Jacksonville Sports News

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Brent Beaird's Weekend Notebook

By BRENT BEAIRD
www.jaxsportsnews.com

CINCINNATI: Butch Jones from Central Michigan got the job. (examiner.com)

ULM: Todd Berry has been hired. Joe Robinson (LSU special teams) and Todd Bradford (Southern Miss DC) talked with ULM at one point. ULM may have talked with Florida State assistant Jody Allen.

BIG TEN EXPANSION: Big Ten officials have agreed to consider expansion for the first time in 10 years. The Big Ten Network project is essentially complete. The BTN was an endeavor that took up a lot of time and focus for key league officials. It would have been hard, if not impossible, to focus on the Big Ten Network and expansion at the same time. The other factor is another season has passed with the Big Ten falling out of the national spotlight. The league seemed to be a complete nonfactor nationally after Nov. 14 -- yes, I know there was another weekend of games, but still -- and no one talked about the Big Ten after Thanksgiving. Alvarez is right about being "irrelevant," and some of his peers clearly are listening.

Who are the candidates? Contrary to popular belief, a candidate doesn't need to be a member of the Association of American Universities or be located within the Big Ten footprint or in a bordering state. Though the schools must fit what the Big Ten looks for, "there’s no prescription that you have to have 30,000 undergrads or you have to be a major research institution," a source tells me.

This opens up the pool, and Alvarez said last week that the league will explore schools "from all over the country." Still, I can't see the Big Ten looking too far outside the Midwest or the New York market.

Here are some Big Ten expansion possibilities: Missouri, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Nebraska and Rutgers.

A 12th team would allow the Big Ten to split into divisions and hold a conference championship game. The Big Ten typically ends its football season two weeks before the other BCS conferences, though the addition of a permanent bye week in 2010 will shrink the gap by a week.

The Big Ten most recently expanded with Penn State, which began competing as a league member in football in 1993. The league has made runs at Notre Dame but hasn't had serious discussions for several years. (ESPN.com)

UCF VS. RUTGERS IN THE ST. PETERSBURG BOWL: UCF can go a long way toward joining the BCS league of nations in Saturday night's Soiree by the Bay. On the same week expansion talk has multiplied like Tiger's mistresses throughout college football, what better way to send a message to the Big East Conference than by beating Rutgers in a stadium jam-packed with thousands upon thousands of UCF fans? And don't think UCF coach George O'Leary and others in the administration don't know it. Why do you think they were lobbying so hard for the St. Pete Bowl? It wasn't just about geography; it was about opportunity.

And the Big East may be looking for even more teams now that the powerful and prestigious Big Ten has sent tremors throughout lesser leagues with the announcement earlier this week that it will explore the possibility of expanding. Isn't it ironic that one of the teams the Big Ten is said to be considering is Rutgers – a huge state university located in a dominant TV market? If Rutgers does bolt for the Big Ten, who better to fill its spot in the Big East than St. Pete Bowl opponent UCF – another huge state university located in a dominant TV market?

Never before have UCF's chances of gaining admittance into a coveted BCS league seemed so close at hand.

It's no secret the Big East -- because of the difficulty of scheduling in an eight-team football league – was already contemplating inviting a new football member. But that possibility becomes inevitability should the Big East lose one of its current football members (Rutgers, Pitt or Syracuse) to the Big Ten. Another favorable scenario for UCF is this: The Big Ten adds Notre Dame, which is a Big East member in basketball only. That would create a spot in the Big East's 16-team basketball format and make it easy for the league to then add UCF in football, too.

Whatever happens, the Big East is out of its mind if it doesn't extend an invitation to Orlando's sleeping giant. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The Big East needs to wake up and smell the potential of UCF.

We're talking about the third-largest university in the nation located in America's 19th-rated TV market. We're talking about the biggest public educational institution in Florida -- a university located right in the middle of a college football-crazy state that is one of the premier recruiting hotbeds in the country. We're talking about a school that is investing tons of money and resources into its football and basketball programs. (Orlando Sentinel)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Brent Beaird's ACC Notebook

By BRENT BEAIRD
www.jaxsportsnews.com

ACC RUSHING RECORD: If Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt rushes for at least nine yards against Iowa in this year’s FedEx Orange Bowl, he will become the fifth ACC runner to top the 1,000-yard mark this season, joining Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams (1,538), Boston College’s Montel Harris (1,355), teammate Jonathan Dwyer (1,346) and Clemson's C.J. Spiller (1,145).

