Handicapping the Heisman

Heisman Trophy Candidates ‘08 - Top Five
Candidates

For the Top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates go to
www.draftinsiders.com

1. Tim Tebow - QB -
Florida - 6’3” 230 lbs. - Jr.
Tebow is a rare
returning Heisman Trophy winner who looks to match Archie Griffin as the only
two time winner. He had one of the best offensive seasons in college history
last year with over 4,000 combined passing and rushing yards and an incredible
55 total TDs. He put up incredible numbers including 234 completions of 350
attempts for 67% and 3,286 yards, 32 TDs and 6 interceptions. He also carried
210 times for another 895 yards and an amazing 23 TDs . With most returning
starters to the Gators offense that was nationally ranked and scored over 40
points a game, Tebow can light it up again this fall. He is a threat to both
pass and run and can win another Heisman trophy with strong games vs top SEC
clubs.

2. Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia -
5’11” 215 lbs. - Soph
Another blue chip Georgia
tailback and former New Jersey great running back. He exploded onto the scene
with a tremendous freshman campaign that included 248 carries for 1,334 yards
for a fine 5.4 yard average. He rushed for 14 TDs and added 20 receptions for
253 yards. It was one of the greatest freshman seasons on record almost
duplicating former Bulldog runner Hershel Walker and NFL great Marshall Faulk.
His best performance came against arch rival Florida when he ran for 188 yards
and 3 TDs that were vital in the Georgia victory. He is a developing back who
continues to get bigger and combines fine quickness, speed and power. He can
also catch the ball and has the package to be a complete feature back. The
Georgia-Florida matchup on Nov.1st may determine the Heisman winner with several
prime candidates on both squads.

3. Chase
Daniel - QB - Missouri - 6’ 225 lbs. - Sr.
Senior
passer led the Tigers to their 1st Big 12 championship game last season. He is a
savvy performer in the Tigers’ spread offense with fine leadership and extensive
experience. He won Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last season and is the
favorite to do it again. Last season, he had 384 completions of 563 attempts for
a 68% rate for 4,306 yards, 33 TDs and 11 interceptions. He will have one of the
most versatile weapons in the nation in soph WR Jeremy Maclin. He is a winner
and puts up impressive numbers as one of the nation’s more consistent leaders.
He is geared for another huge season and with big performances vs Illinois and
Texas, he could be easily one of the finalists for this
award.

4. Pat White - QB - West Virginia -
6’1” 190 lbs. - Sr.
Electrifying athlete has rare
talent for the position with the skills to be a dual threat and capable of
beating a team with his feet as well as his arm. He is the ideal option type QB
with great running skills and underrated passing ability. As a junior, he had
144 completions of 216 attempts for a fine 66% rate for 1,724 yards, 14 TDs, 4
picks with 197 rushing attempts for 1,335 yards for a 6.8 yard average and 14
rushing TDs. Over his career, he has been a huge winner and a difference maker
on the W Va club the past last 3 years directing one of the most explosive
attacks in the nation. He is capable of a fast start this fall and ranking among
the best going into key midseason contests.

5. Chris Wells - RB - Ohio St - 6’1” 235 lbs. - Jr.

This is a talented workhorse runner who combines
a rare combination of size and speed. He possesses breakaway speed with big back
power and strength. He can hit the home run or make the tough inside yardage.
Over the ’07 season, he had 274 carries, 1,609 yards for a fine 5.9 yard average
and 15 TDs. He had nine 100 yard games in ’07 with his biggest games in key
contests especially vs Michigan when he ran for 222 yards on 39 rushes with 2
TDs in their huge 14-3 win. He came up big in their loss to LSU when he rushed
for 146 yards. His early ’08 season contest with Southern Cal vs their
nationally ranked defense will test him to the fullest and will either push him
to the top of the Heisman possibilities or out of the elite candidates into the
midseason.

Phillies recall Castro

The Phillies recalled pitcher Fabio Castro from Triple-A Lehigh Valley Thursday.

Andrew Carpenter was optioned to Double-A Reading after pitching a scoreless inning in the Phillies’ 6-3 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday.

Castro is 0-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 30 major league games, including one start. The left-hander was 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in three games for the IronPigs after going 8-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 27 games at Reading.

