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News Nuggets, 12.01.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Peach Bowl hopes Zook coaches one more game

ATLANTA — The Peach Bowl wants Florida to play in the Dec. 31 game — and hopes Ron Zook will hang around to coach the Gators for a few more weeks.

Bowl president Gary Stokan said Tuesday that the selection committee voted for Florida over Alabama as its choice from the Southeastern Conference, assuming the Gators are available.

There's one caveat: An Auburn loss in the Southeastern Conference championship game could force the Peach Bowl to go in a different direction, though that scenario is highly unlikely.

Even so, the Peach Bowl is not expected to formally announce Florida as one of its teams until after Saturday's SEC title game between the Tigers and Tennessee.

No. 20 Florida (7-4) is expected to play the loser of Saturday's Miami-Virginia Tech game. The winner will get the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series.

Either way, the Peach Bowl winds up with a very attractive matchup.

``Virginia Tech is arguably two plays away from being undefeated,'' Stokan said, referring to close losses against No. 1 Southern California and North Carolina State. ``Obviously, to match Miami and Florida up would be a huge game.''

Florida and Miami are bitter rivals that no longer play during the regular season.

Zook was fired last month but agreed to finish out his third season. Florida closed with three straight victories under its lame-duck coach, including a road victory over Florida State.

Zook, reported to be on East Carolina's short list to fill its vacant head coaching position and a likely target for other openings at Division I-A schools, hasn't said whether he will coach in the bowl, though Stokan is hoping for a decision by Wednesday.

``I have talked to Ron personally,'' Stokan said. ``We would love to have Ron Zook coach the team. The way they reacted positively (to his firing) against Georgia, even though they lost, and then to beat Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida State. But we would also understand if Ron feels he has to move forward with his career.''

Stokan said he was told by Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley that an interim coach from the current staff would work the bowl game if Zook decides to leave.

``Sure, we would love to have Ron coach the team,'' Stokan said. ``But either way, we think those kids deserve an opportunity to play in this game.''

The Peach Bowl committee chose the Gators over Alabama based on several factors: a stronger finish, a national ranking, one more win than the Crimson Tide and an exciting offense.

Alabama (6-5) is expected to play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.

The Gator Bowl has the second pick among ACC schools and planned to invite Florida State on Tuesday. The Seminoles will meet West Virginia.

Juggernauts Louisville, Boise State to collide

MEMPHIS — The Liberty Bowl pairing of Louisville and Boise State might be an offensive show not to be forgotten.

``This could be the most exciting matchup in the country. This really is what we call a dream matchup,'' said Steve Ehrhart, executive director of the bowl, which on Tuesday locked up Boise State as Louisville's opponent for the game Dec. 31.

No. 7 Louisville (9-1) leads the nation in scoring at 49.8 a game and total offense behind quarterback Stefan LeFors. No. 11 Boise State (11-0) is second in both categories, averaging 49.7 points, and has the nation's longest winning streak at 22 games.

``I think fans will really enjoy this matchup,'' Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino said. ``Boise State is an excellent football team with an explosive offense and a good defense.''

Boise State coach Dan Hawkins called the game another step in the progression of the Broncos, who this season won their third straight Western Athletic Conference title. The school finished the season with its highest national ranking and is facing a Top-10 school in a postseason bowl for the first time.

But the Broncos are quite familiar with postseason play, and are looking for a second bowl victory over the Cardinals.

Last season, Boise State, ranked 18th, defeated No. 19 Texas Christian 34-31 in the inaugural Fort Worth Bowl. Boise State also beat Louisville 34-31 in the 1999 Humanitarian Bowl.

Bowl wrap: Eagles land in Tire Bowl vs. Heels

Boston College missed out on a Bowl Championship Series game thanks to a lopsided loss to Syracuse, so it must settle for the Continental Tire Bowl instead.

The Eagles (8-3) were invited to the Dec. 30 bowl in Charlotte, on Tuesday, three days after falling to the Orangemen 43-17 and losing out on their first outright Big East title. The Eagles will face future ACC rival North Carolina (6-5) in the bowl.

