Reporters' Notebooks

Terrance Harris, Houston Chronicle: A Texas A&M booster from Tulsa who was a subscriber to Dennis Franchione's VIP Connection email newsletter says the inside information was worth the hefty price.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech's Mike Leach broke his right arm when he took a spill on a bicycle.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas' Mark Mangino says the cupcakes served their purpose.

Rick Kaipust, Omaha World-Herald: Add Nebraska to the list of teams having trouble stopping spread offenses.

Samuel McKewon, Nebraska State Paper: Cornhusker fans need to rise above profanity. The best message to send to coach Bill Callahan and athletic director Steve Pederson is the silence of your money clip. Thanks to Ben Maller.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Nick Saban who? Good gracious, what else can they say about this fine man?

Christopher Conley, Commercial Appeal: Police charged four men, including a University of Memphis student, in the killing of Tiger defensive lineman Taylor Bradford in a robbery gone awry. Bradford had won several thousand dollars at Horseshoe Casino the night before his death, and had $7,400 in his pocket when he was found.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: The father of Mark Bradford, who caught the winning touchdown pass in Stanford's win over USC, died two weeks ago of a heart attack.

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American-Statesman: Texas senior receiver Limas Sweed will undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his left wrist and his college career is over.

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: Because Iowa State coach Gene Chizik was a Texas assistant last season, he could give the Cyclones a subtle advantage when the teams play Saturday.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: When your team consistenly plays more games on the road than at home, such a schedule usually belongs to a program more in need of money than wins. Which brings us to Alabama Birmingham.

Shannon Shelton, Detroit Free Press: Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, whose team gave up 611 yards — 520 in the air — to Northwestern, said his team converted only 68% of its tackling opportunities against the Wildcats.

Sandra Forester, Idaho Statesman: Boise State's first Sunday home game didn't squelch the drinking and tailgating, and church leaders didn't put up much of a fuss.

Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada has lost Nick Graziano for the rest of the season after the quarterback injured a tendon in his right foot.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: It appears Mark Sanchez will replace the injured John David Booty at quarterback for USC.

Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times: UCLA quarterback Ben Olson will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and a timetable for his return is not yet know.

Tom Mulhern, Wisconsin State Journal: Senior receiver Luke Swan's career with Wisconsin is finished after a torn hamstring suffered against Illinois.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia has lost senior running back Thomas Brown for four to six weeks because of a broken collarbone.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link.