GREEN BAY, Wis. -- No matter what the plan is for Julius Peppers this season, the expectations arent changing for the oldest player on the Green Bay Packers roster.Its not like were going to put him out to pasture or sit him over on the bench a whole lot, general manager Ted Thompson said Wednesday.Peppers is beginning his 15th NFL season; whether this will be the final one for the 36-year-old defensive stalwart isnt known.Of more immediate attention, as the Packers prepare to play their first preseason game Friday night against the Cleveland Browns, is just what role Peppers will have when the season starts in a month.Peppers is listed as a starter on the depth chart this week. But another former first-round draft pick, Nick Perry, not Peppers, has been taking most of the reps at the outside linebacker spot opposite Clay Matthews in Green Bays base defense early in training camp.Defensive coordinator Dom Capers said reining in Peppers has been by design.I think we know what Julius is capable of, so youll probably see limited reps of Julius with where he is, Capers said. Youve seen that through training camp thus far, so its enabled Nick to get a lot of reps. We have a number of guys there that we need to see and take a good look at.While Perry is relishing the extra work as he looks to put an injury-marred first four pro seasons behind him, Peppers isnt saying much about the apparent role reversal. In fact, he hasnt spoken to reporters in the locker room since the first couple of days of camp, which opened July 26.Peppers declined to talk as he walked out of the locker room after practice Wednesday.As long as he can stay healthy, which hes been since the teams offseason program in the spring for the first time in his career, Perry is expected to have a bigger role in Green Bays defense this season.Hes a physical guy, very good player against the run, and he can use that physicality and size, and hes got a couple pass-rush moves that hes very good at, Capers said.Perry has yet to play a full season, but the Packers saw enough production at the end of last season to re-sign him to a one-year contract.This is home for me, said Perry, who led Green Bay with 3 + sacks in its two playoff games. For those guys to believe in me and know that Ive got more to give, it just puts everything in perspective on whats to come. Theres unfinished business here, and were just trying to get to that.As for Peppers, the Packers are hopeful he will remain as productive as ever, even if his role is diminished.Hes a marvelous player and a very gifted, athletic specimen, the likes of which I dont know that Ive ever seen, Thompson said.Peppers had a team-high 10 + sacks last season, moving him to No. 9 on the NFLs all-time sacks list with 136. He also was selected to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time.Thompson wouldnt say whether the team will try to maximize Peppers production in the final year of a three-year, $26 million contract by reducing his workload.I think certainly you can make that argument that that would be a logical conclusion, Thompson said. I dont know. I think it just kind of depends. I think you pick your spots and you use players that are extraordinary, which Julius is, in a certain way.Game notes Matthews (ankle) and WR Randall Cobb (calf) were held out of the Packers final open practice before Fridays game. Among those still sidelined were QB Brett Hundley (ankle), LB Jake Ryan (hamstring) and C JC Tretter (illness). . Long snapper Jesse Schmitt watched practice with a cast on his broken right hand. Schmitt suffered the injury while making a block on his first snap in a punt drill in his first practice with the team Tuesday night. The Packers signed Schmitt, an undrafted rookie from Purdue, to compete with incumbent Rick Lovato. Schmitt didnt know if surgery would be needed.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Vapormax Plus Herre Norge .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Vapormax Til Salg .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. http://www.vapormaxnorge.com/vapormax-dame-norge/vapormax-svart.html . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Vapormax Herre Norge . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Vapormax China . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. LUBBOCK, Texas -- Its rare when pass-happy Texas Tech churns out more plays on the ground than in the air, but thats what happened Saturday night.Patrick Mahomes threw for five touchdowns, three to Johnathan Giles, and ran for another to lead Texas Tech past Louisiana Tech 59-45.That was their defense, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said of the 43-36 edge to running plays. If theyre going to give us a run, were going to take it. Were going to do whatever the defense allows us to do.Giles, who finished with six catches for 186 yards, said balance with the rush and pass takes pressure off Mahomes.I feel like it makes it easier for Pat just so he dont have to throw the ball a whole lot, he said. And us as a receiver group, just blocking, being physical, if very fun.Mahomes threw touchdown passes of 64, 36, 9, 42 and 4. The junior, who came into the game leading the nation in total offense, completed 26 of 36 passes for 470 yards.Demarcus Felton rushed for 123 yards on 16 carries and had two touchdowns.The Bulldogs fell behind 35-10 and couldnt quell the Red Raiders up-tempo offense enough to pull off a comeback. They got within 11 points twice.I thought our defense was a joke, Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz said.Kingsbury said his team needs to get tougher and put opponents away.You cant have guys, particularly their best players, running wide open, he said.The Red Raiders (2-1) didnt punt through three quarters and scored on six of their first seven possessions.Jarred Craft had 151 yards on 21 carries and Trent Taylor caught six passes for 166 yards for the Bulldogs (1-2).Jarred did a phenomenal job, whether it was to start off a drive or a short play that hed just bust open, he did a great job getting his holes, almost always making the first defender miss quarterback Ryan Higgins said. He kept us alive.The Red Raiders pulled some razzle dazzle in thhe second quarter, running a double reverse that ended in Giles hands and brought him one of his three touchdowns -- a 42-yarder.ddddddddddddI stole that from Western Kentucky, Kingsbury said. It was a great play they ran for a touchdown, so we repped it a ton. We had it but we werent getting the right looks for it, and it just worked out tonight.TAKEAWAYS:LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs defense came into the game giving up just 295 total yards per game to rank 31st in the nation . Texas Tech moved the ball at will and had almost 100 yards more of offense than that (392), and led 35-17 at halftime.TEXAS TECH: Ranked 117th in total defense coming into the game, Texas Tech showed improvement. The Bulldogs tallied 572 total yards, fewer than the 652 the Red Raiders gave up in their 68-55 loss at Arizona State last week. I thought offensively we handled the situation better, Kingsbury said. Everybody executed at a much higher level.Holtz lauded Texas Techs defense. They ran a lot of coverages, they ran a lot of fronts, he said. They do as much as any defense Ive ever seen. They ran I dont know how many coverages tonight, but you couldnt attack what they were doing.UP NEXT:LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs continue their road games when they travel to Middle Tennessee.TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders have a bye next week before hosting Kansas on Sept. 29. It will be the first Thursday night home game for Texas Tech since beating then-No. 24 TCU 20-10 on Sept. 12, 2013, Kliff Kingsburys first season with the Red Raiders.POINTS GALORE:It was the eighth home game in a row that the Red Raiders scored at least 50 points---Follow Betsy Blaney on Twitter at www.twitter.com/betsyblaney---Online: AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '