AP Source: LSU Suspends Mathieu, Simon, Ware

The person told The Associated Press about the suspensions on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because they have not been announced. But the person did not specify the drug for which the players tested positive.

LSU coach Les Miles declined to confirm any punishment for members of his No. 1 Tigers after Wednesday's practice.

"I understand the interest which surrounds what seems to be news. There is internal discipline and internal news," Miles said. "I have a process I go through. ... It's a procedure I'm true to. There is no real information about any player that I'll address at this point."

Mathieu has been one of the stars of the first half of the college football season. He has forced four fumbles, recovering three and returning two for scores. He also has two interceptions and 42 tackles, including 1½ sacks.

Mathieu has made so many big plays in nationally televised games that a grass-roots Heisman Trophy campaign has sprouted for the hard-hitting 5-foot-9 defensive back nicknamed "Honey Badger," after the YouTube sensation about a small but fearless animal by the same name.

Ware is the leading rusher for the unbeaten Tigers with 512 yards and six touchdowns.

Simon has one interception and 29 tackles.

LSU is deep at running back and should be able to cope with Ware's absence. Michael Ford, who has rushed for 359 yards and six touchdowns, and Alfred Blue, who has 235 yards rushing and four TDs, likely will be LSU's top two running backs against Auburn.

In the defensive backfield, senior Ron Brooks would be the likely candidate to step in at cornerback for Mathieu, while fellow senior Derrick Bryant could play nickel back. When LSU fields six defensive backs, sophomore Craig Loston or redshirt freshman Ronnie Vinson could take the field.

The Tigers have a week off after Saturday's game, and play No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5 in what could be the biggest game of the regular season.

LSU (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) has already managed to stay unbeaten while dealing with early season suspensions.

"This football team understands what distraction is," Miles said. "I haven't seen a change in their get-along. I expect the team to take the field ably manned at all positions."

Quarterback Jordan Jefferson missed the first four games of the season, including matchups against Oregon and West Virginia, after he was involved in a bar fight.

Jefferson, who was slated to start, was reinstated on Sept. 28 after a grand jury reduced his felony second-degree battery charge to a misdemeanor. He and Jarrett Lee have been sharing the quarterback job since he returned.

Receiver Russell Shepard missed the first three games because of an NCAA rules violation.

LSU is a three-touchdown favorite at home against No. 19 Auburn, but the Alabama game is in Tuscaloosa.

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Source: Raiders contact former Jaguar QB David Garrard

UPDATE: Garrard needs immediate surgery on herniated disc in his back; this according to a reliable NFL source – Jay Glazer from FOX Sports.

The Raiders have reached out to free agent quarterback, ex-Jaguar David Garrard after Jason Campbell suffered a broken collarbone in Sunday’s 24-17 win over the Browns, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Garrard and his agent, Al Irby, plan to discuss the situation and get back to the Raiders on Monday afternoon, the source said. Free agent Josh McCown also has been contacted by the Raiders.

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AP Source: Big East Leaders Slated to Vote Monday

To help convince some of the candidates — such as Boise State — that the Big East will be stable in the long run, the conference has a plan in place to double its exit fee to $10 million.

An official in the Big East told The Associated Press that conference leaders are slated to vote Monday on raising that fee, which will clear the way to invite six new members.

Along with Boise State, which would be invited only to play football in the Big East, the league also wants to invite Air Force and Navy as football-only members and Conference USA members Central Florida, SMU and Houston to join in all sports.

The official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league wasn't announcing its plans publicly, said he is confident the league's members are ready to move forward with the plan.

The Big East has only six football schools committed to the league beyond this season. The conference would like to get to 12 football members and split into two divisions, East and West, and play a championship game.

"Everybody realizes there is a window of opportunity here to get these six teams," the official said Saturday.

Boise State and Air Force, currently in the Mountain West Conference, and Navy, an independent in football, have concerns about the long-term health of a league that has already had three defections during this latest round of conference realignment.

"I don't have any idea right now from just reading accounts in the media of who's going to be in, who's going to be out, there's a great deal of uncertainty out there," Boise State President Bob Kustra told the AP before the Broncos played at Colorado State. "And so if anybody asked me today, if anybody invited me today, I wouldn't know what I was getting invited to. And so the first thing is to nail that down and be more certain."

In a short statement given to the AP on Saturday, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto stressed the conference "has not extended membership invitations to any institutions."

Kustra also told the AP: "We've not been extended an invitation."

Pittsburgh and Syracuse announced last month they will move to the Atlantic Coast Conference, though Big East rules require them to stay in the league for the next two seasons and Marinatto has said he will hold the Panthers and Orange to that. It seems unlikely Pitt and Syracuse will be forced to stay if the Big East can get to 12 football members by 2012.

TCU was slated to join the Big East in 2012, but the Horned Frogs reneged on that commitment and accepted an invitation to the Big 12 last week. TCU is free to go immediately because it was never an official member, but the Big East is expecting to collect a $5 million exit fee.

Trying to recruit new members has been tricky for the Big East because its remaining members have not committed to stay in the league.

Louisville and West Virginia are possible targets for the Big 12 if it needs to replace Missouri — which is pondering a move to the Southeastern Conference — or if it decides to expand back to 12 teams.

Connecticut has interest in joining the ACC if it expands again, and there has been speculation about Rutgers moving, too.

The Big East also has eight members that do not compete in football: Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette, DePaul and Notre Dame.

The agendas of the football members and the ones that don't play football in the conference have often conflicted. But they came together this week to agree on a plan that they hope will allow the Big East retain its automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series, and the millions in revenue that goes with it, for years to come.

Neither the Mountain West Conference nor Conference USA has an automatic BCS bid, which makes the Big East attractive to Boise State despite being nearly 1,900 miles away from Louisville, the closest current Big East member.

"Well, there's no doubt that for a long time the coaches have felt like this distinction between AQ and non-AQ isn't fair," Kustra said. "I've been very vocal about my thoughts regarding the BCS and when they organize in 2013, I hope there's a way to deal with some of these inequities.

"But in the meantime, it seems like our responsibility is to get as close as we can to AQ status. And that's the reason why we're not just shutting down any interests from others who ask us questions about what are your future plans? Our future plans are to do whatever we can to work out a better TV arrangement, get on more TVs in more living rooms and at the same time work toward AQ status."

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AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton in Fort Collins, Colo., contributed to this report.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at http://Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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