Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL ó Two North Carolina running backs were scheduled for surgery later this week.
School officials said Tuesday that A.J. Blue and Jamal Womble were hurt last weekend during the Tar Heels’ 42-12 victory over Georgia Southern.
Blue saw time at quarterback and running back in the first six games this season. He injured his left knee during the fourth quarter.
Womble broke his right wrist while covering the opening kickoff.
School officials said they will update their status following surgery Friday.
Shaun Draughn has rushed for a team-leading 355 yards, and Ryan Houston has scored seven touchdowns.
NOTRE DAME
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ó Wide receiver Michael Floyd is healing faster than expected from a broken left collarbone and could be ready to play by Nov. 7, when the Fighting Irish face Navy.
OKLAHOMA STATE
OKLAHOMA CITY ó Receiver Dez Bryant claims he was worried he had done something wrong when he “panicked” and lied to the NCAA about a meeting with former NFL player Deion Sanders at a Texas athletics center.
In his written apology to the NCAA, obtained by The Associated Press following an open records request, Bryant said that he is “very, very sorry” and “made a terrible mistake” when he lied to Marcus M. Wilson, the NCAA’s assistant director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities, in July.
USC
LOS ANGELES ó Southern Cal tailback Stafon Johnson could leave the hospital today, just over two weeks after his neck was crushed in a weightlifting accident.
ALABAMA
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ó Alabama contends the NCAA wrongly forced the football program to vacate 21 victories, describing it as an “unprecedented penalty” in cases involving abuse of free textbooks.
The university, in a 14-page rebuttal released Tuesday, spelled out several reasons why the wins should be restored, including the NCAA committee on infraction’s improper citing of Alabama’s repeat offender status. The university said no other textbook case led to wins being vacated and that the committee’s brief failed to mention even one textbook case to use for comparison.
SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier expects injured tight end Weslye Saunders (ankle) to play this weekend against No. 2 Alabama.
VANDERBILT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ó Vanderbilt has suspended sophomore running back Jermaine Doster indefinitely following his arrest by Nashville police in which they used an electronic stun device to stop him during an early morning fight.