UNDATED (AP) — An Indiana state court has opened the door for Indiana Hoosiers defensive linemen Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt to return to the playing field for Friday night’s Big Ten Conference opener against Northwestern. Monroe Circuit Court Judge Kara Krothe issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday that allows Daley, Wyatt and more than 90 other athletes to regain their fifth year of eligibility. The NCAA is expected to appeal. For now, though, the ruling clears the way for Daley, Wyatt and dozens of others to return to action.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State wide receiver Koby Howard's strong season start has hit a snag. Coach Matt Campbell says the team's leading pass catcher will be out for an extended period due to an undisclosed injury. Howard sustained the injury while scoring a long touchdown in a blowout win over Buffalo. Campbell did not specify how long Howard will be out, but said the injury is not season-ending. Campbell had hoped Howard could return when the 13th-ranked Nittany Lions open Big Ten play against Wisconsin. Instead, Penn State will face the Badgers without a player who has emerged as a big-play threat.
UNDATED (AP) — Week 4 of the college football season is rife with games between Associated Press Top 25 teams that could be ready to reveal their true selves. No matchup fits the theme more than No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 Southern California given the Ducks’ shocking loss at Oklahoma State and the Trojans’ defensive issues. Can No. 4 Mississippi validate its win over LSU with another one as an underdog at No. 21 Florida? Is No. 17 Iowa’s offensive improvement fool’s gold or will it get shut down at No. 18 Michigan? Will No. 13 Penn State keep rolling against Wisconsin? AP makes its picks.
UNDATED (AP) — Six Top 25 matchups highlight the Week 4 schedule in college football. Four are in the Southeastern Conference. No. 1 Texas is at No. 14 Tennessee, No. 4 Mississippi goes to No. 21 Florida, No. 19 Missouri visits No. 24 Mississippi State and No. 23 Texas A&M visits No. 10 LSU. The other two Top 25 matchups are in the Big Ten. No. 17 Iowa is at No. 18 Michigan and No. 20 Oregon visits No. 12 Southern California.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Defensive end Boubacar Traore made an instant impression on Notre Dame fans the last he played at Purdue. Two years ago, an inexperienced Traore replaced the injured Jordan Botelho, then promptly returned his first career interception 34 yards for a touchdown. His play fueled a 21-0 onslaught in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the first half as the Fighting Irish handed their in-state rival a humiliating 66-7 loss. On Saturday, the dynamic pass-rusher will return to Purdue still looking to fully fulfill his potential.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ja’Kobi Jackson is making an impact at Ohio State, despite arriving without much fanfare in January. The Florida transfer is second on the team in carries and rushing yards after three games. He leads the seventh-ranked team in yards per carry and touchdown runs. Jackson says this is what he envisioned and hopes his role continues to grow. Ohio State takes on Illinois this week in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — As Rocco Becht waited for his surgically repaired shoulder to heal during winter workouts, the quarterback’s eyes were often glued to his new teammate wearing No. 6. It didn’t take long for Becht to strike up a friendship with James Franklin era holdover Koby Howard. Once Becht could start throwing again, the veteran found immediate chemistry with the shifty speedster who played sparingly for the Nittany Lions as a freshman. Howard has proved his worth with a team-leading 12 catches for 344 yards through three games.
UNDATED (AP) — Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover’s statistics speak for themselves. He’s completing more than 72% of his passes, has 10 touchdown passes, no interceptions and a passing efficiency rating that ranks second in the Football Bowl Subdivision. So on Monday, coach Curt Cigentti defended his quarterback against anyone who thinks Hoover hasn’t done enough in his first three games as the successor to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Cignetti said he thinks Hoover has been subjected to “unfair scrutiny” and that he's glad Hoover is the quarterback for the fifth-ranked and still unbeaten Hoosiers.