Westbrook back for another year at ESPN 950

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook will host his own radio show for the second straight year on ESPN 950 every Monday from 7 - 8 p.m. beginning September 8 from the Stone Grille in Clementon, NJ.

Congrats to WIP's Anthony Gargano

Congratulations to WIP personality Anthony Gargano and Tamara Hummel who were married early this month. Here are some of the details of the wedding from Laura Nachman...

Ceremony: at PAFA historic building.

Reception: at Fuel, 3rd and Arch

The bride attended the ceremony in a classic lace Edgardo Bonilla gown with a beaded Lazaro sash, with red Christian Louboutin heels, while the groom wore a bespoke tuxedo made by tailor Pasquale Scioli.

For the reception, Tamara changed into a beaded organza Badgley Mischka gown — a forties glamour gown with antique beading, more fitting for the reception. Groom then changed into a white dinner jacket.

AMONG THE GUESTS: Pat Croce, director Tim Chambers; Pete Ciarocchi, from Chickie’s and Pete’s, from WIP, Angelo Catladi, Rhea Hughes, Ike Reese, Rob Charry, Marc Rayfield; from 950, Mike Missanelli; as well as former partner Steve Martorano, also in attendance.

CATERER: Tony Cardillo. Chef and co-owner of La Veranda. Wowed the crowd with incredible food. Baby lamb chops, raw bar with crab claws, oysters and jumbo shrimp, a Tuscan table were among the appetizers. The other courses included pasta mista — gorgonzola gnocchi, pesto toretllini and rigatoni matrigiana, insalata pazza — spinach salad with pine nuts, goat cheese, golden raisins and carmelized onions with balsamic vinegearette, intermezzo with limone sorbetto and the entree was surf and turf.

Desserts included a vast selection of Italian specialty pastries, including a groom’s cake called “Ba-ba” consisting of yellow cake soaked in three different liquers, a Cardillo family recipe from Naples, constructed by Giuseppe Cardillo, Tony’s brother and co-owner of La Veranda.

CAKE: Nina of Truli Confectionary Arts desgin a custom-designed four-tier, hexagon-shaped cake embroidered detail to match the bride’s wedding gown. Two tiers devil’s food cake with champagne ganache strawberry and the other two were banana cake with ganache and bavarian cream with caramelized bananas.

ElteXC announces full CBS card

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27 — The third installment of CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS will be broadcast live from the Bank Atlantic Center, in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 4 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. A four-fight broadcast will feature two main events: undefeated heavyweight Kimbo Slice faces former UFC and WWE star Ken Shamrock and EliteXC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields makes his first defense against Cage Rage Welterweight Champion Paul Daley.

The following is the confirmed lineup for the Oct. 4 CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS:

· Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (Heavyweights)

· Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley (for EliteXC Welterweight title)

· Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobald (Women's 140-Pound Weight Class)

· Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (Middleweights)

KIMBO SLICE VS. KEN SHAMROCK

Kimbo Slice, of Miami, returns to CBS following his third round TKO over James "Colossus" Thompson on May 31. Kimbo will be squaring off against Ken Shamrock, of Reno, Nev., a true MMA legend and one of the biggest draws in the sport. Known as "The World's Most Dangerous Man,'' 22 of his 26 wins have come via submission.


JAKE SHIELDS VS. PAUL DALEY

Jake Shields, of San Francisco, enters the cage with an undefeated streak spanning nearly five years. A winner of 10 straight, Shields is widely considered one of the best in the world at 170 pounds. He currently holds the title of EliteXC Welterweight Champion. Shields' opponent on Oct. 4 is Paul Daley, of Nottingham, England, a dangerous Muay Thai specialist, who is also the current Cage Rage Welterweight Champion. Daley has won his last six fights, five by KO. Thirteen of his 18 wins have come by stoppage.

GINA CARANO VS. KELLY KOBALD

Gina Carano, of Las Vegas, will attempt to follow up her impressive second-round TKO over Kaitlin Young on May 31 on CBS when she takes on Kelly Kobald of Minneapolis. Carano is a skilled Muay Thai specialist with model looks and world-class ability, while Kobald began her career 16-0-1.

