Crescent-News.com - Texas Tech QB's fingers broken in nine places

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell was recovering Monday from surgery to repair nine breaks in two fingers of his non-throwing hand, but he won't miss any playing time.

Texas Tech spokesman Chris Cook confirmed details of Harrell's injury and Sunday surgery. He didn't have specifics on whether Harrell's fingers got caught in a facemask or slammed against a helmet in Saturday's 35-28 win over Baylor.

ESPN.com first reported the details involving the nation's leading passer. Surgeons inserted 17 pins and two plates into the pinkie and ring finger of Harrell's left hand.

Harrell, a contender for the Heisman Trophy, will play when the No. 8 Red Raiders (11-1) appear in their ninth straight bowl, likely the Cotton Bowl.

The fifth-year senior played in the second half and finished with 309 yards and two touchdowns, the second one coming midway through the fourth quarter to cap a 21-point rally.

Without breaching his own policy on commenting on injuries, coach Mike Leach called Harrell "incredibly courageous" for his second-half performance.

"Even though (I have) no specific comment, it's just further evidence on why he should get the Heisman, and to me it's a no-brainer because I thought he should have gotten it last year," Leach said Monday.

His injury came only hours before Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford tore ligaments in his non-throwing hand during the Sooners' win against Oklahoma State. Bradford is expected to have surgery following the Big 12 championship game Saturday.

Harvin shows improvement

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's Percy Harvin limped around campus in a protective boot Monday and showed improvement, but coach Urban Meyer said his star receiver remained questionable for the Southeastern Conference championship game.

"The great news in the training room today, it's very positive, very positive, a lot of thumbs up, including from the player, a big thumbs up, a smile on his face," Meyer said. "He's as competitive a human being as I've ever been around. He's doing everything he can possibly do, and our training staff's the best in college football. That's all positive.

"The negative is it's a sprained ankle, and we know what sprained ankles mean. We're going to boot him and he will not do anything until later in the week."

Harvin leads No. 2 Florida with 35 receptions for 595 yards and seven touchdowns and ranks second on the team with 538 yards rushing and nine scores.

Charged with resisting arrest

CINCINNATI -- The 13th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats are looking into the arrest of one of their starting defensive ends.

Lamonte Nelms pleaded not guilty Monday in Hamilton County Municipal Court to charges of criminal trespassing and resisting arrest. Cincinnati police said that Nelms refused to leave a downtown restaurant and bar, then got into an altercation with employees early Sunday, several hours after the Bearcats celebrated their Big East title with a 30-10 win over Syracuse.

Coach Brian Kelly will decide whether to punish Nelms when he gets more information on the arrest. Cincinnati's final regular-season game is Saturday in Hawaii.

Swinney to stay on at Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Never bet against Dabo.

"I've never failed at anything in my life," Dabo Swinney, Clemson's new football coach, said Monday.

It's not arrogance, said Swinney, "I'm confident in my abilities."

How else to explain why Swinney was able to get that pretty girl in his Valley Elementary third grade class in Pelham, Ala., -- now wife Kathleen -- to check the yes box on his note asking her to go with him after a few hard-to-get nos.

Or why the future walk-on sat in the stands at an Alabama game with that same girl 15 years later convinced he'd make the catches the Crimson Tide's recruited receivers couldn't.

On Monday came Swinney's latest off-the-charts success -- the 39-year-old with no head coaching or coordinator experience before October had gained the job full-time with a five-year contract agreement.

"I don't think it's a gamble at all," Swinney said. "I think it's a good investment."

One that got started back on Oct. 13 when Tommy Bowden walked away after nine-and-a-half seasons.

The Tigers were ranked ninth this summer and the runaway preseason favorites to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. So when Clemson opened with only one win over four BCS opponents, Swinney was brought in.

Slowly, Swinney helped the Tigers regain their confidence. After the Georgia Tech loss, Clemson won four of its last five down the stretch to finish 7-5 and qualify for a bowl -- something that seemed impossible seven weeks ago.