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Tressel: RB Wells Doubtful For USC

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The Associated Press

Published: September 12, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Thursday it is doubtful starting tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells will play Saturday night against No. 1 Southern California.

Tressel said there was lingering soreness for Wells in his right foot after he worked out Wednesday night. Wells did not practice with the team Thursday morning before it departed for Los Angeles.

"We were hoping he'd wake up this morning and feel even better than yesterday," Tressel said shortly before boarding the team bus to the airport. "But it didn't happen. We'll see from here."

Wells injured his right foot in the fifth-ranked Buckeyes' opener against Youngstown State, did not play last week against Ohio and has not had contact in partial practices this week. He flew with the team Thursday afternoon.

Tressel did not rule out the possibility of the junior seeing action, but he did not sound optimistic.

"Beanie practiced about 20 carries yesterday, and maybe 20 percent of the practice," Tressel said.

South Carolina's Garcia To Play Against Georgia

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Get ready, South Carolina fans. You'll likely get your first look at much-talked-about quarterback Stephen Garcia on Saturday.
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said sophomore Chris Smelley would start this weekend against No. 2 Georgia. Then Spurrier threw in the words many have waited to hear the past two years: "There's a good chance Garcia will play this week."

Spurrier said Tommy Beecher, the Gamecocks' first-game starter, was still not himself after injuring his shoulder in South Carolina's 34-0 win against North Carolina State on Aug. 28.

Smelley started and played throughout last week's 24-17 loss at Vanderbilt. Smelley had won his first four career starts last season, but he has dropped his past three, including a second straight loss to the Commodores. Add that to Beecher's four-interception performance against the Wolfpack, and it's understandable why Gamecocks backers want Garcia.

"We might as well put him there for a couple of plays here and there, see what happens," Spurrier said.

It's been a long road from recruitment to the playing field for Garcia.

He was a strong-armed, mobile quarterback from Jefferson High and considered a centerpiece in Spurrier's 2007 recruiting class, which analysts placed among the country's 10 best.

Garcia enrolled in January 2007, ready to take part in spring practice and learn Spurrier's pass-friendly system. Instead, Garcia was arrested twice his first six weeks at school, and he was banned from spring workouts.

A repentant Garcia spent last fall on the scout team and figured to join the quarterback battle with Beecher and Smelley this season.

However, only days into spring practice, Garcia was ticketed for underage drinking. He was suspended by the university from team activities until Aug. 15. Spurrier said Garcia was given several conduct benchmarks to meet before he would be reinstated.

North Carolina Embarrasses Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Butch Davis has North Carolina back on the road to respectability.

T.J. Yates threw three touchdown passes and the Tar Heels won for the first time outside North Carolina since 2002, beating error-prone Rutgers 44-12 in a nationally televised game that pitted Davis against his former pupil, Greg Schiano.

Yates found a wide-open Hakeem Nicks on touchdown passes of 9 and 11 yards and connected on a 69-yard scoring play with speedster Brandon Tate, who also scored on a 12-yard end-around.

The Tar Heels intercepted four passes, including three by starter Mike Teel. Linebacker Bruce Carter returned a bobbled pass 66 yards for a touchdown as the Tar Heels (2-0) handed Rutgers (0-2) its worst loss since a 56-5 loss to Louisville on Nov. 11, 2005. Freshman Jay Wooten added field goals of 43, 29 and 27 yards.

The victory was the Tar Heels' biggest since a 52-17 win against Duke in 2001.

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