Texas Longhorns Football: Analysis and Observation from the Horns’ Game vs. Rice

The Texas Longhorns opened their 2011 campaign with a 34-9 win over the Rice Owls on Saturday night, setting the stage for what many hope to be the program’s redemption season.
Bryan Harsin and Manny Diaz got to strut their stuff in front of 100,000+ fans, and the Longhorn faithful have to enjoy what it saw.
While there were plenty of positives to take away from the season debut, there are a bevy of eye-openers that will have the coaching staff paring down as the season goes on.
Here is some analysis and game observations from Saturday evening in Austin.

Offensive Analysis

One facet of Bryan Harsin’s offense that immediately comes to mind is the pre-snap motion. Running backs, wide receivers, H-backs, tight ends—you name it, they will be in motion.
All of this movement is intended to create an imbalance for the defense, giving the Horns leverage on a number of plays.
What was successful for Texas on Saturday was the execution of misdirection.
Jaxon Shipley and D. J. Monroe were involved most often in sweeps and reverse-type motion plays, and it opened up some holes along the sidelines and spread the Rice defense to create seams up the field.
With the explosive athletes at Mack Brown’s disposal, expect more misdirection and expect increasing results as the season goes on.
The several illegal shift penalties are to be expected. Given the newness of the offense and the litany of pre-snap movement, there are bound to be antsy twitches and ensuing flags.
In a sentence, the offense showed flashes of brilliance, but there are distinguishable kinks to hammer out.

More on the Offense

All three of Texas’ quarterbacks saw time on the field, though Case McCoy was reserved to mop-up duty in the fourth quarter.
Garrett Gilbert got increasingly better as the game ensued, a premium positive for Texas moving forward. David Ash, as reported throughout the summer, was inserted to run a particular package of plays. There were nothing earth-shattering plays from the true freshman, but getting his feet wet at the college level has to be a positive.
Harsin and Major Applewhite even conjured up a couple of Wildcat packages. One had Ash lining up as a receiver, while another featured no quarterback at all. Two of Texas’ touchdowns came on misdirection type plays. One was a direct snap to Whittaker, who raced in for six, another with Ash handing off to Whittaker, who flipped the ball to John Harris who connected with Shipley in the endzone for a 36-yard score.
This has to be just the tip of the iceberg in Harsin’s bag of tricks.

Defensive Analysis

The most striking thing to take away from Saturday was Texas’ inability to stop Rice from consistently running the ball through the heart of the Longhorns’ defense.
Defensive tackle has been a vulnerable position for the Longhorns over the past year, and the position was exposed.
Nevertheless, Texas kept the Owls out of the endzone, holding them to just three field goals. When it mattered the most, Diaz’s defense kept the opposition from getting six.
Like the offense, the Longhorns were constantly shifting players around and providing multiple looks. Texas’ base defense is a 4-3, but the players seemed comfortable shifting to a 3-4 style.
Overall, it was an encouraging defensive performance given the end results. Maybe one or two big plays were given up, but the defense never appeared to be drastically out of position.
Still, there will be plenty of things to gripe about come Monday morning.

More on the Defense

Rice put out a very balanced offense, throwing the ball 30 times and rushing it 30 times. Although Texas has been criticized for its young cornerbacks and overall questionable secondary, the Longhorns were outdone against the run.
The Owls put up 130 yards on the ground, good for 4. 3 yards per carry. Against better opposition, the run defense will have to be much better, including drastic improvement up the middle.
One disappointment was the lack of turnovers. The Horns gave up none, but created just one on special teams. Texas simply didn’t create enough pressure in the backfield, but the answers should come.

Random Observations on Offense

Jaxon Shipley is going to be something else. Chants of “Shipley” echoed through the stands on multiple occasions.
Big brother Jordan—the former Longhorns great at wide receiver—was in attendance along with former Longhorn Quan Cosby. Basketball icon, and one-year Texas wonder Kevin Durant was also in the stands.
The wide receivers struggled early with some drops, but they really smoothed out their game as the night went on. Consistency from the receivers will do wonders for this offense.
Gilbert showed improvement. His release is higher, he is showing more patience and going through his progressions to find open receivers downfield. There were a couple if hiccups here and there, but Mack Brown and co. have to be encourage by his development throughout the contest.
Fozzy Whittaker was as good as advertised. He looks stronger and faster and will be an asset in both the running and passing games.
The freshmen backs, Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown, were also as good as advertised. Just wait until these two have a couple of seasons under their belts. Brown led all rushers with 16 carries and 87 yards. How about that for a true freshman?
The offensive line looked good, not great, but a definite upgrade over last year. The unit can only get better.
There were tons of motion coming out of the tight ends of H-backs, most notably Blaine Irby who made his comeback after a three year absence.  
Seeing two touchdowns come out of a formation where there was no quarterback behind the center has to be encouraging for this offense.

Random Observations on Defense

Rice did a good job staying away from Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor. Both of those defensive ends had relatively quiet nights.
Jordan Hicks is on the brink of becoming a very special player.
The young cornerbacks, Adrian Phillips, Quandre Diggs and Carrington Byndom did a splendid job of keeping the Owls in check in the passing game, just 94 yards on the night.
Blake Gideon got another personal foul flag, ho-hum. What else is new?
The Longhorns will have to find answers up the middle against the run.
If we’re going to nitpick, perhaps more credit should be given to the defense for not giving up any touchdowns.
Lots of young players got to see time, which is very encouraging for depth. Steve Edmond, Cedric Reed, Josh Turner, Desmond Jackson, Tevin Jackson and Chris Whaley all saw some snaps.

Overall Grade

The Longhorns started the game pretty sluggishly, reminiscent of last year. But enough cannot be said of the resolve of the offense. The players stuck with the scheme and showed patience, and it paid off with a couple of touchdowns at crucial points in the game.
Defensively, it could have gone better, but it is hard to argue with the nine points allowed on just field goals.
Special teams were hit and miss, but mostly hit.
Texas fans should prepare themselves for the excitement that lay ahead.
Overall game grade: B+. The Longhorns weren’t dominant, per se, but they held their ground effectively when it counted the most. A better, more comfortable start would have created a much larger discrepancy later on, but you have to take what is given.
Texas will host BYU next Saturday at 6 p. m. central time.

