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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 17, 2002
Nebraska running back Thunder Collins didn't report to practice for a third straight day Wednesday, increasing speculation he has quit the team.
Coach Frank Solich said he hasn't heard from Collins since Saturday's win over Missouri. Collins has gotten little playing time since he returned from a four-game suspension for violating unspecified NCAA rules.
"Whether that all entered into the fact that he's not here, I'm not sure," Solich said. "What I am certain about is that he's not here, and it appears he has quit the team."
Solich said he will listen to Collins' explanation if he wants to come back, but there would be disciplinary action.
Collins was the team's third-leading rusher last season with 647 yards, and he was listed as the co-starter at I-back with Dahrran Diedrick entering this season. But after the opener against Arizona State, Collins was suspended.
He touched the ball five times in the past two games, and the senior has 14 carries for 39 yards this season.
Collins got into trouble in August on unrelated charges that he assaulted his girlfriend. Those were dropped after he entered a domestic-violence prevention program, but he was charged with misdemeanor assault for failing to complete the program.
GEORGIA: Tailback Musa Smith was listed as "very probable" for Saturday's home game against Vanderbilt, but he was held out of contact drills with a sore neck.
Smith, the Bulldogs leading rusher, suffered a cervical hyperextension when his head snapped back after a hit against Tennessee. Smith said he experienced "stingers," a brief numbness or loss of feeling in both arms.
After he was examined by a neurosurgeon and an orthopedic surgeon, Smith was taken to other specialists this week.
"We were just being cautious, being careful," coach Mark Richt said. "He really was symptom-free from about five seconds after it happened."
Smith likely will be fitted with a protective collar to prevent his head from snapping back.
CLEMSON: Starting cornerback Kevin Johnson has been dismissed from the team for academic reasons, coach Tommy Bowden said. The junior from Orangeburg started five of six games this season.
LSU: starting quarterback Matt Mauck will be out indefinitely after suffering a midfoot injury in the 36-7 win over Florida. "The evaluation on Tuesday showed he has a significant injury to the midfoot," team doctor Brent Bankston said. "He will be out indefinitely and will undergo further testing to determine if surgery is necessary."
Central Florida's passing game may be putting up big numbers, but coach Mike Kruczek hopes to improve his team's struggling ground attack during the upcoming three-game homestand.
Through five games, UCF's 110th-ranked running attack has provided little more than a change of pace for a passing offense that ranks 11th in the nation with 306 yards per game.
Entering Saturday's Mid-American Conference home opener against Toledo, UCF averages 88.4 yards rushing. Including 62 yards on the ground in last week's win over Western Michigan, UCF has had three games with fewer than 70 yards rushing.
"The running game has to become a bigger percentage of what we are doing this week," Kruczek said. "But that all depends on how healthy our people are."
Leading rusher Alex Haynes (310 yards) has been the biggest loss. He has been sidelined since injuring his ankle on Sept. 28 against Liberty.