Friday News Headlines

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Dallas Morning News

 

Angry Auburn coach can't bite bullet anymore

 

Tuberville bashes BCS because 13-0 Auburn didn't get a shot at title

 

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News

 

HOOVER, Ala. – Six months after it was unbeaten and underappreciated, Auburn represents the flaws in the Bowl Championship Series. The Tigers proved a team could be 12-0 and play in a power conference and not get a chance to play for the national championship.

 

The promise of more BCS transparency won't fix an imperfect system, coach Tommy Tuberville said Thursday at the Southeastern Conference preseason media gathering.

 

"Nothing has been done to solve the problem," Tuberville said. "We have used a Band-Aid. You can have all the voting polls you want. Popular vote is not the way you have a national champion. You need to play it on the field. ... It is the system we have, it's the only one we have, but we can do a lot better."

 

Tuberville took the high road last season and didn't openly campaign to poll voters. He said a move to a playoff system must be generated by fans and the media.

 

That won't heal old wounds.

 

"If you sit in our football team's seat, it will make you pretty mad and make you disgusted with how it all went on," Tuberville said. "Nobody is at fault other than the group of people that have the opportunity to change the rules."

 

Auburn lost four first-round NFL draft picks, including two running backs (Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams) who were taken in the top five. Although Tuberville said this season's team has even more talent, the Tigers aren't generating much buzz after finishing 13-0 with a Sugar Bowl win.

 

"We'll be the underdog," said 6-9, 337-pound offensive tackle Marcus McNeill. "Everybody likes the underdog. Nobody wants to shoot the underdog. It's like, 'Come on, Old Yeller.' "

 

But Old Yeller got shot, someone noted. "We're not going to use that in our analogy," McNeill said.

 

President and CEO: Coach Sylvester Croom has a new role planned for running back Jerious Norwood – besides being Mississippi State's best player.

 

Croom would like Norwood to turn salesman after seeing him rush for 1,050 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

 

"Right now, you are the president of Jerious Norwood Incorporated," Croom said, recalling his advice. "Take every advantage of the media attention."

 

Georgia's test: Georgia's attempt for a soft opener backfired.

 

The Bulldogs, who lost All-America defensive end David Pollack and star quarterback David Greene, get Boise State in their first game. Boise State has won 22 of its last 23 games.

 

"When we brought them on the schedule, most of our fans were like, 'Who is Boise State? Are they a Division I team?' " Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "But I think it is going to force our players to be even more excited about the first game and force them to be even more prepared. There will be no chance of any complacency

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Dennis Dod from CBSSPORTSLINE

 

It was the last place you'd expect Phil Fulmer to make his entrance Wednesday at the SEC media days.

 

Through the front door of the Wynfrey Hotel.

 

For most of the last couple of years (at least) the Tennessee coach has been the most reviled man in this state. He ratted out the beloved Crimson Tide to the NCAA in a celebrated case that landed 'Bama on crippling probation. That's the Alabama version.

 

Fulmer did his duty as a coach to point out rampant cheating at a rival school. That is his version.

 

No matter which version you believe, Fulmer ignored threats left on his cell phone during the sordid affair to deliver a message heard 'round the state on Wednesday.

 

In so many words, it was: Up yours, Alabama.

 

In an at-times strident personal defense before more than 500 media members in a Wynfrey ballroom, the winningest active I-A coach apologized for, well, nothing.

 

"Some people may choose to wallow in the stench of cheating for publicity purposes," Fulmer said at the end of the 20-minute Phil-ibuster that one school official said the coach composed himself on Tuesday.

 

"The only writings that I am looking for (regard) the SEC East and a chance to be part of an SEC Championship Game."

 

Fulmer was neither a defendant nor a plaintiff in a caustic lawsuit brought by former Alabama assistants Ronnie Cottrell and Ivy Moss against the NCAA and recruiting analyst Tom Culpepper. But in many ways he was the centerpiece of the case.

 

It was largely Fulmer alerting the SEC and the NCAA about cheating going on in Memphis that sparked the NCAA investigation. Court documents showed that Fulmer told the SEC that 'Bama booster Logan Young had cheated in recruiting 13 players, mostly from Tennessee.

 

Alabama was investigated after it landed Memphis high school defensive lineman Albert Means. The NCAA stated in its report and a jury later agreed that Young paid Means' high school coach $150,000 to steer the player to Alabama.

