News Nuggets, 12.20.04
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Compiled from staff reports
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GMAC Bowl history sets stage for Tigers-Falcons
shootout
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12.19.04: Houston
AD livid with Nebraska over cancellation ... Duke cans
offensive coordinator Galbraith ... Majerus retreats back to
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12.18.04: Wolfpack's
Hodge not short on self-esteem ,,, James Madison rushes to
I-AA championship ...
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12.17.04: Nebraska
icon Osborne irked with aloof AD's ... William & Mary QB
captures Payton Award ...
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12.16.04: Pirates
hawking hoops tickets with a twist ... Majerus ditches TV
gig to rescue Trojans ...
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12.15.04: Bowl
season kicks off with Southern Miss victory ... Marshall
linebacker suspended for bowl game ...
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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
Division I-A coaching changes ... Heisman Trophy chronology
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
pushing to tie bowl bids to grad rates ...
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12.10.04: Gamecocks'
ol' man "Pops" still in the limelight ... Lou Groza Award
winners ... Ray Guy Award winners ...
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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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While the history of the GMAC Bowl is
brief, it has featured some very entertaining games.
The 2004 matchup should be no
exception.
Bowling Green looks to continue the
recent postseason success of Mid-American Conference teams when it faces
Memphis on Wednesday in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
The Falcons (8-3) had the most potent
offense in the MAC this season, ranking second nationally in pass offense
(335.6 ypg), fourth in total offense (501.6 ypg) and scoring offense (43.6
ppg), and fifth in passing efficiency (165.9).
Memphis (8-3) also boasts a
high-powered attack that finished 10th in the country in total offense
(464.5) and scoring (35.1).
The Tigers feature one of the country's
best running backs in DeAngelo Williams, who rushed for 199 yards or more in
three of his last four games and finished third in Division-I with 166.2
rushing yards per game this season.
``I hope the scoreboard operator gets
plenty of sleep the night before the game, because Bowling Green and Memphis
can light one up in a hurry,'' GMAC Bowl president Jerry Silverstein said.
Memphis finished tied for second in
Conference USA behind Louisville, which was on the losing end of the last
two GMAC Bowls, falling 49-28 to Miami of Ohio last season and 38-15 to
Marshall in 2002.
The most memorable game in the bowl's
five-year history came in 2001, when Byron Leftwich led Marshall to a 64-61
victory over David Garrard and East Carolina.
While the Tigers finished the regular
season with three straight wins to earn a trip to Mobile, Bowling Green
squandered a 20-point halftime lead and had a seven-game win streak snapped
with a 49-41 loss to Toledo in its regular-season finale. That defeat
prevented the Falcons from appearing in the MAC championship game for the
second straight year.
Sophomore quarterback Omar Jacobs had
an outstanding season for Bowling Green, finishing first in the country with
36 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Jacobs was second
nationally in total offense (357.1 ypg) and fourth in pass efficiency
(167.8).
A strong rushing attack seems to be the
best way to beat the Falcons, who allowed an average of 243 yards on the
ground in their three losses all on the road to Oklahoma, Northern
Illinois and Toledo.
Memphis may have a big advantage in
this game with Williams, who averages 6.2 yards per carry, going up against
Bowling Green's undersized front four that averages 256.8 pounds.
The Tigers rely heavily on Williams,
but also need quarterback Danny Wimprine to avoid mistakes. Wimprine threw
for 2,568 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, but was picked off 13 times
and completed only 55.4 percent of his passes.
Memphis proved it can keep up with the
nation's top offense when it lost 56-49 to then-No. 14 Louisville on Nov. 4.
Williams rushed for 200 yards on 26 carries and Wimprine threw for 361 yards
and four TDs as Memphis fell short of beating a ranked opponent for the
first time since 1996.
``Bowling Green is a really explosive
offensive team and a really aggressive defensive team,'' Tigers coach Tommy
West said. ``I think philosophy-wise they are a lot like Louisville, both
offensively and defensively.''
The MAC has quietly become one of the
nation's better conferences over the past few years and that has translated
into bowl success. The MAC has won eight of nine bowl appearances since the
1998 season, including a 5-0 mark against Conference USA schools.
Bowling Green, 19-6 in two seasons
under coach Gregg Brandon, has won three straight bowl games, including a
28-14 victory over Northwestern in the 2003 Motor City Bowl.
