11.24.2003 Conference USA Football Notebook
Dustin Almond |
Southern Miss has clinched at least a share of its fourth Conference USA football championship in the league's first eight seasons. This year's Golden Eagles can become the first C-USA team since the 1999 USM squad to go unbeaten in league play with a win at East Carolina on Saturday. The weekend gets underway on Friday morning when Louisville visits Cincinnati (11:00 a.m. EST on ESPN 2). UC and UAB enter this weekend attempting to join Southern Miss, TCU, Louisville, Memphis and Houston in becoming eligible for a postseason bowl game.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Dustin Almond QB Southern Miss
Almond was 14-of-23 for 227 yards and three touchdowns in USM's 40-28 win over No. 9 TCU that gave the Golden Eagles at least a share of the regular season title. It was Almond's fifth straight game with two or more TD passes, the first five of his career.
DEFENSE
Wesley Smith FS Memphis
Smith had eight tackles, one tackle for loss and an interception in the Tigers 21-16 win over Cincinnati. He returned that interception 36 yards to the nine-yard line to set up the game-winning score. Smith also registered five pass breakups.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Nick Hayes K UAB
Hayes connected on three field goals, including the game-winning 42-yarder with :09 seconds left to give UAB to a 22-19 win at USF. He also connected from 17 and 49 yards to improve to 17-for-20 on field goal attempts this season.
NOTE OF CHAMPIONS
Southern Miss will attempt to become the fourth team in Conference USA to post an undefeated conference season when it plays at East Carolina on Saturday. The Golden Eagles have accomplished the feat twice (1997 and 1999) and are the last team to post a perfect league record. Here's a look at C-USA's year-by-year champions:
*2003 Southern Miss (7-0)
2002 TCU (6-2), Cincinnati (6-2)
2001 Louisville (6-1)
2000 Louisville (6-1)
1999 Southern Miss (6-0)
1998 Tulane (6-0)
1997 Southern Miss (6-0)
1996 Houston (4-1), Southern Miss (4-1)
* have clinched at least a share of title
TOP OF THEIR LEAGUE
Since C-USA began football competition in 1996, Southern Miss has posted the sixth-best record in the nation in league games. Here's a look at the top 10:
School W-L (.Pct)
1. Florida State 58-5 (.921)
2. Miami (Fla.) 46-9 (.836)
3. Florida 52-11 (.825)
4. Tennessee 50-13 (.794)
5. Michigan 50-13 (.794)
6. Southern Miss 41-11 (.788)
7. Florida State 42-12 (.777)
8. Kansas State 49-14 (.778)
9. Nebraska 47-14 (.770)
10. Colorado State 44-14 (.759)
LAST WEEK'S STARS
Here's a look at some of the top performers around C-USA in games from Nov. 20-22:
