ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter threw for only 165 yards against California and was intercepted twice, and now might see his string of 36 consecutive starts come to an end after suffering an ankle injury.

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Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter should be able to play this week at Southern California if he can handle the pain of what trainers are calling a non-weight-bearing projection of a bone in his left ankle.

"I've been told he has a chance to play," coach Dennis Erickson said Sunday. "If he progresses during the week and can stay healthy, that's the key. You don't want him hobbled out there in the game."

Carpenter, a senior whose string of 36 consecutive starts is the second-longest in the nation, suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 24-14 loss at California, when he was brought down by the ankle after throwing a deep pass to receiver Kyle Williams that was intercepted.

The injury, determined when Carpenter underwent an MRI exam after ASU arrived home on Saturday night, is similar to a sprain.

If Carpenter cannot play, backup quarterback Danny Sullivan, a junior, would make his first start. Erickson said Sullivan, who is 1 for 8 in mop-up duty this season, would have to take most of the first-team snaps in practice this week "if there is still a question mark" with Carpenter.

"You don't know about a guy until he plays," Erickson said. "He's spent a lot of time studying the game and practiced our offense a lot. He's smart, a competitor.

"If he plays, he'll go in and do a good job. But it's not an easy place to make your first start. I have all the confidence in the world in him."

In other injury news, backup safety Max Tabach suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the fourth quarter on Saturday and will likely require season-ending surgery.

Jarrell Holman will fill Tabach's role, which includes being the fifth defensive back in nickel situations.

- East Valley Tribune

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said he would try to contact Missouri coach Gary Pinkel to discuss Chase Daniel's comments about the Cornhuskers being a dirty team.

The Tigers' quarterback said a Nebraska player spat on him before Saturday night's game, which Missouri won 52-17. Daniel also told reporters after the game that Nebraska players threw footballs at the Tigers as they were warming up.

Pelini said he didn't hear about Daniel's comments until after he woke up Sunday morning.

"Usually, you'd know about something like that," Pelini said. "But I'm going to investigate it and find out because that's unacceptable if something like that happened. "

Pelini said he watched video of the game and saw nothing out of line.

"I didn't see dirty play out there," he said.

● Oklahoma remained No. 1 in the AP poll with 51 first-place votes and 1,608 points, gaining a few points and top votes in its second week on top of the rankings this season.

No. 2 Alabama has 13 first-place votes and 1,537 points. Missouri moved up one spot to No. 3 after winning 52-17 at Nebraska.

LSU dropped a spot to No. 4 after an off week, and Texas remained No. 5. The Longhorns face Oklahoma on Saturday.

Ball State, which has remained unbeaten (6-0) while losing one of its best players to a career-ending spine injury, is ranked 25th and making its first appearance ever in the Top 25.

● Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy will miss the remainder of the season because of a shoulder injury.

Miami coach Randy Shannon said Sunday that McCarthy, who has had ongoing shoulder problems since high school, suffered his latest injury in practice last week.