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South Carolina QB Connor Mitch hospitalized for hip infection

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South Carolina quarterback Connor Mitch is banged up.

The Gamecocks' starting quarterback suffered a separated shoulder against Kentucky on Saturday night. And according to coach Steve Spurrier, he's in the hospital because of an infection in his hip. Mitch had suffered a severe hip bruise in the team's 17-13 Week 1 win over North Carolina.

“He got treatment all week, and felt like he was ready to go,” Spurrier said via the Charleston Post and Courier. “I think he probably just got hit again on that deep bruise, and it is an ugly bruise. That probably aggravated it also.”

The coach said Mitch is expected to be in the hospital a "couple" of days.

The news was much more positive regarding Mitch's shoulder, however. Spurrier had initially said after Saturday night's loss that Mitch could be out for the season. He said Sunday that the separated shoulder would keep Mitch out for 4-6 weeks.

Mitch hurt his shoulder in the second quarter against Kentucky. Perry Orth, a junior, is expected to start against Georgia in Week 3. Orth threw for 179 yards and a touchdown and an interception in the 26-22 loss. Freshman Lorenzo Nunez, a four-star recruit in the class of 2015, could also see playing time.

For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Rutgers WR Leonte Carroo suspended indefinitely

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A day after a loss to Washington State, Rutgers' football program was in the news again for yet another off-field incident.

Coach Kyle Flood said Sunday that wide receiver Leonte Carroo, an all-Big Ten selection in 2014 and the team's best playmaker, had been suspended indefinitely because of an incident outside the team's stadium following the 37-34 loss.

Duggan said Flood declined direct comment about the incident. From NJ.com:

Asked to comment on a report via social media by a reporter covering Washington State that alluded to a fight outside the Rutgers football headquarters, Flood said, "I don't know if I can answer that question. I think that would be a better question for the authorities.''

Flood said it's "an investigation that the program takes very seriously and when it concludes I'll have further comment.''

Carroo was previously suspended for the first half of the team's season-opener against Norfolk State. The suspension was for violating curfew.

Rutgers dismissed five players a week ago after they were arrested for assault. The players – Nadir Barnwell, Dre Boggs, Razohnn Gross Ruhann Peele and Delon Stephenson – were arrested in connection with an April incident. The five were charged with aggravated assault, riot and conspiracy after an alleged attack on four people.
A sixth player, fullback Lloyd Terry, was arrested this week in connection with the incident.

Flood has also been in the middle of controversy himself. He's being investigated by the university for allegedly emailing a lecturer about Barnwell's grades. The cornerback was allegedly on the precipice of being academically ineligible. Two university officials said Flood had been told by academic support to not directly contact a lecturer.

Carroo had four catches for 52 yards against WSU. Rutgers plays Penn State in Week 3.

For more Rutgers news, visit ScarletRNation.com.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

Miami LB Darrion Owens out for season with knee injury

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(Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports)Miami lost a defensive contributor to a season-ending injury in its Friday night win over Florida Atlantic.

Hurricanes head coach Al Golden announced Sunday that sophomore linebacker Darrion Owens suffered a right knee injury against the Owls. Golden did not offer specifics as to the nature of the injury, but did say it requires surgery.

According to the Miami Herald, Golden said Owens will have surgery “in about 10 days.”

“A tremendous young man and arguably one of our hardest workers,” Golden said of Owens. “We feel badly for him. But we have some guys that have got to step up. We have to have the next-man mentality and get that situated by the time we back to work on Tuesday.”

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Owens made two tackles Friday night before injuring the knee in the first quarter. He also had two tackles in Miami’s Week 1 win over Bethune-Cookman, a game Owens started. He also played in 12 games and totaled 23 tackles in 2014 as a true freshman.

The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Owens wore a lot of hats on the Hurricanes’ defense, providing depth at several spots.

“Darrion was a (strong-side linebacker) for us, a middle linebacker for us and a third-down pass rusher,” Golden said. “He’s very versatile.”

Because of that, Golden mentioned quite a few names to fill the void moving forward, starting with Saturday's game at home against Nebraska.

From the Miami Herald:

Golden said 6-3, 236-pound senior Tyriq McCord, who has played both rush end and linebacker at UM (2-0), will help compensate for Owens’ absence. Also in the mix, starting rush end Trent Harris, who can slide into the strong-side linebacker spot because Al-Quadin Muhammad is back at rush end.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Mike Smith is also available.

