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News Nuggets, 11.11.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Spurrier signals desire for warm weather college job

GAINESVILLE — Steve Spurrier wants to return to college coaching. Spurrier told several newspapers he has no intentions of returning to the NFL, where he spent two losing seasons with the Washington Redskins.

Spurrier left Florida in 2002 after 12 winning seasons, six Southeastern Conference championships and a national title. He went 12-20 with the Redskins and resigned after last season.

``I probably decided then that I was done with the NFL,'' he told The Gainesville Sun. ``It wasn't the lifestyle best for me. You don't have scout teams in the NFL. When I was at Florida, I worked with the quarterback every snap for two hours. It wasn't that way in the NFL.''

Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt resigned Tuesday, prompting speculation that Spurrier would bring his famed visor and playbook to South Florida. But Spurrier told Florida Today that NFL teams shouldn't even bother pursuing him.

``I've said recently to several people that if I get back coaching, it will probably be a good college job somewhere,'' Spurrier said. ``It seems like I'm better suited for that. I know I certainly had a lot more success in the college game than in the NFL. So if I return to coaching, I think that would probably be the best idea.''

Spurrier even took a shot at his NFL record.

``Probably very few NFL teams would want me after the success I had,'' he said. ``Some probably would say that in the right situation I could be successful. But if I had a choice, I'd lean toward the college game. Everybody has their own little niche. The college game was certainly a lot better success-wise for me.''

Spurrier withdrew his name from consideration to return to Gainesville, where Ron Zook was fired last month after two-plus seasons.

Spurrier refused to reveal whether he would have taken the job had it been offered, but school president Bernie Machen and athletic director Jeremy Foley weren't planning to extend any invitations without a full-blown search-and-interview process — something Spurrier may have felt was a slap in the face considering his track record with the Gators.

Now Spurrier could land elsewhere, maybe even with another SEC team.

Spurrier said he would prefer to coach in a warm-weather climate. He declined to say whether he has spoken to any schools.

``I can't answer all that. I can't answer all your questions. In the next two or three weeks, once the season is over, we'll see what happens,'' he told The Sun.

``I think I've made it clear now that if I go back into coaching, it'll be at a good state university, a college job. Hopefully it will be in the South. I'd rather not get up there in the North.''

LeFors leads Louisville rout of Horned Frogs

LOUISVILLE — Stefan LeFors threw three touchdown passes and No. 12 Louisville rolled to a 55-28 victory over Texas Christian on Wednesday night.

LeFors, completing 75 percent of his passes coming into the game, went 13 for 21 for 275 yards as the Cardinals' top-ranked offense totaled 587 yards.

J.R. Russell and Broderick Clark caught two touchdown passes each for the Cardinals (7-1, 5-0 Conference USA), who beat the Horned Frogs for the first time in four meetings since 2001.

Louisville topped 50 points for the fourth time this season and went over 40 points for the ninth time in 21 games under second-year coach Bobby Petrino.

LeFors became the sixth Louisville quarterback to go over 5,000 career passing yards.

TCU (4-5, 2-4) allowed at least 40 points for the fifth time this season after giving up 40 points only five times in the previous six seasons.

Louisville's defense, meanwhile, held TCU to 308 yards after giving up 603 in a 56-49 win over Memphis last Thursday.

The Cardinals, leading the nation with 542 yards per game, raced to a 17-0 lead in the opening 6:53 — before the Horned Frogs got their initial first down.

Louisville took the opening kickoff and marched down the field in six plays, averaging 11 yards per snap. Michael Bush finished the drive with a 12-yard scoring run.

After a TCU punt, LeFors scrambled twice to get the Cardinals across midfield again. He found Russell for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 10:06 left in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Louisville's J.T. Haskins stripped the ball from Cory Rodgers and Louisville's Harry Douglas recovered at the TCU 38.

Art Carmody finished the Cardinals' scoring blitz with a 31-yard field goal. At that point, the Horned Frogs had gained only seven yards on three plays and fumbled twice.

LeFors started 4-for-4, then misfired on five straight passes before consecutive completions to Tinch and Russell. Clark caught LeFors' next pass and outran a defender for a 42-yard touchdown, Louisville's longest scoring reception of the season.

The Cardinals' only early miscue came late in the first quarter, when Rodgers sneaked behind Louisville's Kerry Rhodes and caught a 72-yard touchdown pass from TCU quarterback Tye Gunn.

Petrino replaced LeFors with freshman Brian Brohm late in the first quarter, the sixth time in eight games Petrino has made the first-half switch. Despite starting 1-for-6, Brohm drove the Cardinals for another Carmody field goal and a 27-7 lead.

Russell went over 100 yards receiving for the third straight game on a 25-yard touchdown pass from LeFors with 10:45 left in the third quarter. It was the third time this season LeFors has thrown three TD passes in a game.

Bush, who was a star quarterback in high school, threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Clark later in the quarter.

Brohm returned in the fourth quarter and threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gary Barnidge.

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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