3BLACK E3 DAILY 10-25-08 MD RE E3 BLACK The Washington Post Saturday, October COLLEGE FOOTBALL R 25, 2008 E3 ON THE HOOK FRONT LINE MIDDLE GROUND Virginia at No. 21 Georgia Tech, As Injuries Mount, So Do 3:30 p.m., ESPNU; Virginia Tech at No. 24 Florida State, 3:30 p.m., WJLA-7, Bulldogs’ Rushing Yards WMAR-2. The task of Georgia’s offensive line has been unen- Virginia, the team that remains, statis- viable for most of the season: gather up enough tically, one of the worst offensive teams in all healthy bodies each week to assemble a unit that can of college football, is in contention for a divi- cohesively block for star tailback Knowshon Moreno. sion title and a spot in the Atlantic Coast Con- As one lineman after another succumbed to an as- ference title game. Read that last sentence sorted variety of injuries, that task grew increasingly twice. Put an ice pack over your head. And difficult — and the Bulldogs’ schedule is not helping then watch the Cavs take on Georgia Tech, matters. which is learning a little something about This week, Georgia squares off against Louisiana moving the football under first-year coach State, which is No. 16 in the nation in rushing defense. Paul Johnson . The Bulldogs, who have used four starting combina- Meantime, Virginia Tech will be trying to tions this season, will go with the same group as last keep its ACC title hopes alive when it faces week: sophomore Clint Boling, below with Moreno, at Florida State. The Seminoles rank No. 3 in the left tackle, freshman Cordy Glenn at left guard, fresh- nation in total defense, which is not some- man Ben Jones at center, redshirt sophomore Chris thing the anemic Hokies offense needs to hear Davis at right guard and redshirt freshman Justin An- — much less oppose — at the moment. Quar- derson at right tackle. Seven of LSU’s top eight defen- terback Tyrod Taylor can run for only so many sive linemen are upperclassmen. yards. “When you look at it on paper,” Georgia Coach Mark Richt told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ear- BY GENE J. PUSKAR — ASSOCIATED PRESS lier this week, “it is pretty scary, to say the least.” Penn State’s Daryll Clark, left, will lead the Nittany Lions in their Big Ten showdown on the road against Ohio St. The Bulldogs’ front line has been decimated by in- juries this season. Georgia lost its best offensive line- No. 8 Texas Tech at No. 19 Kansas, noon, ESPN; No. 7 Oklahoma State at No. 1 Texas, 3:30 p.m., SECONDARY man, left tackle Trinton Sturdi- pay-per-view; No. 9 Georgia at No. 11 Louisiana State, 3:30 p.m., WUSA-9, WJZ-13; No. 3 Penn State vant, in August to a season- at No. 10 Ohio State, 8 p.m., WJLA-7, WMAR-2. No. 25 Minnesota at Purdue, noon, ESPN ending knee injury. A Classic; Michigan State at Michigan, 3:30 knee injury also claimed Three critical intra-conference matchups highlight Yes, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is the current Heis- p.m., ESPN2; No. 2 Alabama at Tennessee, the rest of tackle Vince this weekend’s slate of games. The game with the most man Trophy front-runner, but Cowboys quarterback 7:45 p.m., ESPN. Vance’s season on national title implications will take place in Columbus, Zac Robinson leads the fourth-best scoring offense in Oct. 11. Ohio, where Ohio State faces Penn State. The Big Ten the nation, and he has wideout Dez Bryant, one of the Minnesota has reappeared in the top 25 “Every week is a has no conference championship game, and several of most underrated playmakers in the nation, at his dispos- thanks, in large part, to the performance of challenge for those the conference’s traditional powers (Michigan, Wiscon- al. wideout Eric Decker, who ranks fifth in the na- guys, really and tru- sin and Illinois) are mired in down years, which means Georgia tailback Knowshon Moreno is one of top run- tion in receiving yards per game with 111.7. ly,” Richt said. the winner of this game stands a decent chance of win- ners in the nation, though the Bulldogs’ rushing offense The sky may continue to fall in Ann Arbor if “They’re still feel- ning the remainder of its regular season schedule. Keep squares off against a stingy foe in Louisiana State this Michigan State’s Javon Ringer has another ban- ing their way an eye on the quarterback matchup: Most college foot- week. LSU is allowing opponents just 96.7 rushing ner day and Michigan can’t figure out a way to around a little ball fans have been hearing about Buckeyes quarterback yards per game. Moreno, on the other hand, is rushing get Rich Rodriguez’s state-of-the-art offense