MURILO "NINJA" RUA VS. BENJI RADACH

Murilo "Ninja" Rua, of Curitiba, Brazil, is a Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai black belt. A former EliteXC 185-pound champion, "Ninja" has won five of his last six, including a first-round TKO over Tony Bonello in June. His opponent, Benji Radach, of Castle Rock, Wash., is a heavy-handed veteran who has won five of his last six fights.

In one of the evening's exciting undercard bouts, Brazilian female newcomer, Cristiane Cyborg, who made her U.S. debut on July 26 on CBS, will square off against Japan's Yoko Takahashi. Highlights from this match will be shown during the CBS broadcast.

Phils call up Double-A pitcher

The Phillies purchased the contract of righthander Andrew Carpenter from Class AA Reading on Wednesday.

Carpenter, 23, has gone 9-11 with a 4.68 ERA in 24 starts with Reading and Class A affiliate Clearwater of the Florida State League this season.

To make room for Carpenter, Philadelphia designated infielder Andy Tracy for assignment. Tracy was 0-for-1 with a walk in his two plate appearances for the Phillies.

Lefthander Mike Zagurski, who is sidelined with an elbow injury, was also transferred to the 60-day disabled list.

Phils set sellout record

Tickets for tonight’s 7:05 p.m. Phillies vs. New York Mets game are sold out, John Weber, Vice President, Sales & Ticket Operations, announced today.

There have been 45 sellouts in 68 dates this season. Tonight’s sellout sets a new club record for most sellouts in a single season, breaking the previous record of 44 sold out games set in 2004.

Phils fail on Kotsay front

The Boston Red Sox acquired veteran outfielder Mark Kotsay from the Atlanta Braves Wednesday.

In exchange for Kotsay, the Braves received 20-year-old outfielder Luis Sumoza, who was hitting .301 with 11 home runs for Class A Lowell.

DMac Makes cover of SI

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is on one of six regional covers that Sports Illustrated has produced for its NFL preview issue that is out today. The five other covers are of the Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson, the Patriots’ Tom Brady, the Vikings' Adrian Peterson, the Jaguars’ Maurice Jones-Drew and the Cowboys’ Tony Romo.

By the Way, SI also picked the Eagles to make the Super Bowl.

McDougle back in the mix for Birds

Before camp started, Jerome McDougle had turned from former first round draft choice into a training camp body used for nothing more than limiting the reps of players like Victor Abiamiri and Chris Clemons.

That's what happens when you play in just 33 games during your first five seasons and miss two of the last three years with injuries.

McDougle's Philadelphia story is worthy of a Lifetime Movie of the Week on hard-luck.

The Miami product was plagued by injuries in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. In the final 2003 preseason game, he sustained ankle, knee and hip injuries against the New York Jets, forcing him to miss eight games during his rookie season. In 2004, McDougle was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and later suffered a knee sprain against the Dallas Cowboys, forcing the Eagles to shut him down for the final four games of that season.

Things only got worse from there. On July 28, 2005, just four days before McDougle was scheduled to arrive for training camp in 2005, the Pompano Beach, Florida native was shot in the abdomen during an apparent robbery attempt in Miami. McDougle was flown by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Initial reports had McDougle recovering quickly enough to play for the Eagles in the 2005 season. However, further complications from the shooting and surgery left him out for the entire 2005 season.

McDougle gave it another try in 2006 and was playing well in the preseason before fracturing two ribs in a training camp practice. The bad luck continued to pile up from there as McDougle suffered another season ending injury during the Eagles' pre-season opener against the Baltimore Ravens last season.

Add all that up and it's not hard to understand why head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson were looking to move one.

Problem is, McDougle is making it hard for anyone to forget him. He recorded a sack, three hurries and a tackle for a loss in the Eagles' 27-17 win over New England last week.

Meanwhile, Abiamiri is recovering from wrist surgery that will keep him on the sidelines for a significant period of time, while Clemons has been a bit of a bust since signing a five-year deal with the Eagles in March that included a $4 million signing bonus.

A natural pass rusher, Clemons has spent most of the preseason in the tub. The former Raider was hospitalized for dehydration early in camp and subsequently suffered a calf injury and has missed the last two preseason games.

