Cincy Sporting News » College Football

West Virginia beats Cincinnati 37-10

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:17:14 +0000

Associated Press

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros tries to avoid West Virginia's Bruce Irvin during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010, in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia won 37-10.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Geno Smith threw four first-half touchdown passes, West Virginia frustrated Big East passing leader Zach Collaros and the Mountaineers beat Cincinnati 37-10 on Saturday.

West Virginia (6-3, 2-2 Big East) broke a two-game losing skid and is back in the conference chase after first-place Pittsburgh’s loss to Connecticut on Thursday night.

Smith wasn’t overpowering but exploited Cincinnati’s inexperienced defense when he needed to, finishing 15 of 25 for 174 yards. He threw two TD passes apiece to Tavon Austin and Jock Sanders.

Cincinnati (3-6, 1-3) couldn’t overcome a 30-3 halftime deficit. It marked the first game this season that Collaros, who has 20 TD passes, failed to find the end zone.

The two-time defending Big East champion Bearcats now must win their final three games against Rutgers, Connecticut and Pittsburgh to become bowl eligible. The Bearcats’ three-game losing streak is their longest since 2006.

Cincinnati was forced to throw after West Virginia jumped out to its big early lead and Collaros had little luck against the nation’s fourth-best defense.

Collaros, who returned from a knee injury that forced him to miss Cincinnati’s previous game, was sacked five times, intercepted twice and he lost a fumble. He also was called for intentional grounding in the end zone that gave the Mountaineers a safety and was plagued by several dropped passes.

Collaros finished 25 of 45 for 221 yards.

West Virginia cornerback Keith Tandy sent a statement when he drilled D.J. Woods and broke up a short pass that ended one Cincinnati drive late in the first quarter. On Cincinnati’s next series, Tandy got position on Armon Binns in the end zone for an interception after Collaros had completed three straight passes of more than 15 yards to Binns.

West Virginia cornerback Brandon Hogan made up for a dropped interception by picking off Collaros one series later. Collaros added one mistake to another by hitting Hogan late out of bounds.

West Virginia took over at the Bearcats’ 6 and Smith, waiting for Sanders to get open, found him for a 6-yard scoring toss in the back of the end zone for a 28-0 lead.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart conducted a top-to-bottom examination of his offense after an overtime loss at Connecticut two weeks ago. Against Cincinnati, Stewart alternated Noel Devine, Shawn Alston and fullback Ryan Clarke with success.

Devine did all the work himself on West Virginia’s first series of the third quarter, carrying five times for 35 yards, including breaking a tackle and going 13 yards into the end zone for the final margin.

Alston got 10 carries on West Virginia’s next series, which ended when Clarke was stopped for no gain on fourth down at the Cincinnati 1.

That was about the only thing that went wrong for the Mountaineers. They made it an unhappy return to Morgantown for Cincinnati first-year coach Butch Jones, who was a West Virginia assistant coach under Rich Rodriguez in 2005 and 2006.

Things went wrong for the Bearcats from the start. D.J. Woods dropped a punt after the first series of the game and West Virginia recovered at the Cincinnati 32. Smith then found a wide-open Austin in the end zone on the next play.

Austin caught a 10-yard TD toss late in the period when he slipped past safety Drew Frey, one of eight sophomore starters on Cincinnati’s defense.

Sanders got his first score when he broke two tackles on a short pass and went 48 yards into the end zone midway through the second quarter.

Cincinnati’s only touchdown came when Isaiah Pead went 53 yards on fourth down on Cincinnati’s first series of the third quarter to make it 30-10.

Cincinnati punted eight times and the most penalized team in the Big East was flagged 10 times for 96 yards.

Devine finished with 77 yards on 18 carries and Alston, who entered the game with six carries the entire season, had 17 carries for 75 yards.

Kentucky storms past Vanderbilt 38-20

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:09:52 +0000

Associated Press

Randall Cobb #18 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs with the ball while defended by Sean Richardson #21 of the Vanderbilt Commodores during the game at Commonwealth Stadium on November 13, 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky. Kentucky won 38-20.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb ran for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns as Kentucky surged past Vanderbilt 38-20 on Saturday.

