Associated Press
The college football notebook …
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ó Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin says he put his Volunteers in the best position they could be in to beat Florida. Then he took one more shot at Gators coach Urban Meyer.
Meyer said Sunday that he kept his game plan conservative in No. 1 Florida’s 23-13 win after he felt the Vols didn’t appear to be playing for a win. He also said several of his players had been hit by the flu.
On Monday, Kiffin said he didn’t want to respond to Meyer’s comment. But asked whether he was worried about the flu also hitting Tennessee, he said: “I don’t know. I guess we’ll wait and after we’re not excited about a performance, we’ll tell you everybody was sick.”
Tennessee (1-2, 0-1 SEC) was tagged as a 30-point underdog thanks in part to some of Kiffin’s offseason comments about Florida.
EX-WINGATE PLAYER GETS LIFE
UNION, S.C. ó A former college football player admitted Monday he stabbed his 16-year-old girlfriend to death in South Carolina while his wife held her down to prove his love.
Former Wingate player Pernell Thompson, 21, agreed to plead guilty to murder to avoid a possible death sentence. His wife, Yolanda, pleaded guilty to similar charges and had agreed to testify against her husband. She is awaiting sentencing.
Thompson and his wife lured South Carolina’s Union High School cheerleader Marisha Jeter to a parking lot in January 2008, where he stabbed her in the neck. The pair then dumped the girl’s body over a bridge and burned her car, prosecutors said.
After pleading guilty, Thompson said, “I apologize for the part I did play” and said he never wanted to harm Jeter.
Jeter was a class president and honor roll student. Her father is a trustee on the school board and said he can never forgive Thompson.
His final words to Thompson were: “You’re going straight to hell and there ain’t nothing nobody can ever do to help you.”
EAST CAROLINA
GREENVILLE ó East Carolina hasn’t looked quite like everyone expected to start the season.
The Pirates (1-2) have lost games at West Virginia and North Carolina, and had to sweat out a tougher-than-it-should’ve-been win against Appalachian State. Now East Carolina is preparing to host UCF to open its Conference USA title defense Saturday.
Coach Skip Holtz says his players need to take charge if they want to change the course of the season, which has been marked most by the offense’s shaky play. East Carolina still hasn’t scored a second-half touchdown and has been outscored 41-5 after the break.
Meanwhile, the defense has been allowing too many big pass plays, including a 59-yard touchdown throw in the first half against the Tar Heels.
ACC PLAYERS
GREENSBOROó Two players each from Florida State and Clemson are among the Atlantic Coast Conference’s six weekly award winners.
The ACC on Monday named Seminoles guard Rodney Hudson and Greg Reid, and Tigers’ defensive end Ricky Sapp and kicker Richard Jackson, as its players of the week.
OKLAHOMANORMAN, Okla. ó Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford attempted to go through quarterback drills with Oklahoma on Monday as he rehabs from a sprained right shoulder.
GEORGIA TECH
ATLANTA ó Jonathan Dwyer, who suffered a shoulder injury and was limited to five carries for seven yards in Georgia Tech’s loss to Miami, says he expects to play this week against North Carolina.