Monday, September 08, 2003

By Pete Aldrich, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

One of the great things about college football is that there are no preseason games to put us to sleep while we're gearing up for that first meaningful touchdown.

When teams come charging through those tunnels in late August or early September, it's anybody's guess as to what might happen. And the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just think, had we been subjected to watching preseason college games, we would have known far too much before the good stuff actually began, such as:

Miami quarterback Brock Berlin looks like Joe Montana. OK, that's a stretch, but Berlin was Montana-like in leading the Hurricanes to 28 unanswered points in the final 18 1/2 minutes of a 38-33 victory against Florida -- his former team -- in an Orange Bowl classic Saturday night. Just as remarkable as the comeback was that Berlin did his Montana impersonation after looking more like Joe Pesci in the first 2 1/2 quarters (two interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown) as the Gators built a stunning 33-10 lead. Berlin completed 18 of his final 20 passes with two touchdowns as Miami extended its regular-season winning streak to 34 games.

Auburn is a bust. The Tigers had every reason to believe this could be a big year, especially with the eight returning starters on defense and perhaps the nation's best 1-2 punch at running back in Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown. Some were even projecting Auburn, which began the season ranked No. 6, as a national championship contender. But after two games -- and two losses -- the Tigers must adjust their goals. First on the list should be scoring a touchdown, something they could not accomplish in a 23-0 season-opening loss to Southern California or an even more humiliating 17-3 defeat at Georgia Tech. Good luck at Vanderbilt this week.

Florida State, Nebraska and Tennessee are on the road to recovery. The three programs combined to win six of the past 10 national titles; last season, they combined to lose 17 games. While it's still too early to pronounce them completely healed, all are 2-0 this season. Florida State has looked the sharpest of the three, not allowing an offensive touchdown in two lopsided Atlantic Coast Conference victories.

Alabama coach Mike Shula will make it through the season. Tuscaloosa can be a coaching graveyard, and many figured Shula -- who had no head coaching experience at any level when he was hired in May to replace Mike Price -- would be on the extinct list before long. But the Crimson Tide opened the season by routing South Florida, then played courageously Saturday in a 20-13 loss to top-ranked Oklahoma. Shula, who is Alabama's third coach since the start of the 2001 season, appears to know what he's doing.

Ty Willingham isn't a one-year wonder. What does Willingham do for an encore after reviving Notre Dame's program with 10 victories in 2002? He keeps the Irish together as they overcome four turnovers and a 19-point deficit to beat Washington State, 29-26, in overtime in a memorable season opener. Good thing, too. With a trip to Michigan this week, Willingham might have been staring at 0-2 -- and explaining where the magic had gone.

And, finally, Ohio State is going to win the close ones -- again. The Buckeyes' 16-13 escape against San Diego State was a rerun of much of their 2002 season, when they often looked beatable on the way to 14 consecutive wins and a national title.

Game balls go to ...

Wisconsin wide receiver Lee Evans. Showing no rust from sitting out the 2002 season with a knee injury, Evans caught nine passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns -- including a 99-yarder that broke open the game in the fourth quarter -- in the Badgers' 48-31 victory against Akron.

Wake Forest. Nobody thought much of the Demon Deacons' season-opening win at Boston College Aug. 30 -- until they watched the Eagles dominate Penn State this week. Meanwhile, Wake Forest improved to 2-0 with a 38-24 upset against then-No. 14 North Carolina State.

Colorado. The Buffaloes, who stumbled to five losses last season, are 2-0 after a 16-14 victory against UCLA. Colorado, which opened the season by beating Colorado State, continues its challenging non-conference schedule the next two weeks with games against Washington State and Florida State.

Stat of the week

Navy's 17-3 loss to then-No. 25 TCU was its 35th in a row against a ranked opponent.

Hometown hero

Missouri quarterback Sonny Riccio, a redshirt freshman from Ellwood City, stepped in for injured starter Brad Smith and completed 7 of 12 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers' 35-7 victory against Ball State.

Thumbs up

Florida squandered a 23-point lead against Miami, but the inexperienced Gators actually took a step forward in the process. Here's some advice for those Florida fans who spend too much time visiting the fireronzook.com Web site: Be patient. Those promising freshmen holding their own against the Hurricanes will be sophomores before you know it.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops knows when to gamble. A successful fake punt late in the third quarter was followed by a long touchdown pass that gave the Sooners breathing room in their victory at Alabama.

The Mid-American Conference continues to prove it can play with the big boys -- and beat them, too. Bowling Green went on the road and knocked off Purdue, 27-26; Marshall trailed by only four points in the fourth quarter of a 34-24 loss at Tennessee; and Akron was on the verge of taking a late lead at Wisconsin before being stopped at the goal line on a fourth-down play.

Thumbs down

If Penn State's offensive and defensive lines continue to get shoved around -- as they were by Boston College in a 27-14 loss -- the Big Ten schedule won't be much fun for the Nittany Lions.

It was bad enough that Temple -- and not the Eagles -- got to play the first real game at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. But then the Owls went out and lost to Division I-AA Villanova, 23-20, in overtime.

Arizona running back Clarence Farmer was called for unsportsmanlike conduct when he spiked the ball after scoring a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against LSU. Farmer obviously couldn't contain himself when his 11-yard run trimmed the Tigers' lead to 59-13.

Quotable

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, after a 35-10 loss to Bobby Bowden's Florida State team: "I just wonder if he's working with 85 scholarships. It seems he's got a lot more guys than I've got."

Two-minute drill

The non-major conferences want a piece of the Bowl Championship Series pie, and they are meeting with BCS officials in Chicago today to argue their case. They should, however, save their argument for the field, where evidence suggests (non-BCS conferences are 10-40 against the Big Six this season) they don't belong in the same ring with the heavyweights.

Pitt coach Walt Harris has taken a lot of heat for the way he handled the Rod Rutherford controversy. But let's not forget that it was Rutherford who put his coach -- and his team -- in a predicament by showing poor judgment.

LSU's rout of Arizona was the Tigers' first non-conference road victory since 1994.

Was that Gary Thorne announcing the Auburn-Georgia Tech game for ABC? His enthusiasm, which has become a staple during the Stanley Cup playoffs, is a perfect fit for the excitement of college football.

Connecticut's on-the-rise program, which is 2-0 after a 48-21 victory against Army, will be a welcome addition for the Big East next season.

What ever happened to Maurice Clarett?

Looking ahead

Arkansas at No. 6 Texas: The teams haven't met in the regular season since 1991, when both were still members of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The Razorbacks beat the Longhorns, 27-6, in the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 1999 season.

No. 15 Notre Dame at No. 5 Michigan: This is the first of a huge two-part test for the Wolverines, who go to Oregon next week.

No. 24 North Carolina State at No. 3 Ohio State: This looked really intriguing until Wake Forest got involved. Still, it will be interesting to see how Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers, who has passed for 753 yards and six touchdowns in two games, fares against the Buckeyes.

You make the call

What are Ohio State's chances of repeating as national champion without Maurice Clarett? Send e-mail answers (include full name and address) to paldrich@post-gazette.com.

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