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News Nuggets, 12.22.04
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...
Previous Day Nuggets...
Next Day Nuggets...
Compiled from staff reports
and electronic dispatches
Up-and-coming programs tangle in GMAC bowl
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PREVIOUS NUGGETS |
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12.21.04: Cold,
hard facts about health swayed Majerus ... Basketball panel
tinkering with RPI formula ...
More... |
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12.20.04: GMAC
Bowl history sets stage for Tigers-Falcons shootout ...
Memphis reinstates Banks after one game ... Mounting
attrition challenges Pitino, Cards ...
More... |
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12.19.04: Houston
AD livid with Nebraska over cancellation ... Duke cans
offensive coordinator Galbraith ... Majerus retreats back to
TV booth ...
More... |
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12.18.04: Wolfpack's
Hodge not short on self-esteem ,,, James Madison rushes to
I-AA championship ...
More... |
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12.17.04: Nebraska
icon Osborne irked with aloof AD's ... William & Mary QB
captures Payton Award ...
More... |
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12.16.04: Pirates
hawking hoops tickets with a twist ... Majerus ditches TV
gig to rescue Trojans ...
More... |
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12.15.04: Bowl
season kicks off with Southern Miss victory ... Marshall
linebacker suspended for bowl game ...
More... |
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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 ...
More... |
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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 ...
More... |
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12.12.04: Title
game of the Heismans set ... All-time Heisman winners list
... Blue- Gray Classic scratched again ...
More... |
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MOBILE When DeAngelo Williams arrived
at Memphis, the Tigers had just completed their seventh consecutive losing
season and were about to endure No. 8.
``Our class wanted to change that,''
the prolific junior tailback said. ``That's why some of us came here. We
wanted to make an everlasting statement for this program, and we definitely
did that.''
The GMAC Bowl between Memphis and
Bowling Green on Wednesday night (8 p.m. ESPN) is a chance for two once
down-and-out programs to offer further evidence of impressive turnarounds
and to showcase two of the nation's top offenses.
Memphis, which ended a 32-year bowl
exile last season, is in the postseason two years in a row for the first
time.
Bowling Green, meanwhile, is bowling
for green a $750,000 payout back-to-back years for only the second time,
the first since the 1991-92 seasons. The Falcons are also trying to continue
the Mid-American Conference's recent winning postseason ways. MAC teams have
won eight of their last nine bowl games.
``We're starting to show you the kind
of players that are in the MAC,'' defensive back Keon Newson said. ``We've
got guys that can play and we've got guys that can play with the best in the
nation.
``We're going to go to this game not
only to make a name for Bowling Green but to make a name for the MAC.''
Williams and Bowling Green sophomore
quarterback Omar Jacobs are certainly deserving of more attention.
Williams, Conference USA's co-offensive
player of the year, has rushed for 1,828 yards and 21 touchdowns, ranking
second nationally in rushing and third in all-purpose yards.
Jacobs is the MAC's offensive player of
the year and fourth-rated passer in the nation. He's hoping the GMAC Bowl
can be the same kind of showcase for him that it was for former MAC stars
quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich.
``Those quarterbacks, Byron and Ben,
have gone on to do well in the NFL and are big-time quarterbacks, and
hopefully I'll also have a great game and be added to that list,'' Jacobs
said.
Williams is complemented by quarterback
Danny Wimprine, who has posted the school's top three passing seasons and
directs the nation's 10th-rated offense.
``They're probably one of the better
1-2 punches in the nation right now,'' Newson said. ``They're pretty
explosive offensively.
``We've seen the running attack in
Northern Illinois and the passing attack in Marshall. We haven't seen both
really in the same game.''
Williams is hoping to build much
happier bowl memories after watching last year's New Orleans Bowl from the
sidelines with a torn knee ligament.
``Now, to actually play in one and
actually have the opportunity to win back-to-back bowl games that's
unheard of (at Memphis),'' said Williams, who has 687 yards and eight
touchdowns in the past three games. ``That definitely gives us that much
more determination to go win.''
Jacobs ranks second nationally in total
offense and passing yards and his 36 touchdown passes against just three
interceptions is tops.