Golden also mentioned Demetrius Jackson doing better at rush end and thus allowing for a possible Harris move.

Even true freshman strong-side linebacker Jamie Gordinier is “on alert,” Golden said, but would play only “if we incurred another injury.”

The Hurricanes were able to pull away from FAU in the second half Friday night, eventually winning 44-20, but the defense allowed nearly 400 yards of offense to a team playing with a backup redshirt freshman quarterback.

The 1-1 Cornhuskers, coming off a 48-9 win over South Alabama, should present a bigger challenge.

Aside from Owens’ injury, Golden did provide good news on Sunday. Starting receivers Stacy Coley (hamstring) and Braxton Berrios (knee) will return to practice on Tuesday, as will middle linebacker Juwon Young. Young hasn’t practiced since preseason while dealing with a sprained foot. 

For more Miami news, visit CaneSport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Auburn expects 3 defensive starters to return for LSU game

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ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 05:  Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp of the Auburn Tigers congratulates Johnathan Ford #23 after their 31-24 win over the Louisville Cardinals at Georgia Dome on September 5, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)An Auburn defense that struggled over the weekend against FCS Jacksonville State should have some reinforcements ready for Saturday’s game at LSU.

According to AuburnSports.com, Tigers defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said he expects defensive end Carl Lawson and safety Tray Matthews, both redshirt sophomore starters, to play against LSU.

Lawson, one of Auburn’s top pass-rushers, injured his hip in the first quarter of the season opener against Louisville while Matthews hurt his shoulder in the second half of the same game. Another starter, senior linebacker, Justin Garrett, strained his quad against JSU. Muschamp expects him to play, too.

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“Tray and Carl, I’m expecting both of them this week to be honest with you, and get Justin back, that’ll certainly help you,” Muschamp said Sunday. “Anytime you have guys that can make a difference in the game it can certainly help you but we’ve got to continue to bring these guys along.”

While those three appear set to return, the outlook is not as promising for senior cornerback Joshua Holsey, who injured his knee in the first quarter against JSU. Muschamp said Holsey’s prognosis “doesn’t look good.”

“I think they’re still going through those results as far as his MRI and those things are concerned,” Muschamp said. “(Head) coach (Gus Malzahn) will certainly have more information.”

Despite giving up 438 yards of offense to Jacksonville State, the Tigers managed to pull out a 27-20 win in overtime.

Defensive struggles are no stranger to Auburn in recent years, and Muschamp was brought in to things up on that side of the ball. The defense played well for much of the Louisville game (a 31-24 win), but fans certainly have reasons to be concerned heading into SEC play.

The return of Lawson, Matthews and Garrett to the starting lineup should certainly help.

For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Cal WR Erik Brown leaves program for personal reasons

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(via Cal athletics)The highest-rated member of Cal’s 2014 recruiting class has left the team.

Bears head coach Sonny Dykes told the San Francisco Chronicle that wide receiver Erik Brown is no longer with the program due to personal reasons.

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Brown was rated a four-star recruit and the 124th-best prospect in the country by Rivals.com. He redshirted his first season with the program in 2014 and had not seen the field for the Bears through two weeks this season.

Though he left the team, Dykes said Brown would remain on scholarship and continue his studies at Cal. Brown missed most of preseason camp while focusing on academics.

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Cal is 2-0 coming off Saturday’s 35-7 home win over San Diego State. The Bears also knocked off Grambling State 73-14 in their season opener on Sept. 5.

Next on the schedule is a Saturday night road matchup at Texas (1-1).

For more Cal news, visit GoldenBearReport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Jim McElwain calls Florida's play embarrassing but laments sideline reaction

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Florida coach Jim McElwain did not mince words about his team’s play 31-24 win against East Carolina.

“That was embarrassing. Didn’t deserve to win the ballgame,” McElwain said after the game. “Though [East Carolina coach] Ruffin [McNeill] and his team came in here and took it to us. Our lack of playing with discipline and understanding of how you play the game crept up and it was embarrassing.”

Kelvin Taylor scored on a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter to give the Gators the eventual game-winning touchdown. But after the score, Taylor was penalized 15 yards for making a throat-slashing gesture, which drew the ire of McElwain.

