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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
CINCINNATI -- Quarterback Zach Collaros will start for fifth-ranked Cincinnati against West Virginia on Friday night, with Tony Pike expected to play as well for the first time since he hurt his non-throwing arm.
Coach Brian Kelly announced Collaros as his starter Tuesday. The sophomore has started the last three games and kept the Bearcats undefeated. He threw for 480 yards -- the second-highest total in school history -- during a win over Connecticut on Saturday night.
Pike had to have a plate in his left forearm replaced after it was injured Oct. 15. Kelly said the senior quarterback will get into the game against West Virginia. The Bearcats then have a bye, and Pike is expected to start on Nov. 27 against Illinois.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Ryan Mallett is right on schedule.
The Arkansas quarterback has been exactly what the Razorbacks expected after sitting out last season as a transfer. With his strong arm and seemingly limitless confidence, Mallett has helped the Hogs become the Southeastern Conference's highest-scoring team -- and this week he'll have a chance to set the school's single-season passing record.
"When the coach calls a play, he always says, 'This is going to hit,"' tight end D.J. Williams said. "We practice so hard on game-like situations that when tough situations come up in games, he's ready."
Mallett was one of the first "recruits" to join the Razorbacks after coach Bobby Petrino was hired, transferring from Michigan after the 2007 season. He sat out last year while Casey Dick took most of the snaps during his senior season.
When the 6-foot-7 Mallett took over, records began falling immediately. In the team's 2009 opener against Missouri State, he and Tyler Wilson combined to throw for 447 yards, a school mark. The following game, Mallett became the first Razorback to throw for more than 400 yards when he reached 408 in a loss to Georgia.
He enters Saturday's game against Troy with 2,477 yards passing on the season, 152 short of Clint Stoerner's record. Mallett has also thrown 18 touchdowns, eight behind Stoerner's mark of 26.
The only mild disappointment has been Mallett's completion percentage of 57.6, and even that's increased lately. Mallett went 37 of 43 in his last two games against Eastern Michigan and South Carolina, though he's quick to credit his teammates.
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VERNON, Conn. -- Two men charged in the fight that led to the stabbing death of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard told police it began when one of Howard's teammates disrespected a woman at a school-sanctioned dance, according to an affidavit released Tuesday.
The affidavit charges 21-year-old John Lomax III with murder in Howard's Oct. 18 death.
The 21-page document includes an array of witness statements, some of them contradictory, about the deadly encounter and provides the first account of what may have sparked the fight.
The witnesses described a fight between football players and a group of friends that was broken up by police. The fight restarted several minutes later, but the witnesses gave differing accounts of what immediately preceded Howard's stabbing.
Howard, who was from Miami and whose nickname was Jazz, died at a hospital from a single wound in his abdomen, hours after helping his team to a homecoming game win over Louisville.
A 21-year-old Hartford man, Johnny Hood, told police he got into an argument with two men, later identified as football players Brian Parker and A.J. Portee, after Parker made disparaging comments about a woman.
The argument occurred after someone pulled the fire alarm inside the student union and as people were leaving the building.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The University of Arkansas suspended five players Tuesday, including three athletes identified in a rape complaint that did not result in charges, for violating unspecified team rules.
Coach John Pelphrey said guards Courtney Fortson, the top returning scorer, and starter Stefan Welsh were suspended indefinitely. Guard Marcus Britt was suspended for six games, forward Glenn Bryant two games, and walk-on guard Nick Mason will not dress for games during the fall semester.
The school did not provide specific reasons for the suspensions, which will keep all players out of Friday night's season opener.
An 18-year-old freshman accused three basketball players of raping her Aug. 27 at a fraternity house party. The police report identified the players as Britt, Bryant and Mason. The prosecutor in the case, John Threet, said there was insufficient evidence to file charges, but the case is now before a special prosecutor at the request of the woman and her attorney.
Threet didn't oppose the request, though he has said he stands by his decision not to file charges The woman's attorney, John Bass, has suggested there was a conflict of interest because Threet is the son-in-law of former Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles and the brother-in-law of an athletic department spokesman.
NFL
NEW YORK -- The Eagles-Bears matchup Nov. 22 will remain the Sunday night game even though NBC had the option of picking another contest.
The NFL's flexible scheduling policy goes into effect that week for the rest of the season. But the league announced Tuesday that the network decided to stick with the original matchup, which could have NFC wild-card implications.
Philadelphia is 5-3 and in second place in the NFC East going into this weekend's game at San Diego. Chicago is 4-4 heading into Thursday's game at San Francisco.
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PITTSBURGH -- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't saying if the team has any interest in Larry Johnson, the former Penn State running back who was released by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Still, the Steelers' answer appears to be the same as it was in 2003: Johnson isn't in their plans.
