Forget wins, O’Brien’s biggest job is saving Penn State’s morale

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Support Penn State, or hate Penn State, everyone can agree they wouldn’t want to be Nittany Lions kicker Sam Ficken right now. Ficken, a sophomore, missed four field goals and had an extra point attempt blocked in a 17-16 loss to Virginia Saturday afternoon.

Penn State is now 0-2 on the season.

Bill O’Brien‘s team actually outgained Virginia in total yards and rushing yards — Virginia, for what it’s worth (nothing, obviously) had just 32 on the ground — but the most startling stat of all is the fact that the Nittany Lions could not do more with four Virginia turnovers.

Penn State’s defense is doing enough to put the team in a position to win, but things still aren’t clicking on offense the way they need to if this team is even going to get to six wins this year. The problem is Penn State just doesn’t have playmakers on offense. Or on special teams, apparently.

But what O’Brien needs to be concerned about is not who takes the field right now, but rather what goes on inside the heads of those who do. Against Ohio, there was an opening-weekend adrenaline mixed with the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky/NCAA mess that bred a mentality of “us against the world.”

Well, that didn’t work out too well. Now, the Nittany Lions are down two games that they very easily could have won. Don’t scoff, but Navy and Temple aren’t guaranteed W’s either — not now, anyway. And what about the Big Ten schedule? Teams are smelling the blood in the blood in the water.

So at what point do the players begin thinking to themselves maybe they can’t be successful this year? Maybe this is a lost cause? Don’t underestimate the amount of pressure placed on these players.

Perhaps two games is too soon to be talking about giving up, but O’Brien’s biggest job now becomes about keeping his players’ heads up before it’s too late.

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On the same day he “parted ways” with Missouri, it appears Torey Boozer already has another collegiate destination in mind.

First, the negative: according to Terez Paylor (no relation) of the Kansas City Star, the linebacker has been dismissed from the Tigers football program by head coach Gary Pinkel.  ”Undisclosed disciplinary reasons” was all that was said in regards to the dismissal.

Boozer subsequently tweeted that he will be moving on to SMU, although that school has yet to confirm the addition.

Boozer, who exited spring this year No. 3 on the depth chart, was arrested and charged in early October for marijuana possession.  Even as he took a redshirt for his true freshman season, Boozer was “suspended” for one game because of the off-field incident.

A three-star member of Mizzou’s 2012 recruiting class, Boozer was rated as the No. 46 safety in the country.

An alleged sexual assault last year will leave the playing careers — and freedom — of two Navy football players very much up in the air.

In a statement Monday afternoon, the U.S. Naval Academy announced that three unnamed Navy current and former football players will be charged with rape.  The military academy’s superintendent, Michael Miller, “has chosen to send the case to Article 32 proceedings” wrote Military.com.

An official charge sheet has yet to be completed, which is why the names of the three suspects have not been released.  Two of the suspects are current Navy football players, while the third was set to graduate in May but was denied the opportunity because of the criminal case.

All three players were permitted to play football for the Midshipmen as the investigation into the alleged rape continued.

From the website, here’s a description of the alleged attack:

The female midshipman who reported the sexual assault attended a party at an off-campus property known as the “football house” in Annapolis in April 2012, according to a statement from her lawyer, Susan Burke. …

The midshipman woke up at the football house the next morning “with little recall of what had occurred,” according to the statement. She later found out through friends and social media that three football players had “sexual intercourse with her while she was incapacitated,” according to the statement.

The female midshipman reported the incident to NCIS, saying she was intoxicated and didn’t remember much from the night. NCIS started an investigation in April 2012 that continued throughout the summer and into the fall.

The investigation was closed in November, but was reopened two months later after the alleged victim’s attorney spoke to NCIS.  In February, the investigation was reopened.

(Photo credit: MilitaryTimes.com)

AP

For the third time in less than three years, Chris Martin‘s time at an FBS football program has come to an early and abrupt end.

Kansas head coach Charlie Weis announced Monday that the defensive end has been dismissed from the Jayhawks.  The decision comes three weeks after Martin was one of three men arrested in connection to an armed robbery.  Martin and two former KU players were charged after allegedly robbing cash and marijuana from victims at gunpoint at a house on May 13.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, the door was still open for Martin’s return to the Jayhawks.  Weis, though, intimated in his statement on the dismissal that another misstep may have been involved.

“Due to recent incidents Chris Martin was involved with, he was given a list of stipulations he was required to meet for him to remain a member of the Kansas Football team,” Weis said in the release. “Because he did not follow some of those stipulations we have dismissed him from the team.”

Martin was a five-star member of Cal’s 2010′s recruiting class, but transferred to Florida five months later.  Less than a year later, he left Florida following an arrest for marijuana possession.

He spent 2011 and 2012 at the JUCO level before transferring to the Jayhawks and Weis, who Martin had committed to when he was the head coach at Notre Dame.

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One of the more gruesome injuries in recent memory occurred in late October, with South Carolina running back suffering a severe and devastating knee injury.

