ground against a Portland State defense that allowed 40

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Only one rookie is listed as a starter for the Arizona Cardinals for Friday nights preseason opener against Oakland. Brandon Williams will be at cornerback, a position he played for just one college season.That switch from part-time running back at Texas A&M was the starting point for this rapid ascent to an important role on a team that expects to contend for the Super Bowl.I know how hard I worked for it, Williams said after practice this week. If you work hard for something and you believe in yourself, good things are going to happen.Quarterback Carson Palmer said hes just shocked at how well the third-round draft pick has performed in training camp.He plays as advertised as a physical specimen, Palmer said, but you just see him get better and get more comfortable. Theres not a ton of reps under his belt throughout college and all of that. For a guy to come in to a very complex system and play extremely well, especially for a rookie, I think has shocked a lot of people.Coach Bruce Arians said Williams is a better football player than the coach thought he was when the Cardinals drafted him as the 92nd pick overall.Williams had turned heads when he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, tied for third-fastest among cornerbacks.We knew what kind of athlete we were getting but hes a better football player, Arians said. You never know how mature a guy is going to be when you draft him. Hes very, very mature and hes very focused on what he wants to do.Williams won the job with Justin Bethel, who started four games last season, on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from foot surgery.When Bethel returns, he will have to beat out the rookie.Its Brandons job to lose right now, Arians said. You cant win it not practicing.With his long arms, strength and speed, the 6-foot, 200-pound Williams is playing very, very well against Arizonas standout group of receivers, Arians said.Williams acknowledged its real tough going against the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown.I havent gone against no receivers in the NFL yet, Williams said, but its hard to see any receiving corps better than our receiving corps.A star running back in high school, Williams originally attended Oklahoma before transferring to Texas A&M, where he found himself in a logjam at the position.Last year, newly hired defensive coordinator John Chavis looked at Williams as a natural athlete who had the makings of a cornerback, so he and head coach Kevin Sumlin suggested the change. Williams readily agreed.A year later, Williams is an NFL training camp standout.He gives much of the credit to help from All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.On the field, off the field, technique, just everything, he said. Hes really been my mentor, a big brother, everything I could ask for. Throughout this process, hes been there for me.Whoever plays cornerback opposite Peterson will see plenty of action. Teams are reluctant to throw in the All-Pros direction.Williams knows that full well but believes he can do the job.To me, its just football, man, he said, knowing what you need to do, knowing youve got somebody to back you up, knowing youve got teammates like Pat, knowing youve got coaches like (cornerback coach) Kevin Ross. Going into it, thinking about the whole situation, I feel like Im ready.Williams gets his first big test against the Raiders. Arians said the rookie will play longer than the other starters in Friday nights game just to get more experience.Arians usually likes to bring rookies along slowly.He will be an exception, the coach said.Game notes Arians said that Earl Watford (bruised knee), the backup player all along the offensive line, will be one of 10 players to miss the Raiders game due to injuries. Others include wide receiver John Brown (concussion), defensive tackle Corey Peters (plantar fasciitis) and defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche (high ankle sprain), the first-round draft pick who has yet to practice due to his injury. ... Arians said Palmer will play 10 to 12 plays and backup Drew Stanton will see a little bit. Matt Barkley will be the quarterback most of the game, with rookie Jake Locker taking over in the fourth quarter.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Air Jordan 4 Websites . JOHNS, N. Cheap Air Jordan 4 Uk Sale .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. http://www.cheapairjordan4uk.com/ . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Wholesale Air Jordan 4 Uk . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Cheap Air Jordan 4 Wholesale . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. SEATTLE -- The unsatisfying appetizers for No. 8 Washington are done. Proving the Huskies are worthy of their lofty ranking three weeks into the season now begins.Well find out quick. Well find out quick what we have, Washington coach Chris Petersen said.Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes in the first 16 minutes and No. 8 Washington closed out its uninspired nonconference schedule with a 41-3 win over Portland State on Saturday night.Browning and the Huskies (3-0) led 14-0 after less than 3 minutes and coasted their way past the lower division opponent. Browning threw a 43-yard touchdown to Chico McClatcher on Washingtons opening drive, and added TD tosses of 11 yards to Darrell Daniels, 13 yards to McClatcher on the second play of the second quarter and a 4-yard TD pass to Myles Gaskin early in the fourth quarter.I think we learned some things about our team that are good things and some things that we still need to clean up, Petersen said.Browning finished 12 of 19 for 163 yards. His numbers were less impressive than the first two weeks due to the Huskies being helped out by a pair of Portland State turnovers deep in its own end, giving Washington a short field. Browning now has 12 touchdown passes in three games after throwing 16 TDs all of last season.Will Dissly, a converted defensive end now playing tight end, caught a 27-yard touchdown from K.J. Carta-Samuels in the fourth quarter as Washington extended its streak of scoring 40 or more points to six straight games dating to last season.Portland State served as the final warmup before Washingtons season really begins next week at Arizona. The Huskies outscored its three nonconference opponents -- Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State -- 148-30 and Washingtons starting defense has yet to allow a touchdown while on the field.I think we have proved that we arent looking past anything and that we are focused on the game, which Im sure youve heard millions of times from guys on our team, Browning said. We just have to continue that approach and get ready for Arizona.Alex Kuresa was 11 of 17 passing for 148 yards and one interception for Portland State. The Vikings (1-2) had four total turnovers and managed just 34 yards rushing on 42 carries.Thats brutal, Portland State coach Bruce Barnum said of the 34 yards rushing.dddddddddddd I just read that stat. Id also like to marry Miss America but some things never happen. Not against that defense.THE TAKEAWAYPortland State: The Vikings played a nearly perfect game when they upset Washington State last year. This season, too many miscues protecting the ball kept Portland State from being competitive in either of its games against FBS competition. The Vikings committed six turnovers in last weeks loss at San Jose State then fumbled the first kickoff they received on Saturday and found themselves down 14-0 in a hurry.Washington: The Huskies run game continues to baffle. Gaskin finished with a season-high 93 yards rushing on 13 carries, including a season-best 37-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The Huskies rushed for 213 yards but it took into the fourth quarter before the finding sustained success on the ground against a Portland State defense that allowed 409 yards rushing to San Jose State last week.POLL IMPLICATIONSWashington may creep a little higher in the Top 25 but not much. The impressive win by No. 10 Louisville over No. 2 Florida State will likely vault the Cardinals past Washington in the Top 10. The Huskies will get their chance to impress in the coming weeks.DEFENSIVE STOPSPetersen was thrilled with the performance of Washingtons defense against Portland States unique run game. Kuresa was held to (minus)-8 yards on 12 carries. Paris Penn, who rushed for 137 yards against San Jose State was held to 7 yards by Washington.To do what we did I couldnt be more pleased, Washington defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said.UP NEXTPortland State: The Vikings return to the FCS level and open Big Sky play next Saturday at defending conference champion Southern Utah.Washington: The Huskies finally get tested when they travel to Arizona for their Pac-12 opener next Saturday. Its a challenging stretch for Washington playing a late Saturday night game in the desert following by a short week before hosting Stanford on Friday, Sept. 30.---AP College Football: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '