Sports: College football roundup

College football roundup

Compiled from Times wires

Seffner's Pearson All-SEC

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Seffner's Mike Pearson was named to the All-Southeastern Conference team in voting by the league's coaches.

Auburn tailback Rudi Johnson was chosen as SEC Player of the Year and South Carolina's Lou Holtz Coach of the Year in selections released Wednesday.

Pearson, a sophomore offensive tackle who starred at Armwood High, started all 12 games and ranked third on the team by playing on 809 snaps.

Johnson, the only unanimous first-team selection, led the SEC in rushing and was ninth in the nation with 1,567 yards and 13 touchdowns on 324 carries. He helped lead the Tigers to the Western Division title, setting a school record with 10 100-yard rushing games.

Holtz led his team to the biggest turnaround in SEC history. The Gamecocks went from 0-11 in 1999 to 7-4 and a berth in the Outback Bowl against Ohio State. Holtz also was coach of the year in the AP's All-SEC selections released Tuesday.

Florida offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the league's top lineman. The junior was a key player in the SEC's top offense.

Florida receiver Jabar Gaffney was the lone freshman on the first team.

LOU GROZA AWARD: Cincinnati's Jonathan Ruffin was named the nation's top kicker.

COWBOYS HIRE MILES: Oklahoma State hired Les Miles as coach, ending a wild week in which the job was accepted by the leading candidate, Boise State's Dirk Koetter, then rejected hours later.

Miles turned down a financial package worth about $700,000, saying nearly half should go toward assistant coaches' salaries. He said he would be happy with $400,000.

"I've never heard of that before," athletic director Terry Don Phillips said.

Miles, 47, tight ends coach with the Dallas Cowboys the past three years, said he applied for just one job.

"I wanted to remove all doubt in the people that would make the decision where I wanted to be," he said. "I wanted to be one place: right here."

Miles served as Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator from 1995-97 and takes over from his former boss, Bob Simmons.

OU-ASU GAMES DROPPED: Oklahoma and Arizona State have pulled out of their scheduled games in 2001 and 2002. Oklahoma withdrew from its game at Arizona State in 2002 because of a scheduling conflict. Arizona State responded by backing out of what was to have been its season opener at Oklahoma on Sept. 1.

CAL POLY: Rich Ellerson, defensive coordinator at Arizona the past four seasons, was hired as coach.

GEORGIA: In a message posted on his Web site, Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer took himself out of the running for the coaching job. He was considered a favorite to replace Jim Donnan, who was fired Monday. ... Donnan will lead the Bulldogs against Virginia in the Oahu Bowl on Dec. 24, the school said.

LOUISVILLE: Five players were arrested after a fraternity party fight at a night spot. Justin Thomas was charged with a felony for allegedly assaulting an off-duty police officer summoned to help break up the fight, Louisville police spokesman Bill Keeling said. Thomas also faces misdemeanor charges. B.J. Steele, 19; Jason Hilliard, 19; Michael Brown, 20; and Antoine Sims, 20, were charged with misdemeanors, Keeling said. Former player Xavier Burrell also was arrested.

S. ILLINOIS: Jerry Kill was named coach after two seasons at Emporia State.