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Ohio State begins the Luke Fickell Era with blowout of Akron

COLUMBUS – Even missing eight players suspended for breaking NCAA rules, No. 18 Ohio State had more than enough talent left behind.
Joe Bauserman, a quarterback starting his first game in eight years, ran for a touchdown and threw for three to tight end Jake Stoneburner to lead No. 18 Ohio State to a 42-0 win over Akron on Saturday in a sweltering season opener.
“We’re going to focus on the guys we have here,” Luke Fickell said after his first game as head coach since taking over for the scandal-ridden Jim Tressel. “That’s the most important thing. If it changes week to week, we’re going to continue to have guys step up. ”
Against overmatched Akron, the no-name Buckeyes had a bevy of stars.
Bauserman, who last started when he was a senior in high school, ran for a 15-yard score and threw TD passes of 28, 11 and 2 yards to Stoneburner – who became the first Ohio State tight end to catch three scoring passes in a game. And the defense, led by linebacker Andrew Sweat – who had an interception – completely throttled the Zips.
Already missing five players because of the cash-for-memorabilia scandal that cost Tressel his job, three other Buckeyes – two starters and a backup – were suspended indefinitely this week for accepting under $300 from a charity. Instead of being stunned by yet another body blow, the rest of the players picked up the slack.
“That’s the thing that I might be most excited about and this team might be most excited about, is that they didn’t whine about it, they didn’t bat their eyes about it,” Fickell said. “They just said, ‘Next man up. ’ That’s the amazing thing. ”
First-year players also had a big day for the Buckeyes. Heralded freshman quarterback Braxton Miller tossed a TD pass to another true freshman, Devin Smith, and classmate Rod Smith ran for a score.
Bauserman, who spent the last two years on the sidelines watching Terrelle Pryor play, completed 12 of 16 passes for 163 yards and the three scores with no interceptions.
“Just waiting around all morning. Just waiting. That was the only thing,” said Bauserman, when asked the hardest part of his day. “I just wanted to get on the field. ”
Akron’s offense managed just 90 total yards. The Zips, 1-11 a year ago, came closest to scoring when a 41-yard field goal just before the half went wide.
“I just know that their line of scrimmage controlled our line of scrimmage today,” Zips coach Rob Ianello said.
In addition to the final score, every stat was lopsided in Ohio State’s favor, including first downs (27-5), rushing yards (224-35) and sacks (5-0).
“Although we don’t have some big names like in the past, we have a lot of young guys who are fully capable of getting the job done,” said Sweat, who also had two tackles for minus yardage and forced a fumble. “We had a competitive camp at each position and we were ready to play today. ”
The nearby Ohio State Medical Center reported around 20 people were treated for heat-related illnesses.
Almost half the crowd was gone by halftime as the temperature soared to the high 90s with high humidity. A referee had to leave the game due to dehydration. One Red Cross volunteer said his station had run out of baggies to put ice in and that all of the medical personnel were “swamped. ”
“It was smoking,” said Akron quarterback Clayton Moore, who completed just 6 of 16 passes for 54 yards with the one interception. “I went in at halftime and I couldn’t feel my legs. They were just dead. ”
The Buckeyes took control early.
Bauserman, a 25-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect as a pitcher, completed passes for 9 and 28 yards on the opening drive, capped by an Akron misplay. On a blown play, Bauserman turned to hand off the ball to a back but there was no one there. He sidestepped a defender and zigzagged through several more potential tacklers on a lumbering 15-yard touchdown – his first in college.
“That was a little miscommunication,” he said. “I just decided I was going to turn and get back up to the line of scrimmage and I made a guy miss and it opened up. ”
The Buckeyes led 21-0 at the half after Bauserman hit a wide-open Stoneburner twice on scoring passes, the second after Sweat picked off a pass that was tipped by teammate Dominic Clarke.
Ohio State went with one of its youngest starting lineups ever with just six seniors. Another reason for all the youth is the legion of NCAA problems surrounding the program.
Leading returning receiver DeVier Posey, top 2010 rusher Dan Herron, starting offensive tackle Mike Adams and backup defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, are all suspended for the first five games for receiving cash and tattoos from the subject of a federal drug-trafficking probe. They were also without linebacker Jordan Whiting, who had to sit out just the first game for the same NCAA violation.
On Thursday, Ohio State announced that starting tailback Jordan Hall, first-team cornerback Travis Howard and backup safety Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown were suspended indefinitely for keeping the gifts offered by a charity earlier this year, also an NCAA violation. Ohio State has appealed to the NCAA for their reinstatement after one game, but no one knows when they’ll return.
Ohio State is awaiting final sanctions from the NCAA after its Aug. 12 hearing.
Fickell said he did not get any advice from Tressel in the days leading up to his debut.
“I have not talked with coach. That’s about all we’ve got on that,” he said. “I know he’s rooting for us and for these guys. We’re going to focus on what we have and not what we lost and we’re going to continue to move forward. ”
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
OSU 7, AKRON 0. Joe Bauserman, 15 run (Drew Basil kick), 7:24. DRIVE: Eight plays, 74 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 3:48. KEY PLAYS: Bauserman completes a 9-yard pass to tight end Jake Stoneburner for the Buckeyes’ first first down of the season. Bauserman hits Verlon Reed on a sideline pass for 28 yards to the Akron 19-yard line.
Second quarter
OSU 14, AKRON 0. Stoneburner, 28 pass from Bauserman (Basil kick), 5:45. DRIVE: 13 plays, 64 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 5:35. KEY PLAYS: Bauserman connects with Chris Fields on a sideline pass for 11 yards to the 50. Carlos Hyde picks up a pair of first downs on two 7-yard runs.
OSU 21, AKRON 0. Stoneburner, 11 pass from Bauserman (Basil kick), 1:21. DRIVE: Four plays, 35 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 1:20. KEY PLAY: Hyde rushes over the left end for a 24-yard gain to the Akron 11 on the drive’s first play.
Third quarter
OSU 28, AKRON 0. Stoneburner, 2 pass from Bauserman (Basil kick), 10:57. DRIVE: Eight plays, 51 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 4:03. KEY PLAYS: Bauserman hits Verlon Reed for a 28-yard gain to the Akron 18. Bauserman sneak up the middle on third-and-1 gives the Buckeyes a first-and-goal from the Akron 6.
Fourth quarter
OSU 35, AKRON 0. Devin Smith, 14 pass from Braxton Miller (Basil kick), 14:26. DRIVE: Six plays, 59 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 2:27. KEY PLAYS: Miller opens the drive with a 20-yard sideline pass to Devin Smith to the Akron 39. Miller rushes over the left end for a gain of 12 yards to the Akron 27. Rod Smith runs up the middle for 7 yards and a first down at the Akron 14.
OSU 42, AKRON 0. Rod Smith, 2 run (Basil kick), 5:51. DRIVE: Four plays, 38 yards. TIME OF POSSESSION: 1:35. KEY PLAY: Miller completes a sideline pass to Evan Spencer for 33 yards to the Akron 5 on the drive’s first play.
No. 18 Ohio State 42, Akron 0
Akron            0     0    0        0    —    0Ohio State    7    14    7       14  —    42First QuarterOSU—Bauserman 15 run (Basil kick), 7:24. Second QuarterOSU—Stoneburner 28 pass from Bauserman (Basil kick), 5:45. OSU—Stoneburner 11 pass from Bauserman (Basil kick), 1:21. Third QuarterOSU—Stoneburner 2 pass from Bauserman (Basil kick), 10:57. Fourth QuarterOSU—D. Smith 14 pass from B. Miller (Basil kick), 14:26. OSU—R. Smith 2 run (Basil kick), 5:51. A—105,001. Akron         OSUFirst downs                     5                27Rushes-yards            27-35       51-224Passing                           55               293Comp-Att-Int           7-19-1      20-28-0Return Yards                 8                38Punts-Avg.                  10-44. 2    3-42. 0Fumbles-Lost                 1-0           2-1Penalties-Yards            4-35       3-29Time of Possession    23:50     36:10INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRUSHING—Akron, Moore 8-32, Chisholm 13-26, Bostick 3-3,Nicely 3-(minus 26). Ohio St. , Hyde 19-93, R. Smith 18-74,  Bauserman 6-32, B. Miller 6-30, Fields 1-2, Team1-(minus 7). PASSING—Akron, Moore 6-16-1-54, Nicely 1-3-0-1. Ohio St. , Bauserman 12-16-0-163, B. Miller8-12-0-130. RECEIVING—Akron, Chisholm3-10, Suel 1-33, Meriwether 1-6, Ladrach 1-5, Bostick 1-1. Ohio St. , Stoneburner 4-50, Reed 3-66, D. Smith 3-52, T. Williams 2-34, Fields 2-14, Spencer 1-33, Fragel 1-14, Hyde 1-11, Boren 1-8, C. Brown  1-6, R. Smith 1-5.
NEXT UP
• WHO: Ohio State vs. Toledo• WHEN: Saturday, noon• WHERE: Ohio Stadium, Columbus• TV/RADIO: Big Ten Network; WEOL 930-AM, WKNR 850-AM

