After winning the final four games of the season last year, including a win in the Papajohns.com Bowl over South Carolina of the SEC, Husky football head coach Randy Edsall says the team has already shown in the pre-season that it wants to continue its winning ways in 2010.
The Huskies concluded a difficult 2009 season, after coping with the tragic death of Jasper Howard and losing five games by a total of 15 points. Edsall says the experience has made the 2010 squad “probably the closest a team has been since I’ve been here.”
Collectively, he says, the team has moved forward.
“We didn’t see peaks and valleys in practice,” says Edsall, who begins his 12th season leading the Huskies. “Their focus and the work they did in the summer time prepared them. It’s been businesslike.”

The UConn football team prepares for the season ahead. Photo by Bret Eckhardt

With three consecutive bowl games on their resume, the Huskies are gaining increased respect around the nation. The team received its highest pre-season ranking in the Big East Conference (third), as well as consideration in polls for a pre-season national ranking. The Athlon Sports 2010 College Football Annuals ranked UConn No. 20.
Not that the Huskies place too much emphasis on pre-season talk.
“We don’t look at the pre-season numbers,” says senior fullback Anthony Sherman, one of the co-captains. “We just want to prove we’re a little higher than they expected us to be.”
The season begins Sept. 4 on the road against Michigan. It will be the first game held in the renovated Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., the nation’s largest football stadium of any kind in the United States, with a capacity of 109,901.
“The way we look at it is that it’s just another team on our schedule,” Sherman says. “We can’t let that dictate the way we’re going to play. We need to execute what we need to execute first. Our expectations for this season were set last January, when we came back to prepare for this season. You take on yourself first before you worry about your opponents.”
Edsall says despite the departure of leading performers such as running back Andre Dixon, offensive tackle Mike Hicks, and defensive end Lindsey Witten, the returning Huskies exhibit the confidence of a team with experienced veterans.
“We lost some pretty good players from last year,” he says, “but we’ve added new players. We have to create our own new identity. They’re all doing their own part to establish their role in the success of the team.”

UConn football players Moe Petrus, left, and Zach Hurd can’t wait for the season to begin. Photo by Bret Eckhardt

The experienced offensive line is led by redshirt junior center Moe Petrus, who has been named to the 2010 Rimington Trophy Watch List. The Rimington Trophy is awarded to the top collegiate offensive center.
“I think this is going to be a big year for the O line,” says senior guard and co-captain Zach Hurd, a first team 2009 All-Big East selection named to the 2010 Outland Trophy Watch list, which recognizes top linemen in college football. “Everyone has stepped up and is starting to play real well together.”
On the defensive side, the Huskies will return eight starters, led by redshirt senior linebacker and co-captain Scott Lutrus. But the defensive line is already making adjustments, following the loss of redshirt sophomore defensive end Marcus Campbell, who suffered an injury that will put him on the sidelines for 2010.
“These are things you can’t control in football,” Edsall says. “When you lose a guy who’s played in games, that’s lost experience. Now other guys will get their opportunities, and they’ve got to step up.”
Among the returning anchors of the defense is senior linebacker Lawrence Wilson, a first team Big East selection in 2009 who was named to the 2010 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, which goes each year to the nation’s best defensive player.
Edsall will have an even closer look at the defensive side of the team this season. With this year’s young group of defensive backs, along with a new defensive back coach, Darrell Perkins, Edsall is doing double duty as head coach and working with the safeties. Edsall coached defensive backs at Syracuse, Boston College, the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL, and George Tech, before becoming head coach at UConn.

