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Cornerback Ricardo Colclough was released by the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. Hours after he was arrested and charged with driving while impaired, and star receiver Steve Smith was placed on the reserve-suspended list.

Safety Terrence Holt and defensive end Stanley McClover were also among the 22 players cut Saturday to get the Panthers to the 53-man regular-season limit.

Smith will be suspended for the first two regular-season games for breaking cornerback Ken Lucas’ nose in a training-camp fight. He won’t be allowed to rejoin the team until Sept. 15, a day after Carolina hosts Chicago.

Colclough was arrested early Saturday for DWI and spent more than five hours in jail before being released on $1,000 bond. His job was in jeopardy before the arrest.

“The timing wasn’t very good,” general manager Marty Hurney said. “That’s for sure.”

The Panthers kept kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd and seventh-round pick Mackenzy Bernadeau, who made the roster ahead of veteran offensive linemen Toniu Fonoti, Milford Brown and Evan Mathis.

McClover, a seventh-round pick in 2006, was let go after a lackluster preseason. That allowed seventh-round pick and defensive end Hilee Taylor to make the team.

“We think that he’ll continue to improve,” Hurney said of Taylor.

Holt, signed in the offseason, lost his job in favor of fellow safeties Nate Salley and Quinton Teal, who can also play special teams.

“That was an extremely difficult decision because Terrence came in and played extremely well and really brought a lot of intangibles into our locker room,” Hurney said.

The highest-drafted rookie from this year’s draft class to be let go was defensive tackle Nick Hayden, a sixth-round choice. Offensive tackle Geoff Schwartz, a seventh-round pick, was also cut.

As expected, quarterback Brett Basanez was waived, a day after the Panthers acquired veteran QB Josh McCown from Miami for a seventh-round pick next year. Matt Moore, who injured his left leg in Thursday’s preseason finale, made the roster and will likely be the No. 3 QB.

Dominique Thompson won the last job at receiver on the squad ahead of Travis Taylor, Chris Hannon and Will Buchanon.

Offensive tackle Willie Anderson and running back Rudi Johnson lost their starting jobs. With the Cincinnati Bengals during training camp. Now they’ve lost their roster spots, too.

The Bengals released Anderson and Johnson on Saturday as part of their moves to get to the 53-man roster limit.

The 33-year-old Anderson was the most tenured Bengal at 12 seasons. Injuries limited him to seven games last season, ending his streak of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He became a backup to Stacy Andrews in training camp, and declined to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

“This wasn’t a decision based on my play, I want to make that clear,” Anderson said. “They weren’t comfortable with two guys making big salaries at the same position. I’m not mad or bitter about this, but I am disappointed in the timing.”

Lewis said the decision to release Anderson was “very tough.”

“He has been significant to me,” Lewis said. “He has been significant to this organization, beyond me. We’ll see what happens. It may not be over.”

The 28-year-old Johnson missed most of camp because of a hamstring injury, making him expendable. Chris Perry, a first-round pick in 2004, moves into the starting job after having a healthy preseason.

Johnson ran for a club-record 1,458 yards in 2005. Hamstring problems limited him to nine starts and a 2.9-yard average last season.

“I’ve seen Rudi practice very few times, and cut it loose very few times,” Lewis said. “I thought he had a great spring and was doing everything, but unfortunately, he seemed to suffer from the hamstring.”

As expected, Tampa Bay cut Chris Simms, their former starting quarterback, who missed all of last season after a serious spleen injury and asked to be released. They also cut Ryan Nece, a former starter at linebacker.

Nece and Simms are the sons of former NFL stars - Nece of Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott and Simms of former Super Bowl MVP and current broadcaster Phil Simms.

Atlanta released quarterback Joey Harrington, the third overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Lions and a starter in 10 games for the Falcons last season. Harrington had been third on the depth chart behind rookie Matt Ryan, the third overall choice this year, and Chris Redman.

And there were actions in addition to the cuts.

Kevin Faulk, the veteran third-down back for the Patriots, was suspended for one game and will forfeit two paychecks, the result of a no contest plea in July to misdemeanor marijuana charges in Lafayette, La. Faulk had been issued a summons for possession of marijuana at a Li’l Wayne concert in February.

The same penalty was leveled on Baltimore cornerback Derrick Martin. According to a police report, Martin was cited and charged in July with possession of three small bags of marijuana at the Cleveland airport during a random TSA screening while attempting to board a flight.

And veteran running back Jesse Chatman, now with the New York Jets, was suspended for four games for violating the league’s steroid policy.

The New York Giants signed 44-year-old John Carney while Lawrence Tynes recovers from a knee injury, meaning they will have two kickers on the roster. They also kept just two quarterbacks, Eli Manning and David Carr, placing Anthony Wright on injured reserve with a back injury and cutting rookie Andre Woodson.

Pittsburgh placed backup quarterback Charlie Batch on injured reserve. He broke his collarbone in the exhibition opener, and the Steelers signed veteran Byron Leftwich to take his place.

