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LSU's Ridley ineligible for Cotton Bowl

BATON ROUGE, La., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Star Louisiana State running back Stevan Ridley won't be playing in the Cotton Bowl after being ruled ineligible, the school announced Wednesday.

LSU officials said they are appealing the ruling, in which Ridley was determined to be in violation of academic requirements.

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He was set to help lead the Tigers (10-2) against Texas A&M (9-3) in the Jan. 7 Cotton Bowl,

"While I question their findings and think that the punishment is harsh, I did put myself in a compromising position that I deeply regret," Ridley said in a statement. "With respect for the process, we have requested that the NCAA reconsider their findings and hope that they will expedite this review."

The loss of Ridley will be a blow for the Tigers. He led the squad in rushing with 1,042 yards on 225 carries and scored a team-high 14 touchdowns.

Ridley also ended as the fourth-ranked fourth in the Southeastern Conference with 86.8 yards per game.

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