“We’ve got a long ways to go and it starts with understanding selfish acts hurt the team and it will be dealt with and that’s not how it’s gonna be around here anymore,” McElwain said after the game. “Over the last 10 years, most penalized team in the league, in the country. It’s not gonna happen. And we’ve got to learn. And it was embarrassing. It was embarrassing to our administration, our university, and almost came back to bite us in the end.

“It’s not OK to act that way, it’s not OK to call attention to yourself when the selfish act hurts the whole team. It’s not OK.”

Taylor, who is the son of NFL running back Fred Taylor, took to Twitter to assure fans there were no hard feelings between the player and the coach.

And even McElwain felt some remorse about the way he handled the incident.

“I'm pretty passionate about what I did," McElwain told media Monday. "I'm not proud of it and neither is my mother – 94 years old. I got an earful from her and rightfully so.”

Fred Taylor told Dan LeBatard on Monday, he understands McElwain has to clean up the program, but thought he went a little overboard with his son.

Things don’t get easier for the Gators, who travel to Kentucky this weekend. The Wildcats are 2-0 after defeating South Carolina in their conference opener.

For more Florida news, visit InsideTheGators.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Tennessee LB Curt Maggitt out 'for extended period of time'

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Tennessee defensive lineman Danny O'Brien (95) and linebacker Curt Maggitt (56) celebrate after their 24-17 win over Vanderbilt in an NCAA college football game at Vanderbilt Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/The Knoxville News Sentinel, Adam Lau)Not only did Tennessee blow a 17-point lead in Saturday night’s double overtime loss to Oklahoma, it also lost once of its best defensive players for the foreseeable future.

Vols head coach Butch Jones announced Monday that Curt Maggitt, a fifth-year senior, is out for “an extended period of time” after suffering a hip injury while serving on punt team.

Jones called it a “freak injury” and said he would learn more about a timetable for Maggitt’s possible return later in the week.

"I still don’t know to the extent of how long it’ll be," Jones said. "He’s in the process right now of going through the evaluation process. I should know a little bit more probably by the end of the week, but he will be out for an indefinite period of time."

 

Maggitt plays both linebacker and defensive end for the Vols. He was a first-team preseason All-SEC selection after totaling 11 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2014.

Maggitt’s standout 2014 performance came after nearly 20 months away from the field.

After starting eight games as a true freshman in 2011, Maggitt returned as Tennessee’s starting middle linebacker in 2012 but tore his right ACL in the ninth game of the season. Instead of rushing back, Maggitt opted to redshirt the 2013 season in order to come back at full strength in 2014.

Jones has often referred to Maggitt is the leader of the defense, so the loss is huge one as the UT prepares for its SEC slate.

"We all know what Curt means to us not only from a leadership standpoint and a character standpoint, but from a productivity standpoint as well," Jones said. "We feel for him." 

Before SEC play gets underway, the Vols (1-1) host Western Carolina at home on Saturday night.

For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Pitt will continue playing two QBs until one emerges as starter

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Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi is not set on a starting quarterback yet he’s not fully embracing a two-quarterback system.

Chad Voytik and Nate Peterman have both played this season with Voytik getting the bulk of the reps in the season opener against Youngstown State and Peterman taking the reins in a win against Akron this past weekend.

Voytik actually started the Akron game, but the two quarterbacks rotated in the first half. Peterman led the final drive of the second quarter and never came back out of the game.

Neither quarterback has play well enough to wrap up the starting role, so Narduzzi has said he’ll keep playing both until one surpasses the other.

Narduzzi said he’ll allow both quarterbacks to compete this week and won’t name a starter until Thursday.

Following Saturday’s 24-7 win against the Zips, Narduzzi praised Peterman, a Tennessee transfer. Peterman completed 12 of 17 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.

“I just thought he ran the team better,” Narduzzi said. “It just seemed like he was in a better rhythm. Maybe it’s the weather. Who knows? Maybe he ate Wheaties for breakfast. You don’t know why.”

Narduzzi said it’s great to have two good quarterbacks, but knows he’ll ultimately have to settle on one as the Panthers get further into the season. Perhaps that will come this week when Pittsburgh travels to Iowa, the Panthers’ toughest opponent to date.

