AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 24
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Arizona State’s Carpenter could be better after surgery
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every now and then I’ll update you on some interesting dates and events that pertain to college football. Mark your calendar for:
1. Rudy Carpenter’s return from surgery: Thought Georgia fans would like to know that the Arizona State quarterback had minor surgery on his right thumb (throwing hand) on Wednesday. Carpenter hurt the thumb in a game against California last October and just played through the pain for the rest of the season. Carpenter told reporters in Phoenix that he would start throwing again in June and be ready for preseason practice in August. He expects to be more accurate and have a little more velocity on the ball after the surgery. That’s just one more note to file away for Georgia, which goes to Arizona State on Sept. 20. Carpenter, who has started 31 games for Arizona State, has 7,998 yards in career passing with 65 touchdowns. He is in position to break many of the school’s passing records that are held by Andrew Walter.
2. Les Miles on SportSouth: LSU coach Les Miles sat down with SportSouth for the network’s “In My Own Words” series. The installment with Miles airs tonight at 10:30 and will be replayed on April 27 (5 p.m., 9:30 p.m.) and April 30 (9 p.m.). I’ve seen an advance copy and Miles talked candidly on a number of topics, including the reports on the eve of the SEC championship game that he was headed to Michigan. When you consider all the things that had to happen to get Miles and LSU in the BCS championship game, it’s a pretty compelling story.
3. Chick-fil-A Alma Mater Golf: This is the time of year when coaches hit the trail for booster meetings and golf with alumni. And next Tuesday a bunch of coaches, 14 in fact, will play in the Chick-fil-A Alma Mater event at Reynolds Plantation near Greensboro. The coaches, who include Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, and Paul Johnson will play with famous former athletes from their schools. Saban will play with Kenny Stabler, Spurrier with Sterling Sharpe, Tubervile with Pat Sullivan and Johnson with Jon Barry. Other coaches scheduled to participate include UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun and Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, who will be playing with Billy Packer. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer and former Hokie basketball star Dell Curry (father of Davidson’s Stephen) are the defending champions. CBS will tape the event and show it on Christmas Day. The day will also generate $375,000 in scholarship donations to the participating schools. It’s a neat event. For more information visit www.Chick-fil-ABowlAlmaMater.com.
4. Jan. 2, 2009: For college football fans, that date just got a lot better. The Liberty Bowl announced this week that it will celebrate its 50th anniversary by playing on Jan. 2. It will be the first time that the Memphis Bowl, which features an SEC team, has ever been played in January. That sets up a pretty good Jan. 2 as the Cotton Bowl will move to that date and kick off at 2 p.m. The Liberty bowl will be at 5 p.m. while the Sugar Bowl will be at 8:20 p.m.
5. A final decision on Ben Mauk: Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe told reporters on a conference call this week that he submitted a letter to support Ben Mauk’s appeal for a sixth year of eligibility. Mauk, who now plays at Cincinnati, redshirted as a freshman at Wake Forest in 2003. He played two seasons and then as a redshirt junior in 2006 suffered a season-ending injury in the Deacons’ first game. After freshman QB Riley Skinner led Wake Forest to the ACC championship that season, Mauk transferred to Cincinnati and threw for 3,121 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2007. Mauk’s original request for another year was turned down. Grobe’s letter is part of the appeal.
“The presidents have told us that they like redshirting because it increases the chances that the young man will graduate,” Grobe said. “I think if you redshirt as a freshman, you should be given the opportunity to play for four seasons. If you have a major injury and miss an entire year, that year should be given back to you.” Mauk would appear to be deserving of that year but in all things, the NCAA worries about setting a precedent that others could potentially abuse.