UCLA needed a win over Temple in the EagleBank Bowl to take over a winning record last season, as they finished up the 2009 campaign at 7-6. The Bruins however were just 3-6 in Pac-10 play, finishing ahead of only Arizona State and Washington State. The Bruins head into the 2010 season with 13 starters back, and enter the third season under head coach Rick Neuheisel. The talent is starting to grow on this team, and while they likely won’t win the conference this season, they could really surprise a lot of teams. Here is a quick breakdown of what the Bruins will look like this season, plus my prediction on where they finish the year in the Pac-10.
Offense:
The Bruins are hoping to get improved play out of quarterback Kevin Prince, who enters into his sophomore season after a pretty good freshman run, where he threw for 2,050 yards and eight touchdowns. If Prince improves as everyone expects he will, the Bruins should have one of their best offenses in years.
The running game will feature another talented sophomore in Johnathan Franklin, who led the Bruins with 566 yards and five touchdowns in 2009. Also back in the mix in the running game is junior Derrick Coleman, who had 244 yards on just 54 carries last season.
The Bruins will get their top two threats in the passing game back for the upcoming season, in juniors Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree, but they may end up taking a seat behind the talented freshman Malcolm Jones, who is expected to start right away. The Bruins are expected to fill the void at tight end with sophomore Joseph Fauria.
The offensive line welcomes back four starters from last season, but will have to find a new starting left tackle for the upcoming season. Heading into the fall it looks as though senior Micah Kia will take over that responsibility, as he has starting experience but was forced to sit out last season with a ACL injury.
Defense:
The Bruins only return five starters on this side of the ball, and were hit the hardest up front where they lose three starters, including the very talented defensive tackle Brian Price. Senior Kevin Carter and junior Nate Chandler are expected to take over in the middle, while freshman Owamagbe Odighizuwa looks to make an immediate impact starting opposite of junior Datone Jones at defensive end.
At linebacker the Bruins will have one of the best linebackers in the conference in junior strong-side linebacker Akeem Ayers, but they must replace both other spots this fall. It looks as though junior Steve Sloan will take over in the middle, while junior Sean Westgate is the leading candidate to take over on the weak side.
The Bruins bring back three starters in the secondary, and this unit will likely be one of the best the Pac-10 has to offer this season. A couple of sophomores will start at corner in Sheldon Price and Aaron Hester, and Price is expected to be one of the best in conference after a solid freshman season. At safety the Bruins have two very talented playmakers in junior free safety Rahim Moore and junior strong safety Tony Dye.
PAC 10 Prediction – Tie for 7th: The Bruins are a tough team to predict in 2010, as they have a lot of very good young talent. Despite the five conference home games the schedule is very tough for the Bruins this season, as the Pac-10 really looks strong in 2010. This team has a chance to be one of the surprise stories of the season, and could easily finish much higher than I have them predicted.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson emphatically answered any question about who would be the starter in Ann Arbor Saturday after an extremely impressive game against UConn

The sophomore from Deerfield Beach, Florida displayed pinpoint accuracy and flashed his trademark speed in a record-setting performance, running for 197 yards on 29 carries including a 32-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, leading Michigan to a season-opening 30-10 win against the Huskies, a team many thought would compete for a Big East title.

Robinson’s passing numbers were just as impressive completing 19 of 22 passes for 186 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back Vincent Smith.

Along the way, Robinson found eight different receivers and finished with an amazing 86% completion percentage.
UConn quarterback Zach Fraser, a Notre Dame transfer, passed for 205 yards and junior running back Jordan Todman rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Texas A & M (6-6) returns to the postseason after missing a bowl last season. Aggies, Mike Sherman has not been one of the best teams, but have been one of the most exciting. Led by dynamic quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who rank fifth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense. His defense, despite the efforts of the nation’s leading sack Von Miller, took 107 of 120 teams.
So the chances that the Independence Bowl becoming a shootout look good – especially star receiver AJ Green is effective in his return to the lineup of Georgia. Green was lost for the last time the Bulldogs’ two games with a shoulder injury.
Georgia won its last game without it, then do not upending. 7 Georgia Tech 30-24 on Nov. 26. This came two days after Texas AM & played its Big 12 Conference final against Texas. The Aggies took the second-ranked Longhorns a scare before falling 49-39.
Young Riders Georgia Levante
ground attack Georgia struggled from the start, but has received a boost freshman and sophomore Caleb King Washaun Ealey. Ealey has rushed for 639 yards and five touchdowns in eight games, and the king has 534 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. The two combined for 349 yards against Georgia Tech
Quarterback Joe Cox has gone from 2426 yards and 22 touchdowns, completing 56.1 percent of their shots. He has pitched 14 interceptions – 11 in eight games for his team in the Southeastern Conference.
Green has 47 receptions for 751 yards and six touchdowns iin nine games. Other threats are the rookie tight end Orson Charles (21 receptions, 366 yards, 3 TDs), Michael Moore (23 catches, 215 yards, five touchdowns) and freshman Tavarres King (18 receptions, 377 yards, 1 TD).
Sophomore Blair Walsh has connected on 19 of 21 field goal attempts and all 37 of his extra points, helping Georgia put up 27.7 points per game. The Bulldogs average 361.8 yards of total offense – a figure that would be much without the ball 27 that have committed
Bulldog best punter in the nation
Compounding the problem of the rotation is the fact that Georgia had just 10 steals, and turnover is the second worst in the FBS. But the Bulldogs have an All-American kicker Drew Butler. The sophomore averages 48.8 yards per punt best in the FBS. His net punting mark of 42.84 also leads the nation.
It also helps to have around Rennie Curran. Junior linebacker has collected 122 tackles, ranking 15 in the FBS. Safety Reshad Jones added 66 tackles, and he and cornerback Brandon Boykin each have three interceptions. Boykin is also an outstanding special teams, with two kickoff returns for touchdowns.
End Justin Houston has lost three games, but has posted 7.5 sacks, 28 Georgia, and his 38 tackles including 15 for losses. Geno Atkins tackle contibute 9.5 tackles for loss. Marcus Dowtin and linebackers Akeem Dent, Bryan Evans and security are also key players for a unit that is giving a respectable 328.4 yards per game. Georgia’s opponents are averaging 26.4 points.
A & M quarterback explosives as Passer, Runner
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Johnson heads a team of Texas A & M puts in 33.9 points and 465.3 yards per game. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior is a 61 percent passer who is thrown for 3.217 yards and 28 touchdowns against six interceptions. He’a also run for 455 yards and eight touchdowns, but has been sacked 25 times, too.
Freshman Christine Michael steps the ground attack with 767 yards and nine touchdowns, and sophomore Cyrus Gray has been launched in 752 yards and five touchdowns and a touchdown on a kickoff return.
A young receiving corps features Uzoma Nwachukwu first year (37 catches., 670 yards, six touchdowns) and sophomore Ryan Tannehill (44 receptions, 574 yards, 4 TDs). Jeff Fuller added 34 receptions for 466 yards, the second AM & tops in seven touchdown catches despite playing only eight games. Tight end Jamie McCoy has 31 receptions for 328 yards.
Miller Aggies “has 17 sacks
Miller, who plays a hybrid defensive end-linebacker hybrid, has registered an FBS-high 17 sacks. The 6-3, 240-pound junior has 44 tackles, including 21 losses and four forced fumbles.
High risk, high reward Aggies have recorded 36 sacks – tied for eighth in the FBS. But they are also giving a whopping 32.7 points and 431.3 yards per game. They have been particularly weak against the pass, yielding 262.8 yards.
Sophomore Trent Hunter leads U.S. & M in tackles with 88, and fellow safety Jordan Pugh has 75 tackles and three interceptions. The defense also has the linebacker Garrick Williams (71 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss), cornerback Terrence Frederick (56 tackles) and tackle Eddie Brown (4 sacks).
Georgia-History of Texas A & M Series
Texas AM & have a 3-1 lead in the series about Georgia. The last meeting was in 1980 when a team led by first year running back Herschel Walker routed A & M 42-0. The Bulldogs won the national title.
The previous game was a 6-0 Texas A & M in a 1954 victory. It was the triumph of the Aggies’ only in its first season under the direction of Paul “Bear” Bryant. AM & also beat Georgia 14-12 in 1953 and 40-20 in 1950 recounted a bowl game Cup Chair.

