Friday, July 25, 2014
TCU's Fields surrenders to assault warrant
Texas players cleared by NCAA following allegations of accepting meal from agent
In what has been a rough week for the program, Texas finally received some positive news Friday afternoon.
The school announced that two football players, who were not named, have been cleared by the NCAA in regards to allegations that they may have accepted meals that were paid for by an agent.
The statement from Texas, in full, reads:
Earlier this summer, Texas reported a situation to the NCAA involving two Longhorn student-athletes receiving a meal from an agent. That situation has been resolved with NCAA staff and the involved student-athletes are immediately eligible for competition.
Both the Austin American-Statesman and Orangebloods.com reported last week that St. Louis-based agent Justin Bingman tweeted multiple times about having dinner with several Texas players, including linebackers Jordan Hicks and Steve Edmond, in March.
Orangebloods.com’s Taylor Gaspar is reporting that Hicks and Edmond were the two players who were cleared by the NCAA.
Texas release: Steve Edmond & Jordan Hicks have been cleared by the NCAA after receiving a meal from an agent. Both are immediately eligible
— Taylor Gaspar (@Taylor_Gaspar) July 25, 2014
Other tweets from Bingman (which were later deleted) mentioned meals with defensive end Cedric Reed and defensive tackle Desmond Jackson. Reed, a first-team All-Big 12 selection last season, appeared at Big 12 Media Days and told reporters that he’s been “cleared” to play in the Longhorns’ opener against North Texas.
It is not immediately known if Jackson faces any eligibility concerns.
Texas head coach Charlie Strong has reportedly dismissed four players from the program over the past few days. Additionally, two other players were indefinitely suspended after being charged with sexual assault.
For more Texas news, visit Orangebloods.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!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Texas players cleared by NCAA following allegations of accepting meal from agent
Southern Miss cornerback Ed Wilkins admits to role in armed robbery
A starter on Southern Mississippi’s defense is in hot water after an incident that took place Friday morning.
According to the Sun Herald, cornerback Ed Wilkins, who started nine games for the Golden Eagles in 2013, admitted to police that he and another man “planned an armed robbery” in Hattiesburg, Miss. As a result of the incident, Wilkins, who was booked into jail Friday morning on felony charges, has been indefinitely suspended by the program.
“This is a serious matter,” Southern Miss coach Todd Monken said in a statement. “Ed has been removed from the program while we gather additional information.”
The Sun Herald is reporting that Wilkins, 21, admitted that he, along with 19-year-old Michael Bailey, went to a residence in Hattiesburg “looking to steal money and drugs.”
Here’s how it allegedly went down:
Officials first encountered Bailey, who said he was visiting ex-roommates there so he could smoke marijuana with them. According to the report, Bailey said that a man, later identified as Wilkins, entered the residence displaying a black handgun with a laser on it and wearing a ski mask. He demanded money and the drugs. Bailey said he exited the house, but returned to get his keys and was denied entrance by the occupants. The officer said the three people in the residence all gave the same story.
Soon after, other officers on the scene encountered Wilkins lying in the back seat of a vehicle across the street, where he was “appearing to be asleep.” Officers found a ski mask, handgun and cash in the vehicle. Wilkins was taken into custody and told officers that he and Bailey planned to rob the men in the residence together.
Wilkins, a redshirt junior from McDonough, Ga., registered 39 total tackles and had one interception last season. He also tallied 16 tackles in2012 in 10 games as a redshirt freshman.
For more Southern Miss news, visit BigGoldNation.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!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Southern Miss cornerback Ed Wilkins admits to role in armed robbery
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OL George Brown commits to Florida with a live baby gator (Video)
Over the years, we’ve seen high school football players use a lot of different gimmicks to announce their collegiate choice, but offensive lineman George Brown set the bar high for any future announcements.
As Brown, a four-star 2015 prospect from Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati, sat behind a table with Alabama, Florida and Kentucky hats lined up, he stood up in front of the crowd and revealed his choice — by holding up a live baby alligator.
#Rivals250 OL George Brown announces his commitment to Florida by pulling out a live baby Gator https://t.co/ebzwCNBRpL
— Josh Helmholdt (@JoshHelmholdt) July 25, 2014
We can’t say for certain, but we’re pretty sure this is the first time this has ever been done. We’ve seen puppies and babies, but a live baby alligator is definitely a unique way to say you’re attending Florida. We're kinda amazed the little guy didn't bite him.
So what's next? A UCLA commit posing with a baby brown bear? Or a Michigan State commit with Rich Homie Quan (the unofficial mascot)? What about a Miami commit hosting his commitment ceremony in the eye of a hurricane?
Brown is the second top prospect the Gators have landed from the state of Ohio in the past month - four-star athlete Jerome Baker from Benedictine in Cleveland committed on July 11.
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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!Follow @YahooDrSaturday
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - OL George Brown commits to Florida with a live baby gator (Video)
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UCLA's Mora On 2014 Season
Sources: Longhorns kick four more off team
VOD: Alabama head coach Nick Saban wore a Luigi hat
Nick Saban is known as a no-nonsense kind of guy, but he shows that he has a pretty good sense of humor from time to time.