There was plenty of other bowl action Tuesday, including Georgia accepting a bid to play Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day in Tampa, Fla.; and Florida State formally accepting its bid to play in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1 against West Virginia.

Also, Boise State will play Louisville in the Liberty Bowl; New Mexico faces Navy in the Emerald Bowl; Connecticut heads to the Motor City Bowl; Marshall was invited to the Fort Worth Bowl against Cincinnati; Bowling Green will play Memphis in the GMAC Bowl; Georgia Tech goes to the Champs Sports Bowl; Wyoming is headed to the Las Vegas Bowl; and Virginia is off to the MPC Computers Bowl. Peach Bowl officials said they want Florida to play in the Dec. 31 game.

In addition, Notre Dame players are considering not playing in the Insight Bowl on Dec. 28 after Coach Tyrone Willingham was fired. Athletic director Kevin White said he didn't know who would coach the game. Notre Dame accepted the invitation Sunday.

All Boston College had to do to get a berth in either the Fiesta or Sugar Bowl was win at home against a Syracuse team that was 5-5 and needed a victory just to be bowl eligible. But the Eagles could not get it done in their last season in the Big East. BC and Syracuse finished tied for the league title with Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

The Eagles join the ACC next year.

``We've got a lot to prove,'' said quarterback Paul Peterson, who missed the Syracuse game with a broken hand. ``People say we're no good after just one game. We're going to prove we're a good team.''

No. 8 Georgia (9-2), considered a national title contender at the beginning of the season, fell short with losses to SEC rivals Tennessee and Auburn.

Still, the Outback Bowl is a good consolation prize, following up appearances in the Sugar and Capital One the last two years.

The Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., features the nation's top two offenses. No. 7 Louisville (9-1) leads the nation in total and scoring offense behind quarterback Stefan LeFors, while No. 11 Boise State (11-0) is second in both categories.

Connecticut (7-4) will play the winner of Thursday night's Mid-American Conference title game between Toledo (8-3) and Miami of Ohio (8-3) in its first postseason trip as a Division I-A school.

Marshall (6-5) earned its seventh bowl trip in eight seasons despite losing two of its final three games.

The second-year bowl was supposed to pit teams from Conference USA and the Big 12, but there weren't enough eligible Big 12 schools. Bowl officials also had negotiated with the ACC and Big East for another opponent.

Georgia Tech finally will play in a bowl that's not too far from home. After being sent out West for three straight years, the Yellow Jackets (6-5) will play a team from the Big 12 in the bowl formerly known as the Tangerine.

The announcement had been expected since the weekend, when Virginia said it would not play in a bowl on Dec. 13-21 because of exams. The Cavaliers will play on Dec. 27 in Boise, Idaho, their third straight bowl appearance.

Virginia's opponent has not been determined, but Gary Beck, executive director of the MPC Computers Bowl, said an offer has been made to Fresno State.

The Peach Bowl wants the Gators and hopes Ron Zook will hang around to coach the game in Atlanta. Bowl president Gary Stokan said that the selection committee voted for Florida over Alabama as its choice from the SEC, assuming the Gators are available.

There's one caveat: An Auburn loss in the SEC title game could force the Peach in a different direction, though that scenario is highly unlikely.The Peach Bowl is not expected to formally announce Florida as one of its teams until after Saturday's SEC title game between the Tigers and Tennessee.

No. 20 Florida (7-4) is expected to play the loser of Saturday's Miami-Virginia Tech game. The winner will get the ACC's automatic bid to the BCS.

Zook was fired last month but agreed to finish out his third season. He hasn't said whether he will coach in the bowl, but he is reported to be a candidate for open head coaching positions at East Carolina and other schools.

Alabama (6-5) is expected to play in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.

New Mexico (7-4) is headed for its third straight postseason appearance following back-to-back trips to the Las Vegas Bowl. Navy, which accepted a bid to the game in San Francisco earlier in the month, finishes its season Saturday against Army.

Meanwhile, Bowling Green will play in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 1992.

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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