It’s the first Saturday of 2010 or, if you are a Florida Fan, 1 A.T. The noon hour is barren. Florida is playing Miami…of Ohio. Jimbo Fisher debuts as Florida State head coach…against Samford. The best game may be the directional matchup between Michigan St. vs. Western Michigan, and that’s saying something. Sparty destroyed Wastern 49-14 last year and ran up 602 yards of total offense. Kirk Cousins will be the starter. Quoting a friend: “If you can’t read and write, go to State. If you already have two strikes and a drug problem, go to Western.”

Despite the loss, hopefully the Owls will be able to turn things around this season. McGuffie is optimistic that his skills will come through for the team. “What I did at Michigan wasn’t a good judge of what can really happen, what I can do,” McGuffie said in an earlier interview (via freep.com). “I got hurt and I was smaller. Mentally, I wasn’t there all the way. Where I was then, still being able to start, play and do all of that, I did OK. But in my eyes, it wasn’t anything.”

McGuffie is from Cypress, Texas, and announced way back in 2008 he’d be leaving Michigan’s team after suffering 3 concussions in his freshman year. He was a well-known player before stepping into Wolverine territory thanks to a YouTube video of him playing in high school. In just one game with the Wolverines, he got 131 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving. Not too shabby. Now just repeat with Rice, McGuffie!

See more Sam McGuffie pics here:

Samford University, On the opening day of the 2010 Global Hoops Sports Show hosted by Auburn University, Auburn and will face Samford at 7 pm, for the first time in 46 years. The last time the rivals met in establishing the court was December 3, 1964, as the Tigers posted a 102-44 victory at Auburn. Samford trails in the series of all time by the number of 2-23.

Campbell Middle Tennessee and also participate in the 2010 Global Hoops Sports Showcase. The Bulldogs are scheduled to face Middle Tennessee on November 20 at 2 pm, and Campbell at 2 pm, November 21.

