WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue football program had eight of its members listed among the preseason All-Big Ten Teams according to Phil Steele's College Football Preview, according to Purduesports.com.

Guard Ken Plue, who has appeared in 35 career games and made 28 starts, and tackle Dennis Kelly, 29 appearances with 24 starts, were both named second team all-conference by the publication. The senior pair anchors an offensive line that returns four of five starters from a 2010 unit that saw the Boilermakers tie a school record with five consecutive games over 200 yards rushing.

Second team members on the defensive side of the ball include tackle Kawann Short and cornerback Ricardo Allen. Short finished the 2010 campaign fourth in the Big Ten with 6.0 sacks and tied for sixth in the league with 12.5 tackles for loss. Allen, a 2010 freshman All-American, recorded three interceptions as a true frosh, returning a pair of them for touchdowns against Michigan and No. 11 Michigan State.

kicker Carson Wiggs, who has kicked the four longest field goals in Purdue history and booted a 67-yarder in an exhibition during the Boilermakers' spring game, was also cited on the second team.

Marconews.com

Made with 10-karat gold and at least a dozen small diamonds, the ring Brandon Kornblue won as a kicker on the University of Michigan’s 1997 national championship football team is a bit too gaudy for every day wear.

He still brings the ring out for special occasions, which is why Kornblue had his prized jewelry with him over the weekend for his sister’s wedding in Boca Raton. When he returned to his Bonita Springs home late Sunday, he was too tired to unpack and left his travel bag in the car.

When Kornblue returned to his 2003 Honda Accord on Monday morning, the ring was gone. According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office report, Kornblue told deputies someone entered his unlocked car between 1 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. Monday and stole the ring, valued at $2,000, and his wallet which contained about $200.

“I usually don’t leave that bag in my car,” Kornblue, 34, said. “It was late, and I didn’t take everything out of the car because I was going right back early in the morning, and I was just exhausted from the weekend.”

Kornblue, of the 28000 block of Herring Way in the Villa Walk edition, earned the ring as a backup kicker on the Wolverines team that went 14-0 and beat Washington State in the Rose Bowl in 1997. He is now a coach, running Kornblue kicking that puts on camps and trains kickers locally, while also traveling the country to teach at college camps.

Though angry when he first discovered his ring was taken, Kornblue said he didn’t have much time to dwell on it. He had a private coaching session Monday morning he had to get to after calling deputies.

If the ring is not recovered, and Kornblue isn’t optimistic that it will be, it can be replaced by the manufacturing company. Kornblue said he hasn’t looked into a replacement ring yet. He has spent the past two days dealing with his stolen wallet – canceling credit cards and renewing his driver license.

“As much as I value (the ring), at the same time it’s not what I value most,” Kornblue said. “I value the experiences I had (at Michigan). The actual ring is great to have, but I didn’t lose any sleep over not having it either.”

As a redshirt sophomore in 1997, Kornblue was behind current NFL kicker Jay Feely on the depth chart. When Kornblue did get to kick, three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady was his holder on field goals.

Brady was a backup to former NFL quarterback Brian Griese in 1997. Kornblue estimated that 30 to 35 players from the national championship team went on to play professional football.

A native of Boca Raton, Kornblue was named an Academic All-Big Ten in 1999. Kornblue played with the Arena Football League, Spring Football League and for six seasons was the kicker for the Florida Firecats.

He was the af2’s all-time career leader in field goals and extra points made and total points by a kicker. The Firecats won the league’s Arena Cup in 2004 with Kornblue as their kicker. In 2009 he was voted as one of the top 10 kickers in af2 history.

Kornblue described his neighborhood, located on Bonita Beach Road two miles west of Interstate 75, as quiet. He said he never would have imagined a burglary in the area.

“You never see anything suspicious,” Kornblue said. “It’s not a community that you have to worry too much about burglaries. … I guess I was kind of naïve.”

By RONNIE GALLAGHER / Salisbury Post

MOUNT ULLA, S.C. — West Rowan has become such a football powerhouse that 10 of last season’s Falcons will get opportunities to play in college.