The Gamecocks reaction to their fallen teammate was typical as the entire squad gathered around the running back, who had just suffered the second serious knee injury of his career.  The reaction of the Gamecocks’ opponents, the Tennessee Volunteers, was somewhat atypical, though; the Vols, like their SEC foes, gathered around Lattimore as well as the back was being tended to by USC medical personnel and loaded onto a cart for further treatment.

For the reaction on both fronts, the SEC announced Monday, the Vols and Gamecocks were named, along with Georgia tennis player Maho Kowase, the recipients of the conference’s 2013 Sportsmanship Award.

“Sportsmanship, civility and societal responsibility are things that will lead to victories throughout the course of life,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement. “I congratulate Maho and the University of South Carolina and University of Tennessee football teams for this prestigious honor, and for being committed to athletic excellence and overall excellence.”

The release went on to state that “[d]espite being engaged in a heated conference game, both teams set aside their battle to show support for a football player, regardless of which uniform he wore. The act displayed both great sportsmanship by the teams gathered as one support unit as well as the impact that Lattimore had on his sport.”

Below is a well-produced UT video of the immediate aftermath of Lattimore’s injury:

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Nearly six weeks after moving on from Oklahoma State, Wes Lunt is moving back to an area with which he’s very familiar.  Reportedly.

While the school has yet to officially announce it, Channel1450.com sports director Zach Kerker and ESPN.com’s Joe Schad, among others, are both reporting that the quarterback will transfer to Illinois to continue his playing career.  Lunt chose the Illini over Louisville, two of the five schools on his original transfer wish list.

The other three schools — Southern Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt — were infamously blocked by Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy.  In a controversial move, Gundy barred Lunt from attending — at least on scholarship — schools from the Big 12, the Pac-12, SEC along with Central Michigan (on OSU’s schedule in 2015 & 2016).

The reason for the latter two conferences being on the no-no list?  Oklahoma State might face a school from those leagues in a bowl game, Lunt’s Illinois high school coach said in mid-May.

Lunt will be forced to sit out the 2013 season and will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2014.

AP

Earlier this month, Syracuse received good news on the injury front regarding one of its defensive starters.  A couple weeks later, there’s additional good news on that side of the ball as well.

Clark Lea, the Orange’s linebackers coach, confirmed to the Syracuse Post-Standard that Dyshawn Davis is healthy and will be ready for the start of summer camp in early August.  Davis underwent shoulder surgery this past January and, as a result, did not participate in spring practice.

Despite that, Davis exited spring atop the depth chart, and left the first-year position coach anxious to see what the linebacker is capable of in Scott Shafer’s defense.

“I’ve got high expectations for Dyshawn when you see what he’s done in the past,” Lea said. “I got to see a little bit of his athleticism just in some of the movement work we did and was impressed by that.”

In 2012, Davis was second in tackles for loss (14) and third in tackles (69).  He added two fumble recoveries, one sack and one interception as a sophomore.

AP

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– Gina Mizell of the Daily Oklahoman takes a look at what Mike Gundy looks for when filling coaching vacancies.

– In a rather significant move for Vol Nation, ex-Tennessee great Eric Berry signs off on Butch Jones‘ approach on Rocky Top.

– The Anderson Independent Mail sizes up the state of the quarterback position in the ACC.

– In the ever-changing world of college football, BYU must find some way to secure bowl alliances on its own.

– The Dallas Morning News looks at TCU’s five biggest departures, and the players who should replace them.

– Daily Oklahoman: New assistant Bill Bedenbaugh discusses the state of Oklahoma’s offensive line

AP

Allegedly.

Following an incident early Sunday, and according to multiple media outlets, Florida’s Antonio Morrison was arrested and charged with first-degree simple battery (a misdemeanor) after allegedly punching a bouncing at a Gainesville drinking establishment.  The incident that landed the linebacker in legal hot water occurred after said drinking establishment had the audacity to ask Morrison to pay the cover charge.

To punctuate the incident, Morrison pulled the tried and true “Do you know who I am? I am a UF football player” card before allegedly punching the bouncer and leaving the scene.  GatorCountry.com, citing a police report on the incident, writes that didn’t remember much of the incident because he was intoxicated at the time.

UF has yet to comment on the situation and what if any punishment Morrison may be facing.

Morrison started three games last season as a true freshman and will be the starting middle linebacker entering summer camp.  He was a four-star member of the Gators’ 2012 recruiting class.

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Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– Urban Meyer understands his Ohio State offense must change and adapt to stay ahead of today’s defenses.

– PennLive.com: Fatherhood adds perspective, strengthens drive for Penn State’s Malcolm Willis.

– Arizona State’s Todd Graham making an impact on the lives of his fatherless players.

– Charleston Post & Courier: Clemson, Carolina fans alike hope Howard’s Rock vandal wasn’t taking rivalry a step too far.

– The State takes a look at the quarterbacks South Carolina will face this fall.

– Iowa’s opener against Northern Illinois will set the tone for the 2013 season, the Iowa City Press-Citizen writes.

– Tennessee following a national trend of NFL-style recruiting focus.

– Jackson Clarion-Ledger: ‘Nkemdiche effect’ still pushes Ole Miss on recruiting trail.

