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BERKELEY, Calif. -- If Marshawn Lynch gained yards with as much flash as he talks, he'd be playing flag football in an Oakland park. You've heard of three yards and a cloud of dust? With Lynch, it's five yards and a cone of silence.

"I'm just trying to play," the California tailback said. "If it was up to me, I wouldn't do interviews."

Despite missing two games, Marshawn Lynch rushed for 1,246 yards in 2005. Lynch is pleasant, friendly and so unruffled he makes James Bond look like Dick Vitale. And he has only himself to blame. As a freshman in 2004, playing behind All-American J.J. Arrington, Lynch still managed to gain 628 yards on a freakish 8.8 yards per carry. Last season, Lynch rushed for 1,246 yards despite missing two full games with a broken pinkie.

He is 5-foot-11 and 223 pounds of downhill, which can be a magnet for people with microphones and notepads.

"I stay out of that," Lynch said, referring to anything that may be construed as hype. "I just chill."

Chill? If Lynch chilled any more, his skin would turn University of California blue. Every day, Lynch makes the five-minute drive to his Oakland home to visit his mom. Lynch may have been a nationally prominent recruit in 2004, but the chance to stay close to home lured him to Berkeley.

That's pretty much where the stereotype of a mama's boy ends. There's nothing soft about Lynch, except his hands (34 career receptions). He's got powerful legs and a big motor. His versatility is ideal for coach Jeff Tedford's desire to spread the field.

"The thing about him," Tedford said of Lynch, "is that he's the best athlete on the field, by a long shot. He can run with it. He can catch it. He can throw it. He can pretty much do it all.

"We're able to put him in so many positions and he's so smart," Tedford continued. "One of the things you really have to be careful with asking guys to do too much is you're putting them in all these different positions. They have to understand what they're doing. They have to know the play. They have to know the fundamentals and technique and all the coaching points to it. He is a great learner that way. He really has a great feel for the game. He can get it in the meeting and take it on the field and have a pretty good idea of what we're looking for."


"The thing about him is that he's the best athlete on the field, by a long shot. He can run with it. He can catch it. He can throw it. He can pretty much do it all."
Cal coach Jeff Tedford on Marshawn LynchLynch may have it all except for an ego. When he and his shadows -- teammates Robert Jordan and Virdell Larkins -- pick up the joysticks for their epic NCAA 2006 battles, Lynch says he never bothers to check out the dude wearing No. 10 for the Golden Bears.
That may be a first in EA Sports history.

Put Lynch on the field, however, and he drops the wallflower pose. In fact, Tedford counts it as a sign of maturity that Lynch has learned not to treat every tackler as if they were in a street fight.

"In his mind, every play's a touchdown," Tedford said. "Reality says every play isn't a touchdown. Sometimes, you need a five-yard gain. His maturity as a player has shown in knowing down and distance and the situations of the game, 'Hey, I need four yards here. I'm not going to stop and go backward and try to make a touchdown. I'm going to put my pad down and get these four yards.' That's how he's matured as a back, understanding that not every play can be sideways."

Lynch said he didn't refuse to go down out of some misplaced machismo.

"I know what you're saying," Lynch said. "It's funny that you asked that. If you go down, you don't feel like the same man? You're talking about my manhood? No, I don't feel like that. I just got to protect my body.

Lynch found the end zone 10 times in 2005."I had it bad my freshman year. I had it real bad. It was a thing that I had to work on. It was more mentally -- 'OK, you got what you can get, go down.' It wasn't a macho thing. I just be running. I was just running. That's all it is."

In Tedford's mind, the best backs run smart without it affecting their quest to run hard. He noted the change in Lynch after he returned from the broken pinkie he suffered against Washington, the second game of the year. When Lynch came back, he ran with a passion and explosiveness that Tedford hadn't seen before the injury.

