Colleges

Largo grad McCluster carries day for Ole Miss

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 4, 2006

OXFORD, Miss. - Freshman Dexter McCluster, who starred at Largo High, had 268 all-purpose yards in his debut and scored a touchdown to help Mississippi beat Memphis 28-25 Sunday in the opener for both teams.

McCluster caught six passes for 86 yards, ran four times for 60 yards and returned five kickoffs for 122 yards. His performance was fourth on the team's all-time single-game all-purpose yardage list. Saints running back Deuce McAllister holds the record with 317 yards.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns for Mississippi.

Quarterback Brent Schaeffer completed just 7 of 16 passes for 97 yards, but he didn't turn the ball over as the Rebels scored twice on fourth-and-1 plays.

He also put the game out of reach with an 8-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. He set up the clinching touchdown with first-down passes of 11 yards to fullback Jason Cook and 13 yards to McCluster.

Memphis took a 7-0 lead on its first drive. The Rebels answered on the first play of the second quarter with a tricky formation on fourth and 1 from the 31. McCluster lined up in the backfield next to Schaeffer, who was under center. Schaeffer handed the ball to McCluster, who slipped around the left side and scored untouched.

"I hide behind the big lineman," McCluster said. "That's not real hard. Hopefully the defense won't see me. It can't get any easier than that. I count one-1,000 and get out of there."

McCluster helped set up the score with an 8-yard pass reception and a 12-yard end-around on the drive.

Before the game, Mississippi celebrated the memory of Chucky Mullins, retiring his No. 38 jersey.

Mullins was paralyzed in a game in 1989 and died in 1991 after returning to school in a wheelchair to pursue his degree.

No. 13 Louisville 59, Kentucky 28

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Michael Bush passed up the NFL to try to win a national title at Louisville.

Instead, his season ended after three touchdowns and a little more than one half of football.

The senior running back broke his right leg in the third quarter of the 13th-ranked Cardinals' victory. He is out for the season.

Bush had already run for 124 yards and three touchdowns in the first half when he took a pitch from quarterback Brian Brohm on Louisville's second play of the second half. His right leg was pinned awkwardly underneath him while being tackled.

Brohm, playing his first game since suffering a knee injury inNovember, threw for 254 yards.

The Cardinals scored on five of their first six possession, grabbing a 31-0 lead before the Wildcats could manage their second first down.

No. 22 TCU 17, Baylor 7

WACO, Texas - Freshman Marcus Jackson threw two touchdowns in the second half after replacing Texas Christian's undefeated and woozy starter, and the Horned Frogs avoided being upset.

TCU, unranked when it beat No. 7 Oklahoma by the same score in last year's opener, stretched its winning streak to 11 games, the second-longest in Division I-A behind the 21 in a row of Texas.

Jackson replaced Jeff Ballard after halftime and finally put the Horned Frogs ahead with an 84-yard TD pass to tailback Aaron Brown after another Baylor turnover in the third quarter. He threw a 4-yard score to Quinton Cunigan in the fourth.

Baylor was hoping for an upset in its first game since switching to a pass-oriented offense with returning senior quarterback Shawn Bell, who was 31-for-47 for 286 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Instead, the Bears dropped to 2-31 against ranked teams since moving to the Big 12 in 1996.

Ballard improved to 9-0 as TCU's starter but never returned after completing 7 of 14 passes for 85 yards and an interception in a half. It wasn't clear how or when Ballard got hurt, but medical personnel were seen testing his reflexes on the sideline.

Arkansas: Mitch Mustain was named the starting quarterback for next week, less than 24 hours after the Razorbacks lost 50-14 to No. 6 Southern California. The freshman led Arkansas on a touchdown drive after coming in in the fourth quarter, but he also threw an interception. He replaces junior Robert Johnson, who went 12-for-25 for 110 yards with two interceptions.

CLEMSON: Linebacker Anthony Waters will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ligament in his left knee during the third quarter of the Tigers' 54-6 win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday.

WAKE FOREST: Quarterback Ben Mauk may not return this season after breaking his right arm and dislocating his right shoulder while diving for a fumble in the third quarter in a 20-10 win over Syracuse.

NO AP Poll yet: Because of today's Florida State-Miami game, the Associated Press Top 25 poll is being released Tuesday.

Late Saturday

Arizona 16, BYU 13: Nick Folk kicked a 48-yard field goal with one second to play to give Arizona the victory over Brigham Young in Tucson, Ariz.

Folk, who missed a 42-yarder as the first half ended, also had field goals of 30 and 22 yards in a mistake-filled, defensive struggle.

Brigham Young's John Beck was 28-for-37 for 289 yards, but the Cougars could manage just one touchdown, Beck's 5-yard pass to Daniel Coats in the second quarter.

Jared McLaughlin kicked field goals 20 and 32 yards, but Brigham Young botched a third try.

[Last modified September 4, 2006, 02:17:52]