SPORTS N STUFF

When Billy Cannon first pulled on a purple and gold LSU uniform, he never figured hed do anything on a football field that would last 50 years.

By the time his college career was over, the star running back had won a national title (1958), a Heisman Trophy (1959) and his No. 20 jersey had been retired, making him the first LSU player to receive such an honor.

As it turns out, No. 9 LSU has a home game on the 50th anniversary of the most famous of Cannons many highlights, a slashing, tackle-breaking, 89-yard punt return that lifted the Tigers to a 7-3 triumph over No. 3 Mississippi.

During the game against Tulane, LSU will commemorate the play, widely believed to have clinched Cannons Heisman that year. Now 72, Cannon will be honored on the field while the play is rerun on the massive video boards above the stands behind each end zone. Cannon promised with a grin this week that he and his old teammates would not attempt a re-enactment.

Ive looked at my guys and I dont think any of us could finish it, but weve enjoyed it very much over the years, Cannon said. Every player is proud of their part in that run and in their preparation to play in that game.

Footage of the Halloween night run, which can be found on the Internet, shows Cannon snagging a bouncing punt at the LSU 11, slipping a slew of tacklers and finally breaking loose along the right sideline as the Tiger Stadium crowd went wild.

What a many forget is that Cannon also had a hand in Ole Miss only points.

I was probably one of your better fumblers, too, he said, referring to his turnover in LSU territory that led to the Rebels field goal.

Cannon doesnt seem to mind reminiscing about his blunders, either, and said he would advise any football fan to spend a couple hours watching the entire game, which ended with LSUs goal-line stand in the final minute to make Cannons touchdown stand up as the winning score.

The runaways and where you get blown out, you forget, Cannon said. But where every play can determine the outcome of a game, those are the ones you remember, and you remember vividly.

Cannon went on to a successful pro career in the American Football League with the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, and after football went to dental school. In 1983, however, he was arrested on federal counterfeiting charges, ultimately pleaded guilty, served half of a five-year sentence and came out broke.

Though tarnished for a time, Cannons reputation has been rebuilt through his work as a dentist at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, where he tries to serve as a positive example for inmates, and through his routine participation in LSU events.

He is even able to joke about his troubled past, examining several voice recorders placed in front of him when he met with reporters and saying, I havent seen those since the FBI left town.

Saturday night wont be the first time Cannon has seen his run on the big screen in Death Valley, and Cannon said its always a thrill, especially when his grandchildren are there with him.

To see the look on their faces that that really happened – they hear about it, but to see it and to be with … our LSU fanatic fans, and to see the look on their faces is fantastic, Cannon said.

Cannon, who grew up in Baton Rouge and even saw Y.A. Tittle play for the Tigers, was quick to dismiss the idea that his runback stands as the greatest play in LSU history. Rather, he says, it was all about timing.

Do you know how many great football players weve seen play in that stadium? Cannon said. I think its the time or the moment that makes a great play stand up. If wed been ahead two touchdowns, I dont think it would have (mattered as much). But it was a lot of fun doing it.

Frequently part of college footballs jet set, Notre Dame will give the term new meaning when it leaves behind the Golden Dome and heads to the Alamodome.

Its a different feeling going to play a home game away from Notre Dame, tailback Armando Allen Jr. said.

The 25th-ranked Fighting Irish (5-2) will face Washington State (1-6) in San Antonio on Saturday, the first offsite home game under Notre Dames new scheduling model that calls for the Irish to play seven games in South Bend, four road games and a home game at a neutral site.

Former athletic director Kevin White announced the plan three years ago, saying the offsite games harkened back to the barnstorming era of Knute Rockne. The goal, he said, was to go back to its roots as an independent team in football, saying over time weve really begun to behave like a wannabe conference member.

Current athletic director Jack Swarbrick, hired in July 2008, has a different view. He sees the games as a way to promote the university rather than the football team.

We dont need to go somewhere to promote Notre Dame football, he said.

Swarbrick also disagrees with White on the type of teams Notre Dame should be playing in the offsite games. White said the Irish didnt want to schedule heavyweights, saying the school needed to schedule games conducive to success.

Originally Notre Dame had hoped to draw a Texas team to play the Irish in San Antonio, but ran into resistance from conferences that didnt want Notre Dame playing a home game within its conference footprint, mainly because it would be televised by NBC. Swarbrick believes Notre Dame will be able to get around that obstacle.

The thing that I have found is that the other conferences have to be your partner in this. They have to go to their broadcasters to get permission, he said. Im fairly optimistic that conferences will help make it happen.

The offsite games also give NBC a chance to televise a Notre Dame game in prime time, the first time in the 19 years the network has been airing Irish games.

The only other offsite games scheduled so far are against Army at Yankee Stadium next season and against Arizona State at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in 2013. White scheduled the Arizona State game, while Swarbrick scheduled the Army game.