Tour said the breakthrough could be considerable commercial promise as the semiconductor industry looks for ways to put more information into a single chip.
PrivaTran worked in close collaboration with researchers at Rice to create working prototypes containing 1,000 memory elements. The prototypes are being tested.
“Everyone is excited,” said executive director Glenn Mortland PrivaTran. “When you can demonstrate a 1K (1000 bits) of memory in a wide desk,” people in the semiconductor industry to take note, he said. This is due to a technology that can expand to a prototype of this size has the potential to be further expanded too much larger memory devices.
The discovery could potentially be large but is small in size. The researchers have developed nanocrystal cables that are as small as five nanometers (five billionths of a meter) wide, which is much smaller than the critical dimensions of current next-generation chips.
PrivaTran are using technology in various projects with the support of the Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.
Like many small businesses technology PrivaTran – which has 10 employees – is competing for federal funds through the Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer programs. The company, which employs silicon designers and process engineers, Rice has been working with for three years.
PrivaTran to share intellectual property and patents jointly with Rice. The company and Rice will soon be talking to the memory chipmakers to measure interest in the commercialization of technology.
“If this is the right solution for the market, we could be sitting on top of a very promising technology,” Mortland said. “It’s good to see that something we have been working for three years in order to prove themselves.”

As TMZ first reported, Schimmel was the passenger in a serious car accident after his daughter, who was driving at the time, swerved to avoid an accident. She’s still in the hospital, but we’re told she’ll be ok.Comedian Robert Schimmel just passed away from injuries sustained in a car crash, which came as a total surprise, and a sad one at that. Schimmel had overcome cancer and I must admit when I saw the headline, I thought it had come back and killed him. I hadn’t heard that he had been in the crash, so it was quite a shock to say the least. He was one of the funniest (and filthiest) comedians alive and knew no bounds when it came to getting laughs.

exclusively to this area.

If you’re not familiar with any of the bands preforming, there is no need to worry. Last FM and the website of the Festival of f and f are the first stops for up to minutes for updates and information on all the acts on the bill.

One of the festivals most popular indie rock in the world returns to its seventh edition with a poster that will fill you with such joy.

Fyf Fest 2010 will feature many of the best-and-coming artists in the world like ours KROQ Only local bands The Rapture, Cold Cave, and the natives of Costa Best Local name a few.

The Los Angeles State Historic Park will take center stage more than 35 of the best underground rock bands will perform on Saturday, September 04.

ESPNU has announced its HBCU (Historically Black College/University) schedule for the 2010 college football season featuring games from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) leagues.

The MEAC will have eight games televised, highlighted by six conference matchups and two wildcard picks to be announced at a later date. Conference action begins Thursday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. ET with Hampton at Delaware State. South Carolina State, the defending conference champion, has two appearances on ESPNU and Delaware State and Florida A&M, will also have two each.

Seven SWAC games will be televised in the lineup, including six conference matchups, culminating with the Farmers SWAC Championship Game at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. on ESPN Classic. The conference slate opens with the State Fair Classic from the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 25, at 10:30 p.m. on ESPNU featuring Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling. Defending SWAC Champion Prairie View A&M, along with Grambling and Arkansas Pine-Bluff, each have two appearances.

As part of the HBCU series, the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney will open play at the Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 5, at noon on ESPN featuring Southern vs. Delaware State. The MEAC leads the series 4-1.

HBCU Football Schedule (Schedule subject to change)

Date Time Game Site Conference Network
Sun, Sep 5 Noon Southern vs. Delaware State Orlando, Fla. SWAC/MEAC ESPN
Sat, Sep 25 10:30 p.m.* Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling Dallas, Texas SWAC ESPNU
Thu, Sep 30 7:30 p.m. Hampton at Delaware State Dover, Del. MEAC ESPNU
Sat, Oct 2 10:30 p.m.* South Carolina State at Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. MEAC ESPNU
Thu, Oct 7 7:30 p.m. Prairie View A&M at Arkansas Pine-Bluff Pine Bluff, Ark. SWAC ESPNU
Thu, Oct 21 7:30 p.m. Arkansas Pine-Bluff at Alcorn State Alcorn, Miss. SWAC ESPNU
Thu, Oct 28 7:30 p.m. North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla. MEAC ESPNU
Thu, Nov 11 7:30 p.m. Grambling at Texas Southern Houston, Texas SWAC Classic
7:30 p.m. South Carolina State at Morgan State Baltimore, Md. MEAC ESPNU
Sat, Nov 20 2:30 p.m. Bethune Cookman vs. Florida A&M Orlando, Fl. MEAC Classic
Thu, Nov 25 4:00 p.m. Tuskegee vs. Alabama State Montgomery, Ala. SWAC ESPNU
Sat, Dec 11 2:00 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Birmingham, Ala. SWAC Classic
Sat, TBD 10:30 p.m.* TBD vs. TBD TBD MEAC ESPNU
Sat, TBD 10:30 p.m.* TBD vs. TBD TBD MEAC ESPNU
* – Same-day delay