UNC’s Austin won’t practice this week, but other 12 should

(BY ROBBI PICKERAL, STAFF WRITER) Twelve of the 13 North Carolina players who were either declared ineligible, or withheld, from Saturday’s 30-24 loss to LSU are expected to practice with the Tar Heels this week, a team spokesman said Sunday.

However, star defensive tackle Marvin Austin – suspended two days earlier for breaking school rules – will not. “That’s a [coach] Butch Davis decision,’’ team spokesman Kevin Best said.

Today’s Game: Tulsa at ECU

(Edward G. Robinson III) Tulsa (0-0) at East Carolina (0-0)

2 p.m., Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

Region: Citadel rolls past Chowan

(Associated Press) Freshman Matt Thompson threw three touchdowns and ran for another to help The Citadel defeat Chowan 56-14 on Saturday.

In their season opener, the Bulldogs scored first with a 7-yard interception return by senior defensive back Cortez Allen on the Hawks (0-2) first play from scrimmage.

Blue Devils burn Phoenix with late push

(By Chip Alexander, chip.alexander@newsobserver.com) Duke coach David Cutcliffe wanted Sean Renfree to be relaxed but excited, confident but not too confident.

And, more than anything, a winner in his first career start at quarterback.

Duke Observations

(By Chip Alexander, Raleigh News & Observer) The Elon opener proved to be a nice draw for the Blue Devils on a pleasant September evening. Wallace Wade Stadium had a lot of blue in it, with an announced crowd of 33,941. That's a sellout.

One of the biggest questions for Duke this season is how Sean Renfree can handle replacing Thad Lewis as the starting quarterback. But Renfree, a redshirt sophomore making his first career start, looked pretty cool and relaxed. And accurate.

Tigers have some answers on offense

(By Ron Green Jr., rgreenjr@charlotteobserver.com) A few thousand orange-hearted fans were still making their way into Memorial Stadium in the Saturday sunshine when the Clemson offense trotted onto the field to start the season.

The Tigers had the ball at their own 40-yard line after North Texas had bounced the opening kickoff out of bounds.

Scandal cast a heavy shadow over Tar Heels

(By Scott Fowler, sfowler@charlotteobserver.com) An NCAA investigation and a football game don't really have anything in common.

But they often looked like two sides of the same coin Saturday night, as a North Carolina team reeling from scandal was defeated 30-24 by Louisiana State on national television at the Georgia Dome.

Tar Heels received well at pregame walk

(By Robbi Pickeral, robbi.pickeral@newsobserver.com) This was supposed to be the game where North Carolina's football program re-established itself as part of the national picture.

But the snapshot at the Georgia Dome before the Chick-fil-A Kickoff on Saturday night wasn't anything like anyone could have expected three months ago.

Wake Forest’s Woodlief ready to be a leader

(By David Scott, dscott@charlotteobserver.com) Wake Forest middle linebacker Matt Woodlief remembers arriving on campus in 2006 from Catawba's Bandys High. He would redshirt that year - as do most freshmen who play for Deacons coach Jim Grobe.

But it wasn't a lost year, as he soaked up knowledge and advice from established linebackers like Jon Abbate and Aaron Curry.

Chill says it all: It’s time for football

(By Tom Sorensen, tsorensen@charlotteobserver.com) I was walking the dog early Wednesday and felt an unexpected chill. The temperature had dropped to 88 degrees. Football weather, it's called.

Although many high schools in the Carolinas opened their season almost three weeks ago, tonight feels like the sport's Grand Opening. Wake Forest, No.2 Ohio State, No.13 Miami and South Carolina will play, and the games won't stop until January in Glendale, Ariz., where the national champion will be determined by popular vote.

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