University of Texas backup quarterback Case McCoy and injured linebacker Jordan Hicks were suspended and sent home a day before today’s Alamo Bowl against Oregon State.
The suspensions of the two juniors came a few hours after a report by San Antonio TV station KENS-TV that two Texas players were at the center of a sexual assault investigation involving a 21-year-old woman at a downtown San Antonio hotel early Friday morning. The names of the players were redacted in the police report supplied to the media. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests had been made.
Sources with knowledge of the decision confirmed that McCoy and Hicks were the two suspended players. One source indicated that one of the team rules broken involved a curfew violation.
Texas coach Mack Brown did not identify the players during a previously scheduled bowl news conference.
McCoy, the younger brother of former Texas standout Colt McCoy, had started the previous game, a loss to Kansas State, and started five games in 2011. Hicks was the team’s leading tackler before he suffered a groin injury in the third game against Ole Miss.
FRIDAY’S BOWL GAMES
RUSSELL ATHLETIC – Virginia Tech 13, Rutgers 10 (OT): Cody Journell kicked a 22-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime to help the Hokies (7-6) avoid their first losing season since 1992 by rallying from a 10-0 deficit to beat the Scarlet Knights (9-4) in Orlando, Fla.
Rutgers (9-4) had a chance to tie it in overtime, but Nick Borgese missed a 42-yard try.
Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum, the most valuable player of the game, picked off Gary Nova’s pass early in the fourth quarter to set up the tying score – Logan Thomas’ 21-yard pass to Corey Fuller with 10:56 left.
INDEPENDENCE – Ohio 45, Louisiana-Monroe 14: Tyler Tettleton threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns, and Beau Blankenship scored four touchdowns for an Independence Bowl record to lift the Bobcats (9-4) past the Warhawks (8-5) in Shreveport, La.
Ohio broke several Independence Bowl records, including the 31-point margin and 556 total yards.
Blankenship finished with 104 yards rushing, and Chase Cochran caught three passes for 162 yards and a TD.
MEINEKE CAR CARE – Texas Tech 34, Minnesota 31: D.J. Johnson returned an interception 39 yards, and Ryan Bustin made a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give the Red Raiders (8-5) the victory over the Golden Gophers (6-7) in Houston.
Tech’s Seth Doege found Eric Ward on a short pass, and he outran a defender for a 35-yard scoring play to tie it at 31 with just more than a minute remaining.
AULT STEPS DOWN
Nevada coach Chris Ault announced he was stepping down, leaving as the winningest coach in school history, already a Hall of Famer, and having changed the way teams play with his Pistol offense.
The 66-year-old, who also served as Nevada’s coach from 1976-1992 and from 1994-95, finished with a record of 233-109-1.
He was Nevada’s athletic director from 1986 to 2004, and the school’s starting quarterback from 1965 to 1967. In all, Ault spent all but eight years of his adult life at Nevada as a player, coach or administrator.
HOFFNER REASSIGNED
Todd Hoffner, coach at Minnesota State, Mankato, who was cleared of child pornography charges stemming from videos of his naked children clowning around after a bath were found on his cellphone, has been reassigned.
Hoffner has been given the position of assistant athletic director for facilities development, effective immediately, the university said in a news release. However, Hoffner’s civil attorney, Chris Madel, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that his client has no intentions of abiding by the university’s decision.
“We intend to fight the university until Mr. Hoffner is restored as head coach of the successful football team he created,” Madel said.
EXTRA POINTS
Former Louisville defensive lineman Patrick Grant has sued the school and coach Charlie Strong, and says he was coerced into covering up a 2010 beating in the locker room by a pair of teammates that was so severe “he required immediate, urgent care and nearly lost his left eye,” according to the lawsuit. … Former NFL defensive coordinator Dale Lindsey has been promoted to coach at the University of San Diego, replacing Ron Caragher, who left for San Jose State. … No. 12 Oklahoma suspended defensive tackle Stacy McGee after he was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol on Christmas Eve.
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