Making the morning rounds.
? Winning more friends, I see. USC coach Lane Kiffin publicly complained Sunday about a pair of calls in Saturday night's 56-48, triple-overtime loss to Stanford, telling reporters he'd called an unidentified Pac-12 official from the locker room to say he was "basically lied to" about being granted a timeout after the final play of regulation. According to Kiffin, a side judge told him USC would be granted a timeout if replays showed receiver Robert Woods' knee had come down inbounds with one second on the clock, which would have given the Trojans a shot at a 50-yard field goal to win. Instead, when Woods was ruled down, referee Michael Batlan announced the clock had expired and the game was headed to overtime. "Any coach can ask for a timeout, but he doesn't get one until an official grants or signifies it," Batlan said after the game. "I was not a part of any conversation or meeting with regards to a requested timeout."
"I'm really disappointed in the officials. Extremely disappointed," Kiffin said immediately after the game. "I had asked for a timeout with one second left before the play. We could have kicked a 50-yard field goal to win the game. �I'm not complaining. I'm just giving you the exact facts."
Kiffin said Sunday he's also contacted the conference about officials' decision to mark off a holding call against Stanford in the second overtime from the end of the play, an 8-yard gain, instead of the spot of the foul at the line of scrimmage. Knox Kiffin could have made the correct spot, his dad said, and "Knox is 2 years old." [Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News]
? Nothing to see here. Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich quickly defused any controversy about Oregon's starting quarterback after Saturday's 43-28 win over Washington State, telling reporters "One hundred percent, it's Darron Thomas" after Thomas was pulled for backup Bryan Bennett in the second half. Head coach Chip Kelly, on the other hand, wasn't so forthcoming: "I don't have to answer that question. But I know who he is," Kelly said when asked about his starter. "I'll play 17 quarterbacks if it's gonna help us win. ... We can do this dance all day long if you want."
Thomas ? returning from a one-game absence after injuring his knee against Arizona State ? was pulled for "injury-slash-performance-based" reasons after throwing a pair of interceptions in the first half, which ended with the Ducks up just 15-10. Bennett came on to connect on a pair of touchdown passes in the second half, leading three scoring drives in all to push the Ducks' record to 7-1 with a critical November slate (Washington, Stanford, USC, Oregon State) looming and Thomas' health suddenly back under the microscope. "We just felt Bryan gave us a better chance in the second half," Kelly said. [Eugene Register-Guard, The Oregonian]
? The Rap Sheet. South Florida offensive lineman Tony Kibler has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested on two felony counts for allegedly using a knife to break into the dorm room of a female student who lives across the hall from him on Saturday night. Surprise: A spokesman for USF police said the incident apparently stems from a "dissolved relationship." Kibler, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, was charged with armed burglary and improper exhibition of a weapon on school grounds, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor criminal mischief for damage to the door.
"I have suspended Tony Kibler indefinitely, just for unacceptable behavior," said coach Skip Holtz. "Just need to see where it's going, but right now he won't participate in any type of football-related activities." [Tampa Tribune]
Quickly? Georgia loses a starting offensive lineman for the rest of the regular season, at least, with a broken fibula. ? Colorado loses another running back for the season, this one just two weeks after burning his redshirt. ? Syracuse fans can't believe they were watching the same team in Louisville that blew out West Virginia a week before. ? A small city on the field of Ohio Stadium. ? And "it doesn't take anybody real educated" to figure out Florida needs bigger running backs to run Charlie Weis' offense.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
Matt Bartkowski Oskars Bartulis Nolan Baumgartner Francois Beauchemin
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