News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

09.03.06: NCAA president Brand at Elon on Wednesday ... Pirate volleyball 2-0 after topping Georgetown ... National honor for Memphis soccer player

09.02.06: Miners prevail over Aztecs in season opener ... East Carolina has Wright stuff in volleyball ... ECU women's soccer gets another shutout

09.01.06: UAB game off limits to Peterson's Dad ... Tulsa rolls past Stephen F. Austin in opener ... Pirates announce nine women's track signees

08.31.06: Ex-Buc Witter hits home run to complete cycle ... Herd player helps team to international win ... UAB takes aim on opener, plans to honor Tuck

08.30.06: Army six wins away from San Diego trip ... Rivers will get starting assignment for Chargers ... With Campbell in goal, ECU shuts out Camels

08.29.06: Holtz indicates Pirates are ready ... C-USA teams face stiff season-opening tests ... Three C-USA QB's on O'Brien watch list

08.28.06: Herd loses top receiver Moore for WVU opener ... Memphis puts more walk-ons on scholarship ... Hokies claim title in ECU volleyball event

08.27.06: Butkus watch list features seven from C-USA ... UAB substitution scrimmage pleases Brown ... Host ECU volleyball team falls to Furman

08.26.06: Top Pirate units overwhelm scout teams ... Coach Holtz ready to take to the air ... waves ... ECU volleyball wins season opener

08.25.06: ECU announces Metcalf in compliance post ... ECU women's soccer starts season at ODU ,,, Pirate volleyball hosts invitational

08.24.06: Former ECU standout joins Godwin staff ... It's not the Fort Worth Bowl anymore ... Brown lightens up on banged up Blazers

08.23.06: Camp behind them, Pirates refocus on Navy ... ECU checking student body for diamond talent ... Buckeyes' bank account $wells

08.22.06: End of preseason camp in sight for Pirates ... ECU's Ray gets honor for summer league play ... Miami, Northwestern set tribute to Walker

08.21.06: Irish 'bump' into possible NCAA infraction ... Offense produces in ECU's second scrimmage ... Herd extends Snyder's contract through 2013 ... ECU nipped in women's soccer scrimmage

08.20.06: No updates on this day while implementing site network changes

08.19.06: Note to readers: Sunday content to be limited ... Pirates set to scrimmage, meet fans today ... Marshall hires NCSU aide as baseball coach ... Stitt leaving WSSU for hometown post

08.18.06: Goal line work livens up flat ECU practice ... 'Pack third sacker defects to Cowboys ... Indiana's Sampson sanctioned by NABC

08.17.06: ECU kicker Lee selected to Groza watch list ... Another Pinkney gets plaudits for Pirates ... Individual ECU game tickets go on sale

08.16.06: Bucs have depth chart heading into scrimmage ... Calipari assistant named UTEP hoops coach ... Clemson gives Leggett new five-year contract

08.15.06: Get ready to "Meet the Pirates" ... Depth chart looms as Bucs continue drills ... Red Raiders dedicate season to fallen coach

08.14.06: New thumbnails: Freeney, McNeil, Perryman ... Blazers hold first scrimmage on Sunday ... NCAA clears Snider to play this season at Tulsa ... Kansas officials undergo NCAA grilling

08.13.06: Dye goes into college football hall of fame ... ECU scrimmage helps shape depth chart ... Memphis works out at Liberty Bowl

08.12.06: ECU recruiting thumbnail: Ben Herlocker ... Pirates tune up for Saturday scrimmage ... Blazers preparing for opener with Oklahoma ... SMU golfer qualifies for U.S. Amateur

08.11.06: Pirates dodge heat with nighttime drills ... ECU's Thorsen claims Norwegian amateur title ... Manning pledges $1 million to Vols

08.10.06: Thursday 'Nuggets' sacked by network glitch

08.09.06: Lou's book says Skip was promised USC job ... Humid weather doesn't dampen ECU drills ... 'Bright House' will be home for Golden Knights

08.08.06: Pirates shifting to full-gear practice mode ... Hattiesburg pro takes over USM golf program ... Sooners turn to Thompson to fill QB void

08.07.06: Pirates strap on shoulder pads ... Ex-Duke lacrosse coach has new program ... NIT will trim field from 40 to 32 teams

08.06.06: Media day no day off for Pirates ... Drew-Skip check goes to Greenville Rec. Dept. ... Coordinator of ACC refs hanging up whistle

08.05.06: Holtz likes what he sees as camp starts ... Buckeyes pegged as team to beat; WVU #7 ... Groh reinstates senior safety Tony Franklin ... Four from C-USA on Thorpe Award watch list

