Conference USA Football

Nearly a decade after departing Tennessee for USC, Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin discussed the aftermath of his decision with ESPN's Chris Low.

When Kiffin left Tennessee after just one season as head coach to take his dream job at USC, it led to a chaotic scene in Knoxville in which current LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, who followed Kiffin from Tennessee to USC, was calling midterm enrollees at Tennessee who had yet to start classes in hopes of getting them to jump to USC as well.

Then-Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker described the situation:

"That's when it got ugly because I was trying to calm the guys down and telling them to let Lane say what he wanted to say. But when Ja'Wuan [James] put [Orgeron] on the speakerphone, that's when I grabbed it, told O not to call our players anymore and hung up. I love O and loved playing for him, but that should not have happened."

Now, Kiffin agrees that it was in bad taste despite the fact that it wasn't technically illegal: 

"It wasn't like we were recruiting kids on Tennessee's roster. They were still recruits because school was starting that week. That happens all over the place. But I get the players and the Tennessee fans being mad over that, and I probably would have been, too, at that point. That one's on us."

On the night Kiffin read a statement announcing his Tennessee departure, he had to barricade himself in his office until police escorted him home at 4 a.m. because fans and students on campus were shouting obscenities at Kiffin and burning mattresses, per Low.

In retrospect, Monte Kiffin believes taking the USC job was the wrong move. Monte is Lane's father, and he served under Lane as Tennessee's defensive coordinator before going with him to USC:

"We should have never left, but you can't see into the future, and there's no way you know we were going to be hit with the sanctions we were hit with at USC. I still give Lane a hard time. I'd just bought a beautiful new home there in Gettysvue on the golf course [in Knoxville, Tennessee], and while we were trying to sell it, golfers would come by and throw cigar butts up on my porch. Maybe we deserved it."

USC was hit with major sanctions shortly after Kiffin's arrival, as it was determined through an investigation that former USC running back Reggie Bush had accepted improper benefits while in college.

As a result, USC lost multiple scholarships, and it was banned from the postseason for two years. The Trojans did have a 10-2 season under Kiffin, but they largely disappointed with a 28-15 record in parts of four seasons before his firing.

During his one season at Tennessee in 2009, the Volunteers went 7-6, which would be their best record until 2014.

Kiffin served under Nick Saban at Alabama for three seasons after getting fired by USC, and he is in the midst of his third season at FAU. He is 17-12 with the Owls, including an 11-3 mark in 2017.

Rice Owls quarterback Wiley Green was stretchered off the field late in the first quarter of Friday's game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Rice Stadium after being injured while attempting to score a rushing touchdown.

Green stayed on the ground after being tackled by multiple Wake Forest defenders. One of the tackles appeared to be to his upper body. It was a scary scene, according to the reports:

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports noted Green was able to give a thumbs-up to the crowd as he exited the field.

Green made four appearances as for Rice last year, though it wound up serving as a redshirt season. The redshirt freshman entered 2019 as the Owls' starting quarterback.

He went 7-of-14 for 62 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions in a season-opening loss to Army on Aug. 30. Prior to his injury Friday, he was 3-of-5 for 69 yards in two drives.

Rice trailed 14-0 at the time of the injury, though Green had led the team to the 2-yard line.

Graduate transfer Tom Stewart replaced Green and helped the Owls finish the drive with a touchdown. He led Rice to the end zone on its next drive as well, using his legs for a 10-yard rushing score. That evened the contest at 14-all.

FAU head coach Lane Kiffin understands the reality for Group of Five schools in the FBS, but that doesn't mean he's happy to face No. 5 Ohio State to open the 2019 season.

"There's a lot of different ways to go about these things," Kiffin said Tuesday, per Bucknuts' Patrick Murphy. "Obviously, I didn't schedule these. These were scheduled before we got here, from the last athletic director (Pat Chun). I don't think it is the best idea, especially following with UCF, another team that has been a Top 10 team the last two years."

The Owls head to Columbus on Saturday to play the Buckeyes. The Caesars Palace sportsbook lists FAU as a 27.5-point underdog.

During an interview on The Andy Slater Show, he was blunt about the rationale for games against high-profile opponents where his team is at a clear disadvantage:

Because of the money involved, Kiffin acknowledged the benefits of playing Power Five schools but lobbied for matchups with teams that would suit the Owls a little more.

"The format that I think is the best, because you have to make money, you can't not play these games," he said. "But you can play somebody that pays the same, because the conference pays the same for the most part. It is not that big of a difference."

This is the second straight year FAU has opened against a Top 10 opponent. The Owls lost 63-14 on the road to No. 7 Oklahoma last season. They also played No. 9 Wisconsin in the second week of 2017, losing 31-14.