– Arizona’s new $74 million practice facility is nearing completion.

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Oh, Johnny Football.

Back in March, amidst yet another social media-fueled stir, Johnny Manziel confirmed to a reporter that he had gone on a self-imposed sabbatical from Twitter.  While the Heisman-winning Texas A&M quarterback returned to Twitter in short order, it might be time for him to take yet another brief respite from tweeting.

By way of LarryBrownSports.com, Manziel tweeted the following late Saturday night:

“Bull**** like tonight is a reason why I can’t wait to leave college station…whenever it may be.”

It’s unclear what and where said bullspit transpired, although Manziel quickly deleted the tweet shortly after it was posted.  In its place, Manziel tweeted, “Don’t ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes.”

(Tip O’ the Cap: MrSEC.com)

AP

Friday, it was announced by the city of Tucson that all charges had been dropped against Ka’Deem Carey, which stemmed from a domestic violence incident last December involving his pregnant ex-girlfriend.

In announcing that the charges had been dropped against the Arizona running back, the city stated that “[a] key witness for the prosecution is unavailable, and even if the witness were available, there is no substantial likelihood that a judge would convict Mr. Carey.”

In their own statement following the city’s decision, Carey’s attorneys said the following:

“We are very pleased with the City Attorney’s decision to unilaterally dismiss the charges against Ka’Deem. Ka’Deem did nothing wrong and the City Attorney’s determination to drop the case is an acknowledgement of that fact. It is unfortunate that this proper and obvious conclusion was not reached prior to the filing of the unjustified charges.

“With great humility, Ka’Deem thanks God for this correct outcome and extends his utmost gratitude to his family, friends, teammates, coaches and the entire Wildcat Nation for their unwavering support during this very difficult time. While Ka’Deem is thankful to be so thoroughly vindicated, he remains steadfastly focused on earning his degree and a successful 2013 football season.”

Carey led the nation in rushing in 2012 with 1,929 yards and participated in spring practice despite the legal situation.

While the details are very scant — or even non-existent — a member of the Iowa football program sustained injuries in a vehicle accident, the school said in a press release Friday.

Linebacker Dalton Shaull, the university stated, was involved in a vehicle accident Thursday afternoon in the Iowa City area.  He remains hospitalized at UI Hospitals and Clinics in stable condition.

The specific nature of the injuries the redshirt freshman sustained were not detailed, nor was there any word on a possible release from the hospital.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports Shaull was riding a moped that rear-ended another vehicle and may have sustained some type of neck injury.

Shaull took a redshirt his true freshman season last year after joining the team as a walk-on.

(Photo credit: Iowa athletics)

AP

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– With an alumnus in charge, there’s a culture change afoot at Texas Tech.

– North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora: “We don’t feel like we’ve maxed out by any means.”

– The rehab from a broken femur for 2013 Notre Dame signee Torii Hunter Jr. has hit a snag and will delay a return to the football field.

– Father-and-son Iowa State assistants Wally and Shane Burnham find a way to mix football and family.

– Mlive.com: Michigan State incoming linebacker Shane Jones gets brotherly shove heading to East Lansing.

– New Clemson recruiting czar Thad Turnipseed reunites with former Alabama mate Dabo Swinney.

– Syracuse Post-Standard: In the secondary, the position to watch for Syracuse football is a three-man cornerback competition.

– Former Alabama football player Brent Calloway made a cameo appearance — as an Alabama Heisman winner — in the USA Network show “Necessary Roughness.”

– Penn State has extended its ban on bags, backpacks, purses, etc. at Beaver Stadium through the 2013 season.

– Houston will play its Oct. 12 game against Memphis at BBVA Compass Stadium.

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In March it was announced that Jerry Rice Jr. — yes, that Jerry Rice — was one of three UCLA players who were foregoing their final year of eligibility.

As it turns out, Rice was merely foregoing his final season of eligibility with the Bruins.

On his Twitter account Friday night, the son of the Hall of Famer announced that he will be continuing his collegiate playing career at UNLV.  As Rice will graduate from UCLA this weekend, he will be eligible to play immediately in 2013 for the Rebels.

“Well it’s been real Ucla… Ended a little sooner than I thought but will always be a bruin..That said I’m bout to be a rebel bruin at #UNLV,” Rice’s tweet read.

During his time at UCLA, Rice recorded nine catches for 69 yards.

AP

Contain your excitement, please.  Some people are still trying to sleep.

Regardless, and as you no doubt deduced from the headline, New Mexico and Tulsa have reached an agreement on a future home-and-home football series, the schools announced Friday.  The Lobos will host the Golden Hurricane Sept. 12, 2015, then travel to Tulsa Sept. 23, 2017.

“Our football program has tremendous respect for Tulsa,” UNM coach Bob Davie said in a statement. “The fact that the Golden Hurricane have gone to a bowl game for three straight years shows the success they’ve had. Giving the proximity between the schools, the series should generate a great deal of fan interest.”

Tulsa owns a 4-2 lead all-time, with the last meeting coming in 2009.  The last Lobo win in the mini-series was 1997.