Though the ACC has had four backs over 1,000 yards before, it has never had five runners top the coveted 1,000-yard mark in its 57-year history.

Nesbitt will get his nine yards against Iowa (and probably about 70 more), and when he does, it will mark the first time Georgia Tech has had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. This was one of the preseason predictions about the ACC that came true -- it was going to be a strong running conference. Only the names have changed.

Heading into this year, it was Virginia Tech's Darren Evans and Maryland's Da'Rel Scott who were among the returning 1,000-yard rushers. With Dwyer, Evans and Scott, it was the first time in conference history the ACC expected to return three 1,000-yard rushers. Even though Evans and Scott were injured, the conference finished stronger than it started, and it could be even better next year, as the majority of these players -- including Evans and Scott -- will return. (ESPN.com)

FLORIDA STATE: Florida State's Jimbo Fisher, who will be taking the program after Bobby Bowden coaches in the Gator Bowl, said he plans to continue to coach the quarterbacks and call the plays as the head coach. He said he may name a coordinator but "the majority of the things, I'll still do it.''

On Friday night it was confirmed that current Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops would become new head coach Jimbo Fisher's defensive coordinator at Florida State. Stoops, a name that is familiar to Seminoles fans thanks to his older brother Bob at Oklahoma, should also be remembered for his coaching stint at the University of Miami from 2001-2003. As a defensive backs coach with the Hurricanes, the younger Stoops help develop Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Phillip Buchanon, and Mike Rumph. The 42-year old coach has been the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for his older brother Mike Stoops at the University of Arizona for the past six seasons. Before that he coached defensive backs at the University of Miami under Larry Coker for three seasons, including the 2001 national championship team.

Defensive end Kevin McNeil has missed the first two practices this week. According to head coach Bobby Bowden, McNeil is absent as a result of academics. Bowden was unsure whether he will be able to return or whether he will be ineligible for the bowl game.

Rick Trickett interviewed at Marshall before Doc Holliday was hired.

SIGNING UPDATE: Florida State has received signed national letters of intent from defensive tackle Anthony “Amp” McCloud and running back Debrale Smiley, who spent the past two years at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College.

McCloud and Smiley, who initially signed with Florida State in 2008 out of Thomasville (Ga.) Thomas County Central, played as freshmen at Itawamba in the fall of that year but sat out the 2009 season. They plan to enroll at FSU for the spring semester, participate in spring practice and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who will take over head coaching responsibilities in January, recruited both players.

Fisher said both players address immediate needs for the Seminoles.

“Debrale brings a big, physical back to the table,” Fisher said of the 6-foot, 240-pound back. “He’s athletic, catches the ball very well and can block and run from the tailback spot. He could play fullback if he had to, but we like him as a one-back guy who can do some things. He has the speed to get outside and is very durable, just a good football player.”

The same holds true for the 6-foot-3, 295-pound McCloud.

“He’s physical and holds the point (of attack) very well,” Fisher said. “He can change direction very well and runs well for a big guy. We definitely have that size need inside and it’s a chance for an experienced guy to come in and make an impact right away.” (Warchant.com)

CLEMSON: In the week since the announced pairing, Clemson has sold 4,000 tickets - just more than half of its minimum 7,500 allotment per the ACC's contract with the Music City Bowl. Kentucky has sold close to 16,000, rifling through its initial allotment of 12,000 within one day. Those figures don't take into account the nearly 4,000 tickets the bowl sold in the four-day window before the selection was announced when media reports surfaced that the Wildcats were the likely choice. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, in his first full year, continued his effective recruiting with the addition of three coveted recruits. Two Hargrave Military Academy linemen – defensive tackle Laurence Gibson and offensive guard Josh Watson – have dramatically strengthened the Tigers' 2010 recruiting class with their commitments after visiting Clemson last weekend. The Tigers also landed one of the better in-state players in the Class of 2011, offensive tackle Shaq Anthony of Wren High in Piedmont, S.C. (ESPN.com)

VIRGINIA TECH: Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver has done what most Hokies fans probably would have with money out of their own pockets could they afford to -- make defensive coordinator Bud Foster an offer he can't refuse.

