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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Right tackle Donald Stephenson returned to the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday following his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Now, the question is how many games it’ll take him to return to the starting lineup. Coach Andy Reid said that Stephenson would have to work his way back into the mix, and Ryan Harris remains the top right tackle heading into Sunday’s game in San Francisco.

It’s little surprise that Reid is hesitant to shake things up. After losing left guard Jeff Allen to a season-ending injury, and Stephenson to his suspension, a rejiggered offensive line has finally started to play well the past couple of weeks.

Kansas City ran roughshod over New England on Monday night in a 41-14 victory.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Michael Wacha, who starred in the postseason as a rookie last fall, will be in the St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen for the start of the NL division series. Manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday he’ll go with Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, John Lackey and Shelby Miller the first four games against the Dodgers. The best-of-five series starts Friday in Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old Wacha was the NL championship series MVP last year, outpitching Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw twice. He’s had trouble regaining form after a long layoff caused by a shoulder injury.

Acquired from Boston at the trade deadline, Lackey beat the Cardinals twice in the World Series and finished this year strongly. Miller barely pitched last fall due to workload concerns combined with season-long difficulties against division series opponent Pittsburgh.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State forward Dustin Hogue is looking to build off his breakout performance in last season’s NCAA tournament. Hogue scored a career-high 34 points – a total nearly three times above his season average – on 15 of 19 shooting against UConn in the Sweet Sixteen.

The Cyclones lost 81-76 to the eventual national champions. But Hogue’s performance was a fitting end to a season in which he continually exceeded expectations. The Cyclones (28-8 in 2013-14) will be looking for more big things out of Hogue, now a senior, when they open the season against Oakland on Nov. 14.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State’s Matt Thomas and Abdel Nader will serve three-game suspensions for offseason drunken-driving arrests. Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg says Thomas and Nader will each miss an exhibition contest and games against Oakland and Georgia State.

Hoiberg says he’s proud of the way Thomas and Nader have conducted themselves since their arrests. Thomas averaged 5.5 points a game as a freshman last year. Nader sat out last season after transferring from Northern Illinois.

With Jim Field.

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The Iowa Hawkeyes will play two quarterbacks when they host Indiana on October 11th. Sophomore CJ Beatherd replaced the injured Jake Rudock at halftime of the game at Pitt two weeks ago and has led the Hawks to consecutive victories. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis says there will not be a set amount on how much they will play.

Davis says it will all depend upon how much Rudock’s leg injury improves with the off week. He says both quarterbacks deserve to play and he is confident they will be able to handle the situation. The offense could use a spark. The Hawkeyes have struggled with inconsistent play, an anemic running game as well as a lack of big plays.

(Learfield Sports)

Hawkeye 10:

• (3-0) Lewis Central 25-25-25, Atlantic 12-14-12
• (3-0) CB Abraham Lincoln 25-25-25, Glenwood 15-22-12
• (3-0) Harlan 25-25-25, Red Oak 22-16-20
• (3-0) Kuemper Catholic 25-25-25, Shenandoah 13-18-14
• (3-1) Lewis Central 20-26-25-25, Creston 25-24-20-14
• (3-2) Denison 25-21-22-25-15, Clarinda 23-25-25-18-12

Western Iowa:

• (3-0) Griswold 25-25-25, Audubon 16-22-18
• (3-2) IKM-Manning 25-23-25-18-16, Treynor 18-25-16-25-14
• (3-0) Logan-Magnolia 25-25-25, A-H-S-T-W 18-19-12
• (3-2) Missouri Valley 24-22-25-25-15, Underwood 26-25-17-19-4
• (3-0) Tri-Center 25-25-25, Riverside 10-9-10

Rolling Valley:

• (3-1) Exira/EHK 23-25-25-25, CAM 25-10-23-20
• (3-2) Glidden-Ralston 25-15-25-13-15, Adair-Casey 18-25-20-25-10
• (3-0) Coon Rapids-Bayard 25-25-25, Woodbine 14-12-20
• (3-1) Paton-Churdan 25-25-21-25, Charter Oak-Ute 21-22-21-13

Others:

• (3-0) Bedford 25-25-25, Lenox 23-22-15
• (3-0) Carroll 25-26-25, Perry 10-24-21
• (3-0) Des Moines Christian 25-25-25, Guthrie Center 14-19-21
• (3-0) East Mills 25-25-25, South Page 10-16-9
• (3-2) Nodaway Valley 25-23-31-22-15, Mount Ayr 15-25-29-25-12
• (2-1) Orient-Macksburg 22-26-15, Diagonal 25-24-2
• (3-1) Panorama 23-25-26-26, Van Meter 25-11-24-24
• (3-0) Sidney 25-25-25, Clarinda Academy 6-9-5
• (3-0) Southwest Valley 25-25-25, East Union 14-14-16
• (3-1) Stanton 10-25-25-25, Essex 25-15-23-18
• (2-0) Twin Cedars 25-25, Orient-Macksburg 17-22

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have created space on their roster for the return of right tackle Donald Stephenson by placing running back Joe McKnight on injured reserve. McKnight became the third Chiefs player to tear his Achilles tendon when he was hurt in practice last week. He was coming off a two-touchdown game in a win in Miami.

Stephenson was suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. That suspension ended with Monday night’s 41-14 victory over the New England Patriots.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier Tuesday that he would wait to see Stephenson practice on Wednesday before he begins to decide whether he’ll go back in the starting lineup.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The NFL says Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for dropping to his knees in prayer in the end zone after an interception. NFL spokesman Michael Signora writes in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that “the officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression.

Signora says “there should have been no penalty on the play.” The flag thrown in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 41-14 victory over New England on Monday night touched off a firestorm on social media, with many wondering how it was different from players dropping to one knee in Christian prayer.