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09/08/2010 - Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bitter rivals clash at Kinnick Stadium this weekend, as the ninth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes do battle with the Iowa State Cyclones.
The Hawkeyes took care of business in their opener last weekend, as they tallied a 37-7 victory over Eastern Illinois, a FCS program.
"We're very happy with the win," UI head coach Kirk Ferentz said. "All-in-all, I think we're all pleased. It was good we got to play a lot of guys in the fourth quarter."
It was certainly a better performance than last year's opener, when the Hawkeyes used a pair of blocked field goals in the final seconds to hold off Northern Iowa for a 17-16 victory. The win last weekend was the 10th straight in season openers for Iowa, which is expected to compete for a national title with the return of several key players from last year's 11-2 squad.
ISU meanwhile, is looking to build off last season's 7-6 performance that included a bowl game victory. The Cyclones got things started on a high note, as they topped Northern Illinois, 27-10, in their opener on September 2nd.
"That was an outstanding win against a very good football team," stated Paul Rhoads, who is the first ISU coach to be 2-0 in season openers since Donnie Duncan (1979-80).
The Cyclones though, now have a much tougher task ahead of them, as they clash with the highly regarded Hawkeyes for the 58th time on the gridiron. Iowa leads the all-time series 38-19 and has won two straight, including a 35-3 victory in Ames last season. Furthermore, Iowa hasn't allowed a TD to ISU in 14 quarters, spanning four years, although the Cyclones did us a bunch of field goals to pick up a 15-13 victory in '07.
In last Thursday's win over NIU, the Cyclones racked up 403 total yards and scored all three of their TDs on the ground. The team however, averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and nearly half of its rushing yards came on a 63-yard TD scamper by Alexander Robinson, who finished with 97 yards and two scores on 19 totes. A 1,000-yard rusher last season, Robinson also caught four balls for 32 yards.
QB Austen Arnaud can also do damage with his legs and he was a big reason why ISU managed a hardy 180.0 ypg on the ground in '09. In the opener, Arnaud toted 14 times for 45 yards and a TD. He even showed improved accuracy by connecting on 27-of-36 tosses for 265 yards, although he had no passing TDs against two INTs. He will need to be much sharper if ISU is to penetrate Iowa's stingy defense.
The Cyclones did solid work on defense last Thursday, holding NIU to just 249 total yards and 10 points. The unit did an especially good job versus the pass, as NIU completed only 14-of-29 tosses for a mere 93 yards with three picks versus no TDs. Jake Knott came up with two of those INTs, to go with nine tackles and a forced fumble, while A.J. Klein led the defense with 15 stops.
"Jake's two interceptions were huge," Rhoads said. "He had a good number of tackles and he plays the game with passion."
Behind 435 yards of offense, including 179 rushing, the Hawkeyes easily took care of EIU in their opener this past weekend. Tailback Adam Robinson enjoyed a big day, as he went for 109 yards and a career-high three TDs on 24 carries. It marked the third career 100-yard effort for Robinson, who set an Iowa freshman record with 834 rushing yards last season.
"The offensive line did a great job of giving me running room and I took advantage of that," stated Robinson. "Rick [Stanzi] was great and we just played together as a team."
Robinson was thrust into a bigger role last year after Jewel Hampton suffered a torn ACL prior to the start of the campaign. Hampton, a freshman sensation in '08, was suspended for the opener, but is expected back this weekend. His return gives Iowa another weapon to work with while also taking some of the burden off Robinson.
QB Ricky Stanzi turned in a good effort versus NIU as well, throwing for 229 yards and a TD on 18-of-23 tosses. Never a player known for his numbers, Stanzi is a proven leader and winner, owning a 19-4 record as a starter.
Iowa returns eight starters from a defense that allowed only 15.4 ppg in '09, so this unit is expected to be among the best around. The defense didn't look rusty in the opener, when the group held EIU to a measly 157 yards of total offense. The Hawkeyes permitted just 65 of those yards on the ground, while surrendering a mere six first downs. Karl Klug, who had 13 TFLs last season, paced Iowa with six stops and 1.5 TFLs in the win.
<< Hurricanes blow into Columbus to battle Buckeyes
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A much-anticipated matchup between the second-
ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and the 12th-ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes will
ensue in Columbus on Saturday afternoon.
As expected, Miami cruised to victory over F
<< LSU visits Vanderbilt in SEC lidlifter
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vanderbilt Commodores are coming off a
highly-disappointing week-one loss, and they will open SEC play on Saturday
against the 19th-ranked LSU Tigers, who are fresh off a drama-filled victory.
LSU took on
<< Ranked SEC foes lock horns in Columbia
Columbia, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Richt leads his 22nd-ranked Georgia
Bulldogs into an SEC battle with Steve Spurrier's 24th-ranked South Carolina
Gamecocks in Columbia this weekend.
"Our guys are focused on South Carolina right now," sai
<< Tigers battle Bulldogs in SEC action
Starkville, MS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - SEC action begins on Thursday in Starkville
as the Mississippi State Bulldogs welcome the 21st-ranked Auburn Tigers to
town.
Auburn opened its season last weekend with a 52-26 victory over Arkansas
State.
Fireworks likely in showdown between Ducks and Volunteers >>
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off perhaps the most impressive
performance in week one of the 2010 college football season, the seventh-
ranked Oregon Ducks take to the road, as they invade SEC Country to battle the
Tennessee Volunteer
Yellow Jackets and Jayhawks square off in Lawrence >>
Lawrence, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 15th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
take their act on the road for the first time this season, as they invade
Lawrence this weekend, for a showdown with the Kansas Jayhawks in an ACC/Big
XII non-conferenc
Sooners and Seminoles meet in Top-25 showdown >>
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams with a lot to prove square off in a
tiop-25 showdown in Norman this weekend, as the 10th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners
play host to the 17th-ranked Florida State Seminoles.
The Seminoles got the Jimbo Fisher
No. 4 TCU hosts FCS foe Tennessee Tech >>
Fort Worth, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With one of the toughest games on their
schedule already out of the way, the fourth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs now focus
their attention on the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech in a non-conference
showdown at Amon
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Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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