Weaver and Foster struck a deal that will likely keep Foster on Tech's sideline for the next five years, according to a report in the Virginia Pilot. This will help keep the team together and focused as it prepares for the Chick-fil-A Bowl without the defense wondering what its future might be without Foster, but it also puts pressure on Foster to maintain the success that he's had at Virginia Tech. This year, the Hokies finished 14th in the nation in total defense -- an accomplishment that's flown under the radar because Virginia Tech fans have become spoiled by Foster. Heading into this season, Virginia Tech had finished among the top seven nationally in total defense for five straight years. Some Hokies considered this year to be a "dropoff," despite being ranked No. 11 in the country in scoring defense and holding opponents to just 15.75 points per game. Foster will have to maintain similar success despite losing eight seniors from this year's two-deep depth chart.

Foster has become one of the most respected, well-paid coordinators in the country -- and he's earned it. He's making over $400,000, according to the USA Today report on coaches' salaries. And while this new deal won't change his current salary, he will receive a one-time annuity payment in five years if he's still with the Hokies.

That's a much better idea than a coach-in-waiting plan. This way, Foster and Virginia Tech are still free to make decisions that are in their own best interests. There haven't been any promises made, which means there aren't any that have to be broken. (ESPN.com)

VIRGINIA: Former Virginia receivers coach Latrell Scott will be named head coach at Richmond on Wednesday, ESPN.com has learned. This hire makes sense as Scott coached the wide receivers for three years at Richmond before joining Tennessee's staff, and he has ties to former Richmond coaches Dave Clawson and Mike London, who is now at Virginia.

And suddenly the coaching circle gets a lot smaller. Clawson left Richmond to take over as offensive coordinator at Tennessee, and guess who he replaced? David Cutcliffe, who left Tennessee to take over at Duke. This move will also squash the rumor that Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring is leaving Blacksburg. So far London has five assistants on staff -- four he brought with him from Richmond and two he retained from Al Groh's staff (Anthony Poindexter and Bob Price). Specific assignments haven't been made yet.

GEORGIA TECH VS. IOWA IN THE ORANGE BOWL: The first meeting between Georgia Tech and Iowa will match Tech's highly ranked offense against Iowa's stout defense. Georgia Tech is No. 2 in the nation in rushing (307.2 ypg) and No. 11 in total yards (442.7 ypg). Iowa (10-2) is No. 11 in total defense and No. 10 scoring defense (15.5 ppg).

Iowa ranked sixth in its 11-team conference in passing offense and 10th in total offense. On the other hand, in 10 starts this season, Iowa starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi finished ranked fifth in the Big Ten in total offense and sixth in passing efficiency. The junior, who missed the season’s final two games after being knocked out of Iowa’s Nov. 7 against Northwestern with an ankle injury, also passed for 2,186 yards and 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. With four NFL caliber defensive linemen, the Hawkeyes feature one of the more dominating front units the Yellow Jackets would have faced all year. Although none exceed 300 pounds, each of the linemen play quite physically. Each of Iowa’s starting linemen ranks among the top eight on the team in tackles, while the Hawkeyes’ three linebackers take the remaining spots. At times featuring six-man fronts, the Hawkeyes defense is full of players intent on getting to the football. That is evident in the Hawkeyes’ penchant for creating turnovers.

Outhustling its opponents, Iowa forced 10 fumbles and came away with 16 interceptions this season. On those 26 turnovers, the Hawkeyes scored 85 points, compared to just 61 scored by the teams that played them. But while Iowa is ranked at the top of the Big Ten in passing defense and pass efficiency defense, its rushing defense is a modest fifth in the conference and 36th nationally. Of course, the Yellow Jackets feature a run-first offense and have gone games completing just one pass.

MIAMI: Jacksonville Raines High School lineman and Cane commitment Tavadis Glenn got a visit at his school from UM offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.

Glenn will take his official visit in January - it will be the only visit he takes. Glenn says he enjoys playing defensive line more than offensive line, and that he is being recruited by Miami for both positions. Glenn finished his senior season with 50 tackles, 10 for losses, and had 57 pancake blocks. (Canesport.com)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Brent Beaird's SEC Notebook

By BRENT BEAIRD
www.jaxsportsnews.com

ALABAMA: The University of Alabama's six players named to the first-team All-Americans by the Associated Press on Tuesday was a school record, but also meant that sophomore running Mark Ingram and junior linebacker Rolando McClain were unanimous All-American selections.

