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College football briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 23, 2000

Sunshine State has coach award covered

HOUSTON -- Two finalists for the Bear Bryant Award as coach of the year are leading Florida schools, another one used to and a fourth was defensive coordinator on a recent Sunshine State team that won a national title.

Bobby Bowden of Florida State and Butch Davis of Miami highlight the list of six finalists announced Friday. Davis' predecessor at UM, Dennis Erickson, was nominated because of his success with Oregon State. Bob Stoops of Oklahoma, who helped Florida win the title in 1996, leads the only unbeaten team Division I-A.

Also nominated in balloting by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association were Lou Holtz of South Carolina and Dennis Franchione, who left Texas Christian to coach Alabama.

The winner will be announced Jan. 17.

FSU breaks for holiday

TALLAHASSEE -- FSU held its final practice before breaking for the Christmas holiday. It resumes practice Wednesday in Miami.

The team voted on permanent captains before heading home. Quarterback Chris Weinke (offense), linebacker Brian Allen (defense) and linebacker Jean Jeune (special teams) were selected by their teammates as captains for the Orange Bowl. The same three were chosen by the coaches at the beginning of the season to serve as regular-season captains.

"Usually the players will vote it differently," Bowden said. "I remember last year it changed."

The practice lasted just more than an hour and was followed by conditioning.

"We've been very fortunate with injuries so far," Bowden said. "Brian Allen was the biggest scare, but he should be ready to go when we get down there."

No new injuries were reported.

South Carolina RB okay

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Running back Derek Watson, whose Gamecocks play Ohio State in the Outback Bowl Jan. 1 in Tampa, was not injured after wrecking a teammate's car, police said. An officer spotted a car Watson was driving and another vehicle speeding on Interstate 126 about 3:20 a.m. Thursday, police chief Charles Austin said. By the time the officer caught up, Watson had wrecked. The Acura Legend belonged to receiver Ted Crawford and sustained damage estimated at $15,000. "I feel really bad for Teddy," Watson said. "He's got to go home and tell his parents I totaled his car." The police report indicated Watson did not appear to be drunk.

CENTRAL FLORIDA: Three junior college players, including former Orlando Dr. Phillips High School receiver Doug Gabriel, signed letters of intent to play for the Knights next fall. The other two are cornerbacks Terrance Bell from Palm Beach Gardens and Carlos Thompson from McComb, Miss. Gabriel played for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he set the school record for touchdowns in a season (17). He chose UCF over Florida State, where he was offered a chance to play defensive back.

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE: Mark McQuillin, defensive ends coach, died as surgeons prepared to remove a brain tumor. He was 38. He is survived by his wife, Stacy.

PURDUE: Backup running back Steve Ennis will not play in the Rose Bowl because he was suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the squad." Ennis, a sophomore, had 82 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

TENNESSEE: Defensive end DeAngelo Lloyd was declared academically ineligible for the team's Cotton Bowl matchup against Kansas State. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior had 21 tackles and one sack in 10 games this season. Freshman punt snapper Robert Stolarick and offensive lineman Bernard Gooden also will miss the game.

WAKE FOREST: Quarterback C.J. Leak plans to transfer to after two seasons with the Demon Deacons. Leak was regarded by recruiting experts as one of the top high school quarterbacks in 1998, when he surprised Notre Dame coaches and fans by selecting Wake Forest over the Fighting Irish on signing day. Leak started the first three games this season before a serious knee injury. He's set to sit out the 2001 season while rehabilitating.

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