Scorecard September 16, 1996

This Week's Lineup

The NFL Injury Report found in many newspapers might soon be joined by another agate entry: The NCAA Miscreant Bulletin. The first weeks of the college football season were almost as significant for who was kept out of action for breaking rules—their teams", the NCAA's or society's—as for who took the field. Scanning last Saturday's lineup from the top of the polls, we see:

•Nebraska (page 28), a fixture on any wrongdoer list, played without All-America linebacker Terrell Farley (ticketed on suspicion of drunk driving) and wingback Lance Brown (unspecified disciplinary reasons).

•Florida State was without four players, notably safety Robert Hammond (breaking team rules) and cornerback James Colzie (bar fight).

•Miami—what would this category be without a few Hurricanes?—played minus running back Danyell Ferguson and receiver Yatil Green (both suspended for two games for taking an unauthorized limo ride paid for by an agent). Receiver Jammi German (the limo incident as well as an alleged battery of a fellow student) has been suspended for the season. Offensive tackle Ricky Perry has been suspended indefinitely (allegedly beating up his girlfriend and shoving a gun under a man's chin during a dispute over money).

•USC tailback Delon Washington served the second game of a three-game suspension for unspecified NCAA rules violations.

•Northwestern played without cornerback Hudhaifa Ismaeli (undisclosed violation of team rules) and linebacker Don Holmes (convicted of misdemeanor theft and suspended for the season).

•Clemson, which has had nine football players arrested since February, played without running back Anthony Downs and wide receiver Antwuan Wyatt, who were kicked off the team this summer following arrests for intent to distribute marijuana, and receiver Tony Home, who was charged with assault after allegedly punching a student.

•Louisville offensive linemen Jeryl Tyson and Ikem Maduaka-Cain had their scholarships revoked (felony charges of trafficking and possessing marijuana). The allegations against Tyson were dropped, and his scholarship has been restored, but it's unlikely he will rejoin the Cardinals this season. Maduaka-Cain is still facing charges.

All these players would make up a good team, but they would still need a coach. Here are three possibilities. Charlie Taaffe has been suspended by the Citadel because of a drunk driving arrest, his second in three years. Prairie View A&M's Hensley Sapenter Jr., who has been around for 12 of the Panthers' NCAA-record 59 losses in a row, has been suspended while the school investigates the charge that he knowingly fielded ineligible players. A final possibility is Cal State-Northridge's Dave Baldwin, who drew a reprimand for lying to the administration about why running back Shayne Blakey will miss the season. Baldwin said Blakey had an appendectomy, but he was actually shot at a party during an argument over a cover charge. Said Baldwin, "I'm a disgrace to myself."