Toledo Blade Sports

Coach Mike Donnelly and his Clay Eagles couldn’t help but wonder if they were headed for a repeat of last week’s overtime disappointment.
After the Eagles failed to convert on fourth down with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter, host Springfield and its dynamic senior quarterback Eric Page were just eight points down and 69 yards away from potentially forcing overtime. A week earlier at Anthony Wayne, Clay fell 52-46 in five overtimes. This time, the 2-1 Eagles held on for a 43-35 victory — in regulation! “It’s always a better feeling when you’re on the other side of that, but I can’t take many more of these,” Donnelly said. “Our defense came up with some big [late] stops. Our offense made some mistakes tonight, and our defense was able to respond at the right time.” The bottom line in this win was that Clay had two primary offensive weapons to offset the dangerous Page, and the Eagles’ defense rose to the challenge down the stretch to preserve the victory.
Workhorse Clay running back Mike Toth carried 32 times for 190 yards and scored five touchdowns, including one on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Drew Kuns. “Toth is a great running back,” Kuns said. “He’s a power guy, and he won’t let anyone blow him back. He’ll run you over. I had a few third-down conversions that helped the game go our way. “We’re a very clock-oriented team. We like to keep the ball in our hands so the other offense can’t manage our games. We did a great job of that. It’s great to get a win against a great player like Eric. We were a little down after last week, but we stepped it up this week.” Kuns completed 17 of his 23 passes for 222 yards and two scores. His other TD pass was an 11-yarder to Jeremy Jago in the first quarter. Kuns is 58 of 77 for 720 yards and five TDs in three games. “It’s always nice to be able to run and pass,” Donnelly said. “If you can mix it up and keep defenses off balance, you’re going to be able to move the ball. Against a great player like Eric Page, and a feisty team like Springfield, if we didn’t have that balance, we probably would not have won tonight.” Clay’s balance was enough to keep a step ahead of Page, who ran 26 times for 227 yards and scored four TDs, one on a 62-yard punt return to get the Blue Devils (2-1) within 33-27 with 3:08 left in the third quarter. “They did to us what we wanted to do to them,” Springfield coach Dave Connelly said of Clay’s 30:40 to 17:20 edge in possession time. “I give credit to Mike and his coaches and the kids from Clay. They played hard all game long, and they executed better than we did. You deserve to win when you do that.” Page, who rushed for 2,039 yards and passed for 1,137 as a junior, now has 794 rushing yards, 400 more passing, and has scored 14 TDs this season. Toth answered Page’s punt return TD with a six-yard scoring run 1:18 into the final quarter, and Clay extended the edge to 43-27 on Jimmy Dunsmore’s 26-yard field goal with 8:53 to play. But Page kept Springfield’s hopes alive with five runs covering all 52 yards of the Devils’ final TD drive. His one-yard plunge and subsequent two-point conversion run with 6:41 remaining got Springfield within striking range. The Devils got past midfield on their final drive, but a personal-foul penalty backed them up, and Clay’s Tyler TenEyck sealed things by intercepting a Page pass at the Eagle 25 with 1:20 to play. Matt Row had two earlier interceptions for Clay against Page, who was 3 of 11 passing for 24 yards. Page and Toth each scored a pair of rushing TDs in the first half, which closed in a 20-20 tie. “My line blocked for me, and Drew opened up the run game with his passing, and the receivers caught the ball,” Toth said. “We did what we needed to do. “But I’ll give the credit to our defense. They stepped it up at the end.” The Blue Devils’ other first-half TD came when Kuns was sacked for an eight-yard loss and fumbled. Springfield’s Patrick Hartman scooped up the loose football and ran it 31 yards to the end zone 7:59 before the break. Contact Steve Junga at:sjunga@theblade.comor 419-724-6461.

COLUMBUS — Contrary to the alarms sounding in the background, Ohio State without Chris “Beanie” Wells does not mean the Buckeyes have to forfeit, install an all-passing offense or try and defeat Ohio University today by scoring six defensive touchdowns.
The Clydesdale is being kept in the barn, but this team has other horses. Wells, the 6-1, 240-pound Heisman Trophy candidate, is still gimpy after injuring the big toe on his right foot in the season-opening win over Youngstown State. He has not practiced this week and has been wearing a protective boot on his foot and taking a series of treatments on the injury. But Ohio State coach Jim Tressel says come down off the top of the bridge, put away the razor blades and step back from the panic button. The Buckeyes have other options — senior Maurice Wells (no relation to Beanie), sophomore Brandon Saine and redshirt freshman Dan “Boom” Herron. “We can’t change our offensive game plan with the change of one or two people, even if it’s your tailback,” Tressel said. “I mean Brandon Saine, Mo Wells, Danny Herron — they run the same plays that Beanie Wells runs. They know how to run them. They know how to do them, they know how to pass protect routes, so we’re not going to change things that the other 10 guys have been working on forever when there’s someone not in the game.”
The rest of the Buckeyes took advantage of every contact with the media this week to express their confidence in that trio. Ohio State tight end Rory Nicol said the Buckeyes’ other options are viable and more than adequate. “Mo Wells has a ton of game experience,” Nicol said, alluding to the fact the “other” Wells played in every game the last two seasons and in nine his freshman season. Maurice Wells had filled a role as a kick returner and a back-up tailback. “Brandon Saine is arguably one of the fastest backs in the country. We run the same plays with those guys as we do with Beanie, we run the same pass protections so I don’t know that we feel any different. Beanie is obviously a great player and we want him back, but we don’t want anything to become serious.” Maurice Wells and Saine would likely fit into the category of slash, and then burn running backs, while Herron did not earn his nickname by avoiding contact. Maurice Wells, who came to Ohio State draped in huge expectations, said he does not consider all of the fuss over Beanie’s injury to mean that Ohio State’s fans have no faith in the other three running backs. “Not at all, because Beanie is a major part of the offense,” Maurice Wells said. “This past season, he was the MVP. He’s made some big plays in big games. A lot of the fans really haven’t seen too much of the other running backs, so it’s an unknown. They don’t know what they can do, but I don’t take offense to that at all.” Maurice Wells was regarded as one of the top running backs in the nation at Sandalwood High in Jacksonville. He had gaudy numbers — 5,955 career rushing yards and 55 touchdowns and led the state of Florida in rushing as a junior with 3,076 yards, scoring 31 touchdowns. Wells set the single-game rushing record as a junior, with 429 yards in just two and a half quarters of play in a rout of Stanton Prep. “Any time a player goes down, especially a starter, it can be difficult for a team,” Maurice Wells said. “But with any team, you have to learn how to bounce back. We’ll have to go with what we’ve got. Everybody has practiced and prepared, so we’re ready to play.” Tressel said he expects to start Maurice Wells against Ohio but hoped to see each one of his trio of backups get “a dozen or more carries.” He also said one of his primary concerns regarding Beanie Wells was making sure the injury had time to heal. “When you’re a big back like he is, you’re going to get whacked around a lot and your wheels have a big load on them. “He’s a 240-pound load on those feet,” Tressel said. “He’s passionate about playing the game, but we’re also going to be smart and medically sound and understand the need for practice and all those other things.” Contact Matt Markey at:mmarkey@theblade.comor 419-724-6510.

GENOA — Genoa had five touchdowns of at least 30 yards in the first half and led 41-0 at the break before finishing last night with a 55-7 victory over Port Clinton.
Connor Wendt, Zach Apel and Blair Skilliter all scored twice for the Comets (3-0). Wendt had 105 yards on six carries, scoring from 51 and 39 yards. Apel caught six passes for 96 yards, and Skilliter had a 73-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard punt return for a score. Genoa quarterback Matt Bassitt completed 8 of 11 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Graves scored on an 80-yard run in the fourth quarter for the Redskins (0-3). Hopewell-Loudon 28, Gibsonburg 14
GIBSONBURG — Justin Hohman caught two touchdown passes from Tyler Brown to lead the Chieftains to their third win of the season. Hohman’s catches were 2 and 24 yards. The Chieftains’Andrew Brickner ran for a three-yard score and Aaron Kapelka a one-yard TD. He also rushed 19 times for 162 yards. Tony Egbert scored twice on short runs for 1-2 Gibsonburg. Tiffin Calvert 41, Woodmore 14 ELMORE — Kyle Kwlat punched in four rushing touchdowns from inside six yards for the Senecas. He racked up 136 yards rushing on 29 carries. Calvert’s Vinny Pardi threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Ritzler and scored on a two-yard run. The Wildcats cashed in on Max Nusser’s one-yard run and on a two-yarder from Michael Fahle. Tinora 42, Otsego 7 TONTOGANY—Blake Foor rushed 18 times for 160 yards and three scores (17, 3, 1) as Tinora won on the road. Landon Drewes passed two touchdowns to Ethan McKinney, the first 31 yards, and second was 27 yards. Lucas Willitzer added two scores on the ground for the Rams (1-2). Dustin Peper scored on a five yard run for Otsego’s lone score. Otsego finished with five turnovers (4 interceptions, 1 fumble), Tinora did not turn the ball over. Carey 25, Lakota 21KANSAS — Drek Stock scored three touchdowns to lead the Blue Devils, including the game-winner from 46 yards early in the fourth quarter. Stock also scored on runs of 1 and 36 yards and finished with 196 rushing yards in the contest for Carey (3-0). Lakota quarterback John Timmons completed 10 of 27 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. He found Levi Peeler in the end zone for scoring strikes of 28 and 35 yards and added a 72-yard TD toss to Jacob Smith for the Raiders (1-2). Elmwood 33, North Baltimore 6 NORTH BALTIMORE — Reid Rothenbuhler threw for two touchdowns and ran for two for Elmwood. Rothenbuhler completed 23 of 30 passes for 266 yards. He connected on touchdown strikes to Thor Bottesch (15 yards) and Kyle Benschoter (37 yards). Rothenbuhler rushed for 147 yards on 14 carries and had TD runs of 10 and 15 yards. Bottesch also had a three-yard TD run. North Baltimore accounted for 163 total yards. Eastwood 28, Oak Harbor 0 OAK HARBOR — Cody Seifert rushed for scores of 2 and 1 yards and Eastwood (2-1) as the Eagles blanked the Rockets (0-3). Seifert and Jason Faykosh both accounted for 56 yards rushing. Faykosh had a three-yard score in the fourth quarter and later threw a one-yard TD pass to Mark Schult. Schult had six catches for 55 yards. Eastwood rolled up 303 total yards of offense, including 199 on the ground.

