Notes from Around the Country

Rutgers was able to vault itself into the Top 25 for the first time in two decades but they receive some bad news this week. The Scarlet Knights lose receiver Shawn Tucker for the year afterbreaking his ankle in their game against Howard. The fifth-year senior caught 32 passes for 484 yards and a touchdown last season. He had six catches for 88 yards and no touchdowns this year, and is second on the team in yards per catch with 14.7. The Hokies had a rough time last week against Cincinnati and will have to play against 24th ranked Georgia Tech without two of its players. Virginia Tech's coach Frank Beamer suspended defensive end Chris Ellis and split end Josh Morgan for the game against the Yellow Jackets for violating team rules. Both players were arrested early Sunday morning following an altercation outside a downtown nightclub in Blacksburg, Va. Ellis is the Hokies best defensive linemen recording 12 tackles for the year and Morgan had 10 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also blocked two punts and is Tech's second leading receiver. The injuries keep mounting for the Florida State Seminoles as freshman linebacker Marcus Ball will miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in Saturday's game against Rice. Ball was a key player to the Seminoles third down defensive packages and their special team coverages. He is the younger brother of Georgia Tech QB Reggie Ball.