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News Nuggets, 09.09.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Golden Eagles in countdown mode for Nebraska

HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss continues putting the finishing touches on the game plan for its Saturday season-opener at Nebraska, spending two and a half hours in shoulder pads and shorts at the Joe P. Park Practice Facility Wednesday.

After having more extensive practices on Monday and Tuesday, the team practiced lighter on Wednesday, as the offense and defense spent time running plays against each other, while additional work was done in phases of special teams.

Head Football Coach Jeff Bower said he has been happy with practice this week.

“We had a good practice today, and we were sharp,” Bower said. “We need to get better tomorrow, as we finish our game plan for Nebraska.”

Bower said the team has not sustained any injuries this week, but said he is “a little worried” about senior defensive back Pierre Hutchins (groin), who has not practiced this week.

Bower added that the starting lineup will be determined Thursday, after the coaches evaluate Wednesday’s practice tape.

Southern Miss opens its season Saturday in an 11 a.m., game against Nebraska on ABC, that will be seen in 30 states, ranging from Montana to Florida. The Golden Eagles open the home portion of their schedule the following Thursday, Sept. 16, against California, in a 6:30 p.m. contest.

USM Media Relations

ESPN branching out with new ventures

ESPN will launch a new multimedia college sports initiative in March 2005 that includes a new 24-hour television network and content from ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.

ESPNU will also include information from ESPN Radio, ESPN Mobile (wireless) and ESPN Broadband, George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN and ABC Sports, said in making the announcement Tuesday.

Tuesday was also the 25th anniversary of the launch of ESPN.

"The college sports fan and ESPN have built a passionate bond that's 25 years strong," Bodenheimer said. "ESPNU will offer a broad variety of ESPN-branded college product across all of our entities, which will enhance our relationship with fans and colleges, and provide value to our affiliates and advertisers."

The highest-profile facet of the new initiative will be the ESPNU television network, which will carry approximately 300 games live — primarily Division I football and men's and women's basketball — in the first year. The network will also cover baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, hockey, wrestling, spring football and select high school football games.

It will also carry regular-season and NCAA championships, along with replays of games on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and the company's regional networks.

Also Tuesday, ESPN announced that ESPN2 HD, the company's second high-definition service, will launch in January.

Tar Heels book trip to Maui Invitational

LAHAINA, HW — North Carolina, which has reached the championship game of the Maui Invitational in all three of its appearances, opens this year's tournament against Brigham Young.

The Tar Heels, who won the eight-team event in 1999 and lost in the title game in 1989 and 1995, will play the Cougars in the first round Nov. 22 at the Lahaina Civic Center, organizers announced Wednesday.

BYU's only other appearance was in 1994 when it lost to Duke in the championship game.

The other first-round games are Stanford-Tennessee, Texas-Chaminade and Iowa-Louisville.

Iowa, which won the tournament in 1987, is the only other former champion in the field. Only Tennessee is making its first appearance in the tournament.

The semifinals are Nov. 23, with the Chaminade-Texas winner meeting the Iowa-Louisville winner and the North Carolina-BYU winner against the Stanford-Tennessee winner.

The championship game is Nov. 24.

Chaminade, a Division II school from Honolulu, snapped a 30-game losing streak in the Maui Invitational last year with a first-round win over Villanova. Its record in the event is 4-54 with one of the wins coming over Stanford in the 1992 seventh-place game.

The tournament was the result of discussions that took place after the Silverswords pulled off the biggest upset in college basketball history beating Ralph Sampson and then-No. 1 Virginia 77-72 on Dec. 23, 1982.

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.

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