Level of boos getting scary

It's happened before and it will happen again. College football fans don't like what they see and respond with loud boos.

Part of the game, right? Sure, in the National Football League, where some payrolls are bigger than the GNPs of several third-world countries.

But booing after an individual play, such as incomplete pass? Or when a player comes back into the game after a series deemed not satisfactory?

Sorry, that's not right.

Yet Saturday at Ohio State, senior quarterback Todd Boeckman was booed after throwing an incomplete pass against Troy. And at Boston College, catcalls came down on senior QB Chris Crane when he returned to the game after sitting out a series in the second quarter. The noise wasn't overwhelming at BC, but it was enough to be noticed.

"Hey, we're just kids," said Ohio State defensive lineman Lawrence Wilson. "We're not professionals. There is no way adults should treat us that way."

A defensive lineman at a big-time program is not a "kid," but Wilson's point is well taken. The adults in the stands at college games - including students at BC - should not boo their players.

Eagles fans owe an apology to Crane, who was one of the main reasons for the second-half rally that produced BC's 34-7 victory over Central Florida.

"You hate to see that," said Eagles coach Jeff Jagodzinski about the booing. "Especially at home. But I guess it's all part of [the game]."

BC fans don't support the Eagles on the road. Not supporting them at home is even worse.

Crane is still a work in progress, as is the BC offense, which opened its playbook a little more Saturday. It will have to be wide open if the Eagles are going to continue their streak of bowl appearances, and bowl victories.

But college football is not the NFL. The Eagles are not the Patriots, the Giants, or any other team. They are a decent college team, with decent kids, kids who have parents.

So next time you are at a BC game and you have the urge to boo an Eagle player, stick a sock in it.

Hot times for Georgia
Georgia's defense certainly showed up for its trip to Arizona State. The Dawgs limited the Sun Devils to 4 yards rushing in 19 carries in a 27-10 victory in 99-degree heat. Georgia next takes on surging Alabama in Athens . . . One of the many reasons Urban Meyer is so popular as the Florida coach is the 8-1 record he has against the Gators' main rivals - Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State. Winning the national championship two years ago didn't hurt. Nor did Florida's 30-6 spanking of the host Volunteers Saturday. "We just came out and played relentless," said Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes. "If we come out every week and do that, it's going to be tough on opponents." It was the Gators' fourth consecutive win over the Volunteers . . . Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel didn't hurt his Heisman Trophy hopes one bit in the Tigers' 42-21 win over Buffalo. All Daniel did was throw for a career-high 439 yards and a pair of TD passes while setting a Big 12 record with 20 straight completions . . . Texas has been off center stage in the early going because Oklahoma and Missouri have dominated the headlines. But the Longhorns, who rushed past Rice, 52-10, are warming up, led by quarterback Colt McCoy, who threw four touchdowns and has 62 in his career. That broke the school record of 60 set by Major Applewhite (1998-2001).

Getting jump on 'em
Alabama jumped to a 21-0 lead over Arkansas and never looked back in a 49-14 romp. "All week Coach [Nick Saban] was talking about coming out firing and hitting them in the mouth quick," said Alabama defensive back Javier Arenas. "I think we did that. It seemed like they knew we were here to play a little football from the get-go." Arenas had a 63-yard interception return for a TD in the first quarter . . . Say hello to highly touted Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor, the most highly recruited QB in the country last winter, threw four touchdown passes in his first start for the Buckeyes, a 28-10 bounce-back victory over Troy. Ohio State had been trounced at Southern California, 35-3, last week. All of that is not good news for Boeckman, who in addition to being booed may have only a tenuous hold on the QB job share.

Hungry Wolfpack East Carolina, a non-Bowl Championship Series conference team with hopes of playing in a BCS game, was knocked off by North Carolina State, 30-24, in overtime, giving the Wolfpack and former BC coach Tom O'Brien an early-season highlight. "This is the first time we've played 60 minutes of tough, hard-nosed football," said O'Brien, whose team has eight starters sidelined. "The plays we weren't making in the past, we made them today." Boston College travels to North Carolina State in two weeks . . . Penn State is 4-0 for the second time since 2000 and is averaging 52.8 points per game . . . Wake Forest beat Florida State, 12-3, Saturday night, its third straight over the Seminoles, two coming in Tallahassee. Florida State committed seven turnovers and has scored 3 points with 11 turnovers and 21 penalties in its last two losses to the Demon Deacons . . . The Game of the Week was Fresno State over Toledo, 55-54, in two overtimes, a game that was not decided until Fresno's Nico Herron knocked down Toledo quarterback Aaron Opelt's 2-point conversion pass attempt in the second OT. The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards in total offense. Toledo coach Tom Amstutz decided to go for 2 (not required until the third OT) after the Rockets scored a touchdown that could have made it 55-55. "Our players were tired," said Amstutz. "It was time to decide the game. I would do it again the same way, other than we would catch it." . . . Rutgers, after its 23-21 loss to Navy, is now 0-3.

Material from wire services was used in this report.