08.04.06: Judge: Buckeyes owe ex-coach big bucks ... Marshall takes preseason volleyball accolades ... Conference USA adds administrator to staff

08.03.06: Four Hurricanes will miss opener with FSU ... Report says Sooners QB canned ... Tigers' Tate takes aim on Women's Amateur

08.02.06: Kragthorpe lassoes new pact, new transfers ... ACC champ to Orange; makeup policy defined ... Blazers launching prep baseball league

08.01.06: C-USA releases schedule of televised games ... 'The Voice' adds morning duties on local AM's ... Huskers, Huskies set dates in 2010, 2011

Conference USA team Memphis was anything but a pushover for SEC member Mississippi in the teams' season opener in Oxford, MS.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns to help the Rebels overcome the Tigerss 28-25 on Sunday, according to a report on the C-USA Web site.

Dexter McCluster had 268 all-purpose yards and scored a touchdown in his debut for Ole Miss. The freshman caught six passes for 86 yards, ran four times for 60 yards and returned five kickoffs for 122 yards.

The Memphis defense held Brent Schaeffer to just 7 pass completions in 16 attempts for 97 yards, but Schaeffer didn't turn the ball over and managed the game well for the Rebels, who twice scored on fourth-and-1.

Memphis kept the game tight most of the way after jumping out to a 7-0 lead on its first drive. Ole Miss went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Memphis 41 on its first drive and failed.

Adrian Peterson ran for 139 yards and scored twice in the second half to lead No. 10 Oklahoma to a 24-17 win against UAB on Saturday night, according to an account on the Conference USA website.

The Blazers return to Legion Field this Saturday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff against East Carolina in the C-USA opener for both teams. ECU was topped 28-23 at Navy in its opener on Saturday.

With Paul Thompson proving inconsistent in his return to quarterback after nearly a year away, Peterson took control in the second half running for 83 yards as the Sooners' offense became almost completely reliant on him.

Peterson got the ball only nine times in the first half, but the Sooners (1-0) went to him on 11 straight plays after halftime. His sixth carry in a row resulted in a 4-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 Sooners lead.

The 2004 Heisman runner-up later atoned for a fumble on his eighth consecutive rush by taking a screen pass from Thompson 69 yards down the right sideline for a score that gave Oklahoma the lead for good at 21-17.

When the string of 11 straight Peterson touches finally ended, so did the Sooners' offensive success. Juaquin Iglesias dropped a potential touchdown pass in the front of the end zone, and Oklahoma had to settle for a 30-yard Garrett Hartley field goal.

That proved to be enough, though. Swayze Waters missed a 43-yard field goal to end one drive for UAB (0-1), and Oklahoma took advantage of new NCAA timing rules to run off the final 2:22 after the Blazers' final possession ended with a punt.

UAB pulled starting quarterback Chris Williams — who nearly led the Blazers to an upset at No. 4 Georgia in a 16-13 loss in 2003 — after two series without a first down, and junior Sam Hunt proved to be an effective replacement.

After entering in the second quarter, he immediately led a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive that Corey White capped with a 5-yard TD run. White later added a touchdown on a 24-yard screen pass from Hunt, and the Blazers led 17-14 after Peterson's fumble led to a 32-yard field goal by Waters.

Hunt completed 9 of 15 passes for 149 yards and also led the Blazers with 65 rushing yards.

The Miami series has been an exhausting ride of right and left turns for Florida State, according to a Tallahassee Democrat story on the scientific aspects of field goal kicking.

It began in 1991 with Wide Right I, Gerry Thomas' missed 34-yard field goal. Wide Right II followed the next year, and in 2000 came Matt Munyon's miss — wide left.

For variety, Xavier Beitia missed a 47-yard field goal in another FSU loss in 2002, and he missed one right — but not in such dramatic fashion — in the 2004 Orange Bowl against Miami.

The Seminoles meet the Hurricanes tonight at 8 p.m. at the Orange Bowl and FSU coach Bobby Bowden hopes he won't be kicking himself after the annual showdown is over.

The East Carolina volleyball team fell to Virginia 3-1 in the championship match of the Jefferson Cup Volleyball Tournament at Memorial Gym in Charlottesville, according to an announcement from the ECU athletic media relations department.

The Cavaliers won the first game 30-19 before East Carolina answered, winning the second game 30-27. The Cavaliers won the final two games 30-22 and 30-24.

Mignon Dubenion led ECU with 13 kills, while Kelley Wernert added 12. Heidi Krug posted a double-double with 45 assists and 20 digs, while Trish Monroe also registered 20 defensive saves.

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 other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.