Cal WR DeSean Jackson headed to NFL
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- California receiver DeSean Jackson will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
Jackson, a star punt returner who had an underwhelming junior season as a receiver, waited until the last possible day to declare his long-assumed intention to leave the Golden Bears (7-6), who lost six of their final eight regular-season games.
Jackson had 65 receptions for 762 yards and six touchdowns this season while battling injuries. He returned just one punt for a touchdown in the season opener against Tennessee, giving him a Pac-10 record six punt returns for scores in his career.
Jackson had 59 catches for 1,060 yards and nine TDs in 2006. He finished his Cal career third in school history with 2,423 yards receiving and 22 TDs.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Prince transferring from Notre Dame, 3 others seek final year of eligibility
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame cornerback Munir Prince has decided to transfer, and three other Irish players have applied to return for fifth years.
Linebacker Maurice Crum Jr., a captain of last year's team, defensive end Justin Brown and cornerback Terrail Lambert have applied to the university to return next season for their final year of eligibility. While other schools redshirt players, Notre Dame players who do not participate for a season must earn their degrees and apply for permission to return for another season.
Crum was fourth on the team in tackles last season with 84. Lambert had 34 tackles and Brown made 30.
Prince, one of the quickest players on the Irish roster, was a tailback as a freshman, carrying the ball 15 times for 21 yards. He switched to cornerback last season and was in 10 games, making three tackles. He has decided to transfer to Missouri.
Both starting cornerbacks, Lambert and sophomore Darrin Walls, are expected back next season, and Prince was also behind several other reserves.
"After talking with Munir, he decided he'd like to leave our football team and the university," coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday. "I appreciate all Munir has done for our program and Notre Dame and wish him well in the future."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Dogs in Superdome for Hawaii, not Ohio State as hoped
ATLANTA -- Fourth-ranked Georgia realized its dream of playing a postseason game in the Louisiana Superdome this season. It's just not THE game it wanted.
The Bulldogs (10-2) will take on the nation's only major college unbeaten team when they face No. 10 Hawaii (12-0) in the Sugar Bowl game on New Year's night -- a week before the desired BCS championship game in the same arena for college football's national championship.
Georgia was ranked No. 4 on the Bowl Championship Series list before the two top teams, Missouri and West Virginia, lost their finales, the Tigers in the Big 12 Conference title game.
The Bulldogs expected to move up to No. 2 for a championship game date with No. 1 Ohio State, but fellow Southeastern Conference member LSU surged from seventh to second in the BCS after winning the SEC championship game.
The Bulldogs will have to beat Hawaii to avoid the same fate that befell Oklahoma in last year's Fiesta Bowl when the Sooners took on Boise State, like Hawaii a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Boise State upset the Sooners on the same field where Florida knocked off Ohio State the following week to win last season's national championship.
Georgia coach Mark Richt wants his team to realize how important a victory could be in setting the stage for next year.
"We have a lot to gain with this victory," Richt said. "I think the underclassmen realize a victory here could set the stage for the future. The way the BCS is set up, it's very important where you're ranked in the preseason. I hate to say that much about it, but that's the way it is."
It won't be an easy task stopping Colt Brennan's effectiveness in an offense Hawaii coach June Jones has loved for years -- the run and shoot, one he used during his tenure as coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
With his background in Georgia, Jones knows a good deal about the Bulldogs and their history.
Jones fretted a little over the lengthy period between when the Sugar teams were named and the game was to be played.
"It gives them a lot of time to prepare for us," Jones said. "We play a kind of different style of football and when you have more time to practice against the defensive schemes and the offensive schemes, it changes a little bit. So you have to be physically as good as they are."
Brennan passed for 4,174 yards and 38 touchdowns this season and has 131 career TD passes, an NCAA record.
Georgia's more conventional offense features an exciting freshman tailback, Knowshon Moreno, who ran for 1,273 yards and 12 touchdowns, sparking the Bulldogs to a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.
The Bulldogs are a 7 1/2-point favorite to spoil Hawaii's dream season, something they will do. Georgia 31-17.