While the Black Knights dont qualify as a heavyweight, Swarbrick said the game makes sense from a historical perspective. Two of Notre Dames greatest wins came against Army in 1913 and in 1928, as well as a 0-0 tie in 1946.

Our goal is to have these be featured games, have some element to distinguish them on our schedule, he said. Next year we will be celebrating our tradition with Army. In other years, our goal will be to have a very high-caliber opponent that creates the feel of a midseason bowl game.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis calls the offsite games intriguing, especially in the area of recruiting. The Irish, who havent had a strong presence in Texas in recent years, can give three tickets to high school recruits, but cant have any contact with them at the game.

Notre Dame players, who took buses to their first two road games at Michigan and Purdue, like the idea of taking a plane for a home trip.

Its cool, center Eric Olsen said. Its fun to go to these games in different places every year and get to see the rest of the country.

The Irish likely wont see much of San Antonio, though, after arriving at their hotel Friday evening. Weis has told them they can forget the Alamo. They wont even be going to the pep rally like they normally do at home games.

Still, players from Texas, such as place-kicker Nick Tausch (Plano), defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore (Weatherford) and left guard Chris Stewart (Spring) are looking forward to the trip.

I think its a great thing to get back to Notre Dame not only being in the spotlight here but around the nation playing games, Stewart said. Growing up in Texas, you always heard about when Notre Dame was in Texas.

Les Miles figures theres little use in trying to ignore the fact that No 9 LSUs game at Alabama on Nov 7 is looming largest on the minds of just about everyone associated with the program.

He only hopes his players will see Saturday nights home game against struggling Tulane as a much-needed opportunity to get better before LSU (6-1) returns to its Southeastern Conference schedule.

We understand that our greatest ally at this point is time – to improve, do better and play strong and play dominant against our next opponent. Miles said Monday. Then well look around and see where we are at.

Tulane (2-5) is coming off a 43-6 loss at Southern Mississippi, its third straight loss, and Tulane hasnt beaten LSU since 1982.

Miles nonetheless referred to the Green Wave as dangerous, and said his players must continue to build on the substantial improvement they showed in a 31-10 victory over Auburn.

Jordan Jefferson passed for a career-high 242 yards and threw a pair of touchdown passes against Auburn, going a long way toward putting his miserable performance against Florida (96 yards passing, five sacks) behind him.

It was only the ninth career start for the sophomore, and it was the first time this season he looked comfortable throwing deep and trusting his receivers to make plays, something hed pledged to do during LSUs recent bye week.

What I think were finding is, each game he continues to improve, he understands, he learns, he sees the field well, and Im not surprised, Miles said. Theres no ability for a coach to take you beyond experience. … You need as many snaps as you can get, and then, it helps him translate those plays in a game more effectively, especially for a guy that has the talent that he has.

A pair of freshman also emerged on offense, with Russell Shepard scoring on a 69-yard run and Rueben Randle hauling in a tough 31-yard catch along the sideline.

Miles said a number of young players who had not seen much action until the Auburn game will play key roles during the rest of the season.

If the rest of the season goes as planned, LSU could re-emerge as a contender to win the SEC and compete for a national title. If LSU pulls out a victory at No. 2 Alabama, the Tigers would vault into first place in the SEC Western Division, setting up a potential rematch with Florida in the SEC title game.

Our football team recognizes that if they do the things that they are capable of, well get to a position where well play for everything that we want, Miles said.

The timing of the bye week appeared to work in LSUs favor, giving the Tigers an opportunity to take a hard look at what went wrong in their 13-3 loss to the Gators on Oct. 10.

The recognition of how we played against Florida and the comparisons of the two teams that were made by the (LSU) players who played really told them something, Miles said. I think it became a more urgent want to prepare, improve and be the team they are capable of being.

Although LSU has only lost one game all season, there were few instances before the Auburn game in which the Tigers looked dominant.

LSU needed a late goal-line stand to escape Mississippi State with a win and a pair of late touchdowns to beat Georgia. The Tigers offense was thoroughly stifled by Florida, with the game remaining close only because of timely plays by LSUs defense.

Even the defense was struggling in key areas, entering the Auburn game ranked last in the SEC in sacks with five. The unit nearly doubled that total against Auburn, sacking Chris Todd four times. One sack produced a turnover and LSU also had an interception.

This defense seems to have a smile on its face when it goes out to play, and they are playing aggressive and downhill, Miles said. There is great effort. There is a sprit there that is allowing them to continue to get better.

Buffalo Bills tight end Shawn Nelson will not play in Sundays game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Bills downgraded the rookie tight end to out on Saturday.

Nelson sustained a concussion in last weeks 16-13 overtime win over the New York Jets.

Earlier this season, Nelson missed the Bills loss to New Orleans because of a strained shoulder.

TUSCALOOSA -Alabamas Mount Cody proved too big for Tennessee to kick over.

Terrence Cody, the Crimson Tides 350-pound nose guard, blocked a 44-yard field-goal attempt on the final play and No. 1 Alabama escaped with a 12-10 victory over the rival Volunteers on Saturday.

