Brewster fired by Minnesota

Tim Brewster arrived at Minnesota in 2007 promising to bring the Golden Gophers back to the Rose Bowl, to heights not seen on campus in more than a generation.

He leaves with fan apathy nearing an all-time high, having failed to capitalize on the momentum from a new stadium and joining a long list of coaches who haven't been able to get it done at Minnesota.

Brewster was fired Sunday, one day after the Golden Gophers lost to Purdue to fall to 1-6 in his fourth season on the sideline. Brewster went 15-30 at Minnesota, including 6-21 in the Big Ten, and the Gophers' 28-17 loss to the Boilermakers was their sixth straight defeat.

He was 0-10 in trophy games and never beat chief rivals Wisconsin and Iowa.

"Those that wear maroon and gold are disappointed, embarrassed, frustrated, angry and hurt by a 1-6 football team and the lack of being really competitive in the Big Ten for a long time," athletic director Joel Maturi said.

Maturi said he has had several conversations with university president Robert Bruininks in the last few weeks about the coach, and both agreed on the move. Offensive coordinator Jeff Horton, a former UNLV head coach, will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Horton coached the Rebels from 1994 to 1998 and had a 13-44 record.

"My job is to instill confidence in them," Horton said. "Get them to go out and play as hard as they can for as long as they can, and help them try to achieve victory."

The Associated Press left a phone message for Brewster, who will receive a $600,000 buyout.

Brewster was hired to take over the stagnant Minnesota program in 2007, despite never having been a head coach or coordinator in college or the NFL.

Brewster created a monster he couldn't contain when, with a salesman's determination and a preacher's fervor, he started talking about Rose Bowls at his introduction. Known as a successful recruiter under Mack Brown at North Carolina and Texas, Brewster's classes drew decent reviews from analysts, but his players never quite put it together.

"The fact of the matter is, President Bruininks knows, Joel Maturi knows, others know that football is the engine to every athletic program," Maturi said. "And our engine is sputtering, and we need to find a way to fix it."

■ ARKANSAS -- Star quarterback Ryan Mallett suffered a concussion during the first half of the Razorbacks' 65-43 loss at Auburn on Saturday.

The university released a two-sentence statement from team athletic trainer Matt Summers confirming Mallett's injury. The statement said Mallett's "symptoms are improving" and that "we will continue to evaluate him."

Mallett has passed for 1,844 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. The No. 21 Razorbacks will host Mississippi on Saturday.

■ AUBURN -- Coach Gene Chizik said sixth-year senior safety Aairon Savage will have leg surgery today and "be out for a while" for the fifth-ranked Tigers. He didn't specify the nature of Savage's injury or the time frame.

Savage had missed the past two seasons with a torn knee ligament and an Achilles' tendon tear. The NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility.

■ MISSISSIPPI -- Coach Houston Nutt said starting right guard Logan Clair will miss "five or six weeks" because of a chipped bone in his ankle suffered during the team's 23-10 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Saturday.

Clair, a junior, was promoted to the starting lineup early in the season after moving from tackle to guard.