Bernard Morris' big first half leads Aina to 38-7 Hula Bowl victory
HONOLULU (AP) -- With only a few days of preparation for the Hula Bowl, the Aina team had a simple game plan.
Marshall's Bernard Morris threw for 172 yards and a touchdown in the first half to lead the Aina to a 38-7 victory over the Kai in the Hula Bowl on Saturday.
"We just came out here to have fun and throw the ball around a little bit. And that's what we did," said Morris, who finished 11-of-22 and sat out most of the second half.
New Hampshire's Ricky Santos was 10-of-16 for 169 yards, and Tulsa's Paul Smith had 47 yards passing and ran for two short TDs for the Aina (East), which racked up 527 yards of total offense.
Aina's defense also stepped up, setting the tone in the lopsided all-star game. Aina held Kai (West) to 240 yards, including just 35 yards rushing, and forced six turnovers that led to 28 points.
Toledo's Jalen Parmele and Navy's Reggie Campbell each had a 1-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter for Aina. Parmele was the game's leading rusher with 46 yards.
The Aina took control early, forcing three turnovers and recording three sacks in the first half, including two by Cincinnati's Angelo Craig.
"We just tried to come out and show everyone what East Coast football is all about and I think we did that," he said.
Angelo now has his sights on the NFL and vows to return to Aloha Stadium one day.
"I'm coming back but next time it will be in a pro uniform," he said.
Fellow Bearcat Haruki Nakamura intercepted a long pass attempt by Washington State's Alex Brink that led to Morris' 3-yard TD pass to Bruce Hocker that made it 21-0 just before halftime.
Nakamura earlier recovered a fumble by Marcus Thomas near midfield. Six plays later, Smith scored on a 1-yard plunge.
Smith also scored on a 6-yard run to put Aina up 14-0 seconds after Tennessee's J.T. Mapu, who starred at nearby Kahuku High School, stripped Stanford's T.C. Ostrander.
"I thought we would win, but I was surprised that it was by that much," Mapu said. "We just did a good job on both sides of the ball."
Ostrander had a game he wishes the NFL scouts would soon forget. He was 1-of-7 for 6 yards.
San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell was one of the only bright spots for the Kai. He was 11-of-21 for 147 yards. California's Robert Jordan had four catches for 84 yards.
The Kai avoided a shutout when O'Connell connected with Jordan on a 15-yard TD pass play on fourth-and-long to cut the Aina's lead to 24-7 late in the third quarter.
O'Connell found the Hawaii connection on the 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. He completed passes of 17 and 10 yards to Jason Rivers and a 15-yarder to C.J. Hawthorne.
Arthur Carmody's 38-yard field goal gave the Aina a 24-0 lead to start the second half. He missed a 32-yarder earlier in the game.
"They just played aggressive and they flew around the ball," said Amir Pinnix, who had four carries for 9 yards for the Kai. "I tip my hat to them because they are all-stars and they got some pretty good players over there."
The Aina was coached by Illinois' Ron Zook and Boston College's Jeff Zagodzinski. The Kai was led by UNLV's Mike Sanford and Oregon State's Mike Riley.
"The players were a joy to work with," Zook said. "They are good guys who wanted to help each other and they absolutely came together."
Once the jewel of college all-star games, with alumni including Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka and Fran Trakenton, the Hula Bowl this year appeared to be in trouble.
There were only a couple thousand fans in 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium. Some players complained about overcrowded hotel rooms. In the press box, there was no statistics crew, let alone a bowl representative.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Miles celebrates LSU's national title, looks ahead for more
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Flanked by his team's four gleaming national championship trophies, LSU coach Les Miles was already looking for more.
"I have the next year plan right here," Miles said, drawing laughs from reporters and LSU hangers-on at a morning news conference. "The next year plan, OK, first of all, we expect to be a very strong football team."
Next year can wait. On Tuesday, Miles and most of this city celebrated LSU's second Bowl Championship Series title, earned the night before in a decisive 38-24 victory over previously top-ranked Ohio State in the Superdome.
At an early morning celebration, Miles stood on the balcony of a French Quarter hotel and raised a replica of the BCS trophy to delirious fans on Bourbon Street.
At about 9 a.m., Miles answered his cell phone and heard an unfamiliar female voice.
