Have not found too much but anything I find during the week I will post here..
Injuries rob Washington State's backfield depth
By Jon Naito Daily Evergreen
PULLMAN, Wash. (U-WIRE) -- Kasey Dunn peers over to the sideline and all he can do is shake his head.
Dunn, Washington State's running backs coach, is frustrated because his once deep running back corps has been struck by injuries.
"I look over and see the deepest and most athletic group I've had and it's been decimated by injuries," Dunn said.
<b>Junior college transfers Jermaine Green and Jonathan Smith and sophomore Allen Thompson, all expected to compete for the starting spot in WSU's one-back offense, have been stung by nagging injuries.</b>
Smith has bruised ribs and hasn't participated in contact drills for nearly a week. For Green, it's tendinitis in his right knee. Thompson has a hyper-extended shoulder and Dunn expects him to miss several weeks.
For Green the situation has been particularly frustrating. A touted transfer, he enrolled in January and had an impressive spring, before an old MCL injury flared up over the summer.
"My knee isn't quite 100 percent," Green said. "I just want to be out there practicing. It's been real frustrating, but you know all I can do is go out there and not worry about it."
Dunn expects to play both Green and Smith in Saturday's season opener against Nevada.
For now, senior John Tippins is the starter and has gotten the majority of reps in practice. Sophomore Lavell Anderson (5-foot-7, 179 pounds) also has seen time at the position, though Dunn expects to use him in limited situation because of his size.
Dunn said coaches have not considered moving someone over and is confident his charges will be ready by the time the Cougars get to the meat in their schedule.
"We've just been bit by the injury bug," Dunn said. "This is probably the worst the depth situation will be all season. We'll be fine. When those guys get back, we're really good."
LSU Football News
Despite losses, Tigers' line improved
08/22/02
By Jim Kleinpeter
Staff writer/The Times-Picayune
BATON ROUGE -- No position on the LSU football team took a bigger hit than the offensive line at the start of fall camp.
That unit lost both right-tackle candidates. But the offensive line has showed its depth by hardly missing a beat.
With four returning starters and a huge, raw talent at the fifth spot, the guys up front said they are confident they can improve on last year's group, which aided in a record-breaking offensive season.
"It's hard to tell preseason, but I think we have the ability to be as good or better than last year, and I thought we had a pretty good line last year," said junior right tackle Rodney Reed. "We finally got a consistent lineup in there. That's a key for the o-line, to have the same five starters every week. You can get the calls down and the feel for how each person plays."
<b>The players think this line can be special if there are no more personnel losses. Senior Brad Smalling, who did not participate in spring drills, quit the team, and sophomore Kade Comeaux had a flare-up of Crohn's disease, knocking out the two players expected to battle for the right-tackle job.</b>
But the LSU coaching staff simply slid Reed into the slot and gigantic redshirt freshman Andrew Whitworth into the left-tackle job. The results have been positive.
"With those two guys at those positions, we have better pass blocking than we've ever had," LSU coach Nick Saban said after Saturday's scrimmage. "We just have to stop making the mental errors."
The move was welcomed by Reed, who said he is more comfortable on the right side. Whitworth said he feels slightly better on the left because he's left-handed.
With guards Stephen Peterman and Rob Sale and center Ben Wilkerson, the unit has been gaining confidence throughout the first two weeks.
"I think the transition is not slowing us a bit," said Wilkerson, a sophomore. "We're a unit. We know how to work as a unit no matter what position we're put in and get the job done."
The biggest concern is Whitworth, who has yet to play in a college game. He is playing on the side where most opponents will position their best pass rusher. But the potential is there for the 6-foot-7, 315-pounder from West Monroe, an alma mater he shares with Reed.
"He's young now, but Andrew has the potential to be a really special player with his size and athleticism," said Reed. "He's a future first-round type player, and he's had a great camp so far. He was a real easy fit in that position."
Whitworth was ready to play last season but wasn't needed. He said he benefited from the redshirt year and is confident he can do the job, no matter who lines up against him.
"In the SEC, both ends of the line are going to face good pass rushers," he said. "I'll face some of the better ones, but that's not my big emphasis. If I get my technique down and team strategy, then I'll succeed."
Peterman and Sale give the team quality and experience at the guards. Peterman was one of the pleasant surprises last year, winning the job after moving from tight end. Sale adds versatility with his ability to play center.
UNLV REBEL NOTES: (from lasvegassun)
Also out is backup defensive tackle Jason Ramirez (knee sprain) and reserve tailback Johnny Graham (strained knee ligaments)
as well as <b>expected starters Ryan Claridge (abdominal muscle strain) at linebacker and defensive end Trevan Sorensen (neck, concussion)</b>
*Claridge should be out for up to 6 weeks. I am not sure on Sorensen
Injuries rob Washington State's backfield depth
By Jon Naito Daily Evergreen
PULLMAN, Wash. (U-WIRE) -- Kasey Dunn peers over to the sideline and all he can do is shake his head.
