Coach denies abusing players

SPOKANE, Wash. – Washington State coach Mike Leach denied his players are abused, as alleged by star wide receiver Marquess Wilson.

The player made the allegations in a letter he released Saturday in which he quit the team and complained that the coaching staff would "belittle, intimidate and humiliate us."

Leach said during his regular Monday meeting with reporters: "There is no truth about it at all." He described Wilson as a disgruntled player.

Asked if there had been any actions by coaches that could be construed as abuse, Leach replied: "No, no, no. Next question."

Wilson issued a statement on Saturday saying he had quit the team as a protest to "physical, emotional and verbal abuse" by the coaching staff. He did not provide examples and has not been available for comment.

Wilson is WSU's career leader with 3,207 receiving yards but has been a regular target of criticism from Leach and his assistants since spring drills. More recently, he was demoted to backup wide receiver, although he continued to lead the team in receptions and yards.

Washington State President Elson Floyd on Sunday asked the school's athletic department and the Pacific-12 Conference to conduct separate investigations into Wilson's allegations.

Leach was fired from Texas Tech after the 2009 season for an incident in which he was alleged to have ordered a player with a concussion to sit in a storage shed during practice.

Leach disputed the allegation, and it was not proven. Leach has sued Texas Tech, contending he was fired so the school could avoid a large payment due him at the end of the year.

Texas Tech – Coach Tommy Tuberville took full responsibility for losing his cool with a graduate assistant along the sideline during Saturday's win over Kansas.

The third-year coach said he had watched a replay of his outburst after the 41-34 victory and saw what had fans upset. He called his actions "unfortunate" and said he had apologized to Kevin Oliver, who works with special teams.

"It upset me, too," Tuberville said. "You don't do things like that, and it was obvious I reached up, grab- bed his headset and pulled on it. Heat of the battle, some things happen sometimes that you'd like to take back."

Playoff – The Big East will compete with four conferences that have not had BCS automatic-qualifying status for a guaranteed spot in the lucrative marquee bowl games when college football's new postseason system starts in 2014. That group of five conferences just won't have its own bowl.

The conference commissioners decided during a meeting with university presidents in Denver that the new four-team playoff will rotate through six games as originally planned.

Houston – Cornerback D.J. Hayden left a hospital six days after a hit in practice tore a major vein that feeds his heart and left him in critical condition.

Louisville – Senorise Perry, the No. 20 Cardinals' top rusher, will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

Florida – Quarterback Jeff Driskel is doubtful for Saturday's game against Jacksonville State.

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