For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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Cardale Jones is still Ohio State's starting QB

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12:  Cardale Jones #12 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks downfield for a receiver in the first quarter against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio.  (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)Cardale Jones is still Ohio State’s starting quarterback.

Despite Jones’ lackluster performance that saw him complete 12 of 18 passes for 111 yards and no touchdown against Hawaii last week, coach Urban Meyer said he has no plans on benching his starter.

"He's the starting quarterback,” Meyer said of Jones on Monday. “I met with him yesterday. J.T. has not beat him out yet. He's going to continue to have opportunities to do that because J.T. is a very good player and Cardale's got to perform.”

Barrett didn’t exactly make a case to be the starter when he replaced Jones in the second quarter. He completed 8 of 15 passes for 70 and no touchdowns.

The two star quarterbacks combined for just 12 rushing yards and seven carries.

“Neither played that well Saturday, but a lot of it was extenuating circumstances about protection,” Meyer said. “We just weren't — we didn't play very well. So it's not that difficult.”

Ohio State came away with a 38-0 win against the Rainbow Warriors, but much of that was because the Buckeyes had superior talent. However, it Ohio State plays in a similar manner against Northern Illinois this weekend, the result could be different.

While Northern Illinois hails from the Mid-American Conference, its is one of the best teams in the conference and have no fear when it comes to going toe-to-toe with a team from the Big Ten. In the past two seasons, Northern Illinois is 3-0 against the Big Ten, beating Northwestern, Iowa and Purdue. The Huskies haven’t played Ohio State since losing to the Buckeyes 35-12 in 2006.

“They're a very good team,” Meyer said of NIU. “Offensively, their quarterback is setting all kinds of records. They're 305 pounds on the defensive tackles.

“When you have a team that's really good on video, it's all about preparation. Our players will respect them. I don't anticipate a problem with that. Because they're good. That's the thing, they're 11-win teams. They've beaten Northwestern, Purdue, Iowa, and Minnesota, and they beat — I wouldn't call those upsets. I think these guys are very good.”

For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Caleb Rowe to start at QB for Maryland, replacing Perry Hills

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COLLEGE PARK, MD - SEPTEMBER 05: Caleb Rowe #7 of the Maryland Terrapins and teammates celebrate a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Richmond Spiders at Byrd Stadium on September 5, 2015 in College Park, Maryland. The Maryland Terrapins won, 50-21. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)After only two games, Maryland is making a change at quarterback.

Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall announced Monday that Caleb Rowe will start Saturday vs. South Florida, replacing Perry Hills.

Hills beat out Rowe and Oklahoma State transfer Daxx Garman in preseason camp for the starting role, but his inconsistent play in the first two games of the season prompted a change. He completed only 52.9 percent of his passes (27-of-51) for 306 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions combined in a win over Richmond and Saturday’s loss to Bowling Green.

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Hills was pulled in favor of Rowe in the fourth quarter of the Bowling Green game. Rowe, a senior, was 1-of-3 for 17 yards and two interceptions in brief action.

The choice to go with Hills out of preseason camp was a bit of a surprise. All three candidates have starting experience, but Hills was the third-stringer behind Rowe and starter C.J. Brown on the depth chart for the Terps for much of 2014.

Coming into the season, Rowe appeared in 13 games with three starts over the past three seasons and threw for 1,768 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He missed the final seven games of the 2014 season with a knee injury.

Garman transferred to Maryland after graduating from Oklahoma State. He started eight games for the Cowboys in 2014 and threw for 2,041 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Garman will serve as the No. 2 quarterback on Saturday behind Rowe, Edsall said.

For more Maryland news, visit TerrapinSportsReport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

OU coach Bob Stoops fires back at Paul Finebaum's 'irrelevant' comment

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In the week leading up to the Tennessee-Oklahoma game, ESPN radio personality Paul Finebaum, a noted SEC homer, called Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops “irrelevant,” and a lobbed a couple other verbal grenades toward the Big 12 school.

But after the Sooners’ come-from-behind overtime win against the Vols in Neyland Stadium, it was the Sooners who were calling out Finebaum.

During his Monday press conference, coach Bob Stoops was asked about the jawing between Finebaum and the Oklahoma camp and Stoops made it clear he was not a big Finebaum fan.