Tennessee cut Roydell Williams, the Titans’ co-leader in receptions last year, after he struggled to recover from breaking an ankle days before a playoff game in January. He had 55 catches last year along with Justin Gage, who signed a contract extension in February.

Philadelphia released defensive end Jerome McDougle, a one-time first-rounder plagued by injuries on and off the field. The Eagles also released veteran defensive tackle Montae Reagor and tight end Kris Wilson.

The Redskins cut punter Derrick Frost, choosing to keep sixth-round draft choice Durant Brooks. Among the other veterans let go by Washington were wide receiver Billy McMullen and offensive tackle Todd Wade, who spent four years with Miami and two each with Houston and the Redskins.

Baltimore cut quarterback Casey Bramlet, signed last week as insurance when Troy Smith was ill and Kyle Boller injured. The Ravens also released special teams ace Gary Stills.

Houston, which made most of its cuts on Friday, placed running back Chris Brown on injured reserve with back problems. That leaves the Texans with Ahman Green, Chris Taylor and rookie Steve Slaton.

Drew Henson, the former Michigan quarterback and New York Yankees prospect, was cut by Detroit. He signed last week when quarterback Drew Stanton injured a hand.

Also, Minnesota placed safety Michael Boulware on injured reserve. Boulware apparently injured a wrist Thursday night in the final exhibition game.

That leaves Eric Frampton and undrafted rookie Husain Abdullah as the backups at safety to Darren Sharper and rookie Tyrell Johnson. Madieu Williams has a neck injury and is out for perhaps another month.

San Francisco released underachieving receiver Ashley Lelie, who was going into the second year of a two-year, $4.3 million deal that included a $2 million signing bonus. He had just 10 receptions for 115 yards last season while struggling with injuries.

The 49ers also waived fullback Moran Norris, a two-year starter who lost his job to Zak Keasey during training camp.

AFC champion New England released quarterback Matt Gutierrez and kept Matt Cassel as Tom Brady’s backup for a fourth season. Cassel’s roster spot appeared to be in jeopardy after he failed to lead the Patriots to a touchdown in 17 series during their winless exhibition season.

Other noteworthy Patriots cuts were veterans Fernando Bryant, their starting cornerback for most of the exhibition season, and Victor Hobson, a linebacker who spent all five of his NFL seasons with the New York Jets.

Carolina placed star receiver Steve Smith on the reserve-suspended list while he serves a two-game ban for punching cornerback Ken Lucas during training camp.

The Panthers’ veteran cuts included safety Terrence Holt and defensive end Stanley McClover, while cornerback-kick returner Ricardo Colclough was let go hours after he was arrested and charged with driving while impaired.

Veteran wide receiver Clifford Russell was Denver biggest surprise cut Saturday. When the Broncos reached their roster limit and bid a 10-day farewell to Brandon Marshall, who began serving his suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct code.

Russell was tied with Marshall and Michael Pittman for the team lead with 10 catches in the preseason and looked like a lock as the No. 5 receiver. But the Broncos decided to go into their opener at Oakland with just four wide receivers: holdover Brandon Stokley, and newcomers Darrell Jackson, Eddie Royal and Keary Colbert.

While quarterback Jay Cutler won’t have many targets against the Raiders on Sept. 8, he will have plenty of protection.

The Broncos kept three tight ends - Nate Jackson, Daniel Graham and Tony Scheffler - and nine offensive linemen, including 37-year-old center Tom Nalen, who missed most of last season with an arm injury and almost all of training camp with a balky left knee that has required two surgeries since June.

The Broncos placed rookie running back Anthony Alridge (left foot) and starting fullback Cecil Sapp (left thigh) on the reserve/injured list.

Alridge was expected to split snaps with Selvin Young and Andre Hall in the backfield this season, and he ran 23 times for 110 yards in the preseason finale Friday night at Arizona but was injured in the second half.

Denver also moved tight end Brett Pierce (left ankle) to its waived/injured list.

Rookie Brett Kern won the punting job over Sam Paulescu, and No. 3 quarterback Darrell Hackney was cut one day after completing 17 of 26 passes for 208 yards in Denver’s 28-14 win over the Cardinals. The Broncos are hoping Hackney clears waivers and signs on to their practice squad again.

Another player will have to be cut when Marshall returns to the roster on Sept. 9.

The Broncos are breathing a sigh of relief that they’ll only be without their playmaker for one game.

Marshall, who was arrested three times in a one-year span, originally was penalized three games but it was reduced on appeal to a single game and two paychecks, totaling $52,352.

“I’m pleased with the decision. It could be a lot worse,” Marshall said Friday night. “But you know it’s all about me staying in shape mentally and physically the week I’m out and being there for my teammates and getting San Diego when I get back.”

Marshall is set to make his debut Sept. 14 at home against San Diego, two days before he’s scheduled to go on trial on a drunken driving charge.