Part of that, Lynch said, may be because Marcus O'Keith replaced him during the Washington game and rushed for 103 yards, while Justin Forsett rushed for 187 yards against Illinois and 235 yards against New Mexico State in the two games that Lynch missed. Don't get him wrong. Lynch didn't fear for his job. He got excited.

"I was at the point where I can't wait to get back out there with my boys," Lynch said. "They're ballin'. I'm trying to see what that would be like. I'm trying to get on that." At one of the few moments in the interview that Lynch's voice filled with emotion, he said, "Yeah, man, I'm just trying to have some fun with my boys."

Just as quickly, Lynch returned to his typical unruffled state. As he has proved, he has learned to do what must be done and save himself for the next play. Lynch gives out more forearms than he does words.

Ivan Maisel is a senior writer at ESPN.com. He can be reached at [email protected].

Much can change during summer camp.

However, as it stands right now, it seems abundantly clear that Arizona State has decided on Sam Keller as its starter over sophomore Rudy Carpenter and that Florida has elected to stick with incumbent Chris Leak as its triggerman instead of turning over the reins to freshman phenom Tim Tebow. In both cases, though, expect the young backup to see playing time throughout the season.

Many other quarterback battles across the country remain undecided, though. Here is the breakdown of the battles that project to have the biggest impact on college football's national title hunt this season. The teams are ranked according to my preseason predictions.


LSU Tigers
JaMarcus Russell vs. Ryan Perrilloux vs. Matt Flynn
No team in the country has as much talent at quarterback as LSU. The trick is managing it. Russell was relatively successful as a 12-game starter last year, and he has the size, arm strength and mobility to continue to improve. However, his progress was stalled by shoulder and wrist injuries that kept him out of spring practice.

JaMarcus Russell started 12 games in '05.In Russell's absence, highly touted redshirt freshman Perrilloux rotated with Flynn in the first-team huddle. Perrilloux is the most talented, but he's also the least experienced. Conversely, Flynn possesses the least natural ability, but his poise, decision-making and accuracy were hard to overlook in his only start last season (a 40-3 win over Miami in the Peach Bowl).

When it's all said and done, it's Russell's job to lose. If the junior is fully recovered and looks sharp in summer camp, Perrilloux likely will be limited to one or two series per game just to gain experience. Flynn is the insurance policy should Russell fail to recover and Perrilloux fail to handle the pressure.

Projected winner: Russell


Texas Longhorns
Colt McCoy vs. Jevan Snead
Replacing Vince Young is impossible, but the Longhorns do have enough talent to win a second consecutive Big 12 title if the quarterback play is decent. McCoy, a redshirt freshman, has displayed good awareness and accuracy as a passer, as well as adequate mobility. Snead, a freshman who enrolled early so he could compete in spring ball, displays comparable mobility but better size and a stronger arm.

McCoy and Snead will pick up their battle in summer camp where they left off in the spring -- practically neck-and-neck. The plan is to play both early in the season and see which one responds better. In that scenario, McCoy likely will take more snaps as the starter but Snead will have ample opportunity to make it his full-time gig come midseason.

Projected winner: McCoy


USC Trojans
John David Booty vs. Mark Sanchez
Booty's recovery from a back injury in spring practice is ahead of schedule, and sexual assault charges against Sanchez have been dropped because of a lack of evidence. That means the two-horse race to replace Matt Leinart will resume in preseason camp.

Booty is a fourth-year junior who patiently waited his turn behind two Heisman Trophy winners (Leinart and Carson Palmer). He still has room to improve in terms of his decision-making skills, and durability is a bigger concern than ever. However, Booty is gifted with a strong arm, and his experience in the system gives him an edge over Sanchez in the short term.

Sanchez has better overall physical tools, including an outstanding combination of size, arm strength and mobility. But given his off-the-field immaturity and on-the-field inexperience, coach Pete Carroll and his staff will be hesitant to hand him the keys.

