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College football
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 25, 2002
ST. PETERSBURG -- Mission accomplished for Michigan, which went to Tampa on Tuesday after three days and six practices at Boca Ciega High School.
"The thing that we wanted to be able to do down here in St. Petersburg is to get our game plan in," Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr said.
Carr said the extra time Michigan spent preparing for the Jan.1 Outback Bowl will allow the team to return to its regular-season practice schedule in the week leading up to the game. Practice resumes Thursday at the University of Tampa. Sessions are closed.
But the coach had other reasons for wanting to practice early.
"The advantage of being in a bowl game is always the fact that you get to spend some time working with and developing your younger players," Carr said. "But to get back into football, the conditioning part of it, the contact part of it, those are the things we tried to do down here."
Florida's first Tampa practice will be Friday at the University of South Florida. Its practices also are closed.
TIS THE SEASON: Michigan traded the St. Petersburg Hilton for its Outback Bowl headquarters, the Wyndham Harbour Island Hotel in Tampa. The Wolverines held their annual Christmas Eve dinner for players, coaches, staff and their families Tuesday night. The team will have today off.
"I enjoy just being together with everybody, with all of the coaches' families and the families of the staff," Carr said. "Each class (and the coaches) comes up front and sings a little bit in front of you, and we have a contest to see who sings the best. Then we have Santa Claus come in and hand out gifts to the children."
Wait a second. There's singing?
How good are they?
"Some were more aesthetically pleasing than others, is one way to put it," Carr said.
COLORADO: Two players were arrested in San Antonio for public intoxication.
Senior linebacker Drew Wahlroos and freshman defensive tackle Will Down were charged, the magistrate's office said. Down, 18, also was charged with failure to identify himself to police.
Colorado plays Wisconsin in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday. Coach Gary Barnett said he has not decide whether to take disciplinary action.
Also, running back Chris Brown, the nation's third-leading rusher despite missing the final two games of the season with a bruised sternum, will play.
GRAMBLING STATE: Coach Doug Williams has a complaint. He thinks his quarterback, Bruce Eugene, should have won the Walter Payton Award, given to Division I-AA's top offensive player.
Eugene finished third behind winner Tony Romo, the Eastern Illinois quarterback, and Villanova quarterback Brett Gordon.
"I felt he should have won, hands down, bar none, regardless of a career," Williams, the former Bucs quarterback, said.
Eugene, a sophomore, led Division I-AA in passing yards and total offense, and his 269 completions were second to Gordon. Eugene passed for 4,455 yards and 43 touchdowns, both school records. He rushed for 515 yards and nine touchdowns.
SOUTHERN CAL: Offensive coordinator Norm Chow has decided to remain with the Trojans rather than seek a head coaching job.
He had been considered a candidate at Kentucky and mentioned for several other openings.
"I'm remaining at USC," Chow said in a statement. "It's flattering whenever my name comes up during head coaching searches, but I want to keep working with Pete Carroll and all the people at USC."
Grand Valley State and Mount Union dominated the team with five players selected.
Grand Valley State, the Division II national champion, led with quarterback Curt Anes, wide receiver David Kircus and offensive tackle Dale Westrick.
Mount Union, Division III champion for the third straight season, was represented by running back Dan Pugh and cornerback Chris Kern.
Anes, Kircus and Westrick were among eight players who also were named to the 2001 team. The others are linemen: Chris Booker of Delta State, J.D. Sheldon of Augustana (Ill.) and Seth Wand of Northwest Missouri State on offense and Aaron McConnell of Pittsburg State and Steve Wilson of King's (Pa.) on defense.
Receiver Blake Elliott of St. John's (Minn.) was the all-purpose player.
-- Times staff writer Jamal Thalji contributed to this report.