Short Yardage

?YA GOTTA LOVE THIS GUY
As an all-district quarterback at Burleson ( Texas) High in 1996, Steve Kelly signed with Miami. However, after redshirting one year and seeing only mop-up duty the next, Kelly left school and returned home to get married and take a job in the shipping and receiving department of an interior design business. One year as a working stiff was all Kelly needed to persuade him to enroll at Division II Tarleton State, at which he's majoring in exercise and sports science and again making headlines on the field. In three seasons he has set school career records for passing yards (7,686), completions (569) and touchdown throws (48). Last Saturday he led the Texans to a 34-24 win over Texas A&M-Commerce that ran their record to 9-2 and gave them a share of the Lone Star Conference championship. Tarleton State will also make its first appearance in the Division II playoffs in 11 years this Saturday.

?DRAFT BAROMETER
An NFL scout assesses Fresno State senior David Carr, who has completed 243 of 379 passes for 3,171 yards and 30 TDs this fall

"I'm sure he's the best quarterback available. I really like the way he throws. He has good rotation on the ball. He's also adequately mobile. If he's sequencing through his receivers, he can drop his arm to three-quarters and zing the ball. Some guys who get to their third or fourth receiver will pull it down and take off, but he zips it. To me, that's worth as much as mobility. If [former Marshall quarterback] Chad Pennington went 18th in the 2000 draft, this guy will go in the top 15. He has better physical ability than Pennington."

?WHAT WAS HE THINKING?
Georgia coach Mark Richt isn't sure himself. His Bulldogs trailed Auburn 24-17 with :16 to play, no timeouts and a first down at the Tigers' one-yard line. Concerned more with getting the one yard than with managing the clock, Richt, a former Florida State offensive guru, called for quarterback David Greene to hand the ball to tailback Jasper Sanks, telegraphing the play by sending in a third running back as a blocker. "Once it jumped out of my mouth, there was no turning back," Richt said. "It jumped out a little quick. I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but it was too late." Richt began frantically signaling for Greene to spike the ball but couldn't get his attention. Greene gave the ball to Sanks, who ran into the left side of the line looking for a hole that never opened. Four Tigers tackled Sanks at the line and then got up slowly enough to prevent the Bulldogs from running another play.

?HEAD-TO-HEAD
Oklahoma quarterback Nate Hybl vs. Texas Tech's home crowd

Hybl has stuffed a career's worth of ups and downs into his first year as a starter: He won the job, got hurt, lost the job and then got it back after sophomore Jason White tore the ACL in his left knee. Hybl has been a much better passer at home (126 completions in 193 attempts for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions) than away (40 for 88,395, three and two). He'll face his toughest road test in Lubbock, where the Red Raiders are 19-5 over the last four seasons, compared with 7-14 elsewhere. In a stadium that is always loud and usually windy, Hybl will have some bad plays. The questions are, How many, and how will they affect the Sooners? Texas Tech has won four of its last five, but Oklahoma should win—if it doesn't beat itself.