Sports

College football

Gameday

Compiled from staff and wire reports
Published October 29, 2005

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WHEN OLD UNIFORMS ARE NEW

It's a marketing slogan, a credo, and how former Miami Hurricanes introduce themselves on Monday Night Football.

It's "The U" - and the orange and green logo is one of the most distinctive in college sports.

Yet when North Carolina visits the Orange Bowl today for Miami's homecoming game, the Tar Heels won't be seeing that on the sides of the Hurricanes' helmets.

The Hurricanes will don throwback uniforms, replicas from the 1967 season; kelly green jerseys, gold pants and helmets - with red and black hurricane warning flags, not "The U" as a logo.

"We are aware that "The U' is one of the strongest brands in the country," said David Lovell, Miami's marketing director. "With that in mind, though, 1967 uniforms did not have "The U' and we wanted to stay true to that uniform. We didn't want to vary the uniform."

The kelly green-and-gold color scheme was used for two seasons, Lovell said. Miami didn't adopt "The U" as its logo until 1973.

Miami quarterback Kyle Wright and offensive lineman Rashad Butler modeled the uniforms this month. Coach Larry Coker peered into the room to give his assessment of the new look.

"Damn sure better win. That's all I can say," Coker said, grinning.

BIG BROTHER, BIG PRESSURE

He's got a different last name, which makes it only marginally easier for Keon Lattimore to escape comparisons to his renowned big brother, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Lattimore is seeking to make a name for himself at Maryland, where he is enjoying a fine sophomore season and faces Florida State today. The 6-foot tailback has rushed for 164 yards and scored three touchdowns as part of coach Ralph Friedgen's rotating backfield.

Lattimore is tired of being known primarily for being Lewis' little brother.

"As I got older, I got tired of being in my brother's shadow," he said. "I wanted my own name. I wanted my own fame."

He may be on his way.

JOEPAMUST_UHH_STAY.COM

Click on joepamustgo.com and you'll now find a search engine touting low-cost services for, among other things, vacation packages.

Joepamustgo, it appears, took the slow boat to China.

The folks at firejoepaterno.com are so conflicted they shamelessly cross-promote "How do you lose to Michigan?" with the promise of making the site a "shrine" to Joe Paterno should Penn State advance to a major bowl game this year.

Penn State is 7-1 and three wins from at least a share of the Big Ten title and earning the conference's automatic bid to one of four prized Bowl Championship Series games.

The people who were climbing on soap boxes last season to say a 77-year-old Paterno was too old and needed to step down aren't saying as much now that Paterno is almost 79.

Some of the Paterno-must-go Web sites have become cyberspace's equivalent to Wild West towns that shriveled up after the gold was mined.

It appears the sheriff at "FireJoePa.com" left Dodge after Penn State started 5-0 with a win over Minnesota. He didn't even stick around to update the Nittany Lions' schedule after Penn State upset Ohio State.

Asked this week whether he ever thought he was washed up, Paterno related a story his father told him about a boxer never being finished unless he was knocked out.

Paterno was down, but never knocked out.

"I don't read the sports page, I don't listen to those crazy talk shows," he said. "I just don't. I don't have a computer. I don't know what's going on on the Internet. I just go out and coach."

READY FOR THEIR CLOSEUP

ESPN's College GameDay airs from Jacksonville today. According to Florida's sports information department, the 21st appearance at a Gator game is the most in the nation:

Florida 21

Florida State 20

Michigan 17

Notre Dame 16

Oklahoma 15

Tennessee 15

Miami 13

Nebraska 13

Ohio State 13

Georgia 9

Alabama 8

FIVE THINGS

1. Marcus Stone, a redshirt sophomore, today will become only the fourth starting quarterback for N.C. State in the past nine years. Freshman Jamie Barnette earned the job midway through the 1996 season and held it for the rest of his career. Next came Philip Rivers, who started all 51 games of his four-year career and left school in 2003 as one of the nation's all-time leading passers. Jay Davis, a redshirt senior, beat out Stone for the job during last year's preseason practice. He started every game in a 5-6 season and the first six games of 2005 before being benched.

2. Here's hoping today's Ole Miss-Auburn game doesn't come down to a field goal. Rebels kickers Matt Hinkle and Robert Bass missed four field goals last week while the Tigers' John Vaughn missed five.

3. Oklahoma expects Adrian Peterson, the Heisman runner-up as a freshman last year who has struggled with a slow-healing ankle injury this season, to return today at Nebraska. He did not play in the Sooners' 37-30 win in double overtime against Baylor last Saturday and had just 6 yards on eight carries in the two games before that.

4. The winner of Indiana at Michigan State today will need just one more win to become bowl-eligible. The Hoosiers haven't been to a bowl game since 1993. 5. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has won 10 of 14 games against Tennessee, including 1988 when Spurrier led Duke into Neyland Stadium and left with a 31-26 win.

BY THE NUMBERS

1: NCAA game in history that has gone to overtime as a scoreless tie. It was Arkansas State's 3-0 victory over Florida Atlantic last Saturday.

6: SEC schools that rank 16th or better in total defense.

19: Points scored by Alabama in the two games since receiver Tyrone Prothro was injured against Florida.

31: Highest ranked SEC offense (Auburn) at No. 31.

QUOTABLE

"At Illinois, they knew we have a lot of work to do in order to be successful. When we got to Florida, there was also a lot of work to do, but people didn't want to hear that."

- RON ZOOK, Illinois coach

Information from the Associated Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Los Angeles Times and Orlando Sentinel was used in this report.

[Last modified October 29, 2005, 01:45:21]