Wilbon sparks Meteors

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Wilbon sparks De La Salle rally

BY MICHAEL WOJTYCHIW                                                                     September 3, 2011

 For Sun-Times Media

De La Salle used the legs of Mikale Wilbon for the second consecutive week as it overcame a halftime deficit to claim a 30-22 comeback win against visiting Gordon Tech Friday.

“Gordon is a good team and they scouted our stuff really well,’’ Wilbon said. “They watched our tape and executed their plays well, but we were able to overcome it and pull out the win.’’

The Meteors (2-0) got on the board first, as they took a 13-play drive and turned it into a 27-yard field goal by Jonathan Hope.

But the Rams got it back real fast, as Habeeb Durojaiye returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to put the visitors ahead.

“They saw our coverage and saw we weren’t covering the edges,’’ De La Salle coach Dan O’Keefe said. “We gave them that and they were able to exploit it. We can’t do that.’’

After combining for 24 points in the entire first half, the two teams combined for 21 points in the first 1:58 of the second half.

After Gordon (1-1) fumbled the opening kickoff of the half, Wilbon, who finished the game with 30 carries, 247 yards and three touchdowns, scored the first of his touchdowns on a five-yard rush.

Durojaiye then returned his second kickoff down the right sideline for a touchdown, this one 84 yards.

Wilbon scored the second of his scores on the next possession, as he rushed for a 22-yard score, finishing a drive that saw him run for 40 yards.

Wilbon scored his last touchdown on a 90-yard run after the defense stuffed the Rams at the 10-yard line.

“I was really worried bout the game,’’ O’Keefe said. “This is a really good team and that quarterback (Julian Russell) is a great quarterback.’’

Russell finished with 91 yards rushing on 19 carries. He also scored on a 26-yard keeper.

Week 2 Observations

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  • Brandon Weeden rewrote the Oklahoma State record book against Arizona with 42 completions on 53 pass attempts. He finished with 397 passing yards, narrowly missed throwing for 400 yards for the 4th time in his career. Continue reading →

