PHOENIX - California star receiver Geoff McArthur probably will miss Friday's Insight Bowl against Virginia Tech because of a broken right forearm.
"I think it would be miraculous if he would be able to play," Bears coach Jeff Tedford said.
The injury occurred in the team's practice Sunday and initially was called a bruise. But Tedford opened his news conference by saying the arm was broken.
"It's not completely out of the question that he will play," Tedford said. "We'll see how it responds in the next couple of days, but the chances are not good."
The junior caught 85 passes for a school record 1,504 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He ranked second in the nation behind Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald with 115.7 yards receiving a game.
His receiving yards rank third on the Pac-10 single-season list, 16 shy of the conference record set by USC's Johnnie Morton in 1993.
In other news, the Hokies learned they play Southern Cal to open next season in the Black Coaches Association Classic.
It will be the first meeting between the two schools and will be Aug. 28 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
"For us to be considered and chosen for this game makes a statement about our program, too," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said. "Playing Southern Cal will be a big challenge for our football team, but one we look forward to."
The night game will be televised by ESPN. Virginia Tech was set to play in the 2000 BCA Classic, but the game against Georgia Tech was canceled due to lightning.
SUGAR BOWL: Coach Nick Saban said he plans to have the artificial surface in LSU's indoor practice facility changed to either FieldTurf, used at the Georgia Dome and at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, or AstroPlay, the surface used in the Superdome, where the Tigers play Jan. 4 against Oklahoma. The competing brands feature versions of a synthetic grass combined with pieces of rubber infill, mostly from discarded tennis shoes, and a sand base. Those materials provide more safety and cause fewer injuries. In other news, an appellate court has denied an LSU law student's request to block the increase of ticket prices. By a 4-1 vote judges with the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal upheld a ruling by state District Judge William Morvant of Baton Rouge. He agreed with LSU attorneys, who argued the increase does not represent a fee increase and therefore does not need legislative approval before being enacted. Starting in 2004, season tickets will cost $252 for seven games. Donald Hodge sued LSU to block the increase.
BLUE-GRAY ALL-STAR CLASSIC: Brett Mitchell can't get over his good fortune. He expected to spend the holidays working. Then he was invited to play today - on national TV, alongside players from some of college football's powerhouses. Not bad for a guy from Evangel University, a little Christian school in Springfield, Mo. "I didn't expect anything like this," said Mitchell, a Blue quarterback. "It was definitely a big thing. I've always watched this game on Christmas day after opening presents. Now I get to be in it." The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Mitchell passed for 2,741 yards with 21 touchdowns and 19 interceptions as a senior for the NAIA program. The other Blue quarterback is Scott Rislov from San Jose State. Louisiana Tech's Luke McCown and Jackson State's Robert Kent are the Gray quarterbacks.
ROSE BOWL: Michigan's secondary might need to rely on film to study Southern Cal receivers Mike Williams and Keary Colbert, but they have inside knowledge of two of Matt Leinart's other targets. Freshman cornerback Leon Hall played in a high school all-star game with Steve Smith and Whitney Lewis last summer. Although the three played on the same team, Hall saw plenty of action against them at practice. "They're both really good," Hall said. "We played a lot of reps, and each one was a challenge."
