Colorado QB Ochs doubtful for USC
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A third concussion within a year has put Colorado quarterback Craig Ochs's playing career in jeopardy.
The 18th-ranked Buffaloes have listed Ochs as doubtful for this weekend's game against Southern California. The junior left Saturday night's 34-14 victory over San Diego State at halftime.
Ochs was hit hard near the sideline at the end of a 10-yard scramble on the next-to-last play of the first half. He was taken by ambulance to Boulder Community Hospital as a precaution, but a CAT scan and other tests were negative.
Ochs' first concussion in college came last September against Kansas. Later in the season, he got a second one against Texas A&M and was held out of the Texas game. Ochs also had a concussion in high school.
Athletic department spokesman Dave Plati said Sunday that the coaching and medical staff will be especially cautious with Ochs during his recovery.
After Saturday's game, Colorado coach Gary Barnett deflected questions about Ochs' future.
``I understand and know what you're going to ask, and I don't have an answer for it,'' Barnett said. ``I'm not sure what the extent of his injury is going to be. For us, it means basically Robert Hodge now is going to have to step up.''
Hodge, a senior who was in for just 10 plays last year, got some rare playing time and made the most of it. He directed two second-half scores to help the Buffs pull away from the Aztecs.
Ochs threw two touchdown passes in the first half to help Colorado take a 31-14 lead.
Chris Brown ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns as the Buffaloes (1-1) rebounded from a season-opening loss to Colorado State. Colorado, however, fell one spot in the AP poll. The Buffs fell two spots in the coaches' poll, to 19th.
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Northwestern QB out at least eight weeks
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -- Northwestern quarterback Alexander Webb will be out at least eight weeks after being hospitalized following a hit in Saturday's 48-24 loss to Texas Christian.
Webb, a freshman who was playing his first game, was admitted to Evanston Hospital with a lacerated liver. Webb got caught between two defenders as he threw an interception early in the fourth quarter.
The injury doesn't require surgery, but Webb expected to stay in the hospital for another two to three days.
Webb was the most impressive of the three Northwestern quarterbacks who played Saturday. He was 2-of-6 for 45 yards. He also ran for 20 yards.
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Sooners rally around Hybl after White's injury
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Jason White was the man Oklahoma wanted at quarterback. Now that he's out for the season, the Sooners will again count on Nate Hybl to carry their national championship hopes.
White tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first quarter of Oklahoma's wild 37-27 victory over Alabama on Saturday.
The second-ranked Sooners (2-0) blew a 20-point halftime lead, then scored two touchdowns in the final 2:11 to secure the victory.
Hybl, who lost the starting job to White last season before White hurt his other knee, came in and played well in the first half Saturday. Coach Bob Stoops said he and the Sooners are behind him.
``In practice, Nate's been very good,'' Stoops said. ``He gained a lot of experience a year ago. He's grown and progressed a lot since then. He made some great plays out there to help us win.''
Hybl threw a beautiful deep ball to Mark Clayton for a 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and he was 11-of-16 for 162 yards at halftime. But Hybl was off target through much of the second half. Regarded as less mobile than White, Hybl also was sacked five times.
``We don't want Jason to be hurt, but I'll promise you, our team has great confidence in Nate,'' Stoops said. ``I don't think that'll bother our offense at all.''
White won the job away from Hybl midway through last season, only to injure his left knee two games later. Hybl played the rest of the way and finished with 2,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, but with 13 interceptions. The Sooners went 11-2, but a late-November loss to Oklahoma State cost them a chance to repeat as national champions.
White came back and started the opener against Tulsa on Aug. 31, going 15-of-26 for 126 yards and two interceptions in a 37-0 victory. In the first quarter Saturday, he threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton that put the Sooners ahead 9-3.
White was hurt on a freak play later in the period. On second-and-5, he rolled out and collapsed as he tried to turn upfield on the Memorial Stadium grass.
The back-and-forth second half nearly overshadowed White's injury, and the Sooners' victory prompted references to ``Sooner Magic,'' a phrase coined by Barry Switzer's teams in the 1980s and resurrected by Bob Stoops' group in 2000.
Still, Oklahoma has several problems that have nothing to do with the quarterback position.
The offensive line struggled against the Crimson Tide (1-1), on both pass and run protection. The Sooners ran for 378 yards last week against Tulsa, the highest total in Stoops' three-plus seasons, but they had minus-23 yards Saturday.
Much of that can be attributed to sacks, although on running plays the Sooners gained minus-1 yard on 16 carries.
Oklahoma, usually strong in the special teams, had two punts blocked by Alabama, including one that was returned for a touchdown. The Sooners gave up a touchdown on a fake field goal, and they were snookered twice on kickoffs -- one an onside kick, one a pooch.
Then there's the defense, which was dominant in each of the past two years and was supposed to be good again this season. The unit looked the part in the first half, holding Alabama to 64 yards and two first downs. Then the Crimson Tide pounded the ball in the second half and racked up 224 yards.
Sooners co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said his group, which includes several first-year players, missed assignments and got out of position. But he said the opponent had something to do with the breakdowns, too.
``I think they're a lot better team than a lot of people give them credit for,'' he said. ``We'll see, when it's all said and done, what they do this year.''
