Southern California is investigating tailback Joe McKnight’s use of an SUV registered to a businessman, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. McKnight was seen driving a 2006 Land Rover that state records indicate is registered to 47-year-old Scott Schenter. McKnight told the paper he has never driven the SUV and it belongs to his girlfriend’s boss. “I know I can’t drive cars I’m not supposed to,’’ he said. “If somebody said they spotted me driving, they’re seeing wrong. I don’t even have the keys.’’ McKnight led USC with 1,014 yards rushing this season. The Trojans (8-4) will face Boston College (8-4) in Saturday’s Emerald Bowl . . . Texas freshman kick returner D.J. Monroe is eligible to rejoin the team before the BCS title game against Alabama after charges for driving while intoxicated were dropped in exchange for a plea agreement, according to a report in the Austin American-Statesman. Monroe pleaded guilty to a charge of obstruction of a passageway Friday and received deferred adjudication . . . Jack Zilly, who played on two national championship teams for Notre Dame in the 1940s, died Friday in Narragansett, R.I. He was 88.

The NFL Players Association is offering to cover any fines that Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco incurs for wearing Chris Henry’s No. 15 jersey in today’s game against the Chargers, a source close to the situation said. But under the collective bargaining agreement, the union is prohibited from reimbursing fine money that would be withheld from Ochocinco’s paycheck by the league. Ochocinco wants to wear the jersey to honor his former teammate, who died Thursday, but league rules prohibit it. A funeral for Henry, who died after falling from the back of a pickup truck during what police described as a domestic dispute with his fiancée, will be held Tuesday in Westwego, La.

Michael Phelps, wearing an old-style textile swimsuit, helped the United States set the short-course world record in the men’s 4 x 100-meter freestyle in the final race of the US vs. Europe Duel in the Pool meet in Manchester, England. In the last major meet before the Jan. 1 ban on high-tech polyurethane suits, the American squad won, 185-78. Phelps swam the relay anchor leg as the United States finished in 3 minutes 3.3 seconds, eclipsing the mark of 3:04.98 set last December. The other American swimmers were Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers, and Garrett Weber-Gale. In the 200 butterfly, Phelps finished second, beaten by Michael Rock of Britain. In women’s events, Americans Julia Smit (200 individual medley) and Rebecca Soni (100 breaststroke) also set world records.

Scott Rolen agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Reds through the 2012 season, an indication of how much they value the 34-year-old third baseman as a clubhouse leader. Rolen had one season left on an eight-year, $90 million deal that he signed with St. Louis . . . Pablo Martin, seeking his second consecutive win on the European Tour, scrambled to a par 72 to retain a one-shot lead over Edoardo Molinari after three rounds of the South African Open in Paarl. The 23-year-old Martin, a former standout at Oklahoma State, had two bogeys and a double bogey but birdied 18 to finish at 11 under, 205 total. Molinari, the US Amateur champion in 2005, fired a 69 . . . Lionel Messi chested Daniel Alves’s cross into the goal in the 110th minute to lift Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over Estudiantes of Argentina and claim soccer’s Club World Cup title in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.