When Anthony Wayne’s Ben Barrett booted a 29-yard field midway through the fourth quarter, Central’s crowd sat in silence at Gallagher Stadium.
The scoreboard read 10-7 in the Generals’ favor with little more than six minutes left in the game. Opportunity for panic to infiltrate Central’s sideline certainly existed considering the Irish had not shown any consistency offensively up to that point. Yet, the Irish met the challenge head-on and put together their best-sustained drive of the night with their next possession. Central drove 50 yards on seven plays with Michael Marrow capping the drive with a one-yard game-deciding touchdown run that led to a 21-10 come-from-behind victory over the Generals. Central defensive back Tyler Bell iced the game when he intercepted a desperation pass by AW backup quarterback Trevor Smith in the waning seconds and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown.
The final score certainly wasn’t indicative of how close the Generals (2-1) had the Irish (3-0) struggling on the ropes. “We were outplayed and outcoached tonight,” Central coach Greg Dempsey admitted. “We were fortunate to make some plays in the fourth quarter.” The Irish coach also thought his team deserved some credit for finishing the game on top. “They played with a lot of effort,” Dempsey said. “I knew they [the Generals] would come out and be ready to play.” AW coach Craig Smith said his team didn’t make enough plays down the stretch in a game in which the Generals produced 19 first downs compared to nine for the Irish. “We think we controlled the game for the most part,” Smith said. “Unfortunately we didn’t come out with the win.” AW running backs James Pollex and David Birsen epitomized the Generals’ effort against the Irish. Pollex led all rushers after carrying the football 18 times for 106 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 7 with 4:12 left in the second quarter. Birsen had 17 carries for 91 yards. Marrow finished the night leading the Irish in rushing with 87 yards on 20 carries, including the game-deciding touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. But the 6-foot-1, 240-pounder, worked for every yard against a Generals defense that consistently tried to swarm to him whenever he was handed the football. “I think they came prepared,” Marrow said. “They were coming at all angles. They were blitzing more than we could block.” Down the stretch the Irish defense, led by Jake Henderson, Kevin Williams and Jamaal Tarrent, held strong and kept the Generals out of the end zone. “It was difficult at first trying to figure out who was carrying the ball,” said Tarrent, of AW’s running game. “We stepped it up at the end. All we had to do was get used to their offense.” And Bell put the finishing touches on the Generals with his interception. “I just saw the ball in the air and I had to take it,” said Bell, recalling his game-securing interception. “Usually we just get it and go out of bounds but I saw it [the field] was open and had to take it back.” Central made it look like it was going to be an easy time against AW when it scored on its first play from scrimmage in the opening quarter. Eric Bates, who received the second handoff on a double-reverse, surprised the Generals when he fired a pass out of Central’s end zone to a wide-open Nate Hobbs, who finished off the play for a 97-yard touchdown to give Central a 7-0 lead. But that quick touchdown may have been the last time the Irish had it easy against the Generals the rest of the night. Contact Donald Emmons at:demmons@theblade.comor 419-724-6302.

Rich Rodriguez is close to finally signing a six-year, $15 million contract to be Michigan’s football coach, almost 10 months after he was hired and with a game already under his belt.
According to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Rodriguez could sign a contract within the next 10 days that is largely consistent with the offer sheet he signed Dec. 16. The contract will include a $4 million buyout clause, which carries extra significance because he had the same clause for the same amount in his contract with West Virginia. Rodriguez’s former employer sued him to recoup the $4 million after he left to coach UM. A deal was struck in July for Rodriguez to pay West Virginia $1.5 million in three installments beginning in 2010, and for UM to pay the remaining $2.5 million. A source said the lengthy delay in Rodriguez finalizing a contract to coach the Wolverines was caused by the bitter, public legal dispute between him and West Virginia — his alma mater. The settlement between them was reached July 9.
According to UM’s original offer sheet, Rodriguez’s base salary is $300,000, with the remaining $2.2 million coming from various marketing, media, endorsements, and other ventures. The university declined to comment except to say that a contract has not been finalized. Last month Ohio State revised Jim Tressel’s contract to make him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten. He’ll make $3.5 million next year with yearly 3 percent to 4 percent increases through January, 2013. Contact Joe Vardon at:jvardon@theblade.comor 419-410-5055.

BOWLING GREEN — Coach Gregg Brandon stood outside the student union at Bowling Green State University earlier this week passing out sandwiches to coax students into attending tonight’s game at Perry Stadium.
Employees in the ticket office have answered so many phone calls this week that they might as well have been conducting a telethon. It’s a historic week at BG, as the Falcons play host to a Big Ten team for the first time ever. Minnesota, which has already matched its win total from last year, will look to exact revenge on the Falcons from last year when the teams meet at 7:30 p.m. in a game that can be seen on ESPNU. BG received votes in the latest Top 25 polls after topping then nationally ranked Pittsburgh last Saturday. That momentum is carrying over on a grander scale as there is a “potential” for a sellout tonight, according to assistant athletic director of marketing, Brian Delahoy. BG has not sold out a football game since the 2003 season when ESPN’s GameDay was on site for the Falcons’ win over Northern Illinois. At the time, Perry Stadium seated about 30,000. But because of recent renovations to the north and south ends of the stadium, an attendance of 23,500 would now constitute a sellout. BG students do not need to purchase advance tickets, making it hard to predict tonight’s turnout. “We were expecting big fan attendance anyway, but with us adding on the win over Pitt, we were all talking about how exciting it will be to come to a jam-packed crowd,” quarterback Tyler Sheehan said.
Sheehan will be excited to see the Gophers as well. It was in last year’s season opener at the Metrodome that he threw for 388 yards in an overtime win over the Gophers. With his team trailing, Sheehan marched the Falcons to a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation before tossing a touchdown pass and a make-or-break two-point conversion in the extra period. An overtime win over Miami (Ohio) the next week was the lone positive outcome in Tim Brewster’s first year as coach of the Gophers. “I think they’re definitely going to come back and want to beat us at our place like we beat them at their place,” Sheehan said. “I think us beating them last year kind of set the tone for the rest of their season. I think we kind of exposed them defensively, and I think a lot of teams took advantage of that.” The Gophers allowed 518 yards per game in 2007, which ranked dead last in the nation. Only one member returns from a secondary that allowed nearly 290 passing yards per game in 2007. Brandon said Minnesota’s defense “is much faster.” Many prognosticators are expecting marked improvement from the Gophers. But if last week is any indication, this may not be a quick turnaround. Minnesota scored a touchdown with 22 seconds left in its game with Northern Illinois to prevail 31-27. NIU won just two games last year. “You’re playing against a Big Ten team and you’re not supposed to win these games,” Brandon said earlier this week. “Minnesota is a much improved team. They’re playing a lot better on defense and they seem to have a better feel of what they’re doing on offense.” Contact Ryan Autullo at: rautullo@theblade.com.

City League
Central Catholic 21, Anthony Wayne 10 Clay 43, Springfield 35 Maumee 44, Bowsher 30 Bay 13, Libbey 7 Rogers 62, Northview 24 Dayton Carroll 20, St. Francis 17 Strongsville 34, St. John's 6 Sandusky 34, Scott 12 Southview 28, Start 12 Perrysburg 41, Waite 0 Fostoria 42, Whitmer 35 Toledo Christian 21, Woodward 7 Northern Lakes League Lake 15, Rossford 12 Bowling Green 34, Napoleon 21 Suburban Lakes League Eastwood 28, Oak Harbor 0 Elmwood 33, North Baltimore 6 Genoa 55, Port Clinton 7 Hopewell-Loudon 28, Gibsonburg 14 Carey 25, Lakota 21 Tinora 49, Otsego 7 Tiffin Calvert 41, Woodmore 14 Toledo Area Athletic Conference Edgerton 57, Cardinal Stritch 27 Fostoria St. Wendelin 41, Danbury 0 Hicksville 38, Edon 0 Hilltop 32, Holgate 14 Antwerp 28, Ottawa Hills 14 Northwest Ohio Athletic League Archbold 18, Fairview 12 Bryan 50, Delta 23 Liberty Center 49, Evergreen 16 Patrick Henry 48, Montpelier 8 Wauseon 48, Swanton 0 Other Ohio Fremont Ross 28, Tiffin Columbian 6 Kenton 29, Ottawa-Glandorf 28 Defiance 35, Wapakoneta 9 Ada 34, Columbus Grove 19 Upper Arlington 41, Findlay 34 Southeast Michigan Bedford 15, Saline 14 Blissfield 31, Whiteford 8 Erie Mason 13, Jackson Western 12

