Associated Press
The college football notebook…
GREENVILLE ó East Carolina will be without a few key players when the Pirates look to atone for last yearís embarrassing loss to Navy.
Coach Ruffin McNeill said Monday that two starters on the offensive line ó guard Adhem Elsawi and center Doug Polochak ó are out with knee injuries and receiver Justin Jones will miss a second straight game with a wrist injury.
McNeill says he hopes Polochak will return ěin the next few weeks.î
The Pirates (2-4) this week will visit the Midshipmen, who beat them 76-35 last year in Greenville. McNeill says East Carolina ěwill not focus on (revenge) for one second.î Instead, heís hoping for some carryover from last weekís 35-17 win over Memphis.
GREENE OUT FOR STATE
RALEIGH ó North Carolina State says running back Mustafa Greene wonít play this season with a nagging foot injury.
Greene hadnít played in the first six games for the Wolfpack (3-3, 0-2 ACC). Team officials listed him as being out for the season on its package of notes for this weekís game at Virginia.
Coach Tom OíBrien said Monday that Greene will have surgery in the coming week to have a plate removed from the foot, and it wouldnít make sense to rush him back.
Greene injured his foot during spring practice. OíBrien had said the decision to redshirt Greene probably had to be made by the teamís off week, and N.C. State was off this past week.
Greene had a team-best 579 yards rushing in 2010.
OKAKPU DISMISSED
CHAPEL HILL ó North Carolina has dismissed starting linebacker Ebele Okakpu from the team.
Interim coach Everett Withers says the senior was dismissed for ěconduct detrimental to the team,î though he wouldnít elaborate further during his weekly news conference Monday. Okakpu started five games this year and had 14 tackles. Withers says Okakpu will remain on scholarship and has a chance to graduate this spring.
Sophomore Darius Lipford is listed atop the depth chart in Okakpuís place for the Tar Heels (5-2, 1-2), who travel to eighth-ranked Clemson this weekend. Withers says the Tar Heels might use multiple players to replace Okakpu, saying the team has built depth at the position.
BIG EAST DOUBLES FEE
A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that Big East leaders voted to double the leagueís exit fee to $10 million.
The Big East is hoping Monday nightís move by the presidents will lead to adding six new teams to the conference, including Boise State as a football-only member.
The vote was first reported by CBSSports.com.
GEORGIA SCUFFLE
ATLANTA ó Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham says he hopes he and his players will learn from his ěunfortunateî postgame confrontation with Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.
Grantham released a statement Monday after speaking with Georgia coach Mark Richt and athletic director Greg McGarity. The coordinator says he loves his players and feels a ěresponsibility and loyaltyî to stand up for them.
Franklin and Grantham exchanged words following Georgiaís 33-28 win Saturday. Grantham says his actions ěwere not representative of what this institution stands for.î
Southeastern Conference associate commissioner Charles Bloom tells The Associated Press the league is looking into what happened.
Grantham landed in trouble last year for making a choke sign as Florida lined up for the winning field goal.
The Associated Press
10/17/11 15:35