Even the ones who aren’t the household names.

Senior punter Kelly Miller joined the list of future college Falcons when Division III Methodist gave him a chance.

You must understand that the West Rowan punter is usually a no-name. You don’t win three straight state titles and 46 straight games by calling on the punter very often. Miller even admitted as much.

“I wouldn’t have to punt until the second quarter because we always got touchdowns on the first drive,” he said.

Miller was thinking of going into the Air Force due to his grandparents’ advice. Then, his guidance counselor got involved.

“She encouraged me to go to college,” he said.

Then, head football coach Scott Young got involved.

“I talked to Coach Young and five minutes later, he called me back to his office,” Miller said. “He gave me the message that Methodist had called me.”

Young seemed as thrilled that Miller is continuing his career as he was when Domonique Noble picked Georgia Tech.

“I’m really happy for Kelly,” beamed Young. “He’s dedicated. He put in a lot of work.”

The Monarchs were 2-8 (1-6 in the USA South) last season but lost games by 6, 3, 4 and 3 points, including one in three overtimes. Who knows what field position might have done to turn losses into wins.

With kickers, there are plenty of ups and downs. Miller remembers the playoff win against Northwest Cabarrus when he had three punts blocked.

But when the pressure was on, Miller was at his best.

Miller and Young pointed to one of the West’s toughest wins, a 20-14 nail-biter against Hibriten in the Western 3A final. Miller had five punts that night but angled those kicks just right and put Hibriten in poor field position. It helped propel West into the state title game where it ripped Eastern Alamance.

“All my punts were on point and I had high spirals,” Miller said of the Hibriten victory.

That also got some colleges’ attention.

“That was a big game for him to kick well in,” Young said. “It paid off.”

The sturdy, 6-foot-1 Miller eventually finished with an average of 33.7.

He laughs at how he became Young’s punter. He was a defensive lineman when he first started playing at West.

“They called me ‘Glass’ because I got hurt so much,” he said. “They didn’t have a punter so I became one.”

Little did he know when he was kicking in the backyard or in YFL as a kid that his foot would produce a chance to go to college like all of those other well-known Falcons.

“I was proud to be a part of it because I changed field position a lot,” he said of the 46-game win streak.

And he is just as confident heading off to college as Noble.

“(Methodist) said their punter was a cheerleader,” Miller said. “They said he was like 5-6, 170. I don’t know if I’ll start or not, but I’m twice his size. So hopefully, I’ll go there and dominate.”

He’s the third Rowan County player who will suit up for head coach Dave Eavenson next season, joining Carson quarterback Zack Gragg and Salisbury tight end Riley Gallagher.

“It’s like a dream come true,” Miller said.

By Todd Hefferman / The Southern

CARBONDALE - Jackson MacLachlan is this spring football's version of a preview story.

You can read all you want into MacLachlan's situation - walk-on kicker, only kicker in spring football camp, scholarship kicker Chris Adams coming in the fall - but no one really knows what's going to happen with Kyle Dougherty's successor until it plays out this fall.

"Obviously, competition is a good thing because it helps me improve, and everybody improves from competition, so, that's good, but right now, I'm just trying to focus on honing my skills and getting all that down, and just the technicalities of what I do," MacLachlan said.

MacLachlan, a 5-foot-10, 155-pound right-legged freshman out of Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo High School, backed up Dougherty all last season. Dougherty set the Southern Illinois University record for career field goals with 56 and came 13 points from tying kicker Craig Coffin's Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 379 career points.

Adams, an incoming freshman from DeSmet Jesuit (Mo.) High School, was a second team all-state pick as a both a kicker and punter by the Missouri Football Coaches Association. He made 52 extra points and five field goals for last year's Class 6A semifinal-ists.

MacLachlan, 19, came to SIU because he thought it was his best chance to possibly play. He had preferred walk-on offers from Arkansas and Wyoming, he said, but chose the Salukis because of the opportunity and the success. SIU had made the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for seven straight years before last year's 5-6 record.

