LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Star running back Ameer Abdullah is expected to be at full strength following a knee injury when Nebraska plays at Wisconsin on Nov. 15.
Coach Bo Pelini said Tuesday that Abdullah is “doing great” and should be “100 percent” for the game. The No. 15 Cornhuskers are off this week.
Abdullah left last Saturday’s game against Purdue with a mild sprain and bruise to his left knee. He was hurt as he recovered Tommy Armstrong Jr.’s fumbled snap at the Purdue 1-yard line on the Huskers’ second possession.
Abdullah has run for at least 200 yards in a nation-leading four games. He has 1,250 yards this season and is the only player in Nebraska history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three straight years.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has another game left on his nine-game suspension for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies, and Von Miller can’t wait to see his buddy back on the football field.
Miller knows exactly what Smith is going through.
Denver’s pass-rushing linebacker missed the first six games last year while serving a drug suspension and then collected just five sacks in nine games before blowing out his right knee last December and missing the Super Bowl.
Miller is back this year and hit the halfway point with nine sacks, on pace to challenge his club record of 18 1-2 he set in 2012. He was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Month in October.
Miller and Smith became friends in 2011 as part of the draft class that came into the league as the NFL and players were hashing out a new labor deal. He said Smith helped him through his suspension last year, so he’s returned the favor, texting, calling and encouraging his friend over the last two months.
“Yeah, he helped me through mine. And we were going through stuff at the same time, too. So, we were talking together about what I was going through, what he was going through: ‘We’re going to get through this.’ We were there for each other,” Miller said. “It was like I know how it is when you get suspended, it just feels like nobody (has your back). So, I just wanted to be the guy that would just keep reaching out to him, like, ‘I haven’t forgotten about you. And I’m not even on your team.’
“It’s bigger than that. He’s my friend. I care about him. I’m happy that he’s doing a whole lot better,” Miller added. “I’m excited for him to come back and have all that stuff out the way. It’s a different feeling when you have all that stuff out the way and can just focus on football.”
Miller said he’s tried to tell Smith about what to expect in returning to action at midseason.
“It’s like the start of the season, everything’s new, everything’s fresh. So, like coming back is easy, really. And like you get sore. I had that first Wednesday practice in pads and I was sore,” Miller said.
The danger, Miller said, is that you want to make up for all the games you missed.
“You want to come back and you want to have four sacks in the first game, another four sacks in the next game and catch up to everybody,” Miller said. “Like when I came back and I got my first sack, it was like, ‘OK I’ve got one. So, I’ve got 10 games left. If I can get three sacks this game, four sacks this game, I can catch up to everybody.’
“But that’s not my game. I just like to go out there and just play. But I feel like Aldon can come back and get 10-plus sacks, 12 sacks. Especially with the type of schedule they got and they’ll get Patrick Willis back. They’ll get Navarro Bowman back later in the year. They’ll be ready to roll.”
Miller said he had a clear conscience after serving his suspension and never even considers the possibility that if he slips up again he could face a year’s suspension.
“That’s part of maturity. You don’t even worry about getting in trouble any more,” Miller said.
He said he suspects Smith’s play will reflect the load that’s been taken off his shoulders, too.
“It’s a huge burden lifted. Just to be back on the field with the guys is the biggest part. Being back on the field is huge. It’s great. Just lifting weights and watching film and going home. You’re back with the guys,” Miller said. “So, I know how he feels. I know he’s working hard. I know he’s training, conditioning and all that. I wanted to change my body. I know he wanted to stay exactly where he is.”
Miller bulked up by 25 pounds heading into last season. The extra weight made him top heavy and might even have contributed to his torn right ACL in December. He’s back down to 245 and said in retrospect he wouldn’t have packed on the pounds during his banishment.
“I probably would have lost a little weight,” Miller said.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — More than 200 former players or their families have opted out of the proposed settlement of NFL concussion claims, a small fraction of the retirees who are covered by the deal.
That’s according to court documents filed Monday.
Retired players who opted out of the proposed class-action settlement may pursue individual lawsuits against the NFL, but they presumably will have to show their brain injuries resulted from concussions suffered while they were playing for the league.
The NFL has agreed to pay at least $765 million over 65 years, and more if needed, to address claims the league failed to properly treat on-field concussions.
More than 99 percent of those who would be covered by the deal have agreed to take part.
The Big Ten has announced that its television partners will use a six-day pick on football games on Nov. 15, including Nebraska at Wisconsin. The game will kick off at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. and will be televised by either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
Nebraska standouts Ameer Abdullah and Randy Gregory were named semifinalists for prestigious national awards Monday morning. Abdullah is one of 20 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award, while Gregory is among 20 semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award. Both awards are presented by the Maxwell Football Club.
Abdullah has rushed for 1,250 yards and scored 19 touchdowns through nine games to power the Nebraska offense. Abdullah leads the nation, averaging 187.9 all-purpose yards per game and has recorded two of the four 300-plus all-purpose yardage games in the nation this season. Abdullah also ranks in the top 10 nationally in rushing yards and scoring. In 2014, Abdullah has moved to No. 2 on the Big Ten career all-purpose yardage list and is on pace to challenge Nebraska’s career rushing record.
Abdullah is one six running backs on the Maxwell Award semifinalist list, including fellow Big Ten backs Tevin Coleman and Melvin Gordon.
Gregory continues to be a dominant force on the Nebraska defense. Gregory has a team-high 5.5 sacks despite missing nearly two full games early in the season. The 6-6, 245-pound Gregory has 37 total tackles on the year, and also leads the Huskers with 14 quarterback hurries. He also has an interception, a blocked field goal and three pass breakups.
