Weekend TV Preview

A chronological TV watching plan for your weekend.

Thursday

6:00 pm - ESPN2 - Middle Tenn St at Louisville (-40)
If you caught last week's thrashing of Murray St., you know what Louisville can do against inferior opponents at home. Expect the same. Lay the points.
Pick - Louisville -40

6:30 pm - ESPN - Oregon St. (-3.5) at Cincinnati
Oregon State's QB play worries the crap out of me, with 3 guys sparing us to death against Utah. Cincinnati looked damn good last week against a shatty team. Oregon State didn't play horrible on offense, but it wasn't stellar. The defense completely stuffed a pretty good team and athletic, talented QB (Brian Johnson).
Pick - Oregon State -3.5

7:30 pm - NBC - New Orleans at Indy (-6)
Really don't like the NFL, but I will watch this game because of the talented offenses. These 2 teams will actually produce an entertaining NFL game only because of their offenses. I don't know much, but I know Indy lost some key parts and New Orleans returns virtually everyone. And if last year's gambling season proved anything to me, it's that when in doubt, always take the underdog.
Pick - New Orleans +6


Friday

6:00 pm - ESPN - Navy at Rutgers (-16.5)
Won't even be a game. Ray Rice may have 250 yards rushing. Blowout.
Pick - Rutgers -16.5


Saturday

11:00 am - ESPN - Nebraska (-8) at Wake Forest
The first road test for Sam Keller and Nebraska. Wake Forest coming off a 10 point loss to Boston College on the road in which they were torched for 400 yards passing. Nebraska coming off a 600+ yard total offense effort against Nevada (a bowl team the past 2 years). The Nebraska defense also gave up no TD's. Nebraska can now run the ball and protect the QB, 2 things that are a must on the road. Expect Callahan to let Keller air it out. I see a 10-14 point win for Nebraska.
Pick - Nebraska -8

11:00 am - ABC - Miami at Oklahoma (-10.5)
Oklahoma scored 79 points vs. North Texas. Against a high school coach who was rumored to have run the same 1-look defense all game, against maybe a top 5 worst team in the country, and against a team that is still trying to implement a totally different offensive scheme. Basically Oklahoma did what they should have done.

I know I'm high on them, but after thinking about it a little, I'm reversing field and giving Miami a great shot at this. A top 5 defense, a stellar D-line, a ball hawking safety, and a veteran QB give me hope that they can cover and I wouldn't be surprised if they pull it out. Bradford may get sacked 5+ times and picked off more than a few times.
Pick - Miami +10.5

1:00 pm - CSTV - Cal (-14) at Colorado St.
Expect a ton of points. Expect a DeSean Jackson highlight. Expect to be entertained. And expect Colorado State to cover.
Pick - Colorado State +14

1:30 pm - ESPN2 - NC State at Boston College (-14)
A rookie starter and ex-Husker goes for NC State at QB. I just can't let my preseason sleeper and ACC Atlantic Champ not cover 2 TD's at home vs. a team like this.
Pick - Boston College -14

2:30 pm - ABC - Oregon at Michigan (-8)
How does Michigan respond? I'd say by barely beating Oregon. I hate this team so much I don't want to write anything else about them. An overrated team year after year.
Pick - Oregon +8

2:30 pm - FSNSW - Fresno State at Texas A&M (-17)
Texas A&M rolls.
Pick - Texas A&M -17

4:00 pm - ESPNU - UAB at Florida State (-33.5)
Another team I despise because of how mediocre they've become and how overrated they consistently are. What people don't realize about Bowden is that he's been doing nothing for the last 20 years. He has hasn't made an executive decision since the early 90's. He'll grab the headset every once in a while and listen in on his assistants, but he's basically there to fill up piss bags and call recruits during timeouts.
Pick - UAB +33.5

4:45 pm - ESPN2 - South Carolina at Georgia (-5)
I really like Georgia, mainly because I think Matt Stafford is going to really take off this year. South Carolina looked like crap last week, and Georgia just doesn't lose at home between the hedges. The win over Oklahoma State really impressed me. If they can shut down OSU's offense, they'll rip Spurrier's A-hole into next week.
Pick - Georgia -5

5:00 pm - ESPN - Notre Dame at Penn State (-17)
Watch this line, as it could quadruple in the next 2 days. Another team in my crosshairs, Notre Dame, absolutely sucks. And now that they've thrown that Clausen kid in there, forget about it. An embarassing runaway blowout victory for Penn State. And Jaba the Hut continues to be the most overrated coach in America.
Pick - Penn State -17

5:30 pm - Versus - BYU at UCLA (-7.5)
Is there anything more fun to watch than a late afternoon game from the Rose Bowl? Even if you don't like either team, flip over to this game and just enjoy the beauty of the gold helmets and the Rose Bowl.
Pick - UCLA -7.5

6:00 pm - FSNSW - TCU at Texas (-9)
Reasons to watch - to see Mack Brown apologize for a non-conference loss at home, to watch the man child Tommy Blake for TCU, to watch Colt McCoy look ordinary and flustered by the TCU defense, to watch the cameras pan the crowd for hot UT ass, and to maybe catch any possible Jamal Charles interviews. Upset.
Pick - TCU +9

8:00 pm - ESPN2 - South Florida at Auburn (-7)
After watching the crap Auburn pulled last weekend vs. Kansas State, don't be surprised if South Florida comes in and wins this game. It's unlikely, but Tommy ball preaches 1 point games, so take the points.
Pick - South Florida +7

8:15 pm - ESPN - Virginia Tech at LSU (-12.5)
The marquee matchup of the day will turn out to be more hype than anything. LSU and VT will struggle to score, but VT will have more trouble than LSU. Expect a 20-3 LSU win that won't even be that close.
Pick - LSU -12.5

THE CROWN GAME
First, let me explain the crown game. You've basically been laid out on the couch, out in the garage, or somewhere else watching games since 11 am. You've almost maxed out your drinking for the day, maxed out your football watching as well, and you're ready to wind your day down. But you can squeeze one more game in however. So you retire to your bedroom or your recliner, turn off the lights, mix 1 (or 2,3,4) Crown Royal drinks, turn down the A/C, and catch a late-night West Coast game. You can fall asleep to great scenery, great stadiums, great looking coeds, and lots of offense. Thus, you have enjoyed the Crown Game.

9:15 pm - FSNSW - Colorado at Arizona St. (-15)
Lots of offense, great looking women in the stands, and always the possibility of an in-game arrest with Dennis Erickson now coaching Arizona State.
Pick - Arizona State -15


Sunday

As much as I despise the NFL, there's nothing else to watch on Sundays, I still love the Cowboys, and I'm in 3 Fantasy Football Leagues. So I guess I'll throw a few games in here.

12:00 pm - FOX - Philadelphia (-3) at Green Bay
The Donovan McNabb comeback tour starts in the land of cheese, beer, and bratwurst. Philly is my Super Bowl pick, so let's get on 'em right off the bat.
Pick - Philadelphia -3

12:00 pm - CBS - Miami at Washington (-3)
Who cares????? Why I hate the NFL, give me one reason to watch this game.
Pick - Home team? Washington -3

7:15 - NBC - NY Giants at Dallas (-5)
Our first 2007 interfacing with John Madden. Oh how I missed his brilliant color commentary. His stellar explanations of complicated football details have me dialed in every Sunday night. Me and every other soccer mom out there, which he apparently thinks is his audience. NY sucks, Eli sucks, I don't care who's injured for Dallas, this team sucks.
Pick - Dallas -5


- Non TV picks of the weekend (in order of confidence)

1) Tennessee (-10.5) vs. Southern Miss
2) Florida (-26.5) vs. Troy
3) West Virginia (-24) at Marshall
4) Missouri (-6) at Ole Miss
5) Northwestern (-10) vs. Nevada




- Nebraska vs. Wake Forest

- Wake Forest Scouting Report

Insider: Wake Forest
BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Sep 06, 2007 - 12:16:19 am CDT

Kenneth Moore, WR / Sr. / 6-0 / 204 pounds

Moore’s 15 catches against Boston College last week were nearly half his 2006 season total of 32. He was called into emergency running back duty last year, so don’t be surprised to see Wake Forest try him on the ol’ end-around sometime Saturday.

Sam Swank, PK-P /So. / 6-2 / 206 pounds

In the opener, he certainly didn’t look like the team MVP or All-ACC player of a year ago, averaging just 31.3 yards on six punts. NU shouldn’t expect to see a guy who in 2006 averaged 41.2 yards and hit 23 of 31 field goals to be off his game again.

Alphonso Smith, CB / Jr. / 5-9 / 191 pounds

Boston College tried to pick on Smith on its opening play last week and he returned an interception for a score. Don’t let his size fool you into thinking he lacks pop, either. He also forced a second-quarter fumble that was returned for a TD.