The scoreboard was lit up like never before a week ago at Woodmore High.
Fairview and the host Wildcats racked up 135 total points under the Friday night lights.
Fairview High is in Sherwood, outside of Defiance, 57 miles west of Toledo or about the same distance as the Seneca County Courthouse to Toledo. The visiting Apaches certainly did their part to keep the scoreboard flickering and flashing, outscoring Woodmore 83-52.
In only his second start as Fairview's quarterback, James Elchinger put together a game to remember. The Apaches scored the most points in a single game in school history and Elchinger passed for an eye-popping personal record of 625 yards while completing 29 of 38 pass attempts, including a state record-tying record nine touchdowns. "We expect to go out and score on every possession," said Elchinger, who played wide receiver a year ago when record-setting QB Ryan Radcliffe served as the Apaches' triggerman.
It was initially reported that Elchinger had thrown for a state-record 779 yards, which would have topped the record of 678 yards established by Radcliffe during a game against Ayersville in 2006. However, further examination of the game tape revealed he was credited with more passing yardage than he was due.
Nonetheless, his 625-yard passing effort ranks third in the state record books only to Radcliffe's top-two efforts of 678 and 650. His nine touchdown passes in the game matches Radcliffe and Kirk Jesse, two Fairview alumni, for the state's best single game.
Fairview's first-year coach David Robinson doesn't think any less of his quarterback's effort after finding out it wasn't a state passing record.
"It was just one of those nights when James and my offensive coordinator [Doug Rakes] were hitting on the same page really well," Robinson said. "He [Elchinger] was just seeing it and coach [Rakes] was calling the plays and guys were open."
Robinson, who had been a longtime Fairview assistant, replaced Bob Olwin as the Apaches head coach this season. He made it clear from the beginning that he wouldn't tinker with anything that wasn't broken just to put his handprints on the program.
So, he left well-enough alone when it came to the Apaches wide-open spread offense that is responsible for Fairview being mentioned numerous times throughout state records.
That pass-happy attack will be on stage again tonight when the Apaches (2-0) play host to Archbold (1-1).
"It's been a good transition," said Robinson, who has been a coach at Fairview a total of 12 years. "I made it clear to our school board that the rest of our entire staff was going to stay at Fairview and I still attribute a lot to coach Olwin developing this program from the ground up."
The Apaches passing attack has been the one part of Fairview's game opponents have remained concerned with over the years. Before Radcliffe stepped behind center there was Jesse putting up huge passing statistics on Friday nights for Fairview. Jesse's 602 passing yards against Ayersville during the 2005 season once ranked as the state record before Radcliffe topped him. Now it ranks fourth-best after Elchinger's recent effort.
"Our offense has definitely picked up where we left off from last year," Robinson said. "Elchinger is a different style quarterback than Radcliffe but I'd say it all has a lot to do with our system.
"James worked a lot in the offense and Ryan has been like a mentor to him. While Ryan was in high school he was always willing to help the other quarterbacks."
Despite working primarily as a receiver while Radcliffe handled the quarterbacking duties the past couple years, Elchinger spent part of practice time working as the No. 2 quarterback on the Apaches depth chart.
So, making the transition from the quarterback to the receiver wasn't as difficult a transition as anticipated.
"I've been playing quarterback since the fifth grade," said Elchinger, a senior, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 155 pounds. "Even though I was the backup to Ryan I still got reps in practice.
"I liked playing receiver but I like playing quarterback better."
Ben Wonderly and James Elchinger's twin brother, John, are the primary pass-catchers this season. Against Woodmore, Ben Wonderly hauled in 10 passes for 213 yards, including five touchdowns, and John pulled in eight passes for 173 yards, including three touchdowns.
The Apaches quarterback admits the move from receiver has been made easier due to the fact he had established chemistry with half his main receiving corp.
"We practice together a lot at home," said James, referring to his sibling, John.
And so far, the additional practicing at home seems to be paying off for the Apaches.
Contact Donald Emmons at:
demmons@theblade.com or 419-724-6302

COLUMBUS - Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells will not play when the third-ranked Buckeyes take on Ohio tomorrow.
Wells injured his right foot in last weekend's 43-0 victory over Youngstown State. He has not practiced with the team this week and has spent much of the time wearing a protective boot.
"Beanie won't go this week," Tressel said yesterday afternoon. "I feel good about his progress, but it wasn't enough progress to practice through yesterday."
Asked if he worries that Wells may not be available when the Buckeyes play at No. 1 Southern California on Sept. 13, Tressel added: "No, not at all. Not at all. But that's easy to say today."
The junior running back was considered one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy behind returning winner Tim Tebow of Florida. Despite several nagging injuries last year, Wells rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Ohio State has not allowed him to speak with reporters since he was injured, although he was quoted as saying by a team spokesman that he was relieved that X-rays had not shown any broken bones. He was seen walking between meetings at the team's practice facility on Tuesday, carrying the protective boot while gingerly making his way in stockinged feet.
Running backs coach Dick Tressel, Jim's older brother, said on Wednesday night that Wells had not been permitted to have contact, or to even put weight on his injured foot.
"Any time you have a foot injury and you have to tote around 238 pounds at high velocity, it's a day-by-day thing," he said.
Jim Tressel said Chris Wells' inability to practice all but prevented him from playing against Ohio.
"I think there's a little bit of risk when you don't practice, not just in the injury department but in the execution department," he said.
The Buckeyes will rotate Maurice Wells (who is no relation), Brandon Saine, and Dan Herron at the position.
Vanderbilt 24,
No. 24 SOUTH Carolina 17 NASHVILLE - Chris Nickson threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Vanderbilt finally beat a ranked opponent on its own field, upsetting South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
Vanderbilt (2-0) had made it a habit of knocking off SEC teams on the road with victories at Arkansas and Tennessee in 2005, an upset of then-No. 22 Georgia in 2006 and even pulled off the biggest victory in more than 70 years by downing then-No. 6 South Carolina last October.
South Carolina (1-1) had survived four interceptions in shutting out North Carolina State 34-0 last week. The Gamecocks couldn't escape their mistakes against Vanderbilt.

When Michigan's Zach Johnson or Miami University's Nate Parseghian and Peris Edwards take the field tomorrow, it will be special.
In more ways than one.
Johnson, a redshirt freshman from Morenci High in Morenci, Mich., is on the Wolverines' kickoff, punt, and punt return units. Parseghian, a senior from Sylvania, is the RedHawks' kicker, and Edwards is a Rogers High grad and sophomore on Miami's kickoff and punt teams.
All three will try to make an impact on special teams during tomorrow's Michigan-Miami (Ohio) game at the Big House, and with many of their family and friends watching.
For Parseghian and Edwards, it's a homecoming of sorts. In Johnson's case, it's like all of Morenci is wearing that Wolverines No. 19 jersey with him. "Doing what he's doing is really great for our community," said Kyle Griffith, superintendent for Morenci Area Schools, where just 250 students attend the high school. It was Griffith who helped Johnson catch on with UM's program. The two met in Griffith's office when Johnson was a sophomore, and the young football player sitting across from Griffith said he wanted to go to UM and play football one day. Griffith contacted then-Wolverines offensive coordinator Mike DeBord, and Johnson attended UM summer camps and eventually went on a recruiting visit there.
A 4.0 student in high school, Johnson told then-head coach Lloyd Carr when they finally met that he wanted to go into architecture and engineering. Johnson was later offered an opportunity to walk on UM's team as a defensive back and awarded an academic scholarship.
"No one offered me an athletic scholarship, but other schools were offering academic scholarships [and opportunities to walk on]," Johnson recalled. "Once Michigan gave me a spot, that was it."
Griffith said that Johnson is the first to play NCAA Div. I football from Morenci in at least 50 years. He said Johnson returned to Morenci last spring wearing his UM Capital One Bowl jersey and spoke to students.
"His No. 1 message was that he wouldn't be here if not for academics," Griffith said.
Griffith said his eyes welled up with tears last week when Johnson, playing his first game for the Wolverines, made a tackle on a kickoff.
UM's current coach, Rich Rodriguez, who himself was a walk-on at West Virginia, admires Johnson's work.
"Zach, for one, is a good athlete, but he's also got a great attitude," Rodriguez said. "He's involved in most of the special teams. He's a tough guy. We're proud of him. He comes to play every day."
Local family and friends will have at least two more chances to see Parseghian and Edwards play in person at a venue near them, as the RedHawks have games at Bowling Green and Toledo this season.
Those scheduled dates have not lessened the demand for tickets placed on the two, perhaps because of the lure of UM, its history, and its rather large stadium.
Edwards, who had one tackle last week, said he was "scrambling" to find tickets for 25 to 30 relatives and friends for tomorrow's contest.
"I'm very excited because I've never played that close to my family in college," Edwards said. "I'm looking forward to the experience, but the game shouldn't be any different than any other game."
Shoulder surgery caused Edwards to miss all of spring practice and a hamstring injury during fall camp further buried him at safety. He said he is watching extra film and otherwise working to gain playing time on defense, but in the meantime is happy to contribute on special teams.
Parseghian, a three-year letter-winner at St. John's, drilled two field goals in a loss to Vanderbilt last week. The great-grandnephew of former Miami and Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian entered this season a perfect 24 of 24 in career PATs and 15 of 23 in field goals.
Parseghian has been to the Big House to see both Notre Dame and Ohio State play UM, and was there in 2004 when Miami lost 43-10. He said about 15 family members and friends are angling for tickets to watch him play against a team he rooted against while growing up.
"Michigan broke my heart as a Notre Dame fan and as a Miami fan," said Parseghian, whose brother Jared kicked for the RedHawks against the Wolverines in '04. "When I was younger, I might've said 'oh, I don't like Michigan' or something like that, but now I have a lot of respect for Michigan."
Contact Joe Vardon at:
jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055.

The University of Arizona's season opener on Saturday went about as well as it possibly could.
The Wildcats, the University of Toledo football team's opponent tomorrow in Tucson, are leading the nation in scoring after one week. Arizona also had its first shutout in 12 years in beating Idaho 70-0.
For a team that hasn't been to a bowl game in 10 seasons, the excitement stemming from the Wildcats' first week is reaching high levels.
"We understand we have the chance to have a really good football team," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said.
In scoring the most points in team history since 1921, Arizona's offense scored nine touchdowns on 15 possessions. The other score came on an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown that was originally a muffed punt. "I think we could have scored every time we had the ball," Stoops said.
The performance seemed like it could be the start of washing away the bad taste of losing seasons in seven of the last eight years. Stoops has been careful to temper his team's enthusiasm based on the weak opponent it faced (Idaho was 1-11 in 2007), but he said his players have been mature without much prompting.
"Our kids have a different demeanor about them," Stoops said. "They want more. I don't know if we can play better, but we're certainly going to try and prepare the same way. That's what games like this do, it helps our morale. Hopefully we can take this and run with it."
The Wildcats are led by senior quarterback Willie Tuitama, a four-year starter and honorable mention selection in the Pac-10 Conference a year ago. Tuitama thrived in Arizona's spreadoffense that was installed last year. He started out 2008 well against Idaho, connecting on 17 of 21 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns in about a half of play.
"He's a very experienced passer," UT safety Barry Church said after watching film of Tuitama. "He knows what he's doing. He has a lot of receivers to help him out and a very good running back as well. He has a lot of pressure on him to do good against us."
Receivers Mike Thomas and Terrell Turner and running back Nic Grigsby complement Tuitama on offense.
"Offensively we're a whole lot better than we were at any time last year," Stoops said. "We feel like we have more balance running the football. We're excited about what we're doing."
What impressed Rockets coach Tom Amstutz and others about Arizona last weekend wasn't just the offensive domination. It was the defense that allowed no points and forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. The closest Idaho came to scoring was a missed 54-yard field goal, and the Vandals had just seven first downs.
"Defensively is where they had to do the most work," Amstutz said. "They stepped up to the challenge of their first game. A shutout is always hard to do, I don't care who you're playing against."
Amstutz's task is to get his team ready to face what will be a confident team.
"They'll be excited to play again," Amstutz said. "They'll feel really good about themselves, their fans will be excited about their team. We'll have a good challenge in front of us."

BOWLING GREEN - The right side of Pittsburgh's offensive line was thrust backward and then crumbled like an avalanche. When the dust cloud settled, one individual had emerged from the ruckus.
It was Bowling Green State University's Diyral Briggs, somehow still full of energy after a long and humid afternoon at Heinz Field.
This snapshot took place over and over during the fourth quarter of BG's upset win over the Panthers. Briggs, who at 232 pounds is small for a defensive end, was fresher than anyone.
"I feel as a defensive player you should have energy," Briggs said. "I feel like to play defense you have to have emotions and you have to have a motor."
Film study and scheming are necessary, but perhaps less so for the men in the trenches. At the end of the day, it's often a 1-on-1 battle in which pride and drive are what matters most. You either figure out your counterpart or he figures you out. Briggs won the majority of his face-offs Saturday, as he accounted for two sacks, six tackles, and three quarterback hurries. He'll try to have similar success against Minnesota and its quarterback, Adam Weber, when BG hosts the Gophers on Saturday night.
"I feel like Xs and Os are very impor-tant, but me having that motor I feel sometimes separates myself from my opponent," Briggs said. "It's who's going to go the hardest for the longest?"
That motor can be a detriment too. Briggs is similar to a 100-yard sprinter - he can't just stop at the finish line. After his first sack Saturday, Briggs raised his hands above his head and did a celebratory dance similar to that of the San Diego Chargers' Shawn Merriman. Referees don't like that behavior, and Briggs was penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration.
"[BG coach Gregg Brandon] pulled me to the side and said, 'I love the aggressiveness and the great play, but we didn't need that. That was kind of selfish,'•" Briggs said. "He was right. I was just a little excited and let my emotions get to me. He told me to calm down and make it up."
And Briggs did. On Pitt's next possession, Briggs recorded another sack but not before he twice hurried quarterback Bill Stull into getting rid of the ball. Brandon doesn't like to see his team give up penalties, but he's reasonable enough to not tinker with Briggs' enthusiasm.
"It's a fine line," Brandon said. "He plays the game with a lot of intensity and passion, and we certainly don't want to temper that."
Briggs was named to the Mid-American Conference first team last year, but "Personally, I felt I wasn't up to my standards." He registered five sacks in 12 games - he was suspended for the GMAC Bowl for breaking a team rule - and admits that he probably put too much focus on trying to reach his goal of 12. Briggs chose to not set specific goals this year and has worked at becoming a better run stopper. He added about 15 pounds.
"Diyral's an impact player, and he has to be an impact player," defensive coordinator Mike Ward said. "If we're going to win a lot of games, Diyral's going to have to play like that or better in every game."

HIGH SCHOOLS - SEPT. 5-6 Ohio games at 7:30 p.m., Michigan at 7 p.m., unless noted
City League FRIDAY Friday Maumee at Bowsher, 7 Anthony Wayne at Central, 7 Clay at Springfield Libbey at Bay Northview at Rogers, 7 St. Francis at Dayton Carroll St. John’s at Strongville Scott vs. Sandusky at Start, 7 Start at Southview Waite at Perrysburg Fostoria at Whitmer, 7 Woodward vs. Toledo Christian at Waite, 7 Northern Lakes League FRIDAY Lake at Rossford Napoleon at Bowling Green Suburban Lakes League FRIDAY Eastwood at Oak Harbor Elmwood at North Baltimore Port Clinton at Genoa Hopewell-Loudon at Gibsonburg Carey at Lakota Tinora at Otsego Tiffin Calvert at Woodmore TAAC
FRIDAY Cardinal Stitch at Edgerton Fostoria St. Wendelin at Danbury Hicksville at Edon Holgate at Hilltop Antwerp at Ottawa Hills SATURDAY Northwood at Sandusky St. Mary NWOAL FRIDAY Archbold at Fairview Bryan at Delta Evergreen at Liberty Center Montpelier at Patrick Henry Swanton at Wauseon SATURDAY Fremont St. Joseph at Ayersville Mohawk at Upper Sandusky Seneca East at Monroeville Midland Athletic League
FRIDAY Fremont St. Joseph at Ayersville Mohawk at Upper Sandusky Seneca East at Monroeville Sandusky Bay Conference FRIDAY Clyde at Bellevue Wellington at Edison Margaretta at Wynford Norwalk at Perkins SATURDAY Huron at Norwalk St. Paul Blanchard Valley Conference FRIDAY Hardin Northern at Arcadia Arlington at Cory-Rawson Van Buren at Leipsic Vanlue at Liberty Benton McComb at Pandora-Gilboa SATURDAY Wayne Trace at Crestview Green Meadows Conference FRIDAY Wayne Trace at Crestview Other NW Ohio FRIDAY Fremont Ross at Tiffin Columbian Willard at Lexington Kenton at Ottawa-Glandorf Defiance at Wapakoneta Ada at Columbus Grove Upper Arlington at Findlay TCC FRIDAY Webberville at Adrian Madison Summit Academy at Britton-Deerfield Clinton at Ida Hudson at Morenci Sand Creek at Leslie Blissfield at Whiteford Whitmore Lake at Morrice SATURDAY Summerfield at Allen Park Cabrini LCAA FRIDAY Dundee at Stockbridge Parma-Western at Erie Mason Onsted at Columbia Other SE Michigan FRIDAY Adrian at Ann Arbor Pioneer Saline at Bedford Southgate Anderson at Monroe Grosse Ile at Monroe Jefferson Monroe St. Mary Catholic at Riverview Ann Arbor Huron at Tecumseh

ANN ARBOR - His team suspension for drunk driving lifted, Michigan running back Kevin Grady could possibly provide a spark in an area the Wolverines were lacking last week.
Or he might not.
Grady, a junior with significant experience, will be in uniform Saturday against Miami (Ohio).
But, as UM coach Rich Rodriguez hinted at yesterday, the Wolverines' spread-option offense is not exactly designed for bruising backs like the 5-foot-9, 228-pound Grady.
And while Miami did struggle stopping the run against Vanderbilt last week, most of the damage was done by the Commodores' running quarterback.
So it remains to be seen if having Grady available for the first time since he pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving charge July 29 will help a UM running attack that gained just 36 yards on 25 carries against Utah.
"Probably more than anything it helps out having a guy that's been in the battle a little bit and will help calm some of the guys down," Rodriguez said.
"We're not a power-I team, but it does help in short-yardage situations to have a big, physical guy like that."
Grady missed all of last season with a knee injury but contributed in each of his first two seasons. He gained 483 yards and scored five times on 121 carries as a freshman and tallied 187 yards and three touchdowns on 55 carries in 2006.
Grady competed mostly with Brandon Minor during spring drills after Carlos Brown was out with an injury, but disaster struck when he was caught driving with a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit on July 2.
Rodriguez initially suspended Grady and set criteria for his return. Grady was then permitted to practice during fall camp but wasn't allowed to play last week.
With Grady out, freshmen Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw soared to the top of the depth chart. Minor and Brown were behind them but not by much, and all four played against Utah.
The best among them was Minor, who gained 21 yards on four carries. McGuffie scored once but had just eight yards on eight carries, and Shaw scored on a short pass from Nick Sheridan.
Brown injured his shoulder against the Utes but could play this week.
"We have a pretty good situation, having five guys in there we can change in and out," Rodriguez said.
The Wolverines' ground attack could also see some production from the quarterback position.
Of the 269 rushing yards Miami allowed last week, 166 were chalked up by Vanderbilt quarterback Chris Nickson.
Rodriguez likes dual-threat quarterbacks like Nickson to run his spread offense, but he doesn't have any ready to play presently.
UM's Steven Threet and Sheridan both seem to be pass-first quarterbacks, but they may be asked to run some if only because of the success Nickson enjoyed against the RedHawks.
"I feel comfortable with the plays that have been called," said Threet, who had a six-yard gain in relief of Sheridan against Utah and probably will start against Miami.
"The coaching staff isn't going to put us in positions where it's impossible to succeed, but I feel I can run the ball if I'm needed to."
Brown appeared briefly at quarterback against Utah and could repeat in that role this week if healthy.
"We've got to be ready for anything," RedHawks coach Shane Montgomery said in a telephone interview.
NO HUDDLE: Rodriguez said receiver Greg Mathews (ankle) and defensive end Ryan Van Bergen (ankle) are both doubtful to play against Miami. Â… Freshman linebacker Taylor Hill, from Youngstown, will transfer. Rodriguez said UM's coaching staff will help Hill find a new school, perhaps one closer to home. Â… Wauseon graduate and freshman offensive lineman Elliott Mealer practiced yesterday with limited contact. Mealer suffered a shoulder injury in a tragic auto accident Christmas Eve that killed his father and girlfriend.
Contact Joe Vardon at:
jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055.

COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Thursday that tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells will not play when the third-ranked Buckeyes take on Ohio University on Saturday.
Wells injured his right foot in last weekendÂ’s 43-0 victory over Youngstown State. He has not practiced with the team this week and has spent much of the time wearing a protective boot.
Tressel told reporters Thursday that while he feels good about WellsÂ’ progress, there wasnÂ’t enough progress for Wells to practice with the team through Wednesday.
Tressel said itÂ’s too early to speculate on whether Wells would be available for the game on Sept. 13 at No. 1 Southern California.
Wells has an injury at the base of his big toe on his right foot, said coach Dick Tressel, the older brother of coach Jim Tressel. Wells has difficulty putting pressure on the foot and has not participated in full practices this week, Tressel said.
Wells was injured in the third quarter of Ohio State's 43-0 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday. He writhed on the ground and was eventually helped off the field. He returned to watch the final few minutes, wearing a protective black boot on his foot.
With Wells out of Saturday's game, a group of four running backs will all see playing time: Maurice Wells, Brandon Saine, Dan "Boom" Herron and Marcus Williams.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TONIGHT SOUTH Florida A&M at Delaware St., 7:30 South Carolina at Vanderbilt, 8:30 MIDWEST Valparaiso at St. Francis, Ill., 7 Washburn at Missouri St., 8 TOMORROW EAST Wagner at Stonehill, 7 MIDWEST Navy at Ball St., 7 SATURDAY EAST Georgia Tech at Boston College, Noon Connecticut at Temple, Noon New Hampshire at Army, 1 S. Connecticut at Bryant, 1 Iona at Delaware Valley, 1 Massachusetts at Holy Cross, 1 Drake at Lehigh, 1 Maine at Monmouth, N.J., 1 Morehead St. at Robert Morris, 1 Elon at Stony Brook, 3 Oregon St. at Penn St., 3:30 Akron at Syracuse, 3:30 Duquesne at Bucknell, 6 Rhode Island at Fordham, 6 Lafayette at Marist, 6 Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 6 Bentley at Sacred Heart, 6 Morgan St. at Towson, 6 SOUTH Southern Miss. at Auburn, 12:30 Georgetown, D.C. at Howard, 1 Wofford at Charleston Southern, 1:30 Fayetteville St. at Presbyterian, 1:30 St. Francis, Pa. at VMI, 1:30 Furman at Virginia Tech, 1:30 Jacksonville at Appalachian St., 3:30 The Citadel at Clemson, 3:30 Cent. Michigan at Georgia, 3:30 Tennessee Tech at Louisville, 3:30 Mississippi at Wake Forest, 3:30 Richmond at Virginia, 3:45 Alabama St. at Bethune-Cookman, 4 UAB at Florida Atlantic, 4 West Virginia at East Carolina, 4:30 Cumberland, Tenn. at Chattanooga, 6 W. Kentucky at E. Kentucky, 6 W. Carolina at Florida St., 6 Tusculum at Gardner-Webb, 6 Austin Peay at Georgia Southern, 6 N.C. Central at James Madison, 6 Norfolk St. at Kentucky, 6 Winston-Salem at N. Carolina A&T, 6 Davidson at NC Pembroke, 6 William & Mary at N.C. State, 6 Benedict at S. Carolina St., 6 Tulane at Alabama, 7 Colgate at Coastal Carolina, 7 Northwestern at Duke, 7 Alcorn St. at Grambling St., 7 Stillman at Jackson St., 7 Alabama A&M at Jacksonville St., 7 Glenville St. at Liberty, 7 Arkansas at Louisiana-Monroe, 7 Maryland at Middle Tennessee, 7 SE Louisiana at Mississippi St., 7 Livingstone at Savannah St., 7 Southern U. at Tennessee St., 7 South Florida at UCF, 7 Miami at Florida, 8 Troy at LSU, 8 Delta St. at McNeese St., 8 Rice at Memphis, 8 MIDWEST E. Illinois at Illinois, Noon Fla. International at Iowa, Noon Miami (Ohio) at Michigan, Noon E. Michigan at Michigan St., Noon Ohio at Ohio St., Noon N. Colorado at Purdue, Noon Marshall at Wisconsin, Noon San Jose St. at Nebraska, 12:30 Butler at Albion, 1 St. Cloud St. at North Dakota, 2 San Diego St. at Notre Dame, 3:30 South Dakota at N. Iowa, 5:05 Murray St. at Indiana, 7 Kent St. at Iowa St., 7 Louisiana Tech at Kansas, 7 SE Missouri at Missouri, 7 Cent. Connecticut St. at N. Dakota St., 7 Youngstown St. at S. Dakota St., 7 Hampton at S. Illinois, 7 N. Illinois at W. Michigan, 7 Montana St. at Kansas St., 7:05 Quincy at W. Illinois, 7:05 Minnesota at Bowling Green, 7:30 SOUTHWEST Cincinnati at Oklahoma, 3:30 Texas College at Prairie View, 5 Texas Southern at Arkansas St., 7 Northwestern St. at Baylor, 7 UC Davis at Cent. Arkansas, 7 Ark.-Pine Bluff at Henderson St., 7 Tulsa at North Texas, 7 Stephen F.Austin at TCU, 7 Houston at Oklahoma St., 7:05 Texas St. at SMU, 8 Texas at UTEP, 10:15 FAR WEST BYU at Washington, 3 E. Washington at Colorado, 3:30 Sacramento St. at Colorado St., 3:30 Utah St. at Oregon, 3:30 Air Force at Wyoming, 3:30 Idaho St. at Idaho, 5 Texas A&M at New Mexico, 5 N.M Highlands at N. Arizona, 6:05 California at Washington St., 6:30 Adams St. at S. Utah, 8 UNLV at Utah, 8 Azusa Pacific at San Diego, 9 Montana at Cal Poly, 9:05 Texas Tech at Nevada, 9:05 Toledo at Arizona, 10 Stanford at Arizona St., 10 Weber St. at Hawaii, 12:05 a.m. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
City League Tomorrow Maumee at Bowsher, 7 Anthony Wayne at Central Catholic, 7 Clay at Springfield Libbey at Bay Northview at Rogers, 7 St. Francis at Dayton Carroll St. John’s at Strongville Scott vs. Sandusky at Start, 7 Start at Southview Waite at Perrysburg Fostoria at Whitmer, 7 Woodward vs. Toledo Christian at Waite, 7 Northern Lakes League Tomorrow Lake at Rossford Napoleon at Bowling Green Suburban Lakes League Tomorrow Eastwood at Oak Harbor Elmwood at North Baltimore Port Clinton at Genoa Hopewell-Loudon at Gibsonburg Carey at Lakota Tinora at Otsego Tiffin Calvert at Woodmore TAAC Tomorrow Cardinal Stitch at Edgerton Fostoria St. Wendelin at Danbury Hicksville at Edon Holgate at Hilltop Antwerp at Ottawa Hills Saturday Northwood at Sandusky St. Mary NWOAL Tomorrow Archbold at Fairview Bryan at Delta Evergreen at Liberty Center Montpelier at Patrick Henry Swanton at Wauseon Midland Athletic Conf. Tomorrow Fremont St. Joseph at Ayersville Mohawk at Upper Sandusky Seneca East at Monroeville Sandusky Bay Conf. Tomorrow Clyde at Bellevue Wellington at Edison Margaretta at Wynford Norwalk at Sandusky Perkins Saturday Huron at Norwalk St. Paul Blanchard Valley Conf. Tomorrow Hardin Northern at Arcadia Arlington at Cory-Rawson Van Buren at Leipsic Vanlue at Liberty-Benton McComb at Pandora-Gilboa Green Meadows Conf. Tomorrow Wayne Trace at Crestview Other NW Ohio Tomorrow Fremont Ross at Tiffin Columbian Willard at Lexington Kenton at Ottawa-Glandorf Defiance at Wapakoneta Ada at Columbus Grove Upper Arlington at Findlay Tri-County Conf. Tomorrow Webberville at Adrian Madison Summit Academy at Britton-Deerfield Clinton at Ida Hudson at Morenci Sand Creek at Leslie Blissfield at Whiteford Whitmore Lake at Morrice Saturday Summerfield at Allen Park Cabrini Lenawee CountyAthletic Assoc. Tomorrow Dundee at Stockbridge Parma-Western at Erie Mason Onsted at Columbia Other SE Michigan Tomorrow Adrian at Ann Arbor Pioneer Saline at Bedford Southgate Anderson at Monroe Grosse Ile at Monroe Jefferson Monroe St. Mary Catholic at Riverview Ann Arbor Huron at Tecumseh LATEST LINE NFL NY GIANTS 4 Washington (Sunday) Cincinnati 11/2 BALTIMORE NY Jets 3 MIAMI NEW ENGLAND 16 Kansas City PITTSBURGH 61/2 Houston Jacksonville 3 TENNESSEE Detroit 3 ATLANTA BUFFALO 1 Seattle NEW ORLEANS 31/2 Tampa Bay PHILADELPHIA 71/2 St. Louis Dallas 51/2 CLEVELAND SAN DIEGO 9 Carolina Arizona 21/2 SAN FRANCISCO INDIANAPOLIS 91/2 Chicago (Monday) GREEN BAY 21/2 Minnesota Denver 3 OAKLAND College Football South Carolina 10 VANDERBILT (Friday) BALL STATE 71/2 Navy (Saturday) MICHIGAN STATE 21 Eastern Mich. SYRACUSE 5 Akron MICHIGAN 14 Miami-Ohio Northwestern 61/2 DUKE BOSTON COLLEGE 7 Georgia Tech West Virginia 8 EAST CAROLINA BOWLING GREEN 6 Minnesota AUBURN 171/2 Southern Miss ALABAMA 30 Tulane NEBRASKA 27 San Jose State OREGON 351/2 Utah State OKLAHOMA 22 Cincinnati OHIO STATE 34 Ohio WISCONSIN 201/2 Marshall FLORIDA 211/2 Miami-Florida Texas Tech 101/2 NEVADA GEORGIA 24 Central Michigan PENN STATE 161/2 Oregon State WYOMING 3 Air Force Byu 91/2 WASHINGTON NOTRE DAME 22 San Diego State Texas A&M 3 New Mexico PITTSBURGH 131/2 Buffalo OKLA. STATE 16 Houston IOWA STATE 7 Kent State WAKE FOREST 8 Mississippi California 131/2 WASH. STATE WESTERN MICH. 6 Northern Illinois South Florida 14 CENTRAL FLORIDA Connecticut 7 TEMPLE KANSAS 201/2 Louisiana Tech MEMPHIS 31/2 Rice UTAH 22 Nevada Las Vegas ARIZONA 23 Toledo ARIZONA STATE 14 Stanford Texas 27 TEXAS EL PASO IOWA 27 Fla International ARKANSAS 12 Louisiana-Monroe Maryland 131/2 Middle Tenn State Baseball National League CINCINNATI 51/2 -61/2 Pittsburgh ATLANTA Even-6 Washington MILWAUKEE 10-11 San Diego American League LA Angels 6-7 DETROIT TORONTO Even-6 Minnesota TAMPA BAY 71/2 -81/2 NY Yankees KANSAS CITY Even-6 Oakland Home Team in CAPS SPORTS NOTE CITY LEAGUE FOOTBALL: Whitmer High School has moved two of its league games. The Panthers will play Libbey at Whitmer on Friday, Sept, 26 and Woodward at Whitmer on Friday, Oct. 24. FALL BASKETBALL: The Steve Mix Basketball Academy is accepting applications for its fall workout programs including the Keith Diebler Workout and Shooting, Ball Handling and Conditioning programs. Information: Steve Mix 419-346-1774. TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL American League BOSTON RED SOX–Optioned OF Jonathan Van Every to Pawtucket (IL). CLEVELAND INDIANS–Announced a two-year extension of their player development contract with Mahoning (NYP). DETROIT TIGERS–Announced a four-year extension of their player development contract with West Michigan (MWL). OAKLAND ATHLETICS–Activated INF Mike Sweeney from the 60-day DL. Transferred DH Frank Thomas from the 15-to the 60-day DL. National League CHICAGO CUBS–Recalled RHP Kevin Hart from Iowa (PCL). SAN DIEGO PADRES–Announced a two-year extension of their player development contract with San Antonio (Texas). BASKETBALL National Basketball Association MIAMI HEAT–Waived F Stephane Lasme. FOOTBALL National Football League BALTIMORE RAVENS–Placed QB Kyle Boller on injured reserve. CINCINNATI BENGALS–Signed CB Geoffrey Pope and OT Dennis Roland to the practice squad. DALLAS COWBOYS–Signed S Keith Davis. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS–Signed OL Michael Toudouze, OL Tala Esera and OL Dane Uperesa, DB Brandon Foster, DB Jamie Silva, QB Josh Betts, WR Sam Giguere and RB Chad Simpson to the practice squad. MIAMI DOLPHINS–Signed WR Anthony Armstrong and LB Rob Ninkovich to the practice squad. OAKLAND RAIDERS–Signed FB Luke Lawton. Waived-injured LB Robert Thomas. Signed DL Derrick Gray to the practice squad. Released P Glenn Pakulak from the practice squad. PITTSBURGH STEELERS–Signed TE Sean McHugh. HOCKEY ECHL ECHL–Named Mike Murray coordinator of hockey operations. Announced Ghislain Hebert, referee, has been hired by the NHL. LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS–Agreed to terms with C Adam Miller and D Gerard Miller. UTAH GRIZZLIES–Announced the resignation of Jason Christie, coach and director of hockey operations, to become assistant coach for Chicago (AHL). MOTOR SPORTS PENSKE RACING–Named David Stremme driver for Sprint Cup. SOCCER Major League Soccer KANSAS CITY WIZARDS–Acquired F Herculez Gomez from Colorado Rapids for a 2009 fourth-round selection in the SuperDraft, a 2009 first-round selection in the supplemental draft and allocation money. COLLEGE BARUCH–Named Anthony and Vincent Favara men’s assistant soccer coaches. BUTLER–Named Bridget Fournie assistant softball coach. CINCINNATI–Announced QB Ben Mauk has lost his final appeal to the NCAA for more eligibility. EAST TENNESSEE STATE–Named Josh Wick and Kelvin Long women’s basketball assistant coaches and DeShawne Blocker women’s basketball recruiting coordinator. GUILFORD–Named Tom Palombo athletic director. KENT STATE–Named Jaden Uken director of basketball operations. LAFAYETTE–Named Alyssa Antolick director of women’s basketball operations. NORTH DAKOTA STATE–Named Alison Prichard women’s basketball director of operations. PENNSYLVANIA–Named Megan Holman and Keith Maurer assistant directors of facilities. PFEIFFER–Named Jeremy Currier, Tripp Pendergast and John Sardella men’s assistant basketball coaches. PRINCETON–Named Kevin Unterstein men’s assistant lacrosse coach. RUTGERS–Named Danny Nee director of player development for men’s basketball and Oliver Winterbone, director of basketball operations. Promoted Dennis Gregory to senior director of basketball operations and Matt Bloom to basketball operations coordinator. COLLEGE SOCCER Schoolcraft CC 1, Owens CC 0 (Overtime); SCC: Huang. PRO FOOTBALL NFL TONIGHT Washington at N.Y. Giants, 7 SUNDAY Detroit at Atlanta, 1 Dallas at Cleveland, 4:15 Cincinnati at Baltimore, 1 Seattle at Buffalo, 1 N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 Kansas City at New England, 1 Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 1 St. Louis at Philadelphia, 1 Houston at Pittsburgh, 1 Jacksonville at Tennessee, 1 Carolina at San Diego, 4:15 Arizona at San Francisco, 4:15 Chicago at Indianapolis, 8:15 MONDAY Minnesota at Green Bay, 7 Denver at Oakland, 10:15 CFL Eastern Division W L T Pts PF PA Montreal 6 3 0 12 298 217 Toronto 4 5 0 8 209 273 Hamilton 2 7 0 4 232 273 Winnipeg 2 7 0 4 179 259 Western Division W L T Pts PF PA Sask. 7 1 0 14 238 196 Edmonton 6 3 0 12 277 231 Calgary 5 4 0 10 256 232 British Col. 4 5 0 8 257 265 Note: Two points for a regulation or overtime win and one point for a tie. TOMORROW Calgary at Edmonton SATURDAY British Columbia at Hamilton SUNDAY Toronto at Montreal Saskatchewan at Winnipeg WNBA LAST NIGHT Minnesota at Phoenix, 10 TONIGHT Seattle at Chicago, 8 TUESDAY Seattle 83, Atlanta 69 Indiana 79, Washington 68 New York 90, Houston 87, OT SPORTLIGHT Sept. 4 1994–Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins becomes the second quarterback with 300 touchdown passes by throwing for five scores in a 39-35 victory over New England. 1998–The New York Yankees reach 100 wins on the earliest date in major league history–five days before the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 1954 Cleveland Indians–with an 11-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The ‘06 Cubs set the major league record for fewest games to reach 100 victories (132). BASEBALL IL Playoffs First Round (Best-of-5) Last night: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 7, Pawtucket 1; Durham 3, Louisville 0 PREP SOCCER Girls ST. URSULA 1, ASHLAND 0: Farell. PERRYSBURG 10, ROSSFORD 0: P: A. Goins 3, Siudzinski 2, Korczyk, K. Goins, Bartholomewm, Baum, Martin. ANTHONY WAYNE 2, MAUMEE 0: AW: Allan 2. CLAY 2, NOTRE DAME 0: C: Scharer, Thompson. SOUTHVIEW 7, BOWLING GREEN 0: S: Beddoes 2, Szabo 2, Saba, Schwartz, Szirony. OTSEGO 2, NORTHWOOD 2 NORTHVIEW 8, SPRINGFIELD 1: Delaney, Ulmer, Nye, Rentschler 2, Hendrix 2, Maroney. S--Martin. SOCCER
Major League Soccer EASTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Columbus 12 6 4 40 36 29 New England 11 6 5 38 31 29 Chicago 10 7 5 35 29 18 D.C. United 10 10 2 32 36 34 New York 8 6 8 32 28 28 Toronto FC 7 10 5 26 23 29 Kansas City 6 8 8 26 23 30 WESTERN CONFERENCE W L T Pts GF GA Houston 9 5 8 35 30 26 Real Salt Lake 8 8 6 30 27 27 CD Chivas USA 7 9 6 27 28 31 FC Dallas 6 8 8 26 30 29 Los Angeles 6 9 7 25 42 45 San Jose 6 9 7 25 21 26 Colorado 7 12 3 24 29 32 Note: Three points for victory, one point for tie. TONIGHT Colorado at FC Dallas, 8:30 TENNIS U.S. Open Singles, men Quarterfinals Andy Murray (6), Britain d. Juan Martin del Potro (17) 7-6 (2), 7-6 (1), 4-6, 7-5. Women Quarterfinals Dinara Safina (6) d. Flavia Pennetta (16) 6-2, 6-3. Serena Williams (4) d. Venus Williams (7) 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Doubles Men Semifinals Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes (7) d. Maximo Gonzalez and Juan Monaco 6-2, 6-0. Bob and Mike Bryan (2) d. Tommy Robredo and Sergio Roitman 6-2, 6-1. Women Quarterfinals Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual (5) d. Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Cara Black and Liezel Huber (1) d. Yan Zi and Zheng Jie (8) 6-4, 6-3. COLLEGE GOLF Rutherford Intercollegiate at Penn State 1. Purdue 298-288-285=871; 2. VCU 301-296-289=886; 3. Penn State 300-297-292=889; 4. Miami (Ohio) 289-305=594; 5. Missouri 303-297-298=898; 6. Xavier 305-310-292=907; T7. Ball State 307-309-292=908; T7. Bowling Green 306-306-296=908; 9. Cleveland State 307-307-297=911; 10. Marshall 306-307-304=917; 11. Toledo (Kim 225, Boyer 231, Trahan 235, Whiting 236, Fuller 240) 312-305-301=918; 12. Richmond 303-316-304=923 LOCAL GOLF Chippewa Lady Golferettes Club Championship Low gross: 1- Sally Robinson 150; 2- Debbie Melecosky 195; 3- Diane Terry 197. Low net: 1- Dolores Glauser 130; 2- LaVerne Hagdohl 136; 3- Chris Marsh 143. HOLE-IN-ONE DON NEUMANN at Chippewa, No. 18, 175 yards, 5-wood. Ohio games at 7:30 p.m., unless notedMichigan at 7 p.m.

