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Florida Atlantic loses 2003 game with Kentucky

BOCA RATON -- Florida Atlantic's 2003 game with Kentucky was indefinitely postponed Wednesday because of potential bowl implications involving the Wildcats.

Kentucky's game with the third-year Division I-AA program would not count toward the number of wins that make a team eligible for a bowl, FAU spokeswoman Katrina McCormick said.

NCAA rules say once every four years, a Division I-A team can count a win over a Division I-AA foe toward the minimum six wins for bowl eligibility. However, that I-AA school must average 60 scholarships over a three-year period.

The earliest FAU can average that is 2004.

Led by former Miami and Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger, the Owls had a maximum of only 50 scholarships their inaugural season of 2001. FAU did have 60 this season.

No replacements have been scheduled for either team.

Blackwell honored again

South Florida quarterback Marquel Blackwell picked up another award Wednesday as the ESPN.com Independent Player of the Year. Tuesday, Blackwell won the same award from collegefootballnews.com.

"It's an honor," Blackwell said. "My teammates are a big part of it."

Blackwell guided USF to a 9-2 record while leading the nation in interception ratio (0.72 per 100 attempts). That helped the Bulls lead the nation in turnover margin, plus-1.91 per game.

ARIZONA STATE: Junior defensive end Terrell Suggs, who set an NCAA record with 22 sacks this season, won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman.

BAYLOR: Guy Morriss is leaving one rebuilding job for another. After turning around Kentucky (7-5) this season, Morriss officially became coach of a Baylor team that went 9-36 the past four years under Kevin Steele and was 1-31 in the Big 12.

CENTRAL FLORIDA: Defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator Charles Huff has been reassigned. He will work as a special assistant to athletic director Steve Orsini on football-related matters until his contract expires next December, or until he finds another job.

"We are still good friends, but I felt it was time for us to make a change," coach Mike Kruczek said.

CHOWAN: Lou Saban resigned as coach of the Division III school in Murfreesboro, N.C., after an 0-10 season, possibly ending a coaching career spanning five decades and nearly every level of football. Saban, 81, a former NFL, AFL and major-college coach, had completed his first full season at the school.

IOWA: Nate Kaeding won the 2002 Lou Groza Award, given annually to the top Division I-A kicker. The junior made 20 of 22 field goals and 55 of 56 PATs. Also, junior Dallas Clark won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end. He had 39 catches for 645 yards and four touchdowns.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Former college coaches Ron Cooper and John Blake were hired as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, respectively. Cooper coached defensive backs at Wisconsin this season; Blake has been out of college coaching since being fired by Oklahoma in 1998.

NORFOLK STATE: Rick Comegy was hired as coach after leading Tuskegee to a 64-17 record in Division II the last seven years.

N.C. STATE: Quarterback Philip Rivers said he is "99.9999" percent certain he will return for his senior season.

SOUTHERN CAL: Offensive coordinator Norm Chow was named winner of the Broyles Award, given by the Major Sports Association to the nation's top assistant coach.

SOUTHERN MISS: The kidney ailment that sidelined running back Derrick Nix for 18 months has flared up and made him questionable for the Dec. 27 Houston Bowl.

UTAH: Bowling Green's Urban Meyer was hired to replace the fired Ron McBride as coach. Meyer went 17-6 in two seasons at Bowling Green and guided it to an 8-0 start and No. 20 AP ranking.

ORANGE BOWL: For the third straight year, the game sold out at Pro Player Stadium.

-- Times staff writer Pete Young contributed to this report.

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