The Alabama head coach spent some time at ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., earlier in the week. During a “Cage Confessional” segment taped with host Colin Cowherd, Saban showed the lighter side of his personality by donning a big, green Luigi hat.
Cowherd also got Saban to admit that he was afraid of Santa Claus as a child. After the two took a selfie, Saban also revealed that when he was nine years old, he became involved with sports because he didn’t want to play the accordion.
That turned out to be a pretty good move.
For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.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!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - VOD: Alabama head coach Nick Saban wore a Luigi hat
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Jim Mora doesn't want people to stereotype QB Brett Hundley because he's black
UCLA coach Jim Mora is worried about Brett Hundley’s future.
Oh, he’s sure his star quarterback will be a first-round NFL draft pick — and maybe could have been one had he left after last season — but he’s worried about the way Hundley will be perceived at the next level.
“People have a tendency at times to see an African-American quarterback and say, 'Oh, he’s a runner.' I hate that stereotype and I always have,” said Mora. “I coached Michael Vick and my belief (is) that we stereotype those guys started with him. I don’t want that to happen with Brett, and I’m going to make sure that it doesn’t, because it shouldn’t.
“The guy’s a passer.”
To be clear, Mora considers Hundley a dual-threat quarterback. Last season, Hundley threw for 3,071 yards and rushed for 748, but Mora said Hundley is a pass-first quarterback, who has the ability to run the ball well.
Hundley acknowledges the stereotype of being a “running quarterback” and that just because he can run, doesn’t mean that’s always going to be his first option.
“Obviously, it’s come a long way. But when you have the ability to run, a lot of people will tell you, 'Hey, stay in the pocket,'” Hundley said. “There’s a clash of reasoning as a quarterback of what you should be doing. Some quarterbacks that might not be as gifted (running), they have to stay in the pocket. When you’re gifted with the ability to run, you’ll take off running.”
But Mora has no plans to change the way Hundley plays in an effort to alleviate the perception. He just hopes the redshirt junior’s numbers speak for themselves.
“Brett is a thrower,” said Mora. “It would be awful if people started to categorize Brett as a running quarterback.
“When the NFL comes and evaluates him in earnest, they will absolutely fall in love with him. He’s a thrower, and you need guys that can throw the ball down the field, but it’s also really nice to have a guy that can do both.”
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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!Follow @YahooDrSaturday
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Jim Mora doesn't want people to stereotype QB Brett Hundley because he's black
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'Texas' was misspelled in the Longhorns media guide (Video)
Texas just can’t catch a break this week.
Over the last few days, three Longhorns football players have been dismissed from the program and two others were indefinitely suspended after being arrested and charged with sexual assault.
Then, there’s this.
An observant Reddit user was quick to notice that the team’s digital media guide had quite the typo. The footer at the bottom of the page for each player’s biography spelled the Texas Athletics website incorrectly. Instead of www.TexasSports.com, fans were encouraged to check out www.TexsaSports.com.
Though the error was quickly fixed, that’s not a good look. On top of that, an opportunistic Oklahoma fan bought the Texsasports.com domain name and plastered it with a nice message which reads: “OU is better than Texas.”
Well played.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - 'Texas' was misspelled in the Longhorns media guide (Video)
2014 season preview: Five games to watch in week 5
The college football offseason is long and arduous, but its end is almost in sight. We’re going to take a look at five games you have to look forward to for every weekend of the season. (This is also a handy guide to decide how to RSVP for any autumn weddings.)
All times are Eastern and all games are played on Saturday unless otherwise noted.
These games take place the weekend of September 27.
Previously: Week One (August 30) ~ Week Two (September 6) ~ Week Three (September 13) ~ Week Four (September 20)
UCLA at Arizona State (10:00 p.m., Thursday)
The PAC-12 South is one of the toughest divisions to predict in 2014, and this game matches up the champs from the last two years. Arizona State took it last season, holding on to defeat the Bruins 38-33 in Pasadena. In 2012 it was UCLA who won both the game (45-43 in Tempe on a field goal as time experied) and the division. The Sun Devils have some issues, as they return only two starters from a defense that was starting to fall apart at the end of last year (75 points allowed in the final two games). UCLA will need to find some playmakers to exploit those weaknesses, as quarterback Brett Hundley (a trendy Heisman pick) looks for a receiver to step into the void left by Shaq Evans’ departure. Juniors Jordan Payton and Devin Fuller both topped 400 yards last year and will have first crack at the starting roles. Arizona State does return the combo of quarterback Taylor Kelly, wideout Jaelen Strong and pass-catching tailback DJ Foster. This game usually yields some point, and there’s no reason to think this year’s will be an exception.
North Carolina at Clemson (TBD)
A refrain that will be repeated often over the course of this preview series is that the ACC Coastal Division is absolutely wide open. The Tar Heels are a favorite in some quarters and for good reason: They return 15 starters from a team that finished last year winning six of seven, the sole loss coming by two to Duke in the regular season finale. Their backfield is dangerous, with five-star frosh tailback Elijah Hood joining dual-threat quarterback Marquise Williams (the team’s leading rusher last year) and sophomore T.J Logan (who finished with a nice little 5.7 yards-per-carry average). Clemson’s been one of the top teams in the league for a long while and it would be a statement game for UNC as they embark on a pretty brutal little four-game stretch (at Clemson, Virginia Tech, at Notre Dame, Georgia Tech).
