Associated Press
The college football notebook …
SALT LAKE CITY ó Brian Johnson threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Brown with 47 seconds left to cap an 80-yard drive that kept No. 10 Utah’s BCS hopes alive with a 13-10 victory over No. 11 TCU on Thursday night.
The Utes improved to 10-0 for the second time in school history.
Johnson threw for 230 yards for the Utes (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West), who recovered on defense after allowing TCU to gain 202 yards in the first quarter.
FLORIDA STATE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ó Three Florida State football players have been suspended for Saturday’s game against Clemson, coach Bobby Bowden said.
Bowden said wide receivers Bert Reed and Jarmon Fortson and linebacker Nigel Carr will not play this weekend for the 24th-ranked Seminoles (6-2). He said they were being disciplined for “not meeting their responsibilities.” He did not elaborate.
SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, S.C. ó South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier says he won’t name his starting quarterback Saturday against Arkansas until he sees Stephen Garcia and Chris Smelley warm up.
After Thursday’s practice, Spurrier praised Garcia’s ability to make plays and Smelley’s knowledge of the offense.Spurrier says both quarterbacks will likely play.
NOTRE DAME
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ó Doctors told Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis the damage to his left knee was far more extensive than originally believed after an Irish player was blocked into him on the sideline two months ago.”
My knee cap is fine. That’s the good news. Everything else is gone,” Weis told reporters Thursday evening.
TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ó Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton has a long list of qualities he’s looking for in the next Tennessee coach but no timeline on which to hire him.
“I’m more concerned about hiring the right candidate than I am about how quickly we get it done. I do think that we need to be expedient and go about our business as quickly as is possible,” Hamilton said in his last public comments before hiring someone to replace Phillip Fulmer.
The right candidate, Hamilton said, is one who has a lot of integrity, is a proven leader, is good at recruiting and building a staff and can work as a salesman to promote Tennessee.
The salesman approach might sound familiar. It’s one that Hamilton’s marquis coaching hire ó men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl.