VIEW THE MOBILE ALPHA VERSION OF THIS SITE

News Nuggets, 08.31.04
----------
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

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

Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

AP: West Virginia among programs on the rise

Bill Snyder proved at Kansas State that even the worst programs can turn things around with the right coach, shrewd recruiting and an attitude adjustment. Three programs that appear to be on the way to big things, maybe as soon as this season:

VIRGINIA - The Cavaliers have won 17 games the last two seasons under coach Al Groh and the future looks even brighter. Groh, a former NFL coach, has been bringing players with big-time pro potential to Charlottesville, such as DE Chris Canty and LB Ahmad Brooks. The only thing that may hold the Cavs back this year is inexperience at quarterback, but otherwise they appear set to battle the ACC's heavyweights.

TEXAS A&M - Coach Dennis Franchione usually doesn't take long to get his programs going in the right direction, and the resources and tradition at College Station make it unlikely the Aggies will be down for long. Franchione's first recruiting class at A&M was rated behind only Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12. The schedule is merciless, with seven 2003 bowl teams, but don't be surprised if the Aggies improve on last year's 4-8.

WEST VIRGINIA - The Mountaineers found their coach three years ago in Rich Rodriguez, an alum and West Virginia native. He has led them to 17 wins over the last two seasons and a share of the Big East title last year. With the conference in flux, West Virginia is in great position to reach the BCS in 2004. WVU's first step along the path to a milestone season is its Sept. 4 opener at home against an East Carolina team that plummeted to 1-11 in 2003.

AP: Virginia Tech among programs in decline

If Notre Dame and Penn State can have losing seasons, no program is immune. Here are three schools that appear to be heading toward tougher times than their fans have become accustomed to in recent years:

VIRGINIA TECH - The Hokies aren't bound for the bad old days, before Frank Beamer turned them into a Top 25 mainstay. But Virginia Tech has stumbled late the last three seasons and life in the Atlantic Coast Conference will prove much tougher than it was in the Big East. Also, it's becoming more difficult for Beamer to recruit against rivals West Virginia and Virginia. Saturday's respectable 24-13 loss to Southern Cal was no sign of imminent doom, but more foes of that caliber are on the horizon in the reinvented ACC.

WASHINGTON - Rick Neuheisel's demise and departure left the Huskies in disarray. A 6-6 record last year was their worst in five years, and that was with record-setting quarterback Cody Pickett and star receiver Reggie Williams. Those guys are gone, the schedule is tough and avoiding the school's first losing season in 27 years will be quite a task for second-year coach Keith Gilbertson.

COLORADO - The Buffaloes are coming off a disappointing five-win season and a scandalous offseason that led the university to make changes in the way the team recruits players. The rest of the Big 12 passed on those changes, leaving Colorado with a built-in disadvantage in recruiting against its main competition. With all the uncertainty surrounding the program and a dearth of high-level talent, it will probably take at least a couple of years for the Buffs to bounce back.

Legendary names set for Army Hall of Fame

WEST POINT — A diverse group of championship athletes and head coaches that reads like a "who's who" list of intercollegiate athletics will comprise the initial class of honorees elected to the Army Sports Hall of Fame.

Twelve different sports are represented in the class which was announced recently by the Academy. Included are nine All-Americans, three Heisman Trophy winners, four legendary coaches, eight individuals that have been elected to their respective sport's national hall of fame and two Olympians.

Included in the inaugural class:

  --- Earl "Red" Blaik (football coach)
  --- Felix "Doc" Blanchard (football)
  --- Glenn Davis (football)
  --- Pete Dawkins (football/hockey)
  --- Elmer Oliphant (football/basketball/baseball/track and field)
  --- Mike Natvig (wrestling)
  --- Bob Neyland (baseball/boxing/football)
  --- Joe Palone (men's soccer/baseball coach)
  --- Jack Riley (hockey coach)
  --- John Roosma (basketball/soccer/baseball)
  --- Robert Sears (gymnastics)
  --- Richard Shea (track and field/cross country)
  --- F. Morris Touchstone (lacrosse coach)
  --- John VanSant (swimming)
  --- Diana Wills (track and field)
  --- Anne Marie Wycoff (swimming)

The Army Sports Hall of Fame is a subset of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports. Currently in the design and production phase, Kenna Hall of Army Sports will be a comprehensive museum display of Army's intercollegiate athletic program. It will be located on the third floor of Kimsey Athletic Center, Army's mammoth football training facility that opened during the spring of 2003.

The first class of Army Sports Hall of Fame members will be honored at a special "black-tie" induction banquet on Oct. 1 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. A limited number of tickets for the $500-per-plate event are available to the public and can be purchased by calling Army's External Operations Office at 845-938-2322. Proceeds will be used to establish a fund that will support the daily care, maintenance and growth of the Kenna Hall of Army Sports and Army Sports Hall of Fame.

The initial class will be honored during a halftime ceremony the next day when Army's football team hosts Texas Christian at Michie Stadium.

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