West Virginia Player Target in Controversy

A woman who contends she was raped by a West Virginia player when he attended Notre Dame four years ago wants university officials to enforce a ban that would keep him from playing Saturday against the Fighting Irish at South Bend, Ind.

Two victims advocacy groups also want backup tailback Cooper Rego barred from the game.

Kori Pienovi, who graduated from Notre Dame in May, says Rego raped her in his dorm room Oct. 11, 1997, when she was a freshman.

No criminal charges were filed against Rego, but Pienovi said he was expelled from Notre Dame the following February after a disciplinary hearing. Pienovi said that when Rego was expelled, he was told never to return to campus.

Asked whether Notre Dame has requested West Virginia to keep Rego from attending the game, Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Moore said: “All I can say there is we’ve had some discussions with West Virginia. But I can’t get into that.”

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Alcorn State player JeKelcy Lee Johnson was shot dead on the Lorman, Miss., campus when he and a fellow student tried to help a woman who was being harassed. ... Oklahoma quarterback Nate Hybl, who apparently injured his non-throwing shoulder against Texas, will start against Kansas, Coach Bob Stoops said. ... Penn State fullback Sean McHugh (broken right leg) will miss the rest of the season. ... Brigham Young running back Brian McDonald-Ashford (torn ligament in right knee) will miss the rest of the season. ... Texas Tech could be without quarterback Kliff Kingsbury (sprained right thumb) and middle linebacker Lawrence Flugence (sprained right knee) for Saturday’s game against No. 24 Kansas State. ... Florida State noseguard Jeff Womble (sprained ligament in left elbow) expects to start against second-ranked Miami. ... The season’s first Bowl Championship Series rankings, which determine the schools that will play for the national championship, won’t be released until Oct. 22 because of the postponement of the Sept. 15 games after the terrorist attacks, coordinator John Swofford said.