Here are news and notes from OffshoreInsiders.com<\/a><\/span> As the second-ranked Wolverines prepare to face the A week ago, The Wildcats have won back-to-back games against Top 25 Keeping an eye on the statuses of wide receiver Larry Cougars<\/span> wide receiver Jason Hill Anthony
\n18, 2006<\/st1:date>
\n<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>private clipboard.
\nand the team\u2019s own press releases. CFB<\/span><\/span>
Ohio State-Michigan
\ntop-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, they enter with a hard-nosed
\ndefense that leads the nation against the run (29.9 yards). They\u2019re third in
\ntotal defense (231.4). The Buckeyes, however, present a challenge. They rank
\nfirst in the Big Ten and eighth nationally in scoring offense (35.8 points),
\nand are directed by quarterback Troy Smith, the Heisman Trophy frontrunner.
\nknows Smith. He burned them the last two seasons in
\n
\ntotal offense last season and 386 in 2004. Because the defensive front\u2014featuring
\nWoodley, who has a Big Ten-high 11 sacks, and tackle Alan Branch, who has had
\nfive tackles for loss\u2014is so athletic, the Wolverines believe the attacking
\nnature of the front four is enough to wreak havoc. They have 41 sacks and are
\nsecond nationally (3.6 average). Last year, they had 24 in 12 games. (
\n
\n13 sacks.) English credits offensive coordinator Mike DeBord<\/span>
\nfor some of the success the defense has enjoyed this season.
\nleads the nation in time of possession (34.11 average), and the offense has
\nbeen on the field 82 more plays than the defense. By popular request, check out
\nour new \u201cBet
\nIt Trinity\u201d full year pass!<\/a> You get the top three sports services, every
\nplay in every sport for 365 days. Buffalo-Wisconsin
JS Online
\nof
\nquarterback John Stocco<\/span>
\n<\/span>would not play against
\nThis week, Bielema<\/span> believes his fifth-year senior
\nmight be able to play in UW\u2019s regular-season finale Saturday against
\ndays,\u201d Bielema<\/span> said Thursday night after practice.
\nago against
\nthrew the football in practice Wednesday. On Thursday, he passed the ball and
\nworked on handoffs. If Stocco<\/span> is cleared to play in
\nhis final home game, that decision will be made sometime Saturday. Joe Duffy\u2019s
\nsports betting selections are at www.GodsTips.com<\/a>San Diego State-TCU<\/span>
Sign On <\/span>
\ncoach Chuck Long said yesterday that junior Kevin O\u2019Connell, who missed six
\nstraight games after being injured in the season opener, will start at
\nquarterback for the Aztecs.\u00a0 <\/span>Redshirt
\nfreshman Kevin Craft, who has started the past five games, will also play,
\njunior free safety Ray Bass, who earned Mountain West Conference Defensive
\nPlayer of the Week honors for his performance against UNLV<\/span>,
\nwill make his second consecutive start in place of senior Brett Sturm (ankle).
\nHe (O\u2019Connell) has shown more production lately,\u201d Long said. \u201cHe\u2019s earned
\nthis.\u201dArizona-Oregon
\nopponents, including a 24-20 victory over No. 8 California Saturday. After
\nconsecutive 3-8 seasons, 5-5
\nis one win away from bowl eligibility with two games remaining. Last season,
\nfive of the losses were by seven points or fewer. This season, the Wildcats are
\nplaying with more confidence, which explains how they overcame a 17-3 halftime
\ndeficit against the Golden Bears. If there\u2019s a defining moment in what Stoops
\nhas done for this program, that game was it. Stevie Vincent\u2019s
\nhandicapping and part of
\n<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Connecticut-Syracuse
\nTaylor and cornerback Darius Butler for Saturday\u2019s game at
\n
\nin last Saturday\u2019s 46-45 double overtime victory over
\n
\nsame game. Backup running back Terry Caulley<\/span>, who had
\nsurgery on a broken left ring finger Monday, will be out as well as offensive
\nlineman Mike Hicks, who sustained an ankle and knee sprain against
\nLou Allen will back up Donald Brown at running back with redshirt freshman
\nAndre Dixon behind them. MasterLockLine.com<\/a><\/span><\/u><\/span>
\nsports service in their highest ranked sports.
\nwon\u2019t play in the Apple Cup, but slot receiver Michael Bumpus<\/span>
\nmight. WSU<\/span> coach Bill Doba<\/span>
\nsaid Bumpus<\/span> will dress for the game and might be able
\nto play. He is unlikely to start and won\u2019t be used as a punt
\nsuffered high ankle sprains Nov. 4 against
\nNo change on the quarterback front for UW. Willingham said quarterback Carl
\nmake the trip. And Willingham confirmed that receiver Sonny Shackelford has
\nbeen working as the emergency quarterback behind new backup Felix
\nthe point he could start at free safety Saturday ahead of Hemphill, who has
\nstarted the past two games. Wells was running with the first team during
\npractice Thursday. \u2022 RB<\/span> Luke Kravitz<\/span>,
\nout the past three games with a knee injury, \u201cmay also be able to see some
\naction,\u201d Willingham said. More questionable is DT Donny Mateaki<\/span>,
\nstruggling with a calf injury.Tennessee-Vanderbilt
Tennessean
\noffense needs a lift. That\u2019s where LaMarcus<\/span> Coker
\ncomes in. After a speedy recovery from a sprained medial collateral ligament in
\nhis left knee, the Vols<\/span>\u2019 redshirt freshman tailback
\nfrom Antioch returned to the field in Saturday\u2019s 31-14 loss at
\nto run for 51 yards on nine carries, injecting life into a dormant running game
\nand giving the Vols<\/span> reason to believe they can get
\ntheir offense back on track for the final two games of the regular season. Now,
\nUT\u2019s leading rusher is set to return to the starting lineup Saturday against
\nVanderbilt, and it couldn\u2019t have come at a better time. The Vols<\/span>
\nhad only 14 points and 266 yards of total offense \u2014 both season lows \u2014 against
\nthe Razorbacks. Coach Phillip Fulmer said Coker\u2019s return provided a spark for
\nthe Vols<\/span>, who haven\u2019t had a 100-yard rusher since
\nCoker ran for 125 yards against
\non Sept. 30. Last week, tailbacks Montario<\/span> Hardesty,
\nArian Foster and Coker ran for a combined 104 yards on just 22 attempts. Erik
\nsports service in their highest ranked sports.\u00a0\u00a0
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Oregon State-Stanford
\nWheat-Brown, the starting flanker for the <\/span><\/span>
\nSaturday\u2019s game at Stanford, coach Mike Riley said Thursday afternoon.
\nWheat-Brown is a third-year starter. He has caught 21 passes for 319 yards and
\nthree touchdowns this season. <\/span><\/span>
\nTD.South Florida-Louisville
\nTribune