Quad-City Times from Davenport, Iowa • 13

QUADCITY TIMES JO Monday, January 1. 2007 BO www.qctlme8.comsports MPC COMPUTERS BOWL MIAMI 21, NEVADA 20 1 Coker gets winning sendoff at Miami BOISE, Idaho (AP) On a but a diving interception by the Hurricanes' Chavez Grant with 18 seconds left sealed the win and got Coker the perfect send-off that his players wanted. "I still love these players," Coker said. Tm happy for the win." Coker was fired Nov. 24 but agreed to stay for the bowl game largely he said, because the players wanted him there.

He finished his six years with a 60-15 record and one national title, and by the time the team charter lands today in South Florida, defensive coordinator Randy Shannon officially will have taken over as Coker's replacement Still, while battling temperatures in the upper 20s and wind that made it feel 10 degrees colder Freeman shouted "I'm freezing" on the sideline at one point the Hurricanes found a way to send Coker out a winner. Freeman threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Sam Shields with 5:59 left in the third quar ter to break a 14-14 tie and put the Hurricanes (7-6) ahead for good and ensure the program's ninth straight winning season. Freeman also had a 52-yard scoring pass to Ryan Moore late in the first half. Jeff Rowe threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Marko Mitchell, and Brett Jaekle kicked four field goals for Nevada (8-5), including 44- and 40-yarders in the fourth quarter to get Nevada within a point. cold night, Larry Coker got the warmest possible sendoff from his Miami Hurricanes.

Kirby Freeman threw for 272 yards and two long touchdowns, ran for another score and the Hurricanes' defense came through in the final moments to help Miami beat Nevada 21-20 in the MPC Computers Bowl on Sunday night, Coker's final game at Miami Nevada had a first down at the Miami 36 in the final minute, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Miami's Sam Shields is hauled down by Nevada linebacker Jason DeMars during Sunday night's MPC Computers Bowl. COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROSE BOWL '4 Michigan (11-1) vs. USC (10-2), WQAD, 4 p.m., today BOWL NOTEBOOK Paterno unsure about return to sideline today TAMPA, Fla. An achy Joe Paterno sounded more pessimistic Sunday about coaching Penn State from the sideline for the entire Outback Bowl if he gets down there at all. Sore from running through "agility drills" in trying to get ready for today's game against No.

17 Tennessee, the 80-year-old Paterno might watch from the press box if he doesn't feel his rehabilitated left leg is ready. Paterno frac 1 1 tx vieWi; lL 1 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, right, talks with former coach Barry Alvarez during a Badgers' practice before the Capital One Bowl. Bielema has Wisconsin In a New Year's Day bowl In his first year as head coach. TODAY'S BOWL GAMES Outback Bowl at Tampa No. 18 Tennessee (9-3) vs.

Penn State (8-4) Time: 10 a.m. TV: ESPN Line: Tennessee by 4. 1' I THE ASSOCIATED PRESS USC quarterback John David Booty is playing in today's Rose Bowl, but it's easy to wonder if he'd rather be playing In Arizona this week at a shot at the national championship. Bowl records: Penn State 24-12-2, Tennessee 24-21. Series: 2-2 (Penn State won last meeting 31-13 in 1994 Citrus Bowl).

Extra point: Penn NOT AS ET 'GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALU CARRIES STIGMA OF CONSOLATION PRIZE State's other win in this series was also in the postseason, a 42-17 thumping in the Fiesta Bowl to open 1992. Cotton Bowl at Dallas No. 10 Auburn (10-2) vs. No. 22 Nebraska (9-4) Time: 10:30 a.m.

TV: KUB, Ch. 18 Line: Auburn by Vk tured the shinbone and tore two knee ligaments during a sideline collision in November. "I'm going to try to make it. I doubt it. I don't think I'll be able to," Paterno said about whether he would be on the sideline for his 33rd bowl game, most among coaches.

Later in the news conference, Paterno said he definitely would be on the field for pregame warmups and decide his whereabouts from there. He doesn't want to be a distraction for his players. "I tried to act as if I was getting attacked For me, agility drills," Paterno said. "Not very happy with it. I woke up this morning.

I'm sore as a dog all over the place." Yellow Jackets' CB could miss game after crash JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Georgia Tech cornerback Jamal Lewis might sit out the Gator Bowl after being involved in a car crash that killed a family friend. Lewis was riding Saturday with Corey L. Russ, an off-duty Jacksonville police officer. Russ drove the wrong way on a downtown street when his patrol car ran a red light and was hit by another motorist, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The Yellow Jackets have been in town for a week preparing for today's game against West Virginia. Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said he would let Lewis decide whether to play. The junior was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital. West Virginia's Slaton uncertain for Gator Bowl JACKSONVILLE, Fla. West Virginia All-America tailback Steve Slaton is expected to be limited in the Gator Bowl if he plays at all against Georgia Tech today because of a bruised thigh.

