ESPN: UConn wins Independence Bowl

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=290030041&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The UConn Huskies (8-5) overcame five first-half turnovers and a 20-10 deficit to beat Buffalo and win their second bowl game in three appearances since joining the Big East in 2004.

Sporting News: Utah completes perfect season with win at Sugar Bowl

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=502914

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Coach Nick Saban and the Alabama players repeatedly said the Sugar Bowl will be a key to how this team will be remembered.

If true, that's bad news for the No. 4 Crimson Tide. Down to its third-team left tackle, Alabama's offensive line uncharacteristically struggled and its normally stingy defense was victimized by quarterback Brian Johnson and No. 7 Utah in a 31-17 Sugar Bowl loss Friday night.

Alabama (12-2) couldn't summon up the physical, feisty style that led to a perfect regular season and the absence of All-America left tackle Andre Smith clearly hurt.

The Tide had no answer to the spread, no-huddle offenses of Florida and former Utah coach Urban Meyer in the Southeastern Conference championship game or the Utes (13-0) in the Sugar Bowl. And a regular season that ended with Alabama holding the No. 1 ranking seems a distant memory.

"You've got to finish," tailback Glen Coffee said. "This does put a damper on our season, no matter how much light you try to throw on it, no matter how much you try to make it sound good or sound like a Cinderella story. We didn't finish and that's something we've got to live with the rest of our lives."

The beleaguered offensive line was vulnerable to a quick, aggressive defense. Smith, the Outland Trophy winner, was home in Birmingham after being suspended four days before the game for alleged dealings with an agent.

Replacement Mike Johnson, normally a starting guard, left with an injured right ankle in the first quarter and didn't return.

"We lost two of our three best offensive linemen in this game," Saban said. "We struggled to pass block. We didn't give our quarterback a chance too many times in the pocket to be able to throw the ball effectively. We were basically ineffective running the football for the most part.

"It starts up front. I don't think we did a very good job up front in this game, and we've done a great job all year up front. And that's been sort of the trademark of our team, is our ability to run and not make bad plays."

David Ross took Johnson's normal spot. Right tackle Drew Davis switched sides and freshman John Michael Boswell replaced him.

A line that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham had said was the key to Alabama's offense was suddenly a weak spot. Alabama's John Parker Wilson was sacked eight times and harried into two interceptions and a fumble. All-SEC tailback Coffee was held to 36 yards rushing.

And Brian Johnson picked Alabama apart early to push Utah to a 21-0 lead, only the second time all season that Alabama has been down after the first quarter. The nation's No. 3 defense allowed 150 yards in that quarter after coming into the game giving up 257 a game.

"It was tough to start out down 21-0, but we still had a lot of time left to go," Wilson said. "Nobody panicked. We were just going to stay with our game plan."

The game plan, as usual, largely centers on the running game. Alabama was held to 31 yards on 33 attempts after coming in averaging nearly 200 yards a game.

"We didn't come out of the locker room ready to play," Davis said. "We got out of position several times and they capitalized. We lost a few guys on the line early, but we can't place the blame on that. We had a lot of faith in our offensive line and we're very disappointed we didn't finish strong."

The biggest play for Alabama was Javier Arenas' 73-yard punt return for a touchdown to make it 21-10 in the second quarter. Wilson's 4-yard touchdown pass to Coffee made it 21-17 early in the third, but Alabama didn't score again.

And the Alabama players leave a once-sweet season with a sour taste.

"We didn't finish the season like we wanted and I'm sorry for that," Saban said. "I'm sorry for them. I think they deserved better. We wanted better for them."

ESPN: Ole Miss beats Texas Tech in final Cotton Bowl played at Cotton Bowl

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A season of revival for Ole Miss that already included an upset at the Swamp culminated Friday with a 47-34 victory over No. 7 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, sending No. 25 Mississippi into the offseason with a six-game winning streak and the anticipation of how coach Houston Nutt will build on his terrific debut year.

SI.com: Diamondbacks CEO resigns, plans to buy Padres

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/01/02/diamondbacks.moorad.resigns.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

Jeff Moorad has resigned as Arizona Diamondbacks chief executive officer and says he has reached an agreement in principle to buy the San Diego Padres.

Moorad said Friday he heads a "small but significant" group of investors that has an exclusive right to complete the specifics of negotiations with Padres owner John Moores. Moorad said he hopes the transaction can be completed in the next three months.

ESPN: Kentucky wins Liberty Bowl

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Kentucky won 25-19 over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl on Friday, and gave the Wildcats a third straight postseason victory -- a distinction not even Bear Bryant's teams were able to achieve decades earlier.

Sporting News: Peyton manning named NFL MVP

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=502701

Peyton Manning can tell Brett Favre to move over and make room for him atop the roster of NFL Most Valuable Players.

For the third time, Manning won the award by The Associated Press, tying Favre as the only players in that elite category.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback was a landslide winner Friday in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Manning also was the league MVP in 2003, when he shared it with Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, and in 2004.

Favre, then with Green Bay, took MVP honors in 1995 and '96 before sharing it with Detroit running back Barry Sanders in 1997.

"I know it's an individual award, but ... truly, in my opinion, a team award," said Manning, who received 32 votes, far ahead of Miami quarterback Chad Pennington (4) and Atlanta running back Michael Turner (4).

"It's been the most rewarding regular season that I've been a part of in my 11 years, and I have to believe a lot of the other players and even coaches might feel the same way."

This has been a most unusual season for the Colts, who normally have the AFC South just about clinched by Thanksgiving. Manning had two operations on his left knee in the preseason, cutting into practice time, blunting his usual precision as a passer and, eventually, leading to a 3-4 start.

From there, with Manning getting sharper by the week, the Colts won nine straight games to secure a wild-card berth and a meeting Saturday night with San Diego.

In that streak, Manning is 209-of-290 for 2,248 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. He extended his NFL record with his ninth 4,000-yard season and finished with 27 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a 95.0 passer rating.

Manning called the award emblematic of what others, including owner Jim Irsay, president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy, did to help rally the Colts from a 3-4 start to make the playoffs for a seventh straight season.

"I really accept this award on behalf of the team and the organization because there is no way we would be in the playoffs and bounced back without those three people creating a winning environment," he said after receiving the award.

The folks in Indianapolis might take for granted having Manning behind center, just as Packers and now Jets fans have assumed Favre would be there every week. Favre has started 269 straight regular-season games, the record for quarterbacks. Manning's string is 176 -- every game since he was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft.

"In other years, everything started fast," Colts running back Dominic Rhodes said. "He's still breaking records. But this year, there were a bunch of negative things said in the beginning, and he brought his best when we needed his best.

"This is probably the best ball I've seen him play."

Tony Dungy would agree. The Colts' coach said several times he favored Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison for MVP -- Harrison tied with Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson with three votes. But after Manning's flawless work in the second half of the season, Dungy, while admittedly biased, changed his mind.

"I said after we left Pittsburgh (on Nov. 9) that I would vote for James Harrison," Dungy noted this week. "If I was voting today, I'd vote for Peyton Manning."

A vast majority of the voters did.

Also receiving votes were San Diego QB Philip Rivers (2), Tennessee rookie running back Chris Johnson (1) and Arizona QB Kurt Warner (1).

"I'm honored to receive this award because of the number of other worthy candidates who had some great years," Manning said. "It was just fun for me, truly, to watch them. I'm just glad to be a part of it."

ESPN: Kansas State QB freeman to enter NFL Draft

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3804400&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines

Kansas State junior quarterback Josh Freeman said Thursday he will enter this spring's NFL draft.

"I've done all the research," said Freeman, who is 6-6, 238 pounds. "Kansas State is starting over and this is what I've always wanted to do. The time is right."

