News Nuggets, 12.15.04
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Bowl season kicks off with Southern Miss victory
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12.14.04: Preview:
USM, North Texas kick off bowl season ... Former ECU
assistants McFarland, Brindise land jobs ... McLendon to
bolt Wolfpack for NFL draft ...
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12.13.04: Musical
chairs at full tilt as coaches change jobs ... List of
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1935-2004 ...
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12.12.04: Title
game of the Heismans set ... All-time Heisman winners list
... Blue- Gray Classic scratched again ...
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12.11.04: Job
security for SMU coach comes with lofty mandate ... Panel
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12.10.04: Gamecocks'
ol' man "Pops" still in the limelight ... Lou Groza Award
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12.09.04: East
Carolina releases 2005 baseball schedule ... BCA urges
athletes, coaches to shun Gamecocks ...
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12.08.04: All-Conference
USA and C-USA All-Freshman teams ... Petrino waves off
suitors to stay at Louisville ...
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12.07.04: Syracuse
chancellor decides to stick with Pasqualoni ... Zook
selected to rejuvenate struggling Illini ...
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12.06.04: C-USA
standings, scoreboard, bowl lineup & TV ... BCS rankings,
bowl pairings ''' AP football poll ...
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12.05.04: FLwed
BCS produces another messy title picture ... College
football weekend: stars & storylines ...
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NEW ORLEANS — Michael Boley was
supposed to blitz, but pulled up in a timely moment of recognition, poised
to jump for the screen pass he suspected was coming his way.
``They ran the same play earlier in the
game ... and threw it right by me,'' the Southern Mississippi linebacker
recalled. ``I just kind of stopped, got in the throwing lane and luckily he
threw it to me.''
Boley stretched for a two-handed grab
and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, breaking
open what would wind up a 31-10 Southern Miss victory over North Texas in
the New Orleans Bowl on Tuesday night.
Boley, named MVP of the first bowl of
the postseason, made eight tackles, including two sacks.
Dustin Almond threw for 247 yards. He
had a touchdown pass and ran for another score in the opening quarter,
giving Southern Miss an early lead it never relinquished in its first bowl
victory in four years.
Southern Miss running back Anthony
Harris had 104 yards on 14 carries, and USM finished with a 403-212
advantage in total yardage.
North Texas' season had been defined by
overcoming adversity. Quarterback Andrew Smith died in a car accident just
before training camp, starting running back Patrick Cobbs injured his knee
in the second game of the season and never returned, and the Mean Green lost
their first four games before winning seven straight to earn their fourth
straight trip to the New Orleans Bowl.
But Southern Miss (7-5), which narrowly
lost to No. 4 California earlier this month, outplayed North Texas
throughout.
North Texas, the four-time Sun Belt
Conference champion, dropped to 1-3 in the New Orleans Bowl.
Tailback Jamario Thomas, who missed
North Texas' final regular-season game with a sore hamstring, finished with
92 yards on 30 carries. His season total of 1,801 fell 62 yards short of
former Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne's freshman record of 1,863 yards.
USM sacked North Texas quarterback
Scott Hall six times and once forced him to rush a third-and-goal throw that
sailed over the outstretched arms of a wide-open Beau Davidson in the end
zone.
``The biggest thing they did
defensively was sending rovers off the outside edges, which gave us problems
in the running and passing games,'' North Texas coach Darrell Dickey said.
``We didn't play our best football. We couldn't run like we're accustomed
to.''
Hall was held to just 57 yards passing
through three quarters. He finished 15-of-30 for 134 yards and two
interceptions.
``They brought it today,'' Hall said.
``Guys were coming off the edge all night. They took away our play-action
game.''
Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower said his
defense seemed energized by a game plan that required it to get in the
backfield quickly or risk being burned by the pass.
``There was a couple times they had a
shot to maybe get a couple big plays. The key was getting pressure on the
quarterback and make him throw quick,'' Bower said. ``I think sometimes when
you do that you get a little more effort. When you blitz and go fast you
maybe pick up the tempo a little bit.''
Through the first three quarters, North
Texas remained in the game with crucial third-down tackles in its own
territory, forcing Southern Miss to settle for four field-goal attempts.
USM field goal kicker Darren McCaleb,
who was 15-for-15 this season, was wide with three attempts, allowing the
Mean Green to stay within two touchdowns heading into the final quarter.
Then Boley, whose first-half sack led
to a failed 50-yard North Texas field-goal attempt, scored on his
interception to give Southern Miss a 24-3 lead with 12:52 remaining.
Almond passed for 112 yards in the
first quarter, completing a pair of long passes on consecutive scoring
drives. His 37-yarder down the left sideline to Otho Graves, who broke a
tackle inside the 10-yard line, put Southern Miss ahead 7-0.
On the Golden Eagles' next drive,
Almond threw a 47-yard pass over the middle to Tavarrez Williams, who was
tackled at the North Texas 4. Almond scored on a 1-yard keeper three plays
later.
McCaleb's 45-yard field goal gave the
Golden Eagles a 17-3 halftime lead.
Marshall linebacker suspended
for bowl game
HUNTINGTON, WV — Marshall linebacker
Dionte Wilson has been suspended for the Fort Worth Bowl for an unspecified
violation of team rules.
Wilson, a senior, ranked fourth on the
team in tackles this season.
Marshall coach Bob Pruett said
sophomore Matt Couch will replace Wilson when the Thundering Herd (6-5)
plays Cincinnati (6-5) on Dec. 23 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Couch has missed practice time lately
with a sore shoulder.
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
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