News Nuggets, 11.02.03
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Game briefs from around Conference USA

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Southern Miss 48, Louisiana-Lafayette 3

HATTIESBURG — Dustin Almond threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score in Southern Mississippi's 48-3 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.

Southern Miss (5-3) compiled 550 yards of total offense, a season best. For the second straight game, the Golden Eagles' defense prevented an offensive touchdown while limiting Louisiana-Lafayette (2-8) to 200 yards.

The Golden Eagles scored on five of their first six possessions and led 21-0 before the Ragin' Cajuns managed a first down.

Navy 35, Tulane 17

ANNAPOLIS — Navy's vaunted ground game proved too much for Tulane, and assured the Midshipmen that this won't be another losing season.

Quarterback Craig Candeto rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns in Navy's 35-17 victory Saturday over Tulane.

Navy, ranked first in the nation in rushing offense, gained 357 yards on the ground. Candeto, who carried 18 times, scored on runs of 1, 28 and 8 yards.

UAB 24, Army 9

BIRMINGHAM — Nick Coon caught a 91-yard touchdown pass and UAB beat Army 24-9 on Saturday, extending the longest losing streak in Division I-A to 11 games.

Coon, a true freshman, has six catches this season, three of for touchdowns of more than 50 yards.

Trey Chaney ran for 99 yards on 21 carries for UAB (4-5, 3-2 Conference USA). Zac Dahman completed 34 of 51 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown for Army (0-9, 0-7), and Seth Gulsby caught nine passes for 41 yards.

Memphis 41, East Carolina 24

MEMPHIS — Danny Wimprine threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as Memphis defeated East Carolina 41-24.

The victory gives Memphis (6-3, 3-2 Conference USA) its first six-win season since 1994, when Chuck Stobart ended his coaching tenure with a third consecutive 6-5 season. It also makes Memphis eligible for a bowl game for the first time since the early 1970s.

DeAngelo Williams rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers, who won their third straight. Williams has eight 100-yard games on the year and 1,173 yards rushing, both school season records.

It was tied 17-17 at the half after East Carolina (1-8, 1-4) put together its best opening quarter of the season. But the Pirates struggled in the third period as Memphis pulled away.

FRIDAY: South Florida 24, Cincinnati 17 (2OT)

TAMPA — Lee Roy Selmon Jr. intercepted a pass in the second overtime to clinch South Florida's 24-17 victory over Cincinnati on Friday night. Running back DeJuan Green had a 25-yard touchdown run in the second overtime to give South Florida (5-3, 3-2 Conference USA) the lead.

Selmon, the son of former NFL great and current South Florida athletic director Lee Roy Selmon, intercepted a pass by Gino Guidugli on the next possession to end the game.

Cincinnati (4-4, 2-3) scored on the first play of the first overtime, a 25-yard pass from Guidugli to Dennis Hart.

Preseason hoops injuries taking toll on Bearcats

University of Cincinnati freshman forward Mike Pilgrim will be out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right foot. ilgrim, a native of Cincinnati, injured the foot last week in practice. After taking some time off of the foot, a stress fracture was discovered after tests.

The 6-7, 235-pound Pilgrim is a graduate of Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, where he was a first team All-City and second team All-State performer after averaging 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds in 2001-02. Last season, Pilgrim attended Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before returning home to play for the Bearcats.

Pilgrim is the second UC player to miss time early in the preseason. Sophomore point guard Chadd Moore has been battling back problems this fall and has had only limited practice time.

Crain selected for Team USA baseball

Former University of Houston shortstop/relief pitcher Jesse Crain has been announced as one of 24 professional players who will represent the United States on the Olympic Qualifying Team later this week.

In five appearances this summer, Crain allowed only three hits and struck out two while holding opponents to a .167 batting average. He helped lead Team USA at the team trials in Arizona to a 10-3-1 record.

The 24-man roster, managed by Frank Robinson, will compete at the Athens Summer Olympic Games Baseball Qualifying Tournament for the Americas in Panama City, Panama, beginning Thursday and running through Nov. 10.

USA Baseball Selection Committee Co-Chairmen Dean Taylor and Bob Watson made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.

Although he played only one season at UH, Crain established himself as one of the finest all-around players in school history. A First-Team All-American, Crain batted .309 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs as the Cougars' regular starting shortstop in 2002.

However, he also competed as the Cougars' closer, racking up 10 saves with a 4-0 record and miniscule 0.23 ERA in 38.1 innings of work. His streak of 35.2 consecutive scoreless innings ranks as the second longest in school history and was only one inning shy of tying the school record.

Fans can follow the Team USA action in Panama by logging on the USA Baseball web site at www.usabaseball.com, where there is a direct link to the live scoring feature.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2003 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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