Projected winner: Booty


Georgia Bulldogs
Joe Tereshinski III vs. Matthew Stafford


Georgia's Joe Tereshinski made his only '05 start at QB against Florida. Tereshinski is a senior who knows the system and pours every ounce of effort he has into the Bulldogs program. Although that is admirable, the problem is that his physical tools simply do not stack up to SEC competition. He displays below-average arm strength and poor mobility.

Conversely, highly touted true freshman Stafford is fresh on the scene but there's no denying his superior physical tools.

Coach Mark Richt expects to make a decision just one week before the season opener vs. Western Kentucky on Sept. 2. At that point, expect Tereshinski to get the nod as the starter but Stafford to play in a rotation. If Stafford continues to progress on a weekly basis, it will be his full-time job by the time the Vols roll into town on Oct. 7.

Projected winner: Tereshinski


Cal Golden Bears
Nate Longshore vs. Steve Levy vs. Joe Ayoob vs. Kyle Reed
Coach Jeff Tedford would prefer to have one quarterback emerge as the clear-cut starter rather than his being forced to use a rotation. Reed looks like Tedford's quarterback of the future, but the redshirt freshman is too inexperienced to win the job in the next month. Ayoob had his chance but failed miserably as a starter last season, completing less than 50 percent of his throws with almost as many interceptions (14) as touchdown passes (15).

Process of elimination leaves Longshore, who is back from injury, and Levy, who has returned from a suspension, as the top two candidates. Levy is more mobile, and he righted the ship with wins over Stanford and over BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl to end the season. However, Longshore is fully recovered and seems to have a noticeable edge over the competition after impressing with his vision, arm strength and accuracy during spring practices.

Projected winner: Longshore


Virginia Tech Hokies
Cory Holt vs. Sean Glennon vs. Ike Whitaker

Sean Glennon was the Hokies' No. 1 QB coming out of spring practice.Whitaker is arguably the most talented of the group, and he likely would have won the starting job had he kept himself out of trouble and on the field during spring practices. However, Whitaker pleaded no contest to public intoxication, underage possession of alcohol and destruction of property in March. Although he still is being given the opportunity to compete, it would send an awfully bad message if coach Frank Beamer -- after the Marcus Vick debacle -- were to put his faith in another quarterback with character issues.

Glennon and Holt share very good size but have different styles. Glennon is more of a pocket passer with good arm strength and accuracy; Holt is much more dangerous as a runner. The competition is close, but Glennon will be named the starter midway through camp if he picks up where he left off in the spring.

Projected winner: Glennon


Oregon Ducks
Dennis Dixon vs. Brady Leaf
The Ducks plan to implement a quarterback rotation similar to the one they executed successfully after the injury to starter Kellen Clemens late last season. Dixon is expected to open games as the starter and typically will handle two-thirds of the offensive snaps. Leaf does not possess Dixon's mobility, which is coveted in coordinator Gary Crowton's spread attack. However, Leaf is much bigger and possesses a stronger arm, which gives the Ducks an opportunity to take more shots vertically in the passing game.

Projected winner: Dixon


Texas Tech Red Raiders
Graham Harrell vs. Chris Todd
Harrell is a sophomore with a lean frame, adequate arm strength and very good timing as a passer. He was a highly recruited player out of high school and might have won the starting job a year ago if not for a leg injury suffered that spring. Todd is a redshirt freshman with very good accuracy, but he seems to be just behind Harrell in terms of scheme knowledge.

Coach Mike Leach has been able to successfully integrate a first-year starting quarterback (B.J. Symons, Sonnie Cumbie and Cody Hodges) into his wide-open pass-friendly attack each of the past three seasons, so there's no reason to doubt his ability to do so again in 2006. As it stands right now, Harrell has a slight edge over Todd. Either way, Texas Tech will have a non-senior at the helm for the first time since Kliff Kingsbury's junior season in 2001.

