Contrary to a CBSSports.com blog report, first-year North Carolina football coach Butch Davis does not have an exit clause in his contract that would allow him to leave penalty-free for Arkansas.

He expressed no interest when asked Tuesday about possibly returning to his alma mater if there is a coaching change there.

"The unfortunate thing is," he said of the report, "I did play there, my father lives there, and I've got a lot of friends there. ... But I am thrilled to be here, and I believe the program here, we've spent a great year, this first year, building stuff. And there's so many positive things going on with this program, I'm excited about the future of our program."

So would he leave for Arkansas?

"I just told you, I'm thrilled to be at North Carolina," he said.

A UNC spokesman confirmed that Davis does not have an out, nor are there addendums to the contract that would allow the first-year coach to leave for Arkansas or any other school without a financial penalty.

Davis signed a seven-year contract worth about $1.86 million annually in November 2006. If he decides to leave for another coaching job, a buyout clause would force him to pay UNC between $700,000 and $2 million, depending on the length of his tenure.

MORE FOOTBALL

GOOD NEWS FOR JACKETS: Georgia Tech tailback Tashard Choice could miss only one game after undergoing surgery on his right knee Tuesday.

Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said Choice, the ACC's leading rusher, could return for the final three games of the season.

The Yellow Jackets are off this week. Choice has been ruled out of a Nov. 1 game against Virginia Tech but has a chance to play in the team's final three games against Duke, North Carolina and Georgia.

MIAMI QB RESTS ANKLE: Miami quarterback Kyle Wright missed practice Tuesday because of injuries that knocked him out of the Hurricanes' win over Florida State last weekend.

Wright said he injured his left ankle and left knee in the second quarter of Miami's 37-29 victory.

"He'll be back next week," Miami coach Randy Shannon said after practice. "Give him a week or so. Right now it's an ankle sprain. We need to isolate it and get it ready. Hopefully, he'll be ready by Sunday."

The Hurricanes (5-3, 2-2 ACC) have an open date this weekend and begin preparing for a Nov. 3 game with N.C. State on Sunday.

TROJANS IN UNUSUAL ROLE: For the first time since Nov. 17, 2001, ninth-ranked Southern California will be an underdog in a Pac-10 game when it plays at No. 5 Oregon on Saturday.

The Ducks were listed Tuesday as 3-point favorites.

USC coach Pete Carroll's reaction to playing the role of underdog was no surprise.

"That means absolutely nothing to me," Carroll said Tuesday at his weekly meeting with reporters. "I never bring it up. If you guys didn't bring it up, I'd never know."

Perhaps not, but his players are aware of the odds.

"I heard that today," quarterback John David Booty said with a smile after practice Monday. "It really doesn't make any difference to us. You've got to go out and play the game."

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TUESDAY RESULTS

MEN'S SOCCER

UNC 4, HIGH POINT 0: Juniors Brian Shriver and Garry Lewis scored first-half goals as host North Carolina cruised past High Point.

Sophomore Eddie Ababio and junior Joan Carvajal added second-half scores for the Tar Heels (5-4-5).

North Carolina limited High Point (5-9-1) to four shots in the contest.

COLLEGE NEWS RELEASE