To be considered a unanimous All-American a player must be selected first-team by the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation.

The consensus selection is the player with the highest number of points at each position (three points for first team, two points for second team and one point for third team), by the same organizations.

Senior nose tackle Terrence Cody, senior guard Mike Johnson and senior cornerback Javier Arenas were all consensus first-team selections. (ESPN.com)

HEISMAN TROPHY: Adding to the Heisman Trophy drama was that the vote turned out to be the closest in Heisman history, with Ingram topping Stanford running back Toby Gerhart by just 28 points.

Previously, the narrowest margin was 1985, when only 45 points separated Auburn running back Bo Jackson from the runner-up Chuck Long of Iowa, which was also the last time a Southeastern Conference running back won.

With the Heisman using a 3-2-1 point system, with a first-place vote worth three votes, second two and third one, Ingram finished with 1,304 points, which just edged Gerhart's 1,276, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy's 1,145, and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's 815 (the most points ever for a fourth-place finisher).

Ingram was the 40th running back to win the Heisman Trophy, but just the eighth since 1985. The only running back to win the award this past decade was Southern California's Reggie Bush in 2005.

Ingram is the ninth Southeastern Conference player history to win, joining Frank Sinkwich (Georgia, 1942), Billy Cannon (LSU, 1959), Steve Spurrier (Florida, 1966), Pat Sullivan (Auburn, 1971), Herschel Walker (Georgia, 1982), Bo Jackson (Auburn, 1985) and Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996), and Tebow (2007).

Ingram is the third straight sophomore to win the award. Tebow was the first sophomore to win the award in 2007 and finished third in 2008. Contributing to Ingram being calm through the live broadcast was Tebow taking him aside for a while to help ease his nerves and the two prayed together. (Al.com and ESPN.com)

Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain has interviewed at San Jose State, who is the Tide’s opening opponent next season, but he is staying with Nick Saban. McElwain has been mentioned for the head coaching job at UNLV. It looks like Jim Livengood from Arizona will be hired as the Runnin’ Rebels new athletic director, which could mean that Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes will be on the candidate list, too. However, there are rumblings from the desert that UNLV wants to go with a head coach rather than gamble on an assistant. Former Alabama coach Dennis Franchione has been pushing hard for this job. Former Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter has also been mentioned. (collegefootballtalk.com)

As of now, six of Alabama's eight SEC opponents in 2010 will be coming off an open week when they play against the Crimson Tide, by far the most in the league. From the 2007 season through 2010, Alabama's schedules included 16 idle-rested opponents, while the next highest total in the league over that span (LSU) was only five. (Al.com)

FLORIDA: No final decision has been made, but cornerback Joe Haden has already had discussions with his family about possibly leaving Florida after this season and now the Hadens are waiting to hear what the NFL says about his draft stock before making a determination. Haden, a former four-star recruit rated as the third-best athlete in the 2007 class by Rivals.com, is third on the team with 62 tackles. He has four interceptions and nine pass deflections, both team highs, and has also forced two fumbles. Coach Urban Meyer said earlier this season that seven juniors on Florida's roster have NFL potential, probably none greater at this point than Haden. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap, tight end Aaron Hernandez and offensive linemen Mike and Maurkice Pouncey are some of the other juniors on that list.

Defensive coordinator possibilities are: cornerback coach Vance Bedford (coordinator at Oklahoma State), Chuck Heater secondary coach (never been a coordinator), Dan McCarney (successful head coach and coordinator), Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix (South Carolina, Southern Miss) and Jon Tenuta of Notre Dame.

Receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales has gone to LSU as their passing game coordinator and receivers coach. One of the stories that has gained momentum since Billy Gonzales left for LSU was that the wide receivers coach was shown the door because he was aware of the birthday party attended by Dunlap and several other prominent players. Urban Meyer denied it.

Gonzales is now the passing game coordinator at LSU. Much of the speculation was based on how quickly Meyer hired Zach Azzanni from Central Michigan after word leaked Gonzales was leaving.