The same might be said for Oklahoma.
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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- A third concussion within a year has put Colorado quarterback Craig Ochs's playing career in jeopardy.
The 18th-ranked Buffaloes have listed Ochs as doubtful for this weekend's game against Southern California. The junior left Saturday night's 34-14 victory over San Diego State at halftime.
Ochs was hit hard near the sideline at the end of a 10-yard scramble on the next-to-last play of the first half. He was taken by ambulance to Boulder Community Hospital as a precaution, but a CAT scan and other tests were negative.
Ochs' first concussion in college came last September against Kansas. Later in the season, he got a second one against Texas A&M and was held out of the Texas game. Ochs also had a concussion in high school.
Athletic department spokesman Dave Plati said Sunday that the coaching and medical staff will be especially cautious with Ochs during his recovery.
After Saturday's game, Colorado coach Gary Barnett deflected questions about Ochs' future.
``I understand and know what you're going to ask, and I don't have an answer for it,'' Barnett said. ``I'm not sure what the extent of his injury is going to be. For us, it means basically Robert Hodge now is going to have to step up.''
Hodge, a senior who was in for just 10 plays last year, got some rare playing time and made the most of it. He directed two second-half scores to help the Buffs pull away from the Aztecs.
Ochs threw two touchdown passes in the first half to help Colorado take a 31-14 lead.
Chris Brown ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns as the Buffaloes (1-1) rebounded from a season-opening loss to Colorado State. Colorado, however, fell one spot in the AP poll. The Buffs fell two spots in the coaches' poll, to 19th.
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Northwestern QB out at least eight weeks
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -- Northwestern quarterback Alexander Webb will be out at least eight weeks after being hospitalized following a hit in Saturday's 48-24 loss to Texas Christian.
Webb, a freshman who was playing his first game, was admitted to Evanston Hospital with a lacerated liver. Webb got caught between two defenders as he threw an interception early in the fourth quarter.
The injury doesn't require surgery, but Webb expected to stay in the hospital for another two to three days.
Webb was the most impressive of the three Northwestern quarterbacks who played Saturday. He was 2-of-6 for 45 yards. He also ran for 20 yards.
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Sooners rally around Hybl after White's injury
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Jason White was the man Oklahoma wanted at quarterback. Now that he's out for the season, the Sooners will again count on Nate Hybl to carry their national championship hopes.
White tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the first quarter of Oklahoma's wild 37-27 victory over Alabama on Saturday.
The second-ranked Sooners (2-0) blew a 20-point halftime lead, then scored two touchdowns in the final 2:11 to secure the victory.
Hybl, who lost the starting job to White last season before White hurt his other knee, came in and played well in the first half Saturday. Coach Bob Stoops said he and the Sooners are behind him.
``In practice, Nate's been very good,'' Stoops said. ``He gained a lot of experience a year ago. He's grown and progressed a lot since then. He made some great plays out there to help us win.''
Hybl threw a beautiful deep ball to Mark Clayton for a 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and he was 11-of-16 for 162 yards at halftime. But Hybl was off target through much of the second half. Regarded as less mobile than White, Hybl also was sacked five times.
``We don't want Jason to be hurt, but I'll promise you, our team has great confidence in Nate,'' Stoops said. ``I don't think that'll bother our offense at all.''
White won the job away from Hybl midway through last season, only to injure his left knee two games later. Hybl played the rest of the way and finished with 2,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, but with 13 interceptions. The Sooners went 11-2, but a late-November loss to Oklahoma State cost them a chance to repeat as national champions.
White came back and started the opener against Tulsa on Aug. 31, going 15-of-26 for 126 yards and two interceptions in a 37-0 victory. In the first quarter Saturday, he threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton that put the Sooners ahead 9-3.
White was hurt on a freak play later in the period. On second-and-5, he rolled out and collapsed as he tried to turn upfield on the Memorial Stadium grass.
The back-and-forth second half nearly overshadowed White's injury, and the Sooners' victory prompted references to ``Sooner Magic,'' a phrase coined by Barry Switzer's teams in the 1980s and resurrected by Bob Stoops' group in 2000.
Still, Oklahoma has several problems that have nothing to do with the quarterback position.
The offensive line struggled against the Crimson Tide (1-1), on both pass and run protection. The Sooners ran for 378 yards last week against Tulsa, the highest total in Stoops' three-plus seasons, but they had minus-23 yards Saturday.
Much of that can be attributed to sacks, although on running plays the Sooners gained minus-1 yard on 16 carries.
Oklahoma, usually strong in the special teams, had two punts blocked by Alabama, including one that was returned for a touchdown. The Sooners gave up a touchdown on a fake field goal, and they were snookered twice on kickoffs -- one an onside kick, one a pooch.
Then there's the defense, which was dominant in each of the past two years and was supposed to be good again this season. The unit looked the part in the first half, holding Alabama to 64 yards and two first downs. Then the Crimson Tide pounded the ball in the second half and racked up 224 yards.
Sooners co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said his group, which includes several first-year players, missed assignments and got out of position. But he said the opponent had something to do with the breakdowns, too.
``I think they're a lot better team than a lot of people give them credit for,'' he said. ``We'll see, when it's all said and done, what they do this year.''
The same might be said for Oklahoma.
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