College football | Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin dismisses 2 players

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two of three Tennessee freshmen players charged last week in an attempted armed robbery have been dismissed from the program.

"Clearly, their actions have no place in our program," Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin said Monday.

Kiffin said wide receiver Nu'Keese Richardson, 18, and defensive back Mike Edwards, 18, were permanently dismissed from the team, and former starting safety Janzen Jackson, 18, will continue to be barred from team activities as Kiffin awaits more information in his case.

All three players were out on bond but kept home Saturday when the Vols traveled to play Mississippi.

Three victims told police they were sitting in their parked vehicle about 2 a.m. Thursday outside a convenience store near Tennessee's campus when two males dressed in hooded jackets, one brandishing a handgun, approached and demanded, "Give us everything you've got."

The three freshmen were arrested shortly afterward with companion Marie Montmarquet, 22, a Tennessee student who allegedly drove their getaway Toyota Prius.

Notes

• UNLV has fired coach Mike Sanford after five losing seasons, a 15-43 record and no bowl appearances. Sanford's firing came after a 45-17 loss to Air Force on Saturday made the Rebels ineligible for a bowl game.

In a joint statement, university president Neal Smatresk and interim athletic director Jerry Koloskie said Sanford will coach the final game of the season, at home against San Diego State on Nov. 28.

Sanford, 54, will be paid a $225,000 buyout, under terms of a three-year contract extension signed last year.

• San Jose State coach Dick Tomey, 71, announced he was retiring from coaching after the team's Dec. 5 game against Louisiana Tech. Tomey, who previously coached at Hawaii and Arizona, has a record of 182-143-7.

• Michigan released embarrassing details of an internal audit that discovered coach Rich Rodriguez's team failed to file forms tracking how much time players spent on football during the 2008 season — his first — and the offseason last spring. Perhaps coincidentally, the NCAA and the school are investigating the program about similar issues.

The NCAA sent the school's president a notice of inquiry last month, saying it plans to complete its investigation by Dec. 31.

"I don't know what the NCAA is going to find," athletic director Bill Martin said before the audit was released. "I do know this is not academic fraud or gambling."

The Detroit Free Press, citing anonymous football players, reported in August that Michigan was exceeding NCAA limits regarding practices and workouts.

• California standout tailback Jahvid Best will not play in the Big Game against No. 14 Stanford on Saturday. He is recovering from a concussion.

• Boise State tight end Richie Brockel is expected to miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.