Defensive lineman Cowart leaves Auburn program
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn defensive lineman Byron Cowart has left the program and been granted his release.
Coach Gus Malzahn confirmed Cowart's decision on Tuesday, a day after he dismissed former starting quarterback Sean White from the team.
Malzahn said the onetime top national recruit came to him "numerous times over the last couple of weeks disappointed with his playing time."
Cowart has only three tackles in three games. The 6-foot-3, 283-pound junior arrived rated as the nation's No. 1 recruit according to ESPN and Rivals.com.
It was more bad news for the 15th-ranked Tigers, who play at Missouri on Saturday. White was kicked off the team following an arrest over the weekend on a public intoxication charge and a previous two-game suspension.
Samuel misses practice for South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina tailback Rico Dowdle could feel the difference immediately without Deebo Samuel at practice Tuesday.
Samuel had surgery Sunday after breaking a bone in his left leg in South Carolina's 23-13 loss to Kentucky on Saturday night. Samuel, who leads the Southeastern Conference with six touchdowns, is possibly out for the remainder of season.
"He brings a different energy level and never slows down out there," Dowdle said. "A player like him is definitely going to have an effect on the whole team when you see he's not practicing."
But Dowdle and teammates said during interviews this week, "Man down, man up." When a player gets injured, someone has to replace him.
"It's life, it happens," Dowdle said. "We just got to get through it and keep going."
The Gamecocks (2-1) step out of the Southeastern Conference against Louisiana Tech (2-1), which is coached by former South Carolina offensive coordinator Skip Holtz.
Samuel was the offensive engine for South Carolina this season with six of the team's 11 TDs through three games. More than that, he jumpstarted the team's offense with 97yard kickoff return touchdowns in wins over North Carolina State and Missouri.
Samuel did it once more last week, his 68-yard touchdown catch coming on the Kentucky game's opening snap.
But Samuel was on the ground in pain after a 9-yard catch in the third quarter. He came back for one more play before leaving for good.