Randy Gregory
Gregory is one of three Big Ten defenders on the list, including Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa and Michigan State end Shilique Calhoun.
The Maxwell Award is given annually to the Collegiate Player of the Year, while the Chuck Bednarik Award is given to the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. The three finalists for each award will be announced on Monday, Nov. 24, and the winners will be announced at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Thursday, Dec. 11.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady outdueled Peyton Manning, throwing for four touchdowns, and Julian Edelman returned a punt 84 yards for a score in leading the New England Patriots past the Denver Broncos 43-21 Sunday.
The 16th matchup between the all-time great quarterbacks wasn’t particularly competitive after the first quarter.
New England (7-2) won its fifth straight, halting the four-game winning streak for Denver (6-2) in emphatic fashion. Brady has 18 TD passes and one interception in those five victories.
Manning fell to 2-7 at Gillette Stadium and 5-11 overall against Brady, even though he threw for 438 yards and two touchdowns. He has at least two TD passes in 14 consecutive games, an NFL record.
In his 200th career start, Brady passed for 333 yards. He has won 155 of those, the most for any quarterback in that many starts.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns, Jamaal Charles ran for another score and the Kansas City Chiefs won 24-10 on Sunday, sending the New York Jets to their eighth straight loss.
Tight ends Travis Kelce and Anthony Fasano each caught touchdown passes, and the Chiefs (5-3) won their third straight and fifth in six games on the same day former running back Priest Holmes was inducted into their ring of honor.
Making his first start with the Jets (1-8), Michael Vick was 21 of 27 for 196 yards and a touchdown. He briefly left in the fourth quarter after taking a massive hit from the Chiefs’ Josh Mauga and walking unsteadily off the field, but eventually returned later in the quarter.
Auburn moved up a spot to No. 3 in The Associated Press college football behind Mississippi State and Florida State ahead of a weekend stacked with Top 25 matchups.
The Tigers hopped past Alabama after a 35-31 victory at Mississippi on Saturday. Ole Miss dropped five spots to No. 12.
The Crimson Tide is fourth and heading to No. 14 LSU next Saturday, one of six games matching top 20 teams.
No. 5 Oregon visits No. 20 Utah. TCU jumped four spots to No. 6 after its last-second victory at West Virginia. The Horned Frogs host No. 9 Kansas State.
Michigan State is seventh ahead of its Big Ten showdown with No. 13 Ohio State.
No. 8 Notre Dame, which slipped two spots after a close call against Navy, next plays at No. 11 Arizona State.
No. 10 Baylor plays at No. 19 Oklahoma.
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 1, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
Record
Pts
Pv
1. Mississippi St. (45)
8-0
1,484
1
2. Florida St. (15)
8-0
1,452
2
3. Auburn
7-1
1,345
4
4. Alabama
7-1
1,281
3
5. Oregon
8-1
1,275
5
6. TCU
7-1
1,148
10
7. Michigan St.
7-1
1,120
8
8. Notre Dame
7-1
1,096
6
9. Kansas St.
7-1
1,049
11
10. Baylor
7-1
961
12
11. Arizona St.
7-1
831
15
12. Mississippi
7-2
828
7
13. Ohio St.
7-1
780
13
14. LSU
7-2
717
16
15. Nebraska
8-1
680
17
16. Oklahoma
6-2
574
19
17. Georgia
6-2
465
9
18. UCLA
7-2
464
25
19. Clemson
6-2
341
22
20. Utah
6-2
327
18
21. Arizona
6-2
325
14
22. Duke
7-1
288
24
23. Marshall
8-0
238
23
24. West Virginia
6-3
159
20
25. Wisconsin
6-2
83
NR
Others receiving votes: Colorado St. 67, Southern Cal 48, Missouri 42, Georgia Tech 15, Louisville 7, N. Dakota St. 4, Stanford 4, Florida 1, Texas A&M 1.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Running back Ameer Abdullah left No. 17 Nebraska’s game against Purdue with a mild sprain and bruise to his left knee.
Abdullah was hurt as he recovered Tommy Armstrong Jr.’s fumbled snap at the Purdue 1-yard line on the Huskers’ second possession on Saturday. Abdullah returned two series later and lost 5 yards on his only carry.
Coach Bo Pelini said he was “optimistic” Abdullah would be able to play in the Cornhuskers’ Nov. 15 game at Wisconsin. The Huskers have an open date next week.
Abdullah has run for at least 200 yards in a nation-leading four games. He has 1,250 yards this season and is the only player in Nebraska history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in three straight years.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Imani Cross ran for two short touchdowns after Heisman Trophy hopeful Ameer Abdullah left the game with a mild sprain to his left knee, and No. 17 Nebraska defeated Purdue 35-14 on Saturday to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West.
The Cornhuskers (8-1, 4-1, No. 15 CFP) are a half-game ahead of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin after their third straight win. Purdue (3-6, 1-4) lost its third in a row.
Tommy Armstrong Jr. ran for 70 yards and a touchdown and passed for another score. Cross carried 20 times for 66 yards. Akeem Hunt led Purdue with 66 yards on 21 carries.
Abdullah, who came into the game third nationally in rushing at 156 yards a game, injured his left knee on the Huskers’ second possession while recovering Armstrong’s fumbled snap at the Purdue 1-yard line. Abdullah returned to carry one more time, losing 5 yards, and didn’t return.
The senior has run for at least 200 yards in a nation-leading four games and has 1,250 for the season.