Cody broke through the line on the last play and practically ran into Daniel Lincolns low kick. Relieved Alabama fans chanted Cody as the All-American ambled toward the locker room. It was Codys second blocked field goal of the fourth quarter.

Leigh Tiffin booted four field goals – including a 50-yarder and a 49-yarder – to provide all Alabamas offense and the Tide (8-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) survived Mark Ingrams first college fumble and some problems for the nations top defense.

Tennessee (3-4, 1-3) kept alive its hopes for coach Lane Kiffins first huge victory with Eric Berrys fumble recovery and Jonathan Cromptons 11-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Jones with 1:19 left. Then Tennessees Denarius Moore recovered the onside kick at the Vols 41 with no time outs remaining.

No. 2 Florida 29, Mississippi State 19

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Floridas offense got just what it needed: Help from Mississippi State.

Chris Rainey scored from 8 yards out after the Bulldogs stumbled on a fake punt and Dustin Doe may have slipped a fumble on an interception return for a touchdown past the referees as the second-ranked Gators came away with a tough win over old friend Dan Mullen Saturday night.

The Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3 SEC) stymied the Gators (7-0, 5-0) near the goal line all night, but Raineys run and Does 23-yard return helped Florida extend the nations longest winning streak to 17 games.

Tim Tebow scored on a 26-yard run and picked up big chunks of yardage outside the Bulldogs 20. But the Gators offense is still struggling and doesnt resemble the juggernaut that won last seasons national title.

No. 3 Texas 41, Missouri 7

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Colt McCoy completed his first 11 passes and produced touchdowns on No. 3 Texas first three drives.

McCoy matched his season best with three touchdown passes, two of them to Jordan Shipley, while Texas defense blocked a punt for a score in a nearly flawless first half that produced a 35-7 lead.

The Longhorns (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) beat Missouri for the sixth straight time and Blaine Gabbert was held to 84 yards passing and a touchdown before getting pulled late in the third quarter.

The Tigers (4-3, 0-3) have opened conference play with three straight losses for the first time since 2002 and by a combined score of 95-36.

No. 5 Cincinnati 41, Louisville 10

CINCINNATI – Standing on the sideline in a sweat suit and baseball cap, injured quarterback Tony Pike watched his backup do a nearly perfect job.

Sophomore Zach Collaros threw only two incompletions while passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns in the Bearcats first game without their marquee quarterback.

The Bearcats (7-0, 3-0 Big East) are off to their best start since 1954 despite losing Pike, a senior whose strong arm is the perfect fit for their no-huddle, spread offense. He didnt suit up four days after having surgery on his non-throwing forearm, watching from the sideline with his left arm tucked inside his jacket.

His understudy proved to be a quick study against lowly Louisville (2-5, 0-3).

In his first collegiate start, Collaros went 15 of 17, repeatedly finding receivers running open through one of the conferences worst defenses.

No. 7 Iowa 15, Michigan State 13

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Ricky Stanzi connected with Marvin McNutt for a 7-yard touchdown pass as time expired to remain undefeated.

The Hawkeyes are 8-0 for the first time in school history and have sole possession of first place in the Big Ten at 4-0.

Iowa, sixth in the BCS standings, has won 12 straight dating back to last season, the second-longest streak in the nation.

Michigan State (4-4, 3-2) grabbed a 13-9 lead with 1:37 remaining when Kirk Cousins hit Blair White on a 30-yard touchdown. But the Hawkeyes stormed back with a sharp, game-winning drive led by Stanzi.

Stanzi hit Derrell Johnson-Koulianos with a 16-yard pass to move Iowa to the Michigan State 15. A defensive holding penalty moved the ball to Michigan State 7.

Stanzi threw three incomplete passes in the end zone, but on fourth down with 2 seconds on the clock, he hit McNutt on a slant pattern in front of Michigan State defensive back Chris L. Rucker.

Clemson 40, No. 8 Miami 37, OT

MIAMI – Kyle Parker threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford in overtime after Matt Bosher kicked a 22-yard field goal on Miamis overtime possession

On third-and-11, Parkers third TD pass of the night gave the Tigers (4-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) their first win over a ranked opponent in nine games – and dealt Miamis ACC hopes a serious blow. C.J. Spiller had a 90-yard kickoff return and a school-record 310 all-purpose yards for Clemson.

Jacory Harris threw for two touchdowns for Miami (5-2, 2-2), but also threw three interceptions.

It was the third meeting of these teams since Miami joined the ACC; all three went to overtime, and all three have been won by the road team.

No. 9 LSU 31, Auburn 10

BATON ROUGE, La. – Jordan Jefferson followed the worst game of his young career with his best.

Jefferson threw for a career-high 242 yards, including two touchdown passes, and scrambled for another score to lead No. 9 LSU to a 31-10 victory over Auburn on Saturday night.