GENOA — About this time last year new Genoa football Mike Vicars was still trying to get his Comets to believe they could be winners.
Just two weeks into the 2008 season — with Genoa football undergoing a metamorphosis of confidence last year after winning its first Suburban Lakes League championship in 13 years — Vicars may soon have to do something that was unthinkable 12 months ago. He may soon have to guard against complacency. The Comets opened by pounding Mohawk 55-0, then last Friday hammered Ottawa County neighbor Oak Harbor 61-0. Genoa attempts to make it three straight nonleague wins at home tomorrow against Port Clinton, a team it defeated 61-14 a year ago. “I don’t think you would have ever thought it would go like this,” Vicars said. Genoa had gone 1-9, 2-8, 3-7 and 3-7 in the four seasons leading up to last year’s 10-2 finish.
“WeÂ’ve been so fortunate,” Vicars said. “But I think that shows you the quality of the kids, and the quality of the staff I have. TheyÂ’ve done a great job of getting the players ready.” What has been the key? “TheyÂ’ve learned a weekly practice work ethic and how important it is to keep doing those [fundamental] things over and over,” Vicars said. “They know that they canÂ’t ease off. “I also think that winning brought a lot of attention to the team, and that gave the players a hunger to want more of that rather than to slip and go backwards.” Senior two-way tackle Ryan Bless, who earned Division IV All-Ohio special mention on defense last year, has that hunger. He leads the team in tackles with 14. “It was a complete 180 from years past,” Bless said. “The coaches brought in a new attitude and a new way of playing football. It was a complete attitude change. A new way to dream, and a new way to think. “We really came together as team last year and pushed each other in practice. We proved last year that we could win, so we expect to make a run this year. Our confidence level now is way off the charts.” To grasp this new attitude and gains of the past year, it is necessary to glance at GenoaÂ’s recent football history: • The win over Oak Harbor was GenoaÂ’s first since 1998. In the nine prior meetings, Genoa had been shut out five times and outscored 260-41.
• Last year, during the regular season, they knocked off five-time defending SLL champion Eastwood 21-14. That snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Eagles, who had outscored the Comets 364-68 during that stretch, including 288-18 in the six wins between 2001-2006. • Beating Eastwood not only propelled Genoa (7-0 in league play) to its first SLL crown since 1994 but paved the way to the schoolÂ’s first-ever playoff appearance and playoff victory (12-7 at Sparta Highland). Before last year, these milestones didnÂ’t seem likely to current players who grew up watching Comet teams that posted a 23-57 overall record (16-40 in SLL) after the 1994 title. The 10-2 dream season ended with a 14-7 loss in a rematch against Eastwood, but this year new dreams are being born. Believing is no longer a problem, especially for returning starters like Bless, senior Blair Skilliter and juniors Connor Wendt and Matt Bassitt. “It started with coach Vicars and coach [assistant Tim] Spiess and our new staff,” Wendt said. “We just got pushed a lot harder than the year before. They prepared us a lot better and took it more serious. They let us know we were a good team and that we would make the playoffs if we worked hard enough. “Last yearÂ’s experience gave us a high expectation for us this year, and it motivated us to work harder and get better and go farther in the playoffs.” Bassitt, a 6-1, 175-pound quarterback/defensive back, agrees. “The coaches worked us hard and put us in pressure situations, and we went out and did our jobs,” Bassitt said. “We actually know what weÂ’re doing now. We get the stuff, and we just go out and go full-go every time.” Skilliter, a speedy 5-8, 175-pound running back/linebacker, is also a believer. “Last year there were a lot of things that we had to overcome [from past years],” Skilliter said. “The conditions at practice were a lot different. They expected a lot more out of us as players. They expected us to be the best. “As a team, we thought, ‘That would be nice,Â’ but no one ever thought that weÂ’d go 10-2. We worked hard at it. We had a goal and we believed in the dream and eventually it came true. That experience gave us a higher level of self-confidence.” Genoa lost some key players to graduation, seniors who were instrumental in the drastic turnaround. None were more important than VicarsÂ’ son Derrick, a running back/linebacker who earned Division IV All-Ohio first-team honors. For Derrick and younger brother Marcus, now a senior fullback/linebacker, transferring to Genoa was an emotional move. They had grown up in Delta, where their dad was head coach and helped transform the Panther football program. At Delta, coach Vicars inherited an 0-10 team and a program that had never won a Northwest Ohio Athletic League championship. In his eight seasons (1999-2006), Delta shared three NWOAL titles and made six playoff appearances. The Vicars brothers, who had played football and basketball and competed in track and field for the Panthers, helped their father transplant a winning formula to Genoa, leading by example. “For them it was a really good life lesson that thereÂ’s a lot of good people in a lot of places,” Mike Vicars said of his sons. “To be resilient in life is important because things are always going to change. This has given them a valuable lesson that you can adapt.” For Marcus, the strain of leaving Delta has been offset by the experience heÂ’s had in Genoa. He and Derrick were also part of GenoaÂ’s SLL basketball championship team last year, and excelled in the discus and shot put in track. “ItÂ’s always tough moving and leaving your friends and family,” Marcus said. “We had been there eight years and made a lot of great friends. But coming here, the guys really accept you. ItÂ’s a great community with great fan support. “I couldnÂ’t be happier. Last year was one of the best years of my life, and this yearÂ’s looking to be the same.” The first two wins have shown the CometsÂ’ depth at the skill positions. The Comets will have SLL road tests at Elmwood and Woodmore, and a home league contest against Lakota, before what many expect to be a showdown for the SLL championship on Oct. 3 at Eastwood. Skilliter has rushed nine times for 103 yards, caught two passes for 67 yards and scored five touchdowns. Wendt, a running back/defensive back, has carried 11 times for 84 yards, caught two passes for 40 yards and scored two TDs. Vicars, a fullback/linebacker, has carried 24 times for 133 yards and scored two TDs. Bassitt has completed 9 of 15 passes for 241 yards and five TDs. The 2007 success inspired senior Zach Apel to make the switch from being GenoaÂ’s soccer goalkeeper to a Comet football receiver, adding another weapon. He has four receptions for 123 yards and has made his coach a believer. “HeÂ’s been a sponge with learning the game of football,” Mike Vicars said of Apel. “He just showed up on day one and said, ‘I want to play football.Â’ We said OK and we really werenÂ’t sure how it would work out, but heÂ’s had three touchdowns in two games.”