STAFF CHANGES? Florida has already lost a pair of assistant coaches this month, and could be facing the loss of at least one more in the coming days. According to both the Gainesville Sun and Florida Today, quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler is a candidate for the head coach openings at both Central Michigan and Buffalo. The Sun also reports that two other assistants could be head coaching candidates as well. Cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford’s name has been tied to the Buffalo opening as well, while wide receivers coach Zach Azzani is being mentioned in connection with the CMU opening. Azzanni has been on the job for a week, having come to the Gators from, you guessed it, the Chippewas. He was the assistant head coach/wide receivers coach under Butch Jones, who left CMU to go to Cincinnati as the successor to Brian Kelly, who left UC for Notre Dame. (Gainesvillesun.com)

Former Notre Dame assistant Corwin Brown is interested in joining Urban Meyer’s staff on the defensive side. The Gators’ defensive coordinator job is open. Some people believe Meyer may promote from within (footballscoop.com)

True freshman Jordan Reed was running routes at the end of practice. Reed has practiced some as a tight end this season.

RECRUITS PICTURES ON FACEBOOK: By way of Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post, pictures of lineman Leon Orr and defensive end Lynden Trail flashing what's purported to be gang signs and -- in one case -- showing what looks to be a handgun have made their way from the players' respective MySpace/Facebook pages and into the mainstream media. The first picture is allegedly of Orr, flashing what appears to be a gun and 16 whole dollars in cash. Based on the fact that he's fanning out less than $20, I'm guessing the piece he's holding shoots water or those little plastic pellets. The second picture is purportedly Orr on the left and Trail on the right flashing what is alleged to be gang signs. Given the Gators' off-the-field record of players stepping a toe or two across the wrong side of the law the last few years, these images are not exactly what the program needs at this point in time.

Leon Orr says despite internet photos showing him with a pistol and cash, he is not in a gang and never has been. The Florida recruit also said that the photo shows him with a plastic pellet gun and was taken in middle school. (mrsec.com)

VERBAL COMMITMENT: The Florida Gators have quite a connection going with Palm Beach Dwyer in the 2010 recruiting class. On Wednesday night, UF picked up a commitment from a third Dwyer star, wide receiver Robert Clark. Clark is the third Dwyer standout to pledge to Florida, joining five-star safety Matt Elam and four-star tight end Gerald Christian.

Clark committed to West Virginia back in July, but started favoring the Gators when UF offered him a scholarship two weeks ago. Clark gave his commitment to Meyer on the same day reports came out that WVU assistant Doc Holliday was going to be named the head coach at Marshall.

Clark is rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. In his senior season (which is still going on), Clark has caught 28 passes for 658 yards and eight touchdowns. Dwyer plays Niceville on Saturday in the Class 4A state title game. Clark is UF's 20th commitment for the 2010 recruiting class. The Gators expect to sign 25 players. (Gainesvillesun.com)

NO. 1 RECRUIT VISITING: The No. 1 player by Rivals.com is expected to visit Florida this weekend and it could be huge for the Gators because Seantrel Henderson (6-8, 301) is still figuring out his recruitment and a big weekend in Gainesville could go a long way. The Saint Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall standout has already visited Notre Dame, Ohio State and Southern Cal. Florida will be his fourth visit and there are considerations to visit Oklahoma, Miami or Iowa for his fifth and final official. He won't announce his decision until National Signing Day. (Rivals.com)

CAM NEWTON UPDATE: Auburn and Mississippi State could be fighting it out for former Florida quarterback Cameron Newton, who plans to sign somewhere next week and will enroll in January. He’s scheduled to visit Auburn this weekend.

Louisville is also in the hunt, thanks in large part to the Charlie Strong connection. Other reports have him considering Arizona, Auburn, Louisville, Kansas State, Mississippi State, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.

Newton led Blinn College to the junior college national championship this season. He threw for more than 2,800 yards and 22 touchdowns and also rushed for 655 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was dismissed from the Florida team after being arrested and charged with stealing another student’s laptop computer. Newton recently completed a pretrial intervention program and has stayed out of trouble during his probation.

He would be a good fit at either Auburn or Mississippi State, both of whom run versions of the spread offense. With Tyrik Rollison suspended indefinitely, the quarterback situation at Auburn is more wide open than ever next season with senior Chris Todd departing. There’s no clear-cut guy at Mississippi State, either. Chris Relf returns, although he was most effective as a runner this season. The Bulldogs redshirted freshman Tyler Russell.