After passing for 96 yards in a 13-3 loss to Florida, Jefferson quickly put that performance behind him with a touchdown pass to Terrance Toliver on LSUs first series. Toliver had a career-high nine catches for 86 yards, Brandon LaFell caught a touchdown pass and freshman Russell Shepard ran 69 yards for his first career TD.

LSUs defense was impressive as well, causing two turnovers and sacking Auburns Chris Todd four times.

No. 10 TCU 38, No. 16 BYU 7

PROVO, Utah – Andy Dalton passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns and No. 10 TCU remained unbeaten.

The Horned Frogs (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West) continued their march to what they hope is a BCS berth with their eighth straight victory and routed the Cougars (6-2, 3-1) for the second year in a row.

TCU was too fast for BYU on both offense and defense. The Frogs sacked Max Hall four times, the final one causing a fumble early in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown to finish the blowout with 12:00 left in the game.

Hall finished 18 for 28 for 162 yards with a touchdown. TCU outgained the Cougars 412-298.

No. 11 Georgia Tech 24, Virginia 9

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Georgia Tech beat the last team with an unbeaten record in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday, rushing for 362 yards and taking charge of the Coastal Division.

Josh Nesbitt ran for 82 yards and threw for 85, but he attempted only two passes in Georgia Techs four touchdown drives, including a 10-play, 60-yard march in the second quarter; a game-draining 18-play, 82-yard marathon that took up the first 10:47 of the third quarter and an 11-play, 66-yard one to put the game away in the fourth.

Georgia Tech (7-1, 5-1) broke an eight-game Charlottesville losing streak, winning at Virginia for the first time since 1990, the year the Yellow Jackets claimed a share of the national title. The Cavaliers (3-4, 2-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped, a run that followed an 0-3 start that had fans calling for coach Al Grohs job.

No. 12 Oregon 43, Washington 19

SEATTLE – Jeremiah Masoli returned from a knee injury to run for two scores, and No. 12 Oregon blocked a punt for a touchdown and used a fake field goal to set up another TD.

Oregon extended its dominance of Washington to six straight – longest in the history of the series – and like the previous five this one wasnt close. Oregon took advantage of Washingtons mistakes and the Ducks defense forced three turnovers, corralled Jake Locker and didnt get the Huskies (3-5, 2-3 Pac-10) into the end zone until the fourth quarter.

All six wins in the Ducks streak have been by more than 20 points.

Unlike their last outing two weeks ago at UCLA, the Ducks (6-1, 4-0) got their offense moving. Masoli was a spectator against the Bruins and Oregon needed a kickoff return for a score and an interception return for another TD to get the win.

Masoli completed 14 of 22 throws for 157 yards and a touchdown. He also added TD runs of 1 and 3 yards as part of his 54 yards rushing.

No. 13 Penn St. 35, Michigan 10

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Daryll Clark threw three of his four touchdown passes to Graham Zug, helping the Nittany Lions to their first win at the Big House since 1996.

The Nittany Lions (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) shut down the Wolverines (5-3, 1-3) Saturday after they opened with a 70-yard TD drive.

Clark connected with Zug on the ensuing possession to tie the game. He threw two more TD passes to Zug in the third quarter, giving Penn State a 32-10 lead that it had until taking 10-plus minutes off the clock and kicking a field goal in the fourth.

Michigan struggled to move the ball and had four turnovers.

Tate Forcier was 13 of 30 for 140 yards and an interception. Denard Robinson was 0 for 2 with an interception and fumbled.

Clark was 16 of 27 for 230 yards and tied his record for TD passes. Zug caught five passes for 59 yards and surpassed the total of TD receptions he had previously this season and all of last year.

Evan Royster had 100 yards rushing on 20 carries.

No. 14 Oklahoma State 34, Baylor 7

WACO, Texas – Zac Robinson beat his coachs school record by completing 23 of 27 passes and threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns to give the Cowboys their fifth straight win.

Oklahoma State has (6-1, 3-0 Big 12) won its last four games without injured running back Kendall Hunter or suspended receiver Dez Bryant.

Baylor (3-4, 0-3), which has a 20-game losing streak to ranked teams, has scored only 24 points in its Big 12 games. The Bears are 1-3 since standout sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin tore a ligament in his right knee a month ago.

Oklahoma State, which plays No. 3 Texas at home next weekend, was again just fine without its top running back and top receiver from last season.

Robinson completion percentage broke the record Mike Gundy set by hitting 27 of 35 passes (77 percent) against Kansas in 1989.

No. 17 Houston 38, SMU 15

HOUSTON – Charles Sims ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns and No. 17 Houston took advantage of turnover-prone SMU.

The Cougars (6-1, 2-1 Conference USA) jumped out to a 14-0 lead after taking advantage of two SMU turnovers and cruised to the victory in their first home game in almost a month.

Sims scored Houstons first touchdown on a 20-yard run and had a 6-yard score with about six minutes remaining.

Case Keenum, who entered the game averaging a nations best 417 yards passing, had a season-low 233 yards and a touchdown. But it was plenty to win this one and hand the Mustangs (3-4, 2-1) their first C-USA loss.

No. 18 Ohio St. 38, Minnesota 7.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Terrelle Pryor threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score.

A week after a 26-18 loss at Purdue, the Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) made Minnesota (4-4, 2-3) pay for its bad plays. The Golden Gophers had two major misplays in the secondary and two turnovers inside their own 20.

Pryor said he was a new man after four turnovers in the Purdue defeat. He played better against Minnesota, but it was difficult to tell how much because the Gophers made so many costly mistakes.

Pryor hit on 13 of 25 passes for 239 yards with one interception and also ran for 104 yards on 15 carries.

Minnesota didnt offer much resistance, running its scoreless streak to 136:23 before MarQueis Grays late 16-yard touchdown pass to Troy Stoudermire.

No. 19 Utah 23, Air Force 16, OT

SALT LAKE CITY – Stevenson Sylvester stuffed Connor Dietz on a fourth-down quarterback keeper in overtime.

On fourth-and-2 at the 7, Dietz pulled the ball from the fullback and tried the same play that had worked all game long. This time, Sylvester filled the running lane and brought Dietz down for no gain.

Dietz rolled on the ground in misery as the Utah players flooded the field from the sideline to celebrate the Utes fourth straight win.

Dietz rushed 28 times for 98 yards, but the Falcons (4-5, 3-3 Mountain West) lost for the sixth time in seven games in the hard-fought series against Utah (7-1, 4-0), with many games coming down to the last play.

No. 20 Pittsburgh 41, South Florida 14

PITTSBURGH – Bill Stull threw for two touchdowns, Dion Lewis ran for two more as the Panthers scored on all five possessions in the first half to extend their best start to a season in 27 years.

The Panthers (4-0 in Big East) are 7-1 for the first time since 1982 – Dan Marinos senior season and the last time Pitt was ranked No. 1.

They made this one look easy as Stull completed his first 11 passes against a Bulls defense that appeared geared to stopping Lewis at the start, before he took over and run for 111 yards in three quarters to push his seasons total to 1,029 yards.

South Florida (5-2, 1-2) repeatedly hurt itself early with penalties – the Big Easts most-penalized team drew the games first eight penalties and ended with 71 penalty yards – and never got into an offensive rhythm, partly because Pitt kept scoring so quickly. The Bulls have been outscored 75-31 in losses to Cincinnati and Pitt after moving into the Top 25 two weeks ago.

Texas AM 52, No. 21 Texas Tech 30

LUBBOCK, Texas – Cyrus Gray scored four touchdowns to help Texas AM snap a three-game losing streak.

Texas AM (4-3, 1-2 Big 12) hadnt won in Lubbock since 1993.

It was quite a turnaround from AMs 62-14 loss last week to Kansas State. The Aggies had 334 total yards in the first half against the Red Raiders a week after they had 301 for the entire game.

Jerrod Johnson completed 19 of 28 passes for 238 yards and a touchdowns, and added 71 yards and another score on 10 carries.

The Red Raiders (5-3, 2-2) went to Seth Doege at quarterback after Taylor Potts fumbled in the third quarter.

No. 22 West Virginia 28, Connecticut 24

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Connecticut nearly pulled out a win for Jasper Howard.

Noel Devines 56-yard touchdown run in the closing minutes lifted No. 22 West Virginia over the Huskies on Saturday in the Huskies first game since he starting cornerback was fatally stabbed outside a university-sponsored dance a week ago.

Devine ran for 171 of his 178 yards in the second half as West Virginia (6-1, 2-0 Big East) overcame the inspired play of the Huskies (4-3, 1-2).

The determined Huskies outgained the Mountaineers 501-387. Sophomore quarterback Cody Endres threw for a career-high 378 yards and two scores. Marcus Easley caught five passes for a career-high 157 yards, including an 88-yard TD.

We really wanted to go out and get this win for Jazz, but we came up short, Easley said.

No. 25 Oklahoma 35, No. 24 Kansas 13

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Chris Brown scored three touchdowns, and No. 25 Oklahoma throttled Todd Reesing and the nations second-leading offense.

The Sooners (4-3, 2-1 Big 12) intercepted Kansas career passing leader on the Jayhawks first three possessions. Dominique Franks set the defensive tone with an 85-yard touchdown return of the second interception of the NCAAs fifth-leading passer.

Landry Jones, starting for injured Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford, threw two touchdown passes and had little trouble with a Kansas defense that has been undergoing a midseason overhaul. Kansas (5-2, 1-2) hurt itself with penalties as well as turnovers and had only two field goals until Reesings 5-yard TD run with 4:27 left.

Oklahomas powerful defense held Kansas almost 200 yards below its season average of 503 yards. The Jayhawks had hoped for a victory that would elevate them to Big 12 contender status, but it was another Oklahoma domination, the Sooners sixth straight victory over them.

Just when it seemed as if Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was ready to make a decision about his future, the injured Oklahoma quarterback decided he needed more time to think about it.

