SPORTS N STUFF

Clemsons offense has become much more than speedy stars C J Spiller and Jacoby Ford.

Just ask starting linebacker Brandon Maye, who hears about it each practice from a mouthy freshman.

Now, we got Dwayne Allen talking trash to us every day, Maye said of the 18th-ranked Tigers tight end.

There are plenty of others crowing over their expanded roles in a revived offense. Tight end Michael Palmer, receiver Xavier Dye and young runners Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper have all become significant contributors as Clemson (7-3, 5-2 ACC) has nearly doubled its scoring average from its first five games over its last five.

The Tigers can clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game with a victory over Virginia (3-7, 2-4) at Death Valley on Saturday.

A big reason has been the stunning turnaround of an offense that had been largely a two-man attack through early October.

Spiller and Ford had nine of Clemsons 11 touchdowns during a 2-3 start. The duo has scored 12 TDs over the last five games. However, 10 other Tigers have added a combined 17 scores, boosting the teams scoring average to 42 points during their five-game win streak.

Our kids finally figured out, Hey, if were going to be any good, weve got to take care of business, Clemson offensive coordinator Billy Napier said.

Coach Dabo Swinney figured his offensive course was set when Spiller and Ford both passed up the NFL for their senior seasons. After close losses to Georgia Tech, TCU and Maryland early on, some questioned Clemsons offensive direction.

We had a lot of drops, guys running the wrong routes and missed assignments on the offensive line, Palmer said. Just a bunch of little things where guys were killing drives.

The flashpoint came against Maryland on Oct. 3. Trailing 24-21, the Tigers drove to Marylands 30 or beyond three times in the games last four minutes yet came away with nothing.

Thats something we really took to heart, Palmer said.

With a bye week ahead, the Tigers worked on crisper execution. Swinney challenged his players and assistants – he and Napier had an angry exchange during one practice – to perform like the special group he believed they were.

That focus was apparent in their next game, a 38-3 blowout over then ACC Atlantic Division leader Wake Forest. Palmer, quarterback Kyle Parker and Harper all scored touchdowns to go with Spillers TD runs of 66 and 14 yards.

The new-found versatility was on display again a week later as Clemson accomplished what few thought it could – win a shootout at high-flying Miami.

Spiller and Ford grabbed the headlines – Spiller scored on a momentum changing 90-yard kickoff return just before halftime and Ford caught the 26-yard TD pass in overtime to win the game. However, Swinney praised his offenses complete performance.

We really played some good football, in particular on offense, Swinney said.

The points, victories and varied offensive heroes continued the next three weeks in victories over Coastal Carolina (49-3), Florida State (40-24) and, last Saturday, at North Carolina State (43-23).

Spillers backups, Ellington and Harper, each had scoring runs of 55 yards or better during that stretch. Tight ends Allen and Durrell Barry caught touchdowns. Slow-starting junior wideout Dye, who quit the Tigers in September, has touchdown grabs in the last three wins.

Virginia coach Al Groh says the reason for Clemsons offensive rise is Parkers improvement at quarterback.

The Tigers have some remarkable playmakers, and hes very tuned into getting the ball to those playmakers, Groh said. So those things work very well together.

Plus, Clemsons additional options havent slowed Spiller or Ford.

Spiller has had his two biggest individual all-purpose showings in the winning streak – 310 yards against Miami and a school-record 312 vs. Florida State to push himself into the Heisman Trophy race.

Ford ran in a 17-yard score for Clemsons first touchdown against North Carolina State.

I think thats why weve been so successful because teams havent been able to key in on me and Jacoby, Spiller said.

Thats the attack Swinney envisioned during summer workouts. Hes glad it jelled in time to turn Clemsons season. Weve had a lot of guys, and that makes it hard to defend the Tigers, Swinney said. You can only do so many things.

And these days, Clemsons offense seems to have the answer for each one.

When Zac Lee was benched for a game and the first quarter of another, the Nebraska quarterback soothed himself by remembering the words of an old pro.

My dad told me when I first started playing quarterback that youre not a true quarterback until youre run out of at least one place, Lee said. So taking that to heart, and really hearing that for as long as Ive heard that, its just part of the deal. You have to be prepared for it.

Lee is the son of Bob Lee, who played for three teams during a 12-year NFL career. The young Lee has rebounded quite nicely since re-establishing his grip on the job after losing it briefly to freshman Cody Green.

Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has put in some new wrinkles to tailor the system to Lees strengths and all signs point to the junior keeping the job the rest of the way.

Lee will lead the Huskers (7-3, 4-2 Big 12) on Saturday as they play for the Big 12 North title against Kansas State (6-5, 4-3).

Zac had a chance to sit back and evaluate the situation he was in, Watson said. He wanted to play. Given his opportunity, he came back and grasped what weve been trying to get him to grasp. Its just managing the game of football. Start there and grow from there. Hes done a nice job the last two games of just managing wins.

Watson kept things simple after Lee took over for Green in the second quarter against Oklahoma two weeks ago. Lee essentially handed off the ball to Roy Helu Jr. and mixed in a handful of passes. The defense did the rest in a 10-3 win.

