Today's top story ... Alabama's top RB out for the year
Senior starting RB Ray Hudson is lost for the remainder of the season after an MRI revealed a fractured right knee; Hudson, who had surgery on Tuesday, suffered the injury on a third-quarter play in last weekend’s victory over Kentucky; Sophomore Ken Darby will get the start at RB for Saturday’s game against Southern Miss
ACC
Duke
The Devils’ ground game may get a boost, as junior starting RB Cedric Dargan is expected to return to action this Saturday against Georgia Tech; Dargan has been sidelined with a knee injury and hasn’t played since the Sept. 4 opener
Florida State
Sophomore Wyatt Sexton will remain the team’s starting QB for its Saturday night game versus Virginia, but senior Chris Rix (ankle) has returned for his first full week of practice since suffering his injury, and could be used off of the bench … Junior starting DT Brodrick Bunkley (ankle) and senior starting WR/PR Willie Reid (hamstring) are back at practice after missing last week’s game at Syracuse; Both are expected to play against Virginia … Junior top backup TE Matt Henshaw, however, is doubtful for Saturday’s game due to a high ankle sprain
Maryland
Head coach Ralph Friedgen announced that sophomore Joel Statham would remain the Terps’ starting QB, as the team prepares for its game with N.C. State this weekend; Friedgen indicated, however, that true freshman Jordan Steffy could also see playing time in Saturday’s game
Miami, Fla.
The Canes could have as many as four new starters for tomorrow night’s game against Louisville; Junior Rashad Butler will start at LT due to the season-ending injury to junior Eric Winston, redshirt freshman LB Glenn Cook, who normally plays on the strongside, could make his first start at MLB, true freshman Lance Leggett will start at WR for the injured Sinorice Moss (hamstring), and true freshman Anthony Reddick will be the likely starter at FS because of sophomore Brandon Meriweather’s turf toe injury … Senior starting C Joel Rodriguez (hamstring) returned to practice on Tuesday and will start tomorrow night’s game … Head coach Larry Coker indicated that redshirt freshman QB Kyle Wright could see more snaps in tomorrow night’s game, regardless of senior Brock Berlin’s performance
North Carolina
The University has issued indefinite suspensions for sophomore starting LB Fred Sparkman, sophomore top backup WR Adarius Bowman, and sophomore top backup DL Isaiah Thomas, after each player was cited for misdemeanor possession of marijuana; Athletics director Dick Baddour indicated that the suspensions could last for the remainder of the season
Virginia
Sophomore starting FB Jason Snelling will miss Saturday night’s tilt with conference rival Florida State; Snelling injured his ankle during last Thursday’s game against Clemson; Fifth-year senior Brandon Isaiah will get the start and be backed-up by true freshman Kevin Bradley
Big XII
Oklahoma
Senior starting CB and PR specialist Antonio Perkins will miss 3-4 weeks after spraining the MCL in his left knee during last weekend’s win over Texas; Perkins will be replaced by junior Chijioke Onyenegecha
Big East
Pittsburgh
Ongoing injury problems for senior starting FB Tim Murphy and senior top backup FB Justin Acierno may result in an increased role for senior starting RB Ray Kirkley in Saturday’s home game versus Boston College; Kirkley played a few snaps at FB during last weekend’s game against Temple, but his role, at FB, may increase with Murphy and Acierno questionable for Saturday; If Kirkley plays FB, the RB duties would go to either senior Marcus Furman or freshman Brandon Mason
Independents
Notre Dame
Despite a concussion suffered in last weekend’s win over Stanford, sophomore starting QB Brady Quinn is expected to start Saturday’s game versus Navy
Pac-10
Arizona
Junior backup QB/WR Nic Costa has left the team, according to head coach Mike Stoops; Costa, who was made the move to WR during fall camp but moved back to QB last month, becomes the second QB to leave the team (sophomore Ryan O’Hara withdrew from school to help take care of his younger brother, who received a kidney transplant in September); Stoops did not provide a reason for Costa’s departure
California
Results from an MRI revealed that a torn ACL will sideline fifth-year senior starting WR Chase Lyman for the remainder of the season, and will likely end his collegiate career; Lyman suffered the injury during Saturday’s loss at USC; Either Burk Toler or Jonathan Makonnen, both seniors, is expected to fill the starting WR void …
Southern California
After losing starting WR Steve Smith (broken leg) for the rest of the season, the Trojans may give sophomore standout Reggie Bush more looks at the WR position … Junior starting safety Scott Ware will likely be sidelined for two weeks due to a stress fracture in his left foot
SEC
Ole Miss
Sophomore Ethan Flatt, junior Michael Spurlock, and redshirt freshman Robert Lane all played a significant amount of snaps during the Rebs’ win at South Carolina last weekend, and head coach David Cutcliffe indicated that he would use all three again in Saturday night’s home game versus Tennessee