News Nuggets, 09.20.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

C-USA standings, scoreboard, schedule & TV

(Through games of Sept. 18)

               Conference     Overall
               W  L  Pct.   W  L  Pct.   Pts Opp
Louisville     1  0 1.000   2  0 1.000    80  21
Houston        1  0 1.000   1  2  .333    55  94
Memphis        0  0  .000   3  0 1.000   119  69
Southern Miss  0  0  .000   1  0 1.000    21  17
TCU            0  0  .000   2  1  .667   127 115
UAB            0  0  .000   1  1  .500    63  48
USF            0  0  .000   1  1  .500    24  41
Tulane         0  0  .000   1  1  .500    46  47
Cincinnati     0  0  .000   1  2  .333    58  72
ECU            0  0  .000   0  2  .000    40  87
Army           0  2  .000   0  2  .000    42  87

THURSDAY, SEPT. 16:
California at Southern Miss (postponed)

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18:
Florida State 34, UAB 7
South Carolina 34, South Florida 3
Texas Tech 70, Texas Christian 35
Houston 35, Army 21
Syracuse 19, Cincinnati 7
Memphis 47, Arkansas State 35
Louisville at Tulane (postponed)

THURSDAY, SEPT. 23
Miami (FL) at Houston 6:30 PM (ESPN)

SATURDAY, SEPT. 25
Army at Connecticut 12:00 PM
South Florida at Texas Christian 6:00 PM
Memphis at UAB 6:00 PM
Cincinnati at East Carolina 7:00 PM
Southern Miss at Tulane 8:00 PM
Louisville at North Carolina TBA

Based on data from Conference USA

Associated Press college football poll

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sept. 19, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

[Conference USA team, including future members, and Carolinas teams in BOLD]

Record Pts Pvs
 1. SOUTHERN CAL (54) 3-0 1,613 1
 2. OKLAHOMA (10) 3-0 1,562 2
 3. GEORGIA (1) 3-0 1,456 3
 4. MIAMI (FL) 2-0 1,437 4
 5. TEXAS 2-0 1,358 6
 6. WEST VIRGINIA 3-0 1,169 7
 7. OHIO STATE 3-0 1,117 9
 8. FLORIDA STATE 1-1 1,079 8
 9. AUBURN 3-0 1,064 14
10. CALIFORNIA 2-0 1,034 10
11. TENNESSEE 2-0 1,031 13
12. VIRGINIA 3-0 919 12
13. LOUISIANA STATE 2-1 844 5
14. UTAH 3-0 763 15
15. PURDUE 2-0 652 18
16. FLORIDA 1-1 646 11
17. FRESNO STATE 3-0 535 19
18. MICHIGAN 2-1 478 17
19. MINNESOTA 3-0 475 22
20. WISCONSIN 3-0 381 20
21. BOISE STATE 3-0 307 23
22. ARIZONA STATE 3-0 210 --
24. LOUISVILLE 2-0 195 24
25. OKLAHOMA STATE 3-0 134 --

Others Receiving Votes:

NOTRE DAME 89, MEMPHIS 78, IOWA 66, KANSAS STATE 46, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 34, MISSOURI 33, VIRGINIA TECH 29, ALABAMA 23, COLORADO 23, BOSTON COLLEGE 19, ARKANSAS 9, GEORGIA TECH 4, SOUTH CAROLINA 4, UCLA 1.

USM, Cal reschedule Ivan-delayed game

HATTIESBURG — Southern Mississippi and California rescheduled their hurricane-delayed game for Dec. 4 in Hattiesburg.

The game, originally scheduled for last Thursday in order to accommodate an ESPN primetime telecast, was postponed when Hurricane Ivan closed in on the Mississippi Gulf Coast before making landfall in nearby Alabama.

"We both looked and found the Dec. 4 date the best fit for both institutions' schedule," Southern Miss athletics director Richard Giannini said in a statement Friday. "We tried to move other games around to try and play this game earlier but it didn't work."

Giannini said talks are continuing with ESPN on whether the rescheduled game will be televised.

Cowboys in party mode after long skid ends

LAS VEGAS, NM — It was known simply as "The Streak'' in northern New Mexico, a 25-game skid that began in November 2001. And now it's finally over.

The New Mexico Highlands Cowboys snapped the longest active losing streak in NCAA Division II football with a 41-24 victory Saturday over conference rival Mesa State, a team that started the season ranked No. 12 in the nation.

With tears in his eyes after embracing offensive coordinator Arna Bontemps in the locker room, second-year coach John Fassel said he hoped his team had turned the corner.

"Now, hopefully, these guys figured out how to win,'' said the son of former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel. "Hopefully they can begin to understand what it takes.''

Fans chanted "Go start the bus'' as Fassel and his players celebrated the victory.

"That fourth quarter was the longest quarter of my life,'' quarterback Monty Hoffman said.

Unlike the handful of Highlands meltdowns during the streak, Saturday's win was decisive.

Jess Brinson ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Hoffman finished with 207 yards passing, including three touchdowns.

"It's time to party and see what kind of fun we can have,'' defensive back DonTa Bright said. "This ain't the first time we've been up in a game, but it's the first time we haven't made the dumb mistakes that cost us a win.''

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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