College football

Ole Miss holds off Memphis to give coach win in debut

By wire services
Published September 6, 2005

MEMPHIS - Garry Pack intercepted Will Hudgens at the goal line in the final minute and Micheal Spurlock scored on a fourth-down run to help Mississippi hold off Memphis 10-6 on Monday in coach Ed Orgeron's first game.

Hudgens took over after Patrick Byrne broke his right leg on the Tigers' third play from scrimmage. On his first drive, he set up Stephen Gostkowski's 34-yard field goal that tied it at 3. Gostkowski added a 47-yarder in the second quarter.

But Hudgens was intercepted in the third quarter by Trumaine McBride, who returned it to the Memphis 17. Brandon Jacobs gained 5 yards on two carries, and an incompletion brought up fourth down. The Rebels, who missed field goals of 26 and 41 yards, went for it, and Spurlock scored from 12 yards.

"I know my legs can get me out of trouble sometimes," Spurlock said. "(The touchdown play) wasn't designed that way. I saw it open on the backside, and I just ran and tried to make a play."

Memphis reached the Ole Miss 37 on its second-to-last drive before fumbling with 2:37 left.

After a punt, the Tigers took over at midfield with 1:32 left. They converted on third and 2 on Hudgens' 2-yard run and fourth and 8 on Ryan Scott's 11-yard catch to the 8. DeAngelo Williams gained 2 yards on first down, but Pack came up with the interception on the next play.

"It was just a bad throw," Hudgens, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman from Memphis, said. "I should have thrown it away. It wasn't there. There's nothing I can do about it."

UNLV, which missed an extra point in the second quarter, cut it to 24-22 on Shane Steichen's 7-yard pass on fourth down to Donell Wheaton with 1:31 left. But halfback Erick Jackson was stopped inside the 1 on the two-point conversion.

UNLV recovered an onside kick at the New Mexico 48. But on the next play, Fulbright stepped in front of tight end Greg Estandia near the sideline to pick off Steichen's pass.

LSU gives up home game

Saturday's LSU-Arizona State game will be played in Tempe, not Baton Rouge as originally scheduled. LSU said because Hurricane Katrina has pushed evacuees into Baton Rouge, it does not have full use of campus facilities and "cannot guarantee housing."

Triage units for medical emergencies have been set up in the basketball arena and indoor track building. Other facilities at the campus about 80 miles northwest of New Orleans are being used to accept patients from ambulances and helicopters.

"Frankly, we want to do the right thing," LSU coach Les Miles said. "And we want to be respectful for the people of Louisiana."

LSU's opener against North Texas was postponed with no makeup announced.

[Last modified September 6, 2005, 03:15:21]