"He made some progress yesterday," West Virginia Rodriguez said. "We're going to see how he feels to run around a little bit (Sunday). If he makes as much progress (Sunday) as he did (Saturday), we're optimistic he can play some. I don't know how much he probably wouldn't be able to play, you know, 70 or 80 snaps." Slaton, a sophomore, ran for 1,733 yards and 7.1 a carry this season for the Mountaineers, who ranked third in the nation in rushing at 302 yards per game. Backup tailback Jeremy Bruce is out with a hamstring injury, which could move senior Jason Colson into a prominent role.

West Virginia also can rely more on quarterback Pat White, who ran for 1 ,074 yards and 1 7 TDs, out of the spread-option attack and fullback Owen Schmitt. LSU senior glad he stayed for final season NEW ORLEANS It's tough to pass up a chance to make big money in the NFL. But LaRon Landry is sure glad he stayed for another season at LSU. The Tigers' free safety was a first-team Ail-American, helped his team claim a spot in the Sugar Bowl and likely increased his earning potential when he goes into the draft this spring. "I came back to be with my team," Landry said.

'I came back because I had a lot of goals I wanted to accomplish with them. That's what we're doing." He has no doubt that an extra year of college will help him at the next level. "I'm not sure if I bettered myself in the NFL Draft," Landry said, "but I do know I bettered myself as an NFL player." Landry was the leading tackier on one of the nation's top defenses. No. 4 LSU (10-2) ranks in the top five nationally in both points (12.5) and yards (238.7) allowed.

The Associated Press Bowl records: Auburn 17-13-2, Nebraska 22-21. Series: Nebraska 3-0 (won last meeting 41 -7 in 1982). Extra point: Auburn fans probably don't have very pleasant sacked nine times against USC in the Rose Bowl.) Can USC's offensive line do the same for its quarterback, John David Booty? Can Keith Rivers and Dallas Sartz, USC's stellar linebackers, plug the gaps and stop Mike Hart? Can Leon Hall and Morgan Trent do a better job of covering Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith than they did Ohio State's receivers? These are the questions driving this Rose Bowl. USC wants to prove it's still an elite team, and possibly the team to beat next year. Michigan wants to prove it finally can win a game against an elite team, and that it's most celebrated players can stick with its counterparts with any program in the country.

No. 1. Both teams want to bounce back from losses to end the regular season. And both teams want to see how they match up against NFL-bound players on the other side of the ball, except for USC's defensive end, Lawrence Jackson, because he already knows the answer. "They're a good football team," he said, "but I'm not going to say they're Super Bowl champions or the best team in college football.

They run some good things, but if we come to play we should be able to stop them." There are questions, of course: Can Michigan's offensive line provide Chad Henne enough time to throw? (Something the unit couldn't do in 2003, when John Navarre was GANNETT NEWS SERVICE BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -Maybe it was the calming effect from unusually blue skies and warm temperatures, even for Southern California in December. Maybe it was the nature of how the teams got here Michigan and USC came within a few points of the national championship game. Maybe it was the week or so the two schools needed to get over the disappointment of not playing in that game. Maybe it was the fact that for the first time in memory, the Rose Bowl felt like a consolation prize.

Whatever the reason, the buildup to today's 93rd Rose Bowl was a bit subdued. Then again, maybe that's not fair. "The day that you play, the game that you're playing, the team across the field from you, that's the whole world," USC coach Pete Carroll said, "it doesn't matter what trophy they hand you." As for Lloyd Carr? He was waxing poetic again Sunday, as he often does when his team is on the eve of the game in Pasadena: "Michigan has always been intertwined with the Rose Bowl, so the tradition is very, very special. It's about the colors and the pageantry of that game." Obviously, there is much to play for today, when the Wolverines and the Trojans take the field. Both teams want confidence going into next season.

Both teams want to position themselves for preseason polls some argue this game will determine memories of their other Cotton Bowl experience. Despite the presence of Heisman Trophy winner and two-sport star Bo Jackson, the Tigers were pounded 36-16 by Texas on the first day of 1986. Nebraska is 1-2 all-time in Cotton Bowls. Capital One Bowl No. 5 Wisconsin (11-1) vs.

No. 13 Arkansas (103) Time: Noon. TV: WQAD, Ch. 8 Line: Arkansas by 1 Bowl records: Wisconsin 9-8, Arkansas 11 -20-3. Series: Wisconsin 1-0 (won only meeting 64-7 in 1912).