Florida fans have purchased only 12,500 of 17,500 Sugar Bowl tickets. (Gainesvillesun.com)

AUBURN: There are strong rumors that Bo Pelini will shake up his offensive coaching staff after Nebraska’s bowl game. One name that will pop up on any list of potential offensive coordinators will be Auburn’s Gus Malzahn.

The Tigers did get some news about linebacker Eltoro Freeman on Saturday. Auburn began Outback Bowl practice for its game against Northwestern with Freeman going through drills, a welcomed sign after he missed the regular-season finale against Alabama because of an ankle/foot problem. One position battle that's already getting started for next season is at quarterback. Junior Neil Caudle will return as the heir apparent after playing in five games as the backup to senior starter Chris Todd. Redshirt freshman Barrett Trotter and true freshman Clint Moseley should benefit the most from the extra work as they try and challenge Caudle.

Trotter had knee surgery after an injury last spring and didn't return to practice until the last half of the season. One quarterback that won't factor into the race during bowl practice is true freshman Tyrik Rollison, who was indefinitely suspended from the team Dec. 3 for a violation of team rules. Rollison finished third in the quarterback battle this fall and Malzahn said the missed practice time won't set him back too far. (Auburnsports.com)

ARKANSAS: Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino will take the same position at Illinois for $475,000. Petrino, the brother of Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, ran an offense ranked eighth in the nation in scoring, 10th in passing and 14th in total yards. Illinois coach Ron Zook could not be reached for comment. Petrino reportedly turned down a chance to become Western Kentucky's head coach. He was also in the running for the coaching position at Marshall. Petrino is in his second year at Arkansas. Before that, he served on his brother's staffs at Louisville and with the Atlanta Falcons. Garrick McGee, the quarterback coach, has been promoted to offensive coordinator.

Arkansas starter and former Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett has thrown for 3,422 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. He has one more game to pile on more statistics, with the Razorbacks playing East Carolina in the Jan. 2 Liberty Bowl. (Hawgsports.com)

GEORGIA: When Georgia begins bowl practice Saturday, the Bulldogs will do it without defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, defensive ends coach Jon Fabris and linebackers coach John Jancek who were all let go last week. Linebacker Rennie Curran and safety Reshad Jones both are considering making the move to the NFL, and both admitted that losing their coaches could push them in that direction.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: It appears that three people (Bud Foster, Kirby Smart and Vic Koenning) have already turned down UGA’s defensive coordinator position. According to the website FootballCoachScoop.com, Richt has spoken to two new candidates regarding Georgia’s open defensive coordinator slot. Alabama linebackers coach Sal Sunseri — who has been at Alabama for one year and has been among the names rumored to be on Richt’s list — has apparently been contacted officially about the job.

Also, a new name (but a familiar one to SEC fans) is in the mix--first-year Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Internet reports claim that Richt has already made contact with Steele, who is a South Carolina native.

Steele played at Tennessee, has coached at Tennessee (as well as at Nebraska and Florida State) and has served as the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban (2007, 2008) and at Clemson. He was also Baylor’s head coach for four years.

Interestingly, Sunseri and Steele have both served as assistants with the Carolina Panthers, though not at the same time. It is believed that Steele is making more than $360,000 at Clemson.

If Sunseri becomes the Dawgs’ choice, then it’s even more difficult to imagine defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner staying onboard to work for a man who served as a linebackers coach this past season. Also North Carolina defensive coordinator Everett Whither name has been mentioned.

Other possible replacements at defensive coordinator that have been mentioned are: Reggie Herring Dallas Cowboys, Travis Jones New Orleans, Bob Sanders Buffalo, Brian VanGorder Atlanta, Tyrone Nix Ole Miss, Dick Bumphas TCU, Manny Diaz MTSU, Ellis Johnson of South Carolina. Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster has taken his name of out consideration being offered the same position at Georgia. Foster is already one of the highest paid coordinators in the game -- his $402,000 salary places him seventh for assistants with his title -- so UGA would likely had to offer a sizable financial package in order to pry the coach from Blacksburg. (UGAsports.com)

OLE MISS: Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix decided to stay at Ole Miss after considering a similar position at Florida. Nix said he and Florida had "a brief conversation about a couple of things and that's really about it." Nix refused to discuss whether the Gators offered him the defensive coordinator job vacated when Charlie Strong was hired as the head coach at Louisville earlier this week. Nix, who is currently in the first year of a three-year contract that pays $350,000 annually, will receive a raise according to coach Houston Nutt.