Cobb had touchdown runs of 5 and 73 yards to help the Wildcats (6-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) become bowl eligible for the fifth straight season. He finished with 279 total yards, breaking the school record for all-purpose yards in a single season in the process.

Derrick Locke ran for 145 yards and two scores in his first game in a month and quarterback Mike Hartline threw for 232 yards and a touchdown in his final home game.

Kennard Reeves rushed for a career-high 105 yards for the Commodores (2-8, 1-6), but Vanderbilt couldn’t make a 13-10 halftime lead stand up.

Cobb made sure of that. The junior said earlier in the week he’ll gauge his NFL prospects before deciding whether to return to school next fall.

He made a pretty compelling case for the pro scouts in attendance, showcasing why he’s become one of the nation’s most versatile and valuable players.

The Wildcats certainly needed it after slogging through another uninspired first half.

The defense struggled to keep the SEC’s worst offense in check and the offense looked sporadic even with Locke’s return to the lineup after missing four games with a shoulder injury.

Vanderbilt had no such problems. The Commodores rolled 242 yards in the first 30 minutes, heady territory for a team that averages just 267 yards a game.

Reeves, thrust into a starting role due to a myriad of injuries, found gaping holes to run through and wide receiver Jonathan Krause made a couple of big plays to keep the Wildcats on their heels.

Yet Kentucky, as it has done most of the season, gathered itself at halftime and turned to Cobb to get things moving in the right direction.

He lined up at quarterback in the WildCobb formation on Kentucky’s first possession of the half, took the snap, ran to his left then cut back to his right to race 73 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats the lead.

Cobb was at it again two possessions later, taking the snap and retreating 10 yards before somehow weaving his way through the Vanderbilt defense for a 52-yard gain.

Locke’s 1-yard touchdown dive four plays later put Kentucky up 24-13, and the Wildcats poured it on.

Hartline hit a wide-open Chris Matthews for a 55-yard score and Locke finished the Commodores off with an 83-yard touchdown run.

The victory takes some of the pressure off the Wildcats heading into their season finale at Tennessee in two weeks. Kentucky hasn’t beaten the Volunteers in more than a quarter century, and coach Joker Phillips acknowledged it was important for his team to become bowl eligible before heading to Knoxville.

Kentucky outgained Vanderbilt 370-158 in the second half to beat the Commodores for the sixth time in the last seven meetings.

The rivalry has been one-sided in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been heated. This time was no different. The team combined for 16 penalties and a handful of skirmishes. Kentucky cornerback Martavius Neloms and Vanderbilt’s Udom Umoh were ejected in the fourth quarter after trading punches.

South Florida tops Louisville 24-21 in OT

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:02:43 +0000

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — South Florida is making a habit of winning by a hair. The Bulls rallied in a nail-biter against Louisville, erasing a two-score deficit as they notched a 24-21 win in overtime on Saturday.

Sophomore kicker Maikon Bonani, who missed what would have been the game-winning field goal in regulation, hit a 37-yard field goal to give South Florida (6-3, 3-2 Big East) bowl eligibility for the sixth straight season.

The Bulls struggled early, falling behind 14-3 in the first half.

But Louisville’s mistakes on offense and special teams allowed South Florida to get back into it.

With the game tied at 21 with two seconds left, the Bulls had a chance at victory on a 52-yard Bonani field goal. Louisville coach Charlie Strong twice called time out to ice Bonani, the second time just as he booted one that would have been successful, but was immediately waved off by the officials. Bonani’s next attempt was wide to the left.

In the first overtime series, Louisville made it as far as the 4-yard line. With a fourth-and-inches situation, the Cardinals opted to try for the first down instead of a field goal but failed to convert on a quarterback sneak.

After the Bulls’ offense ran the ball to the 20-yard line, Bonani easily hit his field goal for the win.