Bradford called off a news conference scheduled for Wednesday night. Coach Bob Stoops said Bradford needed to gather more information before choosing what to do about his injured right, throwing shoulder.

He just wasnt ready to fully answer everything thatll want to be asked and for sure what he wants to do just yet, until he has a few more people to visit with, Stoops said after the Sooners practice. Thats it. I wont say another word about it.

Bradford was coming off of one of the most prolific passing seasons in NCAA history when he opted to come back for his junior year instead of entering the NFL draft this year. He was considered a top quarterback prospect after throwing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns last season.

Bradford was initially hurt just before halftime in the season opener against BYU and returned to play one full game before being re-injured during Oklahomas second drive in a 16-13 loss to No. 3 Texas on Saturday.

Bradford said after the game that he wouldnt make a decision about his long-term plans until after the season. He said before re-injuring the shoulder that surgery remained a treatment option. He was initially diagnosed with a Grade 3 sprain of his AC joint, and Stoops said X-rays and MRIs have shown no new damage.

Sams whole situation, hell have something to say when he knows what his path will be, and that isnt right now, Stoops said. Im not the one to answer it. He will. And I will once he feels hes ready to and knows for sure what he wants to do.

Bradfords primary reason for returning to Oklahoma was to pursue the national championship that he narrowly missed out on last season, when the Sooners lost to Florida in the BCS championship game. An Oklahoma City native, Bradford has also spoken about how Oklahoma football was practically a pro sport to him as he was growing up.

I think its extremely difficult for him, coming back for all the right reasons, wanting to have an opportunity to go compete on the football field, compete for championships and then having all those things taken away from you, quarterbacks coach Josh Heupel said. Theres a lot of hard work that goes into it and when you invest that much, its going to be extremely disappointing. Its not an easy situation for him, certainly.

The Sooners (3-3, 1-1 Big 12) have fallen out of the national championship race with three early losses by a combined five points against ranked opponents, all away from home.

I know the time and effort that hes invested. I know the choice that he made to come back, Heupel said. Its extremely disappointing to see somebody not get the opportunity that they want that theyve worked for.

Bradford reaggravated the injury when Longhorns cornerback Aaron Williams clobbered him on a blitz, forcing him to land on top of the shoulder similar to the way he did in the BYU game.

It wasnt on purpose and it was unfortunate that he was hurt, Williams said. It was a big play, but I would never wish for somebody to get hurt like that. I wish him the best of luck and I send all my blessings to him.

Heupel said Bradford had improved his arm strength and become bigger and stronger, particularly in his lower body, while trying to improve after winning the Heisman.

Did he completely accomplish all those things? No, because theyre all a work in progress, Heupel said. But I think he certainly got better each and every day that he was here and really focused on a lot of the things he wanted to get better at and did that.

Heupel didnt want to speculate on what Bradfords plans entailed, including whether he would attempt to play again this season. Stoops has only ruled Bradford out for this Saturdays game at No. 24 Kansas.

Whats going to happen here a week from now or three weeks from now or four weeks from now, I dont know, Heupel said. Those are things that I guess well find out as we go down the road.

A Bloomfield man will be arrested in the stabbing death of a University of Connecticut football player, his lawyer said Monday night, as police continued to sort out what happened during a fight outside a school-sponsored dance over the weekend.

Attorney Deron Freeman declined to identify his client, but says the man and several others got into a fight with about six UConn football players early Sunday. Freeman says his client did not stab Jasper Howard, but was present when Howard was mortally wounded.

Freeman said police searched his clients home in Bloomfield and removed some items. Freeman said police told him that his client and others will be arrested.

(Police) have indicated to me that they expect to get a warrant for his arrest, he said. Im not sure if I would say that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I could say that he was not involved in the actual stabbing of Mr. Howard.

It would be the second arrest connected to the stabbing, which occurred hours after Howard starred in UConns homecoming victory over Louisville.

Johnny Hood, 21, of Hartford, was arraigned Monday on charges of interfering with an officer and breach of peace, but he has not been charged in Howards death.

Authorities said Hood gave a false name when he was questioned. His bond initially was set at $100,000, but that was reduced Monday to $10,000.

Hoods attorney, Justin Freeman, said at the arraignment that his client is a full-time dental assistant and a part-time student at Capitol Community College, who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and did not even know a homicide had occurred.

Deron Freeman, who is Justin Freemans brother, declined to say whether his client knows Hood, but he said there were at least a half-dozen UConn football players with Howard at the time of the stabbing.

Hood was pointed out to police at the scene by another UConn player, 19-year-old Brian Parker of Sarasota, Fla., who also was stabbed but sustained minor injuries. The sophomore wide receiver, who is academically ineligible to play this season, was treated and released from a local hospital.

Coach Randy Edsall said two other players tried in vain to save Howards life.

One had Jasper in his arms and the other was pressuring where the wound went in and had blood on his hands, Edsall said. And those two young men are pretty deeply affected right now.

