National rushing leader out for season
ATLANTA, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Georgia Tech tailback Tony Hollings, who was the leading major college rusher in the nation, has sustained a torn ligament in his right knee and will be out for the season, Tech head coach Chan Gailey announced Monday.
Hollings, who injured his knee in Saturday's 28-19 victory over Brigham Young, underwent an MRI Monday afternoon, which revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. He will undergo surgery in approximately two weeks.
"Any time you lose a back the caliber of Tony Hollings, it certainly affects your team," said Tech head coach Chan Gailey. "We're all disappointed for Tony because he had basically come out of nowhere to become the leading rusher in the nation."
Hollings, a 5-11, 211-pound junior from Jeffersonville, Ga., is currently leading the nation in rushing (158.2 yards per game) while ranking second in scoring (16.5 points per game). He rushed for 189 yards and three touchdowns against BYU and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Back of the Week.
With Hollings out and backups Sidney Ford and Gordon Clinkscale also nursing injuries, Georgia Tech (3-1 overall, 0-1 ACC) is likely to start true freshman Ajenavi Eziemefe at tailback in Saturday's game at North Carolina. Eziemefe, 6-1 and 225 pounds, saw his first action of the season against BYU and rushed nine times for 25 yards, including a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Fiore out 10-12 weeks, Winborn out 5-8
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The San Francisco 49ers paid a price for Sunday's win over Washington, losing guard Dave Fiore and linebacker Jamie Winborn for an extended period of time. Each sustained knee injuries during Sunday's 20-10 victory and will require surgery.
San Francisco's most versatile offensive lineman, Fiore will be sidelined 10-12 weeks and Winborn is expected to miss five to eight weeks.
Fiore, 28, suffered his injury while attempting to tackle Redskins cornerback Champ Bailey following an interception. Eric Heitmann will take over as the starting left guard and Jeff Ulbrich moves back into the starting right inside linebacker position.
A second-round pick in 2001, Winborn began the year as the starter when Ulbrich was sidelined and had 17 tackles in San Francisco's season-opening win against the New York Giants.
Colorado quarterback out for season
BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Colorado quarterback Craig Ochs, who suffered his third concussion in the past year on Sept. 7, will not play again this season and withdrew from school.
Ochs, injured in a game against San Diego State, underwent extensive tests over the past few weeks that came back normal. But he was advised by medical personnel that a "period of non-football contact" was the best course to follow. As a result, Ochs will apply for a medical redshirt. He gave up his scholarship and will re-evaluate his options before considering a return to football.
A junior, Ochs suffered his first concussion in 2001 against Kansas and another later in the season against Texas A&M. He played in eight games during a 10-3 season that included a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
Woman saved by Edmonton players
EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A 24-year-old woman was saved by a group of players from the Edmonton Eskimos Sunday as she leaped from the fourth floor of a burning apartment building.
The players all live in the building. Police say they formed a chain with their arms to catch Teri McLeod to break her fall. It is likely the group's action saved her life.
"I tried to get out of the apartment but the hallway was black with smoke," MacLeod said. "It was getting hotter and hotter in the hallway so I went back into the apartment and went to the window. I decided to jump. They put their arms together to catch me. They broke my fall. I didn't have time to think about what I was doing. It was amazing. They had their hands out ready for me. I felt I was going to be safe, and I am."
A man also living in the building jumped as well and wasn't as lucky. He died from his injuries.
"I was up on the seventh floor when I heard a thump," said linebacker Sheldon Benoit. "I looked out the window and I could see some legs sticking out. When we got down there his head was all busted in."
"We're not heroes," said running back Ron Williams. "We didn't do anything no one else would have done. It was something tragic that happened. Even though you save a life, another was lost. It was just a catch."
Arizona tries again to capture NL West
PHOENIX, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- After getting swept in a three-game weekend series at Coors Field in Denver, the defending world champion Arizona Diamondbacks still can clinch their third playoff appearance in the five-year history of the franchise Monday night with a win.
Arizona will clinch at least a wild-card spot with a victory at National League Central champion St. Louis on Monday night. The Dodgers are idle before they begin a series at home against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
Arizona's magic number for clinching the National League West title remains at three.
The San Francisco Giants (90-66) are in second place in the NL West, two games ahead of the Dodgers in the wild-card race.
The Cardinals captured the NL Central title for the second time in the last three seasons on Friday. Their division title came in a year marked by a series of tragedies in the organization. Pitcher Darryl Kile died in June, just days after legendary broadcaster Jack Buck passed away after a long illness.
Rams try to get first win
TAMPA, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Rams, in danger of falling to 0-3 for the first time since 1987, Monday night visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will have no sympathy for the team that won the Super Bowl three years ago and returned last year.