Extra point: The V-7 Badgers' victory against I MICHIGAN I ft 1 USC coach Pete Carroll Michigan coach Lloyd Carr Auburn at this venue last season was their first bowl triumph against SEC competition in their sixth attempt. Toyota Gator Bowl No. 12 W. Virginia (10-2) vs. No.

25 Ga. Tech (94) Time: Noon. TV: WHBF, Ch. 4 Line: West Virginia by 1 1 PREVIEW No. 3 Michigan (11-1) vs.

No. 7 USC (10-2) Time: 4 p.m. TV: WQAD, Ch. 8 Line: USC by 1 Bowl records: USC 28-16, Michigan 18-19. Series: USC 5-4 (USC won the last meeting 28-14 in the 2004 Rose Bowl).

Extra point: USC and Michigan exchanged home games in 1957 and 1958. The other seven meetings have been in Rose Bowls. Bowl records: Georgia Tech 22-12, West Virginia 10-15. Series: Georgia Tech 2-0 (won last meeting 35-30 in 1997 Carquest Bowl). Extra point: The A' i I 7 I I i I I 1 t.

other encounter between these universities was also in a bowl game. Georgia Tech thumped 42-19 in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day 1 954. Gannett News Service REPORT Iowa lands Ohio LB Iowa added a third high school player from Ohio to its football recruiting class over the weekend. LeBron Daniel, a 6-foot-1, 226-pound linebacker from Glenville High School in Cleveland selected the Hawkeyes over offers from Wisconsin and Purdue. Daniel recorded 91 tackles for the Cleveland-area high school power during his senior season, including 15 sacks.

Staff report Mike Jones and Marshal Yanda. On defense, starting safeties Miguel Merrick and Marcus Paschal joined Miles in completing their college eligibility. Iowa will have new specialists as well following the graduation loss of kicker Kyle Schlicher and punter Andy Fenstermaker. "We have a lot of work to do. Our program right now, in some respects, is almost where we were entering the '01 season when we had to learn how to win," Ferentz said.

"I think we did take some things for granted and sometimes, life gives you a chance to learn. "It remains to be seen just what we learned from this year. We may not know the answer until next year at about this time." doing," Ferentz said. "Our issues have been about execution, and there is something we can do about that" Iowa started a dozen seniors against Texas, and many of those players like what they see in the younger talent in the Hawkeye program. "We have some good young players, the recruiting has been good, but guys have to buy into what's going on and grow up a little," linebacker Ed Miles said.

"Some of it is maturity and knowing how to work and how hard it is to win games. We all learned this season how difficult that can be." There will be new names at the top of the 2007 depth chart. Three-year starting quarterback Drew Tate will be gone, as will tight end Scott Chandler, offensive linemen Mike Elgin, HAWKEYES Continued from Page Bl struggles. He refuses to use the Hawkeyes' multitude of injuries as an excuse and said there is plenty of work to be done by everyone involved in the program. "We can't redo what has been done, but in many ways, this season has been a good reminder to all of us.

We can't take things for granted, and I think that is what happened," Ferentz said. "All of us, myself, our assistants, our players, we share some responsibility in that. We were coming off of four straight January bowls, and I believe we took things for granted." jThat changed on the practice in December, wlfcn Ferentz BREAKING DOWN THE BREAKDOWNS The injuries and assorted other issues which forced members of the Iowa football team to miss time this season: Quarterback: Drew Tate, abdominal strain, torn thumb ligament, mid-foot sprain Offensive line: Mike Elgin, eye injury; Rafael Eubanks, knee injury; Mike Jones, one-game team rules suspension; Dace Richardson, knee and ankle injuries Receivers: Andy Brodell, shoulder injury; Calvin Davis, season-ending knee injury; Dominique Douglas, knee injury; Herb Grigsby, one-game team rules suspension Running backs: Shonn Greene, knee injury; Albert Young, knee injury Fullback: Champ Davis, knee sprain Defensive line: Ryan Bain, elbow sprain; Kenny Iwebema, shoulder, one-game team rules suspension; Alex Kanellis, appendectomy, one-game team rules suspension; Mitch King, hamstring; Linebackers: Mike Humpal, shoulder; Mike Klinkenborg, foot Defensive backs: Devan Moylan, season-ending torn hamstring; Marcus Paschal, hamstring; Adam Shada, severe ankle sprain; Marcus Wilson, ankle Kicker. Kyle Schlicher, quad strain and Iowa coaches took the teaching and intensity to a different level. He said the same type of commitment Hawkeye players made as they worked toward the Alamo Bowl must continue into offseason conditioning and spring practice.

"From a schematic there isn't anything wrona with what we've been Steve Batterson can be conied at (563) 383-2290 or sbattersone ijjtimes.com.