11/20/09 - Ryan Wolfe, Sr, UNLV, 6-1, 210 (DS#42 WR) Opposing defenses couldn't manage to stop honors candidate Ryan Wolfe for the last four years while playing wide receiver at UNLV but a broken foot could. The school announced Friday that Wolfe (Santa Clarita, CA/Hart HS), who appeared in all 47 of his previous games as a Rebel, will not be able to play his senior-season finale on Nov. 28 vs. San Diego State after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his left foot while returning punts during Wednesday's practice. The Rebels have a bye this weekend. Wolfe is expected to have surgery sometime next week and begin a rehabilitation program that lasts 8-12 weeks. He will be on crutches for the first 4-6 weeks. "It was a fluke thing, I just rolled my foot a little bit," said Wolfe, who is currently pursuing his master's degree in sports education leadership. "It's unfortunate, but I realize there's nothing I can do but focus on getting better and back into playing shape as soon as possible." The pro prospect officially finished as his school's and conference's career leader in receptions with 283, which ranked 12th in NCAA FBS history. His total of 3,495 receiving yards means he will finish fourth in league history - just 139 yards short of Colorado State's David Anderson's Mountain West Conference all-time mark set from 2002-05. Wolfe is already the only two-time first team all-conference choice in school history and hopes to add a third such honor when the 2009 awards are announced. He leads the MWC with 74 receptions (18th in the nation with 6.73 catches per game) and is second with 760 yards. Wolfe had two of his school-record 12 100-yard receiving games this fall and also served as UNLV's primary punt returner as well as serving on kickoff coverage teams. - UNLV football
11/19/09 - Derrell Smith, rJr, Syracuse, 6-1, 236 (DS#17 ILB) Orange head coach Doug Marrone announced today that senior linebacker Derrell Smith will miss the final two games of the 2009 season due to injury. Smith reported some soreness in his left knee after the Akron game. An MRI revealed a tear in his lateral meniscus. Following the contest at Louisville, Smith reported increased soreness in his left knee prohibiting further activity. Surgery, which will be performed in the near future by Dr. Irving Raphael, and rehabilitation will sideline Smith for the rest of season. Smith is SU's leading tackler, averaging 8.2 tackles per game, which ranks sixth among BIG EAST defenders. He is also averaging 0.65 sacks and 1.0 tackles for loss per game. Smith’s 0.40 forced fumbles per game leads the BIG EAST, while his 0.65 sacks per game is tied for 41st nationally and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST. Smith has four forced fumbles, which ties for fourth on the Syracuse single-season record list and his five career forced fumbles ties for sixth on the SU ledger. - Syacuse football
11/18/09 - Jahvid Best, Jr, California, 5-10, 195 (DS#2 RB) Star tailback Jahvid Best is eager to return to the football field after being sidelined by a frightening fall and concussion and has targeted California’s season finale as a possible return date. Best gave his first extensive comments Wednesday following the injury that knocked him out and put a scare into his Golden Bears teammates. He said that the symptoms from the concussion have cleared but he still has a sore back. “I’m just trying to take it day by day and hoping for the best,” he said. “Every day I’m feeling a little better. I’m hoping it keeps progressing that way and hopefully I’ll be out here pretty soon.” Best missed last week’s game against Arizona and has been ruled out of the Big Game on Saturday against No. 14 Stanford. Best hopes to be able to return to the field Dec. 5 against Washington. Best was injured Nov. 7 when he hurdled an Oregon State defender at the end of a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Best vaulted into the air over safety Cameron Collins and then was bumped even higher by another defender before falling on his back and head from about 8 feet in the air. Best’s helmet came off on impact and he briefly lost consciousness. He spent one night in the hospital with the concussion and sore back. “Any time somebody is taken off the field on a stretcher, it always gets taken pretty seriously,” Best said. “But I’m a blessed person. Thank god it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.” The last memory Best has of the play was jumping in the air. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital. His mother filled him in on the details of what happened. Best has seen the play twice since then and said “it still doesn’t look that bad to me.” - AP Sports