Helu was the focus again in last weeks 31-17 win at Kansas, but Lee ran nine times for 59 yards and passed for 196 yards. Lee brought back memories of the Nebraska offenses of the 1980s and 90s by throwing play-action passes off the triple-option look.

Coach Bo Pelini said Lees confidence was shaken in October, with fans and critics calling for Green.

The negativity and controversy, that will affect anybody, Pelini said.

The coach said he saw Lees swagger return against the Jayhawks.

Earlier, I was thinking about trying to make plays passing the ball and just wasnt reacting and going, Lee said. Holes close pretty quick. Now its 1-2, and if its not there, lets duck and run.

Lee started the first seven games, but Green took over after embarrassing back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Iowa State. After Green quarterbacked the 20-10 win at Baylor, Lee reclaimed the job in the second quarter against Oklahoma after Green failed to make a first down on five series.

Watson said Lee never pouted while he was on the sidelines.

I dont think he liked it, Watson said, but he understood what was being asked of him, and what he needed to do to improve. I think he took it to heart.

Just like he took those words from his dad to heart.

You realize there are going to be some valleys and peaks, he said. Its like being a closer in baseball. There are going to be times you give up a homer to lose a game. You have to have a short memory and move on.

COLUMBIA, S C -Tim Tebow tied the Southeastern Conference touchdown record and No 1 Florida gained its first perfect league season in 13 years with a 24-14 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

The Gators (10-0, 8-0) remained on track for a third national title in four years. They again called on their SEC-leading defense to save things against former coach Steve Spurrier.

Down 17-14, South Carolina (6-5, 3-5) drove 48 yards to the Florida 22. But defensive lineman Justin Trattou intercepted Stephen Garcia and brought it back 53 yards. Tebow cashed in the touchdown four plays later, a 1-yard burst that was the 53rd of his SEC career to match LSU great Kevin Faulk.

Florida hadnt gone undefeated in the SEC regular season since Spurriers 1996 national champions.

Tebow ended 14 of 25 for 199 yards passing, including a 68-yard touchdown throw to Riley Cooper.

No. 2 Texas 47, Baylor 14

WACO, Texas – Colt McCoy tied the NCAA record for career victories by a starting quarterback, throwing two touchdown passes for Texas.

McCoy is 42-7 in his career, tying the wins record set by former Georgia quarterback David Greene.

Texas led 40-0 by halftime with McCoy throwing touchdown passes of 3 and 7 yards to Jordan Shipley. Cody Johnson ran for 109 yards and two short touchdowns and Tre Newton added a 45-yard scoring run.

Texas (10-0, 6-0 Big 12) reached 10 wins for the ninth straight season, second only to Florida States run of 14 consecutive 10-win seasons from 1987-2000.

Baylor (4-6, 1-5) absorbed its fifth loss in six games. Nick Florence finished with 240 yards passing and three interceptions.

No. 3 Alabama 31, Mississippi State 3

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mark Ingram rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns, Greg McElroy threw two long scoring passes and Alabama improved to 10-0 for the second straight year.

Mark Barron made his fifth and six interceptions of the season, most in the Southeastern Conference, and helped the Crimson Tide (7-0 SEC) smother the Bulldogs (4-6, 2-4).

Ingram had a workmanlike night until midway through the fourth quarter when he ripped off a 70-yard scoring run untouched. That one-play drive came after McElroy hit Julio Jones with a 48-yard touchdown pass on the previous drive, which also went for one play.

No. 4 TCU 55, No. 16 Utah 28

FORT WORTH, Texas – In likely its last significant hurdle to an undefeated regular season, TCU scored three touchdowns in a 2 1/2-minute span early in the second quarter and went on to rout Utah.

The Horned Frogs (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West) stretched their winning streak to 12 games since a last-minute loss last November at Utah (8-2, 5-1) in front of a record crowd of 50,307.

Matthew Tucker had the first and last touchdowns (runs of 41 and 9 yards) for TCU, with five teammates getting into the end zone in between. The 55 points were the most allowed by Utah since 1996.

The Frogs are fourth in the BCS standings, the highest a team from a conference without an automatic bid has reached. They trail only Florida, Alabama and Texas – all winners Saturday.

Ed Wesley ran for 137 yards and a touchdown and Andy Dalton threw for 207 yards and a score. TCU had 549 yards overall, its third straight game with at least 500.

No. 6 Boise St. 63, Idaho 25

BOISE, Idaho – Kellen Moore threw four touchdown passes to Austin Pettis and tied a career high with five overall, leading Boise State to the victory.

Titus Young had a 100-yard kickoff return that was actually longer and Kyle Wilson returned an interception 71 yards for another score for the big-play Broncos (10-0, 5-0 WAC), who beat their rivals for the 11th consecutive time.

Moore, the nations passing efficiency leader with 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions, passed Steve Young for 19th place on the Western Athletic Conferences list for career touchdown passes. His 57th in two seasons was to Pettis early in the fourth quarter.

Idaho (7-4, 4-3) committed seven turnovers, six by fill-in quarterback Brian Reader.

No. 7 Georgia Tech 49, Duke 10

DURHAM, N.C. – Jonathan Dwyer rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Nesbitt accounted for three scores and Georgia Tech clinched a spot in the ACC championship game.