New York Times: Georgia beats Michigan State in Capital One Bowl

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/01/sports/AP-FBC-T25-Capital-One-Bowl.html

Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes in the second half, hitting Knowshown Moreno for the clinching score to lead No. 16 Georgia over No. 19 Michigan State 24-12 Thursday in the Capital One Bowl.

Sporting News: Stoops receives $3 Million bonus from Oklahoma

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=502565

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops earned $3 million when the calendar flipped.

A clause in Stoops' contract -- approved in 2005 by the university's board of regents -- provided for the 48-year-old coach to receive a so-called "stay bonus" of $3 million after completing 10 seasons as the Sooners' coach.

Stoops was scheduled to receive the bonus if he remained at Oklahoma through 2008, which ended Wednesday. He was hired as the Sooners' coach in December 1998, replacing John Blake.

ESPN: Two South Carolina Gamecocks to enter NFL Draft

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3804333&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines

Two South Carolina players said following the Outback Bowl that they will enter the NFL draft.

Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and linebacker Eric Norwood said following the Gamecocks' 31-10 loss to Iowa that they'd made a decision.

"I can be a good cover corner in the NFL," Munnerlyn, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound junior, said. "I just talked it over with my mom and I'm ready. The league said I should be drafted in the first three rounds."

Norwood led the Southeastern Conference in sacks.

"I'm ready for the pro game. I'm looking forward to being a pro," the 6-1, 253-pound junior said.

New York Times: USC wins Rose Bowl

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/sports/ncaafootball/02rose.html

The fifth-ranked USC Trojans burnished their reputation as big-game players Thursday by running roughshod over sixth-ranked Penn State, 38-24, before 93,293 fans in the 95th Rose Bowl.

U.S.C. (12-1) rolled up the Pasadena Freeway with the nation’s top-ranked defense and a question mark of an offense, but they left behind only an exclamation point after quarterback Mark Sanchez passed for four touchdowns and a career-high 413 yards, the second-highest total in Rose Bowl history behind the 456 thrown by Oregon’s Danny O’Neil against Penn State in 1995.

ESPN: LSU's Ricky Jean-Francois to enter NFL Draft

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3804487&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines

LSU defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois will enter the NFL draft, a person close to the player said Thursday.

Jean-Francois, a junior, was named defensive MVP of the 2008 BCS National Championship game against Ohio State, recording six tackles and assisting on a sack in the Tigers' 38-24 defeat of the Buckeyes in New Orleans.

New York Times: Iowa wins Outback Bowl, Greene announces he's leaving for NFL

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/sports/ncaafootball/02colleges.html

Shonn Greene ran for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. He rushed for more than 100 yards in each of Iowa’s 13 games, scored in all but one, and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back.

Iowa (9-4) won for the sixth time in seven games since losing three straight to fall to 3-3. South Carolina (7-6) lost three straight down the stretch while being outscored, 118-30.

ESPN: Nebraska beats Clemson in Gator Bowl

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Nebraska QB Joe Ganz shook off a horrible first half and a slight concussion, threw for two touchdowns and led Nebraska to a 26-21 victory against Clemson in the Gator Bowl, giving the storied program plenty of optimism following coach Bo Pelini's first season.

New York Times: Virginia Tech wins Orange Bowl

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/sports/ncaafootball/02orange.htmla

No. 21 Virginia Tech outlasted No. 12 Cinncinati, 20-7, on Thursday night in a forgettable Orange Bowl. The victory gave the Hokies their fifth consecutive season of 10 or more victories, joining only Texas and Southern California as teams with that distinction.

ESPN: Oregon beats Oklahoma State in Holiday Bowl

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Jeremiah Masoli and Oregon were a perfect fit for the high-scoring Holiday Bowl.

Masoli ran through and over Oklahoma State's defense for three touchdowns and threw for another to lead the No. 17 Ducks to a 42-31 win over the No. 13 Cowboys in a wild, record-setting Holiday Bowl on Tuesday night.

Masoli, a junior college transfer, quickly moved up from No. 3 on the depth chart this season due to injuries. He was recruited because coach Mike Bellotti thought he'd be a great passer, then proved to be quite the runner.

"He's a tough son of a gun," Bellotti said. "He's faster than most people think and he's stronger and more difficult to take down. And he ran over and around and through people today."

Masoli scored on option keepers of 1, 41 and 17 yards in the third quarter, then threw a 20-yard scoring pass to Jaison Williams in the fourth quarter. Masoli ran over OSU free safety Quinton Moore on his 41-yard jaunt.

There were big runs, big passes and big hits in a game showcasing two of the nation's most prolific offenses, both of which feature the spread option led by running QBs. Oregon gained 565 yards and OSU had 469.

Oregon finished 10-3, the fourth time it's had double-digit wins in Bellotti's 14 seasons as coach. Oklahoma State finished 9-4 under Mike Gundy, the winning quarterback for Oklahoma State in the 1988 Holiday Bowl.

The Holiday Bowl has a history of wild finishes, and this one had five lead changes in the second half.

Oregon's LeGarrette Blount put an exclamation point on the victory with a 29-yard touchdown run during which he hurdled Moore and stiff-armed cornerback Perrish Cox with 3 minutes to play.

With the Ducks trailing 17-7, Walter Thurmond returned the second-half kickoff 91 yards to the 3. Masoli scored his first TD two plays later.

"It gave us a lot of juice and momentum," Masoli said. "We made our adjustments and came back on fire."

Masoli said the Ducks adjusted to the Cowboys' coverage, changed their blocking assignments "and that's what opened it up."

Masoli gained 106 yards on 16 carries. He completed 18 of 32 passes for 258 yards. Oregon's Jeremiah Johnson ran 12 times for 119 yards, including a 76-yard TD that eclipsed one of Barry Sanders' Holiday Bowl records.

Blount's 74 yards on seven carries gave him 1,002 yards for the season. He and Johnson became the second duo in school history to each have 1,000 or more yards. Johnson finished with 1,201 yards.

"They were much more physical than us in the second half," Gundy said. "We were not able to overcome that."

Oregon and Oklahoma State each erased records from that Holiday Bowl 20 years ago, when Sanders, the Heisman Trophy winner, ran for 222 yards and five TDs in a 62-14 romp over Wyoming.

Johnson's 76-yard touchdown run in the first quarter eclipsed Sanders' 67-yard TD in 1988 as the longest run from scrimmage in the Holiday Bowl. Johnson took an inside handoff and seemed bottled up, but worked his way to the left sideline, where he picked up three blocks on his way to the end zone.

Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant set Holiday Bowl records with 13 catches for 167 yards, among them a 33-yard TD that gave the Cowboys a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The 13 catches were a career high for Bryant, who twice was forced out of the game with a knee injury.

The old Holiday Bowl records were 11 catches by BYU's David Mills in 1984 and Texas' Roy Williams in 2001, and 163 yards by Oklahoma State's Hart Lee Dykes in 1988.

"We lose some when Dez is not in there," Gundy said. "But we have some players who we expect to step up and make plays. ... We just weren't effective enough running the ball in the second half. They were more physical than us."

Bryant said the outcome "probably would have been different" if he hadn't been injured.

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson took a few big hits yet threw for 329 yards, completing 27 of 50 passes, and ran 16 times for 54 yards and a score.

Oregon trailed 17-7 at halftime but came back on Masoli's first two scoring runs to go ahead 21-17 by midway through the third quarter.

Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter answered with his second TD of the game, from 4 yards, before Masoli scored again. The Cowboys took their last lead, 31-28, when Robinson scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Masoli's TD pass to Williams gave the Ducks the lead for good, 35-31.

The Ducks dedicated the win to Todd Doxey, a redshirt freshman from San Diego who drowned last summer in Oregon's McKenzie River.