11/18/09 - Mark Herzlich, rSr, Boston College, 6-4, 238 (DS#5 OLB) Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich was picked for the Disney Spirit Award given each year to college football’s most inspirational figure. Herzlich recently overcame a rare form of bone cancer. Last year’s Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year also helped bring about over $120,000 in donations for cancer-related causes. Herzlich, who sat out this season but expects to play next year, will receive the award Dec. 10 in Orlando, Fla. “The Disney Spirit Award is an award that means more to me than any award based on statistics and on-the-field achievements,” Herzlich said. “I have had to battle a deadly rare disease this past year and, along with beating the disease, I was fortunate to be able to help others along the way.” This summer, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a malignant tumor that most frequently appears in soft tissue or bone. Herzlich’s final treatment came earlier this month. He’s announced that he’s cancer free. Herzlich will have a rod put his leg to support and strengthen the bone with an eye toward a 2010 return. - AP Sports
11/18/09 - Christian Ponder, rJr, Florida State, 6-3, 218 (DS#5 QB) Embattled Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has a high-profile alumnus on his side—Gov. Charlie Crist. The Republican governor said Wednesday the Seminoles coach has been great for the school and the 80-year-old Bowden deserves respect. Some of Bowden’s critics have called on him to retire at the end of the season. Florida State is currently 5-5 and needs to win at least one more game to qualify for a bowl. Bowden’s 387 wins are second to Penn State’s Joe Paterno among major college coaches. Crist and Bowden appeared together at a news conference promoting the National Child Identification Program created by the American Football Coaches Association. - AP Sports
11/16/09 - Kordell Young, rJr, Rutgers, 5-09, 190 (DS#999 RB) Rutgers running back Kordell Young is going to miss the rest of the season with an injury to his right knee. Coach Greg Schiano announced on Monday that the third-down specialist will need season-ending surgery after being hurt on Thursday night in the Scarlet Knights’ upset of then-No. 23 South Florida. This is the second time in three seasons Young has been sidelined because of knee surgery. He was lost in the third game of the 2007 season after injury his left knee, a problem that has required multiple surgeries. Young, who missed the first two games this season because of a procedure on his left knee, had nine carries for 28 yards and seven receptions for 48 yards. The Scarlet Knights (7-2) will play at Syracuse (3-7) on Saturday. - AP Sports
11/16/09 - Jahvid Best, Jr, California, 5-10, 195 (DS#2 RB) California star tailback Jahvid Best will not play in the Big Game against Stanford this week as he recovers from a concussion. Coach Jeff Tedford said Monday there is “no chance” Best would play Saturday against No. 14 Stanford. Best sustained his second concussion in an eight-day period when he fell on his back and head from about 8 feet in the air on Nov. 7 against Oregon State. Best returned to the team late last week and was an honorary captain before the Golden Bears beat Arizona last Saturday. Best has 16 touchdowns and 867 yards rushing this season. - AP Sports
11/16/09 - Jared Perry, Sr, Missouri, 6-1, 182 (DS#44 WR) Jared Perry, Missouri's second-leading receiver, will miss the final two games of the regular season because of a fracture of the tibia in his right leg. The injuy, suffered in the first half of Missouri's 38-12 victory on Saturday at Kansas State - may not be so severe that Perry would miss a potential bowl game for Missouri. Perry, through 10 games, has caught 46 receptions for 696 yards and 6 touchdowns. He currently ranks 8th in the Big 12 Conference, and 45th in the NCAA, with his per-game receiving average of 69.60 yards. Perry also ranks 8th alltime at Mizzou with 1,844 career receiving yards and 9th with his 137 career receptions, while he ranks 7th alltime with 13 career receiving touchdowns. - The Kansas City Star
