Big-5 futures

Up: Utah — A walkover for the Utes

Down: BYU — Cowboys struggling offensively

Even: Utah State — Will 2nd half woes continue?

Even: Weber State — Won 5 of last 8 games

Up: Southern Utah — Shot at Great West title

Player of the week

Shaky Smithson, Utes, running back

Smithson is the weekly nominee for the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Smithson, a junior receiver-running back from Baltimore, has become legal guardian for his 15-year-old brother Anthony. Smithson, 22, the oldest of seven siblings, grew up in a rough part of Baltimore. He carried a 3.2 grade-point average at East Los Angeles Community College and graduated in three semesters. Shortly after enrolling at Utah last February, he began the process of taking custody of his younger brother. He will back up Eddie Wide and Sausan Shakerin on Saturday.

Game of the week

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama

Nick Saban faces his old team in this matchup of top programs still in the running for a BCS championship berth.

Talk of the subdivision

Mountain West Conference

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — University of New Mexico president David Schmidly said Wednesday that an attorney representing an assistant football coach sent a letter offering "continued media silence" in exchange for a $500,000 settlement in a dispute with head football coach Mike Locksley.

Schmidly said the overture was rejected.

"I outright refused it," Schmidly said during a news conference. "I turned the letter over to our legal staff and told them the answer is no."

Julian Haffner, a lawyer in Bethesda, Md., who is representing receivers coach J.B. Gerald, didn't immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.

Gerald, who claims he was punched and choked by Locksley, made his first public comments about the dispute during an interview broadcast last week by ESPN. Schmidly said he "wouldn't be surprised" if Gerald files a civil lawsuit against the university.

Later, administrators released a Nov. 3 letter to Haffner in which university lawyers expressed concern that Haffner had tried to speak to other New Mexico assistants without the school's permission.

—Associated Press

Quotable

"It's an interesting idea. Statistically, there's definitely some validity to it."