(AP) Colorado enters preseason workouts without a starting quarterback for the third year in a row. For the second straight year, the contenders are Cody Hawkins, coach Dan Hawkins’ son, and Tyler Hansen. Hawkins started the first five games last year but was replaced during the Buffs’ worst offensive game of the year a 38-14 loss at Texas. Hansen started the remaining seven games. Dan Hawkins said the coaching staff planned to decide about two weeks before the Sept. 4 opener against Colorado State in Denver. If last year’s stats are any indication, it could be a split decision. Colorado was 1-4 with Hawkins as the starter, 2-5 under Hansen. Hawkins, a senior this year, threw for 1,277 yards with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Hansen, now a junior, had 1,440 yards with eight TDs and seven interceptions, including three in a season-ending loss to Nebraska. The Buffs were last in the Big 12 in total offense and 10th in scoring in 2009.
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(AP) Mack Brown figures defenses are starting to catch up to the spread offense. He’s noticed how much his defense has struggled against powerful, traditional running games in bowl games. And with a young quarterback replacing Colt McCoy, the Longhorns probably shouldn’t throw as much as they have in recent years anyway. With so many things pointing them in the same direction, Texas coaches have made the easy decision to spruce up their running game this season. Brown half-jokingly said Wednesday at Big 12 media day that there was no incentive to run when McCoy was completing seven of every 10 throws.
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(AP) Turner Gill wanted to get to know his new Kansas team and wanted to make sure they knew each other. So he asked questions like who was the most influential person in their lives and why, then had every player and coach stand up and answer. Will that matter on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the closing seconds of a tight game? It can’t hurt, Gill figures. Gill’s soft approach could be just what the Jayhawks need after eight years under Mark Mangino. Mangino turned Kansas football into the kind of program the basketball team could be proud of. But things came crashing down late last season. Mangino was accused of physically and verbally abusing players and others around the program. He denied everything, then resigned in December.
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(AP) Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray finally made it through a season without getting hurt last year. Now he wants to do something no Sooner not even his friend, Adrian Peterson has done: rush for 2,000 yards. Murray scored five touchdowns in his first college game in 2007, which must have looked familiar to OU fans who watched Peterson set an OU record with 1,925 yards when the Minnesota Vikings star was a freshman three years earlier. But injuries shortened Murray’s first two seasons, and he’s still chasing the man he followed around as a wide-eyed redshirt. Murray hasn’t threatened Peterson’s rushing record yet. He had 764 yards when he dislocated a kneecap late in the 2007 season. He said his lowest point came a year later when he injured a hamstring on the opening kickoff of the Big 12 championship game, spoiling his only 1,000-yard season (1,002) and costing him a chance to play in the BCS title game loss to Florida.

(AP) The Chiefs have signed both of their second-round draft picks, wide receiver Dexter McCluster and defensive back Javier Arenas. However, as of Wednesday night the Chiefs still hadn’t signed first-round selection Eric Berry, a safety who is expected to become an instant starter. Terms of the contracts for McCluster and Arenas weren’t released. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound McCluster caught 130 passes for 1,703 yards and seven touchdowns for Mississippi. Arenas had 154 tackles and six interceptions in 52 games for Alabama. The Chiefs also signed 6-foot-3 tight end Leroy Banks, who was awarded to Kansas City via a waiver claim. Banks entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with Atlanta and played 23 games in two seasons at Southern Mississippi, catching 34 passes for 462 yards and four touchdowns.

The Manhattan Manko Senior 17′ers will have to work their way back thru the losers bracket at the “AAA” American Legion state tournament in Dodge City. Manko struggled fundamentally in a 6-3 loss to Olathe South. The Manko Senior 17′ers now will play host Dodge City at 12:30 pm Thursday afternoon in an elimination game, who dropped a 4-3 decision to Emporia. In the day games, KC post 199 shut out McPherson 10-0, and Pittsburg routed Atchison 16-4.

(AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals for a pair of minor leaguers. The trade was announced before the Dodgers played Wednesday night at San Diego. The Padres beat the Dodgers 6-1, and now lead the Dodgers by six games in the NL West. Podsednik hit .310 and stole 30 bases for the Royals this season. He had two hits for Kansas City in its 6-4 loss to Minnesota earlier in the day. The Royals got catcher Lucas May, assigning him to triple-A Omaha and pitcher Elisaul Pimentel from the Dodgers, who goes to single-A Burlington.

Delmon Young had a three-run homer and the Minnesota Twins finished off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 6-4 Wednesday. Jason Repko also homered for the Twins, who hit 12 during a 6-1 road trip to Baltimore and KC to stay on the heels of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central. The Royals, who set a team record by allowing 42 runs and 53 hits in the three previous games, lost for 13th time in 16 games. Brian Duensing (4-1) went six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits. Brian Bannister (7-10) lost his fifth straight decision, going six innings plus one batter and allowing five runs on 11 hits. Jon Rauch pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 25 chances. The Royals will now play a four-game series with the Orioles. The opener is Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium. Coverage begins at 6:35 on SportsRadio 1350 KMAN.

Call it deja vu, but the biggest question mark for K-State is what it was it was a year ago…just who will be the starting quarterback??? Senior Carson Coffman started four games last season and dominated the spring game, sophomore Collin Klein moves back under center from receiver, and transfer Sammy Lamur is busy learning the offense. K-State coach Bill Snyder says not much has changed in the quarterback race during summer workouts as the three quarterbacks will split reps at the start of fall practice with Coffman getting the first run with the first team offense. Snyder says he understands the Wildcat quarterback situation is not ideal, and hopes to name a starter by the week before the first game.

