Auburn’s Etheridge likely out for season

From combined dispatches

Auburn strong safety Zac Etheridge likely will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury suffered against Mississippi.

Etheridge was hurt Saturday when he collided headfirst with teammate Antonio Coleman early in the game. Chizik declined to go into details about the injury but said doctors are hoping for a full recovery. He wouldn’t speculate on whether the junior would play football again.

Etheridge was strapped to a backboard and taken to a local hospital, giving a thumbs-up on the way off the field. Auburn announced during the game he had movement in his extremities.

Mike Slade replaced him in an already thin secondary.

Etheridge entered the game as the Tigers’ fourth-leading tackler.

NEBRASKA: Star nose tackle Ndamukong Suh was ticketed for negligent driving after he hit three parked cars on a narrow Lincoln street.

Police Capt. David Beggs said Suh had been drinking before the accident, which occurred at 2:20 a.m. Sunday, but his blood-alcohol level of .035 was well below the legal limit of .08.

Suh, who was driving a 2003 Land Rover sport-utility vehicle, said he struck the first vehicle after he swerved to avoid hitting a small dog or cat crossing the street.

An accident report showed the Land Rover careened off the first vehicle, then hit two others on the other side of the street.

There were no injuries. Suh’s Land Rover sustained an estimated $10,000 in damage.

FLORIDA STATE: Quarterback Christian Ponder’s bruised ribs were feeling better than even he expected.

Florida State spokesman Bob Thomas said Ponder told him Sunday that his condition was improved.

Ponder, who ranks third nationally in total offense a game, was injured early in Saturday’s 45-42 win over North Carolina State but played with the pain.

OKLAHOMA STATE: Coach Mike Gundy said it’s not an option to shut down starting tailback Kendall Hunter for the season with a lingering injury.

Hunter had missed the Cowboys’ last five games before he had one carry for 1 yard in Saturday night’s 41-14 loss to Texas.

Gundy said Sunday that Hunter doesn’t want to sit out the rest of the season, even though it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to play “without feeling some sort of pain in that foot.”