Rushing Attempts
28 Marvin Townes, ECU (165 yds.)
25 Anthony Evans, HOU (146 yds.)
24 Corey White, UAB (64 yds.)
23 Lionel Gates, LOU (140 yds.)
23 DeAngelo Williams, MEM (136 yds.)
22 Anthony Harris, USM (47 yds.)
21 Jovon Jackson, TUL (85 yds.)
Rushing Yards
165 Marvin Townes, ECU (28 att.)
146 Anthony Evans, HOU (25 att.)
140 Lionel Gates, LOU (23 att.)
137 Michael Bush, LOU (15 att.)
136 DeAngelo Williams, MEM (23 att.)
132 Robert Merrill, TCU (16 att.)
Rushing Touchdowns
4 Lionel Gates, LOU
2 Carlton Jones, ARMY
2 Marvin Townes, ECU
2 Michael Bush, LOU
2 Vince Brewer, USF
2 Kenny Hayter, TCU
Passing Yards
338 Zac Dahman, ARMY (27-of-40)
272 Gino Guidugli, CIN (18-of-31)
260 Brandon Hassell, TCU (18-of-31)
227 J.P. Losman, TUL (14-of-20)
227 Dustin Almond, USM (14-of-23)
224 Kevin Kolb, HOU (21-of-27)
Passing Touchdowns
4 J.P. Losman, TUL
3 Dustin Almond, USM
2 Kevin Kolb, HOU
2 Stefan LeFors, LOU
Receptions
10 Hannibal Thomas, CIN (173 yds.)
9 J.R. Russell, LOU (111 yds.)
9 William White, ARMY (71 yds.)
7 Brandon Middleton, HOU (130 yds.)
7 Reggie Harrell, TCU (108 yds.)
6 Marvin Young, USM (80 yds.)
Receiving Yards
173 Hannibal Thomas, CIN (10 rec.)
130 Brandon Middleton, HOU (7 rec.)
121 Roddy White, UAB (5 rec.)
111 J.R. Russell, LOU (9 rec.)
108 Reggie Harrell, TCU (7 rec.)
96 Chris Bush, TUL (2 rec.)
Receiving Touchdowns
2 Brandon Middleton, HOU
2 Chris Bush, TUL
Field Goals
2 Darren McCaleb, USM
2 Nick Browne, TCU
BOWL UPDATE
Five Conference USA teams are currently eligible for postseason play, while two others can become eligible this weekend. Here's a look at the postseason prospects for each C-USA school:
SOUTHERN MISS - bowl-eligible for the 10th consecutive season. A win at East Carolina on Saturday will put the Golden Eagles in the AXA Liberty Bowl to face Mountain West Conference champion Utah.
TCU - bowl-eligible for the sixth consecutive season. Can win a share of the C-USA regular season title if Southern Miss loses at East Carolina.
MEMPHIS - bowl-eligible for the first time since 1994.
LOUISVILLE - bowl-eligible for sixth straight season.
HOUSTON - bowl-eligible for the first time since 1999.
UAB - will become bowl-eligible for the third time in four years with a win at Houston on Saturday.
CINCINNATI - will become bowl-eligible for the fourth straight year with a victory over Louisville on Friday.
FOUR FOR EIGHT
For the first time in Conference USA's eight seasons, four different teams have won at least eight games in a season. TCU has reached the 10-win mark for the second straight season and third time in four years. Southern Miss has at least eight wins for the fifth time in eight years. Louisville has reached the eight-win mark for the third time in four years and Memphis has won eight games for the first time since 1973.
DYNAMIC DEANGELO
Memphis sophomore RB DEANGELO WILLIAMS carried 23 times for 136 yards in the Tigers 21-16 win over Cincinnati on Saturday, marking the 10th consecutive game that he has rushed for more than 100 yards. The ten 100-yard games is a Conference USA single-season record and his total of 1,430 yards is a Memphis school record.
Williams continues to lead the nation in all-purpose yardage at 192.1 yards per game. In addition to his rushing totals, he has 384 receiving yards and 299 kick return yards for 2,113 total. Williams also has a league-high 13 TDs.
LIGHTNING ROD
Southern Miss senior LB ROD DAVIS is now Conference USA's all-time leader in tackles with 487. Pernell Griffin of East Carolina (1998-01) had set the record at 460. Here's a look at the top five tacklers in C-USA history:
493 Rod Davis, USM (2000-present)
460 Pernell Griffin, ECU (1998-01)
417 Kamal Shakir, MEM (1997-00)
405 Hanik Milligan, HOU (2000-02)
383 T.J. Slaughter, USM (1996-99)
Davis has also moved into fifth place on the conference's all-time TFL's list with 55.5.
BIG IMPROVEMENT
Heading into its regular season finale against USF, Memphis has increased its win total by five games from last season, tied for the second-largest increase in league history. Here's a look at the biggest improvements:
MOST IMPROVED WON-LOST RECORD
6 Louisville (1-10 in 1997; 7-5 in 1998)
5 Memphis (3-9 in 2002; 8-3 in 2003)
5 Houston (0-11 in 2001: 5-7 in 2002)
5 Tulane (2-9 in 1996; 7-4 in 1997)
TACKLE THIS
Conference USA has produced three of the five top tacklers in I-A this season (as ranked by tackles per game). Here's a look at the leaders:
Rank Player Total (per Game)
1. Chris Moore, ECU 134 (13.40 pg)
2. Rod Davis, USM 131 (13.11 pg)
3. Grant Wiley, West Va. 143 (13.00 pg)
4. David Lusky, E. Mich. 153 (12.75 pg)
5. Zac Woodfin, UAB 138 (12.55 pg)
GREAT DEBUT