Week 1 Observations

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  • FIU had school records for points in a quarter (28) and points in a season opener (41)
  • Georgia Tech had more yards passing in the first quarter (148) of its win over Western Carolina than it had in any game last season (130 in an Oct. 2 win over Wake Forest).
  • Rutgers’ shutout of North Carolina Central was the Knights’ second straight season-opening shutout, and it was the biggest shutout win in a season opener since a 66-0 romp over Ursinus in 1918.
  • Vick Ballard thrives outside of the SEC. The Mississippi State RB now has six career multi-TD games, five of them against non-conference opponents.  He rushed for 166 yards and three scores on 10 carries in the Bulldogs’ romp over Memphis.
  • Mississippi State (1-0) has won 12 straight against Memphis (0-1), dating back to 1993.
  • Montee Ball notched his seventh career game with multiple rushing TDs. Ball now has 17 touchdowns, dating back from November 1 of the 2010 season.  Those 17 touchdowns are most in college football in that time frame.
  • B.J. Cunningham set career highs with 9 catches for 129 yards against Youngstown State. He now has 148 catches in his career, passing Andre Rison and tying Matt Trannon for the most in school history.
  • TCU allowed 54 points and seven touchdowns in five road games last season. On Friday, TCU allowed 50 points and seven touchdowns.
  • TCU had won an FBS-best 25 consecutive regular-season games before its loss to Baylor.  It is the Bears’ first win over a ranked opponent since 2004
  • Notre Dame lost its season opener for the fourth time in the past 15 seasons. The Irish finished with non-winning records in all the previous occasions. Twice, it resulted in the Irish changing coaches.
  • Michael Floyd, reinstated to the team last month following his suspension for drunken driving, made 12 catches and became the Irish’s career leader in receptions, passing Jeff Samardzija (179). Floyd now has 183.
  • With its 42-38 comeback win over Utah State on Saturday, Auburn has now won its last 9 games decided by 8 points or fewer (including a 7-0 record in such games last year on the way to the national championship). That’s the longest active win streak in such close games in FBS, and the longest streak since BYU won 13 straight in games decided by 8 points or fewer from September 29, 2007 to October 23, 2010.
  • Auburn has won its past 16 games, but nine of them have been by eight points or less.
  • Luke Fickell is the 14th Ohio State coach to post a shutout victory in his coaching debut. He was the first to do so in his Buckeye debut since Woody Hayes in 1951. The 42-point victory was the 4th-largest shutout win by a Ohio State coach in his debut.
  • Alabama quarterbacks AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims each threw two interceptions Saturday. The last time the Crimson Tide were intercepted four times in a game was Nov. 30, 2002, against Hawaii.
  • Mikel Hunter’s 80 yard reverse for a touchdown is Air Force’s longest touchdown in 13 years
  • With 17 receptions against Minnesota on Saturday, Robert Woods set a USC single-game record.  His quarterback Matt Barkley completed a school-record 34 passes.
  • UNC QB Bryn Renner finished 22-23 with a completion percentage of 95.7, just shy of the NCAA record of 95.8 set by Tennessee’s Tee Martin in 1998 (min. 20 completions).
  • Houston quarterback Case Keenum recorded his 26th career 300-yard passing game Saturday versus UCLA. That is the most among active FBS quarterbacks, and 5th most since 2000.
  • Sacramento State’s win over Oregon State gives them a 1-10 record against FBS teams since 2002.
  • Andrew Luck threw his 46th and 47th career touchdown passes Saturday, the fourth-most in Stanford history. He already holds the single-season record, throwing 32 last season. If he throws 32 again this season, he would tie John Elway for the most in school history.
  • Washington State lost starting quarterback Jeff Tuel to a fractured left clavicle.
  • Chris Rainey became the third player in the nation since 1996 to have a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a return for a touchdown in the same game, as the Gators beat FAU 41-3.
  • The Richmond Spiders, members of the Football Championship Subdivision, beat the Duke Blue Devils of the ACC for the third time in the last six seasons.
  • Eastern Washington’s Bo Levi Mitchell attempted 69 passes against Washington as the Huskies beat Eastern Washington 30-27. That’s the most passes attempted against Washington by an individual QB in school history. Mitchell had 473 yards passing. That’s tied for the 3rd-most against Washington by an individual QB in school history.
  • UCF set a school record with eight rushing touchdowns.
  • New Mexico State rushed for just six yards in their 44-24 loss to Ohio.
  • Texas did not throw an interception in their season opener against Rice. Over the last 2 seasons, Texas is 5-0 when they do not throw an interception, and 1-7 when they throw at least 1.
  • Ryan Lindley, who completed 15 of 27 passes for 203 yards, became the Aztecs’ all-time leader in touchdown passes when he teamed up with Colin Lockett for an 18-yard TD late in the third quarter. The TD pass was his 71st of his career, surpassing Todd Santos, who had 70 from 1984 through 1987.
  • The season-opening loss at Hawaii was Colorado’s 18th straight loss on the road, 19 counting the 2007 Independence Bowl. Colorado hasn’t won on the road since beating Texas Tech on Oct. 27, 2007.

Preseason Week Four in Conference USA’s West Division

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Houston – Philip Causey suffered a season-ending knee injury, the team’s only major injury coming out of camp…Backup junior center Blake Sargent will be sidelined for at least the first month of the season. He underwent surgery on the shoulder that he injured in spring practice on Monday morning…Defensive tackle Joey Mbu is one of the true freshmen that figures to be in the mix for some playing time this fall…The strong safety spot is still up for grabs, according to coach Kevin Sumlin. Both Kent Brooks and Colton Valencia will play, at this point, it’s just a matter of who goes out there and lines up for the first snap.