"We talked about being here to start the season with a funeral and being here at the end to honor his memory the best way we could, which was to play well and win the football game," Bellotti said. "I think Todd is with us here today."

New York Times: Mayo wins Defensive Rookie of the Year

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2008/12/31/sports/AP-FBN-AP-Defensive-Rookie.html

Jerod Mayo firmly answered everyone who criticized the Patriots for taking him with the 10th pick in April's draft by winning The Associated Press 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Mayo was a nearly unanimous choice, earning 49 of 50 votes Wednesday from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. He was the outstanding performer on a linebacking corps that often struggled during New England's 11-5 season, leading the team with 137 tackles.

Mayo's versatility, highlighted by quickness and a physical style, made him stand out even though the Patriots didn't make the playoffs.

"Jerod's done a lot for us," coach Bill Belichick said. "We've asked a lot of him and from Day 1 he's really been a well-prepared, very mature player who can do a lot of things: play the running game, play in the passing game, blitz, helps us in the kicking game.

"He's smart, makes a lot of defensive adjustments and calls for us there. He runs well. He's tough. He's a good all-around football player, very mature, very professional. For a rookie, he's probably as professional as anybody I've coached."

The sixth straight linebacker to win the award, Mayo was a starter all season. Seven times he led the Patriots in tackles, with five games of at least 10 stops. His best work came in a 34-31 overtime loss to the Jets when he finished with 23 tackles, 17 solo. The 23 tackles were the most by a Patriot since 1994.

"Jerod's taken his leadership up," veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "I think he came in as a rookie and obviously learned the playbook and learned everything in and out and physically can go out there and make any play that we needed him to."

Mayo learned well from Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and the other New England linebackers. And if the veterans' performances slipped this year, Mayo made up for much of it with his dynamic play.

He said even after Bruschi was sidelined with knee issues, he kept the longtime star's advice at hand.

"Yeah. Ever since I came in on the first day Tedy has taken me under his wing and showed me the ropes," Mayo said. "He's like an older brother to me."

The only other defensive rookie to get a vote was Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. Of course, the rookie crop was far deeper on offense this year.

But that doesn't diminish Mayo's work.

"He's very, very fast, very physical, he runs around (and) makes a bunch of plays for them," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of the former Tennessee star.

"As a rookie, to come in and to step up to the plate and basically been thrown into the fire, I think he's handled it pretty well," Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork added. "He's one heck of a player and he's going to get better and better as time rolls on."

Mayo is the second Patriot to win the award; defensive back Mike Haynes got it in 1976.

Last year's winner was 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis.

ESPN: Maryland beats Nevada in Humanitarian Bowl

http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283652440

Ralph Friedgen's initial reaction was to put Da'Rel Scott and the six other Maryland players who broke curfew leading up to the Humanitarian Bowl on a bus with a one-way ticket back to College Park, Md.

Instead of being run out of town, Scott stuck around and ran over Nevada.

Benched for 2½ quarters for his curfew violation, an inspired Scott became an unstoppable running force for the final 20 minutes. He carried 14 times for 174 yards and scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns as Maryland held off the Wolf Pack 42-35 on Tuesday.

"I just felt as though I had to run with a purpose," Scott said.

And run Scott did, blowing through a worn down Nevada defense in the final quarter. He sprinted 49 yards nearly untouched to snap a 28-all tie early in the fourth, then added a 2-yard TD gallop to put the Terps up 14 points with 7:44 left.

But until he got his first carry midway through the third quarter, doubt lingered in Scott's mind as to if his transgression would keep him off the field. He was one of seven Terps caught by Friedgen, who declined to specify what the players did, but indicated the players had sneaked out a couple of nights before the game.

"Five percent of guys thought they didn't need to listen to me, that they could get bed checked and sneak out," Friedgen said. "This isn't my first rodeo."

Scott's first carry came with 5:55 left in the third quarter and Maryland needed all of his 174 yards to hold off quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Nevada's potent "pistol" offense. Kaepernick, who played the second half with a sprained right ankle, misfired in the first half, but found his throwing rhythm after briefly being benched in the third quarter.

Kaepernick finished 24-for-47 for a bowl-record 370 yards and three touchdowns, and added a 15-yard scoring run with 2:19 left. But Maryland recovered the onside kick and walked away with its fourth bowl victory since 2002.

"I was proud of the way we stepped up and got back into it, but we came up short," Kaepernick said.

Scott was one of four starters to become statues on the Maryland sideline as Friedgen handed down his punishment. Scott initially starting stretching and running after the first quarter ended believing he'd get a shot in the second. The warmup was for naught as he and starting wide receiver Danny Oquendo continued to watch until the second half began.

Once Scott got the ball in his hands, he couldn't be stopped.

His first run was for 14 yards and he went for 11 on the next play. His 49-yard touchdown dash with 12:21 left put Maryland up 35-28 and vaulted Scott over 1,000 yards for the season -- the seventh back in Maryland history to top 1,000 yards.

On Maryland's next drive, Scott accounted for all 66 yards with runs of 11, 23 and 30 yards, and finally his 2-yard score with 7:44 left that proved to be the winning points.

"He just ran through us like we weren't there," Nevada coach Chris Ault said.

Kaepernick, the WAC offensive player of the year, was injured while being sacked late in the first half and moved the rest of the game with a noticeable limp. But he was able to capitalize on a pair of mistakes by Maryland quarterback Chris Turner to help the Wolf Pack pull even.

Nevada's Jonathon Amaya intercepted Turner's pass near midfield midway through the third quarter and returned it to the Maryland 22. Three plays later, Kaepernick hit Vai Taua behind the Maryland secondary for a 17-yard TD score to get the Wolf Pack to 28-21.

Late in the third, Turner was hit as he attempted to throw a screen at the Nevada 20. The throw went backward and Nate Agaiava recovered for the Wolf Pack. Kaepernick needed only five plays and less than two minutes to draw even, hitting Marko Mitchell on a 21-yard TD.

The tie lasted only a couple of minutes. Turner hit Torrey Smith for 26 yards on third down, and two plays later Scott ran for his seventh touchdown of the season to give the Terps the lead for good.

"He realized that the game could've been taken from him at any moment, so he played like every play was his last out there," Smith said about Scott's effort. "You could see it in his eyes."

The wild nature and offensive firepower of this bowl game would have made hometown Boise State proud.

While Scott and Oquendo watched from the sideline in the first half, their backups and Turner did more than keep up with a Nevada offense that was averaging 510.6 yards and 37.8 points per game.

Turner hit third-string Adrian Cannon for a 59-yard TD on Maryland's opening drive, and found Oquendo's backup, Ronnie Tyler, for a 14-yard score late in the first half to give Maryland a 28-14 lead at the break. Smith added a 99-yard kickoff return and Scott's backup, Morgan Green, added a 53-yard scoring run in the first half.

It was the type of rally Friedgen was hoping to see when he disciplined his stars.

"You saw some guys play that probably wouldn't have been playing and they made some plays that made us a better football team," he said.

Sporting News: UCLA's Walker hired as New Mexico State coach

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=501946

UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker has been hired as New Mexico State's new head coach.

NMSU athletic director McKinley Boston announced the hiring Tuesday. The university scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning to formally introduce Walker.

Walker, in his third season with UCLA, visited NMSU on Monday and met with administrators and toured the athletic facilities.

He will replace Hal Mumme, who was fired in early December after the Aggies went 3-9 last fall, including a 1-7 mark in the Western Athletic Conference.

Walker becomes the seventh black head coach at the 119 major college football schools, and fourth hired this month, along with Mike Haywood at Miami of Ohio, Mike Locksley at New Mexico and Ron English at Eastern Michigan.

The 48-year-old Walker has a major rebuilding project on his hands with New Mexico State. The Aggies lost their last seven games to end the season and own the nation's current longest streak without a bowl appearance, last playing in the 1960 Sun Bowl.