Had he not won his appeal, Marshall’s ban from team headquarters might have lasted as long as a month. He declined to discuss the case he made during his appeal to get his suspension reduced.

“That’s the past now and it’s just time to move forward. I’m just excited about what we’re going to do as a team,” Marshall said.

And he insisted the Broncos won’t miss him in Oakland, either.

“At the wide receiver position we’re so deep that there’s not going to be a drop-off,” he suggested. “We all bring something to the table that’s a little different. I’m excited to see those guys go out there and play and make big plays against Oakland.”

Arkansas running back Michael Smith was suspended for the team opener against Western Illinois on Saturday night. For improper use of scholarship textbooks.

A school spokesman said the matter involved an NCAA secondary violation, which the school has turned in.

Freshman Dennis Johnson started at running back for the Razorbacks, who are trying to replace stars Darren McFadden and Felix Jones from last year’s team. Smith, a junior, has gained 6.8 yards per carry in limited duty the last two years. He was atop the depth chart before being suspended.

—-
Wells carted off field with leg injury.

Heisman Trophy contender Chris “Beanie” Wells injured his right foot and the Ohio State tailback was carted off the field during the third quarter of the second-ranked Buckeyes’ game against Youngstown State on Saturday.

X-rays were negative, but Wells status remained unknown as he visited doctors an hour after the second-ranked Buckeyes’ 43-0 victory.

“I may have rolled it or planted wrong a play or two before,” Wells said through Ohio State spokeswoman Shelly Poe. “Something just didn’t feel right. Then I think I felt a pop. But the X-rays are OK, so we’ll see how it feels in a day or two.”

Coach Jim Tressel declined to speculate on the severity of the injury or on Wells’ availability for Ohio State’s games next week against Ohio and in two weeks against No. 3 Southern California.

He did admit to getting a sick feeling in his stomach when Wells went down.

“You feel for anyone who goes down, especially when it looks like a leg injury,” Tressel said. “First you think ‘Oh, is it a knee?’ Then, ‘Is it an ankle?’ From what I gather other than getting medical (people) into it, it’s a foot thing. X-rays are negative. But absolutely your heart jumps.”

On the play, Wells fell to the ground before he was even hit, fumbling the ball away on a first and goal at the Youngstown State 2. He writhed on the ground in pain while he was attended by several doctors and trainers, with his teammates standing around him watching. Tressel also ran onto the field.

“As I handed the ball back, he didn’t even grab the ball,” quarterback Todd Boeckman said. “I didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know what he did. He went down and he was in some serious pain.”

Wells was helped off the field and then put on a motorized cart and taken to the locker room.

Wells returned to the field in the fourth quarter wearing a boot on his right ankle. An Associated Press reporter asked him if he was OK and he nodded his head.

He watched the end of the game while sitting on the bench with teammates and did not appear to be in pain.

Immediately after the game, Wells walked into the locker room from the bench area. He was almost dragging his right leg.

The junior had 111 yards on 13 carries, including a 43-yard touchdown burst as the Buckeyes rolled to a 26-0 lead at the time of his injury.

Boeckman said Ohio State’s players were stunned as they watched Wells go down.

“When you see one of the best backs in the country laying there in pain, it’s definitely something that you don’t want to see,” he said. “Beanie’s a tough guy. I know we’re all pulling for him. He’s gone to the doctors and he’ll do whatever he can to help this team out.”

Coach Rich Rodriguez first game day at Michigan started with a storm of sights and sounds.

It ended silently.

Before kickoff of his debut - a 25-23 upset loss to Utah - Rodriguez and players had strolled through a crowd of screaming fans in maize and blue. Then, a bit later, they knelt around him.

“You guys can’t wait to get out there, huh? I can’t wait myself,” Rodriguez said Saturday before Michigan took the field. “I’m proud of the way you worked. We’re ready to play a game - every man, every play from the first whistle to the last whistle. They’ll make some plays. We’ll make some plays. We’ll make one more than them, and we’ll sing “The Victors,” afterward.

“Everybody has questions about Michigan football,” he added with the loudest voice he’d unleashed in a week. “What is Michigan football? Where is this program at? We’ve got a bunch of guys in winged helmets, who are going to go down that tunnel and play their (tails) off and will play with pride, passion and intensity on every snap. That’s what Michigan football is!”

Rodriguez left his coaching job and alma mater at West Virginia to replace Lloyd Carr, who announced his retirement last year after 13 seasons leading the nation’s winningest college football program.

Ahead of his first Michigan game, Rodriguez allowed The Associated Press exclusive access to the team and coaches during the last, frenetic week before the 2008 season. This story is what life under Rodriguez looks like at Michigan.

—

Full team meeting room, 4 p.m. Sunday

Spot the ball. When the time to perform arises, the time to prepare has passed. Win for Michigan. Hold the rope.

In blue paint on white walls, those words stare at players seated in the full-team meeting room.