South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels threw for 87 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Demetris Murray added 106 yards rushing.

Louisville reserve quarterback Justin Burke threw for 146 yards and three touchdowns, while senior running back Bilal Powell added 140 yards on the ground — his sixth triple-digit rushing game this season.

Louisville (5-5, 2-3) saw its first-half lead vanish after the Bulls capitalized on a botched punt and interception.

Miami beats Bowling Green in fog

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:59:00 +0000

Associated Press

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Trevor Cook kicked a 33-yard field goal on the final play to give Miami of Ohio a 24-21 victory over Bowling Green in foggy conditions Wednesday night.

Miami (6-4, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) moved into a tie with Ohio and Temple atop the East Division and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2005.

Cook made the winning field goal after D.J. Brown intercepted Matt Schilz’s pass. The kick marked the first time Miami won a game on the final play since Ben Roethlisberger completed a 70-yard pass to Eddie Tillitz in a 30-27 decision over Akron on Oct. 13, 2001.

Miami took a 21-7 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Falcons (2-8, 1-5) rallied to tie it on Willie Geter’s 1- and 2-yard TD runs — the first after Schilz’s 76-yard pass to Kamar Jorden.

Thomas Merriweather opened the scoring for the Redhawks in the first quarter with an 18-yard run.

The Falcons tied it on Schilz’s 12-yard TD pass to Alex Bayer in the second, and Miami took a 14-7 lead on quarterback Zac Dysert’s 1-yard run with 1:47 left in the half.

In the third quarter, the Falcons made it 21-7 on Dysert’s 22-yard pass to Nick Harwell.

Dysert was 19 of 25 for 221 yards for the Redhawks. Harwell had 10 catches for 125 yards, and Merriweather ran for 88 yards on 17 carries. Schilz was 17 of 29 for 176 yards for the Falcons, and Jorden had four receptions for 95 yards.

Kentucky breezes past Western Kentucky 63-28

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:10:23 +0000

Associated Press

Western's Jared Clendenin, left, and Quanterus Smith, right, pressure Kentucky back-up quarterback Morgan Newton during the fourth quarter of their football game in Lexington.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randall Cobb did it all, accounting for three touchdowns to lead Kentucky to a 63-28 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday night.

The junior wide receiver caught a score, threw for another and returned a punt 50 yards to the end zone as the Wildcats (2-0) outclassed the Hilltoppers to post their 17th straight regular season nonconference win.

Quarterback Mike Hartline completed 16 of 20 passes for 213 yards and tied a career-high with three touchdowns. Derrick Locke ran for 102 yards and a score as Kentucky overpowered the Hilltoppers (0-2) when it mattered.

Bobby Rainey ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns for Western Kentucky but couldn’t stop the Hilltoppers from dropping their 22nd straight game, the longest active losing streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Kentucky’s point total was its highest in a regulation game since scoring 77 against UTEP in 2002.

Western Kentucky coach Willie Taggart had hoped the Hilltoppers could show the Wildcats that “little brother” is starting to grow up.

Though Western Kentucky played much better than it did in a 41-3 loss at Commonwealth Stadium two years ago, the program, which is in its second season as a full-fledged member of the BCS, couldn’t match Kentucky’s depth.

And the Hilltoppers certainly couldn’t match Cobb. Or catch him, for that matter.

Cobb, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection a year ago, showcased his many talents against the Hilltoppers and did it with his typical ease.

He converted a fourth-and-1 on Kentucky’s first drive to set up a touchdown, then later put Kentucky up 21-7 with a scintillating punt return. He caught the ball at midfield, shook a couple of defenders then sprinted down the right sideline for the score.

Cobb wasn’t done. The former starting quarterback tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback Moncell Allen out of the “WildCobb” formation and completed his rare triple crown with a ridiculously easy 35-yard touchdown reception from Hartline that put the Wildcats up 49-21 in the third quarter.