Sophomore receiver Kashif Moore said he was the player who held Howard until help arrived. He said he did not think his friend was going to die.

He was like in and out (of consciousness), Moore said. I didnt have time to be scared.

The states medical examiners office said Monday that Howard died from a single stab wound to the abdomen.

Howard, a junior and starting cornerback, came to the school to get away from the violence on the streets of his hometown of Miami. He was the first person in his family to go to college.

UConn basketball player Kalana Greene said Monday night that Howard was a good person who wanted to help lift his family out of poverty and away from crime.

Hes from Little Haiti in Miami, and he talked about doing everything for his mom and his two little sisters, doing something to make it out, Greene said. He was talking about how, Ive got to make it out to help my family out. I dont want my family to live the life that I lived. I dont want my kids to live the life that I lived. I want to make it good for them.

Center Tina Charles said Howard – nicknamed Jazz – loved to play pickup basketball with the UConn womens team.

He always made the games fun, she said. That smile would get probably any girl, that smile that he had.

Howards death was especially tragic, because he was about to become a father, Edsall said. Police declined to provide any additional information about the expectant mother, whom Edsall identified as Howards girlfriend.

Police interviewed dozens of witnesses but had made no other arrests late Monday.

Were pursuing active investigative leads, UConn police Maj. Ronal Blicher said.

Blicher said Howard was mortally wounded during a fight between two groups that included students and non-students. The fight broke out just after a fire alarm went off in a student center, forcing around 300 people to evacuate from a party and dance sponsored by the schools West Indian Awareness Organization.

The violence came less than 12 hours after UConns 38-25 homecoming victory over Louisville. Edsall identified Howards body at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford Sunday morning.

Students gathered for two vigils Monday night. Teammates and friends placed candles and flowers at the spot where Howard was killed, along with a poster that included the words Live 365 next to pictures of Howard playing football and having fun.

Outside the teams football complex, dozens of athletes and other students joined hands as punter Desi Cullen, a team captain led them in prayer.

Value the breath you breathe, he told the crowd. Value every day you wake up.

Cullen said it had been a tough day for players, as they met with Howards parents, who had flown up from Florida.

Earlier Monday, the campus co-op store sold out of T-shirts styled like jerseys with Howards No. 6.

The team will wear a sticker with Howards initials on its helmets for the rest of the season and will carry Howards helmet or jersey to away games, Edsall said.

The coach said he doesnt know if the two teammates who helped Howard will play when the Huskies visit Big East foe West Virginia on Saturday. Ill honor whatever decision they want to make, he said.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said plans are in the works to honor Howard at the game in Morgantown, W.Va. He said he expected the game would be very emotional for both teams.

The youngsters from our Miami area took it very, very, very hard, he said. Our guys were quite shaken, as they should be and they really, really liked that young man immensely.

Edsall said his team will resume practicing on Tuesday.

Itll be good for us to be getting back on the practice field tomorrow and getting a little bit of what in this tragic situation, back to a little bit of normalcy with what we have to do, he said.

Coach Brady Hoke isnt kidding when he says his San Diego State Aztecs face a big challenge against No 18 BYU on Saturday.

The Aztecs need only to look at BYUs massive offensive line, which averages 321 pounds and does quite nicely in opening holes for running back Harvey Unga and protecting quarterback Max Hall.

Hoke likens BYUs offensive linemen to heavy machinery.

You always want to try and limit an opponents offense, in one phase of the game, and we want to make sure we stop the run, Hoke said. That is a goal every week. If you can get a team one-dimensional, then you play into your hands a little bit, but its going to be a real challenge for us up front to handle some of those big road graders they have.

The Aztecs defensive line – coached by Hoke – averages 250 pounds. With such a size discrepancy, Hoke said the Aztecs will have to survive on fundamentals, technique and intangibles.

We all would like big guys who are athletic and fast, he said. Well, theres only so many of those in this country and so with what we do defensively, it enables us to do some things with guys who arent quite as stout or as big as youd like them but theyre guys who I think have a lot of heart to them, a lot of toughness, and a lot of effort to them.

While the Aztecs (2-3, 0-1 Mountain West Conference) are coming off a bye, BYU (5-1, 2-0) displayed its offensive balance by gaining 611 yards in a 59-21 win at UNLV last week. Unga ran for three touchdowns and 149 yards, and Hall completed 21 of 27 passes for 320 yards and two more scores.

Were going to try to work edges, try to use our speed to get around them, and hopefully get them on their toes, try and work that game, SDSU linebacker Luke Laolagi said. Theyre big, but hopefully we can use our speed against them.

The Aztecs have already won as many games as they did last year, when they finished 2-10 and got Chuck Long fired as coach.

I think San Diego State is an improved football team, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. They are certainly playing with a lot more effort than what I have seen in the past. I think they are being coached very well and I think there is a resiliency that they have added that possibly has been missing in years past, at least since I have been in the league. So I think it will be a difficult test on the road and were anxious to play.

