The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • C1

Orlando Sentinel: PRODUCT: OS DESK: SPT DATE: 11-20-2005 EDITION: FLA ZONE: FLA PAGE: C1.0 DEADLINE: 23.0 OP: pdowd COMPOSETIME: 23.58 CMYK Magic fall 98-95 to short-handed Hornets Sports, D1 Game Day Central Florida Edition Orlando Sentinel OrlandoSentinel.com Sunday, November 20, 2005 Section FLORIDA CLASSIC FAMU 26, B-CC 23, OT WEEK Field goal in OT powers Rattlers Rashard Pompey scored his second touchdown with 4:28 left. Taylor forced overtime with a 43-yard field goal with 1 3 seconds remaining in regulation. Jesus Cortez, who kicked three field goals for Bethune-Cookman, missed from 40 yards on the Wildcats' first possession in overtime. FAMU took over and moved easily down the field before Taylor came on to kick the game-winner. "Nothing's safe in the Florida Classic," said Wildcats quarterbackJimmie Rus- Wesley Taylor connected on his fourth field goal of the game in overtime as Florida stunned Bethune-Cookman College, 26-23, on Saturday in the 26th annual Florida Classic at the Citrus Bowl.

The victory gave FAMU Coach Rubin Carter a winning record (6-5, 5-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) in his first year. "We were picked to finish last in our conference," Carter said, "but our players never believed that." FAMU trailed 23-1 3 late in the fourth quarter to B-CC (7-4, 4-4) before BOBBY COKERORLANDO SENTINEL FAMU kicker Wesley Taylor gets congratulated by a well-wisher after kicking a field goal in overtime to beat Bethune-Cookman on Saturday night. Taylor connected on 4 field goals. se Coverage 4-5 UCF 31, RICE 28 IT. -tlfS 1 Victorious UCF now will host C-USA title game HOUSTON It was more than 40 years ago at this very stadium when President John F.

Kennedy announced that the United States intended to become the world's leading "space-faring nation." He told the crowd of 35,000 on that historic day, "No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come. The eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and the planets beyond." A half-century later, another Irish-Catholic leader has guided another memorable mission into the great unknown. "Right now, it feels HOW THE AP TOP 25 FARED 1. use The Trojans hosted Fresno State in late action. 2.

Texas The Long horns did not play. Next: at Texas Friday. 3. Miami Hurricanes' hopes for national title game berth dashed by Georgia Tech 14-10. C3 4.

LSU Tigers stayed in SEC West driver's seat with 40-7 romp over Ole Miss. C6 5. Penn State Big Ten co-champions overpowered Michigan State 31 -22. C7 6. Notre Dame Breezed past Syracuse 34-10 to keep BCS bowl hopes alive.

C7 7. Virginia Tech Dominated Virginia from the opening kickoff in 52-1 4 rout. C6 8. Alabama Offense sputtered in 28-1 8 defeat to rival No. 1 1 Auburn.

C6 9. Ohio State Clinched a share of the Big Ten title with last-second 25-21 win over No. 17 Michigan. C7 10. Oregon Jonathan Stewart and Ducks dominated Oregon State 56-1 4 in Civil War.

C7 1 1 Auburn Tigers beat No. 8 Alabama for fourth consecutive season, 28-18. C6 12. UCLA The Bruins did not play. Next: at No.

1 1 3. West Virginia The Mountaineers did not play. Next: vs. Pittsburgh, Thursday. 14.

Georgia Bulldogs take SEC East title with easy 45-1 3 win over Kentucky. C6 15. TCU The Homed Frogs did not play. Next: at bowl game, TBA. 16.

Fresno State The Bulldogs played at No. 1 USC in late action. 1 7. Michigan Squandered nine-point fourth-quarter lead in 25-21 loss to No. 9 Ohio State.

C7 18. Louisville The Cardinals did not play. Next: vs. Syracuse. 19.

South Carolina Gamecocks' five-game win streak snapped by Clem-son 13-9. C6 20. Florida The Gators did not play. Next: vs. No.

22 Florida State. 21 Texas Tech Taurean Henderson's TD run on last play lifted Raiders past Oklahoma 23-21 C6 22. Florida State The Seminoles did not play. Next: at No. 20 Florida.

23. Boston College Eagles overcame four turnovers in 31-16 victory over Maryland. C6 24. UTEP Miners' nine-game home win streak snapped by UAB 35-23. C7 25.

Wisconsin The Badgers did not play. Next: at Hawaii. like we're headed to the moon, too," UCF football coach George O'Le-ary proclaimed after his team's tense 31-28 victory against Rice secured the first football championship of any kind in school history. UCFwonC-USA's East Division and now will host the conference championship game a i1 Mike BIANCHI SENTINEL COLUMNIST Dec. 3 against UTEP or Tulsa.

'We're definitely traveling in uncharted airspace," hooted ecstatic UCF Athletic Director Steve Orsini after hugging and high-fiving every player, coach and fan he could find. One small step for man. One giant leap for fan kind. When it was all over, after freshman phenom Joe Burnett came up with the game-saving interception with less than a minute left, a hundred or so Golden Knights fans began caroling, "U-C-F to the U-S-A!" And radio broadcaster Marc Daniels crooned into the mic to the fans back home after the Knights secured a spot in the championship game: "This wasn't the prettiest win ever, but it certainly was the most beautiful!" When you make history, it's not supposed to be neat and easy. How many dreams died on the crags of Everest before Sir Edmund Hillary finally conquered the mountain? Likewise, how many times Saturday did it seem like UCF's hopes would perish here in this desolate, dilapidated stadium that once hosted Super Bowls and presidents but now houses only a woebegone college football team? TIM JOHNSONSPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL please see BIANCHI, C8 UCF receiver Brandon Marshall scores on an 18-yard touchdown pass as the Golden Knights cruise toward the title game.

Georgia Tech deals major blow to Miami's ACC title-game hopes Tech Saturday night, the Hurricanes (5-2, 8-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) missed a chance to wrap up the Coastal Division title and advance to the ACC Championship Game Dec. 3 in Jacksonville against Atlantic Division champ Florida State. will go into their Dec. 3 game with the Mountaineers in Tampa needing a victory to win the Big East and an automatic BCS berth. The latter game was scheduled for Oct.

22 but was postponed by Hurricane Wilma. FROM STAFF REPORTS Now, Virginia Tech will win the division if it beats North Carolina, no matter what Miami does against Virginia. Both games are this Saturday. In Conference USA, UCF (8-3, 7-1) will host the inaugural C-USA Championship Game at the Citrus Saturday, Dec. 3, will be a huge day for college football teams in the state of Florida because as many as three teams could win conference championships.

Miami, however, may not be among them. By losing 14-10 to Georgia Bowl. The opponent will either be UTEP (8-2, 5-2), if the Miners win at SMU this Saturday, or Tulsa (6-2, 7-4). In the Big is on a collision course with West Virginia If the Bulls win at Connecticut this Saturday, they COLORSTRIP:.