"You can't let anybody up off the mat," said Buccaneers quarterback Brad Johnson. "Regardless of who they are, what time of year it is, you don't feel sorry for anybody. They have a bunch of champions over there, some of the best players probably in the league, and they just haven't come away with some wins. If they could convert two fourth down conversions, they'd probably be 2-0."
In the fourth quarter of last week's 26-21 loss to the Giants, the Rams had a 4th-and-1 at their own 40 with three minutes left, but star running back Marshall Faulk was stuffed at the line of scrimmage and fumbled.
In the season opener, the Rams trailed the Broncos, 16-13 late in the third quarter when quarterback Kurt Warner threw an incomplete pass on a 4th-and-1 play at the Denver 10.
The Bucs posted a 24-17 victory at St. Louis last November. Defensive tackle Warren Sapp dominated the line of scrimmage and had two sacks and a safety. Meanwhile, strong safety John Lynch clinched the win with a late interception.
Warner has just one touchdown pass in the Rams' first two games and committed three turnovers in the loss to the Giants.
Alabama loses star running back for season
TUSCALOOSA, Al., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The college career of Alabama running back Ahmaad Galloway is over after he tore knee ligaments Saturday night in a 20-7 victory over Southern Mississippi.
Coach Dennis Franchione has confirmed that Galloway tore the ACL in his left knee and is lost for the season. The senior already has used his redshirt year and appeared in too many games this season to apply for a medical redshirt.
Galloway has been Alabama's leading rusher each of the last two seasons and had a team-high 257 yards after the first four games this year.
Shaud Williams, Santonio Beard and Ray Hudson are likely to get additional carries with Galloway sidelined. Williams ran for 135 yards against Southern Mississippi.
Alabama (3-1) also lost quarterback Tyler Watts, who left Saturday's game with a foot injury, but Franchione has not updated Watts' status.
The Crimson Tide plays at Arkansas this weekend.
Kentucky football coach gets contract extension
LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhardt announced Monday that the contract of football coach Guy Morriss has been extended through the 2007 season.
Barnhardt said the decision was made to begin the process of stabilizing the school's football program, which has been disciplined by the NCAA for rules violations.
This season, the Wildcats (4-0) have won their first four games on the gridiron for the first time since 1984. The season began with a 22-17 upset of highly-regarded and then nationally-ranked Louisville, but gets quite a bit tougher this Saturday when they travel to "The Swamp" in Gainesville to play ninth-ranked Florida.
Reds Catcher to have season-ending surgery
CINCINNATI, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A spokesman for the Cincinnati Reds said Monday that catcher Jason LaRue will have season-ending surgery Tuesday morning to repair a hernia.
LaRue, 28, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, established career highs with a .249 batting average and 52 RBI.
He also tied his career best with 12 homers and had a 13-game hitting streak from Sept. 1-17. He was batting .327 this month.
Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the team's medical director, will perform the surgery at The Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati.
The Reds recalled catcher Corky Miller to take LaRue's place on the roster. Miller hit .250 with three home runs and 15 RBI in 37 games during an earlier stint with the Reds from April 11-July 14.
Miller hit .231 with six homers and 21 RBI in 43 games at Triple-A Louisville of the International League.
Miami remains a strong No. 1 in poll
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Tennessee slipped seven spots while Notre Dame moved into the top 10 of the latest USA Today/ESPN coaches college football poll.
Florida (3-1) rolled to a 30-13 victory at Tennessee (2-1) on Saturday, dropping the Volunteers seven spots to No. 11. Florida, which was routed by Miami two weeks ago, moved up to ninth.
Notre Dame (4-0) continues its steady rise under first-year coach Tyrone Willingham, escalating two more places to No. 10 after a 21-17 win at Michigan State.
Penn State (3-0) also continued its climb, ascending three more spots to No. 12 after a 49-17 rout of Louisiana Tech. The Nittany Lions cracked the poll at No. 25 two weeks ago.
Defending national champion Miami (4-0) picked up one more first-place vote, giving the Hurricanes 59 of a possible 61 votes and 1,523 points overall in the nationwide poll The Hurricanes extended their winning streak to 26 games with a 38-6 victory over Boston College.
Texas (3-0) is No. 2, retaining its two first-place votes and receiving 1,436 points after a 41-11 win over Houston.
Idle Oklahoma (3-0) lost its first-place vote and remained third in the poll, followed by Florida State (4-0) and Virginia Tech (4-0), which beat Texas A&M, 13-3. The loss knocked A&M (2-1) out of the poll. Ohio State (4-0), Georgia (3-0), Oregon (4-0), Florida and Notre Dame round out the top 10.