 

Young was convicted of racketeering charges and is currently in prison. Alabama also went to jail -- the NCAA kind -- while Fulmer went "free." The court case barely caused a ripple above the Mason-Dixon Line but it was front page news in the Deep South. Essentially the issue came down to a third-grade playground conundrum: Who is worse, the cheater or the snitch who tells the teacher?

 

"We all fear out-of-control boosters or people getting involved in our programs that prey on kids and their families ..." Fulmer said. "I truly believe that we all have an obligation and responsibility to keep our game clean of these people to the best of our abilities."

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Mirrors don't crack when Fulmer looks in them. If the coach can live with himself, then why can't we? Besides, if more coaches were like Fulmer -- who violated the profession's "code of silence" when it comes to cheating -- college athletics would be better off.

 

But not many coaches have a .799 career winning percentage and the undying devotion of a state. That's quite a platform to speak from as the dean of SEC coaches. Fulmer sashayed into The Wynfrey certainly looking vindicated, if not feeling it. He was escorted by a Knoxville city policeman who had to guard against nothing more than Sharpies held out by autograph seekers.

 

"I figured he'd hide as much as he could," said Curtis Graham, a 31-year old Tuscaloosa resident and Alabama fan who staked out the lobby for autographs with his young sons. "He went out of his way (to sign).

 

"You have to give him respect for showing up. He put it behind him for today, which he should have done last year. I think he did the 'man' thing. ... Alabama fans don't forget nothing. I don't like him for what he did, but you've got to admire him for what he did today."

 

That essentially was to face the wrath of 'Bama, the SEC and anybody else head on. Calling ahead to an official who was leading him into a television interview room, Fulmer chidingly warned him to watch out, "You may get shot."

 

Or get caught in the crossfire.

 

In many ways, Fulmer's mere entrance was a landmark event in SEC history. The legal wrangling got so heated that the coach, on advice from attorneys, did not show up for last year's media days. For a coach who makes $2 million a year, the $10,000 fine assessed by the conference office was like having to pay a jaywalking ticket.

 

The lasting image from last year is that of cameras pointed at a telephone speaker. Out squawked Fulmer's voice as he talked to media about his team from the safety of the Volunteer State.

 

Which, of course, only made the faces of the Red Elephants that much redder.

 

They, and others, contend that the coach who turned in 'Bama for cheating looks like he can't keep his own house in order. There have been 20 incidents in the last 16 months involving Tennessee players, ranging from assault to gun charges to failing a drug test.

 

This offseason has been particularly disturbing:

 

* A freshman linebacker and defensive end have been charged with aggravated assault for breaking the jaw of a student at a fraternity dance on March 4.

 

* After a pickup basketball game on June 12, 6-foot-7, 300-pound defensive tackle Tony McDaniel was charged with aggravated assault. McDaniel allegedly elbowed an opponent in the face.

 

Both incidents smack of the worst and most cowardly type of street justice: Neither alleged victim saw who hit him. Shadiyah Murphy said he was hit from behind at the frat party. Charges were filed only after Deshaun Goodrich saw on a surveillance tape that, allegedly, McDaniel's elbow wasn't inadvertent.

 

Seemingly, Tennessee players can't even violate the law honorably.

 

"I'm glad we haven't had anybody -- knock on wood -- who robbed a bank or murdered somebody," Fulmer said. "How many have you been in a pickup basketball and in an instant we lost it?"

 

That sounded strangely like a rationalization. Plus, there are a lot of us, coach, who have gotten mad in pickup games and not ended up charged with assault. Fulmer almost went over the edge again when supposedly talking about former player Brandon Johnson. Johnson was charged with felony reckless endangerment after shooting a gun into the air outside of the apartment of teammate Cedric Houston. Johnson was kicked off the team. A judge eventually threw out the charge for lack of evidence.

 

"How do you keep a kid from -- after you have a huge win like we had over Florida -- he goes out on his balcony and shoots a gun in the air?" Fulmer said.

 

Perhaps no one is really getting worked up about this in the SEC because it's hard to throw stones from multi-million dollar glass facilities. Georgia and South Carolina, in particular, have had their own share of offseason problems. In this conference it could happen to anyone, at any time. Except Vanderbilt, and they don't really play football anyway, do they?

 

Plus the main event is Oct. 22 when Fulmer has to really venture into the belly of the beast. Tennessee visits Alabama that day. Forget fines: Fulmer will have to be there.

 

"There's no winners in all this (stuff)," Fulmer grumbled.

