Attorney Patricia Carroll called on the attorney general to investigate the Tallahassee Police Department's handling of the case, saying that detectives failed to interview key witnesses, used unreliable and incomplete forensic tests and never tested the alleged victim's blood for the presence of date-rape drugs. However, spokeswoman Jenn Meale said the Attorney General's Office hadn't yet received a formal request from Carroll.

"It appears to me to be a complete failure of an investigation of a rape case," Carroll said during the 90-minute news conference.

The media event came one day before the scheduled announcement of the Heisman Trophy winner. Winston, a 19-year-old who led FSU to a No. 1 ranking and a shot at a national championship, is the favorite to win.

Carroll said the Heisman had nothing to do with her client's accusations. Winston redshirted during the 2012 season and was not playing when the woman accused him of rape.

"I'm not focusing on football," she said. "Sometimes it's not about football. Sometimes it's about rape."

The lead detective got a search warrant for her client's cellphone and social media accounts but failed to do the same for Winston and his two companions immediately after the accusations were made, Carroll said.

"It was very obvious as this progressed that we didn't feel like we were going to get a proper investigation," Carroll said.

Investigators also focused an unusual amount of attention on the fact the alleged victim had the DNA of her boyfriend on her underpants in addition to that of Winston, Carroll said. The consensual sexual encounter with the boyfriend happened before the encounter involving Winston and wouldn't have been allowed to be introduced in a courtroom, she said. State law does not allow defendants to call an alleged victim's past sexual behavior into question.

Appearing with four other Heisman finalists at a news conference Friday in New York, Winston told reporters he knew he would be vindicated and added, "I knew I did nothing wrong."

Winston's attorney has said any sex between his client and the accuser was consensual.

Carroll also criticized Tallahassee Police for not submitting the woman's sexual assault kit to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab until Jan. 17, 2013 — 39 days after it was taken. The attorney questioned whether evidence was properly preserved during those 39 days. She said that medical records released to the media contain less information than those same medical records obtained by the family.


GOLSON READMITTED TO NOTRE DAME


Everett Golson, who led Notre Dame to the 2012 BCS Championship Game, has been readmitted to school after sitting out this season, according to the university.

Golson was expelled in May and the quarterback told Sports Illustrated in October that it was because he cheated on a test.

“Basically I had poor judgment on the test,” Golson told SI’s Andy Staples. “It wasn’t due to poor grades or anything like that.”

Golson made 11 starts in 2012, throwing for 2,405 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 298 yards and six scores.

Notre Dame lost to Alabama, 42-14, in the title game.

This season, without Golson, the Irish turned to veteran Tommy Rees. Rees completed 53.7 percent of his passes for 2,938 yards, 27 TDs and 13 interceptions.

Notre Dame (8-4) is playing in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 28 against Rutgers in Yankee Stadium.


MURRAY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TIMETABLE


Aaron Murray said Friday his recovery from knee surgery is going "extremely well" and he expects to participate in Georgia's pro day so he can show NFL teams he is "on the right track."

Murray captured most of the Southeastern Conference's major passing records in four years as Georgia's quarterback before he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against Kentucky on Nov. 23 and had surgery three days later.

Murray said Georgia director of sports medicine Ron Courson is supervising his rehabilitation. Murray said he plans to be ready to join Georgia's draft-eligible players when they work out for NFL coaches and scouts in April.

"My goal is to be back for my pro day," Murray said. "We're going to push it back as far as possible. I was just talking with Ron and they really believe I'm going to be looking pretty good to go out there and do drops and roll-outs and run the 40 if I want to and things like that. That's my goal. I want to be ready for pro day."

Asked his chances to meet that goal, Murray said "very high."

Contributors: Ken Bradley, The Associated Press