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News Nuggets, 06.29.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Bower's bunch gets it done in classroom

HATTIESBURG – The Southern Miss football team has been recognized for its 2004 graduation rates by the American Football Coaches Association, the organization has announced. It marks the second year the Golden Eagles have been honored for their graduation rates.

"We are extremely pleased that once again Southern Miss is one of the leaders in the nation in graduating our football student-athletes," USM Director of Athletics Richard Giannini said. "It is also a great tribute to Coach Jeff Bower, the assistant football coaches and our academic staff for their efforts to make sure our football players are true student-athletes.

"We also congratulate the student-athletes who have worked hard on and off the field to be successful athletes and students and earn their degrees."

Only 29 institutions in the nation were honored for graduating 70 percent or more of their football players. The AFCA calculated Southern Miss' graduation rate at 81 percent, an improvement from 76 percent last year.

Memphis was the only other school from Conference USA to be honored.

"It is great to see the Southern Miss football program once again get recognized for having one of the top graduation rates in the nation," Golden Eagles head coach Jeff Bower said. "You have to give credit to the student-athletes we recruit and have in our program for their hard work and diligence in the classroom."

The average graduation rates for those institutions included in the survey was 59 percent. Forty-nine percent of the members responding were above the average and 45 were below the average. The median graduation rate was 60 percent, compared to 59 percent last year and 61 percent two years ago.

Boston College and Northwestern will receive the prestigious Academic Achievement Award presented by the Touchdown Club of Memphis. They recorded a 100 percent graduation rate for members of its football squad with all members of its freshman class of 1998-99 earning their degrees. Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Wake Forest finished above 90 percent.

In addition to the Southern Miss and Memphis, others receiving honorable mention with a rate of 70 percent or better include Ball State, Bowling Green, Duke, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Marshall, Maryland, Miami-Florida, Miami-Ohio, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Rice, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Western Michigan.

ESPN adds Louisville games with Miami, USF

The 2004 University of Louisville football schedule is gradually nearing completion with ESPN's announcement that times have been locked in for two more games involving the Cardinals.

The Miami (FL) contest on Thursday, October 14, will air on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. from the the Orange Bowl in Miami, while Louisville's Conference USA battle with South Florida on Friday, October 22, will be shown live on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. from Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

The final dates and times on U of L's schedule are expected to be known within the next couple weeks, according to an announcement from the school.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007