Boulder – Right on cue, Miami (Ohio) tailback Austin Sykes ran up the middle Saturday for a 14-yard gain on the RedHawks’ first play from scrimmage.
Colorado coaches and fans must have wondered what would have happened if Michael Sipili had been playing middle linebacker.
A 6-foot-1, 250-pound sophomore, Sipili had been expected to play for the first time this season, having served a three-game suspension. But on Friday afternoon, the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs suspended Sipili for the fall semester.
The OJA ruled that Sipili violated the school’s Student Code of Conduct in connection with a June brawl in which Sipili allegedly injured another student. He is banned from campus but can apply for reinstatement to the university for the spring semester that begins in January.
The ruling cannot be appealed, CU athletic director Mike Bohn said Saturday.
Sipili had been given a three-game suspension by Colorado coach Dan Hawkins on Sept. 6 after Sipili pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. Sipili sat out the first three games but attended classes and practiced with the team during the suspension.
The school chose to not inform the media until Saturday morning.
“It did surprise me, but that’s life,” Hawkins said of the ruling when asked Saturday after the game.
“It’s not fair, but life isn’t fair,” defensive tackle George Hypolite added.
Jeff Smart, a sophomore, started in Sipili’s place. A walk-on from Boulder High School, Smart was awarded a scholarship by Hawkins last week.
If Sipili chooses to stay at Colorado, he could use this season as a redshirt year and have three years of eligibility remaining, beginning with the 2008 season.
Bohn said Sipili has not asked for a transfer.
“We will do everything within the NCAA rules to allow him to reach his academic and on-field goals,” Bohn said.
Bohn said the decision wasn’t totally unexpected, considering the OJA had the final say in the matter. But the timing of the decision was upsetting.
“We don’t drive that timeline,” Bohn said.
New faces
For the first time this season, Colorado played more than five offensive linemen, allowing true freshmen Kai Maiava (6-0, 295) and Ryan Miller (6-7, 320) to make their college debuts.
Miller, the high school All-American from Columbine, entered the game midway through the second quarter.
“Walking down the ramp knowing I was going to play, the feeling was incredible,” Miller said. “It’s a dream come true.”
Another true freshman, linebacker-safety Nate Viaomounga, played for the first time, as did several walk-ons.
Also making his debut for Colorado was defensive end Chris Perri, a junior-college transfer who was suspended for three games for participating in the same fight as Sipili. The OJA did not rule on Perri, Bohn said.
Footnotes
Miami (Ohio) had not been shut out since 1993, a 21-0 loss at Ball State. … This was the second shutout for Hawkins as a major-college coach. Boise State blanked Idaho State 62-0 in 2003. … Injured CU players included tight end Tyson DeVree (concussion), wide receiver Scotty McKnight (concussion) and Viaomounga (hamstring). Each was listed as day-to-day for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma.