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Football NCAA

Posted: September 4Updated: Today at 3:10 AM

Football NCAA
Top 25 Weekend Schedule
Saturday
No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Tulsa, late
No. 2 Alabama 48, Kent State 7
No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU at Arlington, late
No. 5 Boise State at No. 19 Georgia, late
No. 6 Florida State 34, Louisiana-Monroe 0
No. 7 Stanford 57, San Jose State 3
No. 9 Oklahoma State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, late
No. 10 Nebraska 40, Chattanooga 7
No. 12 South Carolina vs. East Carolina, late
No. 13 Virginia Tech 66, Appalachian State 13
No. 15 Arkansas vs. Missouri State, late
South Florida 23, No. 16 Notre Dame 20
No. 18 Ohio State 42, Akron 0
No. 21 Missouri 17, Miami (Ohio) 6
No. 22 Florida vs. FAU, late
No. 23 Auburn 42, Utah State 38
No. 25 Southern Cal 19, Minnesota 17
Sunday
No. 24 West Virginia vs. Marshall, 3:30 p. m.
No. 8 Texas A&M vs. SMU, 7:30 p. m.
College Football Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 8
SOUTH
Florida A&M at Hampton, 7:30 p. m.
Maryville (Tenn. ) at Tennessee Tech, 8 p. m.
SOUTHWEST
Arizona at Oklahoma St. , 8 p. m.
Friday, Sept. 9
SOUTH
FIU at Louisville, 7 p. m.
FAR WEST
Missouri at Arizona St. , 10:30 p. m.
Saturday, Sept. 10
EAST
San Diego St. at Army, Noon
New Hampshire at Lehigh, 12:30 p. m.
American International at Bryant, 1 p. m.
Colgate at Holy Cross, 1 p. m.
Maine at Pittsburgh, 1 p. m.
Norfolk St. at West Virginia, 1 p. m.
Alabama at Penn St. , 3:30 p. m.
Rhode Island at Syracuse, 4:30 p. m.
Marist at Bucknell, 6 p. m.
Stony Brook at Buffalo, 6 p. m.
West Chester at Delaware, 6 p. m.
Lafayette at Georgetown, 6 p. m.
Villanova at Towson, 7 p. m.
SOUTH
Old Dominion at Georgia St. , Noon
Cent. Michigan at Kentucky, Noon
Mississippi St. at Auburn, 12:20 p. m.
Rutgers at North Carolina, 12:30 p. m.
Apprentice at Campbell, 1 p. m.
North Greenville at Presbyterian, 1:30 p. m.
William & Mary at VMI, 1:30 p. m.
NC A&T at Appalachian St. , 3:30 p. m.
Wofford at Clemson, 3:30 p. m.
Stanford at Duke, 3:30 p. m.
Virginia Tech at East Carolina, 3:30 p. m.
Morehouse at Howard, 3:30 p. m.
Southern Miss. at Marshall, 3:30 p. m.
Cincinnati at Tennessee, 3:30 p. m.
Tulsa at Tulane, 3:30 p. m.
NC State at Wake Forest, 3:30 p. m.
SC State at Bethune-Cookman, 4 p. m.
South Carolina at Georgia, 4:30 p. m.
Murray St. at MVSU, 5 p. m.
Lamar at South Alabama, 5 p. m.
Jacksonville St. at Chattanooga, 6 p. m.
Catawba at Coastal Carolina, 6 p. m.
Shaw at Delaware St. , 6 p. m.
Missouri St. at E. Kentucky, 6 p. m.
Charleston Southern at Florida St. , 6 p. m.
Tusculum at Georgia Southern, 6 p. m.
CCSU at James Madison, 6 p. m.
S. Illinois at Mississippi, 6 p. m.
Wagner at Richmond, 6 p. m.
Furman at The Citadel, 6 p. m.
Mars Hill at W. Carolina, 6 p. m.
Lenoir-Rhyne at Davidson, 7 p. m.
Concord at Elon, 7 p. m.
UAB at Florida, 7 p. m.
Robert Morris at Liberty, 7 p. m.
Cent. Arkansas at Louisiana Tech, 7 p. m.
Grambling St. at Louisiana-Monroe, 7 p. m.
Georgia Tech at Middle Tennessee, 7 p. m.
Stillman at Samford, 7 p. m.
Ball St. at South Florida, 7 p. m.
Alabama A&M at Southern U. , 7 p. m.
Jackson St. vs. Tennessee St. at Memphis, Tenn. , 7 p. m.
Navy at W. Kentucky, 7 p. m.
UConn at Vanderbilt, 7:30 p. m.
Northwestern St. at LSU, 8 p. m.
Savannah St. at SE Louisiana, 8 p. m.
Boston College at UCF, 8 p. m.
MIDWEST
NC Central vs. Central St. , Ohio at Cleveland, Noon
S. Dakota St. at Illinois, Noon
Iowa at Iowa St. , Noon
FAU at Michigan St. , Noon
Toledo at Ohio St. , Noon
Oregon St. at Wisconsin, Noon
Duquesne at Dayton, 1 p. m.
Alabama St. at E. Michigan, 1 p. m.
Butler at Indiana St. , 2 p. m.
Jacksonville at W. Illinois, 2 p. m.
New Mexico St. at Minnesota, 3:30 p. m.
E. Illinois at Northwestern, 3:30 p. m.
Valparaiso at Youngstown St. , 4 p. m.
E. Washington at South Dakota, 5 p. m.
Temple at Akron, 6 p. m.
Morgan St. at Bowling Green, 7 p. m.
Grand View at Drake, 7 p. m.
Virginia at Indiana, 7 p. m.
N. Illinois at Kansas, 7 p. m.
Louisiana-Lafayette at Kent St. , 7 p. m.
St. Francis (Pa. ) at N. Dakota St. , 7 p. m.
Fresno St. at Nebraska, 7 p. m.
Gardner-Webb at Ohio, 7 p. m.
Nicholls St. at W. Michigan, 7 p. m.
Morehead St. at Illinois St. , 7:30 p. m.
Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p. m.
SOUTHWEST
McMurry at UTSA, 2 p. m.
Purdue at Rice, 3:30 p. m.
Alcorn St. at Ark. -Pine Bluff, 7 p. m.
Memphis at Arkansas St. , 7 p. m.
Arkansas vs. New Mexico at Little Rock, Ark. , 7 p. m.
Houston at North Texas, 7 p. m.
UTEP at SMU, 7 p. m.
N. Iowa at Stephen F. Austin, 7 p. m.
BYU at Texas, 7 p. m.
Prairie View at Texas Southern, 8 p. m.
FAR WEST
N. Colorado at Colorado St. , 2 p. m.
Sacramento St. at S. Utah, 3 p. m.
Cal Poly at Montana, 3:05 p. m.
UC Davis at Montana St. , 3:05 p. m.
TCU at Air Force, 3:30 p. m.
California at Colorado, 3:30 p. m.
Nevada at Oregon, 3:30 p. m.
Hawaii at Washington, 3:30 p. m.
North Dakota at Idaho, 5 p. m.
UNLV at Washington St. , 5 p. m.
Western St. (Col. ) at Idaho St. , 6 p. m.
Texas St. at Wyoming, 6 p. m.
Fort Lewis at N. Arizona, 6:05 p. m.
Utah at Southern Cal, 7:30 p. m.
Weber St. at Utah St. , 8 p. m.
W. New Mexico at San Diego, 9 p. m.
San Jose St. at UCLA, 10 p. m.

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Error-prone Ducks can’t stick with Tigers

By Jason Vondersmith
The Portland Tribune, Sep 3, 2011, Updated 1. 1 hours ago

JAIME VALDEZ / PORTLAND Tribune
LaMichael James scores a first-half touchdown for the Oregon Ducks, who led for a while in the first half Saturday before falling to LSU 40-27 in the Cowboys Classic at Arlington, Texas.