Orwin Smith returned a kickoff 83 yards to spark the slow-starting Yellow Jackets (10-1, 7-1). Their offense took over after that, scoring touchdowns on five of the following six possessions, rushing for 306 yards and shutting out the Blue Devils in the final three quarters.

Nesbitt was 6 for 10 for 195 yards with touchdown passes covering 32 yards to Stephen Hill and 75 yards to Demaryius Thomas, and had a 2-yard touchdown run.

The Blue Devils (5-5, 3-3) had minus-1 yard rushing through three quarters and finished with 25.

No. 8 Pittsburgh 27, Notre Dame 22

PITTSBURGH – Jonathan Baldwin made two exceptional catches that allowed No. 8 Pittsburgh to open up an 18-point lead and the Panthers held on for a victory that may raise more cries for Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis ouster.

Notre Dame (6-4) trailed 27-9 with 12:44 remaining after Dion Lewis 50-yard touchdown run, then came back behind two touchdowns by Golden Tate.

But Pitts pass rush caused Jimmy Clausen to fumble away Notre Dames last chance with just over two minutes remaining.

The Irish lost their eighth consecutive game to a Top 10 team – the longest streak in school history. Weis is 1-10 against ranked teams since 2006, and has the same record (35-25) as former coach Bob Davie and the same winning percentage (.583) as former coach Tyrone Willingham, both of whom were fired.

Pitt is 9-1 for the first time since 1982.

No. 9 LSU 24, Louisiana Tech 16

BATON ROUGE, La. – Keiland Williams ran for 116 yards and two second-half touchdowns, helping fend off upset-minded Louisiana Tech.

Williams first score, on a powerful 3-yard run that moved the pile, gave LSU (8-2) a 17-13 lead midway through third quarter. His 9-yard TD in the fourth quarter made it a two-score game with a little over seven minutes to go.

Louisiana Tech (3-7) hasnt beaten LSU since 1904, but led 13-10 at halftime after running back Daniel Porter took a direct snap on a fourth-down play and lobbed a 1-yard jump pass to tight end Dennis Morris as time expired in the second quarter.

LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee started for the hobbled Jordan Jefferson.

No. 10 Ohio St. 27, No. 15 Iowa 24, OT

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Backup Devin Barclay kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years.

The Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1) clinched at least a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and the conferences automatic BCS bid.

Iowa (9-2, 5-2), which overcame a 24-10 deficit with just over 11 minutes left, lost its second in a row. Redshirt freshman quarterback James Vandenberg was solid for the Hawkeyes in his first college start. But filling in for the injured Ricky Stanzi, Vandenberg was intercepted three times, the final time to end Iowas only possession in overtime.

Brandon Saine rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns and Dan Herron added another score for the Buckeyes.

No. 25 Stanford 55, No. 11 USC 21

LOS ANGELES – Toby Gerhart rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns and Stanford emphatically followed up its 2007 upset at the Coliseum with the most points ever allowed by the Trojans.

The loss was the Trojans worst since a 51-0 defeat at home against Notre Dame in 1966 and essentially ended USCs seven-year run as Pac-10 champions.

Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score for the Cardinal (7-3, 6-2), who followed up their surprising rout of Oregon last week with a strong start and a big finish at the Coliseum, where the Trojans (7-3, 4-3) havent lost to any other opponent since 2001, going 47-2.

Stanfords 24-23 victory as a 41-point underdog in 2007 was a major shocker, yet this win barely even qualified as an upset – which might be the most incredible thing of all about the Trojans downward slide.

North Carolina 33, No. 12 Miami 24

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Kendric Burney returned one of his three interceptions for a 77-yard touchdown and his third pick resulted in a bizarre fourth-quarter score that helped North Carolina get the win.

Burney fumbled his third interception on what looked to be a forward pass, but Melvin Williams picked up the loose ball and ran the last 44 yards for a score. The touchdown held up on review after replays showed the ball slipping from Burneys hand, confirming a play that gave the Tar Heels a 30-17 lead with about 9 1/2 minutes left.

North Carolina (7-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) became bowl eligible for the second straight year and gave Butch Davis yet another win against his former program.

Jacory Harris threw four interceptions for the Hurricanes (7-3, 4-3), who have lost all three meetings against Davis since he took over in Chapel Hill in 2007.

Central Florida 37, No. 13 Houston 32

ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida slowed down Case Keenum and stopped the nations most prolific passer from pulling off another improbable comeback.

Brett Hodges outplayed the Cougars quarterback and Brynn Harvey rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns, helping UCF stop Houstons five-game winning streak that featured Keenum putting together a pair of last-minute rallies.

Harvey scored on runs of 1, 41 and 7 yards, the last set up by an interception that ended Keenums streak of consecutive passing attempts without a pick at 123. Hodges completed 21 of 25 passes for 141 yards and one TD.

Keenum threw for two TDs in the closing minutes, cutting into a 17-point deficit. He finished 33 of 56 for 377 yards and three scores. He had more than 500 yards in each of the previous two games.

No. 14 Oregon 44, Arizona State 21

EUGENE, Ore. – As LeGarrette Blount awaited his first chance to play since his suspension, LaMichael James ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns for the No. 14 Ducks in a victory over Arizona State (4-6, 2-5).

