NCAA Football Is Back

The college football season kicked off Thursday night and already one ranked team has gone down to defeat. Joe Phillips kicked a 21-yard field goal in overtime, as the Utah Utes edged the 15th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers, 27-24, in a non-conference showdown at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Terrelle Pryor threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, as second-ranked Ohio State blew out Marshall, 45-7. Junior quarterback Jacory Harris completed 12-of-15 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns, as the 13th-ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes annihilated Florida A&M, 45-0. The final top-25 game of the night signaled a new era in USC football as new head coach Lane Kiffin led his 14th-ranked Trojans into Honolulu for a 49-36 win over the Hawaii Warriors. Matt Barkley threw five touchdown passes for the Trojans, who are banned from postseason play due to NCAA violations.

Marcell Dareus Suspended

The NCAA has declared Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus ineligible for two games due to his dealings with sports agents. In its ruling, the NCAA said Dareus must repay benefits to become eligible again. Those benefits amount to $1,787.17, which will go to a charity of his choice. The ruling means Dareus will miss the Crimson Tide's season-opener Saturday night against San Jose State and then a game against No. 19 Penn State on September 11. Dareus led the SEC in sacks with 6 1/2 as a sophomore in 2009. He added 33 tackles, nine for a loss, and one interception in 14 games for the national champion and current No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide.

USA 5-0

Eric Gordon scored a game-high 21 points, leading the United States in a 92-57 rout of Tunisia to finish up an unblemished record in the preliminary round of the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each scored 14 points in the victory, as the USA finished atop Group B with a 5-0 mark. Stephen Curry added 13 points, while Chauncey Billups contributed with seven points in the win. The Americans will next play on September 6 against Angola, the fourth-place finisher from Group A.