11/16/09 - Richie Brockel, rSr, Boise State, 6-1, 240 (DS#18 FB) Boise State tight end Richie Brockel is expected to miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. Brockel, who has eight catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns this season, injured his left foot in the sixth-ranked Broncos’ 63-25 blowout over rival Idaho Saturday. Coach Chris Petersen declined to provide details of the injury, but said the senior was undergoing tests Monday. The Broncos (10-0) also lost freshman running back Matt Kaiserman for the season. Kaiserman, who saw his first action last month at Hawaii, suffered a broken right leg. In four games, Kaiserman has 33 carries for 150 yards and one touchdown. - AP Sports
11/16/09 - Brandon Beachum, So, Penn State, 6-0, 218 (DS#999 RB) Penn State backup tailback Brandon Beachum will miss the rest of the year because of a right knee injury. The team doctor said Monday the sophomore will have surgery in the next two weeks and faces nine months of rehab after tearing his ACL during a kickoff return last week against Indiana. Beachum played in all 11 games this season, running for 113 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. He was carrying the ball more in recent weeks because of a right ankle injury to second-stringer Stephfon Green. Also hurt Saturday were receiver Chaz Powell (right shoulder) and cornerback A.J. Wallace, who suffered an apparent head injury. It is unclear if they will be ready to play when No. 13 Penn State visits Michigan State this weekend. - AP Sports
11/14/09 - Stafon Johnson, rSr, Southern Cal, 5-11, 210 (DS#999 RB) Stafon Johnson already can speak in a soft, raspy voice less than three months after a weight bar crushed the Southern California tailback’s throat. Johnson briefly demonstrated his remarkable recovery from a potentially fatal weight room accident Saturday before the Trojans’ game against Stanford. Repeating the last words spoken to him by his grandfather, Johnson said, “God has a plan. Run, Stafon, run.” Johnson also has regained the ability to swallow and eat solid food, an improbably quick achievement after several operations on his neck. His doctors have removed his tracheostomy tube from his throat, and he no longer has a feeding tube in his stomach. Johnson has had three more operations since leaving the hospital Oct. 14. - AP Sports
11/12/09 - Nate Irving, rJr, North Carolina State, 6-1, 235 (DS#999 OLB) North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien is getting some help from an unlikely source: injured linebacker Nate Irving. "He's been out there coaching the linebackers," O'Brien said with a laugh. "He takes credit if they do something good. If they do something bad and I look at him, he turns around and won't look at me." O'Brien says Irving, the team's leading tackler in 2008, will soon run on dirt surfaces again. That's a notable measure of progress for an athlete who was lost for the season after being involved in a summertime auto accident. Irving sustained a broken leg, a collapsed lung and a separated shoulder. He previously was cleared to run only on a treadmill, or what O'Brien jokingly called "the old-man machine." "For him, psychologically, to go outside and run, I think it'll be big for the team to see him out there," O'Brien said. "For what he's gone through ... it's amazing that he's back the way he is." - AP Sports
11/12/09 - Mike Hartline, rJr, Kentucky, 6-6, 208 (DS#30 QB) Mike Hartline might finally be healthy to get back on the field for Kentucky. Yet the junior quarterback might have been gone just long enough to find himself out of a job. Freshman Morgan Newton has slowly but steadily improved since Hartline went down with a knee injury against South Carolina on Oct. 10. Newton got the start the next week against Auburn and over the last month has grown into the position. He threw for 187 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career in a win over Eastern Kentucky last week. While he's not making many plays downfield, he's also avoiding major mistakes. Newton has two interceptions in 66 attempts this year while Hartline had six in 127 attempts before the injury. "I see a guy (in Newton) who has always had some confidence but had trouble adjusting to the speed of the decision-making," said coach Rich Brooks. "Whatever happens the rest of the year he has advanced his progression a great deal for the future. He still has a long way to go." Brooks said he'd only play Hartline on Saturday against Vanderbilt if "he can get out of his own way." Newton's mobility could be another reason to leave him on the field against the Commodores. "(Hartline) is going to have to throw the ball accurately, manage the offense, hand off, sprint out and do the things that our offense is going to require him to do without hobbling around and without really favoring his knee," Brooks said. - AP Sports