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ARLINGTON, Texas – The Oregon Ducks can say goodbye to an unblemished record in 2011 and their No. 3 ranking.
Louisiana State’s big and fast defense slowed down Oregon’s offense, and the Tigers turned three turnovers into touchdowns and took advantage of plenty of other Oregon miscues Saturday night.
The Cowboys Classic got out of hand in the third quarter, and the Ducks fell 40-27 in their season-opening game.
The Ducks, including quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James, couldn’t strike for any big plays, which had been their staple during the glorious 2010 season — the Ducks’ longest play from scrimmage was 18 yards.
Oregon managed only 95 yards rushing on 28 attempts, and 335 yards total offense; James had only 54 yards rushing on 18 carries, although he eclipsed Derek Loville as UO’s all-time leading rusher. Thomas went 31 of 54 for 240 yards and threw an interception.
“They played with an intensity that started with the first play and ended with the last play,” LSU coach Les Miles said, of his defense. “(Defensive coordinator) John Chavis did a great job. We asked them to be ready and ready was a big word,” going against UO’s vaunted fast-paced offense.
And, the UO defense, although game, had the misfortune of being put into some bad situations by a Kenjon Barner punt-return fumble and two De’Anthony Thomas fumbles.
The Tigers, missing QB Jordan Jefferson among its suspended players and playing backup Jarrett Lee, ran a conservative offense for the most part, but marched 75 yards for one score and converted the gifts given to them in UO fumbles. LSU put up 273 yards offense, 175 on the ground led by Spencer Ware’s 99.
The Ducks also had several costly penalties: 12 for 95 yards in all.
“Those self-inflicted wounds . . . you can’t play like that against a good football team,” coach Chip Kelly said. “The drops, turnovers and penalties really hurt us. (With those) you’re not going to win the game. ”
The Ducks basically got outplayed in all three facets, added safety John Boyett: “Defense, offense and special teams didn’t play good enough. We lost. . . . You can’t win every football game, as much as you want to. When you lose, you’ve got to learn from it. ”
The Ducks will return home to play Nevada, 12:30 p. m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Said Kelly: “Everyone, including myself, has to get better. ”
Any worries about the Ducks not being able to bounce back, given the Ducks’ lofty goal of returning to the BCS title game, which would now seem out of reach? “Not worried at all,” Kelly said.
“It’s going to show the character of the team,” Darron Thomas said, “how hard we’re going to come back and play after this loss. . . . I’m very confident. Still confident. ”
The lack of big plays and rushing game didn’t surprise Kelly, given LSU’s good defense.
“They played good, sound football,” he said. “That’s a good defensive front. They’re sound in their schemes, gap controlled-oriented.
“You play a team that runs (on defense) so well, I don’t think you’re going to get a lot of big runs,” he added. “It wasn’t like we lined up against a team that we would run off the field. We knew their athleticism would be a key matchup for us. ”
Three-year starter Carson York, an offensive guard, said he hasn’t played against a better defense. “It’s what we imagined. All good players. No surprises,” he said. “It’s the first game I’ve been a part of . . . we had a 19-play drive, had to go (long drives) three times to score. That’s not what we do. ”
The QB Thomas said he didn’t think LSU was faster than the Ducks; new center Hroniss Grasu said the UO defense was faster than LSU’s.
“We have to go out and execute,” Thomas said. “It’s on everybody, everybody gotta clean it up. We can still do (mistakes) in the second game. ”
Tight end David Paulson acknowledged the lack of big UO plays, saying the Ducks could never get their offensive rhythm.
“We couldn’t get drives going,” he said. ‘We get the tempo and rhythm going, and we pop off the big one. That didn’t happen today. ”
James found little running room experienced frustration for the second game in a row against an SEC defense – remember, he managed only 49 yards against Auburn in the BCS title game.
“We beat ourselves,” he said. “They’re good up front, can’t deny that, but it was (mistakes) that hurt us.
“I think we were prepared physically. I don’t think we were ready mentally. ”
The Tigers’ defensive linemen seemingly didn’t succumb to tiredness from UO’s faster pace. LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who forced Barner’s punt fumble and scored on a 3-yard return, said: “It started up front. Those guys didn’t even get tired. They were pushing us when we were winded, so I think it was a good team effort. ”
Oregon went 79 yards on 19 plays to score a first-half touchdown on James’ 3-yard run. But LSU put together its 75-yard drive in the first half’s closing minutes to score on Rueben Randle’s 10-yard reception and go ahead 16-13 at halftime.
The second half got worse for the Ducks.
LSU punter Brad Wing pushed back Barner with a 58-yard boot, leaving Oregon at its own 6-yard-line on the punter’s second significant punt of the day. De’Anthony Thomas, the ballyhooed recruit from Los Angeles, caught some passes and carried some balls in his debut, but he coughed up the ball on a rush, making a fumble that was forced by Sam Montgomery and recovered by LSU’s Eric Reid at the UO 21.
The Tigers took advantage, as Michael Ford scored on a 5-yard TD run to make the score 23-13.
De’Anthony Thomas showed some nifty moves on the ensuing kickoff return, but LSU forced him to make another fumble and recovered at the UO 38. A second costly turnover by the talented true freshman.