Rice – Sr. LT Jake Hicks (calf), Jr. TE Taylor Cook (knee) and Jr. RB Sam McGuffie (undisclosed) were slowed during camp but are now fit…Rice coaches say that McGuffie is one of the toughest players they’ve seen…Rice has lost 41 of last 42 meetings with Texas, including last 22 in Austin. Owls haven’t won in Austin since 1965…UT has averaged 53.6 points in its last three games home games against Rice…Linebacker Trey Briggs (ACL) has been cleared but won’t play in the season opener.

SMU – Walk-on kicker Chase Hover is slated to handle kickoffs and place kicking…Kenneth Acker has won the open starting job at right cornerback and Victor Jones at outside linebacker…Torlan Pittman is back at nose as expected after missing last year dealing with a legal issue…SMU has been lobbying hard this week for a shot to replace Texas A&M, who has filed paperwork to leave the conference

Tulane – Strong safety Taylor Echols spent much of fall camp battling for the top spot with Kyle Davis. But Echols incurred a concussion last week and has been sidelined since. Bob Toledo said Davis will get the start on Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana..A week after getting ejected from practice for losing his temper, defense tackle Shane Delery is now suspended for the Green Wave’s first game on Saturday…Tulane freshman defensive back Renaldo Thomas practiced last Friday for the first time since losing consciousness during a drill two weeks ago.  Coaches said he will not play defense the first week or two, but may play special teams

Tulsa – Tulsa WR Damaris Johnson arrested, booked on complaint of felony embezzlement charge on Thursday morning…Bob Stoops said he has always been a fan of Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship and that he has respect for the Tulsa program and success they’ve had

UTEP – Right tackle James Nelson, who has a high ankle sprain, will miss up to a month, but Aubrey Alexius’ quadriceps, Jerel Watkins’ ankle and James Robinson’s knee could be healthy in time for next week’s game at SMU…Freshman James Martin will start in place of Nelson…

Preseason Week Four in Conference USA’s East Division

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East Carolina– Head coach Ruffin McNeill expects his top four outside linebackers to get nearly an equal share of the action against South Carolina…Set to miss the showdown against the Gamecocks due to injury are defensive back Desi Brown (doubtful, right shoulder), inside linebacker Kyle Tudor (doubtful, left knee), and offensive linemen Drew Gentry (out, left knee) and Mack Helms (out, concussion). Defensive end John Lattimore (knee) and defensive tackle Leroy Vick (knee) are both out for the season…Defensive back Emanuel Davis and receiver Michael Bowman were suspended by McNeill following their arrests by Greenville police on June 17.  They will sit out Saturday’s opener.

Marshall– Troy Evans was indefinitely suspended after he was arrested Tuesday in connection to several armed robberies that took place over the weekend…True freshman Rakeem Cato earned the starting nod at quarterback…Tight end Eric Frohnapfel is the other true freshman to get the starting nod…Aaron Dobson, appearing recovered from a nagging hamstring injury, will start at the X receiver spot…Tron Martinez OR Travon Van who will be taking Mountaineer Field first as the team’s starting running back. In other words, the two will most likely split carries.

Memphis – Despite suspending five players for their opener against Memphis, Mississippi State defeated the Tigers 59-14…A year after starting against MSU at quarterback, Cannon Smith started against the Bulldogs at strong safety…The Tigers committed four penalties on their first nine offensive plays…Freshman Taylor Reed and Andy Summerlin rotated at quarterback, with Reed getting the majority of the snaps, completing 23/35 passes for 149 yards, with a touchdown and interception

