There are lingering questions about how much the mysterious knee injury contributed to the Ducks' loss at Stanford last Thursday. Oregon doesn't discuss injuries, and the sophomore quarterback hasn't been specific about what's going on.

Asked this week whether his knee is an issue, Mariota replied: "Not at all." Pressed whether he is 100 percent, he said: "That's something that I can't tell you."

Mariota remains a Heisman Trophy hopeful with a stellar season thus far. He's completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns with no interceptions. And he's ranked second on the team with 495 yards rushing with nine additional TDs.

He has gone 327 attempts without an interception, an ongoing Pac-12 record that dates to last year.

But against the Cardinal, it became apparent that Mariota's mobility was hampered. He passed for 250 yards and two TDs. Three of his six rushes were sacks, putting him in negative yardage on the ground. Oregon (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) lost, 26-20.

"My knee is what it is. I'm not going to use that as an excuse," he told reporters after practice.

Mariota is believed to have injured his knee in the Ducks' 42-14 victory over UCLA, and he played the second half with a brace. He wore a brace throughout the game at Stanford.

He was practicing this week with the first team, again wearing a brace. Backup Jeff Lockie worked out with the second team.

He said, "Yes, for sure," when asked whether he'd play against the Utes (4-5, 1-5).

The loss to Stanford dropped Oregon from No. 2 to No. 6 in the AP rankings and all but ended the Ducks' bid for a spot in the BCS championship game. It was much the same last season when Stanford defeated Oregon 17-14 at Autzen Stadium, effectively shutting the door on both a title game bid and the Pac-12 championship for the Ducks.

For Oregon fans, Mariota's knee brought back painful memories of the 2007 season, when Dennis Dixon was one of the front-runners for the Heisman and had helped put the Ducks in line for the national title.

Drawing comparisons to Vince Young, Dixon completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns and had just four interceptions. He also ran for 583 yards and nine scores.

But Dixon's season abruptly ended when his left knee buckled early in then-No. 2 Oregon's upset loss to Arizona. Dixon had actually torn ligaments in his knee in a prior game, but he thought he could close out the season. Instead, he needed surgery, and the Ducks went on to finish 9-4 and play in the Sun Bowl.

This year, Oregon will need to win its remaining games and hope the Cardinal drop one of their final two conference contests to get back in control of hosting the Pac-12 championship. Stanford visits USC on Nov. 16 before hosting rival California, then finishes out-of-conference against Notre Dame.


FLORIDA QB A GAME-TIME CALL


Florida quarterback Tyler Murphy probably will be a game-time decision against No. 11 South Carolina.

Offensive coordinator Brent Pease said Tuesday that Murphy's throwing shoulder is still sore and could keep him out against the Gamecocks on Saturday night.

Murphy sprained his right shoulder against LSU last month. He started the last three games — losses against Missouri, Georgia and Vanderbilt — and completed 55.7 percent of his passes for 479 yards, with one touchdown pass and four interceptions. He also was sacked 15 times.

Murphy said Monday he landed on his shoulder against the Commodores — he was sacked five times — and possibly made the injury worse.

He sat out practice Monday and Tuesday, and Pease said his availability will come down to "how well he can throw the ball with spin."

"He's in a situation where he's spending time in the training room getting healthy again," Pease said. "I think it's day to day based on what the trainers have to say."

Murphy threw a career-high three interceptions in the 34-17 loss to Vanderbilt, and the Commodores turned them into 21 points.

The Gators have been decimated by injuries this season. They have 10 players sidelined with season-ending injuries and several others who have missed significant time. The list includes quarterback Jeff Driskel, defensive tackle Dominique Easley, running back Matt Jones, kick returner Andre Debose, linebacker Antonio Morrison and three offensive linemen.

If Murphy can't play, redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg would make his first career start. Mornhinweg, the son of New York Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, hasn't played a down in two years.


FORMER RB SHOT HIMSELF


A sheriff said Tuesday that former South Carolina football player Kenny Miles shot himself in the arm, but told investigators it happened during a robbery and the ex-player will be charged with filing a false police report.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott wouldn't speculate about why Miles shot himself on Nov. 4, then lied about it. He said at a news conference that there was no evidence anyone else was in the parking lot at the time or that other criminal activity was going on.

Miles issued a statement through his lawyer saying he made a mistake and that he was not involved in anything criminal. The statement does not say why Miles was handling the gun when he was wounded.

"I was scared and worried how my actions would be perceived. I only made matters worse by not telling the truth. I make no excuses for my behavior," Miles said in the statement issued by attorney Neal Lourie.

Miles remains under a doctor's care for the gunshot wound, and deputies will charge him when he recovers, the sheriff said.

While he recovers, Miles also remains on leave from his job as a messenger for the South Carolina Attorney General's Office.

The shooting happened on a Monday afternoon in an industrial park on a dead-end street just off Interstate 26 near Irmo. Miles initially told deputies a man was trying to take his championship rings and money.

The gun used in the shooting was found in Miles' car trunk. Deputies found the bullet that traveled through Miles' arm, and it matched the weapon, Lott said.

Deputies searched for hours for a possible gunman before Miles came clean and told them the truth, Lott said.

"We did a very intensive investigation — wasted a lot of manpower, a lot of time on," Lott said at the news conference in Columbia. "I hope the courts rule that he will reimburse the sheriff's department and the taxpayers of Richland County for the time and effort we put into it."

Miles played high school football in Lawrenceville, Ga., and spent most of his career with the Gamecocks backing up star running back Marcus Lattimore. Miles ran for 1,341 yards on 315 carries. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice.

Miles apologized to South Carolina fans as well as deputies, his employer, and his friends and family.

"I want you to know that I do not take your support lightly or for granted," Miles said. "I only hope that you will forgive me and allow me to earn your trust back over time."

Contributor: The Associated Press