Dunn, Washington State's running backs coach, is frustrated because his once deep running back corps has been struck by injuries.
"I look over and see the deepest and most athletic group I've had and it's been decimated by injuries," Dunn said.
<b>Junior college transfers Jermaine Green and Jonathan Smith and sophomore Allen Thompson, all expected to compete for the starting spot in WSU's one-back offense, have been stung by nagging injuries.</b>
Smith has bruised ribs and hasn't participated in contact drills for nearly a week. For Green, it's tendinitis in his right knee. Thompson has a hyper-extended shoulder and Dunn expects him to miss several weeks.
For Green the situation has been particularly frustrating. A touted transfer, he enrolled in January and had an impressive spring, before an old MCL injury flared up over the summer.
"My knee isn't quite 100 percent," Green said. "I just want to be out there practicing. It's been real frustrating, but you know all I can do is go out there and not worry about it."
Dunn expects to play both Green and Smith in Saturday's season opener against Nevada.
For now, senior John Tippins is the starter and has gotten the majority of reps in practice. Sophomore Lavell Anderson (5-foot-7, 179 pounds) also has seen time at the position, though Dunn expects to use him in limited situation because of his size.
Dunn said coaches have not considered moving someone over and is confident his charges will be ready by the time the Cougars get to the meat in their schedule.
"We've just been bit by the injury bug," Dunn said. "This is probably the worst the depth situation will be all season. We'll be fine. When those guys get back, we're really good."
LSU Football News
Despite losses, Tigers' line improved
08/22/02
By Jim Kleinpeter
Staff writer/The Times-Picayune
BATON ROUGE -- No position on the LSU football team took a bigger hit than the offensive line at the start of fall camp.
That unit lost both right-tackle candidates. But the offensive line has showed its depth by hardly missing a beat.
With four returning starters and a huge, raw talent at the fifth spot, the guys up front said they are confident they can improve on last year's group, which aided in a record-breaking offensive season.
"It's hard to tell preseason, but I think we have the ability to be as good or better than last year, and I thought we had a pretty good line last year," said junior right tackle Rodney Reed. "We finally got a consistent lineup in there. That's a key for the o-line, to have the same five starters every week. You can get the calls down and the feel for how each person plays."
<b>The players think this line can be special if there are no more personnel losses. Senior Brad Smalling, who did not participate in spring drills, quit the team, and sophomore Kade Comeaux had a flare-up of Crohn's disease, knocking out the two players expected to battle for the right-tackle job.</b>
But the LSU coaching staff simply slid Reed into the slot and gigantic redshirt freshman Andrew Whitworth into the left-tackle job. The results have been positive.
"With those two guys at those positions, we have better pass blocking than we've ever had," LSU coach Nick Saban said after Saturday's scrimmage. "We just have to stop making the mental errors."
The move was welcomed by Reed, who said he is more comfortable on the right side. Whitworth said he feels slightly better on the left because he's left-handed.
With guards Stephen Peterman and Rob Sale and center Ben Wilkerson, the unit has been gaining confidence throughout the first two weeks.
"I think the transition is not slowing us a bit," said Wilkerson, a sophomore. "We're a unit. We know how to work as a unit no matter what position we're put in and get the job done."
The biggest concern is Whitworth, who has yet to play in a college game. He is playing on the side where most opponents will position their best pass rusher. But the potential is there for the 6-foot-7, 315-pounder from West Monroe, an alma mater he shares with Reed.
"He's young now, but Andrew has the potential to be a really special player with his size and athleticism," said Reed. "He's a future first-round type player, and he's had a great camp so far. He was a real easy fit in that position."
Whitworth was ready to play last season but wasn't needed. He said he benefited from the redshirt year and is confident he can do the job, no matter who lines up against him.
"In the SEC, both ends of the line are going to face good pass rushers," he said. "I'll face some of the better ones, but that's not my big emphasis. If I get my technique down and team strategy, then I'll succeed."
Peterman and Sale give the team quality and experience at the guards. Peterman was one of the pleasant surprises last year, winning the job after moving from tight end. Sale adds versatility with his ability to play center.
UNLV REBEL NOTES: (from lasvegassun)
Also out is backup defensive tackle Jason Ramirez (knee sprain) and reserve tailback Johnny Graham (strained knee ligaments)
as well as <b>expected starters Ryan Claridge (abdominal muscle strain) at linebacker and defensive end Trevan Sorensen (neck, concussion)</b>
*Claridge should be out for up to 6 weeks. I am not sure on Sorensen