Among the Division I-A freshman quarterbacks that have started the majority of the season, Houston true freshman KEVIN KOLB leads in several statistical categories:
FRESHMAN STARTING QB PASSING MARKS
Wins As A Starter
6 Kevin Kolb, Houston (6-5)*
6 Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech (6-5)*
6 Chris Leak, Florida (6-1)*
Pass Attempts
325 Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech*
309 Kevin Kolb, Houston*
244 Chris Leak, Florida*
Pass Completions
192 Kevin Kolb, Houston*
169 Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech*
146 Chris Leak, Florida*
Passing Yards
2,621 Kevin Kolb, Houston*
1,894 Chris Leak, Florida*
1,900 Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech*
Touchdown Passes
21 Kevin Kolb, Houston*
12 Chris Leak, Florida*
10 Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech*
Total Offense
2,882 Kevin Kolb, Houston*
2,233 Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech*
1,808 Chris Leak, Florida*
TDs Responsible For
26 Kevin Kolb, Houston*
14 Vince Young, Texas
13 Chris Leak, Florida*
*- denotes true freshman
POSTSEASON PLANS
Several C-USA players have committed to play in postseason All-Star games. Here's a look at those players (as of Nov. 24):
BLUE GRAY ALL-STAR CLASSIC
Damene Duckett, DT, East Carolina
Vonta Leach, FB, East Carolina
EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME
Bo Schobel, DE, TCU
LAS VEGAS ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC
Rex Hadnot, C, Houston
ROTARY GRIDIRON CLASSIC
Ronnie Ghent, TE, Louisville
Robert Pollard, DE, TCU
Chad Pugh, DT, TCU
SENIOR BOWL
Brian Rimpf, OL, East Carolina
J.P. Losman, QB, Tulane
Mewelde Moore, RB, Tulane
LeFORS IN LINE
Louisville has a storied quarterback tradition and junior STEFAN LEFORS is the latest in a long line of talented signal-callers. Here's a look at how LeFors compares to current NFL passers Chris Redman and Dave Ragone, the last two Cardinal quarterbacks, in their first 11 games.
Chris Redman (1996)
Att. Comp. Yards TD Int.
313 164 2,019 10 9
Dave Ragone (2000)
Att. Comp. Yards TD Int.
363 219 2,624 27 9
Stefan LeFors (2003)
Att. Comp. Yards TD Int.
304 186 2,710 13 6
A GRAND CLUB
DE ANGELO WILLIAMS of Memphis and MARVIN TOWNES of East Carolina have each rushed for 1,000 yards this season and several other players are within striking distance of reaching 1,000 yards. Last season, C-USA produced an all-time high with five 1,000-yard rushers. Here's a look at each of the 1,000-yard rushers in C-USA history (active players in bold):
C-USA 1,000-YARD RUSHERS
1,545 Joffrey Reynolds, Houston 2002
1,432 Leonard Henry, East Carolina 2001
1,430 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis 2003
1,421 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2001
1,289 Frank Moreau, Louisville 1999
1,276 DeMarco McLeskey, Cincinnati 2002
1,245 Robert Cooper, Cincinnati 1999
1,239 Antowain Smith, Houston 1996
1,199 Ketric Sanford, Houston 1999
1,194 Derrick Nix, Southern Miss 2002
1,180 Derrick Nix, Southern Miss 1998
1,157 Michael Wallace, Army 2000
1,134 Leroy Collins, Louisville 1998
1,059 Gerard Arnold, Memphis 1998
1,054 Derrick Nix, Southern Miss 1999
1,054 Ketric Sanford, Houston 1998
1,039 Marvin Townes, East Carolina 2003
1,029 Art Brown, East Carolina 2002
1,022 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2002
THE HUNDRED CLUB
DE ANGELO WILLIAMS of Memphis has set a new Conference USA record by rushing for more than 100 yards in 10 consecutive games. Here's a look at the players with the most 100-yard games in a single-season:
100-YARD RUSHING GAMES
SEASON
10 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis 2003
8 Joffrey Reynolds, Houston 2002
7 Leonard Henry, East Carolina 2001
7 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2001
7 Antowain Smith, Houston 1996
6 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2003
6 Michael Wallace, Army 2000
6 Robert Cooper, Cincinnati 1999
6 Ketric Sanford, Houston 1999
6 Derrick Nix, Southern Miss 1998
THE CENTURY CLUB
Tulane's MEWELDE MOORE holds the Conference USA career record for 100-yard games with 22. DeAngelo Williams of Memphis is the next active player with 14. Here's a look at the all-time leaders:
CAREER 100-YARD GAMES
22 Mewelde Moore, Tulane 2000-
15 Joffrey Reynolds, HOU 1998-02
14 DeAngelo Williams, Memphis 2002-
14 Ketric Sanford, Houston 1996-99
13 Derrick Nix, Southern Miss 1998-02
12 DeMarco McCleskey, CIN 1998-02
11 Leonard Henry, East Carolina 1998-01
11 Gerard Arnold, Memphis 1996-99
LOSMAN'S LEDGER
Tulane senior QB J.P. LOSMAN is tied for third in Division I-A in TD passes this season:
PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
