News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

10.20.06: ECU's Roach nominated for Draddy Award ... Memphis picked first in C-USA basketball ... 4th-ranked UTEP runners coming to Greenville

10.19.06: Koren Robinson suspended by NFL ... Miami broadcaster axed over brawl comments ... Dartmouth, Holy Cross row gets investigation

10.18.06: League teams busy; ECU ends homestand ... C-USA names football players of week ... ECU's Krug captures C-USA weekly honor

10.17.06: ACC, Miami announce additional suspensions ... More suspensions also on Sun Belt's agenda ... Duke lacrosse under "60 Minutes" scrutiny

10.16.06: Coker suspends eight Miami players after brawl ... Pirate volleyball continues roll at UCF ... Szilard leads ECU women's soccer win ... Harris Poll's top 5 varies from BCS Standings

10.15.06: Stokes convenes season's first hoops practice ... Pirate volleyball wins third straight ... ECU women open basketball practice at Rose

10.14.06: EA Sports video game features ECU baseball stadium ... Pirates announce Tickets for Troops drive ... Six C-USA gridders in All-American Classic

10.13.06: Pirate basketball gets national TV dates ... ECU women's hoops getting tube time, too ... East Carolina baseball to host winter camp

10.12.06: ECU hoops scrimmages set for Homecoming ... Camels stun No. 3 UNC-Chapel Hill in soccer ... ECU picked 7th in C-USA women's hoops

10.11.06: Dougherty gets
C-USA special teams honor ... Pirate promotions abound for Tulsa game ... UCF versus Pitt on TV Friday night

10.10.06: Tulsa netter Brugues takes national title ... Miami (OH) reeling after sixth loss ... Pirates host unique diving competition

10.09.06: Buckeyes, Trojans, Gators top Harris Poll ... Denny O'Brien's Harris Poll ballot ... Gators continue success in Swamp ... Pirates stun Memphis in volleyball ... ECU soccer shuts out Herd

10.08.06: Jeff Blake bows out of hall induction ... NCAA's tax status under investigation ... North Dakota challenges NCAA mascot policy

10.07.06: Amato continues mastery of Seminoles ... ECU volleyball triumphs at home over UAB ... Millican continues bid for spot on LPGA Tour

10.06.06: Big Ten announces fines, reprimands ... Central Florida wins late field goal battle ... Millican shoots 74 in qualifying event

10.05.06: Gold captures ECU World Series with 8-7 win ... Tulsa runs past Southern Miss ... Former ECU golfer Millican in LPGA qualifying

10.04.06: TV exposure continues for C-USA teams ... Former UVa stars make $1 million gift ... SMU takes two of three weekly league honors

10.03.06: Curry to receive Stagg award ... Inspired by fallen teammate, Rice whips Army ... ECU women's golf team finishes 11th

10.02.06: Takeaways, sacks mean good things for UVa ... Gators pull even with WVU in Harris BCS poll ... Swofford presented with Homer Rice Award ... Tulsa win streak continues at ECU's expense

10.01.06: Cavs blast Duke 37-0 in Durham ... Vols deal Memphis a resounding defeat ... Pirate women's cross country wins meet

A Chapel Hill radio station, WCHL-1360 am, has said on its website that administrative sources have told the media outlet that North Carolina coach John Bunting has indicated that if the football team didn’t reverse its direction with a win in Charlottesville on Thursday night, he would spare the school the embarrassment of further losses and offer his resignation by the end of the season — possibly as early as this weekend.

The Tar Heels were shut out by the Cavaliers for the first time since 1926, losing (23-0) for their 13th straight defeat in Charlottesville.

Athletic director Dick Baddour has repeatedly said that no decision would be made about Bunting’s tenure before the end of the season.

Bunting has a 25-41 record overall, and still has more than $800,000 left on his contract, according to the broadcast outlet.

Names that have surfaced as potential successors to Bunting include some with area ties: Washington coach Tyrone Willingham, a Kinston native and Jacksonville High School alumnus; former East Carolina coach Steve Logan, who has carved a niche as a broadcaster and served as an offensive coach in NFL Europe since his departure from the Pirates; and Navy coach Paul Johnson, a native of Newland and graduate of Western Carolina.

According to a USA Today report by Jack Carey, coaches have largely been striking out in their attempts to get calls changed via instant-replay coaches' challenges during the opening seven weeks of the 2006 season — the first year the challenge has been used.

A survey of six conferences showed 71 calls have been challenged with only 12 overturned, about one in six. Coaches from the Pacific-10 have had the best degree of success, but have used it just four times, with two changed. Big 12 coaches are 0-for-18. Others: Big East, 2-for-13; ACC, 3-for-13; Southeastern, 2-for-14; Big Ten, 3-for-9.

Southern Mississippi (4-2) completed preparations for Saturday's game at Virginia Tech, also 4-2, on Thursday with a 90-minute workout in M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Coach Jeff Bower said the team had a good week of practice, according to a release on the Southern Miss athletic website.

"I think we had a good week and a good day today," Bower said. "We did some good things and looked pretty sharp. We're going to be seeing a different team than we have in the last couple of weeks. These guys are good and they're not used to losing two games in a row. We've got to play well and we've got to play physical."

Bower stated that redshirt junior defensive back LeVance Richmond will most likely not play Saturday against Virginia Tech.

"He didn't practice," said Bower. "We're going to take him but I don't think he'll play."

Redshirt sophomore Ladarius Webb will make the start at defensive back in Richmond's place.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., in Blacksburg, VA, with the game set to be televised on ESPNU.

East Carolina, 2-4 overall and 1-2 in Conference USA going into today's homecoming game with Southern Methodist, plays at Southern Miss at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from electronic services and other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.