Blount was dressed and ready to go, pacing the sideline at times with his helmet on. The senior running back returned this week from his suspension for punching a Boise State player following Oregons season-opening loss to the Broncos. He never got in the game.

James, who established himself in Blounts absence with an average of 115.9 yards rushing, had 119 yards and all his scores in the first half.

The Ducks (8-2, 6-1 Pacific-10) sit alone atop the conference standings as the only team with just one conference loss.

No. 17 Oklahoma State 24, Texas Tech 17

STILLWATER, Okla. – Patrick Lavine scored on a 21-yard interception return, and Oklahoma State came up with a final defensive stand to keep its slim hopes for a Big 12 championship alive.

After allowing some rare pressure against quarterback Zac Robinson in the first half, the Cowboys (8-2, 5-1) relied on their Big 12-leading rushing attack to drain the clock in the second half. Oklahoma State piled up 207 yards on the ground after halftime and controlled the ball for 22 minutes.

Tech (6-4, 3-3) got one last chance after Robinson fumbled with 98 seconds left on a play that left both him and defender Jamar Wall shaken up. Tramain Swindall dropped Taylor Potts fourth-down pass to end the final drive by the Red Raiders.

California 24, No. 18 Arizona 16

BERKELEY, Calif. – Shane Vereen scored on a 61-yard run after an odd penalty thwarted a potential go-ahead drive for Arizona and California went on to a victory.

Giorgio Tavecchio kicked four field goals, giving Cal (7-3, 4-3) an 18-16 lead with a 22-yarder with 4:46 remaining. But Arizona wasnt done.

After Tavecchio made a key tackle on the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2) drove the ball down to the Cal 25. On third-and-3, Nick Foles pass was batted at the line. Foles caught the ricochet and tried to throw it again. That was a penalty for an illegal forward pass and the ball moved back to the 39 and Arizona lost the down.

Foles threw an incompletion on the next play.

The Wildcats can still clinch a Rose Bowl berth by winning their final three games against Oregon, Arizona State and USC.

No. 19 Penn St. 31, Indiana 20

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Linebacker Navorro Bowman had a 73-yard interception return for a touchdown and Evan Royster scored twice to help Penn State overcame four first-half turnovers.

Senior quarterback Daryll Clark threw for one score and ran for another in his last game at Beaver Stadium, but also threw two interceptions.

The Hoosiers have made a habit this season of hanging tough early in road games before letting leads slip away, and it happened again against the Nittany Lions.

Penn State (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) tried to help Indiana (4-7, 1-6) by fumbling away two punt returns in the first half. Ben Chappells 26-yard touchdown pass gave Indiana a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

Bowmans return put the Nittany Lions ahead 17-10 in the third quarter.

No. 20 Virginia Tech 36, Maryland 9

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Tyrod Taylor threw for 268 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and Virginia Tech built an early 24-point lead before coasting to the victory.

Taylor threw each of his TD passes in the opening 23 minutes to help Virginia Tech (7-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) go up 27-3.

Freshman Ryan Williams ran for 126 yards and scored his 12th touchdown, a single-season record for a Virginia Tech freshman.

Wearing black and desert camouflage uniforms as a tribute to Army veterans, Maryland (2-8, 1-5) lost its fifth straight – its longest skid since 1998. Sophomore quarterback Jamarr Robinson ran for 129 yards on 24 carries and completed 12 of 32 passes for 104 yards.

No. 21 Wisconsin 45, Michigan 24

MADISON, Wis. – Scott Tolzien tied a career high with four touchdown passes and scored on a sneak to lead Wisconsin to the victory.

Nick Toon caught two of Tolziens touchdown throws for the Badgers (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten), who went to the air after putting together monster rushing performances in their previous two games.

It was the third consecutive win for the Badgers – and sweet payback on Senior Day for a team that struggled after blowing a lead to Michigan last year.

Tate Forcier was a solid 20 of 26 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but it wasnt enough to spare the Wolverines from their sixth consecutive conference loss. The Wolverines (5-6, 1-6) are reeling heading into next Saturdays matchup with rival Ohio State.

No. 22 BYU 24, New Mexico 19

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Max Hall passed for two touchdowns and got his 29th win at BYU to match Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmers school record.

The Cougars (8-2, 5-1 Mountain West) held off a focused effort by the Lobos (0-10, 0-6), who were desperate to give fans something good to talk about after a tough season that has been worsened by first-year coach Mike Locksleys problems off the field.

New Mexico made a game of it with 4:07 remaining when Donovan Porteries 20-yard TD pass to Victor James finished a drive that started in BYU territory after an ugly 30-yard punt by Riley Stephenson. Bryan Kariya fumbled on BYUs next possession, but the Lobos turned it over on downs at midfield.

New Mexico dropped its 14th in a row, the second longest losing streak in school history.

No. 24 Clemson 43, NC State 23

RALEIGH, N.C. – C.J. Spiller became the first player in Clemson history to record a touchdown passing, rushing and receiving in the same game.

Spiller, who broke Derrick Hamiltons single-season school record for all-purpose yards on his 16-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, rushed for 97 yards on 18 carries. He finished with three receptions for 48 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth.

Jamie Harper added a 69-yard touchdown run for the Tigers (7-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their fifth consecutive game.

