10-year
absence, but not at a location remotely similar to the tradition-packed college
football culture of South Bend, Ind.
"This isn't the flashiest place," Davie said of his new
football home in Albuquerque. "People here are real, but we're not going
to out-blue chip anyone in our recruiting."
UNLV:
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV's opening football game next season
at Minnesota has officially been moved up two days and will be played Thursday,
Aug. 29, 2013, the schools announced. Kickoff time is TBA.
The Rebels, who hosted the Golden Gophers to begin the current season
on a Thursday in August, will be making the program's first visit to the state
of Minnesota next fall.
Minnesota Athletics officials reached an agreement with the Minnesota
State Fair that will see the Gophers open the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016
football seasons at TCF Bank Stadium on the Thursday night before Labor Day.
The games were originally scheduled to take place on the Saturday of Labor Day
weekend.
Wyoming:
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The Mountain West Conference reprimanded Wyoming
coach Dave Christensen for his actions and comments after the Cowboys' 28-27
loss to Air Force.
A statement issued Monday by the conference said Christensen's comments
and "provocative postgame conduct'' Saturday night violated the league's
sportsmanship rules.
Christensen, who issued a written apology Sunday night, reiterated
Monday during a weekly news conference that he was "sincerely sorry.''
Hawaii:
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i football team saw its Homecoming
game win streak come to an end in a 35-23 loss to New Mexico Saturday night at
Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.
The Warriors (1-5, 0-3 Mountain West) dropped their fourth straight
contest and are off to a 1-5 start for just the first time since 2000. UH also
lost its Homecoming game for the first time since losing to Boise State in 2001
after 10 consecutive wins.
UH amassed a season-high 391 yards of total offense, including
career-highs for quarterback Sean Schroeder (292 passing yards) and running
back Will Gregory (99 rushing yards).
On the flip side, the Lobos (4-3, 1-1) which entered the game as the
nation's eighth-ranked rushing team, tallied 452 total yards, including 332
yards on the ground. Running back Kasey Carrier rushed for 161 yards and two
scores while back-up quarterback Cole Gautsche rushed for 104 yards, including
a 76-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Colorado State:
FORT COLLINS — Quarterback Garrett Grayson's litmus test of the state
of mind of the Colorado State football team has roots in center Weston
Richburg's on-campus demeanor.
"He's got his head up, smiling," Grayson said of the junior
team leader. "Last year, the year before — I'd come up to a few games the
year before — and just see everybody walking around with their head down,
people were giving up. I don't see that this year. It's a big difference."
The season has taken a frightening turn for a CSU team that had big
aspirations after three consecutive 3-9 campaigns. Now, with five games left,
3-9 is looking like a pretty good season for the Rams, who have lost six in a
row since winning the season opener.
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