WAC Notes

Hawaii – QB Bryant Moniz missed last week with bruised ribs but is expected back this week.

Idaho – Starting QB Nathan Enderle is expected to be back in action and to start this week after missing the last two games (both losses) with a rotator cuff injury.

New Mexico St – NMSt snapped a 20 quarter TD drought on offense by scoring two TD’s in the 4Q against Nevada last week.

RB Seth Smith is being bothered by a shoulder injury. Backup Tony Glynn is expected to see an increase in his carries. HC DeWayne Walker said he expects Smith to play the rest of the season but stated, “I knew this probably could happen earlier in the year. We just ran him to death, and rightfully so. He’s just going to have to battle through it to try and get through the season.”

San Jose St – RB Patrick Perry is expected to get the start this week over Lamon Muldrow after Muldrow fumbled late in the 4Q last week with the Spartans having a chance for the win.

DT Adonis Davis is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a sprained ankle against Hawaii last week.

Utah St – While the record may not indicate it, the Aggies are an improved team over last year. Last season Utah State finished 3-9 and this year the Aggies are 3-8 with one game remaining. However, USU has played in five games decided by one score or less this year but went 1-4 in those contests.

SEC Notes

Florida – Head Coach Meyer has never lost to FSU and if they win this week he can become just the 2nd coach to win 5 in a row vs Bobby Bowden (other coach is former Miami HC Coker). It would be Florida’s 6th straight win over FSU.

Georgia – HC Richt said he is hopeful to get WR Green (9 starts, 47 rec, 16.0) back from a shoulder injury and backup Safety Rambo (21 tackles, 5 pbu, 2 interceptions) back from a concussion after both missed last week. Green is a game time decision.

Kentucky – UK has never finished #2 in the SEC East since they expanded to 12 teams and has a chance to do that if they beat Tennessee this week.

LSU – Head Coach Miles took the blame for the clock mismanagement, but said after the game that he didn’t know who called for QB Jefferson to spike the ball on the last play. TV replays show Miles making the spiking gesture on the sidelines.

South Carolina – DE Cliff Matthews (10 starts, 41 tackles, 6 sacks) will be close to 100% from a dislocated shoulder he suffered on 10/31. He will undergo surgery after the bowl.

Tennessee – Kiffin said they lost 14 kids that were on scholarship (dismissed or left team) plus had 6 season ending injuries so they are 20 scholarships short at this point.

Vanderbilt – RB Warren Norman passed former Georgia RB Herschel Walker for the most all-purpose yards by a frosh in SEC history. He also set VU’s record single season all-purpose yards with 1,941.

SBC Notes

Arkansas St – QB Corey Leonard (ACL right knee) is out for the season. He was injured last week at Middle Tennessee. Redshirt frosh Ryan Aplin will start.

Western Kentucky – Willie Taggart, 33, was named new head coach Monday, Nov 23. He is a former WKU QB (1995-‘98) and most recently (2007-‘09) was RB coach at Stanford. He was an assistant coach at WKU 1999-‘06.

Florida Atlantic – Schnellenberger called last week’s 47-21 loss to Troy “an embarrassment for our program.” Two weeks after allowing a school-record 622 yards to UAB, the Owls extended that record to 651 yards vs Troy.

Troy – A win this week and the Trojans would be the first SBC team to go 8-0.

Louisiana – TE Ladarius Green and QB Brad McGuire returned from injury to play last week. Both had missed the past 3 games. Green set career highs with 7 receptions for 131 yards, and McGuire ran 7 times for just 11 yards, but twice for touchdowns.

ULM – Starting WR LaGregory Sapp (arm) is out for the season.

Middle Tennessee – MT can win a share of the SBC Title with a win and a loss by Troy. MT can set a school FBS record with its ninth win.

MWC Notes

BYU – Mitch Payne is 1 PAT away from breaking the MWC record for PAT’s held by his older brother, Matt.

For the 1st time all season Pitta wasn’t double and tripled team – the result was his 1st 100 yd game of the season.

Utah – Players spoke freely about rivalry game. LB Mike Wright said “we’re going to show them what’s up this upcoming weekend.” BYU is staying mum.

Colorado St – Last week was CSU’s 8th straight loss, the longest single-season losing streak since 1981’s 0-12 disaster.

San Diego St – Ten minutes after the Utah loss, Sampson proclaimed that the basic difference between the Aztecs and the Utes was not athletes, but attitude.

TCU – With a win Saturday – this senior class will pass last year’s senior class for most wins (currently tied at 41).