Southern Miss – Southern Miss was cited for numerous secondary violations: USM football coach Larry Fedora, while attending a high school game his son was playing in November of 2008, gave a radio interview at the game, which is not permitted by NCAA rules; The USM football strength and conditioning staff created videos of summer workouts and put them on a YouTube channel the staff created for the public to view in 2011; A rivals.com media member, Lanny Mixon, attended an event for football prospects on campus on Feb. 26, 2011, and published photos of prospects at the event, which is against NCAA rules; A non-coaching member of the football staff helped the coaching staff send in signals during the 2011 football spring game; A football camp brochure was 17×25 inches, with three inches being a tear-out registration form. The NCAA allows only a 17×22-inch brochure; A student-athlete, a football kicker, who had not signed a student-athlete statement and drug testing consent form, was allowed to participate in practice activities in 2009…

UAB – Nolen Smith looks like he is a pure receiving threat at tight end and coaches are looking for him to put up big numbers, despite playing a new position…Three true freshmen, including kicker Ty Long, are penciled in for the UAB starting lineup when the Blazers open the season against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 10.  Other freshmen expected to start are tight end Kennard Backman and defensive end Diaheem Watkins.

UCF – Brynn Harvey is coming off of an ACL injury, which caused him to miss the 2010 season.  He was a first team  All-Conference USA player in 2009…Senior starter Josh Linam is the sole linebacker with significant game-day experience…UCF returns three players — Jeff Godfrey, Latavius Murray and Ronnie Weaver — who rushed for at least 10 touchdowns apiece last season.

De La Salle wins opener

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De La Salle handles Lane with ease
BY  MICHAEL WOJTYCHIW                                                                                                August 26, 2011

It took longer than De La Salle would have expected, but the Meteors finally picked up school victory No. 400. And they did it in grand fashion. Sophomore running back Mikale Wilbon rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half, as the host defeated Lane 35-7 in their season debut.

“We’ve been working real hard here and our linemen played great here,’’ said Wilbon, who was making his first start on the varsity level. “I knew we were going to have a good start and our season was successful so that wasn’t that big of a surprise.’’

Wilbon started the season with a bang as he took a handoff on the first snap of the year and raced 75 yards to the end zone, untouched for at least the last 40.

The sophomore wasn’t done however. On De La Salle’s next drive, he carried the ball six times and was rewarded with a three-yard touchdown run.

The Meteors were more than just ‘The Wilbon Show,’ however. The Meteor defense stifled Lane and allowed just four first downs in the first half.

After the defense shut the Indians down again, Wilbon took two handoffs, one of which he took for an 83-yard touchdown.

“What’s great about De La Salle is that the coaches show no favoritism and if you’re good enough, you’re going to play. I knew all I could do is my best and it would end up ok,’’ said Wilbon.

Wilbon scored his fourth and final touchdown with 6:30 left in the second quarter, as he raced 60 yards down the right sideline.

“We knew he had talent,’’ De La Salle coach Dan O’Keefe said. “You can just see it in his eyes. He’s the player that wants to keep going after the whistle. That’s what separates him from the others.’’

Backup quarterback Casey Brandtonies accounted for the last De La Salle touchdown, rolling out and taking the ball in from 15 yards out.

Elijah Ewacawon had 86 yards on 22 carries and the lone Lane score on a 3-yard burst late in the fourth quarter.

Preseason Week Three in Conference USA’s West Division

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Houston – Four true freshmen on the travel roster: running back Daniel Spencer and receiver Mark Roberts on offense and defensive lineman Joey Mbu and linebacker Derrick Mathews on defense.  Because the running back position is crowded, Spencer has been lining up at receiver…Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum was pegged as a third-team All-American at quarterback by Rivals.com…The Cougars officially announced today that it will be playing a home-and-home with BYU in 2013 (Houston) and 2014 (Provo)…DB Damian Payne, a Houston native, has transferred in from Utah.

Rice – LT Jake Hicks has returned to practice this week after missing time with a leg injury…Despite signing a minor-league baseball contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, tight end Luke Wilson still has his two years of football eligibility in tact…Even though Driphus Jackson is getting reps with the second-team offense, Nick Fanuzzi remains the backup to Taylor McHargue.

