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News Nuggets, 11.10.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Wednesday primetime preview: TCU at Louisville

While Louisville has enjoyed much success this season, it has never been over Texas Christian.

The 12th-ranked Cardinals (6-1, 4-0 Conference USA) look to remain unbeaten in league play as they vie for their first ever victory over the pesky Horned Frogs (4-4, 2-3) on Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN2).

Louisville, which has achieved the highest ranking in school history, has lost all three meetings with TCU, beginning with a 37-22 defeat at Fort Worth in 2001. The Cardinals came into that contest league champs, ranked 17th and riding a seven-game winning streak when the Horned Frogs beat them to keep their own bowl hopes alive.

After a 45-31 loss in Louisville the next season, the Cardinals fell 31-28 to the Horned Frogs last November when TCU was having its own spectacular run. TCU won its first 10 games and reached No. 6 at one point in the BCS standings — the highest ranking ever by a school that is not in a BCS conference.

Now the Cardinals are back on top with the Horned Frogs struggling for another bowl bid heading into tonight's matchup at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

``Louisville won't overlook us,'' said TCU coach Gary Patterson. ``They've got too much at stake and there's too much water under the bridge between us. Louisville wanted to end the season undefeated in the league in 2001 when we beat them. On any given day anyone can beat anyone.''

Louisville senior quarterback Stefan LeFors, who completed 31-of-46 passes for 459 yards and a touchdown in last year's loss to TCU, continues to drive the Cardinals offense. The Cardinals are third in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 44 points a game and generate the most yards per game in the country with 519 per contest.

LeFors connected on 24 of 34 attempts for 321 yards as Louisville posted 599 yards of a total offense in a 56-49 victory over Memphis on Thursday. The win, its second in a row, moved the Cardinals up two spots in the Top 25.

While the offense excelled, the defense struggled against Memphis. Louisville came in with the nation's 11th-ranked defense, but gave up 17 first-quarter points after allowing just one touchdown in its first six games. The Cardinals surrendered 602 total yards.

Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino doesn't expect the effort to carry over against TCU.

``I think that (the defense) will continue to have confidence,'' said Petrino. ``Even though they didn't perform as well as they normally have. They also understand TCU is good so we are going to have to be efficient. They have tremendous speed offensively.''

While Louisville has just six days to prepare for the contest, TCU is coming off a bye week after a 21-10 defeat to Cincinnati on Oct. 30. The Horned Frogs have lost four of their last six games to drop to .500 and are tied for fifth in the league.

Since going 1-10 in 1997, TCU has had three 10-win seasons and been to six straight bowl games but that streak is in jeopardy if they don't win two of its last three games.

While Brandon Hassell (sprained ankle) and fellow quarterback Tye Gunn (swollen knee) have traded snaps and starts because of injury most of the season, the offense has still averaged 434 yards and 33 points a game. The defense, though, has been porous, allowing 425 yards and 34 points a game.

Louisville, which is bowl eligible for the seventh straight season, has won three straight and eight of its last nine at home.

CIAA basketball lands national TV package

NEW YORK — The nation's oldest black athletic conference will have its men's basketball tournament games televised nationally for the first time this season under a three-year deal with ESPN announced Tuesday.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game will be shown on ESPN2 on March 5, live from Raleigh. ESPN Classic also will show the men's quarterfinals March 2, and the semifinals March 4.

It also will be the first NCAA Division II conference to be part of the network's championship week. The CIAA drew a record 104,500 fans to its 2004 tournament, the third-most attended college hoops tourney.

``It has been said the CIAA is the best-kept secret because of the history, the fans, the players,'' commissioner Leon Kerry said. ``After today it will no longer be the best-kept secret.''

ESPN Classic will show seven CIAA tournament games live. ESPN regional television also will show five regular-season CIAA games in local markets.

The conference's 12 schools are Bowie State, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone, North Carolina Central, St. Augustine's, St. Paul's College, Shaw, Virginia State, Virginia Union, and Winston-Salem State.

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

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