Quarterbacks: Nebraska catches a break here, as last year’s ACC rookie of the year, Riley Skinner, is listed as doubtful after separating his shoulder in the opener. Another 6-foot-1 Floridian, Brett Hodges, replaced Skinner late in the third quarter last week and completed 17 of 23 passes for 130 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Skinner marched the Demon Deacons 77 yards to pay dirt on his first drive. But without the support of a running game, he needed to keep up that Superman act — tough task considering Wake Forest’s offensive system is designed for the quarterback to be more of an efficient manager than a super hero.

Running backs: Wake Forest’s 2-yard rushing output last week had people bringing up a 1998 game against Florida State in which the Deacons wound up with minus 30. The top tailbacks, senior Micah Andrews (coming back from knee surgery) and sophomore Kevin Harris, may need to work on their shake-n-bake moves, because they were definitely in the frying pan while producing a combined 17 yards in the opener. Redshirt freshman Josh Adams, the leading rusher in North Carolina two years ago, could get a shot, as De’Angelo Bryant is moving to fullback to provide depth for the versatile Rich Belton.

Wide receivers: It’s scary to think what Kenneth Moore might have done last week had he not spent most of the third quarter receiving fluids to fight off dehydration. As it was, he still grabbed a nation-best 15 passes. Wake Forest’s passing game is more East-West than North-South, but opposite Moore, Kevin Marion is a reliable deep threat (he had two plays of longer than 80 yards last year), and he had five catches against Boston College. Demir Boldin, whose brother, Anquan, was 2003 NFL rookie of the year, could be the wild card. In 2005, he was No. 2 on the team in receptions, but last year was academically ineligible.

Offensive line: The folks at Athlon who touted Wake Forest for having the best offensive line in the ACC must be scratching their heads after last week’s struggles. Or maybe that ranking was based on pass protection? The line did give up just two sacks in the opener. The respect for this group starts with senior center Steve Justice, a preseason first-team All-American by Lindy’s, and NFL prospect Chris DeGeare (6-foot-4, 362 pounds) at right guard. Even with these guys, Wake Forest, trailing by a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, couldn’t get the yard it needed on consecutive runs and had to turn the ball over on downs.

Defensive line: NU’s offensive tackles probably won’t have to deal with end Matt Robinson, who led the Deacons in sacks and tackles for losses in 2005, and had worked his way back after missing last season with a broken kneecap. But he sprained his ankle on the first play against Boston College and isn’t expected to play Saturday. On the other side, Jeremy Thompson has similar explosiveness. He’s one of only nine players from coach Jim Grobe’s seven recruiting classes to play as a true freshman. The four who’ve exhausted their eligibility went on to play professionally. Inside, holding blocks against Zach Stukes is a tough assignment.

Linebackers: This group might have been considered the best in the ACC if Jon Abbate hadn’t declared for the NFL following his junior season. As it is, Abbate is with the Houston Texans and Wake Forest is still pretty salty. Aaron Curry, the No. 2 tackler in 2006, appears ready for an expanded role, while Stanley Arnoux , who manned the outside position opposite Curry last season and finished No. 4 on the team in tackles, is replacing Abbate in the middle. Chantz McClinic has taken Curry’s old spot and was the third-leading tackler last week. Depth might be a concern, as redshirt freshmen are at two of the backup spots.

Defensive backs: After allowing 408 passing yards in their opener, the Deacons rank 114th out of 115 NCAA Division I-A teams. Kevin Patterson, a starting cornerback in 2006, has moved to strong safety but might switch back if Kerry Major doesn’t make quick strides. Boston College picked on him often last week (he had eight tackles and just one breakup). The other corner, Alphonso Smith, began the season with an interception return for a TD and also caused another turnover that produced a score. Free safety Chip Vaughn turned Smith’s second play into a 38-yard fumble return.

Special teams: Maybe Sam Swank was miffed that the offense didn’t give him any field-goal opportunities last week. Whatever it was, the two-time Lou Groza Award semifinalist (who in two seasons has made 42 of 55 field goals, including 7 of 9 from at least 50 yards), barely averaged 30 yards on six punts and had just one of those fair-caught. Don’t expect a repeat performance. The Deacons’ starting wide receivers double as return men. Kenneth Moore averaged 13 yards as a part-time punt returner last season. Now, he’s the No. 1 option. Kevin Marian (16.8-yard average last week) handles kickoffs.

SCOUTING REPORT

In his first game as Boston College’s coach last Saturday, Jeff Jagodzinski watched his team overcome a 14-0 deficit to beat Wake Forest 38-28 thanks to quarterback Matt Ryan throwing for five touchdowns and the defense limiting the Demon Deacons to 2 yards rushing.

The Eagles rushed for just 54 yards, but “we got our game plan upside down a little bit, because we had to throw the football to get back in it.”

Jagodzinski credited Ryan for executing the game plan when Wake Forest had good pass coverage.

“One of the things that we do here is we spread the ball around pretty well, and we had nine different receivers catches passes. Our scheme is built on that. We don’t have a go-to guy, so Matt’s the guy who runs the whole train.

“Our defense did a really good job all (game) on stopping the run. They were forced to pass, which they’re not a passing team. They want to run first, and we ended up taking that away from ‘em.”

That was not surprising, though.

“I thought our run defense in the spring and preseason was pretty darn good. We had a hard time running against ‘em.”

After Wake Forest lost Skinner in the third quarter, Hodges led the Deacons on a 77-yard TD that made it 35-28. But the next two series produced just 28 yards, and Hodges then threw an interception on the final possession.

“They were driving to tie the ball game up, and then we got up two scores, so they had to throw. I don’t think they changed (their play calling) at all (because of having a different quarterback).”





- A well respected Insider's look at the Texas victory over Arkansas State

Texas Football: Quick Impressions of Arkansas St Game

September 1st, 2007 by Scipio Tex

Right now I’m doing an impression of a pile of steaming baboon [censored].

Make no mistake, had we played Appalachian State, a Division I-AA squad of actual quality, we would have lost by two touchdowns. That’s not hyperbole. It’s empirical fact. I just looked up the word complacency in Wikipedia and it had a picture of our coaching staff holding Lloyd Carr commemorative 1997 Michigan MNC mugs. If any of you come at me with a “a win is a win” I will hunt you down by your IP address and make you read Bill Little soliloquys until you take your own life.

We were outplayed by a Div I-AA football team that outgained us 397-340, demonstrated a superior running and passing game, had better coaching and headier QBing, and generally outhustled us despite their sloppy penalties and a smooth screwing by the officials on the onside kick. They botched multiple opportunities in the red zone and missed some chip shot field goals. That’s how we escaped our home field with a win.

I watched the game in a sports bar in San Francisco full of alcohol and ire, so without the benefit of TIVO, crayons, and a Strawberry Shortcake spiral, my observations will be of the 10,000 foot variety; I’ll write on a more granular level when given the opportunity though watching a replay of that pathetic effort will be trying. Every single concern that we could have had about this football team before the year has been proven absolutely valid while several concerns we didn’t have have surfaced prominently.

It’s going to be a long year, boys. Pray to Odin that another VY is in the pipeline who through sheer force of his personality can push our prolapsed uterii into place and fashion our staff a pair of makeshift gridiron clackers.

Offense

Our gameplan was gutless in only the way a Greg Davis gameplan can be, though this pecuilar variety of squeezable softness usually only surfaces in Dallas. 1st and goal. The score is 21-6. We’ve struggled, but now it’s time to ice the game. Let’s finish this thing, score again to go up 35-6 and go get better watching the film. We open in a spread set. Eh? Did I mention that it was 1st and goal? Four downs later, they have the ball. We escape with a 21-13 win, tails tucked securely over our poop hatch.

Our running game is an abomination…by design. I’m not interested in discussing push at the point of the attack, though it was lacking. I’ll be happy to explain how simple down blocking alleviates that problem, but that’s deep football knowledge, the kind of [censored] most of us picked up playing in high school. As with the Dark Days of Tim Nunez, I’m not interested in talking about the mosquito, I’m interested in talking about the swamp. We dwell in an environment of proscribed failure. Without a running threat at QB, our players operate at schematic disadvantage on every play because our offensive coordinator can’t be bothered to notice that the lateral running game isn’t the most efficient means of moving downhill. Rare is the time I try to drive to New York from Austin by heading West for several hundred miles first. Delayed counters don’t work against run blitzes and toss sweeps in a 3 WR set don’t go really well against a nine man front goalline defense. These are just things I’ve picked up along the way in life. Call me Paul Brown.

JC is a special runner trapped in a comically inept run scheme. When a RB has to break three tackles in the backfield to get three yards, you need to look at the system, not the players. Let me emphasize run game. JC’s blocking was horrendous throughout the game and he whiffed on blitz pickup on at least five occasions. On two of those occasions he ran past a blitzing linebacker, saw Colt get nailed, then let out a little Mack Brown clap that was captured on replay. Good stuff there.

The passing game was off throughout the game. I’ll give the wide receivers a very solid passing grade. Sweed made some tough catches and Nate Jones was hosed on at least two scoring opportunities when Colt threw passes with his left arm, apparently. Colt just looked uncomfortable. I can’t really qualify it better than that. I’m a Colt fan, but I’m not entirely sure that he’s over last year’s injury. Balls were sailing, he continuously underthrew open receivers, and he demonstrated bizarre lapses in arm strength. The interceptions were just…odd. Colt wasn’t a concern for me before this season. He is now.