Cobb finished with 191 total yards as part of an efficient — if not always spectacular — Wildcat offense. Kentucky racked up 482 yards and did whatever it wanted against an overmatched Hilltoppers defense.

Yet the Wildcats were hardly perfect. Rainey became the first Western Kentucky back in 11 years to top 150 yards in consecutive weeks. He put up 155 yards in a loss to Nebraska in the season-opener and was even better against Kentucky.

He darted down the sideline on the game’s third play for a 59-yard score and never really stopped. He later added a 1-yard plunge as the Hilltoppers continued to fight despite a nightmarish stretch in the first half when they allowed the Wildcats to reel off 35 straight points.

Kentucky allowed Western Kentucky to put together a pair of 80-yard scoring drives in the second half, not exactly the kind of performance coach Joker Phillips is looking for with a trip to Gainesville, Fla., looming in two weeks.

Even so, the Wildcats were never in any real danger. Not with Cobb and Locke doing what they do. Taggart said during the week his advice to his players when trying to tackle Kentucky’s dynamic duo was simple: “Hold on and wait for help.”

It didn’t come often enough for the Hilltoppers to end their miserable streak. They’ll try to snap it next week at home against Indiana while Kentucky will try to improve to 3-0 for the third time in the last four years against Akron.

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Miami 24, Ohio St. 36

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:49:32 +0000

Associated Press

Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward returns an interception against the Miami in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010, in Columbus, Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Miami quarterback Jacory Harris and the 12th-ranked Hurricanes came into their showdown with No. 2 Ohio State confident and comfortable.

Four interceptions later, they were deflated and defeated.

Terrelle Pryor ran for 113 yards and a touchdown and passed for another score Saturday as the Buckeyes took advantage of Miami’s miscues to hang a 36-24 loss on the Hurricanes.

“Feeling good doesn’t always end up good,” Harris said.

Eight seasons after the Buckeyes and Hurricanes played a classic game for the 2002 national championship, the rematch wasn’t nearly as close. In the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes earned a dramatic and controversial 31-24 victory in double-overtime against a Miami team trying to repeat as national champs.

This one was no work of art, with numerous sloppy plays and bad tackling. But it kept the Buckeyes (2-0) perfect and prevented the Hurricanes (1-1) from making a case they belonged back among the nation’s elite.

It all came down to the mistakes.

“When you can create four takeaways, you’re going to have a chance,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. “And when you have zero giveaways, you’re going to have a real good chance.”

In what was billed as a Heisman Trophy showcase, Pryor completed just 12 of 27 passes for 233 yards but kept alive drives with many of his 20 carries and scored on a 13-yard run. Harris was 22 of 39 passing for 232 yards and a touchdown but had the four interceptions — three of which could easily have been caught.

“Two of them the receivers ran the wrong route,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said. “But, still, if the receiver runs the wrong route then throw the ball out of bounds.”

It was the last interception which proved to be particularly costly for the Hurricanes.

Trailing 26-17 at the half, Miami took the kickoff and drove to a first down at the Ohio State 6. But on third-and-goal, Harris’ pass over the middle was wide of the mark and intercepted by burly Buckeyes defensive end Cameron Heyward, who had dropped back into pass coverage. He rumbled 80 yards with the ball.

“I was trying to take it to the house,” said the 6-foot-5, 288-pound Heyward, the son of former NFL running back Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. “They caught me. That shows they didn’t give up, and shows I’m not that fast.”

That was OK with his coach.

“They were going to bring it down to a one-score game,” Tressel said. “I was shocked how far he got. I kept thinking that someone was going to catch up to him and strip the ball. Oh, man I was petrified. That was a long run for a big guy.”

It set up Pryor’s touchdown run. He rolled right, looking to pass, then reversed field and scored untouched.

The Hurricanes, whose earlier TDs both came on kick returns, scored on Harris’ 9-yard pass to Chase Ford on the first play of the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 36-24.

Miami got the ball just once more, marching down the field only to lose it on downs at the Ohio State 39 with 7½ minutes left. The Buckeyes, with Pryor picking up big yardage on runs, then played keep-a-way the rest of the game.

