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Auburn fires Franklin as offensive coordinator

Sports Digest

October 9, 2008

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin just seven games into his tenure, pulling the plug after the Tigers' rocky attempt to adapt to his spread offense. The 20th-ranked Tigers (4-2) have struggled offensively all season after entering as the favorites to win the Southeastern Conference Western Division. They have dropped SEC games to LSU and Vanderbilt after beating Mississippi State by an unusual score of 3-2. It was not immediately clear who would call plays Saturday against Arkansas. Franklin brought an offense to the Tigers that was a big departure from the more smash-mouth, conservative style Tuberville had long favored. It received an abundance of attention leading up to the season but never clicked. Franklin spent four seasons at Kentucky, serving as offensive coordinator and receivers coach during the 2000 season for an offense that finished second in the country in passing.

West Virginia: Over the past three weeks, Mountaineers quarterback Pat White twice tweaked a thumb and got hit in the head hard enough to knock him out of a game. He says he'll be ready Saturday, though, against Syracuse. White was gang tackled in the third quarter Saturday against Rutgers. He got up, walked off the field, was taken to the locker room temporarily and returned to watch backup Jarrett Brown close out the 24-17 win. "I've never had my bell rung like that," said White, who indicated he feels normal. It marked the second straight game White didn't finish. In a 27-3 win over Marshall, White reinjured his thumb on his throwing hand, which he had dinged in a loss at Colorado a week earlier.

Southern California: Quarterback Mark Sanchez did some work in practice, giving the Trojans hope that he'll be able to play against Arizona State on Saturday at the Los Angeles Coliseum. "Much better today," USC coach Pete Carroll said. Sanchez suffered a bone bruise in his left knee in the third quarter of USC's 44-10 victory over Oregon on Saturday.

Southern Methodist: Don Meredith will return to SMU next weekend to have his No.17 jersey retired. Before "Dandy Don" starred for the start-up Dallas Cowboys, then became a popular broadcaster on Monday Night Football, he was a star quarterback for the Mustangs from 1957 to 1959. Meredith, who keeps a low profile these days while living in Santa Fe, N.M., will be honored at halftime of the SMU-Houston game Oct.18 in Dallas. He'll be the sixth SMU football player honored, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson, Raymond Berry - who starred at wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts - Doak Walker, Forrest Gregg and Lamar Hunt.