Jermichael Finley was wisely hidden in our gameplan. We wouldn’t want our second most talented receiving option to get more than one catch for eight yards. It might alert others to his presence. Let’s keep that weapon hidden for Baylor.

Defense

Duane Akina wore DC training wheels for years and it might be time to put them back on. Larry MacDuff continues to uphold a decade long tradition of linebacker coaching. Our blitzes were as disguised as Donald Trump in a blonde wig and Oprah with a Sharpie moustache. On several occasions, our blitz front didn’t match our secondary coverage. The hot route is as open as a Buddhist’s mind. Screening us is laughably easy.

The back 7 is as pedestrian as anticipated - equally against the run and pass. It ran the gamut: bad technique, being physically beaten, not having an awareness of the ball in the air. Eventually, we started offering ten to twelve yard cushions, which suggests that a Texas Pom Girl could have grabbed 5 for 60 and a touch against us. I won’t call out Foster and Palmer specifically, but it’s time to go young and the time is now.

As usual, our top four tacklers were all in the secondary, a rather amazing accomplishment given the fact that Arkansas St ran the ball 30 times (34 minus 4 sacks), threw several screens and swing passes, and double teamed our DL on every running play. Typically, LBs will make some of those plays, but then again, I’m a boring football traditionalist. Our LBs contributed at expectation: Bobino was lost in the zone read, Derry making plays metaphysically, Killebrew drawing key personal fouls on 3rd and long, the youngsters promising and full of potential but apparently never having received a moment of mentoring in their lives. We’ve contributed a decade of non-development at this position and our standard has been upheld. I appreciate that sort of consistency and rigor.

The front four played OK, though Okam was absolutely excellent. He is finally healthy and it showed. God bless him and I hope he’s our next millionaire DT. Losing Orakpo ripped out my heart and I wish him a speedy return. Jones, Lokey, Houston and Lewis all made plays, but not at the level expected given the competition. Arkansas St clearly diagnosed who our playmakers are and they made sure they got the attention they deserved. Watching two unblocked LBs sprint past a ASU RB who simply delayed and planted to get six to ten yards was all too commonplace; all the while Lokey and the playside DE were both being double teamed like porn stars. We couldn’t get consistent pressure with four, which makes me wonder.

We have some deep fundamental issues in terms of toughness, in terms of leadership, and with a fair number of the guys wearing our headsets and drawing X’s and O’s on the whiteboards. This is heresy to write, but a home loss to a team like ASU may be required to force us into the fundamental changes we’ll need.

We may be provided that opportunity soon.





- Jerry expects T-New to be ready for the opener. And the WR's appear healthy and ready to roll.

Cowboys' Jones happy with Newman's recovery

Cowboys owner is optimistic Newman will play in season opener


11:28 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 5, 2007
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com

IRVING – Terence Newman did not feel like talking about the partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Neither did Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones, however, said he liked what he saw from Newman on the field Wednesday during rehab work and is optimistic the cornerback will play in Sunday night's season opener against the New York Giants.

"He was pushing off and then he would rest it and then he would come back and push off again," Jones said. "The morning will be key. It'll be a little sore from the work he did."

Newman said he would talk about his availability for the game on Friday. Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he expects Newman to play.

Newman has not practiced in about three weeks since suffering the injury in a practice with Denver. Jones is holding out hope Newman will be available today.

Sounding board gone: Tony Romo had trust in Wade Wilson, but he will be without the quarterbacks coach for the first five weeks of the season. Wilson is serving a suspension for violating the NFL's policy on banned substances.

"Wade's great because he's always been a sounding board," Romo said. "He's a guy I can bounce ideas off of. He's spent so many years in the league as a player and a coach that he's always real good with explaining things and just those little tidbits on the field when I need questions answered quickly. It'll hurt definitely not having him around."

Romo said he spoke with Wilson after the suspension was announced. Wilson cannot have contact with the Cowboys until Oct. 9.

In the meantime, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will work closely with the quarterbacks and coach Wade Phillips has brought on former coach Harold Richardson to serve as an extra set of eyes in the press box.

Parcells sought Giants job: According to Tom Callahan's upcoming book, The GM: The Inside Story of a Dream Job and the Nightmares That Go With It, which was obtained by the New York Daily News, then-Cowboys coach Bill Parcells met with a former colleague before the Giants-Cowboys game at Giants Stadium in December and expressed interest in the soon-to-be-vacated Giants general manager's job.

As part of a renegotiation after the 2005 season, according to Jones, Parcells could seek a GM job elsewhere in 2007, but he could not coach another team. Jones does not believe that affected Parcells' coaching performance.

"The one thing that I never questioned and I admired him for was his focus and his attention to detail, not only on game day but other days as well," Jones said. "He basically could have been just making sure at the time, but I don't question his focus and his intensity for that game. That didn't happen."

Terrell Owens dismissed the issue Wednesday.

"Man, at this point in time, anything regarding Bill Parcells is not a non-issue, it's a dead issue," he said. "D-e-a-d, dead. He's probably somewhere fishing. We couldn't care less about what's going on with Bill right now."

Cowboys expecting Strahan: Giants star Michael Strahan reported to practice Tuesday after missing all of training camp, but Coughlin is not sure if the pass rushing defensive end will play Sunday.

The Cowboys, however, are expecting Strahan to be involved in passing situations if he does not start.

"I'm reluctant to make a real quick decision on that," Coughlin said. "Obviously, there's been a lot of time missed. He needs to get in and get to work and know that he can defend himself. And I need to know that, too. That's going to take some more work."

Briefly... Receiver Terry Glenn returned to practice for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 1. ... Linebacker Kevin Burnett has stepped up his rehabilitation from ankle surgery now that the 12 staples have been removed. He is hopeful he can play Sunday. He was going to test his ankle during Wednesday's rehab work to see if he could practice today. ... Linebacker Greg Ellis did not practice, continuing his rehab from Achilles' tendon surgery. ... The Cowboys practiced inside Wednesday because of the morning rain.






- Rangers continue to roll, and win 1 run ball games. After playing horribly in 1-run games in 2006, they are now 24-16 this year. A direct result of the change in philosophy brought on by Ron Washington. Playoff teams win close games.
Rangers win 3-2.

Rangers closer to .500 after 3-2 win


02:15 AM CDT on Thursday, September 6, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

ARLINGTON – Dare we even ask this question: Can the Rangers reach the .500 mark this season?

Given where they were, oh, three months ago, it seems implausible, absurd even, to ask such a question. But if they keep winning close games the way they have been lately, anything's possible.

With a 3-2 win over Kansas City on Wednesday, the Rangers crept within nine games of the .500 mark (65-74) with 23 still to play. It's the first time Texas has been within single digits of the mark since May 21.

"I don't know where we can finish," manager Ron Washington said. "We'll achieve whatever mark we achieve. But we've shown we can play good baseball, and I just want us to continue that."

Good baseball means winning close games, and the Rangers have excelled at that lately. The Rangers have won their last four one-run decisions, six of their last seven and 11 of their last 15. They are now 24-16 in one-run games this season. They've already passed the 2006 win total (17). They haven't won more than 24 one-run games since 2000 (they won 27).

With Vicente Padilla giving the Rangers solid work for six innings, the lineup on three occasions found ways to force single runs across the plate. On each occasion, they used the tenets of manufacturing runs to aid the inning.

In the second, Brad Wilkerson led off with a walk and then stole second. He scored on Hank Blalock's double.

In the fifth, Frank Catalanotto singled with one out and moved up on an errant pickoff throw, allowing him to score on Michael Young's two-out single.

And in the sixth, Wilkerson led off with a single, tagged up on a fly ball to move to second and then scored on Blalock's single.

"The experience of playing these kinds of games are only going to help us long term," Catalanotto said. "The pitchers learn how to pitch in these situations. We learn how to score. I think now we understand that if we get that one insurance run, the bullpen can close it down."

Said Washington: "Playing games like this and winning games like this, it makes you believe. It's helping us believe."



- Picks O'the day

Yesterday - 0-3
YTD - 140-129

Trouble in Austin

- Like I expected, things aren't going so well down in Austin. A lackluster performance and a near loss to a I-AA team will do that to you. None of this surprises me. If TCU can get anything out their QB, if Tommy Blake actually plays, and if Aaron Brown (#1 RB) can play, they're covering the spread and winning that game down there. Don't discount Gary Patterson's record vs. the Big 12 (6-0).

Lots of questions for Longhorns


05:04 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 5, 2007
By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
chipbrown@dallasnews.com

Analysis –It was a joke, but it sounded like Mack Brown's evil twin.

"We do have one of the few fan bases that get on a suicide watch after we win, but that's OK," Brown said, referring to his team's 21-13 home victory over Arkansas State.

That sounded a lot like the Brown who used to crack on the Texas fans because he felt they constantly overreacted. Brown recently said he now agrees when UT fans gripe. But this Brown said he didn't make any call to arms to his players after Saturday's win that felt like a loss because "this place is hard enough. We can win by 40, and people are mad."

