NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Last Update on September 02, 2010 01:30 EDT

OKLAHOMA ST-GUNDY'S GROWTH

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.

That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys.

But late last season, he realized he physically couldn't keep doing everything he was doing. He approached athletic director Mike Holder about hiring a new offensive coordinator, and the result was the addition of Dana Holgorsen.

With Holgorsen installing his offense and calling the plays, Gundy says he has about six more hours per day to spend on recruiting and finding other ways to make the Cowboys better.

B12-NO-HYPE QBS

No preseason Heisman hype for Big 12 quarterbacks

Where have all the hyped-up Big 12 quarterbacks gone?

None of the league's quarterbacks is being mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate with Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy now in the NFL. Zac Robinson and Todd Reesing are gone, too.

Unlike so many years past, the 2010 season begins with most Big 12 quarterbacks being relative unknowns outside the conference -- and sometimes even outside their own schools.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel says there was a "perfect storm" a few years ago and he always found it hard to imagine a league having so many high-level quarterbacks.

Pinkel has a promising quarterback in Blaine Gabbert, but the league's most experienced starters now are Iowa State's Austen Arnaud and Texas A&M's Jerrod Johnson. The two seniors have each started 23 games.

MISSISSIPPI-QUARTERBACKS

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- Now that Jeremiah Masoli's football career has been put on hold by the NCAA, Mississippi turns to quarterback Nathan Stanley to lead its offense.

The lanky 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore from Tahlequah, Okla., completed 11 of 23 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception last season as Jevan Snead's backup, but remains largely untested in game situations.

Coach Houston Nutt says Stanley's had an excellent preseason camp, and isn't worried about how he'll perform on Saturday against Jacksonville State.

Masoli, who transferred from Oregon, was ruled ineligible for the 2010 season after his request to waive a one-year residency requirement was denied by the NCAA. The school appealed, with a decision due in the next week.

WORLDS-US-IRAN

ISTANBUL (AP) -- The United States eased its way to a top seed in the knockout round of the world championship, beating Iran 88-51 Wednesday in the first meeting between the countries with often contentious relations.

The U.S. team downplayed the political aspect of the matchup and methodically pulled away in the first half, wearing down the Asian champions with its depth and athleticism.

Kevin Love scored 13 points and Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant scored 12 for the Americans , who will meet the fourth-place team from Group A in the round of 16.

After playing his starters for most of the second half of a 70-68 victory over Brazil on Monday, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski went to the bench early in this one, with the Americans shooting 58 percent and scoring 23 points off turnovers in the easy victory.

COWBOYS-NUMBERS GAME

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Every day since the start of training camp, and sometimes twice a day, coach Wade Phillips has studied the Dallas Cowboys roster and picked the 53 guys he thinks should make the team.

He has to keep it fresh, because things keep changing.

Players improve or regress, get hurt or heal. It's not always as simple as erasing one name and jotting down another. If they play different positions, that could lead to another change. Or two.

Now, decision day looms.

The 75-man roster the Cowboys will carry into the preseason finale against Miami on Thursday night must be trimmed to 53 by Saturday afternoon.

With Tony Romo and other starters not playing against the Dolphins, Phillips will get a longer look at guys fighting for jobs.