Stanford at Washington (TBD)
Perhaps the toughest part about Chris Petersen’s new gig in Seattle is that to take control of the division his Huskies have to usurp two teams in Stanford and Oregon with established identities and recent histories of consistent BCS-level success. Of the two targets, the Cardinal appear to be the more attainable scalp, with Washington pulling the 17-13 upset in 2012 and falling by three in 2013. Both teams would probably be happy to lean into a slugfest and the Huskies may even find an advantage in that style of play, as they return their complete offensive and defensive lines from 2013 along with all-world playmaker Shaq Thompson at linebacker. Stanford will likely turn to Barry Sanders, Jr. (yes, son of that Barry Sanders) to fill 1,709-yard hole left by Tyler Gaffney’s graduation
Cincinnati at Ohio State (6:00 p.m.)
A nice little intrastate contest in the Horseshoe that caps off an interesting opening month for the Buckeyes (at Navy, Virginia Tech, Kent State and a bye precede this game). At this point in the season we should see some of Urban Meyer’s top recruits comfortable in his system, with sophomores Ezekiel Elliot and Dontre Wilson stepping in at tailback and wide receiver while five-star freshman linebacker Raekwon McMillan could help fill the hole left by Ryan Shazier. Former top quarterback recruit Gunner Kiel finally sees the field after a year of redshirting in South Bend and then missing a year after his transfer to the Queen City, and he gets to ease into his college career with six returning players who notched over 400 yards from scrimmage in 2013 and a senior cornerstone at left tackle in Eric Lefeld. Tommy Tubberville’s defense will need to do something to slow down the Buckeye attack at the line and he has at least one very capable tool to do some damage, with All-AAC and All-Name team performer Silverberry Mouhon returning at defensive end (9.5 sacks and another seven QB hits last year). It’ll be a tough test for the Bearcats, but between the returning experience and Tubberville’s penchant for top-five upsets, a surprise is in play.
Missouri at South Carolina (TBD)
South Carolina’s double overtime upset of then-undefeated Missouri last year could have sent Gary Pinkel’s team into a tailspin, but the Tigers gamely rallied to win the SEC East and Cotton Bowl. With South Carolina now one of the two division favorites (along with Georgia), Missouri has the chance to return the favor. These two teams combined for 23 wins last year but are coming into 2014 without their quarterbacks (Connor Shaw and James Franklin) and defensive line standouts (Jadeveon Clowney and Michael Sam). Pinkel seemed confident in his ability to fill the holes at wide receiver and Maty Mauk was solid in relief of Franklin last year, so perhaps the offensive drop-off will not be severe. Also should be noted that since taking over at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier has been good for one completely befuddling loss per year (2013’s edition was at Tennessee, where USC was a seven-point favorite), and this is as good an opportunity as any.
Other games to consider:
Northwestern at Penn State (12:00 p.m.)
Northwestern has struggled against both Joe Paterno and Bill O’Brien in recent years, dropping their last six to the Nittany Lions, including blowing a double-digit fourth quarter lead last year. Now they get to try their hand against James Franklin on Penn State’s homecoming. Big game for an experienced Wildcats team looking to both compete for the inaugural Big Ten West crown and get back to a bowl after last year’s disappointing 5-7 effort.
Duke at Miami (FL) (TBD)
Another piece to the Coastal puzzle. The Hurricanes were a three-point favorite in Durham last year when the Blue Devils smashed them 48-30 on their way to the division title. Miami won 52-45 in 2012, so expect a few points here.
Notre Dame vs. Syracuse (at the Meadowlands, TBD)
The Syracuse offense returns a lot of talent and a desire to roll with a hurry-up no huddle. They’ll be playing against a Brian Kelly spread that might be reaching its full potential with a tailback combo of sophomores Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant to go along with a slew of receiving options on the outside. Plenty of potential points at MetLife Stadium.
Minnesota at Michigan (TBD)
The Golden Gophers have only won the Little Brown Jug three times since 1968 and must travel to face an experienced Wolverine defense in Ann Arbor. Michigan won last year 42-13, riding seven catches and 154 yards from returning tight end Devin Funchess.
Oregon State at USC (TBD)
This game used to be trouble for the Trojans in Corvallis towards the end of the Pete Carroll era, but they exorcised some demons last year with a 31-14 win. This will be the fist big test for senior Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, who chucked it for 37 touchdowns and over 4600 yards last season. He’ll be attempting to move the ball against a crazy athletic USC defense.
Maryland at Indiana (TBD)
Maryland’s Big Ten debut and a big swing game as far as bowl eligibility in the loaded East Division (Ohio State and both Michigan schools are at the top, along with Penn State). Tune in to check out Maryland’s dynamic duo of Stefon Diggs and Deon Long at wide receiver against an Indiana defense that has had difficulty stopping most offenses the last few years.
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - 2014 season preview: Five games to watch in week 5