While Brown tried to keep things light with the media, there's no doubt No. 7 Texas has serious questions going into Saturday's Southwest Conference revival against No. 19 TCU.

"We have good players, but we're still trying to figure out who the leaders are," said Brown, who has a defense made up of 11 junior or senior starters.

Texas' performance makes it four straight games in which the Longhorns have underachieved: a loss at Kansas State, a loss at home to Texas A&M, a 26-24 escape against 6-6 Iowa in the Alamo Bowl and Saturday's disjointed performance.

Brown tried to keep the sky from falling. But maybe Chicken Little is on to something in Austin. The back-room spin on the Forty Acres was that Arkansas State game-planned all summer for Texas. That the Indians ran from a spread offense, completely different from the power running attack it used last year. Texas, according to the spin, was utterly vanilla because it was trying to keep surprises for TCU.

Then, how do you explain Texas' defense blitzing over and over again, and still allowing 397 yards to a team picked to finish third in the Sun Belt? How do you explain averaging 3.1 yards per carry after having all off-season to fix the running game?

How do you explain failing to punch it in after having first-and-goal from the 3? And this time Texas had senior defensive tackle Derek Lokey playing short-yardage fullback. Lokey's absence last year against Nebraska, K-State and Texas A&M because of a broken leg was the excuse when Texas couldn't make a yard in those games. What's the excuse now?

"It's a big game for TCU, and a huge game for us," Lokey said of Saturday's showdown that could define UT's season. "They're trying to prove they belong on the national stage, and we're trying to prove that as well. We don't want them to think it's a bigger game for them than it is for us. It's not."

Does that sound like a player loaded with swagger, fully confident Texas can pounce on the SWC team that got left behind? Or does that sound like a player hoping to avoid becoming the 18th straight Big 12 team to lose to a ranked nonconference opponent since Texas beat USC in the Rose Bowl for the national title?

Offensive coordinator Greg Davis said sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy might have been pressing in the second quarter against Arkansas State, when he threw two interceptions and nearly had a few more passes picked off.

"His expectations for himself are out of sight," Davis said. "I told him after the game, if you're not careful, you won't enjoy this. I want him to enjoy the process. There's a lot of people who hit 22 of 33 passes and they've had a good night."

Davis said McCoy made some brilliant decisions, such as on a 35-yard touchdown pass to Limas Sweed in the first quarter. On that play, McCoy checked from a run to a pass, changed the protection and changed Sweed's route.

But Davis said McCoy also overlooked some open receivers by not checking down and changed a few routes on pass plays that didn't need to be changed, including one of his interceptions.

"We give a lot of freedom to the quarterback," Davis said. "And if you're not careful, you start seeing things that aren't there."

Added McCoy, "I felt like I didn't play in the second quarter at all. I felt like I made some poor decisions and poor reads and did a lot of things that didn't help our football team. I think it was a good wake-up call for us. We will have to play better against TCU because they are a great team."

Brown tried to stress the positive with his team Sunday because he thought his players might be hearing a negative message from the media and fans.

"This is the best thing that could have happened," Brown said. "This puts focus in guys who were even thinking of taking a lazy step."

Brown and co-defensive coordinator Duane Akina said jobs in the back seven on defense are up for grabs this week after its performance against Arkansas State. Last year, the top three leading tacklers for the season were defensive backs, always a bad sign. On Saturday, the top four tacklers were DBs.

"There's a lot of things you can learn in a struggle," Akina said.

Brown was asked if he worried his team would be labeled soft for failing to convert on fourth-and-goal from the 1 after having first down at the 3 in the third quarter.

"As far as labels, this place is going to have them by the hour," Brown said. "I'm more worried about making six inches than about some label."

Only with a win against TCU on Saturday will Brown's evil twin go away. Otherwise, Brown's suicide watch jokes won't sound remotely funny.


- The NoTex Rant Big 12/National Rankings



Big 12

1) Oklahoma 1-0 - No doubt the class of the league. Big test Saturday for sure with Miami. A great defense coming to town.
2) Nebraska 1-0 - I need to temper my enthusiasm on this year's prospects until I see how they do on the road and against an elite team these next 2 weeks.
3) Texas A&M 1-0 - Fresno won't be a bad challenge, nor will the trip to Miami in a few weeks.
4) Texas 1-0 - Only here b/c Oklahoma State sucked ass last week. Hoping they lose to TCU so I can drop them below Texas Tech.
5) Missouri 1-0 - Defense looked bad. Offense looked as expected. SEC road game coming up, albeit against Ole Miss, but still is an SEC road game.
6) Texas Tech 1-0 - Beat SMU on road, whatever.
7) Kansas State 0-1 - Should I be impressed they should have beat Auburn on the road or should I chalk it up to Auburn playing typical Tommy Tuberville ball? Never blow a team out and win tight games no matter the opponent? I'm going with the latter, the truth will come out on this team, they suck.
8) Oklahoma State 0-1 - This team's been reading too many press clippings, as has Bobby Reid.
9) Kansas 1-0 - 52-7 over directional Michigan school.
10) Colorado 1-0 - Survived wild game with Colorado State.
11) Baylor 0-1 - Shut out in Fort Worth. Guy Morriss on his way out. Impossible to win at that school.
12) Iowa State 0-1 - How did they fall so far? Losing at home to Kent State???


- National Top 10


1) LSU - Any time you shut out a conference foe on the road, it's impressive.
2) USC - Better light a fire in their asses. Appeared bare minimum vs. Idaho.
3) Oklahoma - If Bradford plays like that every week, watch out.
4) West Virginia - Defense very suspect, but offense kicks ass.
5) Wisconsin - Not a bad win vs. a BCS conference.
6) Florida - Will get exposed at some point, maybe against Tennessee.
7) Cal - I was very impressed with them hanging 48 on an SEC team.
8) Louisville - Want to see them play someone before I give them any hype.
9) Georgia - If Stafford has improved, they could be a dark horse in the SEC.
10) UCLA - Offense is night and day with Jay Norvell calling the plays now.

Missed out
Va. Tech - will get rolled in Baton Rouge
Texas - will lose at home to TCU



- Baseball's pennant races are getting good. A look at the NL wild card.....

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SAN DIEGO PADRES
Who's hot: Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .326 in August and September, and is currently riding an eight-game hit streak. His offense and the pitching of Jake Peavy (7-0, 1.17 ERA in last eight starts) and Greg Maddux (4-0, 1.97 ERA in last five starts) have carried the Padres.
Who's not: Chris Young has a 6.39 ERA in his last five starts, and the Padres have lost all five games. Looks like the combination of innings and injuries has caught up to him.
Outlook: The Padres and Diamondbacks play nearly identical schedules down stretch, so Wednesday's game, the last meeting between the two this season, is big, especially with a six-game road trip looming.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Who's hot: Doug Davis, Tuesday's winner, has been fantastic. He has a career-high 13 wins and is 8-1 since the All-Star break after beating the Padres handily.
Who's not: Orlando Hudson entered Tuesdaay's game in a 6-for-42 funk, but he may have snapped out of it with a 3-for-3 showing.
Outlook: Diamondbacks get the Cardinals next, so they can't afford a letdown. They're just 1-3 against St. Louis this season.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Who's hot: How about that Dodgers defense, which has turned eight double plays in the last two games. Also, Matt Kemp has been real good in his last two starts, collecting seven hits in his last 10 at-bats.
Who's not: Now that he's back, Nomar Garciaparra qualifies. He went 3-for-20 in his last six starts before going on the disabled list.
Outlook: Everything is with an eye toward next week, when the Dodgers' season could be made --or -- broken by six meetings with the Padres and Diamondbacks.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Who's hot: The last six games in which Ryan Howard has homered, the Phillies have won. He's got 46 RBIs in 50 games since the All-Star break, including two in Tuesday's win.
Who's not: Pat Burrell is 1-for-17 since the Phillies swept four straight from the Mets and is now batting just .222 away from Citizens Bank Park this season.
Outlook: The schedule gets a little easier with the Marlins and Rockies visiting Philadelphia, though the Fish gave the Phillies fits by taking two of three after the Phils drubbed the Mets.

COLORADO ROCKIES
Who's hot: Jeff Francis should only pitch in the daytime. He's 6-0 with a 2.68 ERA in seven day starts this season (his night ERA is 4.62). Matt Holliday, ranked among the leading candidates for MVP in ESPN.com's Player Rater, has 12 RBIs in his last 11 games.
Who's not: Ryan Spilborghs is the only Colorado bat that's gone cold. He's just 3-for-28 in his last 10 games.
Outlook: The Rockies could have their fate determined in a week, with three home games against the Padres and four in Philadelphia. Colorado has enjoyed the comforts of home, going 41-26 at Coors Field, but is just 31-40 on the road.





- More on the death of Carter Albrecht.

