Bear Pascoe holding fort at tight end for Giants

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08/12/2010 -

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -Watching the New York Giants tight ends at training camp these days is pretty simple - there's Bear Pascoe.

With four of the five tight ends at camp sidelined by minor injuries, Pascoe has gotten almost all the work. Whether it's one practice or two, the second-year pro has been the main target for quarterbacks Eli Manning, Jim Sorgi and Rhett Bomar, and he is loving every exhaustive second.

The performance has impressed coach Tom Coughlin and put Pascoe on the road to earning a spot on the roster.

``I think anyone should welcome this,'' Pascoe said Wednesday between practices. ``It's a chance to get better and a chance to show how hard I can work and that I'm a guy who can last, that I have durability and toughness. I can take that pounding and keep going.''

Kevin Boss has the Giants' starting job nailed down despite ankle and hamstring injuries.

There are one or two other spots open, and second-year pros Travis Beckum (hamstring), Scott Chandler (hip flexor) and rookie Jake Ballard (hamstring) aren't doing themselves any good watching from the sidelines at the University at Albany.

``I feel terrible when I look out there and see just Bear out there,'' Boss said. ``I feel terrible for him. It's real hard to watch and sit back there and not be able to help him out.''

Surprisingly, Pascoe says he feels great. There might be a little tightness in his calves, but other than that, he's healthy and has improved with the added workload.

Pascoe expects a lot out of himself. He just missed making a diving catch in practice Wednesday morning. While he could have blamed fatigue, he didn't.

``It hit my hands, I should catch it, that's the responsibility as a wide receiver and tight end,'' Pascoe said. ``If it is in our area, we should come down with it.''

Tight ends coach Mike Pope teased Pascoe about his workload before practice.

Pascoe's real first name is McKenna, the name of a priest who married his parents. Everyone started calling him 'Bear' as a youngster because he was just a lot bigger than his friends.

Pope likes the idea of mixing up Pascoe's names.

``Coach Pope was playing around before practice when we were stretching,'' Pascoe said. ``He's like on one play I am going to call 'Bear' and on the next I'll call 'McKenna.' We'll fool the defense.''

Actually, Pascoe hasn't gotten all the work. Offensive lineman Herb Taylor took a snap or two at tight end and was told to run a 10-yard out. He ran a 20-yard seam pattern and remarkably had the ball thrown in his direction, but never came close to getting his hands on it.

Pascoe laughed about the play, noting Taylor does a much better job blocking than him.

Sorgi said the craziest thing is that Pascoe has not asked the coaching staff for a break. He just says he is ready to go, which is great for team morale.

``He is the kind of guy who will be out there every day, the kind of guy who will fight his butt off for you no matter the situation,'' Sorgi said. ``You need those guys. You want a guy like that on your team because you know if you need a play at the end, you can count on that guy to do the right thing.''

A Fresno State product, Pascoe spent most of last season on the Giants' practice squad. He got a chance to play four games late last season, catching one pass and getting a start when the team opened a game in a two tight end formation.

``If I can keep working and improving like I am and show Coach Coughlin my good work ethic, most definitely I think I can earn a spot on this roster,'' he said. ``I am planning on it.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)

"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."

Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins

There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.

Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins

Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.

USC Trojans - 10.5 wins

A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.

Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy

Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.

"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."

Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1

The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1

If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.

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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

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