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News Nuggets, 09.14.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Ivan blows Southern Miss-Cal showdown off track

HATTIESBURG � The uncertainty of approaching Hurricane Ivan forced postponement of Thursday night's game between No. 10 California and Southern Mississippi.

"Our utmost concern at this point is the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, fans and community," Southern Miss athletic director Richard Giannini said in a statement Monday night. "We don't know the exact path of the hurricane or the potential damage it may cause and had planned to make a decision Tuesday morning."

Cal athletic director Steve Gladstone issued a statement earlier Monday saying the game had been postponed and would probably be rescheduled in December.

"It was clear to us that public safety and welfare must take precedent over any other considerations," Gladstone said.

Southern Miss officials said the makeup date will be announced by Wednesday.

Possibilities include Saturday or Dec. 4, the only remaining weekend neither team has a game scheduled, said Southern Miss senior associate athletic director David Hansen said.

The hard-to-predict Category 5 storm, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the Caribbean, killed at least 68 people in a devastating run through Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The storm began hitting Cuba on Monday.

"This was built to be a huge event for us at a very good time -- a lot of momentum, bringing in a top-10 program, national television," Hansen said Monday. "It's disappointing that we've got this, but we can't control the weather and we're not going to have a game in unsafe conditions."

Rescheduling the game, the Golden Eagles' home opener, for this coming Saturday would mean Southern Miss will miss out on $140,000 in television revenue. ESPN, which was scheduled to broadcast the game Thursday night, said it could not televise a makeup game Saturday because its lineup that day is full, Hansen said.

Playing on TV in December remains a possibility, but Hansen said ESPN officials haven't promised anything.

"The safety of our fans and the teams that are involved in this game are the No. 1 priority, regardless of the revenue loss that may occur," Hansen said.

Happy days in Memphis over national ranking

MEMPHIS � Tommy West had another one of those "I-told-you-we-could-do-it" days Monday.

His Memphis Tigers are No. 25 this week in The Associated Press college football poll � the school's first national ranking.

That's not bad for a program that won nine games last season for the first time since 1963 and went to a bowl for the first time in more than 30 years.

The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start, with victories over Ole Miss (20-13) and Division I-AA UT Chattanooga (52-21). They play Arkansas State on Saturday in Jonesboro.

"We're making a little bit of noise now nationally," West said. "It's great, but, man, we've just got to keep going."

West came to Memphis in 2000 as defensive coordinator and is starting his fourth season as head coach. Last season, the Tigers earned their first winning record since 1994, when they went 6-5.

"I think it's a great day," West said Monday at his weekly news conference. "I think it's a historic day, to be honest with you, in Memphis football, and I don't want to downplay it.

"Could it go away? Sure it could go away. But we had to get it first," he said.

According to the university's records, the Tigers came in at 15th in October 1965 in the weekly poll voted on by sports reporters working for AP newspapers and broadcast outlets.

But in those days, AP considered only the top 10 teams as ranked.

West said he got a string of congratulatory phone calls Monday from fans, friends and other coaches around the country.

"When you get into the Top 25, it's just a breath of fresh air for me because everybody was ready to fire me at my other job if I wasn't in the Top 25," he said.

West was talking about his stay at Clemson, where he took his teams to three bowls in five seasons. West was shown the door in 1998 when the Tigers finished 3-8.

Senior quarterback Danny Wimprine, who has played a major role in the Tigers' turnaround, said his teammates know they still have plenty of work to do.

"People are excited around campus and I'm sure we'll hear about it every day, but, like I said, we're just going to have to keep getting better," Wimprine said.

Athletic director R.C. Johnson said the ranking is another indication West has the football program headed in the right direction.

"The obvious, I think, is there'll be some real impact on ticket sales and Tiger Club donations, but in the bigger scheme of things, it gives us credibility," Johnson said.

"All the things we talk about all the time, I think sometimes (the fans) just expect us to say those things," he said. "Now that Tommy has done what he's done for us, people will think, 'Wow, this is the real deal."

SMU, Texas A&M agree to three-game series

Former Southwest Conference foes Southern Methodist and Texas A&M are renewing their football rivalry.

SMU, which will join Conference USA next season, has announced it has signed an agreement with the Aggies for three games, beginning next season at College Station.

After the Sept. 17, 2005, game, the two teams won't play again until 2011 and 2012. SMU will play again at College Station in 2011, and Texas A&M will travel to Dallas in 2012.

The two teams haven't played since 1995, the last Southwest Conference season. Texas A&M leads the series 40-29-7.

Texas A&M is in the Big 12 Conference. SMU is departing the Western Athletic Conference after this season and will be a member of C-USA when it re-launches the rivalry with the Aggies next season.

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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