Projected winner: Harrell


Alabama Crimson Tide
John Parker Wilson vs. Marc Guillon
Barring a summer camp meltdown, Wilson has all but locked up Brodie Croyle's former job. Guillon made significant strides during spring practice before suffering a knee injury. He is fully recovered heading into summer camp, but it will take a nearly flawless few weeks of practice to wrest the job from Wilson. Decision-making is still an area Wilson must improve, but he has adequate size as well as good arm strength and a good touch as a passer. He also has impressive leadership skills, considering his inexperience.

Projected winner: Wilson


Arkansas Razorbacks
Casey Dick vs. Mitch Mustain vs. Robert Johnson vs. Alex Mortensen.
Johnson's ineffectiveness as the starter early last season prompted coach Houston Nutt to make the switch to Dick, a freshman who at the time was set to redshirt. With that in mind, Johnson is nothing more than an insurance policy as a reserve who will compete with Mortensen for the No. 3 job this fall.

Dick understandably took some lumps after being thrown into the fire in 2005, and his lack of mobility limits his upside. However, he showed the ability to make big plays down the stretch and should continue to improve with more experience. Dick displays the arm strength and accuracy of a good starter in the SEC and is expected to exit camp as the Razorbacks' starter. But if Mustain's skill level is anywhere near what it's hyped to be, it's just a matter of time before he takes over the starting reins. On top of his outstanding physical tools, Mustain has the built-in advantage of beginning his collegiate career with his former high school coach, Gus Malzahn, as the offensive coordinator.

Projected winner: Dick

Projecting other QB battles worth monitoring:


Maryland Terrapins: Sam Hollenbach over Jordan Steffy
Missouri Tigers: Chase Daniel over Brandon Coleman
Utah Utes: Brett Ratliff over Brian Johnson
South Florida Bulls: Carlton Hill over Pat Julmiste
Colorado Buffaloes: Brian White over Bernard Jackson and James Cox
Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Jeremy Young over Stephen Reaves
Kansas Jayhawks: Kerry Meier over Adam Barmann
Northwestern Wildcats: C.J. Bacher over Mike Kafka and Andrew Brewer
Kansas State Wildcats: Allan Evridge over Josh Freeman and Dylan Meier- Note: Allan Evridge has left the team

Associated Press


TEMPE, Ariz. -- In an abrupt change, Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter has decided to make sophomore Rudy Carpenter the starting quarterback.

Senior Sam Keller, named the starter on Friday, was excused from the Sun Devils' practice Sunday night and is considering transferring to another school.

"It's simple. I made a mistake on the quarterback situation and I'm changing my mind," Koetter said after Sunday's workout. "We're going to start Rudy Carpenter. I've excused Sam Keller from practice to consider his options."

Koetter said he decided to make the switch on Saturday and told his team on Sunday afternoon.

According to the East Valley Tribune, several players requested a meeting with Koetter after the initial decision and told the coach they believed the job should go to Carpenter.

Neither Koetter nor Carpenter would confirm that the meeting took place.

Koetter said he couldn't sleep on Friday after making his announcement. He said he then sought out advice from his athletic director, coaching staff, senior players and "unity group" on Saturday.

Koetter said he then told both quarterbacks, apologizing.

"I talked to so many people about this," Koetter said. "This has been weighing heavy on my mind for a long, long time and I'm the one that screwed it up. I have to live with it. I'm also the one who has to fix it."

Keller started the first seven games last season before going down with a hand injury. Carpenter came on to lead the country in passing efficiency, yards-per-pass attempt and touchdowns-to-interception ratio.

His performance led to a tight battle for the job going into this season.

Koetter had indicated that neither quarterback had outplayed the other in practice and that Keller largely was chosen because he was a senior. The coach said he had proposed going with a two-quarterback situation, but neither Keller nor Carpenter wanted that.

Koetter indicated he told Keller he would release him to any school for transfer. Keller would have to sit out a year with one year of eligibility remaining if he transferred to a Division I-A school. He could transfer to a Division I-AA school and be eligible immediately.