The Anthony Wayne volleyball team has taken a calculated gamble heading into this season.
The Generals return nine letter winners, including six seniors, from a team that went 17-7 last year. AW, which finished 11-3 in the Northern Lakes League a year ago, joins four-time champ Bowling Green and Perrysburg as the preseason league favorites. And yet coach Meggan Morr has installed a new offense and defense for her team to run. Why the changes? “Height is one of our assets, and we have some great athletes who are extremely tall,” Morr said. “So we went from running a traditional two-middle offense to running a three-middle offense, and that has opened up some things for us. “We also changed our defense. Last year we ran a man-up defense, and this year we’re back into a perimeter defense.”
The Generals do have plenty of height, with three players 6-feet or taller and eight players who are at least 5-9. One of the more experienced positions is middle blocker, where seniors Allison Papenfuss, Emily Schneiderbauer and Dana Hilfinger have combined for six varsity letters. “Papenfuss is probably the best athlete amongst our taller players,” Morr said. “Emily is a phenomenal middle who plays that position very well. “Dana moved from right-side to the middle. She’s a young senior in terms of experience, but we’re seeing great things from her.”
The setting duties in the Generals’ 6-2 offense are shared by senior Jordan Floyd and sophomore Molly Hilfinger. “Both bring different things to the table,” Morr said. “Molly is a true setter with phenomenal hands. Jordan probably isn’t the best setter but is a great athlete who can do great things thanks to her athleticism and quickness.” The outside hitting duties are shared by sophomores Alexa Bowyer, Hayley Hutchinson and Mary Marzec, while senior Emily Hayward is the team’s right-side hitter. “All three of them, on any given day, can be great outside players,” Morr said. “At any given time I don’t think we’ll be off there because, if one is having a bad day, someone else can step right in and fill it. “And Emily Hayward is a very strong right-side block. We’ll use her as an outside block when another team has a good or a tall outside hitter.” Junior Alex Butts takes over at libero, while senior Samantha Hamann and junior Carly Noward serve as defensive specialists. “[Butts] has taken the role of leader in the backcourt,” Morr said. “She does an amazing job with running things from the back row.” The players think the change gives the team the chance to have a big season.
“Our returning front-row players are working to connect with our back-row players,” Floyd said. “Once that comes together, I think we have great potential.” Schneiderbauer agreed, adding, “I think we have an amazing team. We have a lot of younger players, but I think we’re coming together well. We really want to make it happen, and that’s what it takes to beat good teams. “We’re all friends, and you need that kind of cohesiveness to be successful.” The depth and experience of the Anthony Wayne roster came though in the team’s early season win at Perrysburg “That was a huge win,” Floyd said. “We’re taking things one game at a time, but that Bowling Green game always is in the back of our minds. “We lost the junior high titles [to Bowling Green] in seventh and eighth grade and we’ve never beaten them in high school. So, as a senior class, we talk about [beating BG]. Five years of losing to them is just compounded. [A win over them] is what we really want.” Last weekend the Generals went 0-3 at the Best of Ohio tournament hosted by St. Ursula. But the level of competition there was so high that, after the tournament, AW realized it had the potential to play with some of the state’s better teams. “We took [that tournament] as a learning experience,” Floyd said. “We found out what happens when we don’t play as hard as we can. We’ll learn from it and we’ll apply it to the rest of our season.” The stumble at St. Ursula hasn’t lessened the team’s confidence that the changes will help this team be as good as it can be. “They’re open to [the changes],” Morr said of her team. “It’s just a matter of learning that new position, figuring out the opportunities that the new offense creates. “We’re starting to see those opportunities and we’re taking advantage of it.” Schneiderbauer said the seniors have realized the need for leadership entering the season. “All of our seniors have done a great job of stepping forward, but I think everyone on the team has done that too,” Schneiderbauer said. “It’s your last year, and you want to do well. None of us probably will play [volleyball] in college, so everyone is stepping up in their final year.” Morr is cautiously optimistic the changes will, by season’s end, help her team reach its potential. “At this point we’re not playing at our peak, but it’s getting there,” she said. “I’m starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s going in the right direction. “I think we’re hitting our stride, and we’ll get where we want to go.”

