First, a Veteran's Day salute to servicemen everywhere: Thanks for humbling the rest of our soft, lazy hides on a daily basis, and for doing your part to help keep them intact.

• Anatomy of a murder. Police released a 21-page affidavit Tuesday detailing witness' and charged suspects' statements in the stabbing death of UConn cornerback Jasper Howard after an on-campus fight last month, and the consensus narrative seems to paint UConn players as instigators over (of course) a girl:

The fight began after two redshirt freshmen on the team, Brian Parker and A.J. Portee, "disrespected a girl," according to the 21-page arrest warrant affidavit for John W. Lomax III, 21, who is charged with murder in Howard's death. As they left the dance, Parker and Portee made a comment and got into a shouting match with Johnny Fitzgerald Hood, 21, of Hartford, who has been charged with interfering with an officer and breach of peace, the warrant states.

Police dispersed the crowd, but seven witnesses said they saw Lomax and Hakim Muhammad, 20 — both Bloomfield residents who came to the dance with Hood — go to Lomax's car and return to the crowd carrying something or concealing something under their shirts, the warrant states.

Two people, including a member of the football team, told police they saw Howard take a swing at Lomax, and then Lomax stabbed him, the warrant states.

No comment on those details, because this is not a trial, but they do bring to mind a few basic rules for living in a civilized society: Don't disrespect women, don't pick fights with people who have visited their vehicle following a prior altercation, and please, don't stab people for any reason whatsoever.

• Ooooo! I'm telling the ACC! Since everyone has been in such suspending mood this season, and the Brandon Spikes Affair against Georgia has brought attention to eye-gouging, specifically, Clemson's Andre Branch (No. 40 below) was destined to draw attention for his un-flagged, extracurricular pawing at Florida State lineman David Spurlock's mug Saturday night:

Yeah, yeah, the ACC has to put the villain on ice for game. At this point, given the stands taken by other conferences against dirty plays, it would be almost negligent not to sit Branch: Once you start playing whack-a-mole with missed calls, cheap shots and suspensions, you might as well go all the way with it (for whatever fraction of roughhousing you can catch while poring over obscure YouTube clips, anyway). Today's youth obviously are not deterred anymore by the threat of a 15-yard penalty, the hooligans.

Quickly ... Boise State-Louisiana Tech on ESPN2 outdrew both games of ESPN's NBA doubleheader last Friday night. ... Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward assures the Columbus Dispatch that he's not going pro after the season. ... Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio assures the Orlando Sentinel that Florida coaches just didn't fall off the pickle boat. ... Uncle Luke is recording the theme song for ESPN's documentary on Miami, "The U," premiering next month. ... LSU's Brandon Taylor couldn't help the Tigers live up to their self-appointed status as the "Numer 1 Defense" against Alabama. ... And via Smart Football, a clip of the New England Patriots appearing "confused and befuddled" by Pat White running a simple speed option last Sunday.