Russell Wilson was 12 of 32 for 183 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolfpack (4-6, 1-5).

Two seasons ago in his first action as BYUs quarterback, Max Hall wasnt thinking about the schools legacy at the games most glamorous position.

I was more worried about fumbling the snap than anything else, Hall recalled this week. I was worried about remembering the plays and somehow being able to deliver a football and complete a pass.

No problem. Things turned out fine for Hall.

Now a senior, he leads the No. 22 Cougars (7-2, 4-1 Mountain West) into Saturdays game at struggling New Mexico (0-9, 0-5) with a chance to make history.

With one more victory, Hall will match Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmers school record of 29 career wins from 1988-91. And while Hall doesnt have enough time remaining in his playing days to threaten Detmers school record of 15,031 yards passing, hes satisfied.

Ty absolutely dominated in his career, Hall said. He did some things and had some records that are unbelievable and almost unbeatable. Really, what really mattered to me was just winning games. Weve tried to win at least 10 games each year and at least have a shot at the conference title.

Hall had a spectacular performance in last weekends 52-0 victory at Wyoming.

He played into the third quarter, completing 20 of 22 attempts for 312 yards passing and a season-high four touchdowns. His 90.0 percent completion rate for a single game was just shy of Steve Sarkisians school-record 91.2 percent against Fresno State from 1995.

Hall piled up the victories because hes been fortunate to stay healthy and because BYU went 11-2 and 10-3 during his two earlier seasons as a starter.

To have a chance to be up there and be mentioned with some of the greats that have played here, maybe even break a record while Im here, having an opportunity to do that is great, Hall said. I want to take advantage of it and hopefully win the next few games.

The Cougars have a chance at 10 regular-season victories for the fourth straight year if they can win out against the Lobos, Air Force and rival Utah. If they do, theyll also have an outside shot at a share of the Mountain West title.

The Cougars cant win the title outright without Utah or TCU losing twice over the final three games.

Quarterbacks at BYU are always measured against the ones who played earlier during a long line of standouts, from Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Robbie Bosco to Detmer, Sarkisian and, more recently, John Beck.

BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall was asked if Hall might have benefited from a softer schedule than what those other Cougars played against though the years.

He replied that its difficult to say – and irrelevant, at least to Mendenhall.

I do know I am very fortunate to be Maxs coach. Im very fortunate that hes here with us and Im fortunate that he has helped us win a lot of football games. … I think that speaks a lot about what hes been able to accomplish, Mendenhall said.

New Mexico seems to be the perfect opponent for Hall to pad his victory total.

The Lobos are still trying to snap a 13-game losing streak and avoid their worst season since an 0-11 campaign in 1987. Worse, Mike Locksleys first year as coach has been mayhem off the field, most notably his altercation with an assistant coach and fallout from the universitys botched investigation.

Hall insisted the Cougars wont be looking past the Lobos.

New Mexico, obviously, has not had the kind of season they wanted, he said. Theyve had some bumps along the way and lost some games they should have won. Were not going to take them lightly, though. I still feel like theyre going to be well prepared.

When Mike Leach last brought his Texas Tech team to Oklahoma State, he concluded the trip with a scathing assessment of his players as soft and lacking the toughness needed to win.

He called out his offense, which had racked up more than 700 yards, as incredibly front-runnerish for putting the defense in a situation where it had to get a late stop. And he criticized the defense for failing to stand toe-to-toe with the Cowboys and do its job in the 49-45 loss.

When the Red Raiders got back home, there was a change at defensive coordinator.

And Leachs post-game fireworks werent even the most notable from that 2007 game. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy used his time at the podium to lash out at a newspaper columnist for an article on the Cowboys change at quarterback, unleashing a pick-on-me-instead, Im a man! Im 40! tirade that has lived on in commercials and Internet videos.

Gundy was 12-15 as the Cowboys coach at that time and the program was coming off a humbling loss at Troy in Zac Robinsons first start at quarterback when they beating the high-flying Red Raiders.

That was a big win for us, Gundy said. As a coach you dont realize that I think theres a lot of pressure outside that people put on players and coaches. And coaches dont really realize it because we just coach and do our job and we understand whats going on.

The shootout victory was a watershed moment for Oklahoma State. The No. 17 Cowboys (7-2, 4-1 Big 12) are 22-10 since then and appeared in the Top 5 earlier this season for the first time in 24 years.

But the game wasnt even a speed bump for the Red Raiders (6-3, 3-2). In fact, it was perhaps a catalyst for the programs rise last season, including a landmark win against Texas and a rise to the No. 2 ranking.

Ruffin McNeill, who got the job when Leach lost his temper, turned Techs defense into a respectable unit, making the team more than just an offensive juggernaut.

A lot has changed, just the whole mentality of the defense, said Tech defensive back Jamar Wall, a senior. We were kind of sluggish around that game and you could tell. Everything has been different after that game, from running on and off the field to everyone running to the ball, all kinds of small detail things that you can tell led up to big things.

In that 2007 win, OSU had three players rush for 100 yards in the same game for the first time in school history. Tech defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich resigned the next day.

Thats when we made the change and played harder, Leach said. Ruffin brings a lot of enthusiasm and inspiration. Hes got a lot of enthusiasm personally and I think it rubs off on the players. We have a more inspired unit out there.