In other bowl games involving SEC teams before LSU's national title game with Ohio State:
Central Florida (minus 3) vs. Mississippi State in Liberty Bowl: UCF's Kevin Smith needs 181 yards to break Barry Sanders' NCAA rushing mark of 2,628 yards in a season. Sanders did it in 11 games for Oklahoma State. This will be Smith's 13th game, and it comes against a pretty good defense built by Sylvester Croom. Mississippi State 17-14.
Alabama (minus 3 1/2) vs. Colorado in Independence Bowl: "It's a great opportunity for our seniors to try to change the tide of how the season ended and go out on a winning note," coach Nick Saban said of Bama's second straight trip to the Independence for its NCAA record 55th bowl appearance. In a battle of teams with 6-6 records, the slight edge goes to ... Alabama 24-21.
Kentucky (minus 10) vs. Florida State in Music City Bowl: Academic problems have left FSU a mere shell of itself. Andre Woodson has thrown for 3,351 yards and 36 touchdowns to lead the Wildcats. He'll add some numbers to both. Kentucky 28-17.
No. 15 Clemson (minus 2 1/2) vs. No. 22 Auburn in Chick-fil-A Bowl: Tigers have too much offense for Tigers with Cullen Harper handling the aerial game and James Davis the ground game. Clemson 27-24.
No. 16 Tennessee (minus 2) vs. No. 18 Wisconsin in Outback Bowl: Erik Ainge gives the Vols the edge. Tennessee 27-21.
Missouri (minus 3) vs. Arkansas in Cotton Bowl: This one has plenty of firepower. Chase Daniel passed for more than 4,000 for the Tigers and two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden and Felix Jones ran for more than 2,800 yards. Missouri 34-28.
No. 9 Florida (minus 10 1/2) vs. Michigan in Capital One Bowl: This will be Lloyd Carr's swan song as coach of the Wolverines. It will be Tim Tebow's first appearance as the only sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow prevails. Florida 31-17.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Boise St. opens Hawaii Bowl practice alongside WAC rival, without top receiver
HONOLULU (AP) -- Boise State was greeted by a big banner that read "Western Athletic Conference champions" as it opened practice in preparation for Sunday's Hawaii Bowl.
The banner was proudly displayed at the University of Hawaii, where the Broncos are practicing this week.
They have the right to put that up there. They earned that. But all that does for us is to put a bitter taste in our mouth," Broncos senior quarterback Taylor Tharp said. "Hopefully the young guys, that motivates them for next year."
Boise State's five-year stranglehold on the WAC was snapped this year by Hawaii, which won its first outright conference title and earned a Bowl Championship Series berth to face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
The Warriors are basically trying to repeat the Broncos' season from last year, which was highlighted by a stunning victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
Broncos coach Chris Petersen said he hopes the Warriors' sign will serve as motivation for his team, which finished the regular season 10-2 and faces East Carolina (7-5) in the Hawaii Bowl.
"Right now, we're concerned with East Carolina and trying to do a good job this week and take care of business, but I'm sure they all saw it," he said.
As if the banner didn't sting enough, the Broncos practiced for about 20 minutes next to the Warriors' workout. The two WAC powerhouses glanced at each other, but didn't exchange any pleasantries.
"It was interesting watching those guys over there," Petersen said.
The Broncos ended the regular season Nov. 23 with a 37-27 loss to the Warriors. When asked if he wanted a rematch on the practice field, Petersen replied: "Next year."
Petersen also announced that the team's top receiver, Jeremy Childs, and two other backup players did not make the trip and will miss Sunday's game for violating team rules.
Besides Childs, who set a school record for receptions this season, cornerback Keith McGowen and linebacker Ben Chandler were suspended for the game.
"Unfortunate, but we'll move forward," Petersen said. "Somebody has always stepped up, carried the flag and we expect no different."
He did not provide details of the violations other than to say they were unrelated.
Childs, a sophomore, was voted first-team all-WAC after finishing the season with 82 catches for 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns.
"Initially, I was devastated," Tharp said.
He called Childs his "go-to guy" this season.