“He didn’t have proper technique on both of his fumbles,” Kelly said. “The ball was away from his body, and that’s not how we teach it. He knows that. ”
Said De’Anthony Thomas: “I just seen the hole (on the first fumble), I was trying to hit the hole and I fumbled. Second one, I saw an open lane and tried to hit it and the guy got me from behind. ”
Moments later, Lee hit Deangelo Peterson for 29 yards to the UO 8. Oregon forced third-and-5, but rookie corner Terrance Mitchell got called for pass interference on the 6-4 Randle, putting the ball at the UO 2.
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Penn State overwhelms Indiana State 41-7

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State’s season opener featured the unusual sights of a two-quarterback rotation and Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno calling the shots from the press box.
The running attack and an aggressive defense, though, were trademark Penn State.
Chaz Powell set the tone by returning the game’s opening kickoff 95 yards for a score and Silas Redd led an overwhelming ground game with two rushing touchdowns in a 41-7 win Saturday over Indiana State.
Paterno coached from the press box more than three weeks after suffering shoulder and pelvis injuries from an accidental collision in practice, though the Nittany Lions didn’t miss a beat against the Sycamores — an FCS team.
“Overall, it was a good effort. Obviously, Indiana State is not a great team, but they’re a bunch of kids that did a good job scrapping,” Paterno said afterward, clutching a crutch. “Overall, I thought it was a good day for us. ”
Redd ran for 94 of his 104 yards by the second quarter, including a 4-yard score for a 28-0 lead. Rob Bolden started at quarterback, splitting time with Matt McGloin.
Indiana State managed 170 yards of total offense. They got brushed past and pushed around by a Penn State team anxious to rebound from last year’s 7-6 campaign.
“We knew they were going to be big and physical, but we just didn’t do what we said we were going to do, and that’s what it comes down to,” Sycamores defensive end Ben Obaseki said. “We knew that they’d be running the ball hard, we just didn’t tackle well, we didn’t get our blocks and that’s why things turned out the way it did. ”
Indiana State returned home with at least one highlight after Justin Hilton caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Ronnie Fouch to break the shutout with 2:16 left in the game.
Otherwise, it was all Penn State.
Michael Zordich displayed the Nittany Lions’ early physical superiority on back-to-back plays in the first quarter, throwing a devastating block up the middle to spring Redd loose for the tailback’s first score, from 9 yards.
On the ensuing kickoff, Zordich leveled Sycamore return man Leonard Riston near the sideline for a violent end to a 21-yard return.
“I just kind of went back to the second grade, just go where the ball’s at and run through it,” Zordich said. “That’s what you’re taught from game 1. Just go where the ball’s at and make a play. ”
Paterno, who made “toughness” the keyword for preseason camp, surely relished what he witnessed from the press box. He had pronounced himself “50-50″ this week to coach from the sideline.
The Nittany Lions got a nice warmup for next week’s considerably tougher game — a visit from No. 2 Alabama.
Both Bolden and McGloin got equal shots in what may well have been an extended audition for the starting gig against the Crimson Tide. Bolden, who started his second straight season-opener, finished 6 of 12 for 37 yards. He could have thrown for more had a couple of nice throws downfield not bounced off the hands of receivers Derek Moye and Justin Brown, respectively.
McGloin was 6 of 8 for 77 yards, with the offense looking crisper at times under his watch, especially in the 14-point second quarter.
Both players expressed frustration afterward, but accepted the situation.
And Paterno didn’t give in when pressed for clues afterward on whether one quarterback would emerge for the Alabama game.
“I think both of them are going to play, both of them can play,” Paterno said. “Again they’ve been under an awful lot of pressure . . . I think they’re fine, they’ll get better. ”
Fouch, a Washington transfer, spent much of the afternoon on the run. Sacked on his first play by Gerald Hodges and intercepted on his second series by Drew Astorino, Fouch finished 11 of 23 passing for 102 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown.
“You have draft choices on that defense. I don’t think I have any draft choices on my O-line right now,” Sycamores coach Trent Miles said.
On a warm, muggy day with temperatures in the low 80s, the Happy Valley party got started 13 seconds in after Powell sidestepped his way around defenders before sprinting down the field for his 95-yard return on the opening kickoff.
After a three-and-out for Indiana State, Redd capped up the next drive with his 9-yard score, aided by Zordich’s big block. Redd finished with 12 carries, spending much of the second half on the sideline with the game well in hand.
Penn State ran for 245 yards on the afternoon.
It wasn’t the kind of start Miles was looking for, though it was hardly unexpected against the more talented Nittany Lions. The Sycamores are coming off a 6-5 season in 2010, which ended a staggering streak of 60 losses in 62 games.
It wasn’t entirely all smiles for Penn State. The offensive line struggled in pass protection, with Bolden and McGloin taking more hits than expected against a defense from a lower-division school.
That doesn’t bode well next week when the speedy Crimson Tide roll into town.

