SI.com - Writers - Cory McCartney's All-Out Blitz: Ainge, Volunteers on the rise

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Posted: Sunday September 3, 2006 8:23PM; Updated: Tuesday September 5, 2006 9:49AM

Quick Hits

Joe Robbins/US PRESSWIRE

Anything But Rocky

What a difference a year, and David Cutcliffe, made for Erik Ainge. The Volunteers QB finally looked comfortable again, reverting to his 2004 form Saturday in exploiting Cal's secondary to the tune of 291 yards and four touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing. If this is a sign of the Ainge to come, then the SEC title race just got a whole lot more interesting.

Here We Go Again

Paul Thompson looked better than he did in last season's opener before he gave way to Rhett Bomar. But the hot start from the Sooners QB was ruined by the final five minutes of the first half, when he threw two picks, leading to him attempting five passes in the second half. If this keeps up, Adrian Peterson's going to have the same headaches he had in '05.

The Trojans: Reloaded

It wasn't 70-17 and it took them a while to get going, but John David Booty and the boys showed there's more than enough talent in Troy to squelch any talk of a drop-off, by ripping Arkansas 50-14. Booty, making his first start, didn't get going until the second half, but once he did, he looked every bit the part of the two Hesiman Trophy winners he follows at USC.

Ups & Downs

Tennessee Volunteers

How's this for putting last season behind them? The Vols defense put a major kink in Marshawn Lynch's Heisman campaign and made sure Phillip Fulmer won't have to hear the words "hot seat" any longer.

California Bears

National championship? Cal looked like anything but a contender in Knoxville. Lynch had just 35 yards at halftime and finished with 74. The No. 7 Golden Bears' highest ranking since 1952 didn't last very long.

Oregon Ducks

Jonathan Stewart and the offense put on a clinic in ripping Stanford and the D made a statement behind end Jeremy Gibbs. Haloti Ngata's successor had a sack, blocked a kick and forced a fumble.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Yeah, the Sun Devils finally got it going to pull away from Northern Arizona, but a fourth-quarter rally to beat a Division I-AA team? ASU looks doomed for a quicker fall than my Crystal Ball prediction led on.

They Said It

"That's all I've been hearing for the whole offseason -- 617 yards. If I hear that one more time, I'm going to vomit."

--Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis on the amount of yards the Irish gave up to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl when discussing his defense in Saturday's 14-10 win over Georgia Tech.

"I think they got their [butts] kicked in today. Simple as that."

--Penn State coach Joe Paterno on his running game, which had just 76 yards in a 34-16 win over Akron.

"We all felt disrespected. This game tonight wasn't just for Tennessee versus California. It was for the South versus the West Coast, the SEC versus the Pac-10."

--Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge on the team's mindset leading into Saturday's 35-18 win over Cal.

Big Men On Campus

Ben OlsonQB - UCLA

In making his first collegiate start, Olson was 26-of-34 for 318 yards and three touchdowns in as the Bruins' beat Utah 31-10 Saturday. It was the most yards in a Bruins' debut since Tommy Maddox's 353-yard effort against Michigan in '90.

Steve SlatonRB - West Virginia

The sophomore ran 33 times for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the fifth-ranked Mountaineers' 42-10 win over Marshall. Slaton had 21 first-half carries, and had 140 yards at halftime en route to his second straight 200-yard game.

Garrett WolfeRB - Northern Illinois

The nation's top returning rusher was the only part of the Huskies' attack that got going against Ohio State. He ran for 171 yards on 26 carries and caught five passes for 114 and a score, accounting for all but 58 of the team's 343 yards.

Statitudes

Touchdowns heralded freshmen QBs Mitch Mustain (Arkansas), Matthew Stafford (Georgia) and Tim Tebow (Florida) combined for in their first action. Mustain and Tebow ran for TDs of four and one yard, respectively, while Stafford threw for a 13-yard score.

Rushing yards 16th-ranked Iowa held Division I-AA Montana to in the Hawkeyes' 41-7 win in Iowa City. Iowa allowed just 144 total yards in winning for the 19th time in 20 home games.

Second-half yards Division I-AA Montana State limited Colorado to in opening the Dan Hawkins era with a laugher. It was also the Buffs first ever game against a I-AA team.

Top 25 Photo Gallery: Week 1

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Crystal Ball

Ohio State at TexasSEPTEMBER 9

Vince Young and the 'Horns parlayed a win over Ohio State into a national title. Troy Smith and the Buckeyes will try to work that same magic in hostile territory against the nation's best defense.
Ohio State 28, Texas 21

Penn State at Notre DameSEPTEMBER 9

Brady Quinn and the Irish won't face a better linebacking corps all year than Penn State's Paul Posluszny-led bunch. Luckily for Quinn, a young, inexperienced secondary isn't quite so dangerous. Notre Dame 35, Penn State 24

Georgia at South CarolinaSEPTEMBER 9

Now we see what Joe Tereshinski is made of. His nerves will be put to the test in Columbia, but he'll get help from Quentin Moses and a defense that should give South Carolina's offensive line fits.
Georgia 21, South Carolina 10

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