"She said, 'Please hold for the president of the United States,"' Miles said. "I went, 'OK.'
"He was just very kind, very complimentary of our team. He just said, 'I watched your team, your team overcame hurdles."'
Miles will soon be making a few important calls of his own. He'll be on the recruiting trail, looking for talent to keep the Tigers among the national elite.
"I can promise you that it's a little early to say we have it all figured out," Miles said. "But the goals will be the same. The goals will be 100 percent graduation rate and a national championship. And I suspect this team will fight like heck to get that done."
LSU's passionate legions expect the Tigers to win the national title every year. Reality is harsher, but LSU (12-2) has become the first two-time champion in the 10-year history of the BCS and the first to lose two games in a championship season.
There are many reasons to believe the Tigers will be in the hunt again in 2008. Although they lose quarterback Matt Flynn, tailback Jacob Hester and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, the Tigers have plenty of players eager to step in.
A trio of sophomores helped lead the charge against Ohio State -- tight end Richard Dickson, who caught two touchdown passes; wide receiver Brandon LaFell, who also caught a touchdown pass; and defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois, named the game's Most Outstanding Defensive Player after blocking an Ohio State field goal attempt.
The Tigers overcame an early 10-0 deficit, reeling off 31 unanswered points in a little more than 23 minutes.
"They understand what being pinned down means," Miles said. "They understand what it takes to come back and fight and overcome hurdles. I think this game was not unlike other games we played all year long."
Some would say the Tigers have taken on the coach's feistiness. Miles is the new king of the bayou, a position held by Nick Saban after he led the Tigers to the 2003 BCS title.
Saban became reviled among many LSU followers when he bolted for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Miles' stature grew when he passed on a chance to coach at Michigan, his alma mater.
Now he's given LSU fans another reason to revere him.
"I have to be honest, it's not sunk in yet," Miles said.
Miles replaced Saban after the 2004 season. In his first two years at LSU, Miles thought the Tigers were good enough to contend for the national title. Both times they went 11-2 and fell short.
LSU lost two games again this year. But as a wild college football season played out and other contenders fell, the Tigers found themselves with an unexpected shot at the national title, and they didn't waste it.
Miles brushed aside talk that other teams -- including USC and Georgia -- also deserved a chance to play for the title.
University of Georgia president Michael Adams released a proposal for an eight-team college football playoff on Tuesday. Miles said he thought his team would fare well in such a scheme, but he didn't have to indulge in what-ifs. He had plenty of actual hardware to tote back to Baton Rouge.
"It's nice that there's no indecision," Miles said. "There's one national champion.
"I don't know if there's not more talented teams. But I can promise you this: this by far and away is the finest football team this year."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Interim head coach appreciates players' vote of confidence
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring says he was touched by his players' vote of confidence.
Herring is serving as interim head coach as the team prepares to meet Missouri in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day in Dallas.
Herring, 48, was chosen for the fill-in job after Houston Nutt resigned and then took the top coaching job at Ole Miss.
Earlier this month, Arkansas hired Bobby Petrino to coach the Razorbacks next season, but Herring is handling the coaching duties for the Cotton Bowl.
Players voted Dec. 6 that they wanted him to be interim coach.
"It was the greatest gift I have ever received as a football coach," Herring said. "Knowing I had earned the respect and the belief of the players that they felt compelled to do such an act, it was overwhelming."
Retiring athletic director Frank Broyles said Herring's handling of the football program since Nutt's departure had been impressive.
"He's done a magnificent job and deserves to be a head coach some day, if not right away," Broyles said. "If anybody called me, I would give him the highest recommendation I could give anybody to be a head coach."
Herring said his interim job confirmed what he already knew: He wants to be a head coach and would be a very good one. All he needs, Herring said, is a chance to show that he is not just a defensive coordinator but an organized, efficient leader of men.
"I'd love to be a head coach, even moreso now after being given the chair," Herring said. "It's something I personally could thrive in. At least now I can say I have been a head coach for a month.
Herring on Monday disputed a published report that he had agreed to become defensive coordinator at Texas A&M next season.
The report, attributed to an anonymous source, appeared in the Dallas Morning News. Herring didn't rule out going to A&M, but said he hadn't been hired there, or anywhere else, and nothing has been decided about his future at Arkansas, so far as he knew.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Wisconsin-Whitewater wins Div. III title
Justin Beaver made sure Wisconsin-Whitewater would not lose yet another title game to Mount Union.
