College football notebook

Tribe's Webb receives national recognition

WILLIAMSBURG - William and Mary redshirt freshman cornerback B.W. Webb has been selected as the Football Writers Association of America Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week following his memorable performance in last Saturday's 26-14 upset of Virginia.

Webb contributed three interceptions to W&M's victory. Foremost among them: a theft and 50-yard return for a game-breaking touchdown late in the fourth period.

Never before in the eight-year history of the Nagurski award has a player from an FCS program been saluted.

Rutgers picks Savage as starting quarterback

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers freshman Tom Savage will start at quarterback on Saturday against Howard.

Savage, one of the most highly touted recruits to ever sign with Rutgers, played the entire second half in the Scarlet Knights' 47-15 loss to Cincinnati on Monday night. He passed for 135 yards and a touchdown.

Coach Greg Schiano ended two days of noncommittal answers about his starting quarterback by giving the job to Savage yesterday.

Domenic Natale, a fifth-year senior who threw three interceptions in the first start of his career against Cincinnati, will serve as the backup.

NCAA fires back at Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The battle of words between the NCAA and Florida State over sanctions for an academic cheating case is heating up. In an unusual move yesterday, the NCAA issued a statement saying that FSU President T.K. Wetherell's description of an agreement with the NCAA is not true.

Wetherell has said he'll provide documentation of an understanding he had with the NCAA on the penalties when they meet Nov. 15 at the NCAA's Indianapolis headquarters.

Florida State is appealing part of the penalty that would take away as many as 14 wins from coach Bobby Bowden, who is the second-winningest coach in major college football history.

Trustees approve rich extension for Saban

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama university system's board of trustees was apparently in a generous mood yesterday. The board's compensation committee unanimously approved a three-year contract extension (through Jan. 31, 2018) for Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban. The extension will deliver a combined $5 million in bonuses if Saban remains in Tuscaloosa for another nine years.

The deal doesn't include a salary hike but guarantees that Saban will remain among college football's five highest-paid coaches.

Concurrently, the board approved a seven-year deal for Anthony Grant, Alabama's new men's basketball coach. Grant, who jumped to Alabama from VCU, will make $1.8 million annually plus bonuses escalating to $250,000 for winning a national title.

Flu hits Rebels hard

JACKSON, Miss. - Standout Mississippi running back Dexter McCluster spent Tuesday night in the hospital because of flu symptoms and nearly two dozen other Rebels players missed practice yesterday as the virus continued to sweep though the team. As many as 22 players - or about 20 percent of the No. 6-ranked team's roster - are in some stage of flu.

Officials believe it is the swine flu and are following U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines that include isolating ill players from other members of the team and public. - From Staff and Wire Reports