Sylvester Croom becomes the first black head football coach in Southeastern Conference history Saturday in Starkville, Miss., leading Mississippi State against Tulane.
“As much as I love history, one day I’ll appreciate it,” he said. “I do feel good about the fact my life will have made an impact. But right now the most important thing is our players, their welfare, and us winning ballgames here at Mississippi State.”
Hey, look! A pass!
The West Coast offense makes its debut in Lincoln on Saturday night when Nebraska, led by first-year coach Bill Callahan, plays host to Western Illinois.
“The anxiety lies in that we don’t know what to expect from Western Illinois,” Callahan said. “It’s hard to predict … we go into this blind.”
It is possible David Humm’s single-game school records for passing yardage (297), completions (25) and attempts (42) will be broken in Nebraska’s opener. The Omaha World Herald recently noted that Humm’s career mark of 5,035 passing yards were far fewer than the 5,883 yards Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons threw for … last season.
Marriage of convenience
The scramble to reschedule lost games after the Big East realignment has landed Syracuse at 24th-ranked Purdue on Sunday. It’s the first meeting between the teams and the first time Syracuse has faced a Big Ten opponent since 1999.
“It’s very difficult at the drop of a hat to just go out and get games,” Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said. “Purdue needed a game, and we were in dire straits of a game.”
Sensing an opportunity
Kentucky hopes to exploit Louisville’s undersized defense Sunday. The Cardinals struggled down the stretch last season, surrendering an average of 27.8 points and 428 yards a game.
“We feel like there are some things we can take advantage of,” offensive coordinator Ron Hudson said. “We’re confident in our ability to move the ball in this game.”
New in the neighborhood
Mike Stoops, brother of Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, is taking over an Arizona program that’s been sliding. The Wildcats went 2-10 last season, their worst in 46 years.
Stoops should have an easier time than most in his first game as Division I-AA Northern Arizona comes to Tucson on Saturday night.
Idaho’s Nick Holt could be getting a glimpse into the future against Boise State. The Vandals move from the Sun Belt next season to the Western Athletic Conference, where Boise State has won two straight league titles.
Chris Ault, the winningest coach in Nevada history, returns for his third stint as the Wolf Pack’s coach Monday at Louisiana Tech.
And former NFL coach Bobby Ross makes his Army debut at home against Louisville on Sept. 11.
Notes
Vanderbilt’s game against South Carolina will be the only Southeastern Conference matchup this weekend. . . . Oregon State is LSU’s first opponent for a home opener coming off a bowl victory since Texas A&M in 1992. . . . Tenth-rated West Virginia is the only ranked team in the new-look Big East. . . . Rutgers coach Greg Schiano returns 19 starters as he continues to rebuild the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers plays host to Michigan State on Saturday. . . . SEC history will be made Sunday when No. 14 Tennessee takes the field against UNLV. Brent Schaeffer will become the first quarterback straight out of high school to start in the SEC. “It’s all happened so fast, but I wanted this,” Schaeffer said. “I’ve worked all through high school for just these kind of moments. Now, I’ve got to go play.” . . . Washington State is so concerned about linebacker Will Derting’s dislocated wrist that he might use a permanent soft cast throughout the season.