According to the Sun Sentinel's Matthew DeFranks, FAU received $1.2 million apiece from playing Wisconsin and Oklahoma and will get $1.4 million for playing Ohio State.

UTEP tight end Luke Laufenberg, the son of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Babe Laufenberg, died of cancer Thursday at age 21. 

Laufenberg was a walk-on a Texas A&M and played for Mesa Community College before he was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in 2017, according to the Associated Press. He was declared cancer-free in 2018, though he was unable to play for UTEP and eventually faced additional complications this spring.

A number of UTEP players and coaches spoke about Laufenberg after they learned the news of his death:

His father, Babe Laufenberg, 59, is a radio broadcaster for the Cowboys. He made a number of stops during his NFL career, spending time with Washington (1983–85, 1987), the San Diego Chargers (1985, 1988), New Orleans Saints (1986), Kansas City Chiefs (1987) and the Cowboys (1989–90).

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, a longtime friend of the Laufenberg family, didn't take any questions during his Thursday press conference, instead using the time to speak about Luke, per David Helman of the Cowboys' official site:

"Luke was an amazing young man. You guys have heard me talk about 'Fight' a lot. I don't know that I've ever a better example of that in my life. What he's gone through the last couple of years, the spirit that he had every day. To battle through it, to always be thoughtful about the people in his life—'How's my mom doing, how's my dad doing, how's my brother doing?' Amazing."

"It's such a tragedy, and it's so hard to understand," he added. "But I know that I will, and anybody that ever knew him, will be forever inspired by the life that he lived."        

Former Florida International defensive back Emmanuel Lubin died Saturday after being involved in a car accident, the university announced.

He was 21.

"Tragically, we lost a great young man in Emmanuel Lubin last night," FIU coach Butch Davis said in a statement. "He was a hard worker, great teammate and was respected and loved by his teammates, coaches and staff at FIU. His character, work ethic and leadership were instrumental in leading our program to success these past two seasons. Our football program is mourning his loss and we will honor Emmanuel every day moving forward. Our hearts and prayers go out to his friends and family."

Details regarding the accident are still unclear. 

Lubin recorded 83 tackles and one interception across 45 games during his collegiate career at FIU. He is the brother of former NFL cornerback E.J. Biggers and stepbrother of former NFL safety Louis Delmas.

Former teammate Tyree Johnson posted a letter about Lubin on Sunday, thanking him for helping him "grow as a man just by talking to me and telling me the s--t I needed to hear...helping me get out of my depression stage when I was scared to tell anybody how I felt...

“Anybody who knows you would never say anything bad on your name because you literally lit up any room you were in...I never told you this because I assumed you knew, but you made me the man I am today. If it wasn’t for you, I’ll still be the same Teejayy from four years ago.”

FIU's statement says Lubin was pursuing a degree in liberal studies at the university. He went undrafted in 2019 but had "aspirations to play football professionally."

UTEP quarterback Kai Locksley was arrested on four separate charges by police in El Paso, Texas, Friday. 

Per El Paso County Jail records (h/t USA Today), Locksley was charged with driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana under two ounces, terroristic threat and unlawful carrying of a weapon. 

As of Saturday afternoon, the University of Texas-El Paso has yet to issue a statement about Locksley's arrest. 

Per Andra Litton and Colin Deaver of KTSM.com, Locksley had his bond set at $2,900 and remained in custody on Saturday. 

Locksley is entering his senior season with the Miners after transferring to the school from Iowa Western Community College in January 2018. He threw for 937 yards with three touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine games last year. 

Prior to playing at Iowa Western Community College, Locksley spent one year redshirting at the University of Texas in 2015. He received his release to transfer in October 2016 after being unhappy with his playing time. 

Frank Gore Jr., the son of Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore, has committed to play college football for Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic.

The Killian High School (Miami, Florida) star announced his decision via Twitter on Thursday:

He also reportedly received offers from Kentucky, Chattanooga and Southern Miss.

According to 247Sports, Gore is a 3-star recruit and is the 74th-ranked running back of his class. He becomes the second 3-star or better recruit in the Owls' 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

While the elder Gore suited up for the Miami Hurricanes (2001-04), the decision has the five-time Pro Bowler's support:

The elder Gore ran for 1,975 and 17 touchdowns during his Hurricanes career. After spending the 2018 season with the Miami Dolphins, he signed with the Bills earlier this offseason as he prepares for his 15th NFL season.  

Southern Miss football supporters reacted strongly and negatively in response to news that ex-Baylor football head coach Art Briles was being considered for the school's open offensive coordinator position, per Rachel Axon of USA Today.

