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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Craft gets UCLA starting QB job Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Redshirt junior Kevin Craft will start at quarterback for UCLA in its season opener against No. 18 Tennessee. "He's earned it with his consistent play and he has the best mastery of the offense at this point," first-year UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said after practice on Monday. Craft was competing with redshirt freshman Chris Forcier for the job. UCLA plays Tennessee on Sept. 1 at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins lost Patrick Cowan, who was scheduled to be their starter, to a knee injury in spring practice that will sideline him for the season. Ben Olson moved back into the starting role, but he broke his foot at practice on Sept. 9 and is expected to miss at least eight weeks. Craft transferred from Mt. San Antonio Junior College last spring. In 2006, Craft played nine games, including five starts, as a redshirt freshman at San Diego State. He was 69-of-121 for 737 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions that season. He left for Mt. SAC, and was 313-of-511 for 4,231 yards, 44 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season as the Mounties went 10-3 and won the Southern California Junior College championship. LOUISVILLE: Louisville quarterback Matt Simms was suspended for the team's first four games of the season by coach Steve Kragthorpe on Tuesday for breaking team rules. Simms, a redshirt freshman, was competing with Tyler Wolfe for the backup spot behind starter Hunter Cantwell. Simms is the son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms and the brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms. Matt Simms will be eligible to return to the team when the Cardinals play at Memphis on Oct. 10. PURDUE: Purdue running back Jaycen Taylor will miss the 2008 season because of a torn knee ligament. Taylor had an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of damage to his injured right knee, Purdue spokesman Tom Schott said. He will have surgery and miss the season but will return for his fifth year of eligibility in 2009. Taylor, who missed four games last season due to a broken arm, injured his knee during practice on Sunday. Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller said redshirt freshman Justin Siller switched from quarterback to running back. Taylor, a senior from Hawthorne, Calif., rushed 107 times for 560 yards and four touchdowns last season, sharing time at running back with Kory Sheets. TENNESSEE: Tennessee tight end Jeff Cottam will have surgery on his back Wednesday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Coach Phillip Fulmer said Cottam has been having problems with his back for some time. Cottam also missed part of spring practice after breaking a bone in his right leg. He started six games during 2007 in place of his older brother, Brad Cottam, who injured his wrist. Jeff Cottam caught four passes for 19 yards and a touchdown last year and was competing for the starting job this season now that Brad Cottam's eligibility has expired. The news of Cottam's surgery came the same day the 18th-ranked Vols learned the NCAA cleared tight end Brandon Warren to play. Sophomore Luke Stocker also is competing for the starting job at tight end. Also tight end Brandon Warren made his first appearance as an official member of Tennessee's football team on Tuesday looking relaxed and sporting a big grin on his face. Earlier in the day, the NCAA informed the Volunteers that Warren, who caught 27 passes for 301 yards as a freshman at Florida State in 2006, would be cleared to play for No. 18 Tennessee this season. "It's been a long process, a long, stressful process for me and my family," Warren said. "I finally get to get a good night's sleep." The Alcoa native has been trying to get approval to play ever since leaving in February 2007 to be near his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, but Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden chose not to release him from his scholarship. Because he was not a full-time student in 2007, Warren needed waivers to play during the 2008 season and receive financial aid. He maintained his eligibility by taking classes at Pellissippi State Technical Community College. "The whole system is about helping student-athletes be successful, and it's good to see they are making that happen," coach Phillip Fulmer said. Warren has been practicing with the Vols during their fall camp and caught six passes for 41 yards in Saturday's team scrimmage. Offensive coordinator Dave Clawson said that he was close to needing a "plan A" and "plan B" because of the uncertainty at tight end so close to the start of the season. Junior Jeff Cottam was expected to start until deciding to have surgery on Wednesday to try to correct a nagging back injury. The Vols also have Luke Stocker at the position, but had been practicing a number of plays without a tight end. "You can certainly start game-planning with ease," Clawson said. "We were getting ready to work a lot more hours developing a backup plan." Fulmer said he's interested in using Warren, who played both tight end and defensive end at Alcoa High School, on some pass-rushing plays on defense -- something Warren said he would love to do. Clawson said he's an especially strong offensive weapon because he can line up at the line, in the backfield or as a slot receiver. That adds to Tennessee's list of versatile players like tailback Arian Foster and wide receiver Gerald Jones. "The more people you can move the more difficult it makes us to defend," Clawson said.

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