Koetter also told Keller he was welcome to return to the team. Classes at Arizona State begin on Monday, however. The Sun Devils' next practice is Tuesday evening.

Last season, Keller completed 58 percent of his passes (155-for-264) for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. Carpenter completed 68 percent (156-for-228) for 2,273 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just two interceptions.

On Friday night, Keller said he was "humbled" to get the starting job.

"It's a dream to be a senior and be able to play for all the marbles," Keller said at the time. "I'm very humbled by it because the other guy deserved it as much as I do."

The 24th-ranked Sun Devils open their season Oct. 31 against Northern Arizona.

ESPN's Joe Schad contributed to this report.

Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller, who according to sources had been preparing to enroll at Nebraska as early as this week, now apparently is considering other options as he searches for a new school.

Though two sources said Keller was preparing to enroll in Lincoln, his father, Mike, told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday evening that he has spoken with Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan, informing him that some new teams had entered the equation.


When the decision was made to hire Bill Callahan at Nebraska in 2004, school administrators knew they were breaking the mold of traditional ground-oriented coaches. They knew Callahan would build -- or attempt to build -- a competent passing game through the West Coast offense.
They also knew that Callahan was not going to bring in a typical college football coach's personality either. While he takes care of all media and alumni functions and will do what he can to raise funds, Callahan does not have a Bobby Bowden-type personality. He is not the kind to regale listeners with humorous stories. Callahan is all business.


"Nebraska is excited about Sam and anybody would be excited to have him as a leader," Mike Keller said. "Bill runs a pro style offense, some call it West Coast, and they'd love to have somebody with Sam's experience come in. He's mature and would be working with young quarterbacks for a season. You know, I'm not trying to play games or play schools against one another, but I can't say it's finalized yet."

Mike Keller said that a new, though longshot, consideration would be to stay enrolled at Arizona State and redshirt, then be eligible to transfer and play at another school next season.

"This has all happened so fast," Mike Keller said. "Obviously, Sam was devastated. Now, we just have to stay calm and make sure we make the right decision."

Before Mike Keller weighed in with his son's current mindset, an official announcement of Sam Keller enrolling at Nebraska was expected Thursday. On Tuesday morning, Schad reported that Nebraska coaches had discussed Keller's pending arrival and that Nebraska's quarterbacks had been briefed on the decision.

Keller, who was named the Sun Devils' starting quarterback on Friday, only to lose the job to sophomore Rudy Carpenter two days later, had also considered transferring to Louisville or UTEP, not Colorado or Oklahoma, as reported elsewhere, a source said.


Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com reported earlier that Keller was told Monday by ASU coach Dirk Koetter that he would be released from his scholarship.


Mike Keller is a former professional football player and knows Callahan. Sam Keller would have one season of eligibility left and would succeed senior Zac Taylor as Nebraska's starting QB in 2007.

Keller, who started seven games for Arizona State last season before breaking his thumb, would have to sit out this coming season under NCAA transfer rules if he decides to leave the Sun Devils for another Division I-A program. He would have one season of eligibility remaining in 2007.

Keller was one of the top-rated passers in Division I-A in 2005 before he was hurt, completing 58 percent of his passes (155-for-264) for 2,165 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Carpenter rallied the Sun Devils to a 4-1 record in their last five games last season and was named MVP of Arizona State's 45-40 victory over Rutgers in the Insight Bowl. He led Division I-A in pass efficiency by completing 68 percent of his passes (156-for-228) for 2,273 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

The players were involved in one of the most intense position battles in college football during preseason camp. Koetter announced Keller would be the team's starting quarterback Friday, but then abruptly reversed his decision two days later after meeting with the school's athletic director and a group of team leaders.

"It's simple. I made a mistake on the quarterback situation and I'm changing my mind," Koetter said after Sunday's practice.