SMU – Coach Jones had the following to say to the school newspaper: “Darius Johnson and Cole Beasley had really good camps. Our defensive line has had really good camp as well. Torlan Pittman is getting back fired up the way he was. The defensive line has really stood out to me…”

Tulane – Running back Orleans Darkwa, who is going through hamstring and toe injuries, could miss the season opener…Shane Delery got tangled up in some shoving and lost his temper, getting ejected from practice toward the end when a play carried on past the whistle during Thursday’s practice…6’6, 308 lb right tackle Eric Jones won a team diving contest…True freshman linebacker Matthew Bailey is looking like he is going to start at linebacker…

Tulsa – Tulsa and Fresno State have agreed to a home-and-home football series, it was announced on Thursday.
Fresno State will play at Tulsa on Sept. 29, 2012. The two-game contract will conclude in 2014, when the Golden Hurricane visits Fresno…Sophomore Stetson Burnett is dueling junior Brian DeShane for the starting right guard position in a battle that could go right up until kickoff of the OU game…Quarterback Shavodrick Beaver has decided to transfer from the program.

UTEP – Wide receiver Cliff Tucker returns to football for the first time since starring for Chapin High five years ago. He’s certainly shown he can contribute right away, but for the most immediate impact, the names to watch are junior college transfer Mike Edwards and redshirt freshman Jordan Leslie…Guards Jerel Watkins (sprained ankle) and James Robinson (sprained knee) are still out, and while coach Mike Price said their injuries aren’t season threatening, he did raise the possibility they could miss the opener…

Preseason Week Three in Conference USA’s East Division

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East Carolina – East Carolina’s 6-foot-8 receiver Justin Jones injured his knee and could be out for an extended period of time…True freshman wide receiver Danny Webster will make his big splash playing in place of senior Michael Bowman, who will serve a one-game suspension for the Pirates’ Sept. 3 season opener against the Gamecocks because of an off-the-field incident this summer. On the other side, redshirt freshman Justin Hardy will try to fill the big shoes of Jones…Junior transfer defensive end John Lattimore will miss the entire 2011 season because of a right lower leg injury suffered during practice last Friday. He will have two years of eligibility remaining when he is expected to be cleared to return next spring or summer.

Marshall– Joe Johnson, a defensive back who arrived last summer with some hype, was dismissed from the team on Thursday for a violation of team rules…Marshall officially welcomed defensive back Cedric Walker to the football program on Tuesday.  Marshall is the third school he has been associated with, after committing to Temple last winter and signing with Florida International…After utilizing 12 true freshmen last season in head coach Doc Holliday’s maiden voyage, the Herd is likely to not redshirt as many as 17 frosh in 2011.  They are: quarterback Rakeem Cato, tight end Eric Frohnapfel, wide receivers Tommy Shuler and Craig Wilkins, running back Remi Watson, right guard Sebastian Johansson, strong safety D.J. Hunter, middle linebacker Jermaine Holmes, safety Evan McKelvey, linebackers Deon Meadows, Cortez Carter and Armonze Daniel, cornerbacks Keith Baxter and Corie Wilson, linemen Jarquez Samuel and Damien Moody, and safety Raheem Waiters…Cato might be the starting quarterback.

Memphis – Sophomore Andy Summerlin has been named the team’s starter…Jerrell Rhodes has been impressing coaches and looks ready for a breakout season.

Southern Miss – Starting left guard Caleb Thomas returned to the lineup on Friday after missing several practices, including last Saturday’s scrimmage, with an undisclosed injury…The Golden Eagles feature four backs capable of being impact players this year – Kendrick Hardy, Desmond Johnson, Jamal Woodyard and Jeremy Hester…Senior defensive tackle Terrance Pope enjoyed his first day back on Thursday to playing full-contact after missing 12 days following arthroscopic knee surgery, but Woodyard sat out with an ankle injury.