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Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis to shoot ‘Southern Rivals’ in New Orleans

No joke — A-list funnymen Will Ferrell (“Anchorman”) and Zach Galifianakis (“The Hangover”) are headed to New Orleans to shoot their next movie, “Southern Rivals,” a film set in the comedically fertile world of modern politics.
As is often the case with films in pre-production, official details on the project are scarce, but it showed up this week on the state’s latest listing of films shooting, or preparing to shoot, in Louisiana (see below).
According to the listing, “Southern Rivals” will shoot in New Orleans from Oct. 31 to late January. “Meet the Parents” and “Austin Powers” helmer Jay Roach is set to direct.
Earlier this year while doing press for his indie drama “Everything Must Go,” Ferrell described the film as a political comedy in which he and Galifianakis will play warring Southern politicos.
“We’re kind of rival Southern politicians in a small congressional district in South Carolina that we’ll release for the election season next year,” the comedian said. “It kind of comments on the circus that is now modern day politics. ”
“Southern Rivals” is only latest in a parade of major productions headed to town in what is shaping up to be a big year for the local film industry. News of its arrival comes just a day after New Orleans Office of Film & Video confirmed that director Quentin Tarantino will shoot his eagerly anticipated next project, “Django Unchained” in the city in early 2012.
Projects currently shooting in town include Paramount Pictures big-budget “G. I. Joe” sequel, Lee Daniels’ “The Paperboy” and Taylor Hackford’s “Parker. ”
Here’s the state’s latest listing of in-state film and video projects, with contact information for each:
Pre-Production
USA Network’s television pilot Wild Card starring Jennifer Finnigan and Ben Lawson will shoot August 29th through September 21st in New Orleans. Please direct resumes to earthbound@earthlink. net
The television movie of the week Hide will shoot September 21st in New Orleans. Please fax resumes to 504. 455. 2145.
Warner Bros. feature film Rivals will shoot October 31st to late January 2012 in New Orleans. Please send resumes to rivalsresumes@gmail. com
Bullet Films feature film Dirt Road to Lafayette will shoot October 3rd-November 11th in Lafayette. Please send resumes to activefilmpositions@gmail. com
Filming
Paramount’s feature film G. I. Joe 2: Retaliation starring Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, and Dwayne Johnson is filming August 15th to November 24th in New Orleans. Please send resumes to 2gijoe@gmail. com
Nu Image/Millennium’s feature film The Paper Boy starring Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, and John Cusack is filming July 25th for 6 weeks in New Orleans. Please send resumes to paperboy. resumes@gmail. com
The reality television series Bayou Billionaire is filming July 19th-August 31st in Shreveport. Please direct resumes to bb@magilla. tv
The independent feature film El Gringo starring Christian Slater and Scott Adkins is shooting August 1st for 25 days in Baton Rouge. Please fax resumes to 225. 757. 6258.
Bullet Films feature film Haunted High School is shooting August 8th-26th in New Orleans. Please send resumes to activefilmpositions@gmail. com
The independent feature film Parker starring Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, and Wendell Pierce is shooting August 1st for 7 weeks in New Orleans. Please direct resumes to parkerresumes@gmail. com
The Iron Dragon LTD feature film The Stuart House Recordings is filming late August in New Orleans. Please send resumes to irondragonfilms@gmail. com
Nu Image/Millennium’s feature film Straight A’s starring Ryan Phillipe, Anna Paquin, and Luke Wilson is filming August 16th- September 8th in Shreveport. Please direct resumes to straightaproductions@gmail. com
TNT’s movie of the week Ricochet starring John Corbett is shooting August 3rd for 18 days in New Orleans. Please send resumes to ricochetresumes@gmail. com
The independent feature film Vipaka starring Forest Whitaker and Anthony Mackie is filming until August 27th in New Orleans. Please direct resumes to vipakaresumes@gmail. com
Films in Motions’ feature film Highjacked is filming August 10th-September 2nd in Baton Rouge. Please direct resumes to highjackedmovie@gmail. com
The independent feature film Leatherface 3D starring Trey Songz is shooting July 18th-August 25th in Shreveport. Please send resumes to leatherface3D@gmail. com
The television series Caged is shooting until November 2nd in Shreveport. Please direct resumes to cagedllc@gmail. com

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Florida Gators Football: Week 1 Scouting Report