Rich Rodriguez slips into the room and suddenly, the small talk and jokes end.

“We’re finally in game week,” Rodriguez says.

“Yeah!” the players reply.

—

Rodriguez’s office, 6:15 p.m.

Four glass candy jars are a step inside Rodriguez’s door, which is propped open by a kickstand doorstop when he’s in the building. That’s about 16 hours a day.

A majestic shot of Michigan Stadium is the lone picture hanging on the gray, wallpapered walls. Framed photos of his wife, Rita, 12-year-old daughter, Raquel, and 10-year-old son, Rhett, line the shelves behind the coach’s desk. Atop the shelves, five winged helmets sit.

Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer steps in as Rodriguez has his feet propped up - between two laptops and just below an HDTV mounted to a wall.

Rodriguez’s staff is filled with coaches who were with him at previous coaching stops, most recently West Virginia. Shafer has no connection to Rodriguez or the Wolverines.

“Because I’m new, what do we call a double-edge pressure?” Rodriguez asks.

“Cats and dogs,” Shafer says.

—

Parking lot, 6:07 a.m. Monday

A Lexus rolls into the parking lot under a pitch-black sky.

Rodriguez gets out of the SUV sporting dress shoes sans socks, blue athletic shorts and a gray T-shirt. He lugs a bulging leather bag in one hand and the other holds slacks and a shirt on hangers.

A few minutes later, with running shoes on, he steps on a machine labeled “COACH ROD’S STAIRMASTER,” for a 35-minute workout on level 15. The speed is so intense that he logs five miles.

Rodriguez bounces on his toes with each step, quickly working up a sweat. It’s unclear if he or the whirring StairMaster is getting more of a workout. “SportsCenter” is on the TV a few feet away, but he’s oblivious to it - even when his image is shown as ESPN teases an upcoming segment featuring Michigan’s new coach. Rodriguez reads articles about each team on the schedule and, as fatigue sets in, he leans on the equipment so much that his face is a few inches away from the stack of white paper.

Later, Rodriguez hits a speed bag the skill of a seasoned boxer, creating a rhythm that sounded like a rattlesnake.

Behind him, the Wolverine Countdown clock shows there are 5 days, 6 hours, 24 minutes and 52.3 seconds until the Utah game.

—

Staff meeting room, 8 a.m.

Rodriguez, assistant coaches and members of the support staff are seated at a long, oval conference table. Other members of the staff sit in blue chairs along a wall.

Rodriguez runs the meeting with the same understated voice he always seems to have when he’s not on the practice field. In a businesslike way, he asks for reports from the equipment manager, trainer, an assistant athletic director and the head of strength and conditioning.

“Check their weight later in the week,” Rodriguez says. “I don’t want them blowing up because of all the free time they have.”

The schedule for the day and the rest of the week are among the topics of discussion.

“With all the freshmen we have, we need to be in the stadium on Thursday,” Rodriguez says. “Two or three years from now, we probably won’t need to do that.”

—

Practice fields, 4:53 p.m.

A two-plus hour practice that is as intense as one can be without full pads is over, but Kurt Wermers can’t leave yet. He’s being disciplined.

The offensive lineman starts his extra work with a bear crawl for 100 yards and 100-yard sprint.

“If you don’t like being punished, don’t be late!” assistant coach Greg Frye shouts. “C’mon Wermers!”

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound freshman is so exhausted on his next bear crawl that knees are dragging and hands are sliding on the artificial turf. After more crawling and sprinting, Wermers tries to outrace Frye from the far corner of the field to the indoor practice facility.

“I was supposed to be at a team meal at 10:30 and I got there at 10:31,” the exhausted Wermers - flat on his back - says to trainer Paul Schmidt.

“Just remember,” Schmidt says. “Early is on time and on time is late.”

—

Full staff meeting room, 6:15 p.m.

The offensive coaches are debating what plays to run near the goal line.

“We need extra points - not field goals,” offensive coordinator Calvin Magee says with his bare feet propped up on the conference table, left hand on belly, right on a remote control that rewinds, pauses and plays every play from practice several times.

Rodriguez interjects that he wants running back Carlos Brown, who played quarterback in high school, to get a shot to be a signal caller.

After a ball bounces off a receiver’s arm and into the arms of a player on the scout team, Rodriguez tilts his head back, arches his back, puts his palms over his eyes and rubs his face.

Sigh.

“This is giving me a headache,” he says shortly before going home at 10 p.m., when the sky looked a lot like it did 16 hours earlier.

—

Practice, 2:30 p.m. Tuesday

Brown’s option pitch with his left hand comes up short, sending the football bouncing off the turf.

“Run it again!” Magee demands with a few not-fit-to-print words mixed in.

Brown does, perfectly flicking the ball to Brandon Minor.

Rodriguez’s wife, Rita, and their two kids - along with other coaches’ wives and children - are around again today. Sometimes they watch practice, sometimes they just hang out on the indoor practice field.