11/12/09 - Arthur Jones, rSr, Syracuse, 6-3, 295 (DS#6 DT) The smile on the face of Arthur Jones has never been bigger. Even as he awaits knee surgery that will cause him to miss the final three games of the season, the Syracuse University senior defensive tackle is celebrating his time with the Orange. Jones even sounded like a Syracusan during his meeting with the media on Wednesday. He said the sun is always shining … except in Syracuse. “I’m handling it in a positive way,” Jones said. “I’ve been down this road before. Any time with injuries, you’ve got to stay positive. That’s the best thing. It helps you recover faster. I’m a fast healing guy. "It’s time for me to move on. I’ve had a fantastic five years playing at this great university. I’m definitely going to miss it. Right now, I’ve got to go ahead with the surgery. “When I walked around this campus yesterday, people kept saying, ‘I’m sorry. I feel sad.’ I said, ‘Don’t be. It’s football. It’s a risk you take.’” Jones said he injured his knee on the second series of the first quarter at Pittsburgh on Saturday. He said he slapped on a brace and continued to play. The MRI on Monday revealed the injury. Jones said his future career in the National Football League was a consideration for standing down for the final three games. Jones said he will find the best surgeon he can to repair the knee. He said he has already accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl in January. “It’s just a smart thing to do,” Jones said of opting for surgery. “I could’ve probably played through it. Me messing it up worse could have ended my career. It’s smart to get it taken care of. “You get that little man talking in your head and you think your career is over. It’s an easy fix, I heal real fast. I’m a testimony to adversity. I’ll be fine. This won’t be the last time you hear the name of Art Jones. I promise you that.” - Donnie Webb, The Post-Standard
11/12/09 - Greg Hardy, Sr, Mississippi, 6-4, 265 (DS#2 DE) Mississippi defensive end Greg Hardy is out for the season with a broken left wrist. School spokesman Daniel Snowden says Hardy will have surgery Thursday in Jackson and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Millington, Tenn., native hurt his arm earlier this season, then aggravated the injury last weekend against Northern Arizona. He’ll have a screw placed in the wrist during surgery. Once considered one of the most dangerous defensive players in the nation, Hardy has been limited by injuries in his final two seasons. A broken foot cost him four games last season and parts of several others. He appeared ready for his senior year but sprained his ankle in the opener and hasn’t been much of a factor. - AP Sports
11/11/09 - Greg Hardy, Sr, Mississippi, 6-4, 265 (DS#2 DE) Ole Miss senior defensive end Greg Hardy may finish his college career on the sideline. Hardy has a broken wrist and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt told reporters prior to practice Wednesday. Hardy leads the Rebels with five sacks this season and has 26.5 for his career, but he's never been able to stay completely healthy. He played in only nine games last season and was limited by a stress fracture in his foot. After thinking about turning pro, Hardy returned for his senior season and underwent offseason surgery on his foot. But he hurt his ankle in the opener against Memphis this season and hasn't been 100 percent. He's been used primarily on passing downs this season. Ole Miss faces Tennessee at home on Saturday. - Chris Low, ESPN
11/11/09 - Aaron Opelt, Sr, Toledo, 6-2, 225 (DS#33 QB) PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Aaron Opelt, a senior and four-year starter for the Rockets, returned to the lineup last week against Miami after missing two games with a shoulder injury, but struggled. Opelt used the bye week to get more treatments on his ailing shoulder.
