Sunday, August 18, 2002

COLLEGE FOOTBALL 2002


Previews of regional teams and conferences

CONFERENCE USA
Key for Bearcats is winning the close ones
        WEST HARRISON, Ind. — Coach Rick Minter saw enough out of his University of Cincinnati Bearcats last season to know they will compete for the 2002 Conference USA championship.


Ragone guides Cards through summer
        LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Senior quarterback Dave Ragone spent much of his summer at a computer screen in a windowless conference room near Louisville coach John L. Smith's office, surrounded by young receivers.

Cardinals eyeing next level
        LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville coach John L. Smith isn't afraid to admit the time has come for program to set its objectives higher than Conference USA championships and automatic trips to the Liberty Bowl.

Conference USA Preview
        LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Conference USA has gone from a league full of NFL-caliber quarterbacks to one filled with unproven young guns.

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
RedHawks' offense shines
        OXFORD — Miami's offense used a series of big plays for a 41-26 win over the defense in the final preseason scrimmage Saturday at Yager Stadium in preparation for the Aug. 31 opener at North Carolina.

RedHawks short on seniors, but long on talent
        When Terry Hoeppner took over the football program at Miami, he was depending on the legs of All-America candidate Travis Prentice to win the school's first Mid-American East Division championship.
Miami RedHawks football at a glance

Leftwich well-armed
        Back when Byron Leftwich attended Evans Junior High in Washington, D.C., his football coaches didn't quite know what they had in him.

MAC preview
        Only in the Mid-American Conference is Orlando, Fla., considered to be in the nation's heartland.

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Lorenzen gets in gear at UK
        LEXINGTON — Highlands graduate Jared Lorenzen completed eight of nine passes Saturday in Kentucky's first full-gear scrimmage of training camp at the Nutter Training Facility.

Wildcats hungry to win in SEC
        LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky wideout Derek Abney can pinpoint the moment he felt that the Wildcats' embattled football program was making huge strides toward respectability.

Weight no longer 'an issue' for Kentucky's Lorenzen
        LEXINGTON, Ky. — The wait — and the weight — finally is over for Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen.

Son of Spurrier? Zook hopes to continue Florida legacy
        GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Steve Spurrier named the stadium, revolutionized college football and built a cult of personality that made his name synonymous with the program he ran.

SEC Preview
        Now is a good time for Georgia to end its two-decade championship drought — the Bulldogs won't be getting kicked around by Steve Spurrier anymore.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE
Buckeyes brimming with confidence despite questions
        COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State is listed among the top 15 teams in the nation in most preseason polls and there's a swagger to the Buckeyes' walk.

Boilermakers looking to stay in Big Ten race
        WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue and its home football field both underwent renovations in the offseason. While the expansion still needs to be completed at Ross-Ade Stadium, the Boilermakers think the framework is set for a Big Ten title run.

Big Ten Preview
        Wisconsin gets the earliest start in school history, and when the No. 25 Badgers hit Camp Randall Stadium for what should be a steamy Aug. 23 opener against Fresno State, Lee Evans will be a spectator.

THE BIG PICTURE
Is any team capable of perfection?
        Larry Coker calls No. 1 Miami's schedule daunting, yet absolutely believes his defending national champions are poised for another perfect season.

Irish wake-up?
        SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tyrone Willingham, the new Notre Dame football coach, and Paul Hornung, the 1956 Heisman Trophy winner starting his 33rd year as a commentator on Irish game broadcasts, were at a banquet in Toledo, Ohio, earlier this year when the discussion turned to strategic philosophy.

Wait is over for Nebraska QB Lord
        LINCOLN, Neb. — Jammal Lord has known all summer exactly how many days he has to wait before making his first start as Nebraska's quarterback. He may even have it down to the number of hours.

Heisman hopefuls
        Statistics last year for this season's top preseason candidates for the Heisman Trophy.

ACC Preview
        RALEIGH, N.C. — Florida State's streaks all came tumbling down last season. That remarkable 14-year run of top 5 finishes in the AP media poll? Finished.

Big East Preview
        So, what do you do for an encore when you finish 12-0 and win a national championship in your very first season as a head coach? Why, you win another title, of course. At least, that's the way Miami coach Larry Coker looks at it.

Big 12 preview
        Chris Simms, Mack Brown and the No. 4 Texas Longhorns have everything going for them, except one crucial thing. They can't win the big ones.

PAC-10 Preview
        Rick Neuheisel's got 8 starters back on offense and his Washington Huskies look like the team to beat in the PAC-10.
Preseason Top 25 Capsules
Forecasting the season by fours
2002 College Football TV Schedule

       



COLLEGE FOOTBALL 2002
2002 season previews index page
Key for Bearcats is winning the close ones
Lorenzen gets in gear at UK
Miami RedHawks football at a glance
Ragone guides Cards through summer
RedHawks' offense shines
RedHawks short on seniors, but long on talent
Weight no longer 'an issue' for Kentucky's Lorenzen
Wildcats hungry to win in SEC
2002 College Football TV Schedule
Boilermakers looking to stay in Big Ten race
Buckeyes brimming with confidence despite questions
Cardinals eyeing next level
Forecasting the season by fours
Heisman hopefuls
Irish wake-up?
Is any team capable of perfection?
Leftwich well-armed
Preseason Top 25 Capsules
Son of Spurrier? Zook hopes to continue Florida legacy
Wait is over for Nebraska QB Lord
ACC Preview
Big 12 preview
Big East Conference preview
Big Ten Preview
Conference USA Preview
MAC preview
PAC-10 Conference preview
SEC Preview