Keller, from Danville, Calif., would seem to be a perfect fit for Nebraska coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. Taylor is a senior, and highly regarded freshman Harrison Beck went AWOL during Nebraska's preseason camp and transferred to North Carolina State.

If Keller leaves Arizona State, the Sun Devils would have only one other scholarship quarterback on their roster: freshman Danny Sullivan.

It's amusing to follow fans' reactions to a big decision by their coach. As Josh Kendall chronicled today, Mark Richt's move to name Joe Tereshinski as Georgia's starting QB made for an entertaining day on the Dawg fan sites:
"I feel we just settled for 3rd or 4th in the SEC East with 7 or 8 wins," writes a fan identified as SuthnDawg. "We may have only won that many with the other three QB candidates, but I would have felt we had a chance to win more games, and certainly see some improvement as the season went along. This has to be a blow, no other way to say it."

My three cents: I wasn't surprised Joe T. was named the starter above hotshot freshman Matthew Stafford. (Although I didn't expect Stafford to be tagged the third guy because that means he won't get many reps at all in practice with No. 2 guy Joe Cox getting the leftovers.) My hunch is that Joe T. holds the job for about a month before Stafford takes over, but we'll obviously have to see how this plays out.

What always amazes is hearing fans reacting the way SuthnDawg did, as if a coach knowingly isn't trying to do the very best thing for his program. Don't these folks realize that perhaps the coaches know a bit more about the situation -- how the players practice and prepare and handle their teammates -- than the fans do?

It made me think of something I once heard from a coach: There are two things every guy in America thinks he can do: work a grill and coach football. I love that quote. But just as I give my In Coach We Trust speech, we get the Arizona State mess. I won't drudge through the he-said-he-said of this thing, but there are a few obvious points I think it is fair to ponder: If, in fact, the leaders of the Sun Devils had some issues with Sam Keller or knew of some off-field issue about the big QB, perhaps they should've spoken up before Dirk Koetter announced his decision. Koetter explained the reasons that led to his flip-flop and said naming Keller the starter was "a mistake." Perhaps his real mistake was not going to his leaders before making his announcement. Either way, something went horribly wrong here. (And yes, I wonder whether Derek Shaw, who probably would've been the No. 2 quarterback, regrets bailing out to Texas Tech.)

In terms of the significance of the QB announcements that have come out in the last few days, I'd rate the UGA news second (behind ASU and ahead of UCLA and Colorado). Obviously, the Arizona State situation is more volatile and given how much Koetter puts on his quarterbacks, that position carries more weight now than with the Bulldogs, who will lean heavily on their terrific tailbacks and defense.

Random Stuff


†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Ole Miss got some good news Monday as prized juco linebacker Rory Johnson was green-lighted by the school's admissions department. The 6-foot-1 231-pounder, who got offers from all the big boys out of high school, brings a lot of speed to a position where the Rebels were pretty thin (Will linebacker). Expect Johnson, a guy who has run a 10.8 100 meters, to push Quentin Taylor for the starting job very soon, and if Johnson is as good as his rep, the Rebels figure to have the best linebacking trio in the SEC, led by the great Patrick Willis.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ The hits just keep on coming for Florida. Latest O-lineman shaken up is Phil Trautwein, their third projected starter to be hobbling this month. The big left tackle sat out Monday's morning practice with a sore foot -- the same foot he suffered a stress fracture in during spring drills, according to Andy Staples.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Nice pickup for Ty Willingham, who persuaded a rugged 240-pound Texas running back to transfer.

As mentioned in the Seattle P-I, sophomore Michael Houston's transfer comes at an opportune time for the Huskies, who will lose senior tailbacks Kenny James and Shelton Sampson after the 2006 season.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Speaking of Texas RBs, maybe Jamaal Charles won't be the only Longhorn in the running for a 1,000-yard season. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis tells Chip Brown that Selvin Young's dropped weight (he lost 16 pounds, down to 210) has made a huge difference in his performance in training camp.