The Dean's List

Welcome to the latest installment of the Dean's List, where summer might be over but the party's just beginning. Sure, Hanna's gone, but Ike's coming, and Fannie and Freddie just got their second wind.

• When you've got a last name like Jammer, you're destined to be either a defensive specialist or a marmalade maker. Rice defensive back Chris Jammer chose the former and Owl fans are pretty happy he did. With 11 seconds left and Rice and Memphis tied at 35, Jammer intercepted Tigers quarterback Arkelon Hall and ran 69 yards for the game-winning touchdown. The pick, which came a minute after an Owls' touchdown and two-point conversion that tied the game, capped off a 29-point fourth quarter for Rice, who was down 15 when the quarter began. It was also Jammer's first collegiate interception. That's like driving a Mercedes when you're sixteen. Are you ever going to top that?

• Honesty is a virtue rarely rewarded, as Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich now knows. Lalich was arrested back in July for underage drinking. He was given a deferred judgment provided he completed supervised probation, which required regular probation interviews. During one such interview in late August, Lalich refused to take a mandatory drug test and admitted to using both alcohol and marijuana. (Ironically, when a urine sample was taken the next day, it tested negative for alcohol and drugs.) Such honesty has been rewarded with a new charge of failing to obey a court order while on probation. Maybe next time, Lalich will just fill the Dixie cup and keep the honesty to himself.

• Vanderbilt finally has some company. With a 24-14 win over Maryland on Saturday, Middle Tennessee State notched its fourth win ever against a BCS opponent. All of the previous victories came against Vanderbilt. Due to either a stifling defense or an inept Terrapins offense, the Blue Raiders dominated Maryland, holding their ACC opponents to 118 yards and three first downs in the first half. Meanwhile, MTSU quarterback Joe Craddock completed 28 of 40 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns, which was enough to secure his team's first victory over an ACC foe. Could this be the start of something beautiful in Murfreesboro or has Maryland hit a new low?

• All last week, the big question coming out of State College was how would the loss of three key players affect Penn State in its toughest non-conference game of the year. Starting linemen Maurice Evans and Abe Koroma and tight end Andrew Quarless were suspended for the Oregon State game after officials found marijuana in their campus apartment. Turns out, the fears of Penn State's demise were unfounded -- or, at least, premature. With 454 total yards, the Nittany Lions crushed the Beavers, 45-14. The defense, which played without a pair of starters, was solid, holding OSU to 92 rushing yards and forcing two interceptions. But even in triumph, Penn State must suffer. Jerome Hayes, who was filling in for Evans, tore his ACL and will be out for the rest of the season.

• We know that being an official isn't easy. On a good day, you're invisible. On a bad day, you actually affect the outcome of a game. But just because your job is hard, doesn't mean you can suck at it. Yeah, we're talking to you, Pac-10 officiating crew who called an unsportsmanlike penalty with two seconds left in BYU's 28-27 victory over Washington. With his team down by a touchdown, Huskies quarterback Jake Locker led the offense on a 76-yard drive, culminating in a risky 3-yard touchdown run. In his excitement, Locker tossed the ball in the air and jumped around with his teammates. And that's when the officiating crew got all stupid and called a 15-yarder for excessive celebration, which forced a 35-yard extra point that BYU blocked. The officials will defend the "celebration rule," BYU will say rules are rules, but the Dean's List isn't fooled. That was a no good, really bad, god-awful call.

• You're a redshirt sophomore who's just been named a starting wide receiver and is looking forward to a break-out season. What can you do to screw it up? First, stop going to class, then get a DUI the night before gameday. If you're confused, direct all questions to Arizona wide receiver Terrell Reese. The 6-foot-4 creative writing major, who had 20 receptions last season for 202 yards, was suspended one game for missing classes. On the Friday night before his suspension, Reese was arrested in Tucson for driving under the influence. Now, coach Mike Stoops has suspended Reese indefinitely for "a careless and selfish act." Well, at least the young scribe from Pflugerville, Texas, will have more time to creatively write an apology note.

• It was an up and down week for Kansas basketball coach Bill Self. First, ex-Jayhawks Mario Chalmers and Darrell Aurthur got busted in a hotel room with weed and women -- they both deny smoking the marijuana -- and were subsequently booted from an NBA rookie camp. That's probably not the kind of news that makes Self proud. But he's got to feel relieved now that the NCAA clearinghouse has cleared freshman basketball players Marcus and Markieff Morris. Without the brothers, the Jayhawks had struggled, barely beating McGill and Carleton on a trip to Canada. Of course, Self still has to figure out how he's going to punish Markieff for shooting a woman with a BB gun from his dorm room window. But, after almost losing to two Canadian schools -- one of which has Marty the Martlet as its mascot -- chances are Self won't keep a star player off the court for too long.

• The Herb Pope saga continues. After only one season, the 6-foot-8 forward is leaving the New Mexico State basketball program. Back in 2007, Pope was a highly touted recruit out of Aliquippa, Pa. He had the body of a power forward and the skills of a guard. His name was constantly mentioned in the same breath as other top prospects like Kevin Love and Michael Beasely. But Pope ran with the wrong crowd and before making it to college, he'd already been shot five times at a house party. For college, he decided to escape his past and attend New Mexico State, where he hoped to stay out of trouble and take his game to the next level. But, it didn't really happen that way. First, he had eligibility issues. Then he got drunk, fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his car into a police cruiser. Finally, when he was cleared to play, Pope underperformed, averaging only 11.1 ppg and committing twice as many turnovers as assists. No news on Pope's next step but let's hope he's not returning to Aliquippa. Don't nothing bring you down like your hometown.

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