 

Oh, there's a big one, as long as that .799 winning percentage stays steady

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SPORTS.YAHOO.COM

 

USC has set a school record for football season tickets sold, athletics director Eric Hyman announced Thursday.

 

The Gamecocks have sold 62,618 season tickets for the 2005 football campaign, surpassing the previous mark of 62,103, set in 2002. The numbers do not include student tickets and tickets set aside for visiting teams.

 

"This is a tremendous reflection on the enthusiasm generated for coach Steve Spurrier and Gamecock football," Hyman said in a press release. "To set the all-time season ticket record speaks volumes about the fans and what the future has in store for our football program."

 

Because of the spike in season-ticket sales many Gamecock Club members will receive one of two partial ticket packages for the 2005 season: a six-game package that includes all home games except Clemson, and a four-game package that consists of all home games except Alabama, Florida and Clemson.

 

Season tickets will be mailed Aug. 5. Refunds for members not receiving full season-ticket packages will be mailed on Aug. 11.

 

All home single-game tickets are sold out, and USC's allotment of individual tickets for road games - with the exception of the Arkansas game Nov. 5 in Fayetteville - are also gone.

 

The remaining tickets for the are on sale now for Gamecock Club members. The general public will be able to purchase tickets to the Arkansas game beginning Monday at 8:30 a.m. at the USC ticket office on Rosewood Drive or by calling (800) 472-3267

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USC RB Cory Boyd is done for '05

 

His suspension leaves USC very thin at tailback

 

By JOSEPH PERSON

Staff Writer

TheState

 

HOOVER, Ala. — Cory Boyd will not be a part of the first year of the Steve Spurrier Era at USC.

 

Boyd, a junior tailback who has been suspended indefinitely since June, will not be allowed to play for the Gamecocks this season, a source told The State on Thursday.

 

Boyd’s suspension resulted from an undisclosed violation of athletics department policy. Spurrier has refused to divulge the reason for the suspension, except to say it is not related to academics.

 

Boyd’s status beyond the 2005 season is unclear. Because the New Jersey native was not redshirted as a freshman, he would have two years of eligibility remaining if he were to be reinstated.

 

Spurrier said Wednesday at SEC Media Days that he expected Boyd’s situation to be resolved by this weekend. Boyd was not included in the 2005 media guide that was released this week.

 

Attempts to reach Boyd and his mother, Lisa Merriweather, on Thursday were unsuccessful. Earlier this month, Merriweather said Boyd would remain at USC regardless of his status this season.

 

“He will graduate from the University of South Carolina, and he will play football at some point,” Merriweather said at the time.

 

Boyd returned to his home in West Caldwell, N.J., following the first session of summer school and has been working out at his former high school.

 

He becomes the third running back the Gamecocks have lost since the end of the 2004 season. Tailback Demetris Summers, the Lexington native who led USC in rushing with 487 yards, was dismissed in March for violating the school’s drug policy. Fullback Antonio Lamar left school in May after becoming academically ineligible.

 

Since Spurrier succeeded Lou Holtz in November, six players, including Boyd, have been either suspended or dismissed for disciplinary reasons: Summers, defensive linemen Moe Thompson and Kevin Mainord, offensive lineman Woodly Telfort and receiver David Smith.

 

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Boyd was expected to be an important cog in Spurrier’s offense. Often lining up as a slot receiver during Holtz’s final season, Boyd caught 35 passes for 347 yards and rushed for 309 yards on 62 carries.

 

Senior Daccus Turman is listed as the starting tailback on the Gamecocks’ preseason depth chart, followed by former walk-on Jermaine Sims. Turman, a 5-11, 235-pounder from Washington, Ga., is a bruising runner who rushed for 1,010 yards on 222 carries in his first three seasons.

 

Spurrier has said freshman backs Mike Davis and Bobby Wallace could factor in his plans. Davis was regarded by many as the state’s top back when he rushed for 2,226 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior at Columbia High.

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Ivan Maisel/ ESPN SPORTS

ESPN.COM

 

When Barry Alvarez arrived at Wisconsin 15 years ago, he took over the worst program in the Big Ten Conference, if not the nation. The Badgers had won three games in the previous two seasons, running a calcified Veer offense that had been shed years before by other coaches.

 

When Alvarez announced Thursday that he had decided to retire from coaching after this season, and named defensive coordinator Bret Bielema as his successor, he left one of the best programs in the Big Ten and the nation.

