Michigan loses Countess for season

THE FALLOUT from Michigan's loss to No. 2 Alabama continued, when the school announced sophomore cornerback Blake Countess would miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Countess, who had 44 tackles last season and was considered the top cornerback for the No. 8 Wolverines, was injured in the first quarter of the 41-14 loss on Saturday while running down the field on punt coverage.

Countess is eligible for a medical redshirt, which would make him a redshirt sophomore next season.

In other news, Michigan coach Brady Hoke said starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and defensive end Frank Clark will play against Air Force on Saturday.

Both Toussaint, a junior who gained 1,041 yards last season, and Clark, a sophomore, had been suspended for the opener.

Toussaint pleaded guilty last Tuesday to operating while visually impaired, a lesser charge than his initial operating while intoxicated charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

Clark has been charged with second-degree home invasion, a felony in Michigan, after allegedly taking a MacBook Air laptop from a dormitory room in July.

He is scheduled to be in court on Sept. 11.

Hoke did not offer a lengthy explanation when asked why he decided to let the two play this weekend.

"I don't need to take you through the process," Hoke said. "I just resolved it."

Tyrann Mathieu's adoptive father said the former LSU star plans to enroll in classes at LSU, even though he cannot play football there this season.

Tyrone Mathieu told WVUE-TV in New Orleans that his son plans to enroll at the Baton Rouge campus Tuesday, the deadline for the fall semester.

The 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist was kicked off the team at LSU Aug. 10 for failing drug tests.

LSU has declined to speculate about whether Mathieu could play for the Tigers in 2013.

Mathieu also will be eligible for the 2013 NFL draft.

* Florida coach Will Muschamp said Driskel will start Saturday's game at Texas A & M and could keep the job for the remainder of the season.

Muschamp picked Driskel over fellow sophomore Jacoby Brissett, saying Driskel's mobility was the key to the decision.

Driskel completed 10 of 16 passes for 114 yards in the No. 23 Gators' opening win over Bowling Green, including a 50-yard touchdown pass.

* Houston offensive coordinator Mike Nesbitt resigned after the Cougars' 30-13 season-opening loss to Texas State.

Travis Bush, who was coaching the running backs, will assume play-calling duties and coach the team's quarterbacks. Director of player personnel Ken McClintock will take over for Bush in coaching the running backs.

The loss was the first regular-season game for new coach Tony Levine, who took over when Kevin Sumlin became Texas A & M's coach. Levine led the Cougars to a victory in the TicketCity Bowl over Penn State last year.

* Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said running back Jesse Callier will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Saturday's victory over San Diego State. Starting right tackle Ben Riva was lost for an undetermined amount of time with a fractured forearm.

The Huskies play at No. 3 LSU on Saturday.

* Auburn coach Gene Chizik said that Iris Prosch, the mother of fullback Jay Prosch died Monday morning after battling cancer. He said Jay Prosch had returned home to Mobile, Ala., and he's not sure when the player will return.

* Purdue's football team will honor one of the school's most famous graduates, Neil Armstrong, with a new sticker on its helmets.

The sticker, which bears Armstrong's name and the dates of his birth and death, will appear on the back of team's helmets. Armstrong graduated from Purdue in 1955.

* Florida State senior defensive end Brandon Jenkins will miss the rest of the season with a left foot injury he suffered in Saturday's win over Murray State, according to a report.

CBSSports.com, citing a source, reported that Jenkins is believed to have suffered a Lisfranc injury. The source said two or three screws will be inserted to promote healing.

At Virginia Tech, Cody Journell kicked a 17-yard field goal in overtime to lead the No. 16 Hokies to a 20-17 win over Georgia Tech in the season and Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

Journell's 41-yard field goal with no time remaining in regulation tied the game at 17-all.

Logan Thomas went 21-for-38 for 230 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for the Hokies.