Kentucky’s Emotional Week Winds Up Today at Tennessee

Kentucky’s week began with a truck crash that killed one player, severely injured another and also killed the best friend of star quarterback Tim Couch. It ends with today’s game at Knoxville, Tenn., against No. 1 Tennessee, the Wildcats’ traditional rival.

Instead of the buildup to the contest between the bowl-bound Wildcats and the unbeaten Volunteers, Kentucky’s players and coaches became the focus of an extraordinary drama that unfolded daily.

There was Couch choking up, then breaking down in tears as he talked about the death of his friend Scott Brock.

There was the team’s first meeting after Sunday’s crash, when players sat in silence, then joined hands, prayed and wept.

“I’ve never been in there with 100 other guys, especially football players, and had it be that quiet,” safety Jeff Zurcher said.

And there was the funeral for Arthur Steinmetz, the transfer player killed in the crash. Steinmetz’s parents asked the parents of Jason Watts to sit with them, even though Watts--the driver and only survivor of the crash--is being charged with drunken driving and manslaughter.

Kentucky Coach Hal Mumme called the gesture “one of the great acts of forgiveness . . . one of the most touching things I’ve ever seen.”

Watts remained hospitalized in good condition Friday at Lexington’s University of Kentucky Medical Center. He underwent three operations during the week on a 12-inch gash in his right forearm that he sustained during the crash.

Watts is due in court Dec. 17 to answer the charges of manslaughter and drunken driving. According to a prosecutor, Watts’ blood-alcohol content was 1 1/2 times the legal limit when he crashed.

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Second-ranked Kansas State arrived hours behind schedule for today’s game against No. 19 Missouri at Columbia, Mo., after one of the team buses collided with the team plane as it sat at Manhattan (Kan.) Regional Airport.

No one was hurt in the airport accident. The plane had minor damage, and the flight was delayed for about 4 1/2 hours as repairs were made.

The team arrived at Columbia Regional Airport at 7:15 p.m. CDT. Players boarded buses and left for their hotel without comment.

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Arkansas kicker Todd Latourette was suspended for today’s game against Mississippi State at Starkville, Miss., after his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, Coach Houston Nutt said.

Latourette was picked up by Fayetteville police early Thursday morning but was not charged.

Latourette has played a steady role for the Razorbacks, having handled all kicks over the last four seasons, except one extra-point attempt.

Fayetteville police officer James Tolly said Latourette’s blood-alcohol content was .12. The legal limit is .10.

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Wisconsin quarterback Mike Samuel will not be charged with misdemeanor battery in an assault outside a Madison bar, the Dane County district attorney’s office said.

Samuel, 23, and his 30-year-old brother James were accused of punching a student Nov. 7 after he confronted them for cutting in line outside a bar.

But a police investigation found that witnesses gave conflicting statements about whether Mike Samuel or his brother punched the student, deputy district attorney Jill Karofsky said.

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North Carolina Central fired Coach Larry Little, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who had a 33-32 record for the Eagles.

Little, 53, whose contract expires June 30, met with Chancellor Julius Chambers on Thursday.

“I was officially let go today,” Little said later. “Any time you get terminated, it’s a hurtful feeling, but I will survive this. I did everything I could to help the program, but sometimes all you can do is not good enough.”

The Eagles finished the year 4-6, their third losing season in six years under Little.