Sumlin family plans to pursue charges
Police seek sender of threatening letter to coach’s home.
Charlene Sumlin, the wife of the Texas A&M football coach, said her family wants police to find and press charges against the person who sent a letter last week that referred to her husband with a racial slur.
The letter was sent to the Sumlins’ home in College Station. It wasn’t long, but it ended with “Please get lost! Or else.”
Kevin Sumlin addressed the situation after Saturday’s 24-14 victory over Nicholls State.
“I get criticism, which is part of the job,” Sumlin said in his news conference. “I get suggestions, and that’s part of the job. In this situation, for that (letter) to come to my home and for (Charlene Sumlin) to open it and read that, that is completely different. My wife and kids have never called a play. My wife and kids have never done anything football-wise that led to us losing a game or winning a game.”
Charlene Sumlin posted a follow-up statement “to the ugly threat mailed to our home” Sunday on her Twitter account.
Missouri: DeMontie Cross was fired as Missouri’s defensive coordinator after a year and two games in the position.
The school announced the move Sunday, a day after the Tigers (1-1) lost 31-13 to South Carolina and a week after they gave up 43 points to Football Championship Subdivision opponent Missouri State.
Cross’ firing is effective immediately, and no immediate replacement was named in the school’s announcement. It comes ahead of the Tigers’ matchup with Purdue on Saturday.
A former Missouri safety from 1994-96, Cross was stripped of his play-calling duties seven games into the 2016 season. Even after coach Barry Odom took over defensive play-calling, the Tigers finished the season ranked worst in the Southeastern Conference in yards allowed per game.
Louisville: Coach Bobby Petrino says senior running back Jeremy Smith will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his right foot last week, leaving the No. 14 Cardinals without one of their top rushers for Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference showdown against thirdranked Clemson.
Petrino said Monday that Smith, Louisville’s third-leading rusher with 382 yards and eight touchdowns last season, fractured the fifth metatarsal in practice on Thursday.
He did not play Louisville’s 47-35 victory Saturday at North Carolina. Senior Malik Williams rushed for a careerbest 149 yards on 13 carries, including a 74-yard run, to lead a Louisville ground game that finished with 312 yards.
Petrino added that junior cornerback Jaire Alexander is being evaluated daily for a knee injury sustained against Purdue.
SMU: Wide receiver Courtland Sutton has been named American Athletic Conference offensive player of the week, the conference announced on Monday. He shares the weekly honors with Tulsa running back D’Angelo Brewer.
Sutton caught four touchdown passes in SMU’s 54-32 win over North Texas. He set a conference record for receiving touchdowns in a game and tied the SMU record, set by Emanuel Tolbert against Baylor in 1978.
SMU defensive end Justin Lawler was named to the conference honor roll after a two-sack game against UNT.