Beaver rushed for 248 yards and a touchdown as the Warhawks captured their first Division III national championship Saturday, defeating two-time defending champion Mount Union, 31-21, in the Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia.
Wisconsin-Whitewater (14-1) snapped Mount Union's 37-game winning streak and avenged losses to the Purple Raiders in the previous two title games.
Mount Union was seeking its 10th national crown since 1993 and lost for only the fourth time since 2000 (110-4).
The Warhawks built a 17-0 lead early in the third quarter, shutting down a Mount Union team that had outscored its opponents this season by a staggering average margin of 54-5.
Mount Union, which lost three fumbles and was stopped on the 1-yard line in the first half, did not go quietly. The Purple Raiders (14-1) pulled within 24-21 on Nate Kmic's 5-yard TD run with 4:11 remaining.
But Beaver, the Gagliardi Trophy winner as the Division III Player of the Year, ripped off a 66-yard run on the ensuing possession. That set up quarterback Danny Jones' clinching 1-yard TD run on fourth down with 1:33 remaining.
The Warhawks won the title in their first year under coach Lance Leipold. Bob Berezowitz retired last season after 22 years at the school.
Kmic rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns for Mount Union.
In the Division II title game in Florence, Alabama, Michael Terry scored on a 1-yard run with 22 seconds remaining to lift Valdosta State to a 25-20 victory over Northwest Missouri State.
Valdosta State (13-1) overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit to capture its second national championship, also winning in 2004.
Northwest Missouri State (12-2) became the first team in the 34-year history of the tournament to lose in the final three straight years. The Bearcats fell to Grand Valley State in the final the previous two seasons.
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
Birmingham duo opening things up?
One of the things that are most impressive regarding the current Bruin class is the amount of players that play for winning programs. The Bruins have committed players who will participate in two CIF Championship games and in the City Section Championship game.
Two of UCLA's recruits play for Lake Balboa (Calif.) Birmingham. They are three-star linebacker Donovan Carter (6-2, 226, 4.65) and four-star running back Milton Knox.
Both players were disappointed when they heard word that Karl Dorrell dismissed.
"It came to a shock to me and other recruits that I know," Carter said. "I wish it could have been worked out.
"Coach Dorrell met with this recruiting class on Veteran's Day and told us he wasn't going anywhere and was planning on being at UCLA a long time," Carter said. "He said that he thought everything would stay the same because of the injury situation the team went through.
"I'm talking to other schools now," Carter said. "If Coach DeWayne Walker and linebacker coach Chuck Bullough stay on board, I'm solid with the Bruins.
"If they wipe out the whole coaching staff, I'll give the coaching staff a chance, but I don't know if I will stay," Carter said. "Washington will be coming in for a home visit and I'm trying to set up a visit to Arizona State."
The ever competitive Knox took the news even harder.
"I'll tell you the truth," Knox said. "I think it is messed up about Coach Dorrell. I think he is the one who was able to haul in this great recruiting class.
"I thought that the guys he (Dorrell) was bringing in would change the face of the program," Knox said. "Everybody said that UCLA is second to USC, we were going to change that and make UCLA No. 1.
"I think this recruiting class could fall apart," Knox said. "We don't know what we are going to do..
"I know if UCLA hired DeWayne Walker, he's going to keep the nucleus of this coaching staff," Knox said. "A whole new coaching staff will bring a whole new set of questions.
"I know Coach Dino Babers and I trust him," Knox said. "He tells you like it is.
"I'm going to open up the market a little and look at Florida, Notre Dame and Colorado."
Copyright 2007 Rivals.com. All Rights Reserved.
The good and bad of postseason bonuses for W.Va.'s Rodriguez
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez received a $150,000 bonus for winning the Big East and getting the Mountaineers into the Bowl Championship Series.
Rodriguez could have pocketed an extra $150,000 had West Virginia won a national title. Pittsburgh ended those hopes by beating the Mountaineers 13-9 on Saturday night.
The BCS game triggered another clause that boosts his supplemental compensation by $50,000 for each remaining year of his contract through the 2013 season. That's on top of the $50,000-per-year increase in supplemental compensation agreed to when he signed his contract in August.
