Associated Press
The college notebook …
BOONE ó Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards isn’t expected to play in Saturday’s opener against East Carolina because of a right foot injury from a lawnmower accident last month.
The school said Wednesday evening that sophomore DeAndre Presley will start in Edwards’ place against the Pirates.
Edwards was hurt when his foot got caught in the mower at his off-campus residence. Coach Jerry Moore had said he expected Edwards would be recovered in time for the opener, but said Tuesday that it was “really doubtful” the senior would be ready.
The elusive 6-footer burst onto the national scene in 2007 when he led the Mountaineers to an upset of Michigan. Last year he won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision.
BERRY PICKIN’
Tennessee safety Eric Berry needs just 15 yards to set the career NCAA interception return yardage record.
The junior posted a Football Bowl Subdivision-best seven interceptions in his 2008 all-American season, returning them for a single-season SEC record 265 yards. He holds the SEC career record with 487 return yards on 12 interceptions.
Berry says he wouldn’t mind if those 15 yards came Saturday against Western Kentucky.”That would be nice to just go ahead and get it out of the way, so I can’t think about it anymore,” Berry said.
SUSPENDED
South Carolina defensive tackle Kenny Davis has been suspended for the team’s opening game at North Carolina State.
Davis was suspended for violating team rules and did not make the trip for tonight’s game in Raleigh.
Davis is a 6-foot-3, 287-pound redshirt freshman who is listed as the backup for senior starter Nathan Pepper.
Davis is the third defensive lineman suspended for the season opener.
MICHIGANLost in the firestorm over allegations that Michigan forced players to put in too many hours is the fact that the Wolverines will go with three quarterbacks against Western Michigan on Saturday.
Embattled second-year coach Rich Rodriguez is sticking to his decision to play junior Nick Sheridan, who started four games and played in eight last season, and also freshmen Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson.
DEFENDING CHAMP
Once Richmond coach Mike London was so frantic after winning the national championship that he climbed out of bed in the middle of night and headed downstairs.
“I had a nightmare that I lost my ring,” London said of the jewel he earned last season when his Spiders won the FCS title.
But it was just a dream. When his wife found him pulling the couch apart and he told her why, she told him the ring was where he always keeps it ó on his nightstand.
And that’s where it stays. London doesn’t want to think about Richmond’s 24-7 victory against Montana in the title game, he wants to get his team focused on pursuing another championship.
“We can’t look at what we did; we’ve got to look at what we’re doing and measure our progress that way,” London said during a break in preseason practice. “No one’s thinking about what we did, what brought us here. We’re all thinking about what we need to do.”