Devin Barclay tied an Ohio State record with five field goals.

The first half had to leave both coaches exasperated.

The Buckeyes dominated, piling up 260 yards to just 104 with three turnovers for the Hurricanes. But Miami twice returned kicks for long scores. The first was Lamar Miller’s 88-yard kickoff return.

After Ohio State seemed to grab control at 20-10 on Dan Herron’s 4-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter, Travis Benjamin brought a punt back 79 yards for another score.

It was the first time in 121 years of football that the Buckeyes surrendered a touchdown on punt and kickoff returns in the same game.

The first interception Harris threw was tipped by Ohio State’s C.J. Barnett, into the hands of Nathan Williams, setting up Barclay’s field goal.

The second was a result of receiver Benjamin not even looking for the ball, with Chimdi Chekwa grabbing it to set up Herron’s TD run. Then Harris hit Benjamin with a pass along the right sideline, but he bobbled the ball into Chekwa’s hands to set up yet another Barclay field goal.

Three times in the half, Miami defenders got their hands on one of Pryor’s passes but none of them were intercepted.

“Today was the most calm I’ve ever been,” Pryor said. “I was really comfortable. I feel like I made good decisions and I was thinking about not making turnovers — and I got that done.”

Harris couldn’t say the same.

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Louisville starts strong, tops E. Kentucky 23-13

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:38:56 +0000

Associated Press

Louisville's Adam Froman looks to pass while trying to elude the Colonel defense. (By Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal) Sept. 11, 2010

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville senior quarterback Adam Froman passed for 219 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals beat Eastern Kentucky 23-13 on Saturday.

Froman threw for 190 of his yards in the first half, including the touchdown to Doug Beaumont, who had 83 yards on four catches.

It was the first win for the Cardinals (1-1) under first-year coach Charlie Strong. They lost their opener 23-16 to Kentucky.

Louisville, donning special helmets adorned with stars and stripes to mark the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks nine years ago, outlasted the Colonels (0-2) after scoring all of its points in the second quarter.

The teams combined for 25 penalties and 197 penalty yards.

Louisville went three-and-out on its first two possessions, but Froman supplied a spark late in the first quarter by scrambling for 30 yards and throwing two 20-yard passes before running back Bilal Powell ran 2 yards for the first score early in the second quarter.

Three series later, with the Colonels pinned in their own end zone, a holding penalty against Eastern Kentucky freshman tight end Nathan Watts gave Louisville a safety.

With Louisville’s offense already clicking, Froman threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Beaumont. It was the senior receiver’s first touchdown reception as a Cardinal. Powell added a rushing touchdown before halftime on the following series for a 23-0 lead.

A blowout seemed to be brewing, but Louisville’s offense never regained rhythm after halftime.

Eastern Kentucky managed to get on the board late in the third quarter when junior linebacker Jeremy Caldwell intercepted Froman and ran 80 yards for a touchdown. The Colonels scored again with only 2:28 left in the game, missing a two-point conversion attempt.

The Colonels never threatened to pull off the same kind of mid-major upset potential that fellow Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State did in beating Mississippi last Saturday.

Eastern Kentucky quarterback T.J. Pryor, a Louisville native, threw for 315 yards in the Colonels’ opening game loss against Missouri State but managed only 91 yards in three quarters against the Cardinals.

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Cincinnati surges to 40-7 win over Indiana St.

admin — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 22:30:30 +0000

Associated Press

UC quarterback Zach Collaros runs against Indiana State.

CINCINNATI — Zach Collaros threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Cincinnati’s wobbly offense finally found its legs in the second half Saturday, pulling away to a 40-7 victory over Indiana State.

The Bearcats (1-1) heard boos at halftime after struggling to a 12-7 lead, their spread offense going nowhere for a second straight game. Collaros directed Cincinnati to touchdowns on all four of its drives in the third quarter.

The two-time defending Big East champions improved to 13-0 at home over the last three seasons, two shy of the school record for consecutive home wins.

Cincinnati’s spread offense, expected to score a lot of points in coach Butch Jones’ first season after replacing Brian Kelly, evaporated during a 28-14 loss at Fresno State last week. Collaros was sacked eight times in that game, prompting Jones to change his starting left guard.

They acknowledged they needed to get some confidence and get it right against Indiana State (1-1), which is 3-55 over the last six seasons. Cincinnati’s next two games are at North Carolina State, then against Oklahoma at Paul Brown Stadium.

In the second half, it finally came together.

Collaros finished 11 of 17 for 130 yards. He also scrambled for 32 yards as Cincinnati’s running game got on track. Sophomore Darrin Williams started in place of Isaiah Pead, out with a sore knee, and ran for 117 yards. John Goebel had two short touchdown runs in the third quarter.

Indiana State was coming off a 57-7 win over St. Joseph’s of Indiana — its first season-opening victory in 14 years. The Sycamores haven’t won back-to-back games since 2004, and were hoping to stay close until the fourth quarter and have a chance at the upset.

At halftime, they were living the dream.

Cincinnati lost only two fumbles last season, the fewest in the country. Receiver D.J. Woods lost two in the first half on Saturday, including one after a catch that set up Indiana State’s touchdown. Ronnie Fouch’s 18-yard pass to tight end Alex Jones cut it to 12-7 late in the second quarter.

Not at all what the Bearcats wanted.

Collaros had more time to throw but still struggled to complete anything more than a short pass in the first half, when he went 8 of 13 for 70 yards with one sack.

There were a few boos as the Bearcats headed for the locker room at halftime up 12-7. They’d managed only 150 yards, and two of their points came on a safety.

It was Cincinnati’s first game without receiver Vidal Hazelton, who tore up his left knee at Fresno State. Hazelton was one of Cincinnati’s best downfield threats, expected to replace the departed Mardy Gilyard as a playmaker.

Something was missing.

Collaros put a spark in the offense by doing a lot of it himself. He scrambled for three straight first downs, then hit Armon Binns down the left sideline for a 29-yard touchdown that made it 26-7. The Sycamores helped Cincinnati pull away, fumbling at their own 10-yard line to set up another score.

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Clarett back in class at Ohio State

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:05:48 +0000

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State University says former football star Maurice Clarett has been granted re-entry to pursue his degree after he spent more than three years in prison.

Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch says in a statement that Clarett started classes on Monday after he was readmitted by the College of Education and Human Ecology, where he was originally enrolled.

Clarett says in a statement that it is a “surreal feeling to be back at Ohio State” and that he doesn’t want to be a “distraction or nuisance” to the football team or other students.

Clarett led the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship in his only college season. He pleaded guilty in 2006 to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, and served 3½ years in a Toledo prison, where he took college-credit courses.

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Garrett out, Haden in as USC athletic director

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:08:56 +0000

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES—Southern California is cleaning house in its tarnished athletic department, throwing out much of what got the school in severe NCAA trouble.

Athletic director Mike Garrett and Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy are the first two items to go.

In a letter to school supporters Tuesday, incoming USC president Max Nikias said Garrett will be replaced Aug. 3 by Pat Haden, the former Trojans quarterback who became a successful businessman and a member of USC’s board of trustees. The school also will return its copy of Bush’s trophy to the Heisman Trust, among several measures to disassociate itself from the tainted tailback.

The NCAA cited Garrett’s administration for a lack of institutional control while slapping the school with heavy sanctions last month, but Haden believes he can change the culture of a program that has been wildly successful and heavily scrutinized over the past decade.

“We’re going to do better,” said Haden, also the color analyst on NBC’s Notre Dame broadcasts for the past decade. “We have to do better. We don’t have any choices here. We stub our toe, there’s going to be some problems.”

USC was hit with four years of probation, a two-year bowl ban and severe football scholarship restrictions after the NCAA found serious rules violations in the athletic department, primarily around the football and men’s basketball teams. Most involved illegal benefits for Bush and O.J. Mayo, the talented basketball player who spent just one season at USC.