 

 

 

Barry Alvarez has taken the Badgers to three Rose Bowls in his first 15 years at Wisconsin. His record of 108-70-4 (.604) doesn't indicate how well Wisconsin has done. The Badgers lost 16 of their first 20 games under Alvarez. By his fourth season (1993), however, Alvarez guided Wisconsin to the 1994 Rose Bowl. At the end of the decade, Wisconsin went to consecutive Rose Bowls (1999, 2000). Alvarez produced a Heisman Trophy winner in tailback Ron Dayne, whose power epitomized the stink-on-stink style that Alvarez prized. He sent a lot more tailbacks and run blockers to the NFL than he ever did quarterbacks.

 

He tailored that physical style to his new home. "Our hearts and minds will come from Wisconsin," he said when he took over, "but our hands and feet had better come from somewhere else."

 

And so they did. Dayne came to Madison from New Jersey. The Badgers became a presence there and in Connecticut. The Badgers became a presence in the minds of football fans across the nation, a contender for the Big Ten title on an annual basis.

 

Alvarez, who will remain as athletics director, gave no public inkling that he had begun to think of coaching retirement. He called a staff meeting Thursday morning, then a team meeting.

 

"You know what? I have a great guy on staff," Alvarez said of Bielema, who is 35. "I didn't want to lose a year in recruiting."

 

The Badgers have commitments from eight players, and Alvarez believed that if he waited until January to make an announcement, it would have been too close to the February signing date not to have an effect.

 

"The only thing that it's changed this year is that Bret will be responsible for recruiting," Alvarez said.

 

He hired Bielema away from Kansas State before the 2004 season. Bielema had discussed becoming defensive coordinator at Auburn for coach Tommy Tuberville, but decided to go to work for Alvarez. There was no understanding, Alvarez said, that Bielema would be promoted.

 

"No, I brought him in just to run the defense," Alvarez said.

 

"I was impressed with Bret, the way he came in last year," he said. "He's very bright. He's got a very good background. He's got a tremendous rapport with the staff and the athletes. I was impressed with how he handled the staff, the older coaches. He's a tremendous recruiter."

 

Tie goes to the guy in house.

 

"You think about a lot of other people [as candidates]," Alvarez said. "I had a guy right here. It made it a lot easier to make the decision. Had I not had somebody on the staff, I don't know if I would have been ready."

 

There will be transition this season, what with the loss of 15 starters. There will be transition next year, when Bielema takes over. By announcing now, Alvarez combined the two. There's a good chance he saved the Badgers a lot of time and angst.

 

 

Ivan Maisel is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at ivan.maisel@espn3.com.

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4 Players violated unspecified team rules

 

ESPN.COM

 

 

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Southern Mississippi coach Jeff Bower suspended two players, including star kick returner John Eubanks, dismissed two others and announced Thursday the team's leading rusher and another player have quit the squad.

 

Eubanks, who also starts at cornerback, and backup tight end Pedi Causey were suspended for the Sept. 4 season opener against Tulane for violating unspecified team policies.

 

Eubanks returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against Houston last season, and he shared the team lead with three interceptions.

 

Defensive back Darrell Bennett and linebacker Kenneth Boley were also dismissed for violating team policies.

 

Leaving the team were running back Anthony Harris and linebacker Naton Stewart. No explanation was given by Bower.

 

Harris moved to fullback this season after leading the Golden Eagles in rushing the past two seasons at tailback. He ran for 714 yards and five touchdowns on 175 carries last season.

 

Boley, the only junior among the six players, is the older brother of former Southern Miss linebacker Michael Boley, the 2004 Conference USA defensive player of the year and a fifth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons.

 

Bennett was expected to start at free safety after starting at rover last season. Stewart, a backup last season, was expected to start at this year

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Ol' Ballcoach ready to stir up SEC once again

 

GENE WOJCICHOWSKI/ESPN WRITER

ESPN.COM

 

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The University of South Carolina charter plane is scheduled to leave here Wednesday at 1 p.m. and land in Birmingham less than two hours later. That's when The HBC and his small Gamecock entourage will make their way to the Wynfrey Hotel, site of the annual pigskinpalooza known as SEC Football Media Days or, as some are calling it: Return of the Visor.

 

Some things just don't seem right: Hooters waitresses wearing cardigans ... french fries dipped in yogurt ... Steve Spurrier in the NFL. This -- The Head Ballcoach returning to the league and college game he once ruled -- seems right. That's because Spurrier and Saturdays in the SEC go together like Ohio State and investigations.

 

Nearly 700 media credentials have been issued for the three-day football fest, which is more than were issued for the SEC championship game and only about 100 fewer credentials than were issued for last January's national championship in the Orange Bowl. Those were actual games. This is a dozen coaches wearing suits, droning on about their two-deep depth charts.

 

But Spurrier will liven things up. He always does.

 

"I don't have any profound words of wisdom or predictions for the [media]," said Spurrier, as he sat in a restaurant booth Monday evening, just hours removed from attending the funeral of a University of Florida friend. "They may be a little disappointed. I'm going to say we're going to have a competitive team. What our record is, who knows?"

 

I've listened to Spurrier before at these SEC preseason gigs. I'll take the over on profound, on predictions, on moments when Spurrier won't be able to press his own mute button. That's why there won't be an empty seat in the hotel auditorium when Spurrier arrives for his late-afternoon session. That's why 20 sports talks shows have reserved space on Radio Row, the long hallway just a few steps from the Wynfrey's registration desk.

 

When Spurrier ended his self-imposed one-year stay on Elba and replaced a Lou Holtz regime that had atrophied and resorted to NCAA rules cutting, it was as if the SEC suddenly chugged a case of Red Bull. Now there are so many storylines this week that you need a valet parker for them all.

 

Not only do you have Spurrier's return after a confusing, dysfunctional two-year tenure with the Redskins, but you have Urban Meyer replacing Ron Zook at The HBC's old dynasty -- Florida. You have Les Miles replacing Nick Saban at LSU, Ed Orgeron replacing David Cutcliffe at Ole Miss, and Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer almost replacing Auburn as the person/rival Alabama fans would most like to see hideously scarred by a lava flow (Fulmer, among others, ratted on 'Bama to the NCAA, and the testimony became public).

 

But make no mistake: Spurrier is the SEC Media Days headliner. He's the reason why South Carolina's leading newspaper, The State, runs a daily "Countdown to the Spurrier Era."

 

Until Monday evening, the last time I saw Spurrier was in April, the week of the Masters. Back then he still didn't completely know his way around Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium, but he knew more than $3 million worth of donations had streamed in since he took the job.

 

He gave me a tour of the new football facility attached to one end of the concrete stadium. He showed me the football-only weight room, the sprint track, the state-of-the-art film rooms. But there was an awkward silence when he stopped at the sparse trophy case, which featured hardware from a 2001 Outback Bowl victory.

 

"Outback Bowl, that's about it," said Spurrier, who won a national championship, seven SEC titles, and 122 games during his 12-year stay at Florida. "Yep, Outback Bowl."

 

His third-floor office, which overlooks the field, had been aired out to rid the place of Holtz's pipe smoke. On a shelf in back of his desk was his original Florida helmet (a MacGregor model) from his days as a Gator star, as well as helmets from all of his playing/coaching stops (San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Bucs, Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL, Duke), except the Redskins. Spurrier would rather sing "Rocky Top" than acknowledge his employment experience with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.

 

He pulled out a blue-and-white seersucker outfit and said he was going to wear it on the sidelines one day. He clicked on a battery-operated mascot doll called, "Little Cocky," and happily watched as it strutted and played the school fight song. He pointed toward the empty stadium and said he was going to have the place painted, that he wanted to make South Carolina "a cool school ... get a buzz going about it."

 

The buzz will reach critical mass the moment he steps foot into the Wynfrey and becomes close, personal friends with the army of waiting minicams. And just wait until the Gamecocks' Sept. 1 season opener against Central Florida, or the Sept. 10 game at Georgia, or the Oct. 29 visit to Tennessee (he loves to push Fulmer's buttons), or the Nov. 12 game against Meyer and the Gators.

 

Spurrier turned 60 in April (as part of his birthday present, staffers arranged a call with one of his longtime favorites, John Wooden), but looks 50. He follows the advice of Satchel Paige, who once said something to the effect: How old would you act if you didn't know how old you were?

 

Once again, free of the 12-20 Redskins experiment, Spurrier doesn't know how old he is.

 

"I feel rejuvenated," he said at dinner's end. "I feel a lot like my first year at Florida in 1990."

 

That was the year the Gators finished 9-2 and ranked 13th in the polls. Do that this year at Carolina and the Outback Bowl hardware is going to have to find a new home.

 

 

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.