Defensive end Greg Hardy, who has not played since the Rebels' win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 7, was back at practice Friday, sporting a cast on his injured hand. Nutt said Hardy looks better now than he has in 2 ½ months." Nutt said the Rebels are experimenting with A.J. Hawkins at center while Daverin Geralds recovers from flu-like symptoms. Grayshirts Mike Marry, Evan Swindoll and Cameron Whigham were practice Friday. Marry and Swindoll will practice Saturday, and Whigham might if he can get all of the required paperwork submitted in time. …Darius "Tig" Barksdale will practice Saturday for the first time since leaving the team for unspecified medical reasons during fall camp. Ole Miss center Daverin Geralds said Tuesday he's preparing for the Cotton Bowl as if it will be his final game in a Rebel uniform. Geralds, who played a handful of plays in his freshman season, is appealing to have that year of eligibility restored.

Nutt said every Ole Miss player surpassed the academic threshold required in the fall semester to be eligible to play in the Cotton Bowl. Nutt said senior linebacker Patrick Trahan, who has been in a walking boot for the past couple of weeks, will play in the Cotton Bowl. Nutt said Trahan went to doctors in Jackson, who diagnosed his problem as an issue with a tendon. …Freshman linebacker D.T. Shackelford (ankle) is 100 percent healthy for the first time since being injured at South Carolina in late September. (Rebelsports.com)

SOUTH CAROLINA: Eric Wolford's stay in Columbia lasted just one season. He has taken the head coaching job at Youngstown State. Last week Mark Stoops was reportedly the favorite for the job but he chose to accept the position of defensive coordinator at Florida State. Once Stoops removed himself from consideration, speculation focused on Wolford, who has extensive recruiting ties to the State of Ohio. He recruited the state when he was at Illinois in 2007-2008 and continued to recruit there during his time with USC. The new job will serve as a homecoming for Wolford, who graduated from Ursuline High School in Youngstown before attending Kansas State.

USC showed improvement in run blocking in Wolford's one year as offensive line coach even though the Gamecocks finished last in the SEC in rushing offense for the third straight year. However, the Gamecocks continued to struggle in pass blocking. Spurrier could try to lure Greg Adkins from Syracuse.

USC has seven offensive line commitments for the 2010 Class. The impact of Wolford's decision to leave USC was unknown late Sunday night. It is believed some of the O-Line commitments pledged to USC because of their strong relationship with Wolford. (Gamecockcentral.com)

TENNESSEE: Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin had a brutal birthday message Thursday for junior defensive back Brent Vinson; he has been dismissed from the team. “We wish him the best of luck,” Kiffin said. There was no explanation given by UT for Vinson’s dismissal as the Vols resume practice today for the Chick-fil-A Bowl on New Year’s Eve against Virginia Tech.

Vinson, 23, received numerous birthday wishes on his Facebook page, but his status report earlier Thursday simply said “everyone thanks for the birthday wishes all my friends”. Vinson played in nine games this season with 11 tackles, one interception, two passes broken up and a quarterback hurry. Vinson seemed to put his troubled past behind him this season. Considered one of the best natural athletes on the team, Vinson had no public transgressions under Kiffin’s regime, but did have a couple of close calls. The most serious came in May when Vinson was questioned by police in connection with a shooting at a South Knoxville apartment complex.

The Vols are bringing Kippy Brown back for a third tour of duty, and Kiffin could hardly be happier about bringing the former UT and NFL coaching veteran to take over the wide receivers and become passing-game coordinator. A 13-year veteran in the NFL, he also worked two stints for the Vols between 1983-89 and again in 1993-94 under Phillip Fulmer. He was most recently an assistant with the Detroit Lions in 2008, and he also spent a season working with UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin when the two were both with the New York Jets in 1990.

The pro ties might ultimately have made him more appealing to the third coach he’ll work with at UT, but the familiarity with the school likely helped sell Brown on a return. Brown was in the mix a year ago when Kiffin was forming his first staff at UT.

The question on the minds of many Vol fans at the moment is whether or not Eddie Gran and Frank Wilson will be the only two staff departures prior to the bowl game. Linebackers coach Lance Thompson has seen his name associated with several job openings, most notably the defensive coordinator position at Louisville.

