Miami defensive lineman Pata, 22, is shot and killed

Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot and killed Tuesday night at his apartment complex, school officials said.

The shooting occurred about two hours after the Hurricanes ended their afternoon practice.

Pata, a 22-year-old senior who grew up in Miami, was pronounced dead in the parking lot outside his apartment, and his death was ruled a homicide, Miami-Dade police spokesman Roy Rutland said.

“Right now, we’re just gathering ourselves and just trying to pull ourselves together,” Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee said.

Rutland said police were called at 7:30 p.m. to the scene and found Pata’s body. He lived about four miles from campus.

“Tonight the University of Miami tragically lost a member of our football family, Bryan Pata,” the university athletic department said in a release. “Bryan was a fine person and a great competitor. He will be forever missed by his coaches and teammates. We offer our thoughts and prayers to his family.”

The circumstances around Pata’s death were not immediately clear, and Miami-Dade police did not say who made the 911 call after the shooting.

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound lineman played 41 games, making 23 starts, and was expected to be selected in next spring’s NFL draft.

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Miami quarterback Kyle Wright is dealing with a small fracture on the inside of his right thumb and may miss the Hurricanes’ game Saturday at No. 23 Maryland.

Wright, injured on the third play of Miami’s 17-10 loss to Virginia Tech last Saturday, said he would have his cast removed today and attempt to practice.

If Wright can’t play, Kirby Freeman would get the start.

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Toledo’s Greg Hay batted down a fourth-down pass in the end zone on the game’s final play and the Rockets stopped a last-ditch Northern Illinois drive and beat the Huskies, 17-13, in the fog at DeKalb, Ill.

Northern Illinois, 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference, was aided by two pass interference penalties against Toledo (4-6, 2-4) on the final drive, the second one giving the Huskies a first-and-goal on the two with 28 seconds left.

But after two incomplete passes and a no gain on a third-down run by Garrett Wolfe, the Huskies had to hurry to get off a final play and Hay broke up the pass. Wolfe, who leads the nation in rushing (1,533 yards), was held to 54 yards in 16 carries, his fourth consecutive game under 100 yards.

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Joe Paterno will stay in the hospital at least through today, and possibly longer, as a precautionary step in the Penn State coach’s recovery from left leg surgery. The 79-year-old coach was in good condition Tuesday night at Mount Nittany Medical Center and had not had any complications from the operation, said Guido D’Elia, a team spokesman. Doctors were being “extra cautious” and would take it day-to-day in determining when he could be released, D’Elia said.