``Their passing game is just as good as
any we've faced this year,'' Memphis defensive end Marcus West said. ``Their
running game can be a threat because of the pass.''
The Tigers, who won the New Orleans
Bowl last season, have three straight victories since back-to-back losses to
Cincinnati and Louisville. Now, they're feeling like old hands in the bowl
business.
``Last year I didn't really feel any
pressure to win the bowl game,'' said coach Tommy West, who received a big
raise and one-year contract extension this week. ``It was almost a sigh of
relief to everyone that we were going. After 32 years, it was just good to
go.
``I think there will be excitement
(this time), but I don't think there will be the euphoria that there was a
year ago.''
The Falcons missed the MAC championship
game after blowing a 20-point halftime lead against Toledo, ending a
seven-game win streak.
``We just want to finish on a good
note,'' Jacobs said. ``We've got a sour taste in our mouth from the Toledo
game.''
Petrino hits jackpot with new pact at U of L
LOUISVILLE Louisville coach Bobby
Petrino signed a new contract Tuesday that will pay him $1 million a year
and a $100,000 bonus if the Cardinals win the national championship.
The 43-year-old Petrino was making
$550,000 a year under his old contract. The new deal adds a $50,000 bonus if
the Cardinals reach the Bowl Championship Series title game and another
$50,000 if the Cardinals win it.
Louisville will join the Big East next
season. The Cardinals were not eligible to automatically qualify for the BCS
as members of Conference USA.
``That's what our goal is,'' Petrino
said of the BCS. ``It's certainly something that's out there for us and
something we're committed to getting done.''
The No. 7 Cardinals went 10-1 this
season, earned the highest ranking in school history and led the nation in
points and yards a game. Petrino has been mentioned as a candidate for
several major coaching jobs in the last month, but assured members of
Louisville's athletics association board Tuesday morning that he was never
going anywhere.
The new contract, like the old one,
runs through the 2010 season. Petrino will earn a $1 million bonus if he
stays through the 2007 season.
``I'm looking forward to the upcoming
years,'' he said. ``This is the place I want to be, this is the place my
family wants to be. We're looking forward to the future.''
Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich
still expects Petrino's name to come up when higher-profile jobs open.
``There are certainly schools out there
that have more money than us,'' Jurich said. ``But we're going to do
everything in our power to keep everything stabilized here.''
The Cardinals play No. 10 Boise State
(11-0) in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31.
College
basketball power indexes