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel said Tuesday he has no doubts that Walker will be successful at New Mexico State.

"DeWayne is a first-class coach and a first-class man who certainly deserves the opportunity to run his own program," Neuheisel said in a statement, adding that Walker has been a terrific asset to UCLA on and off the field.

At UCLA, Walker has helped improve the Bruins defense. In 2008, ULCA's passing defense ranked 11th overall, holding opponents to just 167.6 yards per game. In 2007, UCLA was ranked 14th in rushing defense with 109.2 yards per game, 29th in total defense with 343.23 yards and 29th in scoring defense with 22.3 points.

Walker joined UCLA from the Washington Redskins, where he coached the secondary during the 2004 and 2005 seasons under head coach Joe Gibbs.

Walker spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons as secondary coach of the New York Giants under coordinator Johnnie Lynn. He also served as secondary coach of the New England Patriots for three seasons and was an associate head coach at USC under Pete Carroll.

A former cornerback, Walker was a two-year starter at Minnesota. After college, he played one season each with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL, and the Oakland Invaders and the Arizona Outlaws in the USFL.

ESPN: Rockets sign Mutombo

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3800585&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The Houston Rockets re-signed 42-year-old center Dikembe Mutombo for the remainder of the season on Tuesday, adding an emotional leader and a backup to Yao Ming.\

Mutombo, who supplants 39-year-old Sam Cassell as the league's oldest active player, appeared in 39 games for Houston last season, logging most of his minutes after Yao broke his left foot in February. Mutombo averaged five rebounds, three points and 1.2 blocks.

He became a free agent after last season and contemplated retirement before deciding to come back for an 18th season.

The Rockets dropped to 20-12 on Monday after an embarrassing 89-87 loss to Washington. Nearly every player on the Houston roster has missed games due to injury this season and Yao has sat out at least 25 games because of injuries over the past three seasons.

Mutombo started 25 games last season, mostly after Yao broke his foot, and averaged 16 minutes per game. The Rockets traded Steve Francis to Memphis on Christmas Eve, creating salary space to add Mutombo, the NBA's second career shot blocker behind Hakeem Olajuwon.

The Rockets play Milwaukee on Wednesday and Mutombo is expected to join the team, though it's not known when he'll start playing again.

The 7-foot-2 Mutombo has played for six NBA teams -- Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York and Houston. He was traded from the Knicks to the Rockets on Sept. 8, 2004, for Adrian Griffin, Eric Piatkowski and Mike Wilks and averaged four points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in the 2004-05 season.

Mutombo's teams have made the playoffs in 13 of his 17 seasons in the league, including three of his previous four with the Rockets. He averaged 14 points and 14 rebounds to help the Sixers reach the NBA finals in 2001.

The Rockets have lost six straight playoff series and haven't advanced to the second round since 1997.

New York Times: Shanahan fired as Broncos head coach

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2008/12/30/sports/AP-FBN-Shanahan-Fired.html

He was known as a genius, a mastermind and, yes, a Super Bowl champion. Shockingly, though, Mike Shanahan has a new title: Unemployed coach.

Shanahan became the latest and most stunning victim of the NFL coaching purge, fired Tuesday by the Denver Broncos after a late-season collapse knocked the team out of the playoffs for the third straight year.

Shanahan became the fourth coach to be fired this week, joining Eric Mangini, Rod Marinelli and Romeo Crennel, after going 24-24 over the last three seasons. That included three straight losses this year that turned a three-game division lead to an 8-8 record.

''After giving this careful consideration, I have concluded that a change in our football operations is in the best interests of the Denver Broncos,'' owner Pat Bowlen said.

Bowlen had been steadfastly loyal to Shanahan, rewarding the coach who brought the long-awaited Super Bowl title to Denver with what seemed like carte blanche for life.

But Denver remained stuck on only one postseason victory since John Elway retired in 1999 following back-to-back championships. Shanahan finishes at 146-91 over 14 seasons in Denver, including playoffs; his final game was an unseemly 52-21 loss to San Diego with the division title on the line.

''I'm very shocked, extremely shocked,'' said rookie Spencer Larsen, who played fullback and linebacker this year. ''I don't think any of us saw this coming.''

Quarterback Jay Cutler certainly didn't.

''I was talking to Mike yesterday about personnel moves,'' he said in an interview on KCNC-TV in Denver. ''I'm as shocked as anybody else. I think it's the wrong move.''

For any other coach, on any other team, this kind of thing wouldn't have come as such a surprise, considering the season that just ended.

It included a historic collapse with Denver becoming the first team since divisional play started in 1967 to blow a three-game lead with three games left.

The Broncos' defense gave up 448 points, third worst in the NFL, including 112 during the three-game collapse at the end. It was ranked 29th in yards allowed and tied for last in the NFL with a minus-17 turnover margin.

Who might be able to turn it around?

Because Shanahan's job had seemed so secure, there hasn't been much speculation. Now, all the usual suspects will surely surface, both on the coaching and personnel sides: Bill Cowher, Scott Pioli, Jim Fassel. Shanahan's best assistant over the years, Gary Kubiak, is under contract with the Texans.

''I don't know if necessarily they'll find a better football coach,'' said linebacker Bill Romanowski, a key player on the Super Bowl teams. ''Mike is an outstanding football coach, one of the better coaches I had, if not the best. But players start to get tired of the same routines, the same kind of play calling. A new fresh coat of paint sometimes does a whole lot of good.''

Messages left on Elway's cell phone by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

Bowlen and Shanahan were scheduled to hold news conferences Wednesday. Shanahan had three years left on his contract, worth about $20 million.

It will be interesting to see if Bowlen wants a change in the way the organization is run. Over the past several years, the most successful teams have moved away from the once-popular structure of having a coach-slash-GM in charge of everything.

In Denver, Shanahan ran everything and as things went downhill, he relieved defensive coordinators -- Greg Robinson, Ray Rhodes, Larry Coyer and Jim Bates -- in almost revolving-door fashion.

This year, as the defense floundered, it became obvious it wasn't just a coaching problem. It was an issue of talent on the field, and in Denver, the buck stopped with Shanahan.

He focused on defense in 2007, using two of his four picks for defensive linemen Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, neither of whom have been much of a factor. Also of late, he wasted a third-round pick on Maurice Clarett (2005), spent millions on running back bust Travis Henry (2007), hardly got anything from Boss Bailey, Niko Koutouvides and Dewayne Robertson (2008).

Yet even when the talent wasn't there, he usually fielded a competitive team. Decades of solid sellouts and the full confidence of his owner made him almost impervious to criticism. Even after blowout losses, he was wont to acknowledge, at least publicly, deficiencies in his coaching or management style.

He was known -- first affectionately, then more derisively -- as ''The Mastermind'' during his tenure with the Broncos. And despite his poor finish in Denver, Shanahan shouldn't have much trouble getting another job if he's interested -- and willing to part with the 35,000-square-foot house he's building in a fancy part of Denver.

He earned the reputation honestly, returning to lead the Broncos a few years after a short, unsuccessful stint with the Oakland Raiders, where he was fired by Al Davis in a contentious parting that still isn't fully resolved. (Shanahan claims he's owed $250,000).

Shanahan became a coaching star as a coordinator and confidant of Elway's while the Broncos were being coached by Dan Reeves. But Reeves ended up firing Shanahan, accusing him of insubordination for supposedly conspiring with Elway to hatch game plans behind the head coach's back.

That made for a great subplot for the Super Bowl 10 years ago, when Denver met Reeves and the Falcons, for what turned out to be the last great moment for a franchise that Shanahan took to the top.

Denver's two Super Bowl victories came behind the running of Terrell Davis and the brilliance of Elway, but Shanahan pulled the strings and finally helped deliver the title to a city that had been through four painful Super Bowl losses, three with Elway at the helm.