Carter Albrecht’s presence on the local music scene will be missed

06:16 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 5, 2007
By MIKE DANIEL / The Dallas Morning News
mdaniel@dallasnews.com

When it came to music, Jeffrey Carter Albrecht was obsessive. But the guitarist and keyboardist was also compulsive in about sharing his gifts.

His contributions to the local indie music scene might be measurable somehow if the walls at Dallas' live music clubs, recording studios and tucked-away rehearsal rooms could utter a single sentence about his performances there.

When Mr. Albrecht, 34, died early Monday, he was a member of rising indie pop band Sorta, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Salim Nourallah's band (the Polaroids) and he was solidifying his own solo material. He had also helped found, played with in or performed with the Limes, Sparrows, Budapest One, Burden Brothers, Paul Simon, David Howard, Chris Holt and the Egos, and the Dead Thing. He'd even tickled ivory for the Dallas Symphony before he migrated to local pop and alt-country about 13 years ago.

He was shot to death as he tried to kick in a neighbor's door in an apparent drunken rage after beating his girlfriend, police say. The neighbor reportedly thought Mr. Albrecht was a burglar and fired a pistol up high through the back door as a warning. The shot hit the 6-foot-4-inch Mr. Albrecht in the head instead.

A life of music
His passing has numbed Dallas' indie music community. Many of those who knew him insist that he was never violent; they describe him as even-tempered natured and sometimes shy. His death is a shame no matter what the circumstances, especially since Mr. Albrecht's passions were so far removed from the behavior surrounding his death. that marked his exit.

"He was so consumed by music," said local musician and producer Mr. Nourallah, with whom Mr. Albrecht worked as a band mate and session musician for several years. "Sometimes it seemed that he forgot about everything else. Every time I called him to come play on a session — even with someone he'd never heard of — he was there, usually within 24 hours. Whoever was in the room was blown away by his playing."

In 2003, he won the Dallas Observer's best songwriter and musician awards for his expansive generosity, which was born from a love for music performance in all of its forms. When it came to that, he was game — wherever, whenever, whatever and with whomever. And his game was frightfully good.

"At the Allgood Cafeé about a month ago, my daughter Sophie wanted to sing with him," said Kenny Withrow, guitarist for New Bohemians. "She wasn't going to be denied, either. But Carter just had a great attitude about it; he got her a chair, and just told her some things to sing before each song, and she stayed up there the whole set and sang with him. She loved it."

On recordings such as Sorta's most recent CD, Strange and Sad But True, and Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' 2006 offering, Stranger Things, Mr. Albrecht's keyboard playing is delicate and supportive, with no pretension toward flash or embellishment. His musicianship is plainly keen and tight, but it holds little hint of his actual capabilities or his aptitude.

Talented instrumentalist
Mr. Albrecht took up guitar well after graduating from Southern Methodist University in 1995 with a piano performance degree. Yet his guitar playing was as deft and assured as his work on keys. He even contributed harmonica to New Bohemians material.

On a stage, the Kansas native's attitude was plain: utter joy, combined with a stately but slightly awkward and bashful grace that easily endeared him to an audience. His actions when performing often seemed inherently apologetic for being so competent; that effect was magnified when he played with someone outside of his circle, such as Dead Thing or local R&B legend Bobby Patterson, who had recently befriended Mr. Albrecht and thought of him as a kindred spirit.

"There's a lot of reasons that people make music; it's the biggest stereotype that you don't make money with it, of course," said Michael Schoder, owner of the Granada Theater and CD World and an active local-music supporter. "He was doing it for another purpose. He was one of those guys doing it for the love of music. And of those, he was maybe one of the greatest musicians that this city has ever seen."

Destiny cut short
"Virtuoso certainly fits," said Zac Crain, music editor of the Observer when Mr. Albrecht won its awards. "He's one of those guys that if he walked into a bar, you thought he had to be somebody. He had that aura. Then you heard him play, and you knew he was somebody."

His long, lanky frame and clean-cut boyish appearance gave him the look of a long-lost Smothers Brother.

"He was a personable scenester," Mr. Schoder said. "He was always around, always there. His loss feels like.….in your grandma's big house, there's usually that big picture that's been there forever. It's like taking that picture down."

"We were in a hotel in Brooklyn, getting ready to record the New Bohemians record," Mr. Withrow said. "I hear him laughing, and I walk into his room, and he's got this magazine of kittens open on the bed. He was alone, laughing at pictures of kittens. The simplest things would make him laugh like that."

Mr. Albrecht's legacy has been terribly shortened. Some believed that he was destined to be the savior of Dallas' local pop music scene (whatever that means). His plans were to finish work on a new Sorta CD in the coming weeks, then spend the fall in Austin with songwriter and guitarist Charlie Sexton, with whom he was to collaborate on a debut solo CD.

In the minds of those closest to him, it's the creative aspects of his musicianship — specifically his songwriting, which had only been offered publicly in bits and pieces through his many projects — that was his greatest talent.

"He was so much better than all of us," said Sorta bassist Danny Balis, who also lived with Mr. Albrecht. "I just think he was probably too good. He was an Elliott Smith. He was a Bob Dylan. He wasn't an every day writer. His body of work was so important, but very few people got it and understood it. And I'm not just saying that because I'm biased; I truly believe it. He had ‘it.'."

"The beauty of Carter was that every time we stepped on stage.….[pause]. I mean, in this city, you don't get much better a musician than him," said Trey Johnson, Sorta's lead songwriter and vocalist.

"The Dallas music scene is kind of hobbling along as it is, but to lose Carter.….It's going to be really hard for a lot of us to carry on like nothing happened," Mr. Nourallah said. "It's such a waste of a remarkably talented and kind musician.

"If he was only good at one of those things, then that would have been great. But he was so good at all of those categories. He was truly one of a kind."

Mr. Albrecht is survived by his father, Kenneth, and his mother, Judith, both of Plano. Memorial services will be at 2.p.m. Friday at Parkway Hills Baptist Church, 2700 Dallas Parkway in Plano.


- More from his girlfriend

Girlfriend of slain musician cites anti-smoking drug

08:05 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 5, 2007
By MICHAEL GRABELL and TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News


Friends of a popular Dallas musician killed early Monday are at a loss to explain what caused him to spin out of control, beat up his girlfriend and try to kick in her neighbor's door after a night of heavy drinking.

Now they're wondering whether a pill that Carter Albrecht had recently started taking to quit smoking may have sent him over the edge. But there is no hard evidence that the drug causes bouts of rage.

"I really believe it was the drug," said his girlfriend, Ryann Rathbone. "He would have never been abusive toward me, never, ever. He and I had a very peaceful, loving relationship. He and I loved each other so much."

While some users of the drug Chantix have reported symptoms of anger on Internet blogs, no studies released by the Food and Drug Administration, the manufacturer Pfizer or other researchers have linked the drug to violent outbursts.

"When there's something new put in the mixture, it's natural to wonder, 'Might this have made a difference?' " said Dr. Bryon Adinoff, an addiction expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "There may be truth to it, but we don't know and we likely may never know."

Mr. Albrecht, who played guitar and keyboard for the bands Sorta and Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, was fatally shot as he tried to kick in the neighbor's door in the 9000 block of Santa Clara Drive, just east of White Rock Lake.

Dallas police said the neighbor shot one time at the top of the door to scare him away, but instead struck the 6-foot-4 musician in the head.

The case will be reviewed by a Dallas County grand jury to determine whether there will be charges against the neighbor, whose name has not been released.

But the shooter will probably be protected under state laws allowing Texans to use deadly force to prevent someone from breaking into their homes at night. A new law that took effect Saturday, known as the "Castle Doctrine," strengthens those rights by eliminating the requirement that people try to flee before shooting in self-defense.

One neighbor, Natalee Morse, said she and others who live nearby brought groceries to the homeowner in sympathy.

"We wanted to do something to show we support them," she said. "It's a terrible position to be in. All of us thought we'd do the same thing if we were in that position."

According to police reports, there have been 15 burglaries on the 1 ½-mile stretch of Santa Clara Drive since January 2006. Four of those burglaries took place in vacant houses, and one occurred in a backyard storage shed. No reports of robberies could be found during that time.


'Chantix dreams'

Friends said Mr. Albrecht, 34, was normally a laid-back guy who never became violent when drunk. He and his girlfriend had been taking Chantix for about a week and planned to stop smoking Monday. They had started having vivid sleep experiences that users have nicknamed "Chantix dreams."

"It was giving them awful, strange nightmares," said bandmate Ward Williams.

Changes in dreaming, along with nausea and constipation, are common reactions to the drug, according to Pfizer and the FDA. But they are also symptoms of withdrawal.

Chantix is a prescription medicine that works by blocking nicotine from attaching to the brain receptors that produce feelings of pleasure. It was approved by the FDA in May 2006 after studies showed it to be far superior to other anti-smoking drugs without any major side effects.

"While we haven't had an opportunity to review the details of this case, clinical studies do not suggest a causal relationship between Chantix use and rage," said Pfizer spokesman Francisco Gebauer.

An FDA spokeswoman said the agency would look into the matter but didn't have enough information to say whether the drug could have contributed to Mr. Albrecht's violent outburst.