“Bo (Schembechler) never had wives and kids around like this,” former Wolverine Vada Murray said while watching his first Rodriguez-led practice. “But I love the pace of this practice, and Bo would’ve, too.”

—

Full team meeting room, 12:45 p.m.

Rodriguez stresses the importance of backups practicing hard on the scout team to improve themselves and their teammates. He goes on to say everything the players do on and off the field will be scrutinized, especially on the Internet, because they’re Michigan football players.

Then, he delivers another message after getting upset about another article questioning whether he cares about Michigan’s tradition.

“I don’t know where that comes from,” Rodriguez tells his players. “We’re going to sing ‘The Victors’ and we’re going to wear winged helmets. We’re not going to change the tradition or the culture here.

“But tradition isn’t going to get us a first down. You have to earn that. Tradition isn’t going to get you a degree. You have to earn that and I hope every one of you does just that. I don’t think people outside the program really understand what’s going on here.”

Suddenly, Rodriguez bows his head silently.

“I’m not choked up,” he deadpans. “I’m sick.”

Laughter fills the room.

—

Walk to The Big House, 2:07 p.m. Thursday

Rodriguez walks across the outdoor practice field, train tracks and a parking lot to get to Michigan Stadium for practice.

“That’s him,” a construction worker says, pointing at Rodriguez.

“Welcome to Michigan, coach!” another man shouts.

“Thanks,” Rodriguez says, waving his hand.

Rodriguez then walks down a long tunnel and onto the field where the seats are empty, tons of steel for future luxury boxes tower over both sidelines.

Michigan’s marching band shows up later, following a tradition before the season opener by performing for players and coaches who don’t hear its halftime performances because they’re in the locker room. Rodriguez, his wife and kids sing the school’s famed fight song, “The Victors,” along with the rest of the team.

—

Campus Inn Ballroom, 8:55 p.m. Friday

Rodriguez slips into a darkened ballroom 5 minutes before a scheduled team meeting and keys to the game are projected onto a screen.

Rodriguez wants the Wolverines to play smart, avoiding penalties.

“When you make a big play, celebrate with a teammates because chances are, a teammate helped you make the play,” he says. “Don’t be a clown.”

Rodriguez speaks in the silent room for 16 minutes, his longest speech of the week.

“I’m not BSing you guys. We have a lot of unknowns,” the son of a coal miner and sign-language interpreter says in his thick, West Virginia accent. “I ain’t been in a game with y’all. But I can’t wait to find out who you are.”

A little later, Rodriguez cues a highlight tape, which shows current players making plays in the past.

“It’s time to make new highlights,” Rodriguez says when the 6-minute video ends. “See ya tomorrow.”

—

Crisler Arena, Champions Center, locker room, 7:43 p.m.

After the game, Rodriguez walks out of his news conference and goes through three buildings so quickly that two police officers quickly figure out they have to pick up the pace to escort him.

He silently and solemnly glides past anyone in his path, pausing only a couple seconds to hug his wife before going into the coaches’ locker room to change his clothes and get ready for Miami of Ohio.

Playing its first football game in 48 years, Lincoln University beat George Mason 34-7 on Saturday.

Kareem Dennis threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score for the Lincoln Lions (1-0), who last played on Nov. 24, 1960, losing to Howard on Thanksgiving Day.

Lincoln disbanded its program following an 0-7 season in which the Lions were outscored 227-37. Its last victory was a 12-8 win over Howard in November 1959.

The school’s board of directors voted to reinstate the program in 2006.

The Lions, who are transitioning to NCAA Division II status, play their home games on a nearby high school field. George Mason’s does not play varsity football, it has a club team. Lincoln’s remaining nine games will be against varsity opponents.

Founded in 1854, Lincoln University is the nation’s first historically black university and has about 2,000 students. The school is about 50 miles southwest of Philadelphia.

Dennis led a pair of long touchdown drives before halftime, hooking up with Shawn Bethea and Steven Rudd for scores to make it 27-7. Dwight Williams added a 25-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

Dennis, one of only eight players on the Lincoln team who have previous college football experience, threw for 188 yards on 19-for-37 passing.

—-
Texas retires Young’s No 10.

The video on the stadium scoreboard Saturday replayed the moment Texas fans have committed to memory.

Vince Young took the snap, bolted to his right and crossed the goal line, lifting the Longhorns to the 2005 national championship with a 41-38 win over Southern California in the Rose Bowl.

On Saturday, Texas retired Young’s No. 10 jersey, honoring the former Longhorns’ quarterback with a short ceremony before the kickoff of the season opener against Florida Atlantic.

“I definitely want to thank our fans,” Young told the crowd, which saluted him with a standing ovation as he flashed a “Hook’em Horns” with his right hand. “Ya’ll’s heart, ya’ll’s spirit … ya’ll mean a whole lot to me.”

Young, who now plays for the Tennessee Titans, was presented with a framed burnt-orange jersey on the field and got a hug from Texas coach Mack Brown.

