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News Nuggets, 10.29.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Football grad rates keep Division I average from sinking

INDIANAPOLIS — The graduation rate for major college football players increased for the fourth straight year, and the rate for all Division I athletes remained at 62 percent, or 2 percent higher than the general student population.

The figures, released this week by the NCAA, were for athletes who entered college in 1997 and graduated within the six-year window set by the U.S. Department of Education. Starting next year, the NCAA will also compile separate rates that take transfers into account and do not penalize schools if athletes left in good academic standing.

"Our academic reforms have begun to phase in," NCAA President Myles Brand said. "However, it won't be until the entering class of freshmen in 2003 graduates, that will reflect the total academic reform initiatives."

This year's report showed 70 percent of female athletes who entered Division I colleges on scholarship in 1997 have graduated, compared with 55 percent of the male athletes over the same period. Those figures, as well as the 62 percent overall rate, were identical to those compiled last year, the first study since the NCAA imposed more stringent academic requirements.

"I'm happy we've maintained that high level," Brand said. "I say it's a high level because you have to measure it against the general student population, and when you get above 60 percent, even 1 or 2 percent matters.

"Our academic reforms are going to be able to move that needle a bit, but not very much," he said. "That's a very difficult number to raise much higher than that, considering student-athletes in general are already graduating at a higher rate than the general student body."

The report covering 328 Division I schools showed a 60 percent graduation rate for the overall student population. In the NCAA's lower divisions, the graduation rates for Division II freshmen who entered in 1997 were 53 percent for athletes and 46 percent for all students, and 58 percent for athletes and 63 percent overall at Division III schools, which do not award athletic scholarships.

The 62 percent in Division I matched the figure set last year as the highest since the annual reports began in 1984.

In football, the Division I-A rate was 57 percent, up from 54 percent for the freshmen who entered college in 1996. For all of Division I, the graduation rate for football players was 55 percent, a 1-percent increase from the previous report.

"We're doing a better job," Brand said of the steady improvement for football players, especially among blacks. "The athletic departments got the message, that academic performance is important. They've listened to the concerns and are responding in a favorable way."

The rates for men's basketball, traditionally among the worst, also continued to climb, despite a drop from 52 percent to 48 percent for whites. An increase from 38 percent to 42 percent for blacks helped push the overall men's graduation rate for basketball to 44 percent, 2 points higher than last year.

"Most elite programs, for African-American men, they've increased 11 percent over four years. ... At least for that population, we're seeing positive results," Brand said. "We're not seeing that same level for white male basketball players, so basketball overall continues to remain a challenge. I don't know if there's anything specific that would account for that."

Among all Division I sports, 48 percent of black male athletes and 59 percent of white males graduated, the same as last year. Black female athletes' graduation rate was 62 percent, the same as a year ago, while the rate for white females dropped from 72 percent to 70 percent.

Despite miscues, Hokies handle Georgia Tech

ATLANTA — Virginia Tech just couldn't seem to get going. There were turnovers. There were botched plays. There were missed opportunities.

Then, in the last 5 1/2 minutes, Bryan Randall and the Hokies turned it all around.

Randall threw two long touchdowns in the fourth quarter and Roland Minor finished off Georgia Tech with a 64-yard interception return, rallying No. 22 Virginia Tech to a wild 34-20 victory Thursday night.

``It was one of the best moments of my career,'' Randall said.

The senior passed for 304 yards, also hooking up with David Clowney on a 34-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

But Randall really shined at the end.

He threw an 80-yard scoring pass to Eddie Royal with 5:28 remaining, then completed a desperation pass for the tying 2-point conversion.

``When we tied it, we knew we had the momentum,'' Randall said. ``We didn't think our defense would give up any more points.''

But Georgia Tech's did. On the Hokies' next series, Randall ran for 32 yards, then connected with Josh Morgan on a 51-yard TD with 3:10 remaining.

Minor, a redshirt freshman, intercepted two passes by Reggie Ball in the final 2 1/2 minutes, returning the second for a touchdown that capped a 25-point fourth quarter by the Hokies (6-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Georgia Tech (4-3, 3-3) scored two touchdowns less than a minute apart in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead. But the Yellow Jackets couldn't hold it, their highly ranked defense falling apart in the final period.

After giving up a total of 265 yards in its two previous games, the Yellow Jackets were burned for 446 yards in this one.

``It hurts to let one get away like this, where we thought we were in pretty good shape going into the fourth quarter,'' coach Chan Gailey said. ``We gave up some big plays and just couldn't sustain anything offensively.''

Randall completed 18 of 31 passes and also played a big role in the running game, accounting for 64 yards on nine carries.

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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