UAB – Defensive tackle Elliott Henigan and running back Pat Shed are sidelined for now because of unspecified injuries. Henigan is slated to be out for 3-4 weeks and Shed is out for 2-3 weeks…UAB sophomore Caleb Lester has worked his way onto the first team at safety.

UCF – According to Coach O’Leary, multiple freshmen have stepped up and are poised to play this year…Jeff Godfrey has the starting quarterback job and has shown a lot of poise this camp.  He’s really gotten better…O’Leary talked about his social media policy as well.  “I have two coaches who monitor Twitter, etc.  We will embarrass the person if they need to be.  I ask them though ‘Why do you need Facebook or Twitter to make friends?'”

Preseason Week Two in Conference USA’s West Division

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Houston – Zach McMillian, D.J. Hayden and Chevy Bennett have really started to stand out in the defensive backfield.  They’ve added to the depth and competition that the Houston coaches look for in their defensive backs…The running backs have failed to separate themselves, and while it looks like seniors Bryce Beall and Michael Hayes and junior Charles Sims has the edge over the youngsters, true freshman Daniel Spencer, Randall Hollimon, who has been here a year,and junior walk-on Braxton Welford, are not far behind…Neither of the offensive linemen who suffered injuries, sophomores Ty Cloud and Ralph Oragwu, will need surgery. Cloud suffered a knee injury in last Friday’s practice and Oragwu hurt his ankle in last Saturday’s scrimmage…One player that wasn’t as fortunate was reserve linebacker Philip Causey, who suffered an ACL and MCL tear in his knee and will be out for the year…UH received a $10 million donation towards its football stadium project, helping the Cougars move closer towards the total they need to break ground on a new football stadium. The donation takes UH’s stadium fundraising total over the $60 million mark, which puts them roughly three-quarters of the way to athletic director Mack Rhoades’ stated goal of $80-85 million needed to break ground on the stadium project. The total cost of the stadium was projected at $120 million.

Rice – Even though Driphus Jackson is getting reps with the second-team offense, Nick Fanuzzi remains the backup to Taylor McHargue…LT Jake Hicks remains out with calf injury but Coach Bailiff said it’s nothing serious and he will be back soon…WR Lovett Gibson, QB Driphus Jackson, CB Malcolm Hill, S Jaylon Finner and maybe DT Christian Covington could play as true freshmen…

SMU – Zach Line might have a big roll in special teams this year, whether it be as a kick returner or punt returner…SMU is looking for more people to purchase tickets for this season, as sales have been somewhat low, coming off of consecutive bowl games…The team has renovated its facilities, including a new team meeting room with stadium-style seating as well as renovated positional meeting rooms. Changes to the locker room included the creation of a new team lounge, as well as new lockers, updated graphic and audio/visual equipment.

Tulane – The running back position is going to be one of the, if not the, deepest positions on this year’s squad.  The Green Wave steps into 2011 with the conference’s second-leading rusher, Orleans Darkwa. Darkwa’s backup, senior Albert Williams, has taken most of the first-team snaps thus far in camp because Darkwa has an injured toe ligament in his left foot. Behind Darkwa and Williams are junior Stephen Barnett and sophomore Jamar Thomas, and freshmen Robert Kelley and Dante’ Butler. Coaches have said all will play…Starting nose tackle Chris Asumnu broke his hand in Monday morning’s practice. He was hit in the hand by a helmet and underwent surgery to repair the fracture Monday afternoon. He should be out about a week…Tulane freshman wide receiver Marc Edwards suffered a season-ending ACL injury at Wednesday’s practice…Tulane announced that the in-state match-up with Louisiana-Lafayette will resume. It will be a home-and-home football series beginning with Tulane visiting ULL in 2012 and the Ragin Cajuns coming to New Orleans in 2016.