“I don’t care,” Stoops said. “He doesn’t deserve that attention from me. The bottom line is ask Tennessee and their 105,000 people if we’re relevant or not. And a few other teams in the last couple years. Doesn’t matter.

“And he’s getting paid to promote a league. That’s what he does. That’s OK. Everyone has to earn their money one way or the other.”

Oklahoma clearly scored the latest blow with the Tennessee win, and Finebaum did the gentlemanly thing during his show Monday.

For more Oklahoma news, visit SoonerScoop.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Arkansas WR Keon Hatcher out 'at least six weeks'

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Arkansas wide receiver Keon Hatcher (4) breaks a tackle by Toledo safety Chaz Whittaker in first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Little Rock, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)Arkansas will be without its leading receiver for an extended period of time.

Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema announced Monday that senior Keon Hatcher is out “at least six weeks” due to a broken foot suffered in the team’s home loss to Toledo over the weekend.

Hatcher, who was injured in the fourth quarter on Saturday, leads the Razorbacks with 13 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns through two games this season.

According to the Associated Press, Bielema said a medical redshirt for the season is a possibility if Hatcher needs more than six weeks to recover. His surgery is scheduled for Monday.

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With Hatcher out, junior slot receiver Drew Morgan moved to Hatcher’s starting role on the outside on this week’s depth chart opposite sophomore Jared Cornelius. In accordance with Morgan’s move to the outside, redshirt freshman JoJo Robinson is listed as a starter in the slot.

Hatcher is the second senior to go down with a serious injury on offense. Running back Jonathan Williams suffered a left foot injury during an August scrimmage and will miss the entire season.

The Razorbacks (1-1) host Texas Tech (2-0) on Saturday night.

For more Arkansas news, HawgSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

UCF starting QB Justin Holman out 2-4 weeks

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PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 12:  Justin Holman #13 of the UCF Knights warms up prior to the start of the game against the Stanford Cardinal Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Palo Alto, California.  (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)UCF dropped to 0-2 Saturday with a 31-7 road loss to Stanford and lost starting quarterback Justin Holman in the process.

Knights head coach George O’Leary said Monday that Holman, a junior, is out 2-4 weeks with an injury to his throwing hand. Holman injured the hand in the first quarter of Saturday’s game when he hit it on an opponent’s helmet on his follow through of a passing attempt.

O’Leary said the injury is not as bad as initially feared.

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"It [wasn't as] ... serious as they thought when they first told me about it in San Francisco, but it's still enough where he has to let some sutures heal and all that type thing. But he'll be back as soon as he can be back," O'Leary said per the Orlando Sentinel. "He'll work the rehab as much as he can work it to get back as soon as he can.”

Holman threw for 2,592 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2014.

With Holman out, O’Leary said true freshman Bo Schneider, a three-star recruit, will start moving forward. Redshirt freshman Tyler Harris, also a three-star recruit, could also see some playing time.

Both played in relief of Holman. Schneider was 7-of-19 for 46 yards and an interception while Harris completed 7-of-15 passes for 105 yards. Harris accounted for the Knights’ only touchdown of the game on a 36-yard pass to Tre’Quan Smith with 1:22 to left in the game.

"We put two young quarterbacks out there. For their first time out, you have to simplify everything, obviously, with them, but I think they did a decent job," O'Leary said. "I think the dropped passes affected Bo in terms of moving the chains and getting stuff done."

In addition to the Holman news, O’Leary announced that starting center Joey Grant is out for the season. Grant, a fifth-year senior, aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury and decided to focus on his academics.

"He's been a great kid for the program and he's hurting himself and he's such a great competitor. If you can't play, you can't play. So you have to make decisions and move on," O'Leary said.

UCF, now 0-2, will look to get its first win of the season Saturday at home against Furman.

For more UCF news, visit UCFSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

BYU OL Ului Lapuaho won't miss game action for punch below belt

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Ului Lapuaho, the BYU lineman who punched a Boise State player below the belt Saturday night, will not miss any game time.

Instead, Lapuaho has already been subject to team discipline, head coach Bronco Mendenhall said Monday.

“He has had team discipline issued. It’s not going to require missing any games. We have a very clear policy in place for personal fouls,” Mendenhall said.