Young was 30-2 as a starter at Texas, leading the Longhorns to a 13-0 record in 2005. He left Texas after the Rose Bowl win over USC for the NFL.

He joins Earl Campbell (20), Bobby Layne (22), Ricky Williams (34) and Tommy Nobis (60) as the only Texas football players to have their numbers retired.

Case Keenum threw five touchdown passes to lead Houston to a 55-3 win over Southern on Saturday night. Giving Kevin Sumlin a victory in his first game as the Cougars’ coach.

L.J. Castile and Mark Hafner each caught two touchdowns from Keenum, who was 33-of-43 for 392 yards. The quarterback threw four touchdown passes, a career high, before the end of the first half.

Hafner and Castile were the leading receivers for the Cougars (1-0) with 103 and 83 yards, respectively.

Andre Kohn scored the first points of the game with a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Ben Bell added a 20-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

The Cougars added a pair of touchdowns in the next five minutes. Castile caught a 30-yard touchdown from Keenum, followed about two minutes later by Hafner’s 36-yard TD.

The Jaguars (0-1) got on the board when Josh Duran made a 36-yard field goal to make it 24-3.

But the Cougars answered with two more scores just before halftime. Keenum hit Castile for a 22-yard touchdown. Patrick Edwards then made the first touchdown catch of his career to make it 38-3.

The Cougars broke a 53-year school record, scoring the most points in team history for a new head coach. Bill Meek’s Cougars scored 54 points in a 42-point win over Montana in 1955.

Georgia defensive tackle Jeff Owens left the top-ranked Bulldogs game Saturday. Against Georgia Southern because of a right knee injury.

Owens was supported by two Georgia trainers as he walked off the field with 7:15 left in the first quarter. Georgia announced Owens would not return to the game. No details of the injury were immediately available.

Owens took off his shoulder pads and watched the first half from a trainer’s table on the sideline.

Owens, a senior, started all 13 games last season and had 27 tackles. The loss of Owens cut into Georgia’s depth on its defensive front. Backup Kade Weston was held out of the game with a sprained knee.

—-
Harvin, Spikes sit out Florida season opener.

No. 5 Florida played without receiver Percy Harvin and linebacker Brandon Spikes in its season opener against Hawaii on Saturday.

Neither player dressed for the game.

Harvin is still recovering from a right heel injury that required offseason surgery. He participated in portions of practice last week, but he has been unable to go full speed since Aug. 5.

Spikes injured his right foot last week and was wearing a walking boot on the sideline Saturday.

Also, tight end Aaron Hernandez did not start for the Gators. It was unclear whether he was injured or suspended.

—-
Alexander gets start for Hawaii.

Greg Alexander started at quarterback for Hawaii against No. 5 Florida on Saturday, replacing Brent Rausch.

Rausch, who had been tabbed to replace departed star and Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan, missed several days of practice beginning last week because of a sore right throwing arm.

Rausch still dressed for the game.

Alexander spent the last two seasons at Santa Rosa Junior College in California, throwing 71 touchdowns passes. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 3,487 yards, 40 touchdowns and only six interceptions last season.

The Warriors could have another quarterback in the mix starting next week. Senior Tyler Graunke, who threw for 1,234 yards and 10 touchdowns as Brennan’s backup last season, missed most of preseason practice because of academic issues.

Graunke was reinstated last week, but didn’t make the trip to Gainesville.

Andre Roberts caught two touchdown passes and added a 64-yard punt return. For a score to lead The Citadel to a 54-7 victory over Webber International on Saturday.

Roberts had touchdown catches of 9 and 78 yards, and finished with three catches for 91 yards as the Bulldogs improved to 1-0. He also had 116 yards on four punt returns, including a 64-yard return for a touchdown that gave The Citadel a 14-0 lead with 8:40 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs led 38-0 at halftime to cruise to the victory over the Warriors (0-1).

Asheton Jordan rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns to lead The Citadel’s rushing attack.

The Citadel quarterback Bart Blanchard was 12 of 14 for 137 yards and backup Cam Turner went 3-for-5 for 54 yards and two touchdown passes.

Cory Johns hit Tito Torres on a 15-yard touchdown pass for Webber International’s lone score, but the Warriors were held to 78 yards passing.

—-
No. 14 Kansas opens with easy win over Fla. Int.

Kansas’ historic season didn’t go unappreciated.

A crowd of 52,112, a record for 88-year-old Memorial Stadium, showed up for the season opener and watched the No. 14 Jayhawks race past Florida International, 40-10 on Saturday night.

“It was unbelievable,” said Todd Reesing, who threw three touchdown passes to Dezmon Briscoe. “To play the first game of the season and have the place fill up and have the crowd loud and behind you is something special. I don’t think there’s been a first game here at Kansas in a while that sold out.”