Johnson, who has long wanted to play in Pittsburgh, was cut Monday after being suspended by Kansas City for the second time in a year. The Steelers have long stayed away from signing troubled players, and they appear to be set at running back with starter Rashard Mendenhall and backup Willie Parker.
"I don't discuss free agents," Tomlin said Tuesday, only a few hours after the Steelers returned from their 28-10 victory in Denver on Monday night. "That opens Pandora's box. I tend to focus on the guys that are in our locker room."
Tomlin made similar comments when quarterback Michael Vick was on the market last summer. The Steelers had no interest in Vick.
Johnson believed he was going to be drafted by Pittsburgh in 2003, but the Steelers traded with Kansas City to move up in the first round and take safety Troy Polamalu. Kansas City chose Johnson with the pick that was to have been Pittsburgh's, with the running back clearly upset he didn't go to the Steelers.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A Nashville judge has authorized the widow of retired NFL player Steve McNair to sell the restaurant he opened shortly before he was shot and killed.
Probate Court Judge Randy Kennedy this week cleared the sale of Gridiron9 by Mechelle McNair, administrator of the ex-player's estate.
According to court records, a potential buyer has come forward.
The judge denied an appeal by one of Steve McNair's business partners.
The quarterback who spent most of his career with the Tennessee Titans was shot to death July 4 by a young woman who then killed herself.
Earlier, a Nashville condominium complex dropped its claim against the estate. McNair was a co-signer on the lease of a condo for his cousin.
Senators 4, Oilers 3: OTTAWA -- Jason Spezza scored the winning goal in the shootout for Ottawa, which came from behind twice to beat Edmonton 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Chris Neil scored his third goal of the season with just under 7 minutes left in regulation to give the Senators a 3-2 lead. Just under 2 minutes later, Gilbert Brule tied the game with a hard shot from the slot that trickled past Ottawa goalie Pascal Leclaire.
Jonathan Cheechoo and Nick Foligno also scored for the Senators. Leclaire made 31 saves.
Dustin Penner and Ethan Moreau had first-period goals for the Oilers, and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers stopped 22 shots.
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Bruins 3, Penguins 0: BOSTON -- Boston's Tim Thomas stopped 27 shots for his second shutout of the season, and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby was held without a point for the fifth straight game.
Matt Hunwick backhanded a rebound under the crossbar, then had to wait 77 seconds for a whistle so NHL officials could consult a video replay and give Boston the goal. Mark Recchi had the 900th assist of his career, Daniel Paille had his first goal with the Bruins, and Patrice Bergeron added a short-handed empty-netter with 3.5 seconds left as Boston won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Thomas recorded his 14th shutout -- passing Andy Moog for 10th on the Bruins' career list -- while handing Pittsburgh its second straight shutout.
The Penguins have not scored in 149 minutes, 9 seconds and have lost three straight games -- all away from home -- after opening the season 7-0 on the road.
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Wild 5, Maple Leafs 2: TORONTO -- Mikko Koivu had a goal and two assists as Minnesota ended Toronto's two-game winning streak.
Marek Zidlicky broke a 1-1 tie at 5:44 of the period. Then, 26 seconds after Koivu beat Jonas Gustavsson at 17:29, Greg Zanon made it 4-1.
Niklas Backstrom made that stand up with 37 saves for the Wild, who got goals from Martin Havlat and Owen Nolan into an empty net to win for the fourth time in five games. Minnesota won in Toronto for the first time (1-4) since joining the NHL in 2000-01.
Alexei Ponikarovsky and Phil Kessel scored for the Maple Leafs, who earned points in seven straight games.
Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek left the game because of a lower body injury after taking just six shifts for 2 minutes, 47 seconds of ice time. There was no immediate word on the severity of his injury.
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Flames 1, Canadiens 0: MONTREAL -- Miikka Kiprusoff got his first shutout of the season and Jarome Iginla extended his goal-scoring streak to four games.
Kiprusoff made 25 saves and improved to 10-3-1 this season as Calgary won its fourth straight to begin a four-game trip. It was his 31st career shutout, his first since Feb. 12, when he turned aside 36 shots in a 2-0 win over Los Angeles.
Iginla opened the scoring with his team-leading ninth of the season 14:55 in.
Iginla, who has scored five times during the streak, took a return pass from Olli Jokinen and put a shot through traffic past Jaroslav Halak from the top of the right faceoff circle.
Halak stopped 30 shots for Montreal, which has lost its last three games at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens, who lost 4-3 in Calgary on Oct. 6, have dropped five of seven overall.
GOLF
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Adam Scott says he might give up his European Tour membership if officials decide next week to increase the minimum number of tournaments required.
Scott says he doesn't blame Europe for trying to strengthen its membership requirements. He says it's getting more difficult to play well on multiple tours, because there are too many good players worldwide.
-- Wire reports
