IOWA 39, SAN DIEGO STATE 38 : The 9th Holiday Bowl : SDSU’s Nunn Barred From Game After Testing Positive for Drugs

SAN DIEGO â€”  Clarence Nunn, a San Diego State starting cornerback, was declared ineligible for Tuesday’s Holiday Bowl because the NCAA cited the presence of methylamphetamines in his system during drug testing on Dec. 9.

SDSU officials, who were informed of the results Dec. 24, conducted an internal investigation that determined the cause of the positive finding was an inhaler Nunn was using to relieve flu symptoms. According to an SDSU official statement, the finding was validated in conversation with two drug testing laboratories.

Fred Miller, SDSU athletic director, appealed the NCAA’s banning of Nunn from the Holiday Bowl. However, the appeal was rejected Tuesday by the NCAA committee.

“We do not dispute the positive reading in the tested sample,� Miller said. “We support what the NCAA is trying to do in its drug testing program. However, our frustration lies in the fact that the appeals process in a new system with these types of time constraints involved is very inflexible.

“Clarence Nunn is a first-class individual who should not inherit any of the stigma involved in a positive drug abuse test. He is an innocent victim of a positive test result in this situation.�

SDSU’s policy has been not to comment on drug testing results. Aztec officials refused to confirm that wide receiver Anthony Conyers was barred from the Holiday Bowl for having traces of cocaine in his system, even though Conyers revealed the results.

“In variance with SDSU’s previous policy of making no comment on positive drug testing results, the circumstances surrounding (Nunn’s) situation demand further explanation,� Miller said.