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News Nuggets, 09.16.03
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Green Wave's game at Texas selected for national telecast

Tulane’s football game at Texas on Saturday, September 27, will be televised by the TBS Superstation, the network and the Big 12 Conference announced Monday. Kickoff for the game in Austin, Texas, is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be the second of at least three national TV appearances for the Green Wave this season.

Tulane (2-1) has played three consecutive three-point games and heads to Army this Saturday (3:30 p.m. EDT) fresh off a thrilling, come-from behind win over Mississippi State at the Louisiana Superdome last Saturday night. Senior QB J. P. Losman is tied for the national lead in touchdown passes with 10, while senior RB Mewelde Moore became C-USA’s all-time leading rusher in the victory over MSU.

Texas (1-1) was an upset victim at home to unranked Arkansas last Saturday, 38-28, its first loss at Memorial Stadium in 20 games. Wide receiver Roy Williams is regarded as one of the top receivers in college football and became the school’s all-time leading receiver against the Razorbacks. The No. 13 Longhorns will play former Southwest Conference rival Rice at Houston’s Reliant Stadium this Saturday night.

Ron Thulin will handle play-by-play duties, with Charles Davis serving as the analyst and Craig Sager reporting from the sidelines. Tulane will be the second Conference USA team to appear on TBS. Last September, USF made its national television debut at Oklahoma, falling 31-14.

The addition of this game to Conference USA’s schedule gives the league a minimum of 27 national and regional telecasts for this season. Additional Conference USA football television exposures remain a possibility.

USM turns self in for basketball infractions

Southern Mississippi has reported three rules violations by the basketball program to Conference USA and the NCAA. Athletic director Richard Giannini called the violations secondary, but the school announced Monday that assistant basketball coach Luster Goodwin resigned and two junior college transfers involved in the violations are academically ineligible.

The university said the self-reported violations included unethical conduct involving Goodwin, a non-permitted transportation benefit and a practice violation ``that occurred when a student-athlete participated in individual workouts before being officially admitted'' to the school.

A secondary violation is when a school doesn't directly benefit from a rules violation and acts promptly to correct the situation.

``While any violations are too many, I firmly believe that our compliance protocol functioned quickly and effectively in regard to this situation,'' Giannini said. ``After uncovering the secondary infractions, our compliance office and basketball staff resolved the situation in less than a week.''

Giannini said Golden Eagles coach James Green has been fully cooperative with compliance director Don Oberhelman in reporting the violations.

Oberhelman said last week that the university had declared transfers Brannon Hayes and Rudolph Mauricette academically ineligible and that the school was investigating ``other issues'' about their recruitment. Hayes and Mauricette, former teammates at Lee College in Baytown, Texas, signed with Southern Miss in the spring, but both had to take summer classes at the junior college to meet NCAA requirements.

Oberhelman had said both athletes had been allowed to attend classes at Southern Miss before being officially admitted to the school. ``That's not an unusual situation in the case of transfers,'' he said. ``You have a grade period while you're waiting on the final transcripts.''

The players were never on scholarship, Oberhelman said. The transportation violation involved a coach helping the two players return to Texas.

Green said losing the two players will affect the team. ``However, I think we all understand and appreciate the necessity for strict adherence to the NCAA's governing policies,'' he said.

Tulane grabs two-thirds of league's awards

Quarterback J.P. Losman and strong safety Tra Boger of Tulane and punt returner Marvin Young of Southern Mississippi were named Conference USA's players of the week after making significant contributions in their teams' respective victories over the weekend:

OFFENSE: J.P. Losman QB Tulane
Losman recorded his third 300-yard game of the 2003 season and tossed four TD passes for the second straight week, finishing 29-of-47 for 349 yards and zero interceptions in Tulane’s come-from-behind 31-28 win over Mississippi State. In a fourth quarter in which he rallied the Green Wave with 17 points in the final five minutes, he completed 13-of-17 passes to seven different receivers for 146 yards and two TDs, along with setting up the game-winning field goal.

DEFENSE: Tra Boger SS Tulane
Boger posted 12 tackles (eight solo), his second straight double-digit tackle game, while adding a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up. No play was bigger than the fumble recovery, however, as he dove on a loose ball with 1:45 left in the game and the score tied at 28, setting up the game-winning field goal.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Marvin Young PR Southern Miss
Young had four punt returns for 124 yards in USM’s 23-6 win over Memphis. Included was an 87-yard return for a touchdown that sealed the win. It was the first punt return for a TD for the Golden Eagles since 1998 and his 124 yards was the fourth-highest total in school history.

Famed Blazers assistant coach has surgery

UAB offensive coordinator Pat Sullivan, who won the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Auburn in 1971, underwent surgery Monday and was described as being in good condition. Details of the surgery were not released, but the team was told he would have surgery to remove three lumps in his neck.

Bob Shepard, a spokesman for UAB Hospital, said the surgery went well and that more details may be available Tuesday. He said Sullivan thanked his supporters for their thoughts and prayers. Sullivan, 53, coached in UAB's 20-9 loss Saturday night to Troy State, but the team did not learn of his condition until after the game.

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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