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Around the nation

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 27, 2002

Hurricanes, Sooners tied at No. 1 in nation

NORMAN, Okla. -- Miami and Oklahoma, the past two national champions, hope to play in the Fiesta Bowl in January for another title.

For now, they share history.

Without playing a game, Oklahoma moved into a tie with the Hurricanes for No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the fourth tie in the poll's 66-year history.

"Some people must have snuck in to see how well we played in practice last week," said Sooners coach Bob Stoops, whose team last held No. 1 after winning the 2000 national championship.

Oklahoma can thank Florida State, which began No. 3 but fell to fifth after edging Iowa State 38-31 Saturday night. Miami, which has not played, and Oklahoma each received 27 first-place votes and 1,758 points. Texas and Tennessee moved up one spot each to third and fourth, respectively. Florida remains sixth.

In the ESPN/USA Today poll of coaches, Miami remained No. 1, followed by Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and FSU. UF is seven

The last tie in the AP poll came Oct. 18, 1992, between Washington and Miami. The other ties were Nov. 27, 1939 (Texas A&M and Southern California), and Oct. 27, 1941 (Minnesota and Texas).

This is first time the two teams sharing No. 1 received the same number of first-place votes.

"It makes no difference," Miami coach Larry Coker said. "We're right where we want to be. We're in striking distance. We're one, four, five -- that really makes no difference now."

Stoops does not give much weight to early season rankings and projections. He said his Oklahoma team started 2000 ranked well down in the polls but won the national title.

"I'm confident our players understand, as much as anything here, you earn your way," he said. "We determine our fate, nobody else."

GEORGIA: Coach Mark Richt said injured redshirt freshman center Russ Tanner was questionable for Saturday's opener against Clemson. Senior guard Kevin Breedlove is the No. 2 center.

MISSISSIPPI: Coach David Cutcliffe said linebacker Eddie Strong (sprained ankle) and redshirt freshman wide receiver Mario Hill (ankle) will have to show improvement in practice to play Saturday's opener against Louisiana-Monroe. Starting wide receivers Jason Armstead (ankle) and Chris Collins (hamstring), who missed practice last week, are expected to play.

MISSOURI: Coach Gary Pinkel's contract was extended two years through 2007. He was 4-7 in his first season with the Tigers, going 3-5 in the Big 12. His original contract, signed in December 2000 after Missouri lured him from Toledo, was a five-year deal worth about $900,000 a season, including a $192,000 base salary. The extension will be of same value.

S.C. STATE: A judge in Columbia ordered running back Derek Watson, a former South Carolina standout, to serve 10 days in jail for failing to perform community service after being convicted of marijuana possession. He will miss the opener Saturday against Tennessee State. Athletic spokesman Bill Hamilton said Watson was still on the team, and his status would be reevaluated after his sentence. South Carolina coach Lou Holtz dismissed Watson from the team in January after the arrest.

SOUTHERN MISS: Micky D'Angelo will start at quarterback Saturday against Jackson State. D'Angelo, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore, won the job in a three-way competition with sophomore Zac White and redshirt freshman Dustin Almond.

TENNESSEE: Kelley Washington (knee sprain), a big-play threat at wide receiver, will miss Saturday's opener against Wyoming. The sophomore caught 64 passes for 1,010 yards and five touchdowns last season and is day to day.

TEXAS: Coach Mack Brown said freshman defensive end Bryan Pickryl could start Saturday against North Texas in place of Kalen Thornton (knee).

VANDERBILT: Coach Bobby Johnson named redshirt freshman Jay Cutler starting quarterback for Saturday's opener against Georgia Tech.

RAY GUY AWARD: Miami's Freddie Capshaw is among 34 on the watch list as a potential candidate for the award given to the top collegiate punter of the year. The winner will be determined by a national selection committee made up of sports writers, college football coaches and sports information directors, former punters and members designated by the Greater Augusta (Ga.) Sports Council.

On Dec. 12, three finalists will travel to Orlando for the Home Depot College Football Awards Show, with the winner being announced and presented with the award live on ESPN.

Guy was an All-American at Southern Mississippi who became a Pro Bowl punter for the Oakland Raiders. Capshaw, a senior, was a finalist last season and averaged 41.8 yards.

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