BY KEITH GLANTZ AND RUSSELL CULVER
TEAM RATINGS
CURRENT/ PREVIOUSIllinois 10-0 90 90
Duke 8-0 89 88
Kansas 7-0 89 89
North Carolina 8-1 88 88
Oklahoma St. 8-0 88 88
Georgia Tech 7-1 86 86
Michigan St. 6-2 86 86
Maryland 6-2 85 86
Syracuse 10-1 85 86
Wake Forest 9-1 85 86
Kentucky 7-1 84 84
Louisville 6-2 84 85
Pittsburgh 8-0 84 85
Texas 7-2 84 83
Arizona 7-2 83 83
N.C. State 8-1 83 84
Washington 8-1 83 83
Wisconsin 6-2 83 83
Cincinnati 8-0 82 83
Connecticut 5-1 82 84
Florida 6-2 82 80
Gonzaga 8-1 82 82
Alabama 9-1 80 80
Arkansas 9-1 80 80
George Washington 7-1 80 80
Mississippi St. 10-2 80 80
Oklahoma 6-2 80 82
Texas Tech 5-2 80 80
Iowa 9-1 79 79
Charlotte 6-2 79 79
Notre Dame 5-2 79 79
Villanova 4-1 79 79
Boston College 8-0 78 78
Florida St. 5-5 78 75
Memphis 6-5 78 80
S. Illinois 7-2 78 78
South Carolina 6-2 78 78
Virginia 7-1 78 78
Boston U. 6-2 77 77
LSU 5-2 77 78
Michigan 6-5 77 78
Ohio St. 8-2 77 77
Providence 5-4 77 77
Utah St. 7-2 77 75
Vanderbilt 6-4 77 77
Wichita St. 6-0 77 76
Air Force 6-4 76 76
Marquette 9-1 76 76
N. Iowa 5-2 76 76
Seton Hall 4-3 76 77
St. Mary's, Calif. 9-4 76 76
Stanford 4-4 76 76
UAB 5-2 76 76
West Virginia 7-0 76 76
Wis.-Milwaukee 6-2 76 76
Clemson 7-1 75 75
Creighton 8-2 75 75
Indiana 2-5 75 75
Iowa St. 6-2 75 75
Nebraska 4-3 75 75
Old Dominion 10-1 75 75
Oregon 6-1 75 75
Pacific 4-2 75 75
Princeton 5-3 75 75
Richmond 4-3 75 75
Temple 4-5 75 75
Tennessee 5-4 75 76
UNLV 3-4 75 75
Utah 7-3 75 75
UTEP 7-2 75 75
Arizona St. 8-1 74 74
Bowling Green 5-1 74 74
DePaul 6-3 74 74
Kent St. 7-2 74 74
La.-Lafayette 4-5 74 73
Nevada 6-3 74 74
New Mexico 10-1 74 74
Rutgers 4-3 74 74
San Francisco 7-3 74 70
Southern Cal 4-3 74 74
SW Missouri St. 6-1 74 73
TCU 6-4 74 74
Xavier 2-4 74 74
Buffalo 6-2 73 73
California 5-3 73 73
Colorado 4-2 73 73
Georgetown 4-3 73 73
Hawaii 6-0 73 73
Kansas St. 7-0 73 73
Manhattan 4-2 73 73
Miami (Ohio) 5-2 73 73
Missouri 6-4 73 73
Murray St. 3-3 73 73
Pepperdine 7-3 73 73
Saint Joseph's 3-3 73 73
UCLA 6-1 73 73
W. Kentucky 7-1 73 73
W. Michigan 6-3 73 73
Washington St. 5-3 73 73
Auburn 7-3 72 72
Fresno St. 6-1 72 72
Ill.-Chicago 3-5 72 72
Niagara 6-3 72 72
Oregon St. 6-3 72 73
Santa Clara 7-4 72 72
Toledo 1-5 72 72
Vermont 3-2 72 70
Ball St. 5-2 71 71
Colorado St. 5-4 71 71
Davidson 5-5 71 71
Dayton 5-3 71 71
George Mason 4-3 71 71
Holy Cross 4-3 71 71
Minnesota 6-3 71 71
Northwestern 4-5 71 71
Penn 4-3 71 71
Portland 8-3 71 70
Purdue 3-5 71 73
Rice 5-2 71 71
Saint Louis 2-7 71 71
Va. Commonwealth 4-3 71 71
Ark.-Little Rock 6-4 70 69
Bradley 6-1 70 70
Butler 4-3 70 70
BYU 2-7 70 70
Coll. of Charleston 4-3 70 70
Detroit 3-6 70 70
Drexel 3-4 70 70
East Carolina 4-6 70 71
Fairfield 5-4 70 70
Hofstra 7-0 70 69
Louisiana Tech 5-4 70 69
Miami 6-2 70 70
Mississippi 6-4 70 70
Oral Roberts 8-0 70 70
San Diego St. 4-5 70 71
UC Santa Barbara 2-4 70 70