"To not have him out there, I feel like a part of myself is missing," Tharp said. "But like coach Pete said, we have young talent on this team and a lot of guys have been stepping up. That's what we're going to need."
Without Childs, the Broncos will rely on freshmen Titus Young and Austin Pettis, who combined for 74 catches and 11 TDs this year.
Tharp said it will be a chance for the youngsters to shine, but the team cannot afford to lose any more players to injuries or disciplinary problems.
"We had an incident last year with someone being sent home, so we know our coaches are serious about the team rules and taking care of business the right way," he said. "We can enjoy this thing, but we have to enjoy it the right way."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
2009 star almost 100 percent
Greenville (S.C.) Christ Church offensive tackle J.K. Jay is widely considered one of the top prospects in the state of South Carolina in the 2009 class.
The 6-foot-6, 294-pound potential four-star prospect was on hand Monday afternoon to watch practices at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
Jay, who committed to Clemson early back in April of 2007, missed his entire junior season with a broken ankle. He said he's now back on track and feels like he's almost 100 percent.
I'm back to running and planting," Jay said. "And I feel I'm 90 percent back."
And after he's back as a senior, he plans to enroll early at Clemson where he can get a head start on making an impact for the Tigers.
"I will be graduating after Thanksgiving next year," he said. "I hope to get up to Clemson and help them as soon as I can."
Jay said other schools have tried to stay in contact with him through the mail, despite his early pledge.
"Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia are still sending me a ton of mail daily," he said. "But I'm still very solid with Clemson."
When asked what player he follows the most in the NFL, Jay was quite to respond with a name that many players today come up with
"Ray Lewis," Jay said. "I just like his tenacity."
Copyright 2007 Rivals.com. All Rights Reserved.
Dorsey beats Laurinaitis again for individual honor
HOUSTON (AP) -- LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top college lineman or linebacker Wednesday night, his third individual honor in three days.
The 6-foot-2, 303-pound Dorsey won the Bronko Nagurski Award on Monday, given to the nation's top defensive player. He was named the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year earlier Wednesday. He's also a finalist for the Bednarik award for outstanding defensive player and the Outland Trophy for best interior lineman.
Dorsey said the Rotary Lombardi Award means more than any of them.
"This is the Heisman to me," he said. "It's basically saying you're the best at what you do. It's a big-time award."
The other three finalists were Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis, Virginia defensive end Chris Long and Michigan offensive lineman Jake Long. Laurinaitis, the only junior, was also a finalist for the Nagurski award and he's up for the Bednarik.
Despite playing the last five games of the season with a sore right knee, Dorsey finished with 64 tackles, six sacks and 11 1/2 tackles behind the line. Dorsey said his knee will be healthy when LSU (11-2) plays Ohio State (11-1) in the Bowl Championship Series title game on Jan. 7.
"I just need some time to heal and get some rehab done," he said. "But I'll be ready to go."
LSU coach Les Miles sat next to Dorsey on a stage at the Houston hotel where the award was announced. Ohio State recruiting coordinator John Peterson sat between Dorsey and Laurinaitis. Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel did not attend.
Laurinaitis has already seen enough of LSU to know what Dorsey means to the Tigers' defense.
"You realize that whole unit rides off of what he does," said Laurinaitis, the Big Ten defensive player of the year. "He's a passionate player, extremely strong, extremely quick. With that combination of size and speed, he's going to make offenses have nightmares."
Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley won the Lombardi award last year. A player from either the Big Ten or the SEC has won the past four.
"You come out and try to play hard all the time and help your team win," Dorsey said. "But when you get recognized for your individual efforts, with an award like this, that's like the biggest. It is a real honor."
The Lombardi Award was initiated by Houston's Rotary Club in 1970. The award originated shortly after its Hall of Fame namesake -- Vince Lombardi -- died of cancer.
About 500 college coaches, former finalists and media members voted for the annual award. The Rotary Club doesn't release a breakdown of the votes.
The 6-3, 240-pound Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with 103 tackles, six of them sacks. He won the Nagurski award last year and was trying to become the sixth Ohio State player to win the Lombardi. A.J. Hawk won it in 2005.
