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Missouri reportedly reinstates quarterback Maty Mauk from suspension

Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk has been reinstated from suspension.

Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk has been reinstated from suspension.

(Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
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Missouri reinstated quarterback Maty Mauk from a suspension for violation of team rules, according to multiple reports Tuesday.

It is not known whether Mauk will start in the Tigers’ next game Nov. 5 at home against Mississippi State.

A school official would not confirm the move and said Coach Gary Pinkel would address the situation on the SEC coaches’ teleconference Wednesday morning. Pinkel has not commented on Mauk’s status in recent weeks.

Freshman Drew Lock won his first career start earlier this month against South Carolina, but Missouri (4-4, 1-4 SEC) has been held to a total of 12 points with no touchdowns during a three-game losing skid since then.

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Mauk is 17-5 as a starter. He has six touchdown passes and four interceptions in four games this season while Lock has two touchdown passes and two interceptions.

Mauk and offensive tackle Malik Cuellar were suspended Sept. 29. Cuellar, a backup, was reinstated after one game.

Texas A&M opens QB competition

Texas A&M is looking to solve its problems on offense by opening up the quarterback competition.

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Coach Kevin Sumlin said he told Kyle Allen, who has started each game this season, freshman Kyler Murray and Jake Hubenak that they’d compete for the job this week and he’d name a starter on Friday for Saturday’s game against South Carolina.

The Aggies opened the season 5-0 before consecutive lopsided losses to Alabama and Mississippi. Allen threw 13 touchdown passes with two interceptions in the first five games but has thrown only one touchdown pass with four interceptions in the last two games. In the 41-23 loss to Alabama, all three of his interceptions were returned for scores.

Sumlin was asked why he didn’t bench Allen until the fourth quarter on Saturday night considering how much he was struggling.

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“[It’s] hard to play that position looking over your shoulder all the time,” he said. “A lot of other positions you can yank guys in and out. But without confidence it’s hard to play quarterback. You kind of want a guy to play himself out of it, but it wasn’t happening and we made the change.”

Miami is reeling

The top cornerback is grieving the unexpected death of his mother. The quarterback is concussed and at best questionable to play this weekend. The coach was fired. The staff faces a most uncertain future. The program is reeling.

Miami calls this adversity.

It’s more like an avalanche.

The Hurricanes returned to the practice field Tuesday after three painful days. Interim Coach Larry Scott led practice for the first time, replacing the fired Al Golden. If the day wasn’t daunting enough, the workout was with injured quarterback Brad Kaaya absent and hours after cornerback Artie Burns’ mother died.

“We have their hearts and we have their minds,” Scott said. “We can overcome anything if we stay together. And I think this group will.”

The dominoes started falling Saturday when Miami lost to Clemson, 58-0, the largest defeat margin in Hurricanes history. Kaaya’s injury came in that game when Clemson rushed two defensive ends against five offensive linemen and still got a sack, one that means the Hurricanes (4-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) could have redshirt freshman Malik Rosier backed up by true freshman Evan Shirreffs this weekend at No. 22 Duke (6-1, 3-0).

On Sunday, Golden’s firing was announced, followed by a teary team meeting with the now-former coach who was revered by many players. Then on Monday, Burns’ mother was stricken and coaches — also dealing with the funeral of a staff member’s relative — gathered and kept vigil at a Miami hospital before word came that she succumbed.

Golden was even there, still concerned for his former player and staff.

“It’s been real difficult,” said defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio, a longtime friend and confidant of Golden’s. “But we have a team, we have unity, we have everybody together and we’re all rallying together like we said we would from the beginning of the season. … Our No. 1 thing right now is we support our players and we support Artie and his family. It’s been a lot to deal with.”

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Etc.

James Madison quarterback Vad Lee will miss the rest of the season after surgery on his left foot. Lee leads the nation in total offense per game (375.5 yards) while also ranking third in passing yards (2,190), fourth in passing touchdowns (21), fifth in completion percentage (68.3%) and eighth in rushing yards (814). ... A former Baylor player convicted of sexually assaulting a female soccer player at the Texas school has been denied a new trial. Sam Ukwuachu’s request for the new trial was rejected during a hearing Monday. Ukwuachu transferred to Baylor in 2013 from Boise State, where he started 12 games as a freshman, after being dismissed for unspecified reasons. He never played for Baylor.

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