Virginia Tech 5-3 70 70
Winthrop 7-3 70 67
Wyoming 5-3 70 70
Arkansas St. 5-3 69 69
Boise St. 5-4 69 69
Bucknell 6-4 69 67
Chattanooga 4-2 69 69
Illinois St. 8-2 69 69
Massachusetts 4-3 69 69
N.C.-Wilmington 5-3 69 69
Tennessee Tech 4-4 69 68
Texas A&M 8-0 69 69
Wis.-Green Bay 5-3 69 69
Akron 5-2 68 67
CS Northridge 1-6 68 68
Denver 5-3 68 68
Drake 2-5 68 68
E. Michigan 6-2 68 68
Gardner-Webb 5-2 68 68
Georgia St. 3-6 68 69
Houston 7-3 68 68
Iona 2-6 68 68
Loyola Marymount 6-2 68 67
Middle Tenn. 6-2 68 68
Ohio 4-2 68 67
Rhode Island 2-6 68 69
SE Missouri 3-5 68 68
SMU 5-3 68 68
South Florida 6-4 68 68
Southern Miss. 8-2 68 67
Texas A&M-C.C. 7-1 68 68
Tulsa 2-4 68 68
Valparaiso 2-6 68 68
Wright St. 5-5 68 68
Delaware 4-4 67 66
Duquesne 2-8 67 67
E. Kentucky 8-1 67 66
Furman 5-4 67 67
Georgia 4-3 67 67
Georgia Southern 4-6 67 68
Indiana St. 5-3 67 67
Marshall 1-6 67 67
Mercer 5-1 67 67
N. Illinois 3-3 67 67
North Texas 5-3 67 67
South Alabama 3-6 67 67
St. Peter's 3-4 67 67
Texas-Arlington 4-3 67 67
UC Irvine 4-2 67 66
UCF 7-1 67 67
American U. 5-2 66 66
Appalachian St. 5-3 66 66
ETSU 3-6 66 67
Evansville 6-2 66 66
IU/PU-Indianapolis 4-4 66 66
Loyola of Chicago 2-7 66 66
Penn St. 5-4 66 66
Portland St. 6-4 66 66
Rider 4-3 66 66
S. Carolina St. 7-2 66 66
San Diego 5-5 66 66
SE Louisiana 6-4 66 66
Tennessee St. 5-6 66 64
Texas-San Antonio 4-3 66 64
Tulane 3-4 66 66
Wofford 7-3 66 65
Austin Peay 1-6 65 65
Birmingham-Southern 5-4 65 66
E. Washington 2-7 65 65
Elon 2-8 65 65
Maine 4-3 65 65
Montana 4-6 65 65
Siena 2-7 65 65
Yale 2-6 65 65
Belmont 2-6 64 64
Brown 4-4 64 64
Long Beach St. 1-6 64 64
Marist 4-5 64 64
Montana St. 3-6 64 64
N. Arizona 5-5 64 64
New Mexico St. 3-6 64 64
St. John's 4-4 64 63
UNC-Greensboro 7-2 64 64
Albany, N.Y. 4-3 63 62
Canisius 1-5 63 63
E. Illinois 4-4 63 64
Fla. International 5-4 63 59
Fullerton St. 3-2 63 63
Idaho 1-8 63 65
Jacksonville St. 4-6 63 63
La Salle 1-6 63 63
Lamar 5-3 63 63
Mo.-Kansas City 0-5 63 63
Monmouth, N.J. 1-6 63 63
New Orleans 3-5 63 63
Northeastern 3-4 63 63
Samford 5-3 63 63
San Jose St. 3-5 63 63
St. Francis, Pa. 5-3 63 63
Texas-Pan American 5-3 63 62
UC Riverside 4-3 63 63
Weber St. 4-5 63 64
Cent. Conn. St. 2-4 62 62
Cleveland St. 3-3 62 63
Cornell 3-6 62 63
Fairleigh Dickinson 4-6 62 62
James Madison 2-5 62 62
MVSU 2-4 62 62
Northwestern St. 5-6 62 61
Oakland 1-7 62 62
S. Utah 6-3 62 60
Utah Valley St. 3-6 62 59
W. Carolina 5-7 62 62
Cal Poly-SLO 2-4 61 61
Cent. Michigan 4-4 61 61
Coastal Carolina 2-6 61 61
Columbia 6-1 61 61
Delaware St. 3-6 61 60
Fordham 3-4 61 61
Jacksonville 4-3 61 62
Lafayette 2-6 61 61
Tenn.-Martin 3-5 61 61
Idaho St. 4-5 60 59
Morehead St. 5-3 60 60
Norfolk St. 3-5 60 56
Sacramento St. 1-8 60 60
Stony Brook 4-3 60 60
Texas St. 5-2 60 60
Towson 3-7 60 59
William & Mary 3-4 60 61
Binghamton 2-6 59 61
Fla. Atlantic 1-6 59 59