HIGH SCHOOLS - SEPT. 5-6 Ohio games at 7:30 p.m., Michigan at 7 p.m., unless noted
City League FRIDAY Friday Maumee at Bowsher, 7 Anthony Wayne at Central, 7 Clay at Springfield Libbey at Bay Northview at Rogers, 7 St. Francis at Dayton Carroll St. John’s at Strongville Scott vs. Sandusky at Start, 7 Start at Southview Waite at Perrysburg Fostoria at Whitmer, 7 Woodward vs. Toledo Christian at Waite, 7 Northern Lakes League FRIDAY Lake at Rossford Napoleon at Bowling Green Suburban Lakes League FRIDAY Eastwood at Oak Harbor Elmwood at North Baltimore Port Clinton at Genoa Hopewell-Loudon at Gibsonburg Carey at Lakota Tinora at Otsego Tiffin Calvert at Woodmore TAAC
FRIDAY Cardinal Stitch at Edgerton Fostoria St. Wendelin at Danbury Hicksville at Edon Holgate at Hilltop Antwerp at Ottawa Hills SATURDAY Northwood at Sandusky St. Mary NWOAL FRIDAY Archbold at Fairview Bryan at Delta Evergreen at Liberty Center Montpelier at Patrick Henry Swanton at Wauseon SATURDAY Fremont St. Joseph at Ayersville Mohawk at Upper Sandusky Seneca East at Monroeville Midland Athletic League
FRIDAY Fremont St. Joseph at Ayersville Mohawk at Upper Sandusky Seneca East at Monroeville Sandusky Bay Conference FRIDAY Clyde at Bellevue Wellington at Edison Margaretta at Wynford Norwalk at Perkins SATURDAY Huron at Norwalk St. Paul Blanchard Valley Conference FRIDAY Hardin Northern at Arcadia Arlington at Cory-Rawson Van Buren at Leipsic Vanlue at Liberty Benton McComb at Pandora-Gilboa SATURDAY Wayne Trace at Crestview Green Meadows Conference FRIDAY Wayne Trace at Crestview Other NW Ohio FRIDAY Fremont Ross at Tiffin Columbian Willard at Lexington Kenton at Ottawa-Glandorf Defiance at Wapakoneta Ada at Columbus Grove Upper Arlington at Findlay TCC FRIDAY Webberville at Adrian Madison Summit Academy at Britton-Deerfield Clinton at Ida Hudson at Morenci Sand Creek at Leslie Blissfield at Whiteford Whitmore Lake at Morrice SATURDAY Summerfield at Allen Park Cabrini LCAA FRIDAY Dundee at Stockbridge Parma-Western at Erie Mason Onsted at Columbia Other SE Michigan FRIDAY Adrian at Ann Arbor Pioneer Saline at Bedford Southgate Anderson at Monroe Grosse Ile at Monroe Jefferson Monroe St. Mary Catholic at Riverview Ann Arbor Huron at Tecumseh

CLEVELAND - From a distance, the glowing orange billboard appears to be just another advertisement from a local company trying to lure customers.
But as you approach Cleveland Browns Stadium along the West Shoreway, which skirts the northern edge of downtown and Lake Erie's southern shores, the enormous sign delivers a jolting message stuffed with surprising optimism for this championship-deprived city.
It reads: "THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR."
Welcome to Cleveland, where the glass isn't half full or empty - it's usually shattered.
The Browns, though, coming off a surprising 10-6 season and with a high-powered offense capable of scoring on anyone from anywhere, have their fans in a frenzy.
A city that has only watched the previous 42 Super Bowls on TV and hasn't celebrated a major sports title since 1964 is dreaming of finally seeing its beloved team in the NFL's showcase event.
Or at least getting to the playoffs.
Optimism, a tough concept for many Clevelanders to grasp, is running rampant.
"It's great that everyone here is so fired up," center Hank Fraley said a few days after the Browns drew more than 25,000 to a practice at the stadium. "We still have to go out there and prove ourselves. We didn't do anything last year."
Oh, but they did. Although the Browns, who went just 10-22 in coach Romeo Crennel's first two seasons barely missed making the playoffs in his third, they awakened a proud franchise that had been dead for nearly a decade.
Since their expansion return in 1999, the Browns have made the postseason just once (2002) and have undergone endless turnover on their roster, coaching staff, and in their front office. Toss in some horrendous draft picks, costly and freakish injuries, and more than their share of gut-wrenching losses, and it's no wonder Cleveland had become an NFL wasteland.
"It's been rough around here," said kicker Phil Dawson, the lone player left from the Browns' 1999 rebirth.
Well, it appears the dark clouds have passed.
Not only are the Browns expected to compete for the AFC North title this season, many believe they can win the division. The league office in New York certainly has confidence in Cleveland as the Browns have five prime-time TV games on a schedule that kicks off with a sexy opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Cleveland's hopes will hang on an offense that scored 402 points in its maiden voyage with pass-happy coordinator Rob Chudzinski last season. Quarterback Derek Anderson, handed the starting job in Week 2 after general manager Phil Savage traded Charlie Frye to Seattle following the Browns' 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh, emerged as a budding star and Pro Bowler.
Anderson threw 29 touchdown passes - 16 to wide receiver Braylon Edwards - and at least temporarily delayed any plans to turn the team over to second-year QB Brady Quinn. The former Notre Dame star spent all but one series standing on the sideline in 2007 and will likely be there again barring an injury - Anderson sustained a concussion in a preseason game against the Giants - or dramatic regression by the former backup.
While he doesn't possess Quinn's leadership qualities, Anderson has a rocket arm capable of launching 65-yard passes. It's the short ones he struggles with.
"He's like Randy Johnson throwing a football," said running back Jamal Lewis, who rushed for 1,304 yards last season behind Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas and Cleveland's superb line.
Anderson is prone to forcing a pass into coverage now and again, but the 25-year-old appears to be coming into his own at the same time the Browns are coming into theirs. Anderson does have his critics, though, and his production tailed off late last season. A four-interception game in a loss at Cincinnati cost the Browns a playoff spot, and he threw for more than 200 yards once in the final four games.
But he's made only 18 career starts, and playing behind Cleveland's strong offensive line, there's reason to think he'll continue to improve. If not, it's the popular Quinn to the rescue.
The Browns' defense was a disaster last season, finishing No. 30 overall. The additions of massive nose tackle Shaun Rogers, conservatively listed at 350 pounds, as well as tackle Corey Williams will improve the D-line. It will also make it easier for linebacker Kamerion Wimbley to get to the quarterback.
"Everyone is excited that they're here," said linebacker Willie McGinest, who plans to retire following the season. "We know what they can do. They're very high-level players and should complement the guys that are already here."
Wimbley had 11 sacks as a rookie in 2006, but he got just five last season as offenses learned his tendencies.
"Yeah, it could have been kind of predictable last year," he said. "But hopefully, I'll get some change-ups, and we've got some new guys inside that we could definitely do more things with. There's more possibilities."
If Cleveland's defense can stay off the field, the Browns should score in bunches.
The trick will be navigating a killer schedule, which includes nondivision games against Dallas, the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, Washington, Jacksonville, Denver, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia.
Week 2 could be most important, though, when the Browns host the Steelers. Cleveland has lost nine straight and 15 of 16 against its bitter rival, a trend they need to reverse to win the AFC North.
McGinest didn't come back for a final season to fail. He's convinced they have the potential to make the postseason, and perhaps do even more.
"I think it's doable," he said. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We don't want to be a team that's talking playoffs and all this and we come out and get our butts kicked. It's the one-game-at-a-time, one-week-at-a-time approach.
"Of course we have goals. We want to win our division. We want to go to the playoffs. Everybody knows that. But we're not going to be talking about all that stuff. Our goal is to beat Dallas on Sept. 7. Right now, that's it."
In Cleveland, that's saying a lot.