Johnson said Monday that Abiamiri is recovering quickly enough and will not need to be placed on injured reserve and miss the season. That leaves the Eagles with seven defensive ends competing for six jobs heading into the final preseason game.

Abiamiri, Pro Bowler Trent Cole, Juqua Parker and veteran Darren Howard figure to be locks.

That leaves Clemons, McDougle and rookie Bryan Smith in competition for the last two spots.

McDougle has clearly been the most impressive to this point but the Eagles may have a tough time forgetting his history.

Comcast adds Eagles pre-game coverage

Comcast SportsNet is adding Eagles Pre-Game Live to its lineup an hour before each game, starting with the Eagles-Rams game September 7 at noon.

The entire Post Game Live crew - Michael Barkann, Vaughn Hebron, Ray Didinger, Governor Ed Rendell, and Derrick Gunn will also be part of Pre Game Live.

Eagles cut to 75

The Philadelphia Eagles released kicker Richmond McGee and placed cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list Tuesday.

Ikegwuonu, who is currently rehabilitating a knee injury suffered during a workout prior to the 2008 NFL combine, is eligible to return to practice with the team anytime between weeks six and nine of the regular season.

With today’s transactions, the Eagles roster now stands at 75 players. All NFL teams are required to cut down their rosters to 53 players by 4:00 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, August 30.

Cena on the shelf

World Wrestling Entertainment's biggest star, John Cena, underwent surgery today for a herniated disc in his neck.

The prosedure was performed by Dr. Joseph Maroon, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Team Neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers and WWE medical director.

The surgery was deemed a success and Cena should be able to return in two to four months.

Cena was feeling numbness in one his hands before Saturday's Madison Square Garden show and an MRI revealed the herniated disc. It was originally feared he would have to have fusion surgery which would have kept him out over a year. Instead, Maroon removed a fragment from Cena's spinal cord that was blocking a nerve.

Phils interested in Kotsay

FOX Sports' Ken Rosental is reporting that the Phillies are interested in obtaining Braves center fielder Mark Kotsay.

Kotsay, who has cleared waivers, is also drawing trade interest from the Red Sox, however.

Kotsay has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block trades to about eight teams. It is not known whether the Red Sox and Phillies are among those teams.

Kotsay, who turns 33 on Dec. 2, is batting .289 with a .338 on-base percentage, six home runs and 37 RBIs in 344 plate appearances this season.

Rams place ex-Penn State corner on IR

The St. Louis Rams placed CB Justin King on the reserve/injured list Tuesday.

King, a fourth-round draft choice (101^st overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft, underwent season-ending surgery last week after suffering a toe injury in the Rams first preseason contest at Tennessee

Penn State names Clark starting QB

Penn State named senior Daryll Clark its starting quarterback for the team's season opener against Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Clark beat out highly-regarded sophomore Pat Devlin, according to the Centre Daily Times. Devlin is also expected to see action versus the Chanticleers, however.

Clark served as Penn State's backup the last two years behind Anthony Morelli.

Favre likely to sit against Eagles

Jets coach Eric Mangini says he’s leaning toward not playing quarterback Brett Favre in the team’s preseason finale at Philadelphia.

"I don't know," said Mangini on Tuesday when asked if he would keep Favre out of Thursday's game in Philadelphia. "I'm not finalizing that, but yeah, if I could tilt one way or another ... I'd tilt that way."

Flyers invite D Berard to training camp

The Flyers signed veteran NHL defenseman Bryan Berard to a tryout contract Monday.

“Bryan has been around a number of years now (and) he has been a good defenseman for quite some time,” said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. “I’m excited about Bryan’s willingness to come here on a tryout. It will certainly pick up the competition level of what is going to take place in training camp.”

Sosa signs with Dolphins

Former Rutgers All-BIG EAST left tackle Pedro Sosa has signed with the Miami Dolphins.

Sosa, a 2007 Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, served as a starter on Rutgers’ offensive line each of the last three seasons. He was part of a unit that led the nation in fewest sacks allowed (eight) in 2006 and was tied for the second-lowest sacks surrendered last fall. Over his final two seasons with the Scarlet Knights, Sosa allowed just one sack. He did not allow a sack over the final 25 games of his collegiate career.

