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News Nuggets, 11.07.03
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Bulls' road to postseason eligibility goes through Greenville

South Florida looks to build momentum Saturday at East Carolina, where the Bulls begin their stretch run of three Conference USA games to close the regular season.

With UAB (Nov. 22) and Memphis (Nov. 29) to follow the East Carolina game, USF (5-3, 3-2 C-USA) must win all three battle — one at a time — to attain bowl eligibility.

Two of the Bulls' wins were over I-AA teams Nicholls State and Charleston Southern.

In an unusual scheduling quirk, USF will visit Greenville for the second year in a row. The Bulls would like to produce the same result they achieved at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium last season, when they defeated the Pirates 46-30.

USF coach Jim Leavitt said in his weekly press conference on Tuesday that ECU (1-8, 1-4) presents a more formidable hurdle than the won-loss ledger might imply.

"Their record is not indicative of the kind of team they are," Leavitt said. "We all know that they have played some pretty tough people - Miami, Wake Forest, West Virginia - all good football teams in addition to the teams in Conference USA.

"It is a very difficult challenge for us. We went up there last year and now they’re sending us back up there again. We have our work cut out for us and hopefully we’ll play hard and compete and see what we can do.”

ECU has designated the game with USF as its Homecoming game.

Rouse leads ECU rout of international team

East Carolina dominated the World HoopStars 104-31 Thursday night in a preseason exhibition game at Minges Coliseum's Williams Arena.

The visitors, an international team of youthful players with potential, were overmatched physically and experience-wise and were outgunned from the start.

Sophomore Corey Rouse piled up 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Pirates, who also got contributions of 16 points from senior Derrick Wiley and 15 from freshman Frank Robinson.

Read a comprehensive recap of the game and view the box score on ECUPirates.com.

Suspensions keep on coming at UCF

ORLANDO — Two more Central Florida football players were suspended Thursday, bringing to five the number disciplined this week by the school. Defensive tackle DeMarcus Johnson was suspended for the rest of the season and guard Dan Veenstra for one game for violating team rules.

Assistant athletic director John Marini refused to say what rules were broken, citing student privacy. The disciplinary action follows the suspension Tuesday for the rest of the season of quarterback Ryan Schneider and center Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, also for unspecified rules violations.

On Wednesday, cornerback Omar Laurence was arrested by university police and charged with having a gun on campus and stealing another gun during an on-campus fight. He was suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the criminal charges.

Earlier this week, UCF was extended and accepted an all-sports invitation to join Conference USA. The Knights have been a football member of the Mid-American Conference and have competed in the Atlantic Sun in other sports.

Arkansas hogties 'Cocks, then rests

LITTLE ROCK — After an impressive win on short rest, Arkansas coach Houston Nutt gave his team a well-earned reward: two days off.

Playing only five days after a seven-overtime victory against Kentucky, the Razorbacks easily handled South Carolina 28-6 Thursday night.

Nutt kept his players fresh this week, going through light workouts, and the lack of contact seemed to help.

"I was concerned. It was unfamiliar, new territory," said Nutt, 4-1 at Arkansas following overtime games. "Our staff did a great job. This was the first time with such a quick turnaround, but we played with heart."

Matt Jones threw three touchdown passes and the Arkansas defense held the Gamecocks out of the end zone for the first time this season.

"Our inability to score was detrimental," South Carolina coach Lou Holtz said. "We had a lot of mental errors. I don't have a lot of patience for self-inflicted wounds."

The Razorbacks had little time to prepare, behind Jones and DeCori Birmingham's 51-yard TD run, they did fine. Now, they can rest before returning to practice Sunday.

Arkansas (6-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) became bowl eligible for the sixth straight season under Nutt, who is 16-0 at War Memorial Stadium.

The bowl streak ties a mark Holtz set when he was at the school from 1977-83. Ken Hatfield, the current Rice coach, equaled that record at Arkansas from 1984-89.

Reunion of Bowdens no merry affair

CLEMSON — It's no longer easy to be the best Bowden in college football. While Florida State can wrap up its 11th ACC crown and inch closer to a possible national-title game with a win over Clemson, Coach Bobby Bowden knows his son's career in Tigertown hangs in the balance. "It makes it very tough," the elder Bowden said.

The third-ranked Seminoles travel to Death Valley on Saturday night to face Tommy Bowden's Tigers in the fifth Bowden Bowl. Four years ago, the first father-son matchup in big-time college football history became a joyous Bowden family get-together and was capped by a pretty good game. No. 1 Florida State overcame Clemson's early lead to win 17-14 and give Bobby his 300th win. This time, the talk is largely about Tommy's uncertain future.

Last weekend, the Tigers trailed Wake Forest 45-0 on the way to a 45-17 loss that left people in the stands chanting, "Fire Bowden." Bobby knows what happens this week could futher hurt his son. "You want to see him succeed," said Bobby, who stands at 340 career wins — four of those coming against his son. "We know this profession is like that. It's very precarious."

Tommy found that out in 1974 when his father was hung in effigy during a rough stretch at West Virginia. Tommy, then a student, cut down the charred remains. The elder Bowden says that showed him if another opportunity arose — as did with Florida State in 1976 — he might have to jump. Would Tommy follow his father's example? "Noooo," he said, shaking his head. "Thanks, dad."

Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips says he'll discuss the program's future with Bowden after the season. Until their last three games are played, Phillips said, "we're going to encourage and support these coaches, and we're going to encourage and support our team."

Tommy looked like he might join his father near the top of the league soon after he came to the Tigers from Tulane in 1999. In 2000, Clemson started 8-0 and reached No. 5 in the country. A 1-3 finish, which included a 54-7 waxing from dear ol' dad, began an up-and-down stretch that might work at some schools, but not at Clemson.

Ann and Bobby's boy has a 34-24 mark with the Tigers. Tommy's overall record in seven years at Tulane and Clemson is 52-28 — four ahead of his father at the same career stage. But Tigers fans have come to expect more than gradual progress since their 1981 national championship and decade of ACC dominance in the 1980s. Tommy knows his father is torn. However, he expects to see the same Seminoles who've averaged almost 46 points their past three games with Clemson.

"We'll play as hard as we can," Bobby said. "I know Tommy will play as hard as he can. That's what we expect."

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2003 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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