Reesing was not as sharp as he often was while throwing a school-record 36 touchdown passes in a 12-1 campaign in 2007. Florida International, a 55-3 loser to the Jayhawks a year ago, was able to put pressure on him several times and he threw an interception while going 37-of-52 for 256 yards and three TDs. But Briscoe, a sophomore and Reesing’s third-leading receiver in 2007, had touchdown catches of 3, 4 and 3 yards and the visitors from the Sun Belt Conference never threatened.

“We got a win, which is the most important thing, but I think we have room for improvement,” Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. “In the first game you find out a little bit about your team, who’s in the right spots and where we have to tweak things. So this will be a good tape for us to study tomorrow.”

Briscoe’s third TD, on fourth-and-goal from the 3, was a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone after Reesing appeared to have overthrown his wide-open target.

“I just threw it out there in the back of the end zone. I couldn’t really see where he was headed,” Reesing said. “I kind of threw it to a spot and he went up and made an amazing catch. That’s the kind of things he can do for us.”

The crowd broke the mark of 51,910 which watched the resurgent Jayhawks beat longtime nemesis Nebraska 76-39 last year, a game when Briscoe also had three TDs. It also broke by 4,000 the Memorial Stadium record for a nonconference game.

“That’s good. That’s progress,” Mangino said. “As we get better, it seems like everything around us gets better. Those are all signs of progress.”

Kansas took a commanding lead with a 23-point second quarter that made it 30-10 at the half.

The Golden Panthers, 1-11 last season, were playing the highest-ranked team they have seen since becoming a major college program in 2006. They got their only touchdown in two games against Kansas when T.Y. Hilton took a punt and sped 74 yards into the end zone in the second quarter. Dustin Rivest had a 43-yard field goal for Florida International at the end of the half.

“Kansas is a great football team,” Florida International coach Mario Cristobal said. “They were one of the best teams in the country last year and I think they will be this year, too. When you get out here and the speed is turned up about two or three notches, it’s not as quite as slow of a game as it was on the practice field.”

Jeremiah Weatherspoon returned his interception of Reesing 20 yards to the Kansas 27 in the fourth quarter. But a few minutes later, Phillip Strozier made his second interception for the Jayhawks. His first was returned 30 yards and set up Briscoe’s third touchdown.

Kansas held the Golden Panthers to only 2-for-14 in third-down conversions.

“That means we’re efficient, that means we’re doing our job,” said safety Darrell Stuckey. “That means we’re playing hard and locking and locking and we’re fighting trying to win.”

The Jayhawks, who did not commit a turnover until the third game last season, lost a fumble on their first possession. But Jake Laptad sacked Florida International’s Paul McCall for a 5-yard loss on fourth down midway through the first quarter and Jocques Crawford, last season’s junior college offensive player of the year, scored on a 7-yard run for Kansas.

Briscoe capped a 56-yard scoring drive with his first TD catch on the first play of the second quarter. A few minutes later, Daymond Patterson, a freshman, broke loose for a 75-yard punt return, jumping over one would-be tackler near the 20 who had been blocked to the ground.

Alonso Rojas, replacing departed Scott Webb, kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter for a 17-0 lead and added a 37-yarder in the third as the Jayhawks won for the 16th time in their last 18 games overall.

McCall was 10-for-28 for 73 yards, with two interceptions.

Saturday American League Capsules.

TORONTO 7, NY YANKEES 6

BRONX, New York Gregg Zauns RBI groundout scored Adam Lind with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays overcame a four-run deficit and pulled out an 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees.

For six innings, the Blue Jays managed just a two-run homer by Vernon Wells off Yankees starter Darrell Rasner in the fourth inning that tied the game. That was short-lived as Robinson Cano and Ivan Rodriguez hit back-to-back solo home runs off Toronto starter John Parrish in the bottom half and Hideki Matsui lined a two-run double in the fifth.

Toronto began chipping into its deficit in the seventh, catching a break when Cano was charged with a throwing error while trying to make a flip to Derek Jeter at shortstop on a double play attempt. The Blue Jays had runners at first and third following the miscue and began their comeback when Jose Bautista delivered an RBI single.

Rasner was done after issuing a walk to Zaun that loaded the bases, giving way to Brian Bruney, who gave up a two-run hit to Joe Inglett that made it a one-run game.

Bruney was replaced by lefthander Damaso Marte (0-3) after allowing a leadoff single to Wells in the eighth, and Marte saw runners move to first and second after giving up a base hit to Lind. He was then replaced following a sacrifice.

Edwar Ramirez entered the contest for New York and gave up an RBI single to Bautista to left field and then the go-ahead run when Zaun hit a slow grounder to third baseman Alex Rodriguez, whose throw barely reached second base for the forceout.

Brandon League (1-2) struck out the side in the seventh to earn the win. Scott Downs stranded pinch runner Brett

Gardner at second in the eighth and closer B.J. Ryan worked around a leadoff single to Derek Jeter and a walk to Bobby Abreu in the ninth by getting Alex Rodriguez to hit into a double play. Cody Ransom flew out to left on the next pitch as Ryan recorded his 25th save in 28 opportunities.