48 B.J. Symens, Texas Tech
40 Jason White, Oklahoma
33 J.P. Losman, Tulane
33 Dan Orlovsky, Connecticut
33 Rod Rutherford, Pittsburgh
29 Philip Rivers, North Carolina State
30 Matt Leinart, USC
26 Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo
25 Josh Haldi, Northern Illinois
C-USA SINGLE-SEASON PASSING TDS
36 Shaun King, Tulane (1998)
33 J.P. Losman, Tulane (2003)
29 Chris Redman, Louisville (1999)
29 Chris Redman, Louisville (1998)
27 Dave Ragone, Louisville (2000)
KICKIN' IT
TCU's NICK BROWNE is closing in on the Conference USA record for field goals in a season, set in 2000 by Lou Groza Award winner JONATHAN RUFFIN of Cincinnati. Here's a look at the top single-season totals:
FIELD GOALS MADE IN A SEASON
26 Jonathan Ruffin, Cincinnati 2000
25 Nick Browne, TCU 2003
23 Brad Palazzo, Tulane 1997
23 Nick Browne, TCU 2002
19 Rhett Gallego, UAB 2000
Additionally, with 62 career field goals, Browne is just four field goals away from tying C-USA's mark for career field goals, held by Tulane's Seth Marler. Browne
CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE
66 Seth Marler, Tulane 1999-02
62 Nick Browne, TCU 2001-03
62 Jonathan Ruffin, Cincinnati 1999-02
52 Kevin Miller, East Carolina 1998-02
ALUMNI REPORT
A glance at the top performers from C-USA schools in NFL games this past week:
Philadelphia K David Akers (Louisville) booted four field goals to help the Eagles to their fifth consecutive win, 33-20, over New Orleans.
St. Louis WR Isaac Bruce (Memphis) had seven receptions for 99 yards, including a 14-yard TD catch, to help the Rams move into first place in the NFC West with a 30-27 overtime win at Arizona.
Oakland DE Roderick Coleman (East Carolina) tied for the team lead in tackles with six in the Raiders 27-24 loss at Kansas City.
RECEIVER LEADERS
Houston's BRANDON MIDDLETON and Tulane's ROYDELL WILLIAMS are just the 12th and 13th players in Conference USA history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season. This is the first year that C-USA has produced more than one 1,000-yard receiver since the 2000 campaign. Here's a look at the players that have reached 1,000 yards in a season:
1,000-YARD RECEIVERS
1,209 Arnold Jackson, Louisville 1999
1,188 Deion Branch, Louisville 2001
1,186 Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss 1998
1,175 Arnold Jackson, Louisville 1998
1,174 P.J. Franklin, Tulane 1998
1,117 Brandon Middleton, Houston 2003
1,114 Jon Olinger, Cincinnati 2002
1,095 Adrian Burnette, Tulane 1999
1,075 Adrian Burnette, Tulane 2000
1,036 JaJuan Dawson, Tulane 1999
1,016 Deion Branch, Louisville 2000
1,008 Sherrod Gideon, Southern Miss 1997
1,006 Roydell Williams, Tulane 2003
ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS
Army lost at Hawaii on Saturday, 59-28. Sophomore RB CARLTON JONES accumulated 170 yards of total offense, rushing 16 times for 83 yards and catching four passes for 87 yards. He also scored three touchdowns, rushing for two and catching a career-long 59-yard pass reception. Senior WR WILLIAM WHITE set a career high with nine catches for 71 yards. Junior WR AARON ALEXANDER had six receptions for 95 yards to set a new Academy record for single-season receptions with 59. Joe Albano had held the record with 54 catches during the 1970 season. Sophomore QB ZAC DAHMAN was 27-of-40 for 338 yards. The Black Knights are off this week and will meet Navy for the 104th time on Dec. 6 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
CINCINNATI BEARCATS
Cincinnati dropped a 21-16 decision at Memphis on Saturday, the Bearcats fourth loss by a touchdown or less this season. Junior QB GINO GUIDUGLI was 18-of-39 for 272 yards and one touchdown. His favorite target was junior WR HANNIBAL THOMAS, who set career highs with 10 catches for 173 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown reception. Thomas has caught a touchdown in three straight games, becoming the first UC player to do that since Roosevelt Mukes caught TD passes in four straight games in 1987. Junior CB DAVEN HOLLY had a pair of interceptions at Memphis, giving him a league-high six on the season, a figure that ties the Cincinnati single-season record held by five other players. As a team, Cincinnati is ranked sixth in the nation in interceptions with 18. Junior LB JAMAR ENZOR again led the Bearcats in tackles with 18, giving him 68 stops in the last four outings. He now leads the Bearcats with 131 tackles on the season. UC's special teams unit has blocked five kicks this season, including a Memphis field goal attempt on Saturday that was blocked by ANDRE FRAZIER (his second of the season) and returned 76 yards by TYJUAN HAGLER for a touchdown.
EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
The Pirates lost at Tulane on Saturday, 28-18. Junior RB MARVIN TOWNES carried 28 times for 165 yards - including 108 in the first half - and scored two touchdowns. With 1,039 yards on the season, he became the 12th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. It also marks the third straight year that the Pirates have had a different player run for 1,000 yards (Art Brown last season and Leonard Henry in 2001). With four receptions, senior WR TERRANCE COPPER moved into a tie for third place on ECU's career reception chart with 129. Sophomore LB CHRIS MOORE had a team-high 11 tackles to give him a league-leading 134 for the season. The Pirate defense registered a season-high five sacks. ERIC BUTLER'S block of a Tulane field goal attempt in the third quarter was the first blocked FG by ECU since Nov. 15, 2001 vs. Louisville.
HOUSTON COUGARS
The Cougars lost at Louisville on Saturday, 66-45. True freshman QB KEVIN KOLB was 21-of-27 for 224 yards. He threw two touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores. Senior WR BRANDON MIDDLETON posted his seventh 100-yard game of the season, catching seven passes for 130 yards. Only Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald (10) has posted more 100-yard efforts this fall. Middleton also became the seventh player in school history to reach 1,000 yards in a single-season and he is the first since Marcus Grant had 1,262 yards during the 1991 season. Middleton has 1,117 yards receiving, the sixth-highest total in school history. His 24.7 yards per catch average this season ranks third in Division I-A. Sophomore RB ANTHONY EVANS set a new career high for rushing yards for the third consecutive game, carrying 25 times for 146 yards. Over the last six games, UH has recorded 14 scoring drives that have taken 2:00 or less.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Louisville set a school record with 779 yards of total offense as the Cardinals posted a 66-45 win over Houston on Saturday. The Cardinals produced five scoring drives of 75 yards or more and the 66 points were the most scored by U of L since a 68-0 win over Murray State in 1990. The Cards ran for 445 yards, fourth-best in school history and the third-highest total in C-USA annals. Junior QB STEFAN LeFORS posted his third 300-yard passing day this season, throwing to 10 different receivers during a 24-of-31 performance for 334 yards. Freshman MICHAEL BUSH ran for two touchdowns while setting new career highs for rushing attempts (15) and yards (137). Junior RB LIONEL GATES also posted career highs for carries (23) and yards (140), while scoring four touchdowns. He is the ninth player in school history to run for four or more TDs in a game. Louisville had seven rushing touchdowns in the game (the second-most in school history) to give it 31 on the season, the second-most ever at U of L.
MEMPHIS TIGERS
The Tigers ran their win streak to five games with a come-from-behind 21-16 win over Cincinnati on Saturday. Junior WR DARRON WHITE ran for one touchdown and threw for another to lead Memphis to the victory. He opened the game's scoring with a 65-yard TD pass to junior WR CHRIS KELLEY and then scored the game-winning touchdown with 5:57 to play on a three-yard run. Sophomore RB DeANGELO WILLIAMS registered his 10th consecutive 100-yard rushing game, carrying 23 times for 136 yards. He also became just the fifth player in school history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark in career rushing (he has 2,114). However, he left the game in the third quarter with a torn MCL in his left knee and is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks. Memphis held Cincinnati to just 29 yards rushing and 301 yards of total offense.
USF BULLS
The Bulls dropped a 22-19 decision to UAB on Saturday when UAB kicked a game-winning field goal with nine seconds left. It marked just the second home loss for 14 USF seniors. The Bulls trailed 19-3 in the fourth quarter before scoring two touchdowns and successfully converting a pair of two-point conversions over a 3:25 span to tie the game. Senior RB VINCE BREWER had both of the touchdowns, scoring on a five yard run and a one-yard run. Freshman QB PAT JULMISTE replaced an injured RONNIE BANKS (lower back injury) and led both scoring drives, rushing for a team-high 73 yards on 13 carries. Senior FS J.R. REED posted a game-high 16 tackles and added to his school record for interceptions with his 15th career pick. USF outrushed UAB 192 yards to 110, marking just the fourth time in the Bulls seven-year history that they lost when out rushing their opponent. USF is 17-1 in its last 18 games following a loss, with its only back-to-back defeats coming at Arkansas and at Oklahoma last season.