When the teams meet Saturday night, Oklahoma State will be trying to keep some pressure on No. 3 Texas and keep the Longhorns from clinching the Big 12 South title. At the same time, its a chance to make up for a 56-20 defeat in Lubbock a year ago that was the Cowboys worst performance of the season.

I think most of us look back on that game kind of disappointed in the way it turned out, said OSUs Andrew Mitchell, who filled in at right tackle for the injured Brady Bond last week. It got away from us pretty quick.

Techs revamped defense held Oklahoma State to its lowest scoring total and a season-low 19 first downs last year.

The Red Raiders, meanwhile, racked up more than 500 yards against OSU for the second straight year – after the Cowboys allowed a school-record 718 yards in the 2007 game.

Its going to be a pretty big task, Oklahoma State tailback Keith Toston said. I wouldnt call it a rivalry game but its a game that us as an offense, we have to go try and match whatever their offense does.

June Jones does not bring up SMUs dreadful history to his players. He figures theyre fully aware of everything that has gone wrong the past two decades.

Instead, the laid-back coach known for reviving Hawaiis football program laid out a plan this season for the Mustangs to play in their first bowl game since 1984.

They havent veered off course.

The Mustangs (5-4) are making strides toward respectability again. With three games left, they need one more victory to become bowl eligible.

Its not about SMUs past, senior center Mitch Enright said. Its about the present team right now and going to a bowl so we can enjoy it and reap all the benefits of the hard work weve put in.

SMU beat Rice 31-28 on Saturday to improve to 4-1 in Conference USA, the schools best mark since 1986. The Mustangs have two games left at home against below .500 teams, including Saturdays matchup against UTEP (3-6).

The program that produced greats like Doak Walker, Don Meredith and Eric Dickerson fell into oblivion after the NCAA handed SMU the death penalty in 1987 for paying players and violating numerous rules.

SMU had opportunities to break its postseason slump in 1997 and 2006, but the Mustangs fell short by losing the final game each season.

Theyve been to this place twice in 25 years where they had to win a game to get to a bowl and they failed, Jones said. So we have a challenge here these next three games.

At one time, bowl games were common for SMU. The Mustangs finished in the top 10 three times from 1980-84, including an 11-0-1 mark and No. 2 ranking in 1982. SMU beat Notre Dame in the 1984 Aloha Bowl to end the season ranked eighth.

Then the wheels fell off.

The NCAA placed the Mustangs on probation in 1985 and 86 for violations before the ultimate blow: The program was shut down in 1987 and the 1988 season was canceled.

We try not to look at history, Enright said. But its hard not to.

While the program was cleaned up when SMU took the field again in 1989, it was usually a mess on the field. The Mustangs went 31-76-3 in the 90s, had a winless campaign in 2003 and stumbled to a 1-11 mark in 2007.

Enter Jones.

The man who turned Hawaii from an also-ran into a BCS buster left the islands for Dallas in 2008. Despite the new coach and new philosophy, it was much of the same in Jones first season as the Mustangs went 1-11 again.

There was not the trust in each other as players and there wasnt the trust in us as coaches. Jones said. They thought this was too good to be true. These guys thought we were just going to be like everyone else and turn on them when the going got tough.

To help gain that trust, Jones showed his players exactly how they were going to reach six victories and perhaps end the 25-year bowl drought. He did it in one of the first team meetings before the season.

Jones divided the season into smaller stretches. He said for the Mustangs to have a chance at postseason, they needed to be 2-2 after four games and 4-4 after eight. They hit both targets.

The main thing he was trying to stress was that last year we had a must-win mentality, senior linebacker Chase Kennemer said. We were too stressed out about every game. (Jones) broke the season into parts and steps to show we could get what we wanted, which is a bowl. That helped everybody settle down.

The Mustangs beat winless Rice last weekend and shoot for victory No. 6 on Saturday. SMU travels to Marshall (5-4) on Nov. 21 and closes the season at home against Tulane (3-6).

When you come into a season, every player thinks youre going to win every game, said Jones, who guided Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl in 2007. Youre not going to win every game. Ive coached and played football for 40 years. Ive had one undefeated season. When you come into these situations when youve been losing for so long, you have to set realistic goals to get the culture changed and to get things turned around.

Jones admitted it took a long time for the players to buy into his program.

He thinks everything changed when SMU beat UAB on Sept. 12 to snap a 17-game conference losing streak. Jones said several players were crying and he got the sense that everyone believed they could win now.

We got into a pattern where some guys on the team accepted losing as if it was nothing, said Emmanuel Sanders, SMUs all-time receiving leader. Coach Jones came in and he was that spark we needed. He came in and changed the whole mentality and got guys around here believing.

Dumb penalties. Dropped passes. Receivers giving up on routes. Turnovers. No ranking. Four losses.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is largely in uncharted territory in his 11th season with the Sooners, one marred by all those problems and a rash of devastating injuries.

Like many coaches, Stoops considers discipline and hard work to be the cornerstones of his program. And he hasnt seen enough of either one from his team to overcome the adversity.

Blame the coaches for failing to teach the players that discipline or blame the players for failing to put in the hard work.