Kiffin hardly was caught off-guard on Saturday by the second New York Times story this week that delved into inquiries regarding the University of Tennessee's football recruiting practices. Saturday's story in the Times focuses on an internal look at the role of Volunteers recruiting intern Steve Rubio, who traveled in mid-October with Kiffin and former UT assistant coach and South Florida recruiting expert Eddie Gran.

Kiffin believes the Vols were turned in by a rival - he didn't specify whom - that is envious of Tennessee's recruiting success. UT closed Kiffin's first few months on the job with the No. 10-ranked 2009 recruiting class and has maintained a steady track toward another top-10 class in 2010. A day after winning the Thorpe

Award as the nation's top defensive back, Tennessee junior All-American safety Eric Berry confirmed he's leaning toward leaving the Vols following the Chick-fil-A Bowl and entering the NFL Draft. The Fairburn, Ga., native is widely considered a top five prospect for the 2010 draft. (Volquest.com)

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Kansas coach Turner Gill hired Carl Torbush as his defensive coordinator and Chuck Long as his offensive coordinator. The former is currently Mississippi State's coordinator and replaced Mack Brown at North Carolina for three years beginning in 1998, while the latter was San Diego State's coach from 2006 through 2008. Torbush has been a defensive coordinator at five different schools. Mississippi State wide receivers coach Mark Hudspeth went after the ULM job. Hudspeth was the head coach at North Alabama before moving to Starkville. We hear Dan Mullen is interested in MTSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. (footballscoop.com)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: JU women fall in A-Sun opener to Campbell, 74-63

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Cold shooting continues to plague the JU women's basketball team as the Dolphins drop a 74-63 decision to Campbell in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener on Saturday afternoon in Buies Creek, N.C.

Freshman guard Tonisha Baker was the main spark in the Camels (5-3, 2-0 A-Sun) win after scoring 11 of her game-high 17 points at the end of the first half and start of the second session.

The Camels, who snap a six-game losing streak to the Dolphins (1-7, 0-1), finished the game shooting 49.1 percent (26-53) from the floor - including posting 17-for-30 (56.7%) from the field in the second half.

"We are just too inconsistent right now," said JU head coach Jill Dunn. "We are missing too many open looks and it has cost us pretty much in every loss. This is frustrating, but I'm confident that our team can get out of this and find a way to win. We look to forward to regrouping and coming out with a good effort on Monday."

Senior guard Courtney Jackson had a team-high 10 points and three assists for the Dolphins as they finished shooting 30.1 percent (25-83) from the floor. JU finished 3-for-20 from beyond the arc, but managed to finish on the positive note at the free throw line after shooting 58.8 percent (10-17).

After scoring the final five points of the half to give Campbell at 24-22 lead, Baker scored the first three buckets of the second half for the Camels to get a 30- 26 lead. Jackson cut the deficit to one on a three- pointer during the next trip down the floor, but the Camels tallied a 7-2 run capped by a layup from sophomore guard Kate Cloxton to take an 37-31 advantage (14:20).

The Dolphins would come within two points less than two minutes later on a pair of free throws by senior forward Danielle Gray before Campbell used another run, 11-6, to extend its lead to 51-43 (7:48). Gray would get the Dolphins within five points twice in the final six minutes on a free throw, but JU couldn't get over the hump.

The Camels also got double-digits efforts from freshman guard Monique Spry (13) and senior forward Geami Britt (12), while Cloxton had a game-high eight assists to go along with nine points.

In the first half, the Dolphins took an 11-5 early lead after freshman guard Drameka Griggs scored a breakaway layup with the help of a steal by senior forward Desarae Johnson. After the Camels cut the lead to 11-9, JU tallied a 9-2 run that was capped by a layup from junior center Lynsey Paschal (7:51) for a 20- 11 advantage. The Camels held the Dolphins scoreless for the next seven minutes of the half on an 11-0 stretch to take a 24-20 lead. Sophomore guard Ashanti Williams snapped JU's dry spell with a layup in the final 40 seconds to help the Dolphins trial by two at the half.

Junior guard Gigi Thomas added nine points off the bench for JU, while Johnson and Griggs each finished with eight points. Johnson also tallied a game-best nine boards and had two blocks.

The Dolphins look to regroup on Monday as they play East Tennessee State on Monday in Johnson City, Tenn. Tipoff is set for 4:45 p.m.