The Miami Hurricanes will not go to a bowl game this season after self-imposing a ban that school officials said was necessary in response to an NCAA investigation into the university's compliance practices.
Players were informed Sunday that the Hurricanes' game Friday against Boston College will be the last this season, even though Miami (6-5) has enough wins to qualify for a postseason appearance. By self-imposing a ban, Miami is trying to lessen the severity of whatever sanctions the NCAA hands down once its investigation ends.
"I'm clearly disappointed,"
Miami Coach Al Golden said. University officials said he was not involved in the choice to implement the ban. "I believe it's the right decision and I'm 100% behind the decision,"
Golden said. "We're one step closer to putting these issues behind us."
Golden said Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst and university President Donna Shalala made the decision, although a statement from the university said it was done through consultation with "university leaders, athletic administrators and outside counsel."
The NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference were informed.
"It is a necessary step for our university,"
Miami's statement read.
Miami is not imposing any other penalties on itself at this time.
Arkansas player dies
Arkansas' football team was in mourning after the death of backup tight end Garrett Uekman.
The university said Uekman, 19, was pronounced dead at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville on Sunday afternoon.
The cause of death wasn't immediately known, but the university said Uekman was found unconscious and unresponsive in his dorm room about 11:15 a.m. He was last seen playing video games by a roommate about an hour earlier.
When emergency services personnel arrived, Uekman was in cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m.
University police Lt. Mat Mills said there were no suspicious circumstances about Uekman's death, and his body will be sent to the state medical examiner for an autopsy.
Late Saturday games
Andrew Luck passed for 257 yards and two touchdowns, and host Stanford survived a shaky start to beat California, 31-28, in a rain-soaked Big Game late Saturday.
Luck revived his Heisman Trophy campaign, throwing touchdown passes to Levine Toilolo and Ryan Hewitt and keeping the Cardinal's slim chances of a Pac-12 title and a spot in the BCS title game alive. He overcame an early interception and rallied Stanford (10-1, 8-1) from six points down.
Zach Maynard finished with 280 yards passing with two touchdowns for the Golden Bears (6-5, 3-5).
NAIA playoffs: David Trifeletti had 157 yards rushing and two touchdowns, leading Azusa Pacific to a 49-26 victory against visiting Ottawa (Kan.) in the first round of the NAIA playoffs Saturday night. The Cougars advanced to a quarterfinal game at Carroll (Mont.) on Saturday.
Etc.
A rented U-Haul that struck and killed a tailgater outside the Yale-Harvard game Saturday at New Haven, Conn., malfunctioned as a Yale undergraduate drove the vehicle into a crowded parking lot, the student's attorney said Sunday.
William Dow, representing Yale student Brendan Ross, said the crash was a "tragic accident that appears to be the result of a vehicle malfunction."
He did not elaborate and said Ross would not be speaking publicly about what happened.
Ross and his family wanted to express their condolences to the three people who were hit by the truck, Dow said, including 30-year-old Nancy Barry of Salem, Mass., who was killed. Sarah Short, 31, a Yale student from New Haven, remained hospitalized Sunday because of leg injuries. Elizabeth Dernbach, 23, a Harvard employee originally from Naples, Fla., was treated for her injuries Saturday and released.
Ross passed a field sobriety test Saturday and police said he has been cooperative in their investigation, which remained open Sunday. No charges had been filed. …
Notre Dame running back Jonas Gray has a "significant"
injury to his right knee, and Coach Brian Kelly does not expect the senior to play again for the Irish. … Alabama safety Will Lowery is out for the season because of a torn knee ligament.