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The incident occurred in the second quarter when Lapuaho dove to the ground to recover a fumble. It looked like Lapuaho had clear possession of the ball when Boise’s Chanceller James came crashing in, prompting Lapuaho’s punch.

As Mendenhall mentioned, Lapuaho was flagged for a personal foul penalty and video of the punch subsequently went viral during the game.

Though he did not offer specifics about Lapuaho’s punishment, Mendenhall said Monday he feels “comfortable” with the discipline he handed down.

“He made a mistake. He knows it. I know it. I think the world knows it. We’ve addressed it and plan to move forward,” Mendenhall said.

Lapuaho, a 6-foot-7, 330-pound sophomore, is BYU’s starting right tackle. He played in 11 games and made eight starts in 2014.

The 2-0 Cougars, coming off another dramatic finish against Boise State, face UCLA on the road on Saturday.

For more BYU news, visit CougarNation.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Report: Rutgers' Leonte Carroo charged with simple assault, domestic violence

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Rutgers receiver Leonte Carroo was arrested and charged with simple assault under domestic violence, according the NJ.com, which spoke to Rutgers police.

According to the website, the incident happened outside Rutgers’ stadium Saturday evening following the loss to Washington State and involved a female acquaintance of Carroo and another female.

Carroo was suspended Sunday and coach Kyle Flood said Monday he doesn’t expect Carroo’s status to change for this weekend’s game against Penn State.

“I don't anticipate any change in status as of right now, and it would be hard for me to answer the rest of that until I had more details just because it's a hypothetical right now,” Flood said.

Flood declined to answer specific questions about the incident, citing the ongoing investigation, but did say he understands how the rash of Rutgers players being suspended and dismissed might create a bad perception of his program.

Six players have been kicked off the Rutgers football team in the past two weeks and this is Carroo’s second suspension this season. He missed the first half of the season opener for disciplinary issues.

“The people that know our program, the people that are invested in our program, the people that spend time with our program, they know the high quality of the young men that we have in that locker room.

“Now, I'm not naïve, either. I understand that people that aren't as familiar with our program and all they see are the incidents of the last couple weeks, how they could have that perception. But I think the people that know our program, I don't believe they have that perception.”

Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann reportedly addressed the football team following Monday’s practice and said she supported the embattled head coach.

From NJ.com:

The person (with knowledge of the meeting) said Hermann became emotional as she told the players she had Flood's back and implored the players to do the same. The "walk-through" practice session on Monday morning was closed to the media.

Flood said he knows the behavior of his players ultimately reflects on him.

"As the head coach, everything ultimately reflects on you and it's part of the job,'' Flood said. "If you shy away from that, you probably shouldn't do the job. But I'm very comfortable that the people that know our program, the people who are invested in our program, and the people that spend time with our program know the quality and the high-quality of the young men that we have down in that locker room right now.''

For more Rutgers news, visit ScarletNation.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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Iowa suspends sophomore RB Derrick Mitchell

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(Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com)Iowa running back Derrick Mitchell has been suspended from the football program.

Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz announced the news in a statement on Monday.

“Derrick has been suspended due to a football program and student life code of conduct violation,” Ferentz said. “This is not a legal issue. Derrick is working through the issues at hand in regards to being in good standing as a University of Iowa student. We will follow the established university protocol as we move forward.”

Ferentz did not offer a timetable for Mitchell’s return to the program.

Mitchell, a sophomore from St. Louis, Mo., has not appeared in either of Iowa’s first two games this season – wins over Illinois State and Iowa State. According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Mitchell did not make the trip to Iowa State over the weekend.

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The 6-foot-1, 212-pound Mitchell started his career as a wide receiver and redshirted his first year on campus in 2013. He then appeared in six games in 2014 for the Hawkeyes, primarily on special teams where he recorded one tackle against Illinois.

With Mitchell out, Iowa takes a hit to its depth at running back. Only three scholarship backs – LeShun Daniels, Jordan Canzeri and Akrum Wadley – made the trip to ISU. To make matters worse, Daniels, the team’s leading rusher, injured his ankle in the first half and is questionable for the Hawkeyes’ home game against Pitt on Saturday.