After failing to reach a bowl for 32
years, the Tigers will be playing in their second straight postseason game
following last season's 27-17 victory over North Texas in the New Orleans
Bowl.
``Last year I didn't really feel any
pressure to win the bowl game. It was almost a sigh of relief to everyone
that we were going,'' West said. ``After 32 years, it was just good to go,
but, saying all that, I knew how important a bowl win is. We had to finish
and we did. This time, I think it is important to win, too.''
This will be the first meeting between
the schools.
Memphis reinstates Banks after one game
MEMPHIS Memphis reinstated sophomore
forward Sean Banks to the team Sunday after he served a one-game suspension.
Banks, the team's second-leading scorer
and the Conference USA freshman of the year last season, was suspended by
coach John Calipari on Dec. 14 for a violation of team rules. He was
averaging 16 points and 6.1 rebounds in nine games.
The Tigers (6-4) host Louisiana Tech on
Monday night. They beat Austin Peay 71-66 on Saturday.
Banks rejoined the team Sunday in time
to participate in a walkthrough practice. In addition to missing the Austin
Peay game, he did not practice with the team from Dec. 14-17.
Mounting attrition challenges Pitino, Cards
LOUISVILLE While Louisville coach
Rick Pitino soberly rehashed the Cardinals' 60-58 loss to Kentucky in his
postgame news conference Saturday, a phone rang in the media room.
``I'm not here,'' Pitino cracked.
``Tell them I've had a bad night.''
Rapidly, though, Louisville's problems
are becoming no joke.
Already depleted, the Cardinals (6-2)
lost freshman forward Juan Palacios to an eye injury early in the second
half. Pitino played only six players the rest of the game and the Wildcats
stormed back from 16 points down for the victory.
``When he went down, I felt that we
were going to really struggle if I had to go with some of those guys,''
Pitino said. ``Against a good team, you can't play six people and win.''
Palacios led all scorers at halftime
with 11 points, and had a block and two rebounds. The 6-foot-8 Colombian was
going for a rebound when Kentucky guard Rajon Rondo accidentally poked him
in the left eye with 17:16 left.
Pitino said Palacios suffered a cornea
abrasion and was out indefinitely.
``He's pretty bad. He can't even open
his eye,'' Pitino said.
Palacios' injury overshadowed the
return of 6-8 Otis George, who missed Louisville's previous four games with
a pre-stress fracture in his right foot. George finished with six points and
six rebounds in 21 minutes on Saturday.
Louisville lost 6-9 forward Brian
Johnson before the season because of a recurring knee injury. Pitino
reinstated 6-10 freshman Terrance Farley for an undisclosed violation of
team rules this week, but Farley isn't ready to log heavy minutes.
That leaves Pitino with few options
inside and limited versatility. Francisco Garcia, a 6-7 swingman, never left
Saturday's game and played much of it out of position at power forward.
Garcia finished with eight points.
Still, the Cardinals were fresher at
the start on Saturday, dominating Kentucky inside and smothering the Cats
with defense. The Wildcats went eight minutes without a point as Louisville
built a double-digit lead. Kentucky shot 21 percent in the first half (5 of
24).
But as the second half wore on, Pitino
began to see fatigue take hold. The Cardinals' errors increased and the
Wildcats (7-1) closed the gap to set up the dramatic finish.
``You make mental mistakes when you're
tired,'' Pitino said. ``That's what happened.''
The Cardinals still led 58-57 when
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith called timeout with 4.8 seconds left to set up
the decisive play.
Patrick Sparks, who finished with a
game-high 25 points, inbounded the ball, then received a pass in the corner.
He pump-faked, then jumped into airborne Louisville forward Ellis Myles to
draw a whistle from referee J.B. Caldwell.
Sparks, a 71 percent career shooter
from the line, coolly swished all three shots with 0.6 seconds left.
O'Bannon's desperation heave from half-court wasn't close, and the Wildcats
snapped a two-game losing streak to their archrivals and former coach
Pitino.
Pitino coached Kentucky from 1989-97,
winning the 1996 NCAA championship. After a stint with the NBA's Boston
Celtics, he took over at Louisville in 2001.
``It was an amazing win for us,'' said
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, now 2-7 against Pitino, his former boss at
Kentucky. ``This should go a long way for the confidence of this team.''
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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