TCU is off to best start since 1938 when the ‘38 team finished 11-0 and ranked #1 in AP final poll.

Wyoming – Carta-Samuels was pulled after throwing his 4th interception, but it was more about saving him for this week rather than his errant pass.

Big 12 Notes

Kansas – QB Reesing on the Texas loss, “This was really the first time we played a better team. … They outplayed us, and they were more talented today.”

HC Mangino is not commenting on the investigation involving his treatment of players at this point saying he’ll get back to it when it “plays out” and for now, “I’m doing my job to get ready for Missouri, that’s a big game, really important to our players, it’s important to our fans/students.”

Missouri – With a win vs KU will become the winningest 4 year group in school history, currently tied with last year’s squad at 37 wins

Baylor – “I don’t feel like we’re building a program, I feel like we’re fighting our tails off to make Baylor football respectable,” HC Briles said after last week’s loss which eliminated them from a bowl. “To me, that’s not building. That’s what you’re supposed to do”

Texas Tech – With last week’s win over OU, Leach passed Spike Dykes for the most wins as a Head Coach in school history at 83.

Oklahoma – OU surrendered a season high 32 FD’s & 549 yards offense (worst loss since 2005). Head Coach Stoops “That’s the first time the defense looked that way. Weren’t as sharp as they’ve been.” DC Venables said, “We didn’t play with the kind of discipline and purpose we have all year.”

Big East Notes

Syracuse – B Carter  (#1 RB) said he sustained a neck stinger after being tackled in the second half he is questionable,

USF – Will be without RG Zach Hermann (neck).

Pac-10 Notes

Stanford – Starting DE Erik Lorig is all but guaranteed to miss again here with a knee injury. Lorig hasn’t played since week 4 and probably won’t be ready until their bowl game.

Washington St – Cougar HC Wulff said that he is cautiously optimistic that QB Jeff Tuel would be able to play this week. As of now it appears that he is gametime decision and Kevin Lopina will start again if need be. WSU had just 16,000 people in attendance in their FHG last week, the least amount since a makeup game vs Montana St (9/11 makeup game).

Washington – Starting DT Cameron Elisara hasn’t played since Oct 17th but did return to practice this week and may return. Starting LB EJ Savannah remains out (missed the last 2 weeks) with a hand injury. Unless there is a heavy run in ticket sales this week, this could be the 1st Apple Cup crowd under 70, 000 since Husky Stadium was expanded in 1987.

USC – Trojans have allowed just nine TD passes in 10 games.

UCLA – In win against Arizona State, Bruin defense forced six turnovers, including recovering five fumbles.  That is the most fumbles recovered in a game by UCLA since 1998 (vs USC). UCLA’s offensive line has improved this year. USC’s front-seven has seemed to get worse. Both units have suffered significant injuries, but the Bruins seem to have been more resilient overcoming them.

Arizona – Starting RB Nic Grigsby will miss this weekend’s game with an ongoing shoulder issue that has either kept him out altogether or has forced him to leave after minimal playing time.

Arizona St – ASU will finish with back-to-back losing seasons for the 1st time since ’46-’47, and for the 1st time in Dennis Erickson’s 21 year coaching career.

ACC Notes

Clemson – RB C.J. Spiller set the ACC single-season record for all-purpose yards after rushing for 58 yards, grabbing 5 receptions (39 yards), gaining 17 yards on punt returns to raise his total to 2,066 yards, 12 more than the record all-purpose yards record set by UVA’s Thomas Jones in 1999.

Duke – Starting DT Vince Oghobaase (7 starts, 33 tackles, 6.5 tfl, 2.5 sacks) remained out of the lineup and his college career might be over.

DC Mike MacIntyre has been named National Assistant Coach of the Year by AFCA.

Florida St – Starting LG Rodney Hudson (knee) won’t play, costing FSU their top OL.

Georgia Tech – WR Demaryius Thomas leads the nation in yards per catch (24.4), which also is the best mark in Tech history.

Maryland – Maryland is headed for the first 10 loss season in school history.

Miami – Veteran starter LT Jason Fox is doubtful with undisclosed illness. Has only missed 2 games in his career.

NC State – OC Dana Bible has been diagnosed with leukemia. Starting LG Julian Williams, who found out just minutes before he faced reporters at Monday’s press conference, said the rivalry with North Carolina just took on “10 times” more meaning.

Virginia – Virginia’s run defense held Clemson senior star RB C.J. Spiller to 58 yards on the ground.