Tulsa – John Flanders and Lowell Rose remain on top of the depth chart at cornerback, but continue to draw quality competition from backups.  Flanders is being challenged by Milton Howell and J.D. Ratliff, while Rose continues to be pushed by Justin Skillens. True freshmen like Michael Mudoh, Darrell Williams and Dwight Dobbins have grabbed coaches attention… Freshman receiver Gary Owens is making a favorable first impression.  With several of the veterans nursing bumps and bruises, the 5-foot-9, 178-pound speedster is getting his turns with the first-team offense…Joe King made the switch from the offensive line to defense tackle on Wednesday.

UTEP – The Miners continue to go through guards as James Robinson left on a cart with a sore knee during Friday’s practice and will be evaluated today. With Jerel Watkins out with an ankle injury, Paul Santillan took over on the first team.  Traun Roberson’s MRI is not back on his injured knee, but Coach Price is not optimistic and said surgery may be needed…Carson Meger, Tate Smith and Javia Hall are all vying to be the quarterback backup and none of the three has distanced themselves from each other…The true freshman most likely to play right away is receiver Malcom Trail.  The other possibility is center A.C. Patterson, as good snaps from other backup centers have been a problem.

Preseason Week Two in Conference USA’s East Division

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East Carolina – DB Doug Mayo-Tapp and DE Ryan Mahoney were added to the 105-man roster … Mayo-Tapp replaces DB Desmond Lawrence, who left the team to focus on his Pirate track career, and Mahoney replaces OL Kenneth Freeman, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury…East Carolina senior quarterback Dominique Davis has been named to the Manning Award Watch.  This is the fourth watch list Davis has made heading into the 2011 campaign as he earned a place on the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and College Football Performance Awards Quarterback Trophy charts…Junior college transfer John Lattimore, a defensive end, has arrived in camp and is expected to be cleared to participate later this week.

Marshall – True freshman Jermaine Holmes has been a beast so far at middle linebacker and coaches expect big things from him…Chris Royal has returned to Marshall, but as a student assistant coach. He played for the Herd between 2002-2005 and had been recently playing in the Arena League…True freshman Rakeem Cato gets more and more impressive as practice goes on.

Memphis – Billy Foster seems to have shown some good signs at the running back position. He will again have a dual role as a wide receiver…The paperwork required by the NCAA to determine if Alabama transfer Keiwone Malone can become eligible at the University of Memphis this fall likely will be sent to the NCAA by the end of the week.  Memphis is hoping to get him eligible this year and have him forgo the year he has to sit out because he has an ill relative and that is a loophole in the NCAA transfer rules…Jerrell Rhodes has been recovering from an ankle injury…Veteran receiver Marcus Rucker also sat out for the 11th straight day while rehabilitating from a knee injury sustained on the opening day of workouts. His status is day to day.

Southern Miss – The coaches have said that the offense has been dominated by their counterparts this fall camp…The receivers are looking good, especially true freshman Chris Briggs, who coaches feel can be a go-to receiver…Senior defensive tackle Terrance Pope rode a stationary bike for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery over the weekend, and freshman defensive tackle Michael Brinson and red-shirt junior cornerback Marcal Robinson chucked the green jersey and got back to work.

UAB – Backup running back Dontavious Jackson is looking good at practice and is part of a pack to be the main backup…Linebacker Greg Irvin has been making big plays so far this fall…Safety Chase Daniel continues to be limited by a sprained ankle suffered early in camp…Jonathan Perry, Joe Bento and Austin Brown are all in the mix for the backup quarterback job.

UCF – Tight end Adam Nissley has worked to become more of a receiving threat and so far during fall camp, it looks as if the Knights will be able to rely on him to be more of one…Coach George O’Leary is looking for linebacker Jonathan Davis as a playmaker.  So far, he has dropped him from first team to third team.  But Davis responded and has worked his way to the top of the depth chart once again…Senior Rob Calabrese, who was slotted as a starting wide receiver and third string quarterback, tore his ACL and is out for the season…Another quarterback, Louisville star DaMarcus Smith was declared ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.  The loss of Calabrese and Smith leaves the Knights with two quarterbacks on their roster