Or, Stoops says, point fingers at both.

Criticize us because ultimately weve got to get them to do it right, Stoops said. In the end, its always the two of you. End of story. Itll be that way until they quit playing football.

More than a failure to evaluate talent – the Sooners have still been pulling in some of the top-rated recruiting classes in the nation – Stoops admits he and his staff may have misjudged some players willingness to put in their best effort.

You try and get to know kids, Stoops said. You try and you visit with people that are involved with them. A recruiting coach gets many opportunities to visit with them in person. … Youre constantly trying to evaluate guys and how competitive they are and what their will is, but its not that easy to determine.

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said coaches use every resource available during recruiting, questioning the prospects, along with their coaches, assistant coaches, friends, parents and anyone else for indicators of how committed a player will be in college.

Does he constantly talk about going to the gym? If hes a slacker, will someone close to him drop a hint?

Some of Oklahomas most decorated players during Stoops tenure – such as Rocky Calmus and Teddy Lehman – were not the most talented but had a willingness to work. Venables cited Jeremy Beal, who leads the Sooners seventh-ranked defense with 9 1/2 sacks, as a current example.

You come here and were going to push you and challenge you and motivate you to be the best on and off the field, and when you leave here, youll never ever be able to say, `I never realized my potential, and have regret about that, Venables said. Im big on promoting that line of thinking.

Recently, some players recruited by the Sooners havent fit in with that approach. Four offensive linemen have transferred or been dismissed in the past two offseasons and the teams top receiving prospect in recent years, Josh Jarboe, was asked to leave after he followed a gun conviction by posting an online rap music video about shooting people.

Theres a number of reasons. Some guys dont want to go to class, dont want to work out. They want to set their own schedule and that, generally with a team of 100 guys, doesnt set real well. So eventually, theyre dismissed, Stoops said.

Those players could be the missing link for Oklahoma, which lost four starting offensive linemen and three senior receivers after last season – all in moves expected as part of the normal turnover of a college program.

But the Sooners, who are also operating without two scholarships lost due to NCAA rules violations, havent been able to make up for the lost depth.

There was some false hope when Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and tight end Jermaine Gresham, a second-team All-American, joined left tackle Trent Williams and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in returning for another year of college instead of entering the NFL draft.

Instead, Gresham has missed the whole season after knee surgery and Bradford has only played in three games because of a shoulder injury.

Consider, though, that until three more starters were lost to season-ending injuries this week, the Sooners had most of the same personnel they would have expected before Bradford and Gresham made surprising decisions to stay in school.

Stoops isnt convinced the Sooners wouldve been better off if he had kept some players around. After all, the principles he follows have led the Sooners to six Big 12 championships and four appearances in the national championship game.

In the end, Stoops said, Im very confident in our standards and what we expect.

Jimmy Clausen thinks about the NFL draft when he needs motivation.

Its not the draft this April the Notre Dame quarterback thinks about, though, or the 2011 draft following what would be his senior season. Its the 2004 draft.

Thats when he sat with his oldest brother, Casey, in their Westlake Village, Calif., home and watched for hours as the names of 17 quarterbacks were called by NFL teams. Casey was never picked even though he ranks only behind Peyton Manning on Tennessees passing list. The family was numb afterward.

I looked at him and told him, Dont let this happen to you, Casey recalled.

Its a moment Jimmy Clausen recalls often.

Thats something Ill never forget until the day I die. When I work out in the offseason, each and every day I think about that, he said. When were running gassers, and Im so tired I just want to lay down and grab some water, I think about that and run an extra one, run two extra. When Im in the weight room, I think about that all the time.

I dont want that to happen to me.

Until Notre Dames 23-21 loss to Navy last Saturday, the hottest topic around South Bend wasnt whether coach Charlie Weis would be back next year but whether Clausen would. The 22-year-old junior who expects to complete his sociology degree in May is being projected by many as a first-round pick.

Clausen, though, said he hasnt thought much about whether he will leave Notre Dame early, saying he knows that sounds hard to believe.

Im just worried about the next day, the next game, he said.

Weis said hes not thinking about it either. He plans to check with his NFL sources to determine where Clausen will likely be taken, then talk with Clausen and his family in December.

It isnt like I have any idea of whats on his mind. He has no idea whats on my mind, Weis said. Well talk.

Clausen said watching his backup, Dayne Crist, sustain a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago on a play where he was barely touched or Oklahomas Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford sustain a season-ending shoulder injury after opting not to enter the draft wont influence his decision.

You cant be worried about things down the road, things in the past, he said.

Some might view the statement by Casey as placing a heavy burden on his little brother. Clausen doesnt feel that way.

To be honest, I have fun with it. People always say theres a lot of pressure on me, but I dont think Id want it any other way. I dont know any other way, he said.

He said hes focused this week on No. 8 Pittsburgh (8-1), which provides Clausen a chance to post the biggest victory of his career.

So far, Weis describes Clausens defining moment as this seasons 24-21 victory over Purdue.

Clausen had to leave that game because he was hobbled by turf toe, but returned with the game on the line. On Notre Dames final drive, he completed 6 of 9 passes for 69 yards, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph with 24.8 seconds to play.

