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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Maurice Clarett's lawyers have asked that the son of former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes be disqualified as the judge in a case accusing the suspended running back of lying about items stolen from a car.
In a response to an affidavit of disqualification, Franklin County municipal judge Steven B. Hayes said he should be allowed to hear the misdemeanor case.
"I know of no reason, and can think of no reason, why I couldn't be a fair and impartial jurist in this case," Hayes wrote to Common Pleas Judge David W. Fais.
Clarett's lawyers filed the request for Hayes' removal Sept. 24. Cases are assigned at random.
Today's pretrial hearing in the case was been postponed and rescheduled for Oct. 20, the city attorney's office said Thursday.
Clarett has pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor falsification charge, which has a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. He is charged with filing an exaggerated theft report with campus police in April after a dealership's car he borrowed was broken into.
Woody Hayes was Ohio State's coach from 1951 to '78, when it won two Associated Press national titles, 13 Big Ten Conference crowns and 205 games.
ARKANSAS: There's no competition under way for placekicking duties, coach Houston Nutt said. Chris Balseiro has the job. Nutt said that after David Carlton missed two field goals in Saturday's win at Alabama, Balseiro has replaced Carlton on field goals and extra points. "Chris Balseiro right now is our kicker until he proves that he can't do it," Nutt said.
TENNESSEE: Center Scott Wells will honor backup Chuck Prugh by wearing his jersey Saturday while Prugh continues to battle an illness. Each player also will wear Prugh's No. 67 on the back of his helmet at Auburn, coach Phillip Fulmer said. "That's only in honor of him. We're expecting good things to come out of his recovery," Fulmer said. Prugh has been in intensive care at University of Tennessee Medical Center since Sept. 27 with an illness doctors believe could be caused by a virus. His condition remains critical, hospital officials said.
UTAH: Receiver Larry Miles, who didn't catch pass the past two games, has quit the team. Miles had three catches in the first two games for the Utes, including the first touchdown the team scored under coach Urban Meyer. But he lost his starting job to Travis LaTedresse and his role declined.
WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE: Linebacker Justin Greenwood was upgraded from critical to serious as he recovers from brain surgery. He was injured while covering a kickoff Saturday against Wisconsin-River Falls. He had surgery at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., to remove a blood clot and stop bleeding in the brain.
WR Gibson's return could spark Georgia offenseATHENS, Ga. - It may not be a shock that Georgia ranks 70th in the nation in scoring offense.
After all, coach Mark Richt lost his starting offensive line, leading rusher Musa Smith and leading receiver Terrence Edwards from last season's SEC title team.
But one loss Richt didn't count on was not having big-play receiver Fred Gibson for most of his team's past two games because of a hamstring injury.
Now Gibson is back in the starting lineup for No. 11 Georgia's home game against Alabama on Saturday, and Richt hopes the junior's return sparks the offense.
"We're probably as healthy now as we've been all season," Richt said. "(Gibson) seems to be running full speed."
Gibson looked strong catching four passes for 104 yards with a touchdown in the season-opening win at Clemson and with five catches for 81 yards against Middle Tennessee State.
While returning a kickoff late in the win over Middle Tennessee State, Gibson pulled a hamstring.
He tried to return the next week against South Carolina but quickly aggravated the injury after making his only catch of the game.
"Fatigue is what causes those sorts of injuries like what Fred had, so we're going to look to make sure he can stay fresh and avoid fatigue injuries down the road," Richt said.