SOUTHERN MISS GOLDEN EAGLES
The Golden Eagles captured at least a share of their fourth Conference USA championship with a 40-28 win over No. 9 TCU on Nov. 20. The win also marked the highest ranked opponent that Southern Miss has ever defeated at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Sophomore QB DUSTIN ALMOND logged his fifth straight game with multiple touchdown passes, tossing three while completing 14-of-23 passes for 227 yards. In his last 19 quarters Almond has 12 touchdown passes. In 52 quarters all of the 2002 season, USM produced just 11 passing touchdowns. Junior WR MARVIN YOUNG grabbed six passes for 80 yards, including his sixth TD reception in the last five games. Eight senior defensive starters played their final home game, with LB ROD DAVIS and S ETRIC PRUITT turning in the top performances. Davis had 20 tackles and a fumble recovery that ended a TCU drive late in the game with USM holding a 34-28 lead, while Pruitt had 12 stops, an interceptions and forced the fumble that Davis recovered. Pruitt now has 342 career tackles, more than any member of the secondary in school history.
TCU HORNED FROGS
The Horned Frogs fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Nov. 20, dropping a 40-28 decision at Southern Miss that snapped a 12-game winning streak. Junior QB BRANDON HASSELL suffered his first loss in seven starts, going 18-of-31 for 260 yards. Freshman RB ROBERT MERRILL edged closer to the 1,000-yard mark, carrying 16 times for 132 yards. He now has 983 yards on the year, despite not playing in one game. With just 17 more yards, Merrill will give TCU back-to-back freshman running backs that have rushed for 1,000 yards after LONTA HOBBS gained 1,029 last season. Junior FB KENNY HAYTER carried just three times at USM, but two of the carries were for one-yard TD runs. WR REGGIE HARRELL caught seven passes for 108 yards to close in on the school's single-season receiving mark. Harrell has 869 yards this season, which is just two yards shy of the record of 871, set by James Maness in 1984.
TULANE GREEN WAVE
The Green Wave closed out their season with a 28-18 victory over East Carolina at the Louisiana Superdome on Saturday. Tulane finishes with a 5-7 record, suffering all seven losses to teams that are eligible for bowl games. Senior QB J.P. LOSMAN closed out his collegiate career by passing for 227 yards and four touchdowns. A top NFL prospect, Losman finished the season with 3,077 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. Both of those figures lead Conference USA, while the 33 passing touchdowns tie him for third place nationally. Two of Losman's TD passes were to junior WR CHRIS BUSH, including a career-long 87-yarder. Over the last three games, Bush has caught six passes and five of them were for touchdowns. Junior WR ROYDELL WILLIAMS caught three passes for 44 yards, including a 27-yard TD catch. He finished the season with 1,006 receiving yards, becoming the eighth player in Tulane history to post 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He has also moved into fifth place on the school's career receiving list with 2,381 yards.
UAB BLAZERS
The Blazers became just the second team in four years to win at Raymond James Stadium when NICK HAYES kicked a 42-yard field goal with :09 seconds lift to lift to UAB to a 22-19 win over USF. Junior WR RODDY WHITE registered his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season (and second in a row) with five receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman QB CURTIS FALANY made his first start and was 10-of-15 for 128 yards. True freshman RB COREY WHITE has rushed for 202 yards over the last two games. Redshirt freshman DOMINIQUE COSPER had 11 tackles, two TFL's and an interception. In all five UAB victories this season, the team has had more rushing attempts than passing attempts.
MOORE PRODUCTION
Tulane senior RB MEWELDE MOORE had his brilliant career cut short on Nov. 4 when he broke his hand in practice. He missed the Green Wave's final three games of the season. Moore is just the second player in the history of Division I-A football to rush for more than 4,000 yards and catch passes for more than 2,000 yards, joining Darrin Nelson of Stanford. (1977-81). Moore, who is C-USA's all-time leading rusher with 4,364 yards, posted a league-record 6,503 career all-purpose yards.
Moore also finished in seventh place on C-USA's career receptions chart with 187 and 11th place in career receiving yardage with 2,059. He is the only running back on either list.
Moore owns a total of seven Conference USA and 23 Tulane records.
USM'S ONE-TWO PUNCH
The Southern Miss linebacking duo of ROD DAVIS and MICHAEL BOLEY is one of the most productive in the nation. Davis is third in C-USA in tackles with 131, while Boley is fourth with 128. Boley has 18 tackles for loss and seven sacks (both figures are second in C-USA), while Davis has 16 TFL's.
With 493 career tackles, Davis has become the conference's all-time leading tackler, breaking the record set by East Carolina's Pernell Griffin (1998-01). He needs just 18 more to set the USM mark.