Rutgers' Schiano press conference

On Camp:

“I thought it was a good camp. I thought our guys worked extremely hard, the players, the coaches and the staff, to put us in a position to get us in our season. We were fortunate that not a lot of guys got banged up, hopefully that trend can continue. We’re not where we need to be, to be the football team we’re capable of being, but probably a lot of coaches in the country feel that way. We’re just going to have to keep working through it, we’re going to be a work in progress, and we just have to see how much progress we can make.”

On the possibility of throwing the ball more:

“We have a senior quarterback, so we’re certainly more apt to throw the ball this year than Mike’s first year as a starter. But as I said before, having an experienced quarterback, it’s not just about throwing the ball, it’s about running the offense, getting in and out of the right plays, we feel more comfortable with that stuff.”

On the wide receivers:

“Kenny [Britt] and Ty [Underwood] have played a lot of football for us and they have been very productive. The experience they have leads us to feel comfortable there. Dennis [Campbell] and Tim [Brown] are the guys that have done things for us at different times, but we need consistency from them. They are both electric players, but consistency from them is going to be the key. I anticipate consistency from them, and that’s going to give us a lot of depth. Then we have a bunch of young guys that I think will be able to contribute in their own way.”

On Fresno State’s Quarterback, Tom Brandstater:

“He’s very comfortable in what he’s doing. Look at his stats from last year, 63 percent completion rating, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, those are all very telling statistics. He’s mobile, to the extent that he can get out of trouble very well. They don’t ask him to be an option quarterback or a run-read quarterback, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to because they do have a new offensive coordinator [Doug Nussmeier], but that has not been the demands put upon him. But when he is under pressure he’s got a great feel in the pocket and he can escape.”

On the similarities between Fresno State and Rutgers:

“They lost a really good running back, I think he’s in the NFL now. They have some young backs that will fill in there, they played some last year like our backs did, but now it’s their show. They have a very good tight end, a very good player. We are going to have to know where he is at all times. They are multiple in their schemes offensively. They shift in motion and move a ton, they do some unconventional things. But make no mistake they are going to bloody your nose and run the football, so we better match toughness play for play. Defensively they have a real good defensive tackle [Jon Monga], he’s a real disruptive force. Their middle linebacker is a really good player, and then one of their safeties is a really active guy, and their corner [A.J. Jefferson] is a really active guy. The defense plays very, very hard. And their special teams group is extremely good. That’s going to be an area where the game might be decided, and it always can be, but they are very good in that area and we’re young in that area, they have a new kick off guy, so we’ll see. It should be a great opener.”

On Rutgers’ toughness:

“I think we’re a tough football team, but we do need to get tougher. We play extremely hard, and we are tough, but we’re not as precise as we need to be, or as consistent as I want us to be, but that goes with the first game.”

On the team’s mentality before the season-opener:

“You only get to play 12 games, so no matter who you’re opening with, you’re excited and you’re ripping at it ready to go. I think there is a little bit extra because we know that this team is something else. Our best may not be good enough to beat them, and that’s a fact. Right now our best might not be good enough to handle them. But if we don’t play our best, we have no chance.”

On his relationship with Fresno State head coach Pat Hill:

“We’ve known each other. He’s a very good football coach and a good person. He’ll bring a team here that’s ready to play and is tough. I see a team there that’s similar to us, schematically and the way they play.”

On Fresno State’s offense:

“You talk about balance, they’re balanced. Over 200 from both sides, over the course of 13 games, that’s balanced. From knowing Pat, they’re going to do what he does. He was an offensive line coach before he became a head coach, so he believes in what he believes. What you have to do is try to figure out what the new offensive coordinator [Doug Nussmeier] is going to add to that. I know that they are going to come and lead up with that fullback and try to smash you, and that’s what we’re going to see and they are going to see that from us. It’s the other things, the periphery things, that you have to be ready for. Special plays, formations, different things, maybe there will be option, maybe gun zone. We prepare for it anyway in the preseason, and even if they haven’t shown a lot of it, you know something different will show its head.”