The Florida Gators’ opening day opponent will be a good warmup for this young Gator team. The Florida Atlantic Owls enter the season opener 0-17 when visiting BCS opponents. Although the Owls do not have to travel far, the excitement in the Swamp on Saturday might be too much to expect an upset.
The Owls have had trouble holding on to the football in camp and have commented 11 turnovers in two scrimmages. The Gators could potentially start two freshmen in the secondary, so the Owls tendencies to give up the ball may build early confidence. Matt Elam and Pop Saunders seem to have a knack for moving on the ball, if Junior Graham Wilbert puts the ball up a lot, there should be plenty of opportunity for takeaways.  
The Owls will more than likely try to keep the game on the ground as much as possible with Alfred Morris getting most of the carries.   The offensive line is a veteran group and could provide the Gators front some real challenges. The Gators have more talent on the line, but the experience the Owls bring could make things interesting early on.
The Owls hope to stop the Gators using their new 3-4 scheme, which may not play to their strengths against the Gators. Charlie Weis will attempt to pound the running game as much as possible early on with his stable of quick running backs. If the Owls hesitate in their new scheme, Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps will be in the secondary and the end zone before they know it.  

If the Gators running game takes off early, look for Johnny Brantley to start airing it out to different receivers, as the offense attempts to build early confidence. The Gators speed and strength should ultimately overpower the Owls.
However, the Gators sputtered in the 2010 opener and any hesitation could destroy confidence and excitement inside the Swamp. The Gators know they have to start fast and with Rainey and Demps in the backfield, they should light things up early.
Ridiculous Prediction:
Gators 48-17

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Meriweather cut by Pats, Herzlich makes Giants

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Brandon Meriweather, Tommie Harris and Larry Johnson are former Pro Bowl players now looking for jobs.
The three were among hundreds of players cut Saturday as NFL teams got down to the mandatory 53-man roster maximum just five days before New Orleans and Green Bay kick off the regular season.
Cancer survivor Mark Herzlich made the New York Giants’ roster after being signed as a free agent out of Boston College. The linebacker, who beat a rare form of bone cancer in college, was on the bubble — and still may be as teams search the waiver wire — but he’s on the Giants’ roster for now.
“Herzlich didn’t bat an eye the whole camp,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “Physically, he did everything you asked and more. I saw him improve literally week by week. ”
Meriweather was a first-round pick of New England who has played in 64 games over four seasons. He has 12 interceptions, including a career-high five in 2008 when he earned the first of two straight Pro Bowl selections. Also among the Patriots’ cuts were running back Sammy Morris, a 12-year veteran, and wide receiver Brandon Tate.
Harris, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, was hoping to revive his career in Indianapolis, but was among 27 waived by the Colts. He was a key cog in Chicago’s Super Bowl run during the 2006 season, but was hindered by injuries the past three seasons and released by the Bears in February before the lockout.
Four other veteran free agents signed by Indianapolis — defensive linemen Jamaal Anderson and Tyler Braxton, quarterback Kerry Collins and linebacker Ernie Sims — all made the roster.
Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl running back, was among those released by Miami. The Dolphins signed him last week after he sat out most of last season when his career was derailed by injuries and a series of off-the-field missteps. Miami also terminated the contracts of cornerback Will Allen, a veteran who missed all of last season with a knee injury, and fullback Lousaka Polite, who started 24 games over the past three seasons.
Among the Giants’ cuts was Matt Dodge, giving veteran Steve Weatherford the job at punter. New York also placed Sage Rosenfels, last year’s backup quarterback, on injured reserve, giving the job to David Carr, who was Eli Manning’s backup in 2008-09.
Chicago let go of running back Chester Taylor and tight end Desmond Clark. Taylor appeared to be on the way out for a while, hinting he was finished in Chicago early in the week. He didn’t play in the third preseason game at Tennessee and left team headquarters thinking he had been released after a meeting with coach Lovie Smith on Monday. He was back practicing the next day and started the exhibition finale against Cleveland on Thursday, struggling for 27 yards on 10 attempts.
The defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers released 23 players, including third-string quarterback Graham Harrell, and traded fullback Quinn Johnson to Tennessee and rookie guard Caleb Schlauderaff, a sixth-round pick, to the New York Jets — both for undisclosed draft picks.
The Titans acquired Johnson after fullback Ahmard Hall was suspended by the NFL for four games for using performance-enhancing substances. Among Tennessee’s cuts was wide receiver Justin Gage.
The Jets also traded defensive back Dwight Lowery to Jacksonville for an undisclosed pick. He spent three seasons with the Jets, filling in at cornerback and safety, after being drafted in the fourth round out of San Jose State.
New York kept Aaron Maybin, the former Buffalo first-round pick who was released by the Bills after two unproductive seasons. The former No. 11 pick by the Bills in 2009 is hoping to jump-start his career as a pass-rushing presence with the Jets despite having no sacks in two seasons in Buffalo.
“He’s one of those guys we had talked about where we probably had three spots open,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said, “and I thought his play rushing the passer, that’s what landed him on the roster. ”
Denver waived Perrish Cox, cutting ties with the cornerback who is facing a sexual assault trial later this year. General manager Brian Xanders indicated it was Cox’s on-field performance and not his legal issues that led to his departure.
“Everybody coming out of that lockout, it’s their job to create their role,” Xanders said. “No roster spot is safe. His was based on the four preseason games, the five weeks of training camp. ”
Cox faces one count of sexual assault against a victim who was physically helpless and one count of sexual assault against a victim who was incapable of determining the nature of the conduct. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $50,000 bail. If convicted, he could face two years to life in prison.
Demoted defensive lineman Igor Olshansky, last year’s starting fullback Chris Gronkowski and veteran kickers Shayne Graham and Dave Rayner were among the players Dallas released.
Cincinnati placed cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and linebacker Keith Rivers on injured lists, sidelining them for at least the first six weeks. Jones had offseason neck surgery and couldn’t participate in contract drills during training camp. Rivers had surgery on his right wrist and is wearing a cast.
Kansas City put tight end Tony Moeaki on injured reserve Saturday after he was hurt in their final preseason game against Green Bay, and kept Keary Colbert, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2008. He spent last season as a coach at Southern California, his alma mater, and earlier this summer signed with a UFL franchise.
New Orleans put Chris Ivory, the Saints’ leading rusher last season, on the physically unable to perform list after he hadn’t yet recovered from offseason foot surgery or sports hernia surgery.
Cleveland placed running back Brandon Jackson on injured reserve with a toe injury. Jackson, who signed a two-year, $4. 5 million free agent contract with Cleveland before training camp opened, got hurt in an Aug. 19 exhibition against Detroit and has been in a cast for two weeks.
Among other notable players cut Saturday were: Philadelphia cornerback Joselio Hanson and wide receiver Sinorice Moss, Oakland quarterback Trent Edwards and cornerback Lito Sheppard, Detroit punter Nick Harris and linebacker Caleb Campbell, Washington quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Matt Gutierrez, St. Louis wide receiver Donnie Avery, Buffalo center Geoff Hangartner, Houston punter Brad Maynard, Pittsburgh punter Jeremy Kapinos and San Francisco quarterback Josh McCown.