A GLANCE AT THIS WEEK'S MATCHUPS
LOUISVILLE at CINCINNATI
Friday, November 28 Cincinnati, Ohio
11:00 a.m. (EST) Nippert Stadium (35,000)
All-Time Series: Cincinnati leads 26-15-1
Last Meeting: Cincinnati 24, Louisville 14 (Nov. 7, 2002)
Television: ESPN 2
Announcers: Dave Ryan (PxP), Chris Spielman (Analyst)
Louisville (8-3, 4-3 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Bobby Petrino (Carroll College '83)
Career Record: 8-3 (1st year)
Record at U of L: 8-3 (1st year)
Last Game: Louisville 66, Houston 45
Next Game: TBA
Cincinnati (5-6, 2-5 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Rick Minter (Henderson State '78)
Career Record: 53-61-1 (10th year)
Record at UC: 53-61-1 (10th year)
Last Game: Memphis 21, Cincinnati 16
Next Game: TBA
GAME NOTES: The annual battle for the Keg-of-Nails....Cincinnati's victory at Louisville last season snapped a four-game U of L win streak in the series....DeMarco McCleskey rushed for two touchdowns in last year's win as UC scored all 24 of its points in the second half, while the Bearcat defense held Louisville to just 28 yards of offense in the second stanza....A Cincinnati victory will make the Bearcats bowl-eligible for the fourth straight year....Louisville enters the game ranked sixth in the nation in total offense, while Cincinnati places 18th in the country in total defense.
SOUTHERN MISS at EAST CAROLINA
Saturday, November 29 Greenville, North Carolina
1:00 p.m. (EST) Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (43,000)
All-Time Series: Southern Miss leads 21-7
Last Meeting: Southern Miss 24, East Carolina 7
Southern Miss (8-3, 7-0 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Jeff Bower (Southern Miss '75)
Career Record: 87-61-1 (13th year)
Record at USM: 87-61-1 (13th year)
Last Game: Southern Miss 40, TCU 28(Nov. 20)
Next Game: TBA
East Carolina (1-10, 1-7 in C-USA)
Head Coach: John Thompson (Central Arkansas '78)
Career Record: 1-10 (1st year)
Record at ECU: 1-10 (1st year)
Last Game: Tulane 28, East Carolina 18
Next Game: Season Completed
GAME NOTES: A Southern Miss victory would give the Golden Eagles the outright regular season C-USA championship, their first since 1999. USM has won at least a share of four of the first eight C-USA titles....Southern Miss has won the last two in the series....This will be the 29th meeting between the schools, making it the fifth-most played series in Conference USA....USM won last year's meeting, 24-7, as the Golden Eagles held ECU to 154 yards of total offense, while Derrick Nix ran for 139 yards and a touchdown in his final game in a USM uniform.
UAB at HOUSTON
Saturday, November 29 Houston, Texas
4:00 p.m. (CST) O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium (32,000)
All-Time Series: UAB leads 3-0
Last Meeting: UAB 51, Houston 34 (Oct. 12, 2002)
UAB (5-6, 4-3 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Watson Brown (Vanderbilt '73)
Career Record: 84-130-1 (19th year)
Record at UAB: 47-53-0 (9th year)
Last Game: UAB 22, USF 19
Next Game: TBA
Houston (6-5, 3-4 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Art Briles (Texas Tech '79)
Career Record: 6-5 (1st year)
Record at UH: 6-5 (1st year)
Last Game: Louisville 66, Houston 45
Next Game: TBA
GAME NOTES: UAB has won all three games in the series, winning by all three games by at least 17 points....In last year's meeting in Birmingham, UAB rallied from a 28-6 second quarter deficit to post a 51-34 win....The Blazers need a win to become bowl-eligible for the third time in the last four years....Houston is looking to snap a three-game home losing streak and assure itself of a winning season for the first time since finishing 7-4 in 1999.
USF at MEMPHIS
Saturday, November 29 Memphis, Tennessee
1:00 p.m. (CST) Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (62,380)
All-Time Series: Series tied 1-1
Television: Fox Sports Net Florida
Announcers: Al Keck (PxP), Doug Graber (Analyst)
Last Meeting: USF 31, Memphis 28 (Nov. 9, 2002)
USF (6-4, 4-3 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Jim Leavitt (Missouri '78)
Career Record: 50-26 (7th year)
Record at USF: 50-26 (7th year)
Last Game: UAB 22, USF 19
Next Game: Season Completed
Memphis (8-3, 5-2 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Tommy West (Tennessee '76)
Career Record: 51-53 (9th year)
Record at UM: 16-18 (3rd year)
Last Game: Memphis 21, Cincinnati 16
Next Game: TBA
GAME NOTES: Home team has won each of the first two games in this series....Teams rank first and second in C-USA in total defense. USF is allowing a league-low 301.4 yards of offense per game, while Memphis is second at 307.2....Memphis has won five games in a row, outscoring its opponents by an average score of 37-14 during that stretch.....In 1976, the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers made current USF Athletic Director and Hall of Fame DL Lee Roy Selmon their first round pick. Later in that draft the Bucs selected Memphis head coach Tommy West, a tight end from Tennessee.
