Barney hurt, Dixon returns

Randy Shannon told reporters after the team's second practice Thursday that left guard Chris Barney, a 6-5, 345-pound redshirt junior, suffered an injury and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Barney had been practicing with the first team offensive line, even though most expected Orlando Franklin to win the starting job. The injury was not disclosed.

"It may go into the season, we just don't know right now. The doctors will let me know, it may be four to six weeks, I don't know," Shannon said. "It's something that happened at practice. It's what it happens in camp. We got Orlando [Franklin], Fig [Joel Figueroa], Gunn [Harland Gunn], what's my buddy's name [A.J. Trump]. So, we still got four guys that played some and got some quality work in. You got to move on.

"It's bad for him because he'd been coming along, he dropped a lot of weight and he'd been doing great in practice. Whatever time it takes him to come back he's got to just start over and just get back into the groove of what he's doing."

> Defensive tackle Antonio Dixon, who was sent to the hospital Wednesday after suffering illness from the heat, attending practice in shorts and a t-shirt, but did not practice. Shannon said he expects Dixon to be back in time for Saturday night's scrimmage, the first of the fall, along with linebacker Arthur Brown (who did not practice at all Thursday and was seen limping). Marcus Forston participated in the afternoon practice Thursday.

> Shannon said the quarterbacks will receive an equal amount of snaps during Saturday's scrimmage.

> Shannon said Matt Bosher connected on a 45-yard field with three seconds left during a two-minute drill. Shannon said if the season started today, Bosher would be the kicker.

> Of Taylor Cook, who is participating in the punting competition, Shannon said he needs to get used to the speed of the college game.