On facing Fresno State’s offense:

“As a defensive coach, you are worried about every offense whether they have the 119^th ranked stats or the top-ranked stats. Because defense in and of itself is kind of a negative. If they gain one yard you’re in the hole. So what you try to do is cut your losses, you try to defend. This group is certainly potent. It’s going to take every ounce of what we have to have a chance to win.”

On Rutgers’ defensive backs:

“Obviously the twins are our guys at corner. Then we have some really good young defensive backs playing behind them. Brandon Bing is going to be very good. The guy who is a steadying factor back there is an older guy in Billy Anderson. All Billy does is do everything right, so he’s going to play. Then you look at the young guys, Brandon Jones is a good football player, he and David Rowe may get on the field. So there are some young guys who can run and who can play, they’re just inexperienced.”

On Rutgers’ defensive line:

“We’re building that as we go. I think Charlie Noonan had his best period of play over this camp. He continues to get better. Blair Bines is getting ready, but he’s going to be forced to play maybe before he’s ready to play, but that’s the way it goes. I think we’re ok at the ends, we have Jon Freeny and Gary Watts, it’s the inside where you wonder what it’s going to be.”

On Rutgers’ linebackers:

“With the linebackers, I knew they would play hard last year, and now I think now they are more experienced, and I think they are more comfortable, which makes me feel more comfortable. I think we were productive last year. You look at Malast’s stats, he was our leading tackler. But I think we’re going to play better. I think that our linebackers will play more consistently.”

On Rutgers’ running game:

“I’m not concerned, because I think we’ll be able to run the ball, but until we do I can’t be sure. We’ll have to wait and see on Monday, line up against someone else and run the football. I won’t be concerned with it until something makes me concerned.”

On Rutgers’ running back position:

“I think Mason Robinson and Kordell Young are going to be the first two guys, not necessarily in any order, just see what plays we’re running. Our offensive coaches do a good job of knowing this is what he does best and this is what he does best, and then try to fit that. So we’ll do that today and tomorrow, really hone in on which runs are for whom, and then go from there.”

On Rutgers’ ability to run outside:

“I think they can run outside, but I think they can run inside as well. They both have a good sense of inside running. I think it will be a mix, and I think it may even be a better mix than it was because we are more capable of going outside.”

On Rutgers’ offensive line:

“I think these young guys will be good. Caleb Ruch has never played in a college football game, so Fresno State will be his first, and that will be interesting. I believe he’s ready, he’s worked very hard to get himself ready, to understand what it is to play every down on a Division I level. Now that’s in practice, so now he has to do it in a game. Howard Barbieri has established himself as someone we can count on. Kevin Haslam I believe will be back and will be ok. From a health standpoint, I think Anthony Davis will be ok. So I think we’ll have our top six guys ready to go, and if we have to go deeper than that, we’ll have to do some shuffling of the deck.”

On the relationship between quarterback Mike Teel and his offensive line:

“We’re going to find out how good they are. You have two guys who are in NFL training camps right now and Mike Fladell, who should be in camp, in my opinion. That’s pretty hard to replace. I’m sure in Teel’s mind he’s confident in his offensive line, but let’s see you do it. Teel can’t worry about that, he has to do his job and trust that they will do theirs. But those are the unknowns, so until you see them do it, how do you know?”

On RU defensive lineman Alex Silvestro:

“He’s getting there. Alex is another young guy, and going down inside is another world you have to learn, and Alex is getting better every day. Jamaal Westerman could always go back there, but I just felt that here was a guy who had played a position for four years now and I wanted to see how he’d do down there, and he’d be fine. But I would rather not disrupt two positions.”

On watching former Scarlet Knights in the NFL:

“I’m just too busy, so I really just don’t have time to watch NFL games. I just found out Jeremy Zuttah started a game the other night. Pedro Sosa is in a camp now, I just found that out yesterday, and that’s great. I root for them but we’re so busy, and they send us texts about what they’re up to. But I haven’t really watched any pro football, I watched maybe 10 plays of the Browns-Giants game, and that’s it. But it is exciting. When we got here we said eventually that line is going to start flowing to the NFL, and once it does it won’t stop. That’s what is happening, that’s for sure. You look at this group of seniors now, there are going to be many of them playing in the NFL, and that’s what good programs do.”