"In emails to the school's administration and athletic officials, they lobbied against hiring Briles because of his role in a sexual-assault scandal that led to his firing at Baylor," Axon wrote. "Some threatened to revoke financial support, either through season tickets or donations."

Briles was fired from the university in 2016 in the wake of multiple sexual assault allegations against his players, and allegations the football program, athletics department and university mismanaged the handling of those allegations. Axon outlined more details:

"According to a summary of an investigation by Philadelphia law firm Pepper Hamilton released in May 2016, Baylor failed to comply with Title IX in addressing reports of sexual assault. The summary faulted the culture of the school broadly and the football program specifically for not only failing to help victims but also for discouraging some from reporting their assaults."

Southern Miss interim athletic director Jeff Mitchell prevented the potential hire by telling head coach Jay Hopson to "go in another direction."

Hopson disagreed with Mitchell's refusal to consider Briles and released a Feb. 6 statement, per Axon.

"I believe he is a man who believes a second chance," Hopson wrote. "He is a man that seemed sincere and humble in his interview and personally he committed no crime. He may not have acted in the proper protocol but that would be my JOB at Southern Miss!"

There is strong disagreement regarding that sentiment, however.

"There’s no question that he’s very tainted and that it would be ill-advised for any school to take a chance on this guy," Donna Lopiano, president of Sports Management Resources and a former president of the Women's Sports Foundation, told Axon.

She also noted that it wouldn't be a surprise if Briles received another opportunity in college football, noting "how corrupt the system is."

The 63-year-old currently leads the Estra Guelfi Firenze American football team, based out of Firenze, Italy.

The Golden Eagles eventually settled on Buster Faulkner, who was Arkansas State's OC for the past three seasons. He also spent four years as the Middle Tennessee OC and one season in the same position at Murray State.

Southern Miss finished 6-5 last season and opens the 2019 campaign against Division I-FCS Alcorn State on Aug. 31.

Southern Miss head coach Jay Hopson recruited a junior college transfer accused of raping two women at knifepoint in 2015, but the player's application was denied by the admissions office after finding out about his past, per Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic.

The sexual assault case against running back Charles West fell apart after the two women struggled to testify in front of him and did "not take the witness stand for a trial," according to Jennifer Emily of the Dallas Morning News.

Per Emily, "both criminal cases were downgraded to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon." West pled guilty to each case and received probation as part of a deal struck with prosecutors.

According to Auerbach, Hopson knew of the player's past but did not notify the school. West signed and was set to enroll in the school until the athletics department discovered his history and informed the university's admissions office.

Southern Miss was also the only school to offer a scholarship to the Garden City Community College player, who was a 3-star recruit out of high school.

The case follows a pattern for Hopson, who has been criticized for the additions he has attempted to make to his football program. Hopson tried to hire former Baylor coach Art Briles as the team's offensive coordinator until the move was blocked by the school, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

Briles lost his job in 2016 after an extended list of "allegations of sexual assault, domestic violence and other acts of violence involving several Baylor football players" were uncovered by Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

Hopson also recruited a registered sex offender to play for him while coaching Alcorn State.

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles won't hire former Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles as their offensive coordinator. 

"We have met with Art Briles regarding a position with the Southern Miss football program," Southern Miss said in a statement Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg. "Following that meeting, we informed him that he is not a candidate. The university will have no further comment on this matter."

Golden Eagles head coach Jay Hopson issued a statement of his own in opposition to the school's decision. Hopson wrote Briles "is a man who deserves a second chance," per Stadium's Brett McMurphy:

In May 2016, the Baylor University of Board of Regents suspended Briles with the intention of firing him. 

The move came after a report by ESPN's Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach detailing institutional failures at the university to properly address allegations of sexual assault made against Baylor football players.

Reporting for Deadspin, Jessica Luther and Dan Solomon offered another thorough examination on Tuesday that was sharply critical of Baylor and the football program:

"But the whole time Baylor was winning games, building stadiums, and basking in on-field glory, its coaches were managing a series of incidents they were desperate to keep from dominating the news. Briles’ players were frequently in trouble, and internal communications from the coach to his staff show they worked hard to ensure that their players’ names didn’t end up in front of the university’s judicial affairs department or cross [Baylor Title IX coordinator] Patty Crawford’s desk."

Briles has yet to receive another college coaching job since his departure from Baylor. He spent eight years in Waco, compiling a 65-37 overall record and leading the Bears to six bowl games.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL were set to bring Briles aboard as an assistant head coach before backtracking on the decision and rescinding the offer. Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young said the team "made a large and serious mistake" by hiring Briles in the first place.

Briles' last stop was with Guelfi Firenze, an American football team in Italy. 

Rittenberg noted the 63-year-old is facing potential NCAA violations and is set to appear in front of the NCAA infractions committee in the spring.