Teams fixed on correcting mistakes after shaky starts to season

Some problems should be a snap to fix. Others might need a bit more duct tape. Heading into the second weekend of the college football season, a few notable programs have some quick fixes to make.

Florida showed first-game jitters against Miami (Ohio) as center Mike Pouncey snapped the ball all over the Swamp when quarterback John Brantley was in the shotgun. One flew past Brantley, two more landed near his shoelaces and others were slightly off target. Brantley also dropped one that hit him in the hands.

That's not all that dropped. With a less-than-impressive performance, the Gators fell three spots in the USA TODAY Coaches' Poll to No. 6. This weekend, they can't afford to make mistakes against a determined South Florida team.

"We have two very accountable people working hard to get that thing right," coach Urban Meyer said. "Those aren't true freshmen, so we have to get that fixed."

Then Meyer offered this how-to guide: Pouncey needs to better lock his wrist, the grip needs to be firmer (a sizzling noon ET kickoff resulted in a slippery ball) and Brantley must focus better on the ball.

Other first-game problems might be a bit trickier.

Oklahoma's secondary struggled in a closer-than-expected win against Utah State. Now the Sooners, who dropped two spots in the coaches' poll to No. 10, host No. 18 Florida State and a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, Christian Ponder.

Southern California's defense kept Hawaii in the game, allowing 588 yards to USC's 524 in the victory. Next up: Virginia, which won its opener for the first time in five years by beating Richmond.

Washington's offense fizzled in a loss at Brigham Young. If quarterback Jake Locker wants to remain in Heisman contention, the Huskies need a quick fix. They host Syracuse this week. Orange quarterback Ryan Nassib had a better opening performance than Locker. Syracuse won at Akron in Nassib's first start.

No. 16 LSU turned the ball over five times in a win against depleted North Carolina.

"We have a lot of work to do," LSU coach Les Miles said. "We are certainly working on ball security and on some of the decisions we make in terms of how we scramble and what we do with the ball when we scramble."

This weekend, the Tigers visit Vanderbilt, which also has a few issues to correct. The Commodores were undone by penalties and botched plays on two-point conversions and an extra point in a 23-21 loss to Northwestern.