Shanahan was regarded as a coaching genius when it came to creating mismatches on the field, confusing defenses by using different personnel groupings to run the same set of plays, series after series and game after game.

Davis. Olandis Gary. Reuben Droughns. Clinton Portis. Tatum Bell. They all ran for 1,000 yards for the Broncos and the basic thought was that anyone could do it in Shanahan's offense.

But after Elway retired, it was never quite the same.

His replacement, Brian Griese, never panned out. Jake Plummer got the Broncos to the AFC title game in 2005, but Denver was blown out by Pittsburgh. Shanahan drafted Cutler the next year -- an indication he was blowing up a team that had come so close a year before.

Cutler, along with receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, make up the core of what could be a very promising offense in years to come. But the defense Shanahan assembled was wretched -- allowing more than 400 points over the past two seasons -- and the Broncos hardly looked like contenders.

Sporting News: Snyder agrees to three-year deal with D-backs

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=501936

Looking to lock up another regular, the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a three-year contract with catcher Chris Snyder.

The deal is worth a reported $14.5 million and runs through 2011 with a club option for the 2012 season. It follows Arizona's multiyear contracts with players such as center fielder Chris YoungDan Haren, infielder Chad Tracy and outfielder Eric Byrnes. and pitcher

"As we have with a few other guys, to lock in a core player, fix the prices but also buy out a year or two of free agency, that allows us to keep our core together," general manager Josh Byrnes said in a conference call Tuesday.

Snyder, also speaking on a conference call, said he is happy to know he'll be with the club for the long term. He could give up two free agency seasons if the option is picked up.

"It's a young core," the 27-year-old Snyder said. "If we stay together, definitely we'll be contending in the National League West, if not further than that."

As the Diamondbacks' second-round pick in 2002, Snyder was tagged as the club's catcher of the future. But questions about Snyder's hitting dogged him after he leaped from Double-A El Paso to the Diamondbacks in 2004.

Snyder batted .202 in 2005, his first full season in the big leagues. He hit .277 in 2006, but his average has dipped to .252 and then to .237 a year ago.

His home runs and RBIs have increased over that span, and his on-base percentage has been steady, in the .340-.350 range.

"I've definitely gone through some ups and downs, especially early on in 2005, there were a lot more downs than ups," Snyder said.

Last year, he hit a career-high 16 home runs, a single-season record for a Diamondbacks catcher, and drove in 64 runs, another career high.

But Snyder's greatest value is his glove and his deft handling of pitchers.

Behind the plate, Snyder did not commit an error in 847 total chances. He has one error in 1,629 chances in the last two seasons for a .999 fielding percentage.

He's also had a hand in the maturation of pitchers such as Brandon Webb, another product of the Diamondbacks' farm system.

"He handles the defensive side and the intangible side of the position very well," Byrnes said. "It's sort of immeasurable what he does as far as preparing for an opponent, working with the pitchers, the toughness that he brings."

ESPN: Martz fired as 49ers Offensive Coordinator

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3800703&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Mike Martz, the headstrong coach who took St. Louis to the 2002 Super Bowl, was fired Tuesday after one season as the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator.

San Francisco coach Mike Singletary announced Martz's third firing in less than three calendar years following an afternoon meeting with the veteran offensive mastermind.

This parting had long been expected, and it wasn't nearly as acrimonious as Martz's last two dismissals in St. Louis and Detroit. Singletary and Martz worked together fairly well for nine games after Singletary's midseason promotion, but the two men clearly have different philosophies of offense.

"I wish him nothing but the best," Martz said of Singletary, adding that the Hall of Fame linebacker will be "an outstanding head coach."

"I am not what he is looking for offensively," Martz said. "I understand that. This is just a part of professional sports."

Martz's dismissal means the 49ers are looking for their seventh offensive coordinator in seven years -- but at least Martz left something on which the new coach can build.

San Francisco's offense was the NFL's lowest-ranked in two of the previous three seasons, but Martz raised the group to competence -- although Singletary's decision to promote quarterback Shaun Hill past J.T. O'Sullivan was a major factor as well.

Singletary, who famously played for the Chicago Bears under Mike Ditka, wants the 49ers to run more of a ground-based, smash-mouth offense instead of Martz's sophisticated passing schemes. San Francisco general manager Scot McCloughan shares Singletary's beliefs, and Martz apparently never developed a relationship with McCloughan during his year in town.

"After an evaluation period, I felt it was best to go in a different direction," Singletary said. "This was not an easy decision because I appreciate Mike Martz, and I enjoyed working with him. He is a true professional, and I wish him the best in the future. I do recognize the need for a long-term solution on the offensive side of the ball."

The 49ers scored 339 points this season after managing just 219 last year, also racking up nearly 74 more offensive yards per game. San Francisco's 35 turnovers were nearly the same number as last season, and Martz's quarterbacks were sacked 55 times, a frequent flaw in his offenses.

Martz chose O'Sullivan, a veteran backup on his eighth NFL team, as his starting quarterback under head coach Mike Nolan at the start of the season. Singletary benched the turnover-prone O'Sullivan midway through his first game as head coach, and Hill led the 49ers to five wins in their final seven games for a 7-9 finish -- matching their best record since they last made the playoffs after the 2002 season.

Although Martz has a reputation as a pass-happy play-caller, he also got a third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season out of running back Frank Gore, who praised Martz on Sunday. Isaac Bruce, the longtime Rams receiver who signed with the 49ers in part because of his old coach's presence, had 835 yards receiving, the most by any 49ers receiver since Terrell Owens in 2003.

The 57-year-old Martz coached the Rams from 2000-2005, taking a medical leave after five games in his final season because of heart problems.

He led the Rams to the 2002 Super Bowl after being the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis team that won the 2000 title with the "Greatest Show on Turf."

It featured Kurt Warner at quarterback, Marshall Faulk at running back, and Bruce and Torry Holt in a high-scoring offense that averaged almost 33 points a game in 1999 and 31 points two years later.

Martz was the offensive coordinator of the Lions in 2006-2007, but was fired as the scapegoat for Detroit's late-season collapse last year.

Sporting News: Rays sign Joe Nelson

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=501866

Righthanded reliever Joe Nelson signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

Nelson, who agreed to terms last week, was 3-1 with one save in 59 appearances for the Florida Marlins last season. His 2.00 ERA was third-best among NL relievers behind Hong-Chih Kuo's 1.69 and Brad Lidge's 1.95.

"We feel like Joe can really help our bullpen," said Andrew Friedman, Rays executive vice president of baseball operations. "He had a tremendous season in 2008 and has been very effective against both left-handed and right-handed hitters."

Nelson, 34, allowed 42 hits while striking out 60 in 54 innings for the Marlins last season.

ESPN: Favre's shoulder pain from biceps tear

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3800421&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Brett Favre has been told by doctors that pain in his right shoulder is from a torn biceps tendon and some calcification in the area, but the New York Jets quarterback would need nothing more than arthroscopic surgery to repair the injury, sources said.

The sources Tuesday also said the 39-year-old Favre might be able to avoid an arthroscopic procedure altogether if he decides to play a 19th NFL season.

Favre has been encouraged to take as much time as he needs before determining whether to return to the Jets. According to a source, Favre is expected to deliberate for several weeks, perhaps to allow New York time to hire former coach Eric Mangini's successor. Mangini was fired Monday after three seasons.

Favre had complained about pain and seemed to suffer diminished arm strength late in the season. He indicated he was unwilling to undergo numerous surgeries if they were necessary to keep playing. The latest medical development -- the tear is located near the acromioclavicular joint, sources said -- suggests Favre can make his decision knowing major surgery is not necessary.

