College football news: USC’s punishment will continue until morale improves

In West Coast games from last night, BYU’s enigmatic 2013 campaign continued with a 37-10 win over Middle Tennessee State. The Cougars overcame an early 10-7 MTSU lead by posting 30 unanswered points, including a 71-yard punt return touchdown by J.D. Falsev. Quarterback Taysom Hill went 14/19 for 177 yards and ran for an additional 165 yards and two touchdowns. The Cougars are now 2-2 on the season, while Middle Tennessee falls to 3-2.

Elsewhere, Utah State blew out San Jose State, 40-12, on a 29/42, 260-yard performance from quarterback Chuckie Keeton. The junior signal-caller added 52 rushing yards and contributed to four Aggie touchdowns. San Jose State quarterback David Fales finished 25/48 for 314 yards but threw a pair of interceptions. The teams committed 20 penalties, resulting in 203 penalty yards. USU improves to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West, while the Spartans drop to 1-3 (0-1) in their first season without former coach Mike MacIntyre.

Apples and Trojans. Three days after announcing that it was relaxing scholarship restrictions placed on Penn State last July, the NCAA denied USC’s request for a similar reduction in scholarship restrictions. “There is no comparison between USC and Penn State,” said the NCAA in a prepared statement. The Trojans were hit with a postseason ban, scholarship reductions and probation as a result of the Reggie Bush scandal. The postseason ban expired after 2011 and the scholarship restrictions are due to terminate after this season.

USC athletic director Pat Haden previously said that the scholarship reductions have had “unintended consequences” contrary to student-athlete welfare, and he may have a point. Because of injury and attrition, USC is taking just 56 scholarship players to this week’s game against Arizona State.

Video game money. NCAA Football video game manufacturer EA Sports and licensing body Collegiate Licensing Company reportedly paid $40 million to settle claims made by current and former players alleging that EA and the CLC improperly used player likenesses in the game franchise. Early reports indicate that the settlement amounts to $320 per player, almost enough to buy a new XBox and a copy of NCAA Football 14.

The other kind of legal news. Baylor safety Ahmad Dixon was arrested for misdemeanor assault Friday, stemming from a September 16 incident where Dixon allegedly attacked a 21-year-old man whom he believed was breaking into his house. The man reportedly suffered minor injuries. Dixon, who is third on the Bears in tackles, posted a $1,500 bond and was released. Baylor announced that the situation “will be handled internally.”

Have they considered making it the B1G Island? Hawaii athletics officials are preparing to pitch “a Pac-12 vision” to big-money donors, according to Star-Advertiser columnist Ferd Lewis.

It makes a lot of sense for Hawaii. The costs of operating an athletic department located 2,000 miles from its nearest competition are enormous, and the Rainbow Warriors could use the additional revenue the Pac-12 provides. But, as Pacific Takes points out, the odds of the Pac-12 extending an offer halfway across the Pacific are slim.

• Your full Week 5 TV schedule guide

• Advanced stats pick the winner of every game

• LSU vs. Georgia and the revenge of the SEC offense

• EA canceling CFB games, dropping out of O’Bannon

• Longform: Inside Chip Kelly’s offense at New Hampshire

• Today’s college football news headlines