But Dr. Adinoff said it's possible that heavy drinking on top of the Chantix might have triggered a strange reaction. That's why most drugs bear warnings against taking them with alcohol.

"Both of them interact with some of the same regions of the brain," he said. "You mix alcohol with another drug that affects the central nervous system and you can easily get some unpredictable effects."


Behavior change

Ms. Rathbone said she met Mr. Albrecht about 1 a.m. Monday at a bar on Greenville Avenue. He had taken a dose of the drug just before going to the bar and didn't seem drunk when she got there, she said.

But as they left the bar shortly after 2 a.m., Mr. Albrecht started acting bizarrely, she said. He began quoting a book about the oppression of the Jews called Constantine's Sword, which he had recently been reading.

"He was saying weird, off-the-wall stuff that didn't match our conversation," Ms. Rathbone said. "I think because I didn't understand, he started to get mad at me. It didn't make sense."

She said they were home about 10 minutes when he became out of control.

"He wanted to leave, and I didn't want him to drive," she said. "He already didn't know who I was at that point. I didn't want him going anywhere."

That's when he began to hit her, she said. "He didn't even realize he was hurting me. He had no idea. He was saying the same kinds of stuff that didn't make sense. It was like he was in a dream."

Mr. Albrecht chased Ms. Rathbone outside, and she ran back in, locking him out, the police report said. Mr. Albrecht then went to the back of the neighbor's home and started banging.

The Dallas County medical examiner's office will conduct toxicology tests to determine what was in Mr. Albrecht's system. But that will probably take several weeks.

"We're not by any means scientists or chemists," said Sgt. Larry Lewis, a Dallas homicide supervisor. "We'll look at anything and everything."



- Picks O'the day

Yesterday - 2-1
YTD - 140-126

1)

Great start to 2007

- Observations from the Nevada game

- The biggest difference between 2007 and 2006? That offensive line. I'm not sure where they go from here, but they looked dominant as hell. Sam Keller had tons of time, and no pass rush to speak of to deal with. I thought this was the area that could do the most in helping Nebraska return to the elite.

- We have gotten so used to very ordinary games from Nebraska when playing D-1 middle of the road teams (TCU about 5 years ago, Southern Miss, Wake Forest, Pitt, etc). Games that are very un-inspiring, usually about 20-10 victories for Nebraska that leave you completely unimpressed. To see them impose their will on a 2006 bowl team, accumulating over 600 yards, 400 on the ground, was very reassuring.

- Sam Keller is accurate as crap. If the WR's catch balls that hit their hands, he can add about 50 yards to his total. He has the look, puts the ball on the money, and is going to be very good I think this year. Yes, the delivery looks a tad strange, but it gets there. Can't wait to watch Keller these next 2 weekks, on the road and against #1 USC.

- These WR's are so painfully ordinary. Without Mo Purify, there are no gamebreakers/NFL type talents. Just a bunch of average guys. Too many dropped passes, no threats to take it to the house, and just a below average effort all around. This could be trouble.....

- Marlon Lucky was damn good. He's been forecasted to have a breakout year finally, and if he stays healthy, it will probably happen.

- Quentin Castille is going to be good. That kid is 18 and looks like a senior. Runs low, runs tough, has moves, and has speed. Cody Glenn better get healthy or this kid will take all of his carries. And he's only going to get better.

- That kicker from Crowley has an unbelievable leg. That ball was exploding off of his foot. The kicking game is much improved from last year. Of course, it was so bad, that it wouldn't take much to improve it.

- The LB's looked great. Octavien is a player. All over the field, disrupting plays, chasing people down from behind, and just being destructive. He's fun to watch.

- Stop all the motioning and just get to the line and blow an inferior opponent off of the ball. With a new QB and it being early in the year, make it simple for Keller. Too many play clock issues in the 1st half due to the excessive pre-snap shifting/motioning.


- Box Score

1 2 3 4 - Final
Nevada 0 10 0 0 - 10
Nebraska 7 14 24 7 - 52

1st quarter
NEB - M. Lucky, 16 pass from S. Keller
(A. Henery kick), 4:16

2nd quarter
NEV - B. Jaekle, 36 FG, 13:58
NEV - J. Amaya, 80 INT return (Jaekle kick), 10:53
NEB - Lucky, 1 run (Henery kick), 6:40
NEB - Q. Castille, 1 run (Henery kick), 2:22

3rd quarter
NEB - Lucky, 17 run (Henery kick), 11:30
NEB - Lucky, 3 run (Henery kick), 8:59
NEB - A. Kunalic, 46 FG, 4:45
NEB - Castille, 2 run (Henery kick), 0:50
4th quarter
NEB - M. Culbert, 17 run (Henery kick), 8:31

NEV NEB
First downs................... 9 35
Rushes-Net Yds................ 24-77 70-413
Net Yds Passing............... 108 212
Completions-Attempts-Int.... 9-27-1 15-26-1
Total Offense................. 185 625
Fumbles-Lost.................. 1-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards............... 12-86 8-65
Punts-Average................. 10-40.1 2-44.5
Punt returns-Average.......... 2-7.5 5-5.6
Kickoff returns-Average....... 3-23.0 3-24.3
Interceptions-Yds-TD.......... 1-80-1 1-0-0
Possession Time............... 19:22 40:38
Third-Down Conversions........ 1 of 13 7 of 15
Fourth-Down Conversions....... 1 of 1 1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... 1-1 7-8
Sacks By: Number-Yards........ 0-0 1-9

RUSHING
NEV: N.Graziano 6-29; V.Taua 3-24; B.Fragger 7-16; A.Rosenblum 1-16; C.Randall 2-6; M.Lippincott 4-(-5); M.Samples 1-(-9)
NEB: M.Lucky 30-233; Q.Castille 18-78; M.Culbert 5-35; C.Glenn 8-29; R.Helu 6-26; J.Ganz 2-15; Team 1-(-3)

PASSING
NEV: N.Graziano 8/24 109 Yds, 0 TD, 1 INT;
C.Kaepernick 1/3 -1 Yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
NEB: S.Keller 14/25 193 Yds, 1 INT, 1 TD;
J.Ganz 1/1 19 Yds, 0 TD, 0 INT

RECEIVING
NEV: M.McCoy 2-37; M.Mitchell 2-34; A.King Jr. 2-11; K.Sammons 1-19; L.Lippincott 1-8; C.Wellington 1-(-1)
NEB: M.Lucky 3-33; T.Nunn 2-36; N.Swift 2-28; M.McNeill 1-25; F.Hardy 1-24; D.Erickson 1-19; A.Sand 1-15; D.Young 1-14; T.Peterson 1-8; N.Paul 1-6; C.Brooks 1-4

Attendance: 84,078




- Mo Purify returns this week, hopefully can raise the performance of an average WR corps.

NU Football: Purify returns to Husker plans
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN - Lost in the feel-good offensive performance on Saturday by Nebraska was the fact that one of its most dangerous players wasn't a threat to Nevada at all.

Senior receiver Maurice Purify was serving a one-game suspension and watched in street clothes. His teammates are excited about his return for the trip to Wake Forest on Saturday.

"That just gets teams worried because we did this without one of our big-play receivers," NU offensive tackle Carl Nicks said. "We're just going to open up the arsenal even more when he comes back."

Nebraska went about its business without Purify, riddling Nevada for 625 total yards in a 52-10 win. At least for one Saturday, the All-Big 12 candidate wasn't missed.

"As far as the game plan changing without Mo, it didn't really," quarterback Sam Keller said. "When Mo gets back next week, it'll be beautiful, we'll have all of our horses and we'll just be ready to roll against Wake Forest."

Whether Purify starts at Wake Forest, head coach Bill Callahan said Monday, will be determined later this week.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Eureka, Calif., was suspended from the team for six weeks during the summer because of two alcohol-related incidents, but returned at the start of preseason camp. He also was excused from five practices late in camp to return to the Bay Area after the death of his brother.

But Callahan hinted on the Big 12 teleconference on Monday not to underestimate how ready Purify might be.

"He's a guy who's pretty focused, so we would anticipate him playing at the level we expect him to be at and, of course, he's got higher expectations than we do," Callahan said. "I'm optimistic and I'm very positive that he comes back being a productive player for us."

Purify was NU's second-leading receiver last season, when the junior college transfer overcame a slow start to catch 34 passes and score seven touchdowns. The nationally televised game against Wake Forest will be his first chance to work with Keller in a regular-season game.

NU offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said Purify's absence didn't mean big changes for Nevada, when the wideouts accounted for nine of the Huskers' 15 receptions but also dropped two passes.

"We keep doing our stuff," Watson said. "Football's not that way. You have a plan overall that can last you a season. What that does is just add Mo to our game. It adds a big talent back into our attack."

Backup tight end Hunter Teafatiller also sat against Nevada. Like Purify, the junior had an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence during the summer.

"They just add to the depth of our receiving corps," Callahan said. "We get the luxury of playing another tight end and another receiver. Both those guys are team guys and I think they really have learned from the incidents that occurred, and I know they feel a great deal of remorse and that the game they missed hurt them badly. I'm sure they want to get back and prove themselves all over again."




