News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

11.23.05: Ten recruits to join Diamond Pirates' quest for Omaha ... C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.22.05: Monster game earns weekly award for Rouse ... Kickoff set for first 'Xbox 360' C-USA title game ... C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.21.05: College Football Headliners: Stars & Storylines ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.20.05: C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule ... Falwell cleans house to jumpstart drive to I-A

11.19.05: Falwell cleans house to jumpstart drive to I-A ... C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.18.05: Regional cable network strikes deal with CSTV ... C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.17.05: NCAA wraps up investigation of South Carolina ... C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.16.05: Fall signing period nets tall timber for Pirates ... Tigers, 'Cocks to kiss and make up before game ...
C-USA Football Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.15.05: Calipari primes young Tigers for Preseason NIT ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.14.05: College Football Headliners: Stars & Storylines ... Updated C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.13.05: ECU tested by Eagles in exhibition hoops victory ... Updated C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.12.05: Pirate basketball edging toward the limelight ... ECU in league's upper tier in football attendance ... C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.11.05: Tangle with Titans headlines ECU baseball slate ... C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.10.05: East Carolina football hire rates a "B" from BCA ... C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.09.05: Southern Miss escapes Huntington with OT win ... Updated C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.08.05: Holland beefs up rivalries with Wolfpack, Hokies ... ECU's Lee makes semifinal cut for Groza Award ... C-USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.07.05: College Football Headliners: Stars & Storylines ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.06.05: Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.05.05: Litke: Politically correct or not, blacks run faster ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.04.05: Throat-slash gesture nets trouble for Callahan ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.03.05: Green Wave's road trip to Navy on the house ... Tulane coming home for C-USA hoops schedule ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.02.05: Fledgling FIU program lands series with Miami ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

11.01.05: Fledgling FIU program lands series with Miami ... Conference USA Standings, Scores & Schedule

MEMPHIS — No. 16 Fresno State (8-2, 6-0 Western Athletic Conference) has accepted a bid to play in the Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve. The game will mark the Bulldogs' first appearance in a bowl east of the Mississippi River.

The Liberty Bowl is Dec. 31 and will also feature a top Conference USA team. Likely candidates are Central Florida (8-3, 7-1 C-USA), the league's East Division champion, and Western Division contenders Texas-El Paso (8-2, 5-2) and Tulsa (7-4, 6-2).

"We are thrilled to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl," Fresno State coach Pat Hill said. "This is going to be a great experience for our team and our fans to participate in such a historic bowl game."

Conference USA will hold its first conference championship game Dec. 3. Central Florida has clinched one of the title game berths and will face either UTEP or Tulsa.

Fresno State nearly upset top-ranked Southern California last Saturday night after scoring twice in a span of 12 seconds to take a one-point lead with less than 10 minutes left. But the Trojans had two late scores to win 50-42.

Last year's Liberty Bowl featured Louisville and Boise State in the highest-scoring Liberty Bowl. The Cardinals defeated BSU 44-40, snapping the Broncos' 22-game winning streak.

(Through games of Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005)

CONFERENCE USA STANDINGS

EAST DIVISION

TEAM                  C-USA ALL
Central Florida        7-1   8-3
Southern Miss          4-3   5-5
Memphis                4-4   5-5
UAB                    3-4   5-5
East Carolina          3-4   4-6
Marshall               3-4   4-6

WEST DIVISION

TEAM                  C-USA ALL
Tulsa                  6-2   7-4
Texas-El Paso          5-2   8-2
Houston                3-4   5-5
Southern Methodist     3-4   4-6
Rice                   1-6   1-9
Tulane                 1-7   2-8

SCHEDULE

[C-USA teams in bold; ECU opponents in red.]

SATURDAY, NOV. 26

   UAB at East Carolina, 12:00 pm
   Tulane at Southern Mississippi, TBA
   Marshall at Memphis, 2:00 pm
   Texas-El Paso at Southern Methodist, 3:00 pm
   Rice at Houston, 4:00 pm
   Pittsburgh at West Virginia, 8:00 pm

SCORES

[C-USA teams in bold; ECU opponents in red.]

SUNDAY, NOV. 13

Houston 27, Southern Mississippi 24

SATURDAY, NOV. 19

   Tulsa 38, Tulane 14
   Central Florida 31, Rice 28
   East Carolina 34, Marshall 29
   Southern Methodist 29, Houston 24
   UAB 35, Texas-El Paso 23
   Memphis 24, Southern Mississippi 22
   North Carolina 24, Duke 21

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 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.