11/11/09 - Omar Bolden, Jr, Arizona State, 5-10, 195 (DS#999 CB) Arizona State's defense suddenly has become dangerously thin at the cornerback position. Coach Dennis Erickson announced Tuesday that senior Terell Carr has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules. Carr, a starter for seven games, had 28 tackles through nine games and had broken up a team-high six passes. Erickson also said Omar Bolden's knee injury will sideline the junior cornerback for the rest of the season. Bolden hasn't played since Oct. 3. "He just hasn't come back from that thing," Erickson said. "It's just not healing well." Redshirt freshman Deveron Carr (no relation) and senior Pierre Singfield likely will start at cornerback saturday at Oregon. Deveron Carr has just one start on his resume, but it came last week against Southern California. Sophomore Josh Jordan and junior LeQuan Lewis will serve as backups, although Jordan was slowed Tuesday by a sore ankle. "Hopefully, he can play," Erickson said. "If not, we're down to three corners." Asked if he's concerned about starting younger players at such a late date in the season, Erickson said sometimes a coach doesn't have a choice. "You just got to do it," he said. "They're all on scholarship. They got to step up and do what they're supposed to do. This happens all over the country, so I don't think we're unusual." - Doug Haller, The Arizona Republic
11/10/09 - Jarvis Jones, rSo, Oklahoma, 6-7, 298 (DS#18 OT) The Oklahoma Sooners have lost three more players for the season. Coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday that starting offensive lineman Jarvis Jones will miss the rest of the year with a fractured heel suffered during a 10-3 loss at Nebraska on Saturday. Jones is the fifth starter the Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12) have lost for the season. Defensive end Auston English was scheduled to have surgery on an injured ankle tendon Tuesday and team captain Brody Eldridge is out the rest of the year with a neck injury. Stoops had initially described it as a shoulder sprain. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and star tight end Jermaine Gresham had season-ending surgeries earlier this year. - AP Sports
11/10/09 - Arthur Jones, rSr, Syracuse, 6-3, 295 (DS#6 DT) In terms of NFL caliber talent, the Syracuse Orangemen had two senior prospects worthy of early round consideration: defensive tackle Arthur Jones and wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams stunned the school and scouts, alike, with his decision to quit the team two weeks ago. Now, the Orange will have to do without Jones, as well, as the university announced Monday night that Jones had torn the lateral meniscus in his left knee in the loss to Pittsburgh, Saturday, ending his collegiate career. The meniscus tear, on its own isn't necessarily a huge concern for scouts. Depending on the location and severity of the tear, Jones may not even need to undergo surgery. If the injury does require surgery, it will be arthroscopic in nature and isn't expected to keep Jones from participating in rookie mini camps, or perhaps even the Combine. Jones has been prone to injuries throughout his career, however, which will certainly give teams reason to pause on draft day. Of most concern is the fact that Jones' injuries have become more serious and occurred more frequently as his career has gone on. Jones tore his pectoral muscle during a February workout and missed time earlier this season with a "upper leg injury." Jones is a versatile, talented defender that ordinarily would receive strong first round consideration. Considering the injuries and the relative depth along the defensive line, however, his status is much cloudier. Jones leaves Syracuse with 38.5 career tackles for loss -- the most by a defensive tackle in Orange history. He was Syracuse's lone First-Team Big-East selection in 2008. - Rob Rang, The SportsXchange, NFLDraftScout.com
11/10/09 - Ricky Stanzi, rJr, Iowa, 6-4, 218 (DS#13 QB) Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi has had surgery to repair a severely sprained ankle and is “very doubtful” for Iowa’s final two regular season games. Stanzi injured his right ankle in the second quarter of No. 15 Iowa’s 17-10 loss to Northwestern last weekend and did not return. Ferentz says redshirt freshman James Vandenberg is now the No. 1 quarterback for the Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten). He will make his first career start Saturday at No. 10 Ohio State (8-2, 5-1). Vandenberg was 9 of 27 passing for 82 yards and an interception against Northwestern. Stanzi started all 10 games this season, throwing for 2,186 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Ferentz says that he believes Stanzi has a good chance to play in a bowl game. - AP Sports
11/10/09 - Brody Eldridge, rSr, Oklahoma, 6-5, 265 (DS#21 TE) The Oklahoma Sooners will be without senior guard Brody Eldridge and senior defensive end Auston English for the rest of the season. Coach Bob Stoops said late Monday that neither will return after suffering injuries during Saturday’s 10-3 loss at Nebraska. Eldridge sprained an anterior cruciate during the game while English ruptured a tendon in an ankle. The Sooners have now lost four players to season-ending injuries, including Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford. - AP Sports