On current Scarlet Knights speaking with former Scarlet Knights in the NFL:

“Could be good and could be bad. Could be good, because for kids at that age, the level of player that these guys are, the NFL is it. Anything they see, they talk about it, they love it. They just have to be sure that they understand that there’s good and there’s bad. Don’t wish away time because there’s nothing like your college football experience. That I can tell them, I’ve been in both sides, and I think the NFL guys have told them that. This is it. The next one is a job. This is it.”

On Rutgers’ linebackers:

“I thought they played well. Right now the starting three are Manny Abreu, Ryan D’Imperio and Kevin Malast. Damaso has gotten a lot better this year, as has Ryan, so Damaso Munoz is going to play some. Jim Dumont has played his way into the two-deep. Antonio Lowery is in the two-deep, which is good for him. So not only are the first three guys doing well, but I think the backups are too.”

On facing a team like Fresno State in the first game:

“In college football, you don’t have preseason games, so everything is right off the bat. We have a lot of situations where have to face some of the best right off the bat, so we better be ready. I don’t know if our best is good enough, but anything less we’re not going to have a chance. There are guys on this team who have never played in games, so we don’t know how they are going to respond. We have new coaches that have not coached together in a real game, so we tried using headsets during scrimmages. But the pressures of a real game are definitely different than anything you can create in practice.”

On veteran leadership in the defensive backfield:

“It’s great to have Courtney Greene and the twins back there. As long as they’ve been playing, they help us. We discuss ideas with them, ask them if they think this can work or that can work. It reminds me of working in the NFL, going back and forth with guys. If you have a young guy, it really doesn’t do much to ask him, because he really doesn’t know what problems are out there. He might tell you what he likes, but he doesn’t know how it’s going to fly. Guys like Courtney and the twins, they’ve played a lot of football, so they know. They come back and say, coach remember when we did this, that happened, and that’s great.”

On the strong safety position:

“That’s the best of those two guys, Zaire Kitchen and Joe Lefeged. Each day we were alternating who was with the first team, and I never realized. I had to ask Coach Pinkham who was out there at safety, because each one of them did a great job, and I feel very comfortable with both. We want to make sure both of them play, because there’s no reason that one of them should be tired when we have another on the sideline.”

On Rutgers as a physical team:

“I think we have a team that will punish you. Especially a guy like George Johnson, he’s a guy that has put some hits on people this training camp where I was worried they weren’t getting up.”

On the opening game being broadcast on ESPN:

“I think it’s great to be on national television. If you win some games, you’ll get on television, and if you don’t win, you won’t be on television. Our job is to make sure that we keep winning, and television will take care of itself. But it is great, they have UCLA and Tennessee after us, so that’s a great afternoon and evening of football.”

On the possibility of Kenny Britt returning punts:

“He’s working there, but I’m not sure he’s the best punt returner, so that’s why we wouldn’t have him in there. If he’s the best, then we may be careful because if he’s gassed or tired we wouldn’t want him out there. But if he’s the best and that gives us the best chance to win, then that play is just as important to me as him running a takeoff route.”

On communicating on the field:

“I think our leadership does that more than we do. When we’re out there playing we try to communicate on defense. We’ve told them that they are at home this week, so the good news is that the opposing offense can’t hear themselves, but the bad news is that we can’t hear ourselves either. So when you’re making checks and changing the defensive coverages, you have to do hand signals, you have to be loud, you have to communicate, and not many high school players have to deal with a game where they can’t even hear themselves talking. We try to give them experience with crowd noise, and making the crowd noise deafening so that they have to communicate via hand signals. All that is fine, but then you throw that one variable of the pressure to perform in a game, and you don’t always know how it’s going to go. That’s why weird things happen in games.”

On the college football schedule:

“You haven’t played a game in so long. You play the first one, then bang 10 days later you’re playing another one, and then six days later another game, so the key I think is to treat every game like the first game of the season, approach it with that kind of enthusiasm and newness, so we will work on that. It’s not a problem for the actual first game, it’s when you get into the year and you’re banged up and the game is coming too fast for you, then you have to have that kind of attitude.”