NEW YORK — The only previous time Nevada was ranked in the AP Top 25, the Wolf Pack ended the season playing in the Harbor Bowl in San Diego.
That was 1948.
It took 62 years, but Nevada is back in The Associated Press poll. The Wolf Pack were No. 25 in the poll released Sunday and are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1991, the year before they jumped from I-AA to I-A.
“It’s very exciting news,” coach Chris Ault told the AP in a telephone interview Sunday. “I’m sure our players will be fired up.”
The first month of the season closed with the preseason top three in the rankings unchanged: Alabama is No. 1, followed by Ohio State and Boise State.
The Crimson Tide had its toughest challenge yet Saturday, coming from behind to beat Arkansas 24-20. The road victory helped the Tide gain five first-place votes to 57.
Ohio State, which rolled to a 73-20 victory against Eastern Michigan, received two first place votes and Boise State, which beat Oregon State 37-24, received one.
The USA Today coaches’ poll has the same top three teams.
No. 4 Oregon and No. 5 TCU flip-flopped spots this week. No. 6 Nebraska held its position and No. 7 Florida moved up two heading into its big game at Alabama on Saturday.
No. 8 Oklahoma was followed by Stanford, which jumped seven spots to No. 9 and No. 10 Auburn, which also gained seven spots.
The Cardinal are 4-0 for the first time since 1986 after beating Notre Dame 37-14, and have their best AP ranking since ending the 1992 season No. 9.
No. 21 Texas dropped 14 spots after a stunningly lopsided 34-12 home loss to UCLA.
As for the Wolf Pack from Reno, Ault, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002 - after the second time he stepped down as Nevada coach - is in his third stint leading his alma mater. The 63-year-old is 210-96-1 in 26 seasons with no plans to leave again anytime soon.
AUBURN
Cam’s Show
Auburn coach Gene Chizik was singing Cam Newton’s praises when he saw him nearby after running over South Carolina’s defense for 60 minutes. Chizik kept going anyway.
“The facts are the facts,” he said.
And the facts are Newton continued to put a dent in both opposing defenses and the 10th-ranked Tigers’ record books Saturday night in the 35-27 win over the Gamecocks. The win pushed them up seven spots in The Associated poll and supplied a few more entries in Newton’s personal highlight reel.
The junior college transfer ran for 176 yards, passed for 158 and accounted for five touchdowns for the second time in his first four games with Auburn (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference).
“You can just read Cam’s numbers and they speak for themselves,” Chizik said. “He is a competitor. Cameron is a very humble guy who just comes to work every day. I think he is getting better as a quarterback and a team leader and a guy who can manage our offense every week.” TENNESSEE AD expects probe to end
University of Tennessee Athletics Director Mike Hamilton says the NCAA probe of the football program should end soon.
Hamilton told The Tennessean that “we’ve been led to believe” the football investigation is near completion and expects to receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA by December.
Tennessee turned itself in for six minor recruiting violations committed when Lane Kiffin was the head coach.
Among the allegations were mentioning a recruit by name and evaluating the recruit’s talents on a radio show, tweeting the name of another recruit, and possible recruiting violations by Orange Pride athletics hostesses, women students, that were not reported by football staff members.
The NCAA is also investigating the Volunteers’ baseball and basketball programs.
GEORGIA
LB arrested on DUI charge
Georgia freshman linebacker Demetre Baker has been arrested on DUI and other charges.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Baker was also charged with improper driving and underage possession of alcohol. He is the 10th University of Georgia football player arrested this year.
Baker is from Orange Park, Fla. He was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police and booked into the jail at 4:26 a.m. Sunday. Bond was set at a total of $2,500, the AJC reported, citing jail records.
Injury ends Rebels’ DE Lockett’s season
OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi Coach Houston Nutt says defensive end Kentrell Lockett will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Saturday’s 55-38 victory over Fresno State.
In three games, Lockett made six tackles, including one for a loss. He had 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks in 2009.
Nutt says Lockett’s loss was tough physically and emotionally. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior from Hahnville, La., is one of five team captains.
Sports, Pages 22 on 09/27/2010