A win would be the 500th in BYUs history. To get it, Mendenhall will have to triumph over some old friends.

Hoke, Mendenhall and SDSU defensive coordinator Rocky Long all crossed paths at Oregon State in the 1990s.

Mendenhall said he considers Hoke and Long mentors, and Ive learned a lot of football from them. So that has put a unique take on this particular game.

The Cougars have won seven of the last eight games against the Aztecs, averaging 46 points in those wins.

Virginia Tech hopes this trip to Atlanta goes better than the last one.

Having played themselves back into the national championship race after losing their opener to Alabama, the fourth-ranked Hokies face what appears to be their last major hurdle of the regular season Saturday when they head south again to take on No. 19 Georgia Tech.

Virginia Tech (5-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) already played once in Atlanta this season, losing to the second-ranked Crimson Tide 34-24 in a neutral-site game at the Georgia Dome. Five straight wins have quickly pushed the Hokies back into contention for a national title.

Youve got to keep it simple, coach Frank Beamer said. I think everybody wants to get it big, but to me, the bigger it gets, the simpler you think. Theres a lot at stake, no question, but the way you attack that is have great preparation. Then you can go down there and hopefully play great. Thats the only way you can come out on the other end of this. All this talk about what it means all week, thats not going to help us win.

But this certainly appears to be the most challenging game left on Virginia Techs schedule. Georgia Tech (5-1, 3-1) can cause major problems with its funky spread offense, which relies mostly on option-oriented runs with an occasional pass thrown in to keep defenses honest.

The Yellow Jackets rank fourth nationally in rushing yards (277 per game) and theyve produced 91 points and 1,011 yards of total offense over the past two games.

This week is a huge game for our team and program, coach Paul Johnson said. We set a goal of wanting to compete for the ACC championship and weve gotten ourselves to the point where this game is meaningful along those lines. If we can win the game, we may have a chance. If we lose the game, we probably have no chance.

Virginia Tech will have a much clearer path to the ACC title game – and possibly a shot at competing for No. 1 – if it can get past Georgia Tech. The Hokies last five regular-season opponents have a combined record of 14-15.

If there are no stumbles along the way, Virginia Tech is assured of playing in the Dec. 5 ACC championship game at Tampa, Fla. – even if No. 9 Miami wins out. The Hokies hold a tiebreaker edge because of their 31-7 win over the Hurricanes three weeks ago.

Georgia Tech is still right in the mix, as well, giving the Coastal Division what appears to be the three strongest teams in the ACC. Of course, theres only room for one of them in the title game.

I think were right in stride, Yellow Jackets quarterback Josh Nesbitt said. Everybody is doing good, right on top of their game, and weve just got to carry on to the next game.

Carry being the operative word. Nesbitt is the conferences third-leading rusher (83.8-yard average) and hes coming off a 140-yard, three-touchdown performance that powered a 49-44 shootout win over Florida State. Defenses have focused much of their attention on running back Jonathan Dwyer, last years ACC offensive player of the year, and thats opened things up for the junior quarterback.

Since he likes to run it, weve got to treat him like a running back and stick him, Virginia Tech linebacker Jake Johnson said. Hes a tough guy. He runs a lot, so hes used to it, but were going to treat him like a running back.

Nesbitt can put the ball in the air, too. Last week, he passed for 131 yards and a touchdown against the shell-shocked Seminoles.

I entered the season just thinking I need to do whatever I can to help the team win, Nesbitt said. I was willing to do anything.

If theres anything that makes the Yellow Jackets one-dimensional, its the defense. Not many teams would still be contending for a championship with a defense thats allowing 385 yards each time out. But thats just where Georgia Tech finds itself, ranking 82nd nationally and 10th in the ACC.

Johnson, who runs the offense, ordered the defensive coaches to cut back on the number of formations and plays theyre calling, hoping that will make it easier to contain quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the rest of a steadily improving Hokies offense.

I see guys not playing fast and not flying to the ball, Johnson said. I dont think its because they dont want to. I think theres something holding them back to some degree. So what weve got to do, if weve got too much stuff that theyre having to think about, weve got to simplify and turn them loose and let them play.

Virginia Tech, perennially one of the top defensive teams in the country, has struggled to a lesser extent. The Hokies rank 35th nationally – far below their normal top 10 perch – at 310 yards per game.

We have some youth on the defensive side, Beamer said. Last year, we had a lot of youth on the offensive side. A lot of times with experience you become more consistent, and hopefully that is what we are going to see midway through the year.

The chief executive of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl says he still hopes for the game to have a tie-in with the Big Ten.

George Perles (PER-less) said Wednesday he expects to know by next week if the former Motor City Bowl will reach an agreement with a Big Ten or Big East team to play a Mid-American Conference school.

Big Ten spokesman Scott Chipman said the conference is still in talks with bowl officials in Detroit.

The bowl changed its name after Detroit-based Little Caesars stepped in as sponsor. The game is played at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions.