Here's what I've got...

• Lou Allen's suspension is over. He returned to practice on Friday. Randy Edsall said Allen takes over where he left off when the suspension was issued over a month ago. Allen will be a key part of special teams, and will work as the third-string tailback.

• Dennis Brown took the snaps with the first team offense because Tyler Lorenzen had another day off. Lorenzen also mentioned how he and some players have been trading barbs (good fun) with Edsall regarding the Georgia Tech coaching situation last week. "I wish someone would give me a day off like I've given Tyler a couple days off," Edsall joked.

• Note to those Christmas shopping for Donald Thomas and Tyvon Branch: Hawaiian shirts and bathing suits might come in handy. Both were selected to the Hula Bowl on Jan. 12 and will spend a week there in Honolulu. It's a prestigious senior all-star game and a fairly big deal for both.

• The Hula Bowl will certainly help both in their pursuit of the NFL, as this game provides plenty of exposure to scouts. But it's the predraft workouts that will truly gauge how close Branch and Thomas are to being drafted. Branch is the team's top senior prospect right now, and is drawing some major interest. Thomas isn't far behind and will get a shot in someone's camp if his name isn't called on draft day. Danny Lansanah, Larry Taylor and Dan Davis could also get opportunities to make a practice squad.

• Thomas, from West Haven, is one of my newspaper's local guys. So I need everyone reading this to drop everything you're doing and come up with a well-crafted and convincing outline telling the New Haven Register why it should spend roughly $3,000 to send me to Hawaii to cover the Hula Bowl. Oh yeah, offering donations would help, too. I don't ask for much, do I? I mean, you all would love some extra coverage chronicling Thomas' and Branch's week at the Hula Bowl, right? Right?