Haden said the school’s plan to get rid of nearly all references to Bush and Mayo—right down to scrubbing their images from school murals and removing Bush’s No. 5 jersey in its place of honor in the lobby of Heritage Hall—are all part of the NCAA’s directive to disassociate the school from the athletes.

Bush’s Heisman has been on display alongside the trophies won by Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Charles White and Marcus Allen. It was still in place Tuesday, but will be gone by the time students show up on campus next month.

Nikias also doesn’t start his new job until Aug. 3, but he’s already at work reforming the Trojans’ image.

“The Trojan Family honors and respects the USC sporting careers of those persons whose actions did not compromise their athletic program or the opportunities of future USC student-athletes,” Nikias said.

After pledging support for new football coach Lane Kiffin, Haden said he realizes the enormity of his task in restoring credibility to USC, where the NCAA found numerous violations during the tenures of football coach Pete Carroll and men’s hoops coach Tim Floyd. After twice telling Nikias he didn’t want to be considered for the job, Haden agreed to take it last week.

“We want to compete ferociously and win in every sport, but we want to do it ethically and within the rules,” said Haden, a former Rhodes Scholar who became a venture capitalist after an NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams. “We’re going to have a culture of compliance around here. Every meeting is going to start with the No. 1 item as compliance. … We’re going to try to be perfect. When we make mistakes, we’re going to fess up, and we’re going to try to do better next time.”

The 66-year-old Garrett has been the Trojans’ athletic director for 17 years, but he received caustic criticism for his handling of USC’s scandals. The school didn’t say whether Garrett retired or had been fired.

Both Garrett and Haden are former USC football players. Garrett won the Heisman Trophy in 1965, while Haden was the Trojans’ starting quarterback for three years in the 1970s under coach John McKay.

Haden also said he’ll hire McKay’s son, J.K., as an associate athletic director to serve as his liaison to the football program. McKay and Haden played together at USC and have been best friends for over 40 years.

“It’s a tough job, because you can only do so much, and there are people out there who are trying to get to your guys every day,” said McKay, an attorney who served as general manager with the XFL’s Los Angeles franchise. “We’re going to do our best to make sure nobody can question our effort on compliance.”

A few months after abruptly leaving Tennessee to return to USC, Kiffin’s self-described dream job has changed drastically. He must rebuild the Trojans under probation and scholarship limitations—and now Kiffin is working for a boss who didn’t hire him. Yet Kiffin, whose staff was cited for several minor NCAA violations during his 14 months at Tennessee, looked tanned and relaxed when he walked through Heritage Hall on Tuesday afternoon.

“He is my coach, and I love my coach,” Haden said. “I think he’s going to be successful here. J.K. McKay is committed to doing it right, and I think Lane is, too. I don’t want to say we’re not going to have any issues. We will. We’re going to have guys whispering in our guys’ ears, but we’re going to do our best. I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with compliance with Lane. I think he knows where we’re coming from.”

Garrett has been mostly unapologetic in the face of the Trojans’ NCAA problems, even saying last month that the NCAA’s ruling revealed “a lot of envy” of the Trojans. Two weeks ago, Garrett was forced to send a letter of apology to five schools after falsely accusing them of breaking NCAA rules by contacting star tailback recruit Dillon Baxter about transferring.

While praising Garrett’s work in rebuilding the USC football program and shepherding construction of the Galen Center basketball arena on campus, Nikias said the USC athletic department under his presidency “will seek to excel in the coming years in a manner that is consistent with the highest values” of the school.

Garrett initially received praise for unexpectedly hiring Carroll, who led a dominant decade for the Trojans’ football team, including seven Pac-10 titles and two national championships. Carroll left USC earlier this year to take over the Seattle Seahawks.

“Wish pat haden the very best in taking over as USC AD!” Carroll wrote on his Twitter account. “I’ll support in any way. Congrats!”

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