A mechanical engineering major that is taking 17 hours of classes this semester, MacLachlan has the student-athlete juggling act down. Now he just has to keep taking advantage of his opportunities. In two scrimmages, he's hooked one extra-point try wide, but converted all six of his field goal tries.

"The way I see it, I've got kind of a head start in the spring, so I want to take advantage of my opportunities now," MacLachlan said. "Competition can only make me better, and it's just something every position has to deal with, so it shouldn't be any different for me. The way I see it is I've got a real good opportunity to play."

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas football team practiced Friday inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in its continued preparation for its April 16 spring game.

Special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach John L. Smith met the media following the Razorbacks' afternoon drills, commenting on what Arkansas' coaches will be looking for during Saturday's practice.

"As a staff, we're looking for execution," Smith said. "We're making sure we execute with the proper technique. That's what we're looking to get done right now. There are going to be a number of plays so we have to go out and play hard and execute."

Smith said it was a speed in football.

"It's a league of speed," he said. "We've got to have fast guys, and we've got to continue to recruit fast guys. If you can't run, you can't play in this league."

UA is scheduled to practice Saturday at 10 a.m., and on the following dates: April 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 15. The practice schedule is subject to change and fans are encouraged to check ArkansasRazorabacks.com daily for updated dates and times, along with post-practice reports.

Greg Johnson / Grand Rapids Pres

EAST LANSING -- If Michigan State punter Mike Sadler can improve and advance his football skills as fast as his academics, the Spartans might not find it so hard to replace punter and team tri-captain Aaron Bates.

Sadler, a redshirt freshman from Forest Hills Northern, expects to have -- get this -- senior standing academically after the fall term and football.

Several advanced placement classes from high school and his classroom skills in applied engineering sciences have fast-tracked the education process. He is well on the way to his academic goal of securing undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years.

As for football, Sadler said watching Bates and learning from him for a year advanced him as a punter, too.

"I think I’ve improved tremendously since high school," he said. "Getting in the weight room and building strength has really helped me. It helps with the hang time, and I’ve increased my flexibility, too."

Sadler talks with Bates, who works out at MSU and is finishing his senior year, on a daily basis. Bates, who was a captain with quarterback Kirk Cousins and linebacker Greg Jones last season, hopes to get drafted by the NFL or get a free-agent look. Sadler plans to win Bates’ old job.

"Aaron Bates is probably the next Michigan State legend," Sadler said in reference to Bates’ involvement in the fake field goal pass that won last year’s Notre Dame game in overtime, as well as a fake punt play pass he threw in a come-from-behind win against Northwestern.

"Aaron is a great guy, and I still talk to him every day. He’s done so much for the program as a punter, as a leader. I have big shoes to fill, but I’m ready to do it."

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio thinks it will happen.

"Mike Sadler was a big-time recruit for us last year, and he’s working hard, competing," Dantonio said. "He has big shoes to fill, very important shoes, but we expect him to be a very good punter."

Sadler has had Bates break down film for him, and they spend a lot of time talking about the small details of punting.

"We talk about how to drop the ball, what steps to make bigger, just small technical details like that," Sadler said. "punting is a really a technical art. Just the smallest things can make a huge difference."

Sadler was highly recruited out of high school. A 4.0 student in high school and ranked the No. 3 punting prospect in the country by Scout.com as a senior, he picked Michigan State over offers from LSU, Alabama, Arizona State, Northwestern and Purdue, among others.

In his senior season at Forest Hills Northern, Sadler averaged 39.9 yards per punt (32 for 1,276 yards) with a long of 61 yards. He also was the team’s kicker with a career-best 53-yard field goal, and in 2009 averaged 63.3 yards on kickoffs.

As a true freshman at MSU, Sadler was mentioned by Dantonio as being in the competition for the kicking duties eventually secured by Dan Conroy. That allowed Sadler to be redshirted.

He starts this spring topping the depth chart at punter, and will be challenged for the job by fifth-year senior Kyle Selden. Conroy and Kevin Muma return from last year to handle the kicking duties.

"I think I’m doing really well," Sadler said. "I’m right where I want to be. The biggest thing for me right now is just to get more repetitions, and just get more comfortable. I’m only getting better."