- Nebraska's Line dominates....

Husker offensive line key for rushing success
By BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star

The Husker offense behaved like a middle-school bully Saturday.

Yeah, but it was against Nevada.

It racked up 52 points and 625 yards.

Yeah, against Nevada.

And 413 of those yards were on the ground.

Yes, and I beat my kid brother at arm wrestling yesterday. Are you still talking about the Nevada game?

OK, maybe we are. Sorry. It’s all we’ve got to go on for now.

Surely the Husker offensive linemen won’t mind if we continue for a bit. They have got to be feeling pretty good right about now.

It’s only one week into the season, but Nebraska leads the country in rushing (413 yards) and junior Marlon Lucky has more rushing yards (233) than anyone else in NCAA Division I-A.

And the linemen, oh, those linemen. They’re talking like they used to talk around here, back in the days when 400-yard rushing performances were met with little more than a shoulder shrug.

“We run the ball. That’s the main priority here. That’s the tradition here and we’ve just got to live up to it,” Husker left tackle Carl Nicks said. “We weren’t surprised. I told Marlon before the game if he don’t get over 200, I’m not going to be happy.”

Lucky got the headlines, but NU’s offensive line gave out the headaches to Nevada’s defense in a 52-10 win.

“To run the ball effectively, it’s been a goal. It’s been a focus of this offense since we arrived,” Husker coach Bill Callahan said Monday. “You can’t win in this conference without being able to run the ball. We were pleased with how we ran it Saturday, but that’s just one game.”

One game against Nevada.

This week features a trip to Wake Forest and maybe the holes at the line of scrimmage aren’t so big down there in North Carolina.

Certainly, Nebraska probably won’t get in the 70 rushing plays it did against the Wolf Pack.

As Callahan said: “Things change according to game-planning. One week you can throw it for 400 and rush for 100. It’s all based on who you’re matched up against.”

After Saturday’s game, the coach said “the profile” of Nebraska’s offensive line has changed.

More size. More experience. More depth. More versatility.

The Huskers played five guys at the tackle spots Saturday — Nicks, Lydon Murtha, Matt Slauson, D.J. Jones and Mike Smith.

Slauson was also taking snaps at right guard, the position he’s listed at on the depth chart.

Husker senior quarterback Sam Keller couldn’t stop gushing about the guys up front. Such would be expected from a quarterback touched by a defender only once all game.

Of course, that’s kind of the way it’s supposed to be this year, Husker offensive line coach Dennis Wagner said.

“We have a veteran offensive line. We need to do this every week to help Sam along.”

Still, Callahan looked at the stat sheet with a hint of surprise when the game was over.

A former offensive line coach, he knew his guys had their way, but not to the extent the statistics showed.

“You know what? If you would have told me that was going to happen, I would have told you you were crazy,” Callahan said. “I never thought in a million years that we would have had the numbers that we had. I was kind of astounded afterward that the numbers were that high. It didn’t feel like that during the course of the game.”

Maybe Callahan didn’t feel it, but Nicks did.

In the postgame interview room, someone told him Nebraska had the ball for a remarkable 40 minutes and 38 seconds.

“Was it? Geez, I thought it was about 50 (minutes) with how many plays we were running,” Nicks said. “We were a little tired, our legs were a little tired, but you know, it was all worth it. We was just pounding the rock.”


- Video Highlights





- Observations from the Opening Weekend of College Football. I didn't get to watch as much as I wanted due to Dove Hunting activities, but I was still able to get some TV time in.

- I hate to say I told you so, but......Texas, Oklahoma St. and Michigan stayed true to the form I predicted for them. Some ink from this very blog re these 3 teams....

1) Texas - 3 NFL offensive lineman are gone. 3 NFL defensive backs are gone from one of the worst pass defenses in 2006. Genius D-Coordinator Gene Chizik is gone. A lot of off-season arrests. No yard eater at RB. 3 WR's with nagging injuries. This team will disappoint big time. Look at the list of QB's/coaches that can't wait to expose this secondary - Bob Stoops, Bobby Reid, Steven McGee, Bill Callahan/Sam Keller, Mike Leach/Graham Harrell. Mark it down, they'll lose 3 of those 5 games.

2) Michigan - First off, they play in the Big 10. 2nd, they lost 8 starters on a defense that was exposed against good teams. And 3rd, Mike Hart and Chad Henne are 2 of the most overrated offensive talents in the nation. And they're 0-3 against Ohio St. and in bowl games in the past 3 years.

3) Oklahoma St. - How can a team with such offensive firepower be overrated? Because the defense is that bad. You can score all you want, but when it's all said and done, can you control the clock and stop offenses when it counts? The answer will be no for these guys in 2007.

- Oklahoma may have the most talented team of the Stoops era. Add in Rhett Bomar and it would no question be the most talented team. This team is scary good. That O-line is awesome. They look tough as nails.

- DeSean Jackson is a freak. He's one of the few players worthy of super-hype. Cal is very good, very good.

- Harrison Beck is starting this week for NC State. All you gamblers out there, load up on Boston College.

- West Virginia may go undefeated, but it will never win a championship with that defense. Very ordinary.

- Check out North Texas's unis. I like the colors, the scheme, and the look. But it's Southlake all the way. Only things missing are the blonde dye jobs and Hitler symposiums.

- Great lineup of games coming up this weekend. More on this later in the week.




- So a team that has Terrance Newman hurting and has corner issues feels the need to release Aaron Glenn? He may have been terrible this preseason, but he can't be that bad. He's a veteran, can still play (don't put stock into the preseason peformance), and you know what you're getting with him. A strange, strange move. Apparently Roy William's is peeved....

Glenn's release angers Cowboys' Williams


09:11 PM CDT on Monday, September 3, 2007
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
cwatkins@dallasnews.com

IRVING – Cowboys strong safety Roy Williams expressed anger over the team's decision to release veteran cornerback Aaron Glenn.

When asked if he talked to anyone in the organization about Glenn's release, Williams said Monday, "Why, I'm just going to be preaching to the choir. It doesn't really matter. They took care of what they had to do, right."

Glenn, a 14-year veteran, was signed Monday by Jacksonville after Dallas cut him on Saturday.

Williams said Glenn was the Cowboys' third-best cornerback.

"Yeah, most definitely, he's a great cornerback for us," Williams said. "I feel that if Terence [Newman] couldn't play, Aaron would be the person that would have started."

Newman is battling a foot injury and his status for the season opener Sunday is in question.

"It's tough man, but that's how it goes," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "I don't know what else to say. Aaron Glenn was a guy who helped me in my development, but you lose those guys. This is my fifth year and this is the nature of it."

Should Newman miss the opener, Jacques Reeves, who has started only one NFL game, will get the start.

"He was a professional, a guy you could learn from," Reeves said of Glenn. "Not just on the field, but off the field."

Glenn, 35, had talked about playing until he was 40 years old, much like his mentor, Darrell Green, who played for the Washington Redskins.

Glenn mentored several players, including then-rookie Patrick Watkins last season. He also talked to players about professionalism in the business world.

"I think that he was an asset for us with his wisdom and his knowledge of the game," Williams said. "The way he took care of all these young players and myself, too, we learned a lot from him. Hopefully now, we can just go off of what he taught us and what we learned from him."





- Marc Stein's interview with Dirk

Nowitzki: 'I take losses harder probably than anyone else in this league'

Unlike the Olympic qualifying tournament Team USA just won, in which the starry hosts saw few familiar faces and even less competition, Eurobasket 2007 is teeming with tough teams and famous names.

Pau Gasol leads a four-man NBA contingent for the heavily favored hosts from Spain. Finals MVP Tony Parker and Boris Diaw headline the French roster. Russia (Andrei Kirilenko) and Turkey (Mehmet Okur) also have NBA All-Stars in their lineups.

Yet it seems safe to pinpoint Germany's Dirk Nowitzki as the prime recipient of scrutiny in a field featuring 16 countries, since the Spaniards have already qualified for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing by winning the 2006 World Championship … and since the reigning NBA MVP is returning to the floor for the first time since his 67-win Dallas Mavericks were ousted in the first round of the playoffs by Golden State.

The following is our phone conversation with Nowitzki from Mallorca on the eve of the tournament, which runs Monday through Sept. 16:

Q: We've been reading German press reports over here about your recent trip Down Under to search for "the meaning of life." Is that what you were actually doing?

A: It wasn't really about that. First of all, I always wanted to see Australia. But I really just wanted to get away [after the Golden State series]. Hopefully, our season is never going to be that short again, so this was my chance to get away for a good four or five weeks. It seemed like Australia was the best spot to go. Nobody cares about the MVP down there. It wasn't hard at all [traveling] around. It was great, actually.

Q: Give us some highlights from the trip.

A: First we flew from Frankfurt to Dubai, which is nuts. They have everything there. We stayed in a seven-star hotel, craziest hotel I've even seen. It's 120 degrees outside and you can ski in a skiing arena. But I can't ski because of my contract, so we only stayed there for two nights. I wanted to get to Australia anyway.