11/10/09 - Arthur Jones, rSr, Syracuse, 6-3, 295 (DS#6 DT) The hits keep on coming for Syracuse's beleagured football team. The university announced Monday night that All-Big East Conference defensive tackle Arthur Jones and starting offensive tackle Jonathan Meldrum will miss the remainder of the 2009 season because of injuries. The school announced tonight in a release that Jones and Meldrum reported experiencing discomfort in their left knee during the Pittsburgh game. MRIs on Monday revealed each had a torn lateral meniscus in their knees that will require surgery. They join a crowded sideline of Syracuse players lost for the season with injuries that includes safety Dorian Graham (shoulder), tight end Nick Provo (knee), defensive end Jared Kimmel (knee), strong safety Max Suter (arm) and tight end Cody Catalina (knee). Additionally, some 21 players on scholarship have left the program since Marrone's arrival last December. Just last Monday, all-star wide receiver Mike Williams quit the team. Jones, who is from Union Endicott High School near Binghamton, was the only player for Syracuse to earn All-Big East first-team honors a year ago. He chose to bypass the NFL Draft last season in order to play one more year for the Orange under near head coach Doug Marrone. Jones tore his pectoral muscle lifting weights in February and got himself ready to play in the opener against Minnesota. Jones has 12 tackles this season. His career with the Orange is completed. - Donnie Webb, The Post-Standard
11/10/09 - Auston English, rSr, Oklahoma, 6-3, 252 (DS#20 DE) Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones says he'll keep injured teammate Brody Eldridge in his prayers. It might be better for Eldridge to keep the Sooners in his. Already down Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham, OU lost Eldridge and defensive end Auston English to season-ending shoulder and foot injuries, respectively, during a 10-3 defeat at Nebraska last Saturday. Bob Stoops made the announcement after practice Monday night, then had it suggested that whatever rabbit's foot he's using isn't working too well. "Well, that's the way it goes," responded Stoops, his practicality and optimism fighting the fact he's coaching a 5-4 team for the first time in his 11 years at OU. "Other guys hopefully can play and step up. That's what needs to happen." He's talking about David King and R.J. Washington at defensive end. The two redshirt freshmen have barely stepped foot on Owen Field behind English, Jeremy Beal and Frank Alexander. Now that English is undergoing tendon surgery, however, one or both could be asked to do so. Provided Beal and Alexander don't get hurt this month, the Sooners should withstand English's injury. Beal has arguably been OU's best player on either side of the ball, and Alexander was effective after English sustained a knee injury this time last year. Coping with Eldridge's loss is another story. "He's a force," said wide receiver Ryan Broyles. "He's a great blocker. He's a great leader. And he's got the brains up there, and the experience. More than anything, he held those guys (other O-linemen) down. He just made them look up to somebody." - Guerin Emig, Tulsa World
11/10/09 - Christian Ponder, rJr, Florida State, 6-3, 218 (DS#5 QB) Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder has been one of the few bright spots in an ugly season for Florida State. That bright spot was extinguished Saturday night, when Ponder suffered a separated right shoulder in trying to tackle Clemson defensive back DeAndre McDaniel. The injury, a grade three shoulder separation, that will require season-ending surgery, prompting speculation that the play -- which concluded Ponder's fourth interception of the night - could be his final one for the Seminoles. With the injury (and potential lost earnings) of Sam Bradford last year, as well as speculation that the league is looking to impose a rookie salary cap soon, scouts are anticipating underclassmen flocking early to the NFL this winter. Despite this being only his second season as Florida State's starting quarterback, his improvement has been considerable. Numbers rarely tell the whole story, but consider that in 13 starts in 2008 Ponder completed 55.7% of his passes for 2007 yards and a 14-13 TD to INT ratio. In only 9 starts this season, Ponder completed 68.8% of his passes for 2,717 yards and a TD-INT ratio of 14-7. Ponder, 6-3, 215 pounds, has the size, intelligence, arm strength, accuracy and mobility scouts are looking for in a potential franchise quarterback. Unlike many of the other highly touted quarterbacks across the country, Ponder's production has come via a pro-style offense. Scouts would like to see Ponder return for his senior campaign, as he remains raw. Highly drafted, but unpolished young quarterbacks have a significantly more difficultt time acclimating to the pros simply because there is very little time for second or third quarterbacks handling the ball in a typical NFL week of practice. To improve, he'll need to play - and scouts don't feel he (or many of the other highly touted underclassmen QBs of the potential 2010 class) is ready. - Rob Rang, The SportsXchange, NFLDraftScout.com