News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

01.03.07: Boise State inserts itself into national title picture ... Lady Pirates master Marshall in C-USA opener ... Alabama coaching search focusing on Saban ... Paterno watches Penn State win from press box

01.02.07: Bobby Knight gets milestone victory ... Gophers coach Mason axed after bowl loss ... Hurricanes hang on in Coker's last game ... Seminoles' Timmons taking talents to NFL

01.01.07: Herd shocks Hokies ... Costner leads Wolfpack to rout of UNCW ... Boston College kings for a day in Queen City

12.31.06: Gamecocks outscore Houston in Liberty Bowl ... ECU women get momentum for
C-USA ... Hollenback leads Terps in Champs Bowl

12.30.06: Field goal lifts Cowboys past Crimson Tide ... Lynch leads Cal Bears past Texas A&M ... Wildcats face the music, finish on high note

12.29.06: C-USA champ Houston ready for Gamecocks ... Seminoles finish strong for winning season ... Duquesne basketball coach hospitalized

12.28.06: Ford, former gridder and President, succumbs ... MAC champs cruise to Motor City Bowl win ... Cremins fills a need with return to coaching

12.27.06: Hoops: Houston's Dowell named player of week ... Southern Miss announces pair of juco transfers ... Fundraiser for Buckeyes' families questioned

12.26.06: ECU women's soccer performs in classroom ... Warriors' offense rolls past ASU in Hawaii Bowl

12.25.06: Aborted flight grounds ECU fans ... Utes' get their kicks at Tulsa's expense ... Fumbles leave Lobos lamenting

12.24.06: Returnees yield No. 1 baseball ranking for Rice ... Owls wings clipped again at Superdome ... Air Force alum succeeds DeBerry

12.23.06: Nifong hangs on to unraveling Duke rape case ... BYU seniors realize their dream in Las Vegas ... Paulus wows homefolks, Coach K in Big Apple ... Appalachian State basking in a multi-sport roll

12.22.06: Former ECU assistant Brindise leaving coaching ... USF's Burnett apparently out for bowl ... ECU's Mills scores 24 in losing effort in Cancun

12.21.06: Cavanaugh joins Pirate baseball staff ... Lady Pirates lose opener in Cancun to Pitt ... Derek Dooley leaving Dolphins for La. Tech

12.20.06: ECU's Graham getting double exposure ... Stanford names Harbaugh as new coach ... Women's hoops contest called due to rain

12.19.06: ECU's Allison selected for Senior Bowl ... BC picks longtime ECU assistant Jagodzinski ... Television numbers up for college football

12.18.06: Former ECU aide Calloway takes helm at UAB ... Auburn suspends 3 from bowl game ... 17,000-plus watch Nebraska win volleyball title

12.17.06: Orange Bowl resets ECU-Wake hoops to Jan. 1 ... Spurrier's wife, Lawing commit infractions ... Rebs, Bulldogs shuffled on Memphis schedule

12.16.06: Appalachian State repeats as I-AA champ ... DeBerry announces retirement at Air Force ... Possible perp in Pata shooting held in Boston

12.15.06: Boone booming with football success ... All-America: Rice's Dillard and UTEP's Higgins ... Miami offensive coordinator moving to ASU

12.14.06: Grobe gets national recognition for coaching ... ECU soccer duo receives honors

12.13.06: Pirate baseball competes to get in shape ... Holy Toledo! Green Wave's search over ... Arizona State fills football coaching void

12.12.06: Garrard not complaining after Jags win ... Rutgers' Schiano named coach of year ... Wolfpack dominates Lady Pirates in Raleigh

12.11.06: Watson Brown heads home to Tennessee Tech ... Boston College names Spaziani interim coach ... Georgia Tech's Johnson wins Biletnikoff award

12.10.06: Junior Smith involved in Cox commitment ... WVU's Rodriguez says no to Bama's big bucks ... Boykin leaves Blue Devils hoops program

12.09.06: Garrard named AFC player of the week ... C-USA players of year: Kolb, Bunting, Higgins ,,, Miami elevates Shannon to head coach

12.08.06: Rivers tips off conclusion of coaching search ... Orioles' Roberts serving FCA baseball camps ... Hoops: Lady Pirates defeat UNC-Wilmington

12.07.06: Nine Pirates named to all-conference teams ... League honors four ECU freshman gridders ... Recruiting thumbnail: Rodney Cox ... ECU's Norris named to All-South 2nd team

12.06.06: UTEP's Higgins named AFCA All-American ... Memphis thumps Herd in C-USA hoops opener ... C-USA names top cross country performers

12.05.06: First-ever Gators- Buckeyes match-up a big one ... Boise State crashes BCS party in Fiesta ... Seminoles top Lady Pirates for tourney title

12.04.06: New recruiting thumbnail: Tyrell Worthington ... McFadden leads Independence into title game ... Bearcats bound for new bowl in Toronto

12.03.06: Paper: Hudson among Cincy coaching targets ... UAB ousted from NCAA volleyball by UCLA

12.02.06: Witter wins minor league baseball honor ... Millican in position in LPGA qualifying ... ECU announces challenging softball slate

12.01.06: C-USA announces football players of year ... Rice's Graham gets coach of year award ... ECU's Krug lands All-America honor

After weeks of denying he would leave the Miami Dolphins for Alabama, Nick Saban did just that on Wednesday.

Saban, who guided LSU to a national championship in 2003, accepted a lucrative multi-year deal from Alabama after compiling a 15-17 record in two years with no NFL playoff appearances at Miami.

Southern Miss went through a two-hour practice on Wednesday at Murphy High School in Mobile, AL, in preparation for the GMAC Bowl against Ohio at Ladd-Peebles Stadium at 7 p.m. Sunday (ESPN).

The Golden Eagles will be trying to break Conference USA's 0-4 goose egg in bowl games this season.

"It was a good practice today," Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower said, according to a report on the university's athletic website. "We need to finish up strong over the next couple of days for a very good Ohio team. We need to really concentrate and get a little sharper. Ohio is a very physical team that had a very good season and will be ready for the game. We need to take care of the ball and be mentally prepared."

Marshall junior guard Mark Dorris scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Thundering Herd to a 59-58 win against Virginia Tech. For his efforts, he was selected the Conference USA player of the week.

Dorris made 7-of-13 shots from the field, including 3-of-4 on attempts from behind the arc.

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