College football

Carter comfortable with Cards

By wire services
Published August 28, 2005

Former Lakewood star Pat Carter, the Georgia Tech transfer who was supposed to start anew this fall at South Florida, then at Florida, says he has found a home.

Carter was scheduled to take a flight today to Louisville, start classes Monday, pick up a football scholarship in January and begin competing as a receiver next fall.

"I'm getting the vibe that they really want me there," said Carter, who will have two years of eligibility after sitting out this season.

Carter said he initially chose USF because he wanted to play quarterback, but changed his mind after seeing the way coach Jim Leavitt felt about the six quarterbacks already on campus.

"I don't feel too confident in their quarterbacks, but it seemed like coach was content with his players," said Carter. "He said he only wants players who want to be there, and I never felt 100 percent sure I wanted to be there."

Carter won't be able to travel with Louisville when the Cardinals play at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 24, but he'll be a senior when Louisville returns in 2007.

- GREG AUMAN, Times staff writer

Sophomore Erik Ainge will start at quarterback in Tennessee's opener, beating out senior Rick Clausen in a close competition.

But coach Phillip Fulmer said both quarterbacks will play Sept. 3 at home against UAB. Fulmer added Ainge won't automatically start for the Volunteers in their second game of the season at Florida.

"Erik is our quarterback right now, but we have two quarterbacks," Fulmer said. "Rick did a great job. It wasn't one of those clear-cut things."

Ainge and Brent Schaeffer got the nod last season ahead of Clausen and C.J. Leak. Schaeffer ended up starting the opener, but Ainge took over at midseason, leading the Volunteers to victories at Georgia and Alabama before separating his shoulder in November.

Clausen started the final four games. He was named the offensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl, a 38-7 victory over Texas A&M. Schaeffer has transferred.

Ainge is the nephew of Celtics head of basketball operations Danny Ainge.

ARIZONA STATE: The lawyer for jailed player Loren Wade wants a judge to dismiss a first-degree murder indictment against his client. Ulises Ferragut argued the indictment should be tossed because the state gave an unfair presentation of the case to the grand jury.

ACADEMICS: SEC teams earned higher grades from the recruiting gurus on national signing day, but ACC programs lost fewer signees because of grades in the classroom.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of recruiting classes for both conferences revealed 41 players signed to letters of intent by SEC schools in February didn't make it to campus, mostly for academic reasons. That compares with 21 in the ACC.

Alabama signed eight players who aren't in Tuscaloosa for football drills; five are absent because of academic shortcomings. Mississippi and Kentucky lost six signees apiece. Five Georgia recruits didn't make the grade.

Vanderbilt went 24-for-24 this recruiting season, all of its signees eligible and on campus. But it was alone in the SEC in that department.

[Last modified August 28, 2005, 01:15:11]