If Daniels can’t go, Canzeri, a senior, would move into the starting spot with Wadley, a sophomore, moving up to second on the depth chart. Canzeri had the second-highest rushing total of his career – 124 yards – in the win over the Cyclones.

The Hawkeyes also have redshirt freshman Marcel Joly and true freshman Eric Graham (a likely redshirt candidate) on scholarship at the position.

For more Iowa news, visit HawkeyeReport.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Notre Dame TE Durham Smythe out for season (Update)

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Quarterback Malik Zaire wasn’t the only offensive starter Notre Dame lost to a season-ending injury over the weekend.

Notre Dame announced Tuesday that junior tight end Durham Smythe is also out for the season after undergoing knee and shoulder surgeries.

Smythe caught one pass in each game, including a 7-yard touchdown on a fake field goal in the first quarter in the win over Virginia.

The Irish have plenty of young, inexperienced options to turn to in Smythe’s absence including sophomores Nic Weishar and Tyler Luatua, and true freshman Alize Jones. The Irish also have fifth-year senior Chase Hounshell, a converted defensive lineman.

Smythe is the fifth starter Notre Dame has lost for the season, joining Zaire, junior running back Tarean Folston, senior defensive tackle Jarron Jones and freshman nickel corner Shaun Crawford.

The eighth-ranked Irish (2-0) host No. 14 Georgia Tech (2-0) on Saturday afternoon.

For more Notre Dame news, visit BlueAndGold.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Clemson C Ryan Norton suffers MCL injury, out against Louisville

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Clemson center Ryan Norton will miss Saturday’s game against Louisville after suffering an injured MCL during Monday’s practice.

Coach Dabo Swinney told media Tuesday that Norton was "rolled up on” during practice, but that trainer Danny Poole didn’t believe Norton would need surgery.

Swinney did not say how long Norton would be sidelined.

Norton gained some notoriety last month after bench pressing 640 pounds with his teammates cheering him on.

Jay Guillermo will get his second career start in Norton’s absence. His first start came in 2014 against South Carolina State. Guillermo missed four months this offseason, including all of spring football, while battling depression and anxiety. He returned to the program in July.

Norton already has missed time in both of the Tigers’ 2015 games with leg injuries, which has allowed Guillermo to play 90 snaps this season.

For more Clemson news, visit TigerIllustrated.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

Duke's David Cutcliffe sends note to injured Pitt RB James Conner

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Pitt running back James Conner received a note of encouragement from an ACC opponent after suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Conner, the 2014 ACC Player of the Year, posted a note sent from Duke head coach David Cutcliffe to wish him well in his recovery. The note is dated Sept. 8, the day after Pitt announced that Conner would miss the rest of the season.

Conner suffered a torn MCL in the second quarter of the Panthers’ season-opening win over Youngstown State on Sept. 5 and recently had surgery to repair the damaged ligament.

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The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Conner rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2014.

The Panthers are 2-0 after beating Akron over the weekend. Next on the schedule is a trip to Iowa. Duke, also 2-0, hosts Northwestern on Saturday.

The ACC Coastal Division foes meet in Durham on Nov. 14.

For more Duke news, visit DevilsIllustrated.com.

For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

Blind long snapper Jake Olson practices with USC

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Jake Olson finally lived his dream of joining the USC football team as a player.

Olson, a blind long-snapper, suited up and joined the team for practice Tuesday after being granted a waiver by the NCAA.

He was wearing a yellow No. 17 jersey. The color is usually reserved for quarterbacks so they take minimal contact.

Olson was born with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the retina. He lost one eye at 10 months and despite numerous procedures to save the right eye, he lost that one at age 12.

In 2009, shortly before the procedure to remove his right eye, then-USC coach Pete Carroll invited Olson and his family to meet the team. Since then, Olson, who is now 6-foot-4, tried out and made the Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High football team as a long snapper. He also played on the golf team.

Olsen was awarded a “Swim with Mike” scholarship to USC, which is given annually from the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship fund. However, the NCAA determined the scholarship was an athletic scholarship and Olson could not be classified as walk-on to the football team. At the time of the decision, USC did not have a scholarship spot open for the 2015 season.

However, the NCAA granted Olson and USC an exemption.

Coach Steve Sarkisian told the Los Angeles Times in April that he believed Olson would take the field as Trojan.

USC hosts Stanford this weekend.

For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook

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