SI.com: Texans fire three defensive coaches

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/30/texans.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

The Houston Texans have fired defensive coordinator Richard Smith, secondary coach Jon Hoke and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin.

Team spokesman Tony Wyllie confirmed Tuesday's moves, which came after the Texans finished 8-8 for the second straight season. Houston's offense finished the year ranked third in the NFL, but the defense was 22nd, allowing more than 336 yards a game.

Only five teams allowed more points a game than the Texans' 24.6. Houston's defense improved late in the season but didn't live up to expectations for a unit with three first-round picks, including 2006's top pick Mario Williams.

Sporting News: Kristic joins Thunder after Nets don't match offer

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=501817

The New Jersey Nets declined to match Oklahoma City's offer sheet to former first-round pick Nenad Krstic, giving the Thunder another 7-footer in their search for a reliable center.

The 24th overall pick in 2002, Krstic was playing in Russia when the Thunder extended an offer sheet to him last week. The Nets had a week to match it since Krstic was a restricted free agent.

"He is someone that we feel helps this team both in the short and long term," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Tuesday in a statement. "We are excited that he will be a part of the Thunder as we continue to build our team here in Oklahoma City."

The Thunder hope Krstic will provide steady play at the core of a struggling offense that's next to last in the NBA in scoring, and also serve as the team's last line of defense.

He's the latest in a long line of 7-footers to get a tryout with the franchise. The team, formerly the Seattle SuperSonics, burned first-round draft picks on 7-footers Robert Swift, Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene in the past few years. Another 7-footer, Steven Hill, was waived to make room for Krstic.

Krstic averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in four seasons in New Jersey, but his time was cut short two seasons ago when he tore a ligament in his left knee. He had been averaging 16.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in that final season before his injury.

The Nets extended a qualifying offer to Krstic this summer, but the Serbian signed with Triumph Lyubertsy of Russia's Superleague A. He averaged 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in seven games.

SI.com: Matt Ryan named Offensive Rookie of the Year

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/30/rookie.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

Matt Ryan is more than the face of the sensational turnaround by the Atlanta Falcons. He also is the best member of a superb rookie crop, earning The Associated Press 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award Tuesday.

The quarterback from Boston College, selected third overall in April's draft, was a landslide winner in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. Ryan became the third quarterback in five years to win the award; before that, no QB ever took the honor.

He joins Ben Roethlisberger (2004) and Vince Young (2006) as top rookie quarterbacks.

Ryan was chosen by Atlanta as the centerpiece of its rebuilding effort following a dismal 2007 that saw quarterback Michael Vick incarcerated for dogfighting and coach Bobby Petrino leave after 13 games for Arkansas. A starter almost from the first snap he took in preseason, Ryan was brilliant in leading the Falcons to the playoffs with an 11-5 mark a year after going 4-12.

"Obviously the big question was how well Matt would perform as a rookie quarterback," Falcons veteran linebacker Keith Brooking said. "We knew there'd be bumps in the road, but it's unbelievable what he's done in such a short period of time with the guys on our offense."

Ryan ranked 11th in passer rating at 87.7 and had 16 touchdowns to go with 11 interceptions. But it wasn't the numbers as much as his command of the huddle and his cool under pressure that impressed his teammates, opponents -- and the voters.

Ryan collected 44 votes, far in front of Titans running back Chris Johnson with three. Broncos tackle Ryan Clady had two and Bears running back Matt Forte got one.

The balloting doesn't indicate the outstanding depth of the rookie class on offense. Running backs Steve Slaton of Houston, Tim Hightower of Arizona, Ray Rice of Baltimore, Jonathan Stewart of Carolina, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice of Dallas, Peyton Hillis of Denver, Kevin Smith of Detroit and Jamaal Charles of Kansas City all were contributors. So were wide receivers Eddie Royal of Denver, DeSean Jackson of Philadelphia, Davone Bess of Miami and Donnie Avery of St. Louis.

Another rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco of Baltimore, helped lead his team into the playoffs.

Add in tight ends John Carlson of Seattle and Dustin Keller of the Jets and the strength of the first-year crop is impressive.

And Ryan was the cream.

ESPN: Georgetown opens Big East play with upset of Uconn

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=283640041&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

There are going to be quite a few games this season between ranked Big East teams.

The first of them was a shocker in that the young visiting team came away with a convincing victory over a veteran team playing at home.

DaJuan Summers scored 18 points and Georgetown (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP) beat No. 2 Connecticut 74-63 on Monday night for its seventh straight win.

"The commissioner isn't handing out trophies tonight and it doesn't get easier," Hoyas coach John Thompson III said, referring to Saturday's home game against No. 3 Pittsburgh.

That game can't look as daunting after beating the Huskies at the XL Center.

"We can't get too high because we have Pitt on Saturday," Summers said. "We're where we're supposed to be and we have a lot of work to do, so we can't get comfortable."

Chris Wright and freshman Greg Monroe both had 16 points for Georgetown (10-1, 1-0), and Austin Freeman added 13.

A.J. Price had 16 points and Jeff Adrien added 15 for the Huskies (11-1, 0-1), who cut a 12-point deficit early in the second half to three twice but couldn't get any closer.

The Hoyas opened the game on an 18-3 run by hitting four of their first five 3-point attempts, then held off Connecticut by making 18 straight free throws in the second half to finish 18-for-21 from the line.

"I hated our body language early, saw some brief spurts, then detested it the last eight minutes," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "I'm in a state of shock, I really am. To have a home game in the conference opener against a rival like Georgetown and not be excited -- there was no reason not to be excited. I don't know what team I was coaching tonight."

It was the Hoyas' eighth straight victory in a Big East opener, the last five under Thompson.

Georgetown's only loss this season was to Tennessee in the semifinals of the Old Spice Classic.

The loss snapped Connecticut's seven-game winning streak over ranked opponents, including victories this season over Miami, Wisconsin and Gonzaga.

This was the first time both teams were ranked when they met since the 1996 Big East tournament championship game when Connecticut, led by Ray Allen, beat Georgetown, led by Allen Iverson.

The Big East has seven schools ranked in The Associated Press Top 25.

Monroe hit his second 3 of the game 13 seconds into the second half to put Georgetown up 39-27. The Huskies went on a 14-1 run to get within three points for the first time.

The 6-foot-11 Monroe, playing with three personal fouls, stopped the run with a hook shot over 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet to make it 42-37 with 14:05 left. Stanley Robinson made two free throws to make it a three-point game again and then Freeman took over, scoring seven of the first nine points in a 14-6 run that got Georgetown's lead back in double digits, 56-45, with 9:46 to go.

Connecticut was never closer than nine points the rest of the way and the Hoyas led by as many as 17.

"We knew they would make a run and we had to withstand it," Summers said.

Thompson said he told the team during a second-half timeout that a run was coming.

"To hold on in this environment when it got close was big," Thompson said. "We made plays at both ends to do it."

Georgetown opened an 18-3 lead in the game's first 6 minutes, hitting seven of its first 10 shots from the field while the Huskies started 0-for-4 and turned it over five times in that span.

The numbers had to start evening out and they did as Connecticut picked up the defensive intensity.

The Huskies got within four twice but Wright hit two tough shots in the final 1:03 for a personal 4-1 run that gave the Hoyas a 36-27 lead.

"It was exciting and it was pretty hostile," Wright said. "It was a Big East game."

Thabeet finished with four points on 2-of-4 shooting and had seven blocked shots.

"Today they got us," Thabeet said. "We just have to look forward to the next game."

SI.com: 2010 Pro Bowl will be played in Miami and before the Super Bowl

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/12/29/pro-bowl.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

The Pro Bowl will be played one week before the Super Bowl in 2010 and both games will be staged in Dolphin Stadium, a person directly involved in the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL has not announced the move, but Hawaii's governor and Honolulu's mayor both confirmed the situation later Monday.

"While I am disappointed the Pro Bowl likely will not be played in Hawaii in 2010, I respect the NFL's decision to play the post season all-star game in the same city as the Super Bowl, one week before the Super Bowl, on a one-year test basis," Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle said in a statement.

It's not a new notion to have the game moved up to take place between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The NFL has discussed it multiple times in recent years, and commissioner Roger Goodell told the AP last month that having the game precede the Super Bowl would avoid a "somewhat anticlimactic" ending to the season.

"Plans for future Pro Bowls are not final, but we have stated publicly several times that we are giving strong consideration to moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "We also have been exploring playing future Pro Bowls at the site of the Super Bowl as well as in Honolulu."

The Pro Bowl has been held in Honolulu since 1980, and it's probable that the game will return to Hawaii after 2010, although not on the permanent basis as has been the case over the past three decades. Lingle said she was hopeful a deal could be struck in time for the 2011 game to return to Honolulu, and the city's mayor, Mufi Hannemann, told The AP that he also is optimistic for eventual Pro Bowls.

"It's not that this comes as a surprise," Hannemann said. "The NFL has made it known for some time now that they were looking for some sort of rotational basis. We just need to get a new agreement with the NFL, whether it's every year or every two years or every three years. The ball's in our court to get that done."

It won't be South Florida's first Pro Bowl: the 1975 game took place in Miami's Orange Bowl, during a period when the site rotated annually.

Barring a schedule change, next season's Pro Bowl will take place Jan. 31, 2010, with the Super Bowl that year on Feb. 7. The league's plan is for players on the AFC and NFC championship squads not to take part in the Pro Bowl.

Miami was awarded the 2010 Super Bowl three years ago, a record 10th time the game will come to the Dolphins' home city. The notion of adding the Pro Bowl to the lineup in South Florida was first discussed several months ago. It's not clear when the final decision was made to move the game.

Hawaii tourism officials have lobbied in recent months to extend the game's current contract, which expires after this season's Pro Bowl, pointing to the fact that it's been sold out every year since moving to Honolulu and generates about $30.5 million in visitor spending and tax revenues.

Lloyd I. Unebasami, the interim CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, told The AP that his organization -- which has been involved in negotiations to extend the contract -- had not yet received anything official from the NFL about the switch.

"We're working toward assuring ourselves that we'll be one of the Pro Bowl stops of the NFL," said Unebasami, adding that his organization is also working on luring international soccer matches to Hawaii in 2010 -- just in case the Pro Bowl isn't there and creates a void in the state's sport-tourism landscape.

Earlier this year, Hawaii's state government released $11 million for lighting and roofing improvements at Aloha Stadium, part of ongoing upgrades designed to refurbish and modernize the aging stadium. State officials have also considered demolishing the facility and building a new stadium.

Losing the Pro Bowl, combined with slowdowns in tourism because of the sluggish economy, is a double-dose of bad news for Honolulu, which estimates that 25,000 people came from out-of-state for Pro Bowls.

"It's not a shock because in talking with the NFL last year and this year, you realize the potential was there that it wouldn't stay in Honolulu forever and ever," said the mayor, Hannemann.

New York Times: Rutgers beats North Carolina State in Papajohns.com Bowl

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/sports/ncaafootball/30rutgers.html

Tiquan Underwood, a senior wide receiver for Rutgers, put a double move on a North Carolina State defensive back and was wide open in the end zone. But the pass from quarterback Mike Teel was nowhere close and fell incomplete.

Teel shook his head at the 45, but he did not despair at a missed chance for points in the first half of the Papajohns.com Bowl. The Scarlet Knights had fallen behind the Wolfpack by 17-6 in the first half, but for a team that started the season 1-5, the deficit was just a nuisance, not a barrier.

“As I have played more football here, I have been able to move on from missed opportunities,” Teel said. “That’s all it was, a missed opportunity. You keep playing.”

After a shaky three quarters, Teel, a senior, rallied the Scarlet Knights to a 29-23 victory at Legion Field before 38,582 fans. For Rutgers (8-5), it was its seventh straight victory.

Teel, who was the game’s most valuable player, threw a 42-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Kenny Britt with 8 minutes 30 seconds to play to erase a 23-19 North Carolina State lead.

After Rutgers took the lead, 26-23, its defense stopped the Wolfpack (6-7) twice and San San Te added a late 24-yard field goal to preserve Rutgers’s third straight bowl victory.

The Rutgers players presented a game ball to Robert E. Mulcahy, whose last day as the athletic director after 10 years is Wednesday. Mulcahy, who was fired by the university president, Richard L. McCormick, was also handed the Papajohns.com Bowl trophy to hold in the postgame celebration on the field.

“I hoped like heck we could win that football game and give him that trophy,” Coach Greg Schiano said.

Teel completed 22 of 37 passes for two touchdowns, but it was the play of two freshmen in the game that had a significant effect.

North Carolina State’s freshman quarterback Russell Wilson confounded Rutgers with his scrambling ability as the Wolfpack built a 17-6 halftime lead. Wilson, however, injured a knee after scrambling 17 yards to the Rutgers 4 late in the second quarter.

After handing off to Andre Brown for a 5-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds left in the half, Wilson did not take another snap.

The grounds crew at Legion Field set off fireworks thinking Wilson had scored on his scramble. It was not a touchdown celebration, but it marked a turning point because without Wilson, the Wolfpack offense bogged down.

“You could see the difference in the second half without him,” Rutgers safety Courtney Greene said.

The Wolfpack went with its second-string quarterback, Harrison Beck, before turning to the third-stringer, Daniel Evans, who took the Wolfpack on a 64-yard fourth-quarter drive for a 23-19 lead.

The other freshman of prominence was Rutgers’s Joe Martinek, who rushed for 58 yards in the second half, averaging 6.4 yards a carry. It was Martinek’s runs on zone reads that relieved some of the pressure on Teel from the fierce Wolfpack pass rush.

“They just came flying up the field and they were able to pressure us,” Teel said. “The run game in the second half kind of calmed that down when we were able to run the ball more effectively.”

Teel, who was 9 of 19 passing in the first half, found his groove in the second with more time, particularly on the winning points, when he waited for Britt to get open at the 5. Britt had lined up left and streaked across the field. He caught Teel’s pass in stride.

The extra point kick gave Rutgers the lead for good, 26-23.

“I looked around the locker room, and there was not one ounce of panic or doubt,” Teel said of the Rutgers players at halftime. “It was just a matter of continuing to do what we have done to get us in this position and that’s play one play at a time, relax, and stay in the moment.”

SI.com: Utah coach has agreed to five-year extension

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/ncaa/12/29/utah.whittingham.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham signed a five-year contract extension worth $6 million on Monday, a reward for leading the Utes to a perfect regular season and BCS bid.

No. 7 Utah (12-0) is the only major college unbeaten team heading into Friday night's Sugar Bowl game against No. 4 Alabama.

"I am very, very happy at the University of Utah," said Whittingham, who was promoted from defensive coordinator four years ago when Urban Meyer left for Florida. "It's been a great run, 15 years now. That's unique in this profession. It's not often that a coach gets to stay in one place for that period of time.

"I'm excited about the direction the program's heading. I think we've really got some momentum going."

The deal includes a $200,000 base salary with the rest of the money coming from things such as radio and television rights and appearance and public speaking fees.

Whittingham, who made $681,000 this year, was the Mountain West Conference coach of the year and a finalist for several national coach of the year honors. He has gone 36-14 games in four years as Utah's head coach, including a 3-0 record in bowls.

"We have a strong commitment to Kyle and Kyle has a strong commitment to us," athletic director Chris Hill said. "We think it's a great indicator of where our program is right now, but more important to me is the direction we're headed.

