Associated Press
CLEMSON, S.C. ó Former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin met with Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips last week about the Tigers football opening.
ESPN.com and The State of Columbia, citing sources, say Kiffin and Phillips met in Detroit. Kiffin has also been mentioned for college openings in Tennessee and Washington.
Phillips declined to talk about the reports through a spokesman, and a call to Kiffin’s agent, Gary Uberstine, was not immediately returned.
Interim coach Dabo Swinney has gone 1-2 since taking over.
FLORIDA STATE
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ó A brawl involving FSU football players apparently stemmed from bad blood between some of the athletes and members of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, a university investigator said.
Maj. James Russell confirmed that football players ó he wouldn’t say how many ó were among at least 10 students involved in the fight Wednesday afternoon at the university student union.
“They weren’t just slugging it out for no reason,” Russell said. “We think there is probably some history there.”
Coach Bobby Bowden said he expected to hear from authorities soon.
“There’s not much I can say,” Bowden said. “We haven’t gotten the final report yet.”
Florida State players become ineligible immediately if charged with a felony.
GEORGIA
ATHENS, Ga. ó Let A.J. Green have all the attention. Mohamed Massaquoi doesn’t mind a bit.
Green, Georgia’s super freshman, ranks fourth in the SEC with 46 catches and leads the league in receiving yards (806).
It’s easy to forget that Massaquoi is having the best year of his career. The senior from Charlotte is just behind his teammate in the SEC rankings with 41 catches, and he holds down third in receiving yards with 669.
Coach Mark Richt gives Massaquoi much of the credit for Green’s quick development through a team concept known as “Brother’s Keeper.”
“We have a veteran take a young guy under his wing,” Richt said. “A.J. was his player.”
TEXAS
AUSTIN ó Texas’ all-white road uniforms will conceal just how black and blue the No. 4 Longhorns will be Saturday when they play at Kansas.
The offensive and defensive lines are banged up, Colt McCoy says his body is sore and Texas is down to its third string center after Chris Hall went down with a sprained knee in practice.
NOTRE DAME
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ó After three games of trying to force things, quarterback Jimmy Clausen said this week he’ll take whatever Navy will give.
Clausen, who had the flu when he threw a career-high four interceptions in a 17-0 loss to Boston College, said he’s heeding the advice of his coaches.
“It’s just take what the defense gives you,” he said.
Clausen said that’s been harder to do since halftime of the North Carolina game. That’s when the Tar Heels started focusing on keeping Clausen from throwing deep, a strategy that Washington, Pittsburgh and Boston College have all copied knowing the Irish have an ineffective running game.
WEST VIRGINIA
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. ó Two West Virginia football players have been charged with battery stemming from a fight at a Morgantown bar in October.
Tight end Maxwell Anderson, 21, and starting holder Jeremy Kash, 21, are to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charge Dec. 3 in Morgantown Municipal Court.
CHADRON STATE
CHADRON, Neb. ó Life after Danny Woodhead is good at Chadron State.
The Eagles are in the NCAA Division II playoffs for the third straight year and take a 10-1 record into Saturday’s home game against Wayne State.
Chadron made it to the postseason the last two years with college football’s top career rusher leading the way. Coach Bill O’Boyle said getting back to the playoffs is especially satisfying this year because a lot of people believed there would be a big dropoff without Woodhead.
Not the case. Joe McLain has thrown for more than 2,400 yards and 25 TDs. Four different backs have had 100-yard days.