(19) TCU at SMU
Saturday, November 29 Dallas, Texas
2:00 p.m. (CST) Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000)
All-Time Series: Louisville leads 22-16-0
Last Meeting: Houston 27, Louisville 10 (Nov. 30, 2002)
TCU (10-1, 7-1 in C-USA)
Head Coach: Gary Patterson (Kansas State '83)
Career Record: 25-10 (3rd year)
Record at TCU: 25-10 (3rd year)
Last Game: Southern Miss 40, TCU 28
Next Game: TBA
SMU (0-10, 0-8 in WAC)
Head Coach: Phil Bennett (Texas A&M)
Career Record: 3-20 (2nd year)
Record at SMU: 3-20 (2nd year)
Last Game: Rice 41, SMU 20 (Nov. 15)
Next Game: Season Completed
GAME NOTES: The teams meet in the annual battle for the Iron Skillet....The all-time series is tied, but TCU has won each of the last four contests by a combined score of 138-23....After being longtime rivals in the SWC (1928-1995) and the WAC (1996-2000), the teams will again be conference rivals in 2005, when SMU becomes a member of Conference USA.
2003-04 BOWL SCHEDULE
NOKIA SUGAR Jan. 4, New Orleans, La.
BCS #1 vs. BCS #2
CRUCIAL.COM HUMANITARIAN Jan. 3, Boise, Idaho
WAC vs. ACC
TOSTITOS FIESTA Jan. 2, Tempe, Ariz.
BCS vs. BCS
CHICK FIL-A PEACH Jan. 2, Atlanta, Ga.
ACC vs. SEC
SBC COTTON Jan. 2, Dallas, Texas
Big 12 vs. SEC
FED EX ORANGE Jan. 1, Miami, Fla.
BCS vs. BCS
ROSE Jan. 1, Pasadena, Calif.
BCS vs. BCS
CAPITAL ONE Jan. 1, Orlando, Fla.
Big Ten vs. SEC
TOYOTA GATOR Jan. 1, Jacksonville, Fla.
Maryland vs. Big East
OUTBACK Jan. 1, Tampa, Fla.
Big Ten vs. SEC
MAINSTAY INDEPENDENCE Dec. 31, Shreveport, La.
Big 12 vs. SEC
AXA LIBERTY Dec. 31, Memphis, Tenn.
C-USA Champion vs. Utah (Mountain West Champion)
GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY Dec. 30, Nashville, Tenn.
Big Ten vs. SEC
DIAMOND WALNUT SAN FRANCISCO Dec. 31, San Francisco, Calif.
Colorado State vs. Big East
WELLS FARGO SUN Dec. 31, El Paso, Texas
Big Ten vs. Pac-10
SILICON VALLEY Dec. 30, San Jose, Calif.
WAC vs. Pac10
PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY Dec. 30, San Diego, Calif.
Big 12 vs. Pac-10
HOUSTON Dec. 30, Houston, Texas
Big 12 vs. SEC
ALAMO Dec. 29, San Antonio, Texas
Big Ten vs. Big 12
CONTINENTAL TIRE Dec. 27, Charlotte, N.C.
ACC vs. Big East
INSIGHT Dec. 26, Phoenix, Ariz.
Big East vs. Pac-10
MOTOR CITY Dec. 26, Detroit, Mich.
MAC vs. Big Ten
SHERATON HAWAI'I Dec. 25, Honolulu, Hawaii
Conference USA vs. WAC
LAS VEGAS Dec. 24, Las Vegas, Nev.
New Mexico vs. Pac-10
PLAINSCAPITAL FORT WORTH Dec. 23, Fort Worth, Texas
Conference USA vs. Big 12
MAZDA TANGERINE Dec. 22, Orlando, Fla.
ACC vs. Big 12
GMAC Dec. 18, Mobile, Ala.
Conference USA vs. MAC
NEW ORLEANS Dec. 16, New Orleans, La.
Conference USA vs. North Texas (Sun Belt Champion)