VIEW THE MOBILE ALPHA VERSION OF THIS SITE

News Nuggets, 11.30.03
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

Previous Day Nuggets...             Next Day Nuggets...

Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Football game briefs from around C-USA

SOUTH FLORIDA 21, MEMPHIS 16

MEMPHIS — J.R. Reed scored on a 96-yard kickoff return and a 45-yard fumble recovery in the third quarter Saturday as South Florida (6-5, 4-4 Conference USA) capitalized on Memphis turnovers to defeat the bowl-bound Tigers 21-16.

Reed's touchdowns erased a 7-0 Memphis halftime lead as the Tigers self-destructed with seven turnovers. In addition to the two touchdowns, Reed had three interceptions, a South Florida record for a single game.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Memphis (8-4, 5-3), which is still expected to receive its first bowl invitation since the 1971 Pasadena Bowl.

NO. 19 TEXAS CHRISTIAN 20, SOUTHERN METHODIST 12

DALLAS — Robert Merrill ran for 98 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown with 7:18 left, and No. 19 Texas Christian rebounded from its BCS dream-shattering loss with a 20-13 victory over winless Southern Methodist on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs (11-1) have their most victories since 1938, but won't get to play in a Bowl Championship Series game or even the Liberty Bowl because of their 40-28 loss at Southern Mississippi on Nov. 20. The Mustangs finish their season 0-12.

Merrill's game-clinching run came on the last of his 15 carries when he took a handoff to the right, sidestepped into an opening and ran untouched into the end zone. His 1,081 rushing yards are a TCU freshman record.

HOUSTON 56, UAB 28

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Kolb passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more and Anthony Evans rushed for 165 yards and three scores as Houston beat Alabama-Birmingham 56-28 Saturday.

Houston (7-5, 4-4) scored on its first three possessions, going up 21-7 on Kolb's 10-yard TD run, his 45-yard pass to Vincent Marshall and his 53-yarder to Brandon Middleton. Kolb finished 9-of-13 for 196 yards.

Kolb had nine carries for 64 yards as the Cougars rushed for 379 yards. UAB (5-7, 4-4) rushed for 281 yards, led by Corey White's 125 yards on 20 carries. White also had a 45-yard TD run.

Pitino's recruiting haul among nation's best

LOUISVILLE — Four blue-chip high school products and the nation's top junior college player have signed national letters-of-intent to continue their basketball playing careers at the University of Louisville.

The recruiting class, generally regarded among the top nationally, includes the following players:

• Terrance Farley, a 6-10, 215-pound center from Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville;
• Brian Johnson, a 6-8, 230-pound forward from Glenarden, Md., who will play his senior year at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.;
• Donta Smith (pronounced DON-tay), a 6-7, 225-pound guard/forward from LaGrange, Ky. who is the nation's top junior college prospect as a sophomore this season at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Ill.;
• Sebastian Telfair, a 5-11, 170-pound guard from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., who has already become a New York hoops legend;
• Lorrenzo Wade, a 6-5, 185-pound guard from Las Vegas, Nev., who will play his final prep season at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.

The group is ranked among the top three classes nationally by at least three different sources — The Hoop Scoop, Insiders.com and the Southeast Regional Basketball Report.

Tulane baseball inks elite class of recruits

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Four players ranked among high school's Top 100 prospects, including two AFLAC All-Americans and a Junior Olympic Team member, highlight the Tulane University baseball team recruiting class during the early signing period.

Infielder Brad Emaus (Senoia, Ga./East Coweta HS), outfielder Warren McFadden (Plantation, Fla./Nova HS), pitcher/first baseman Sean Morgan (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements HS) and pitcher Stephen Porlier (Sugar Land, Texas/Elkins HS) are all listed among the Top 100 High School recruits by Baseball America, and are joined by local products pitcher/outfielder Peter Connick (New Orleans, La./Jesuit HS) and pitcher Jonathan Garrett (Mandeville, La./St.Paul's HS), along with infielder Cat Everett (Houston, Texas/Lamar HS) and junior college outfielder Matt Riser (Picayune Miss./Pear River CC) to form the signing class of 2003-04. Emaus and McFadden both were selected to play in the 2003 AFLAC All-America High School Baseball Classic back in August, Porlier was a member of the 2003 U.S. Junior National Team, and Riser earned first-team All-Region honors last season with Pearl River.

"When almost every coach is asked about their recruiting class, the standard answer is 'we met our needs,'" head coach Rick Jones said. "That's obviously a key, but what separates the solid recruiting classes from the outstanding recruiting classes is signing and retaining of some of the nation's elite players."

Marshall names stadium after woman benefactor

HUNTINGTON — Marshall's football stadium was renamed Friday in honor of philanthropist Joan C. Edwards, and the Thundering Herd made the momentous occasion complete by going on to crush Ohio 28-0.

Joan C. Edwards Stadium is the only Division I-A football stadium to be named after a woman. A ceremony was held at halftime of the game with the Bobcats.

"Somebody else said, 'How come a lady? That's a man's game, football.' Well, boys' toys. Now we've got girls' toys," Edwards said. "11-28-03 will be etched on my heart as long as I live."

The renaming was authorized by Marshall's Board of Governors earlier this month. Edwards has donated about $50 million to Marshall over the past decade.

She recently pledged a sizable gift to cover Marshall's $400,000 exit fee from the Mid-American Conference and $1 million entrance to Conference USA next year.

University President Dan Angel declined to disclose the amount of the donation Friday. "Joan has been something special for us," Angel said.

Marshall's School of Medicine and performing arts center already are named after Edwards. The stadium's field is named for her late husband, James F. Edwards.

Joan Edwards, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., most recently donated $44 million for the construction of a cancer center at Cabell-Huntington Hospital.

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.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007