We did a lot of camping and went everywhere: Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, Adelaide. Obviously, it's winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so we didn't see the sun for three weeks. We went old school and rented like a four-wheel drive and slept some nights in the car.

Q: You slept where?

A: You could set it up where the whole roof of the car turns into a [tent and] bed. So I slept upstairs and [longtime mentor] Holger [Geschwindner] slept downstairs. It's pretty smart.

Q: Sounds like you really did get away from the game.

A: You never see any basketball where we were. I think I saw one half of one game of the Finals. It was at like 10 in the morning. But [the series] was so brutal that I couldn't watch it.

Q: All that time traveling with your personal shot doctor and basketball never came up?

A: Obviously, we talked about the playoffs and my career and how far I've come and what I have to do [after the disappointment of the playoffs]. But some days we wouldn't say two words to each other. Some days you talk for eight hours. It just depends.

Q: Any other highlights from the trip?

A: I grew a full beard. I shaved the night before we left and then I said that I'm not even going to take a razor. After about three weeks, I had a full beard and I couldn't even look at myself. But I had to keep it until I got back to Germany. I wanted everybody [in the family] to see it.

Q: Since you've been back in the gym, what have you been working on?

A: I've worked hard these last two months. I don't think I can get in better shape than I am right now. But I want to keep trying to be more athletic. I know I'm never going to jump higher. But I can work on my first step, trying to make it quicker.

Q: Are you ready to go back under the microscope of playing games, albeit with Germany instead of the Mavs?

A: I've been under the microscope already for the last couple years. I don't think it's going to change too much.

Q: You said from the start of your NBA career that getting to the Olympics with Germany is your dream. Does that finally happen this summer?

A: I hope so, but it's going to be pretty tough. We have to finish in the top two or three [at Eurobasket] to qualify [for the Olympics]. I've been saying that Spain and Greece are the heavy favorites, but after that, I think the field is wide open. Since we finished second [in Eurobasket 2005], I think we've got a shot.

Q: How many more summers will you play for your country?

A: I'm committed until the 2008 Olympics, then I'll probably take a break. I didn't say I will retire forever, but it will be time for a break. How long that break will be, nobody knows. I never know what the future is going to bring.

Q: Have you gone back yet and watched any of the Golden State series?

A: I can't see myself doing that any time soon. Maybe I should. Once I get back [to the States], maybe I'll ask our video guys to put together [clips from] some of my offensive [possessions]. But I don't really need to watch it again. I already know what they did to me. They played me with a smaller guy, they fronted me, they crowded me.

Q: Losing to Miami in the Finals after taking the 2-0 lead or losing to Don Nelson and the Warriors in the first round -- which hurts worse?

A: I still put them on the same level frustrationwise. That one year when we went to the Finals, we weren't the heavy favorites [in the playoffs] even though we should have won the Finals. This time, we were the heavy favorites and we said from the beginning that anything but a championship would be a huge disappointment. I rank them both on a high level of frustration. But you gotta keep going.

Q: Your buddy Steve Nash keeps saying that winning the MVP trophy will actually help you get over the playoff disappointment as opposed to putting more pressure on you. Is he right?

A: It's an unbelievable honor that I'll never forget. But I consider this a team game, not an individual game. If you don't win it all … the toughest thing is that it's always going to combine with our [first-round exit].

When I think back on the season, I don't think of the MVP. I think of the playoffs. I've always taken losses hard. I think I take losses harder probably than anyone else in this league.

Q: So how hard on yourself are you four months later?

A: Actually, I feel pretty good right now. I think I got over the worst of it. The two months I took off were the longest I haven't touched a ball in 10 years or more.

Q: But is it fair to say that you might have squandered two of your best chances to win a championship?

A: I know I'm almost 30, but I feel like I still have a lot of good years left in me. I don't think [last season] was the last chance.

Q: After the last two playoff endings, some of us find it surprising that the Mavs will go into next season with no major roster changes. Do you?

A: We had trouble with one team, not 29. We still have a good team. I don't think it's time to panic because we had trouble with one team over three years. To win 67 games was very, very special. We just met a hot team. I don't want to think that everything we're doing in Dallas is wrong because we lost to one hot team. I still believe we have some great pieces, with a great coach and a great owner and a great organization that will hopefully win it all one day.

Q: So you disagree with armchair psychologists like me who say that the roster needed more of a shake-up because the Miami and Golden State endings inflicted long-lasting scars that won't just go away?

A: You're asking some hypothetical questions. Nobody knows. You [media] guys are the experts. You guys all talk, but nobody really knows if we can [bounce back] or we can't. We're just going to have to go out and get over it. None of us are saying, 'No, we can't.' I think The General [coach Avery Johnson] is going to get everybody ready.

Q: OK, then. Here's a nonhypothetical question: Where are you going to keep your MVP trophy?

A: It's in Germany, mate. I gave it to my mom.






- Carter Albrecht, popular local musician, Sorta band member, and friend of The Ticket and Danny Balis, shot to death Saturday night.

Carter Albrecht, musician with Sorta, New Bohemians, dies in shooting

09:07 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 4, 2007
By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
teiserer@dallasnews.com

The local music community was left stunned Monday by the fatal shooting of a well-known musician who authorities say beat up his girlfriend and then tried to kick in a neighbor's door in an apparent drunken rage.

Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, 34, died early Monday after being shot in the head by the neighbor, who thought he was a burglar. Police said the girlfriend had bruises on her face but did not suffer serious injuries. The couple did not have a history of domestic violence, police said.

Mr. Albrecht, who went by his middle name, was a guitarist and keyboardist best known for his work with the Dallas rock band Sorta as well as with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.

"It's a sad day for Dallas music," local concert promoter Mike Snider said. "He was a musical genius, a real prodigy — everything came to him naturally. He was an incredible instrumentalist — when he played, you could really see the joy he got out of playing."

According to police, Mr. Albrecht and his girlfriend had been partying at a Greenville Avenue bar. He had gotten drunk, and she had driven them to her home in the 9000 block of Santa Clara Drive, just east of White Rock Lake, police said.

The girlfriend told police that Mr. Albrecht slammed a drinking glass on a table, cutting his hand. He then struck the girlfriend in the face several times with his fist, knocking her to the floor at about 4 a.m. Monday, the report said.

He hit her in the back while she was on the floor, the report said. She broke away from Mr. Albrecht and ran outside. He followed her, according to the report. She then went around to the back yard and through the back door, locking Mr. Albrecht out, the report said.

Mr. Albrecht "attempted a few times to gain access to the … residence by knocking and banging on the door," but could not get in, the report said. Police believe Mr. Albrecht then went to the back of nearby neighbor's home.

The neighbor told police "he was awakened when he heard his wife screaming that someone was breaking into the house." The man was kicking and banging at the door, and the homeowner yelled at him to stop.

When the man, identified as Mr. Albrecht, didn't stop, the homeowner who was armed with a handgun "shot one time at the top of the door," the report said.

"He was trying to shoot over his head to scare him away," but Mr. Albrecht "is rather tall," said Sgt. Larry Lewis, a homicide supervisor, estimating the musician's height to be 6-foot-5.

Mr. Albrecht was shot once time in the head and died at the scene.

Police did not release the name of the homeowner who shot Mr. Albrecht. Investigators said the case will be referred to the grand jury to determine whether any charges will be filed.

A new law, nicknamed the "Castle doctrine," eliminates the requirement that someone has to retreat before using deadly force to defend themselves. The law already allows a person to use deadly force to prevent someone from committing a break-in at night.

Mr. Albrecht's parents declined to comment on the events surrounding his death but did say that they had spoken to his girlfriend.

"She's a dear person," the musician's mother, Judith Albrecht, said. "We've hugged and cried. I know they cared for each other a lot."

Mrs. Albrecht and her husband, Kenneth, who live in Plano, said their son's friends had been in and out of their house all day, paying their respects. An informal gathering of local musicians and friends was scheduled for Monday night at The Barley House in Dallas.

Mr. and Mrs. Albrecht said they knew from an early age that their son had the makings of a gifted musician. Mrs. Albrecht began teaching him piano as a small child, and he later took lessons from a college professor while the family lived in Kansas.

"He had a wonderful ear," Mrs. Albrecht said. "It just came natural to him. He had a way of making what was on the page come to life."

Their son attended Southern Methodist University on a music scholarship. He received a degree in piano performance in 1995. Several years ago, Mr. Albrecht was named best songwriter and musician of the year by the Dallas Observer.

"He always wanted to have a band," his father said. "Music was how he was going to make his living."

His parents said his career was taking off, and he was nearly done with a solo album. He was also working on an album with Sorta.

"Anybody that's been in this city that's been a performing musician has been touched by him in some way or another," said Sorta singer Trey Johnson. "He was that respected."


- Picks O'the day

Weekend Record -
Football - 5-3
Baseball - 0-0

YTD FB - 5-3
YTD BB - 138-125

1) Cleveland -125
2) San Diego -115
3) LA Dodgers -130