Before the bullpen imploded, the Yankees seemed headed to their third straight win. They scored more than five runs for just the sixth time in their last 24 games, going ahead 6-2 on Matsuis double.

TAMPA BAY 10, BALTIMORE 9

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida Rocco Baldelli and Carlos Pena teamed up to give the Tampa Bay Rays a dramatic victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Baldelli doubled into the corner in left field in the ninth inning to score Pena all the way from first base and lift the Rays to a 10-9 triumph over the Orioles.

After B.J. Upton struck out to start the inning, Pena drew a from Rocky Cherry (0-2). Baldelli followed with a shot just inside the left field line that kicked around in the corner long enough for Pena to beat a relay throw home.

SEATTLE 4, CLEVELAND 3 (10 INNINGS)

CLEVELAND Raul Ibanez delivered the go-ahead single in the 10th inning, lifting the Seattle Mariners to a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Rookie Tug Hulett hit his first career homer for the Mariners, who saw closer J.J. Putz (6-4) squander a two-run lead in the ninth by allowing a dramatic two-run shot by Shin-Soo Choo.

One inning later, Ichiro Suzuki worked a leadoff walk and, after Jeremy Reed grounded into a fielders choice, Adrian Beltre singled to set the stage for Ibanezs decisive hit off Jensen Lewis (0-4). Jamie Burke added a run-scoring single two batters later.

Jhonny Peralta also drove in a run for Cleveland, which lost its second straight following a season-high 10-game winning streak.

BOSTON 8, CHI WHITE SOX 2

BOSTON Dustin Pedroia is proving that he and the Boston Red Sox can overcome just about anything and win.

With Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp out sick and J.D. Drew and Sean Casey injured, the red-hot Pedroia had four hits from the cleanup spot, and Mark Kotsay added three hits and drove in three runs as the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-2.

Pedroia posted his second straight four-hit game, becoming the first Red Sox player to accomplish the feat since Wade Boggs on June 8-10, 1989.

Righthander Michael Bowden (1-0) made his major league debut, yielding two runs and seven hits in five innings to notch the win after making just six starts at Class AAA Pawtucket. He filled the rotation spot vacated when Josh Beckett was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation on Friday.

Mark Buehrle (11-11) struggled from the start, allowing seven runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings as his personal three-game winning streak came to an end.

KANSAS CITY 13, DETROIT 3

DETROIT Billy Butler homered twice and drove in four runs as the Kansas City Royals halted a four-game slide with a 13-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

With the contest tied at 2-2, the Royals surged ahead with a four-run rally in the sixth that was highlighted by Butlers second blast of the game, a three-run shot to left field off Kenny Rogers (9-12). It capped the first career multi-homer effort for Butler, who also launched a solo shot in the second.

Mark Teahen belted a solo homer in the fifth and ignited a five-run eighth with an RBI double for Kansas City, which had lost 11 of its previous 12 games and 18 of 21.

Brandon Duckworth (2-0) benefited from the offensive outburst, picking up his second win in as many starts this season - both against Detroit. The righthander tossed six serviceable innings, allowing three runs and seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Rogers suffered his sixth loss in seven outings, surrendering six runs and eight hits in six frames. The veteran lefthander walked two and struck out four.

Curtis Granderson doubled, tripled and scored a run for the Tigers, who have lost five of six.

LA ANGELS 4, TEXAS 3

ANAHEIM, California Francisco Rodriguez moved within four of the single-season record for saves by notching his 53rd as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim edged the Texas Rangers, 4-3.

Rodriguez tossed a scoreless ninth to move closer to Bobby Thigpens record of 57 saves in a season. The righthander struck out two batters in the frame.

The Angels overcame a one-run deficit in the sixth, when Mark Teixeira and Vladimir Guerrero led off with hits and Torii Hunter tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI groundout. Juan Rivera followed with a sacrifice fly to score Guerrero and give Anaheim the lead.

OAKLAND 3, MINNESOTA 2

OAKLAND, California The Oakland Athletics capitalized on a throwing error by Joe Nathan in the ninth inning to score two runs and posted a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

The Twins brought Nathan in to preserve a 2-1 lead, but the closer failed to register an out. Bobby Crosby singled to open the ninth and Emil Brown was hit by a pitch.

Ryan Sweeney then attempted to sacrifice the runners along. Nathan fielded the bunt, but his throw to third was off the mark, allowing both runners to score.

Minnesota had taken a 2-0 lead in the fifth on a home run by Denard Span. But Jack Cust halved the deficit in the bottom of the inning with his 25th homer run.

Twins starter Francisco Liriano threw seven innings, allowing five hits and one run while striking out six without a walk.

Oaklands Dallas Braden yielded seven hits and two runs in six frames. Huston Street (5-5) picked up the victory with two scoreless innings.