bit.” Terrelle Pryor for years, but Penn State’s Daryll Clark for 108.9 yards per game. out of park. Despite a 3-4 record, Tennessee — Steve Yanda might have more impact on the outcome of this game. If it’s an aerial show you’re after, tune in for Texas ranks second in the Southeastern Conference Speaking of quarterback play, take note of both signal Tech-Kansas. Red Raiders quarterback Graham Harrell in total defense; the Vols will need that and callers in the Texas-Oklahoma State matchup, as well. is averaging 394.4 passing yards per game. more against Alabama. FIRST DOWN SECOND DOWN THIRD DOWN FOURTH DOWN Looking Around Well Running Dry Platoon Possible Mouth Off-Limits Syracuse Athletic Director Daryl Gross hired The BP Capital hedge fund of Oklahoma State South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier told After Purdue’s loss to Northwestern on Oct. 18, search consultant Chuck Neinas and reached out booster T. Boone Pickens has dropped so low reporters that quarterbacks Stephen Garcia and tailback Kory Sheets criticized quarterback Curtis to Connecticut Coach Randy Edsall to gauge his during the current economic crisis that university Chris Smelley might split time during South Painter for not finding him. “I’m kind of getting interest in taking over for Greg Robinson, officials put on hold the academic village it was Carolina’s next game, Nov. 1 against Tennessee. used to it,” Sheets told the Courier & Journal. according to a report in Wednesday’s New York supposed to fund. Two years ago, Pickens Garcia started an Oct. 18 loss against LSU, and When asked if Painter was capable of leading the Times. Edsall denied he has been donated $165 million to his alma Smelley had started the six games Boilermakers — losers of their past contacted by Syracuse. Late mater for athletic programs, and the prior. “Both of them play better off four games — Sheets paused and Wednesday night, Gross denied to university immediately invested it the bench; that’s what we’ve then said, “No comment.” That did the Syracuse Post-Standard he had into Pickens’s hedge fund in an learned,” Spurrier said. “So maybe not sit well with Coach Joe Tiller, hired any search firms. Robinson is attempt to grow the gift. Oklahoma we’ll start [walk-on] Zac Brindise who said Sheets “has grown 8-34 at Syracuse and his job security officials will not say how much of and then bring both of them in. [physically] but not intellectually in remains in question. the fund remains. Maybe that’s the way to go.” the last four years.” THURSDAY NIGHT’S GAMES Mids Want Offense to Run Smoothly Again White Brings West Va. Back By Camille Powell staff: What’s our confidence like? Washington Post Staff Writer We try to be psychologists and try Associated Press four straight entering the heart of to figure it out, but we’ve got to the Big East schedule. So much of Navy’s offensive come out and go to work. They’re West Virginia quarterback Pat “Now people can see we are on identity is built on its ability to run still confident.” White never lost his focus. a roll,” said wide receiver Dorrell the football, whether it’s grinding Midshipmen Note: Senior quar- After two early interceptions Jalloh, who caught two scoring out yards or exploding for big terback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enha- helped Auburn take a double- passes from White. plays. So when the Midshipmen da, who is nursing a strained left digit lead, White put aside the K AIR FORCE 23, NEW MEXICO 10: have a game like they did last Sat- hamstring, might not resume play- mistakes to throw three touch- The overworked Air Force de- urday against then-No. 23 Pitts- ing until Nov. 15, when Navy plays down passes. With Noel Devine fense was frazzled and fatigued burgh, when they ran for a season- Notre Dame in Baltimore. Kahea- rushing for a career-high 207 — not that safety Aaron Kirchoff low 194 yards, it’s only natural to ku-Enhada initially hurt his ham- yards, that was more than minded rumbling 96 yards on a be disappointed. string in the first scrimmage, made enough for the Mountaineers to fumble return. “We’re all frustrated,” said sen- his season debut five weeks later beat the visiting Tigers, 34-17, “I just reverted to my running ior fullback Eric Kettani, who had against Duke, and then aggravated Thursday night. back days,” Kirchoff said of his just 13 yards on eight carries, one the injury two weeks later against “It made me mad,” White said game-changing touchdown, of the least productive games of his Wake Forest. of his first-quarter picks.