Jake Long, 6-7, 313 pounds, was the only offensive lineman nominated after giving up one sack all season. He's also a finalist for the Outland Trophy.
Chris Long, 6-4, 284 pounds, is the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long and was the Atlantic Coast Conference's defensive player of the year. Long led the ACC with 19 tackles behind the line and finished third nationally with 14 sacks.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
First-year Boston College coach Jagodzinski ready to get serious
BOSTON (AP) -- He says it with a laugh, but there's a look in Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski's eye that shows he can get serious when he needs to.
"I can snap," he said, kicking his head back with a chuckle that dares you to disagree.
I like to kick (butt). Just because we're loose doesn't mean we're not disciplined," Jagodzinski said this week as he prepared the Eagles to play Virginia Tech in Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. "But I don't think you can play competitive sports if you're tight.
"I want the kids to have fun playing college football. If it's a constant beat-down, who'd want to be a part of that?" he said.
"I sure don't."
No. 12 Boston College is winning and having fun doing it under coach Jags, the former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator in his first head coaching job. The Eagles have won 10 regular-season games for the second time in school history, and they're playing for a title in a conference they joined just three seasons ago.
They owe a lot of their success to quarterback Matt Ryan, the ACC player of the year, and a steady core of seniors who didn't need to regroup after coach Tom O'Brien defected to North Carolina State. But credit also goes to Jagodzinski and the way he has balanced fun and fundamentals with a team that needed both.
"He can talk with them, he can laugh with them, he can joke with them," athletic director Gene DeFilippo said. "But I'd hate to have him after me if he's angry, because he's got a real tough side, too, like all head coaches have to."
Jagodzinski doesn't coach like he came from the old school. Instead, he quotes movies like "Old School," the Will Ferrell farce more popular with his players than, it's safe to say, it was with O'Brien.
A Navy product, O'Brien brought discipline to the program after a 1996 gambling scandal forced BC to overhaul its athletic department. He led the Eagles to eight straight bowl games, including wins in the last six -- the longest such streak in the nation.
But when he left for N.C. State, DeFilippo put a different face on the program.
And this one smiles.
"You have to coach to your personality," DeFilippo said. "If you try anything else, people will see through it. Jags is coaching to his personality: You work hard, you work smart, you work together as a team and you have fun. His enthusiasm is infectious. He just leads that way."
Receiver Rich Gunnell said the change in style surprised some players when they first met him last winter.
"We're all sitting back, we didn't know what to do. We didn't know whether to laugh with him or not," Gunnell said. "But we all figured it out, his philosophy and his way of doing things."
Linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar remembers an injured teammate that Jags dubbed "NASA," because he wasn't getting back on the field until all systems were go. Safety Jamie Silva remembers Jagodzinski dancing in the locker room after the victory in Clemson clinched an ACC division title and a berth in the championship game.
Not much of a dancer.
But a heck of a coach.
"He knows when to be serious and when to have fun," Silva said. "His fun side is out there a lot, which is nice because it makes us more relaxed."
Running back Andre Callender remembers Jagodzinski getting into a three-point stand to show the proper blocking technique to a lineman; the players laughed, and he laughed with them. Before practice he works the field, joking with his players while they stretch.
Then a horn sounds to signal the end of stretching, and Jags has his own way of telling the players to get serious.
"You know in his tone of voice," Callender said. "You have times when you could play around, but when he's serious, it's serious."
Ryan learned more about his coach when he took a contingent of players to the Boston College Campus School, which serves children with multiple disabilities. Jagodzinski's 9-year-old daughter, who is epileptic and autistic, is a student there.
"It was great to see him in that light, as a father and out of the role as a coach," Ryan said.
DeFilippo saw another side of his new hire at an Orange Bowl function in the Bahamas for the coaches and athletic directors and their families. They were sitting on the beach, listening to a three-piece band when they looked up and noticed a fourth had joined them.
"Well, all of a sudden I look up and Jags is talking to the band and he's telling them to play a certain piece and he's playing the harmonica," DeFilippo said. "He got a long ovation and they started calling, 'Jags!"'
The boss ordered him back on stage.
"And," DeFilippo said, "he was awesome."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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