Just who will Coffman, Klein, Lamur be throwing the ball to? Gone are Brandon Banks, Attrail Snipes, Lamark Brown, and Jeron Mastrud at tight end. The Cats will rely primarily on newcomers like Brodrick Smith, Chris Harper, and Tramaine Thompson, redshirt senior Aubrey Quarles, and tight ends Travis Tannahill and Andre McDonald. K-State returns just two catches from their receiving corps, both from Tannahill.

In the past, Thursday night college football games felt like a special occasion, but K-State will play a pair of mid-week games this season. As a matter of fact, the Cats will play on Thursday two weeks in a row, at home against Nebraska on October 7th, and at rival Kansas on October 14th. K-State coach Bill Snyder spoke at Big 12 Media Day in Dallas, and he says Thursday night games are good exposure for the program, but make it tough on fans who want to come to the game.

The biggest topic in college football nationally has been the issue of agents contacting players about the NFL, and putting their eligibility in question. Schools in the southeast like Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are crying foul. But, K-State coach Bill Snyder says agents are a major concern anywhere. He advises players to tell agents that they will speak to them with their families after the season, and if the agent continues to press them that they will not consider them as an option for representation. Snyder says they also put together a panel to help players best deal with agents and the whole NFL process.

K-State opens the 2010 season on Saturday, September 4th in a nationally televised game against UCLA.

(AP) Tommy Tuberville wore a suit with a red and black striped tie and a Texas Tech lapel to Big 12 media day. That alone showed how much things have changed at Texas Tech. Mike Leach is gone and so are his casual, wacky ways on and off the field. Tuberville plans to keep a passing offense, but there’s going to be more running. More of an emphasis on defense, too. He’s also bringing together the guys from both sides of the ball more often to encourage team unity. Tuberville seemingly stole one page from Leach’s playbook by speaking out against the conference office, drawing a public reprimand. He joked Tuesday that it was a remnant from being encouraged to speak his mind as a TV analyst the last few years.
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Missouri’s streak of five consecutive winning seasons is the school’s longest in nearly 30 years, and coach Gary Pinkel has a chance for the most sustained success since the Dan Devine era in the 1960s. The Tigers slipped to 8-5 last year after winning at least 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. But Pinkel didn’t see that as a huge step back. He figured the young 2009 team was capable of winning nine games, which would have happened if Missouri hadn’t lost to Navy 35-13 in the Texas Bowl. A year ago, Pinkel was trying to ease the pressure on quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was replacing Columbia cult hero Chase Daniel. Gabbert held his own as a sophomore, throwing for more yards than Colt McCoy (3,593) with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Now, Gabbert’s a year older and senior running back Derrick Washington (865 yards, 10 touchdowns) brings experience as well. Missouri’s high point under Pinkel (12-2 in 2007) still fell short of a conference title, something Devine did twice during a stretch of 12 consecutive winning seasons. But Pinkel is still around, getting ready for his 10th season.
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There are many things Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden has experienced that most college football players haven’t. Like talking to late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The former pro baseball player was New York’s first pick in the 2002 draft, a pitcher taken in the second round. He said Steinbrenner called after Weeden signed out of high school for a $565,000 bonus. Weeden remembered playing rookie ball in Tampa, Steinbrenner’s hometown, and being around “The Boss” when the big league club was in the midst of a long losing streak. Weeden was later traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization before abandoning baseball in 2007 and joining the Cowboys.

Playing their toughest schedule in years, the Manhattan Manko Senior 17′ers have survived and will play in the state tournament starting Wednesday. Manko competed in tournaments at K-State, Wichita State, and Omaha, Nebraska. They gutted out two of three games to win their zone tournament against the Salina Falcons to make it to Dodge City. Manhattan Manko Senior 17′ers coach Luke Snyder says they’ve been a little up and down at 20-13, but they’re on a pretty good surge right now though. The Manhattan Manko Senior 17′ers will take the field at 6:00 pm Wednesday against Olathe South in the “AAA” American Legion state tournament in Dodge City. They’ll play either Emporia or Dodge City on Thursday in the double elimination format.

A spokesman for the West Virginia University basketball team says further testing has revealed that former K-State coach Bob Huggins broke seven ribs–not four–in a hotel room fall. Bryan Messerly said Tuesday Huggins remains in a Las Vegas hospital and should be released soon, but he does not know exactly when. Messerly says Huggins told him Sunday he was doing well. Huggins injured himself in a fall in his Las Vegas hotel room Friday. He was in Nevada on a recruiting trip.

Rookie Danny Valencia drove in three runs, Carl Pavano won his eighth straight decision and the Minnesota Twins battered Kansas City 11-2 Tuesday night, completing the worst three-game pitching span in Royals history. In their last three games, the shell-shocked Royals have been beaten 12-6 by the Yankees and 19-1 and 11-2 by the Twins, snapping the team record of 40 runs allowed in three consecutive games. The 53 hits they’ve given up in the three routs is also the team record for three games in a row. Joe Mauer, Michael Cuddyer and J.J. Hardy all had two RBIs apiece for the Twins, who totaled 19 hits one night after getting 20.

Right-hander Gil Meche of the Kansas City Royals will undergo surgery on his pitching shoulder that will probably end his season. Meche has been on the disabled list since May 29 with what the club described as bursitis in the shoulder. v Meche, the first upper-tier free agent the Royals have signed, has battled injuries the past two seasons. He has one year left on a five-year, $55 million contract.