McNeese St. 4-5 59 59
Mount St. Mary's 3-4 59 61
Charleston Southern 1-5 58 61
Chicago St. 0-7 58 59
Harvard 3-6 58 58
High Point 3-7 58 57
Lehigh 3-5 58 59
Long Island U. 4-3 58 58
N.C.-Asheville 3-6 58 57
Sam Houston St. 5-5 58 58
Southern U. 3-5 58 58
St. Bonaventure 0-8 58 58
Stephen F. Austin 4-5 58 50
Texas Southern 2-5 58 58
Youngstown St. 2-6 58 60
Florida A&M 2-6 57 57
Liberty 1-6 57 57
Lipscomb 6-2 57 57
Louisiana-Monroe 5-4 57 57
New Hampshire 4-4 57 57
Radford 5-3 57 57
St. Francis, N.Y. 2-4 57 57
Alabama St. 1-5 56 56
Centenary 2-6 56 57
Colgate 3-5 56 56
Coppin St. 2-8 56 57
Nicholls St. 3-5 56 55
Quinnipiac 4-3 56 56
UMBC 3-5 56 56
Campbell 2-5 55 55
Hartford 2-4 55 57
Loyola, Md. 1-6 55 55
Stetson 2-4 55 58
W. Illinois 4-5 55 55
Alabama A&M 3-6 54 57
Bethune-Cookman 3-5 54 54
The Citadel 6-2 54 54
Dartmouth 3-5 54 54
Hampton 3-6 54 53
Howard U. 3-5 54 55
IU/PU-Fort Wayne 3-7 54 57
Morgan St. 3-6 54 54
Sacred Heart 1-6 53 53
Jackson St. 3-8 52 54
Robert Morris 2-6 52 52
Troy 1-7 52 52
VMI 5-2 52 52
Alcorn St. 1-7 51 51
Baylor 3-3 51 51
Wagner 1-6 50 50
N. Carolina A&T 1-9 49 49
Navy 3-6 48 49
Grambling St. 3-2 47 47
Army 2-7 45 44
Ark.-Pine Bluff 2-6 43 43
Savannah St. 0-14 39 39
Md.-E. Shore 1-6 38 40
Prairie View 0-7 38 38
The Power Index is a numerical value
indicating the relative strength of each team based on this season's
performance, changes in personnel, coaching, strength of schedule
and current form. The Index is purely a statistical andhistorical
rating and does not take into account emotional factors. Add 5
points to the home team's rating. |
CONFERENCE RATINGS
CURRENT PREVIOUSAtlantic
Coast 80.6 80.5
Big East 77.2 77.6
Big Ten 76.9 77.2
Southeastern 76.8 76.8
Big 12 75.8 75.9
Pacific-10 75.6 75.7
Conference USA 73.9 74.1
West Coast 72.8 72.0
Mountain West 72.6 72.8
Missouri Valley 72.0 71.8
Western Athletic 70.3 70.2
Mid-American 69.9 69.8
Atlantic 10 69.5 69.6
Horizon 67.9 68.2
Sun Belt 67.8 67.3
Colonial 67.5 67.3
Big West 67.1 67.0
Metro Atlantic 66.3 66.3
Southern 65.6 65.7
Ohio Valley 65.3 65.0
Ivy League 63.8 63.9
Big Sky 63.4 63.4
America East 62.7 62.8
Mid-Continent 62.2 62.2
Atlantic Sun 62.1 62.6
Southland 61.7 60.3
Big South 59.6 59.4
Patriot 59.2 59.1
Northeast 57.7 57.9
Independents 57.2 57.0
Mid-Eastern 54.8 54.6
Southwestern 51.9 52.4
The Conference Power Index is a
numerical value indicating the relative strength of a conference. It
is determined by adding the Glantz-Culver Power Index rating for
each member of a conference and dividing that number by the number
of teams. MEDIAN is the index of the middle-rated school in the
conference. If the conference has an even number of schools, it is
the figure midway between the two middle-rated teams. |
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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