21.   Cal will rely on a ground game featuring Tarik Smith, who made a speedy return after tearing up a knee last season.

22.   Coach Vince Tobin has been looking for this kind of production from the ground game.

23.   Courthouse by courthouse, coffee shop by coffee shop, candidate Clements built a ground game to support the high-dollar airwaves game he mounted.

24.   Denver stuffed the Chiefs running game and then punched the Chiefs defense with a grinding ground game.

25.   Errict Rhett has given Baltimore a nifty ground game.

26.   First-play trickery aside, the Trojans succeeded with the ground game.

27.   Florida should be good although its quarterback, Doug Johnson, is returning from a broken leg and the ground game is suspect.

28.   For two teams schooled in the ground game, this is a major factor why Washington has been sinking and why the Giants have moved forward.

29.   Four returning offensive linemen and the sophomore running back Anthony Thomas will provide a punishing ground game.

30.   From studying film of the exhibitions, Raiders coach Art Shell said he can see that the ground game is just a hair away from busting loose.