Until that game, the only question marks you could have with this kid were: Could he run that 2-minute drive at the end of the game to win? And did he have that all-day toughness that most of the great ones have? Weis said. In that game against Purdue, those two things both matriculated. I think he showed toughness and showed that he could have that great drive to win a game at the end of the game.

Great drives to win the game against a Purdue team that now has a 4-6 record is not what legends are made of at Notre Dame. But a win this week against Pittsburgh might help, especially because the Irish have lost seven straight to Top 10 teams.

Weis believes Clausen always gives the Irish a chance.

The best thing you know is when you have a quarterback like Jimmy Clausen, there isnt a game you go into that you arent expecting to win. When you have a quarterback like this, you say: Well, how is the game going to go? I say, Is Clausen going to be the quarterback? And he wants that burden.

Terrelle Pryor has a warning for his Ohio State teammates: Forget last week and take Iowa seriously.

Pryor said Wednesday night that the 10th-ranked Buckeyes must be careful not to follow last weeks big victory over Penn State with a letdown in the winner-take-all Rose Bowl battle against No. 15 Iowa on Saturday.

The sophomore quarterback said coach Jim Tressel had illustrated the pitfalls of resting on week-old laurels.

Coach Tres showed a statistic how all these teams go and beat a big team and then come in the next game (and lose), Pryor said after practice.

He cited the Buckeyes loss to Purdue, which was just 1-5 at the time, earlier this season. He said Ohio State was coming off an emotional victory against Wisconsin and didnt see the Boilermakers waiting to ambush them.

Pryor also used Oregon as an example. The Ducks walloped Southern California two weeks ago and then turned around and lost to Stanford last week.

Maybe sometimes theres a mindset where you think you accomplished something, he said. It happens a lot, Im sure, and we cant let that happen to us. Because we have a goal that we want to reach and we have places that we want to go and if we do that, were definitely getting knocked off by this (Iowa) team because this team is pretty good. Theyre the real deal on defense. We have to come in focused.

The winner of the game at Ohio Stadium will get the Big Tens automatic Bowl Championship Series berth in the Rose Bowl and be assured of at least a share of the conference title. The Buckeyes are seeking at least a piece of their fifth straight Big Ten crown.

Whether the winner is Ohio State (8-2, 5-1) or Iowa (9-1, 5-1), even if that team lost a week later in the regular-season finale, it would win any tiebreaker and earn the spot in the Rose Bowl.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has seen the films of Pryor and is impressed with how he has developed this year in his first full season as the Buckeyes starting quarterback.

Hes found a rhythm. Hes more comfortable now. Hes more experienced, certainly, Ferentz said. Hes always been a phenomenal athlete and now hes becoming a better quarterback, a more comfortable quarterback. And it takes time.

Pryors teammates think he has found a calmness that has helped him handle the pressures and problems of being in the spotlight so early in his college career.

DeVier Posey has become Pryors No. 1 target as a receiver – and one of his best friends. He said the players surrounding Pryor have helped ease the burden on him.

Weve taken some pressure off of him. Weve been trying to focus on team concepts and let Terrelle know that hes our guy, that he really doesnt have to get into too much what the medias saying about him and the criticism, Posey said. I feel like hes playing with no pressure now. You can see him a lot more comfortable in the pocket and hes actually running the offense now. Hes just being more of a leader and hes getting better and better every week. You can see what kind of player hes going to be in the future.

The game against Penn State might have been a glimpse into how far Pryor has come. Considered the nations No. 1 quarterback recruit when he came out of Jeannette, Pa., he had included Penn State on his list of finalists before deciding on Ohio State.

A large crowd at Beaver Stadium taunted him and held up derisive signs on Saturday night but he seemed to shut all that out while playing one of his finest games.

His decision-making grade was, I think, one of the best hes had, Tressel said. He needs to do some of the little things better, things like carrying out fakes and this and that, but his decision-making was very good.

Earlier in the season, Pryor was hurt by poor decisions. He arced long passes that led to costly interceptions and made ill-advised pitches on the option.

Pryors position coach, Nick Siciliano, said Pryor has gotten calmer when there is more riding on the game.

I dont know why it happened that way but it did and Im sure glad that it happened that way Saturday night, Siciliano said. He did seem to be a little bit calmer. He did make great decisions with the football. There were a couple of bad ones here and there (but) thats part of the deal. But we didnt turn the ball over and there wasnt anything even close to a turnover. If we can do that again this week, weve got a chance.

Pryor, who said he is still sore from several hard hits in recent weeks, feels he is improving at letting the game come to him.

Sometimes I get caught up in different emotions in a game, he said. I thought I was pretty calm, though (against Penn State).

The Boise State vs Idaho rivalry has taken to some not-so-friendly skies.

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear says he declined to board a Horizon Air flight after learning the airplane was painted in Boise States blue and orange colors.

Spear was traveling to Boise on Saturday for fundraising events. He requested another flight and then drove about 90 miles north to fly from the Spokane, Wash., airport to Boise.

Boise State and Horizon Air unveiled the plane, which sports the team logo on its tail, as an ode to the Broncos earlier this month.

Spear says hell board the plane after Horizon Air paints an airplane for the Vandals, whose football team will try to beat the No. 6 Broncos this Saturday for the first time since 1998.