"I couldn't be happier, nor could the president of the university, with what Kyle has done over the past four years. We've built our program the right way."

Hill said he spoke to Whittingham about a new contract before the season's end.

Whittingham was Utah's defensive coordinator from 1995-2004 before replacing Meyer. The team's record has improved in each of his four seasons since going 7-5 in 2005.

Hill said the deal has a buyout in case Whittingham takes another job or is fired. He would not disclose details.

"I always make the quote: There's only two kinds of coaches: Ones that everybody wants and ones that nobody wants," he said. "I'm glad that we've got coaches that people want."

Sporting News: Miami fires offensive coordinator

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=501674

Patrick Nix was fired Monday after two seasons as Miami's offensive coordinator, the first of what could be plenty of significant changes to the Hurricanes this offseason.

Nix packed up his office Monday evening after a brief meeting with Miami coach Randy Shannon.

"It's time to part ways, but I really enjoyed my time here," Nix told The Associated Press as he and his family prepared to leave the football complex for the final time. "I loved these players to death. I loved these coaches to death. But in the long run, it's probably better that we make this change."

Miami was 7-6 this season and sputtered at times offensively, yet showed sporadic improvement in some areas during the second half of the year. Ultimately, it wasn't enough to keep Nix in place.

Nix said he and Shannon simply had different styles on how to best run an offense.

"I enjoyed it here. I appreciated Randy giving me the opportunity," Nix said. "I'd like to have gone with something more wide-open and more no-huddle. He and I had a philosophical difference on that."

Shannon released a statement announcing the dismissal, without revealing what went specifically into the decision.

"It is my obligation to review all aspects of the program and make decisions as to how we can improve as a football team," Shannon said.

Out of 119 teams in the major college football rankings, the Hurricanes are 89th in total offense this season at 326 yards per game, and 52nd in scoring offense at 27.1 points per outing. Both are improvements over last season, and both came with two freshmen who had never thrown a pass in a college game before this season under center -- Robert Marve and Jacory Harris.

Harris will be the starting quarterback for Miami entering 2009, and it's unclear what Marve will do. Marve started 11 games, missing only the season opener and season finale because of separate one-game suspensions, and is believed to be considering a transfer. It's not clear what, if any, impact Nix's ouster will have in that decision.

"I have nothing but respect for Coach Nix," Marve told The AP last week.

Nix said he doesn't have any ideas yet where his next job could come from. The former Auburn quarterback interviewed for the head coaching position at his alma mater earlier this month, but both that job and the school's offensive coordinator position have since been filled.

Nix came to Miami after five seasons at Georgia Tech, three of those as offensive coordinator. When hiring Nix, Shannon said he liked him for one simple reason: Miami's defenses, which were led by Shannon at the time, always had some trouble facing a Nix offense.

"You always judge a coach on what they present," Shannon said in January 2007, when hiring Nix.

Many players are vacationing after Saturday's 24-17 loss in the Emerald Bowl to Cal.

It's possible that the last part of Shannon's decision to go in a different direction came in the final minutes of that game, when Miami struggled mightily while trying to run a 2-minute drill with hopes of tying the score.

"I fully realized the expectations when I came here, in the end, Coach Shannon and I just have a difference on how to run an offense," Nix said. "What I want to do is just not what he wants to do. God closed this door, God will open another one for me, and I have faith in that."

ESPN: Missouri beats Northwestern in Alamo Bowl

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283640077&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Chase Daniel's last game at Missouri ended with a fitting flourish.

The star quarterback threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin in overtime and the No. 21 Tigers rallied to beat No. 23 Northwestern 30-23 in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Monday night.

It was Daniel's first overtime game since leading Missouri to a 27-24 win over Iowa State as a freshman when he took over mid-game following an injury to Brad Smith.

Daniel had played sparingly at the end of a couple of games before that, but never when it counted.

"Never had an overtime game the rest of his career and he ends his career with an overtime win," coach Gary Pinkel said. "Pretty awesome."

After the Tigers scored on the opening possession of overtime, their defense delivered, too. Missouri sacked a backpedaling C.J. Bacher, forcing a fumble that left Northwestern with fourth-and-goal from the 32-yard line.

Bacher's desperation heave into the end zone was knocked down, and Daniel rushed off the sideline with his teammates to celebrate.

"To start off and end off with overtime -- both wins -- you can't ask for anything more," he said.

The win gave Missouri (10-4) double-digit victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history. The Wildcats (9-4) fell to 1-6 in bowl games, with their only win coming in their first bowl appearance in 1949.

"They made more plays than we did on that [last] drive," Bacher said. "That's why they're sitting over there Alamo Bowl champs and we're not."

Playing his final college game, Daniel overcame three interceptions to lead the Tigers back from a three-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

"I've never had something like that," Daniel said. "I was just glad I could help the team in the end. I was obviously hurting the team very bad in the beginning."

Jeff Wolfert made three field goals, including a 37-yarder with 2:49 remaining that tied it 23-all. But he missed a 44-yard attempt that could have won it for Missouri as time expired.

"We were all a little stunned," Pinkel said. "We got it together quickly."

Daniel, who finished fourth in 2007 Heisman Trophy voting, matched a season high with his three interceptions. He was 27-of-44 for 200 yards and two touchdown passes.

"He had the adversity during the game," Pinkel said. "What defines him is he fought back from it with his teammates."

The speedy Maclin, a first-team All-America as an all-purpose player, also returned a punt 75 yards for a score that tied it at 10 in the second quarter.

"He's a special guy," Daniel said. "He's the reason this offense goes."

Bacher threw for 304 yards and equaled an Alamo Bowl record with three touchdown tosses. His 23-yard scoring pass to Ross Lane in the back of the end zone gave Northwestern a 23-20 lead at the end of the third.

The score came after Brad Phillips grabbed an interception and returned it to the 24.

After the Tigers tied it, Northwestern had a chance to drive for a go-ahead score, but Bacher's pass on third-and-3 with less than two minutes remaining fell incomplete.

Wildcats kicker Amado Villarreal missed an extra point in the third quarter that could have made the difference in regulation.

"We didn't have a moral victory tonight, OK," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "We're very disappointed that we lost the game. We fought hard and we fought valiantly, but there are not moral victories."

A 43-yard field goal by Wolfert made it 20-16 Missouri with just under four minutes remaining in the third. That score was set up by an interception and 22-yard return by Brock Christopher.

Danario Alexander gave Missouri a 17-16 lead -- its first of the game -- with about seven minutes remaining in the third quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Daniel.

Bacher found Rasheed Ward for a 46-yard touchdown pass on the first drive of the second half. Villarreal's extra point bounced off the right upright to leave the score at 16-10 Northwestern.

Maclin, who leads the NCAA in all-purpose yards, tied it 10-all with his 75-yard punt return for a touchdown just before halftime. He bolted through the first wave of defenders before getting a good block and zooming past punter Stefan Demos, who had an angle on him but tripped.

It was the first punt return TD this season for Maclin.

Things started rough for Daniel when his pass was tipped and intercepted by Brian Peters on Missouri's first drive. Northwestern took advantage of that mistake when Bacher found a wide-open Eric Peterman streaking down the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats up 7-0 early in the first quarter.

Northwestern got a 21-yard field goal by Villarreal to make it 10-3 in the second.

Daniel's second interception came on an ill-advised throw under heavy pressure from David Arnold in the second quarter. Defensive end Corey Wootton, 6-foot-7, made a diving grab just before the ball would have hit the turf.

Northwestern came away empty, though, when Villarreal's 47-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left.

Wootton, who also had a sack, appeared to injure his right leg with about four minutes remaining and did not return. Fitzgerald said he did not have an update on his condition.

Missouri's first points came on a 31-yard field goal by Wolfert early in the second quarter.