If No. 11 West Virginia finishes in the top 10 of the final polls, he'll get another $25,000 bonus.
Rodriguez's contract pays him more than $1.4 million in compensation and benefits annually, although money is probably the last thing on his mind right now.
He admitted having two sleepless nights following Saturday's loss to Pittsburgh that resulted in West Virginia (10-2) playing No. 3 Oklahoma (11-2) on Jan. 2 instead of facing top-ranked Ohio State (11-1) in the national championship game in New Orleans on Jan. 7.
A win next month would give West Virginia three straight 11-win seasons.
Last December, Rodriguez turned down a reported $12 million, six-year offer from Alabama, which eventually hired the Miami Dolphins' Nick Saban.
There's been no talk of Rodriguez being on the move this year.
"I'm not in it now, not that I know of," Rodriguez said. "Sorry but you all are stuck with me here."
Athletic director Ed Pastilong was glad to hear that Tuesday.
"We made a strong commitment to Rich and our coaching staff and commitments are important both ways," Pastilong said. "Our future looks very good."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Vols RB Arian Foster climbing rushing chart at Wide Receiver
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- It's easy to overlook a running back at Wide Receiver U.
In a season where all eyes have been on the arm of quarterback Erik Ainge and a deep corps of wide receivers, Tennessee tailback Arian Foster has quietly amassed 1,107 yards while climbing the school's career rushing chart.
It means a lot, especially at this university," Foster said. "The last couple of years it's been hard for any individual to achieve an accolade like that because of the rotation and because we've had great quarterbacks and we've been a passing offense."
Passing has been the Vols' focus again this season -- they have 1,275 more yards by air than by ground. But the ground game has been key to winning for Tennessee (9-3, 6-2 SEC), which gained more than 150 yards rushing in wins over Georgia and Arkansas, and ground out 273 yards in a lopsided 59-7 homecoming win over Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Vols' worst rushing performance: a paltry 37 yards in a 59-20 rout by Florida.
Tight end Chris Brown thinks Foster could be the reason Tennessee beats No. 4 LSU (10-2, 6-2) in the Southeastern Conference championship Saturday in Atlanta.
"Arian Foster has run the ball extremely hard, and he's done a lot of special things for us," Brown said. "It's going to be that matchup that will win the game for us -- if we can run the football and if our defense can stop them from running the football."
Foster piled up 879 yards his freshman year, taking over as starter for injured senior Gerald Riggs Jr. As part of a running back rotation last season with Montario Hardesty and LaMarcus Coker, Foster managed just 322 yards.
Coaches expected a similar rotation this season, but Foster practiced and played his way into the feature role. Meanwhile, Coker couldn't keep himself out of trouble and was cut from the team midseason, and Hardesty has struggled with an ankle injury.
Now, Foster's 2,308 career yards puts him only 770 shy of Travis Henry's school record, with two more games this season and another year of eligibility.
"I continue to be impressed with how Arian Foster works and improves," said Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer. "He is making a significant difference in our season."
Fulmer said he saw improvement in Foster's work ethic after Tennessee lost 20-10 to Penn State in last season's Outback Bowl. A fumble by Foster was recovered by Penn State's Tony Davis, who ran 88 yards for a touchdown and a 17-10 lead.
Fulmer said the running back took a copy of an article about the game and hung it in his locker during the offseason, where he could see it every day before workouts.
Foster had another costly fumble this season, when he dropped a handoff from Ainge against the Gators. Linebacker Dustin Doe scooped up the ball and ran it for a touchdown.
The mistakes are something Foster has learned to put out of his mind.
"With football you have to have a short-term memory," he said. "Whatever happens on the field, you just have to put it in the back of your head and just keep going on to the next play, whether it be a fumble, a turnover or the opposing offense scores. You've just got to play your game."
His game also includes catching a few passes.
Foster not only tallied 118 yards on the ground against Kentucky last Saturday, but his 98 yards receiving was a season high. In the first play from scrimmage, he caught a 65-yard pass from Ainge before cutting across the field, breaking a tackle and scoring a touchdown.
That dual threat is disruptive to opposing teams, offensive lineman Anthony Parker said.
"You have to cover him as well," he said. "When you have a person like that who can run the ball and receive it, it has a tendency to hurt defenses."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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