COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NATION : Female Kicker Fails Duke Tryout

First-year student and would-be kicker Sue Mercer failed in her bid to become the first female to make an NCAA Division I football team, Duke Coach Fred Goldsmith said Monday.

She will be offered a spot as a special teams manager, Goldsmith said.

“She’s not where she needs to be to kick at this level of football,” Goldsmith said. “The leg strength wasn’t there.”

Goldsmith snapped the ball and assistant coach Fred Chatham did the holding at the secret tryout Monday at Wallace Wade Stadium.

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Florida starting defensive tackle Henry McMillian will sit out for up to six weeks because of a torn left knee ligament suffered during Saturday’s 38-14 victory over Mississippi, team officials said. . . . Texas quarterback Shea Morenz said he hopes to play against Oklahoma this week after suffering strained knee ligaments against Colorado. Texas Coach John Mackovic called Morenz questionable for Saturday’s game. Mackovic said redshirt freshman James Brown will get most of the snaps in practice this week. . . . Pittsburgh senior Curtis Martin, who rushed for 1,132 yards last season, will remain sidelined indefinitely because of an ankle injury and might be redshirted. Martin rushed for 251 yards in Pitt’s season-opening 30-28 loss to Texas, but suffered a badly sprained left ankle a week later while blocking against Ohio University and hasn’t played since.