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College Football Rankings 2011: Why Texas Longhorns Have No Business in Top 25

Eric Francis/Getty Images
All of the major preseason college football polls have been released and among the teams consistently ranked in the top 25 are the Texans Longhorns. In just about any other year, that wouldn’t be a big deal. They have been one of the more consistent programs of the last decade and they are a football factory.
Coming off their 5-7 season in 2010, however, the Texans Longhorns should be nowhere near the top 25.
The question marks surrounding this team start at the top with the quarterback. Garrett Gilbert, expected to give the program a reasonable facsimile of the production given to them by Colt McCoy, proved to be a turnover machine.
Rather than getting better as he got more experience, Gilbert seemed to become more mistake-prone and shaky as the season wore on.
He was far from the only problem, though.
Texas continues to struggle to find a decent running back to take pressure off of the passing game. Freshman Malcolm Brown is believed to be as close to a sure thing as you can get with a running back fresh out of high school, but they’re asking a lot of a true freshman.
The offensive line wasn’t any good either and the wide receivers had an awful lot of trouble hanging on to the passes that Gilbert was able to get to them. Those two position groups will have a lot of improving to do if they want to help Texas compete with the top teams in the conference.
All of those concerns would be enough without a lot of turnover in the coaching staff, but they have that as well.
Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who was also the head coach in waiting behind Mack Brown, is now the head coach at Florida. Long time offensive coordinator and good friend of Mack Brown’s Greg Davis are also gone. Most believe that at least in the case of Davis, a change is good, but all changes cause growing pains.
This could be a do or die year for Mack Brown as head coach. He has done enough with this program that I doubt that he would ever be pushed out, but if his team has another lackluster season, he will certainly feel pressure within himself to step aside and let someone else take over.
It would be tough to find someone that thinks that the Longhorns will be worse in 2011, but there’s no reason to believe that they will magically be one of the top 25 teams in the nation.  
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Comedy review: Zach Galifianakis rocks with Queens of the Stone Age jabs, bits about 9/11 and Sarah Palin

Image Credit: Matt Sayles/AP Images

Dear Rock Stars: You might want to think twice before asking Zach Galifianakis for freebies. The star of The Hangover movies gave Queens of the Stone Age a little more than they asked when they called his manager for free tickets to his sold-out stand-up gig at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles Wednesday night. They got prime seats in Row F and a whole lock of mockery to boot. “I don’t know you f—-ing guys!” the comedian yelled at the band, seated in the all-ages crowd of 270 fans, which ranged from hoodie-wearing hipsters to bearded, bespectacled burly men to indie chicks and comedy nerds. “Can we get tickets?” he mocked in a whiny voice as Queens of the Stone Age members Josh Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, and Michael Shuman laughed on. “Let me Google them and see who the f— they are! I don’t know you motherf—ers!”
Galifianakis jumped into the crowd to mix it up with fans, spotted two empty seats and screamed, “Two empty seats? I used to be someone in this town!” Then he spotted Homme, pulled him onstage, sat him on a piano bench, and carefully positioned a sideways mike in front of the singer for a little Q&A.
“Where are you from?” asked Galifianakis, looking his casual self in a baby blue baseball cap, dark button down shirt, and rumpled tan pants, with a drink in one hand and a green notebook of “Goof Abouts” in the other. “I’m from Palm Springs,” Homme replied sheepishly. With his head cocked sideways, Galifianakis quipped sarcastically, “Palm Springs, one of those great heavy metal towns. Isn’t Warrant from there?”
“Can we get tickets?” he squealed again, as the crowd erupted again in laughter. “I was in a band. We were called ‘Marching,’” the funnyman deadpanned, admitting that while he knows nada about Queens of the Stone Age, he listens to Al Jarreau and longtime L. A. DJ Rick Dees.
Galifianakis, who returns as Ray Hueston on HBO’s Bored to Death on Oct. 10, performed a shorter surprise set at Tuesday night’s show at Largo as well. (“Tonight’s set was better, but he’s always good,” said fan Kristin, 28, from Long Beach. ) Wednesday’s show, billed as “Zach, Doug, Jen and Joe: An Evening of Comedy,” was the comic/actor’s last L. A. gig for the year and featured his comedian friends Doug Benson, Jen Kirkman, and Joe Wagner.
Queens of the Stone Age weren’t the only recipients of his comic wrath. He described the crowd as people you’d see “in line at a kissing booth at Comic-Con — bunch of geeks!” Elsewhere in the 35-minute set, Galifianakis poked fun at DJs (“I hate DJS! F— you! Get a job!”), was politically incorrect (“Know any good 9/11 anniversary parties?”), nearly knocked us off our seat by this declaration, “I love Sarah Palin,” before jumping in with perfect comic timing, “Excuse me, I like parasailing” and even took a shot at little people (“I just did a short film with Peter Dinklage. ”)
“I gotta say, I have a real coolness about me tonight. I’m really impressed with the way I am,” added the actor.
And, so was the crowd. “That was amazing!” said Jennifer Landry, 22, a student and regular comedy club-goer. “It’s nice to see that with all of his success, he still does small clubs like this and he hasn’t lost his comic edge. And, the tickets were only $20! What?”
We couldn’t agree more, Jennifer.
Read more:‘Bored to Death’ season 3 trailerZach Galifianakis: Most Outrageous Sidekick‘Between Two Ferns’ with Will Ferrell

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