D1 College Football News

October 9 , 2006

Source: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

On-Campus Salutes for Anderson and Siemon Slated for This Weekend
Colorado’s Bobby Anderson and Stanford’s Jeff Siemon will both celebrate their 2006 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this Saturday, Oct. 14. Anderson, who broke 18 school records, including CU’s all-time career rushing record with 2,367 yards, will be honored as the Buffs take on Texas Tech this weekend in Boulder.

Stanford will honor Siemon as the Cardinal hosts Arizona on Saturday. Siemon was a 1971 Consensus All-America selection while leading a defense that shut down both Ohio State and Michigan, two previously unbeaten teams, in consecutive Rose Bowl victories.

Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Watch List Announced
The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, presented annually to a Division I-A head coach by the Dodd Foundation, has released its initial watch list. Those on the first mention include Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville, California’s Jeff Tedford, Michigan’s Lloyd Carr, Georgia’s Mark Richt, Rutgers’ Greg Schiano, TCU’s Gary Patterson, Purdue’s Joe Tiller, Texas’ Mack Brown and Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe. The list will be updated as the 2006 season continues. None of the nine have previously won the award.

Two-Minute Drill
North Texas and Florida International tied the NCAA Division I-A record of seven overtimes in a 25-22 victory by the Eagles in Denton, Texas, last Saturday. Ironically, UNT was the last I-A team not to have played in an extra period game. Mean Green kicker Denis Hopovac’s 34-yard game-winner tied an NCAA record with nine attempts. He finished 5-for-9 for the game. . . Sixteen NCAA Division I-A teams opened the weekend of Sept. 30 games undefeated. That number now stands at nine through Oct. 7... University of San Diego leads all NCAA Division I-AA programs with a current winning streak of 13 games – tied with Ohio State for the most in the NCAA’s two highest gridiron divisions... Florida, Connecticut, Southern California, Stanford and Iowa had the nation’s toughest schedules by composite opponents’ winning percentage prior to Oct. 7 tests. All five teams’ foes had cumulative winning percentages of .655 or better... Florida has won 13 in a row at home and 18 straight homecoming games... Before Saturday's win over No. 2 Auburn, Arkansas’ last victory over an opponent ranked so high was in 1981 when they beat No. 1 Texas... Several members of the defending NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes were honored during the N.C. State-Florida State game last Thursday when the Wolfpack defeated the ‘Noles for the fourth time in seven tries... Missouri is 6-0 for first time since 1973... Kent State is off to a 4-2 start and leading the MAC East division. The Golden Flashes last won the MAC in 1972... Utah remains the only team in the country that hasn’t allowed a sack after its 20-7 victory over TCU on Thursday.

Actor Matthew McConaughey joined Marshall players and coaches during their traditional pre-game walk on Wednesday, Oct. 4, prior to the Herd’s bout with Central Florida. McConaughey portrays NFF board member and former Marshall head coach Jack Lengyel in the movie “We Are Marshall,” which will be released in December... USC still maintains the longest current I-A conference winning streak at 26 after downing... Baylor beat Colorado in triple overtime for its first back-to-back league victories in Big 12 history... Harvard RB Clifton Dawson broke Ivy League records for career points (338) and touchdowns (56) during a 33-23 win over Cornell... New Hampshire WR David Ball broke Hall of Fame wideout Jerry Rice’s NCAA career touchdowns record with his 51st last Saturday against Richmond... Colorado PK Mason Crosby set a Big 12 Conference career record with every field goal made and attempted. He is 60-for-80 (75 percent accuracy) since 2003 and is tied with Eastern Michigan’s Andrew Wellock for most career field goals made (Wellock is 60-for-74) among active specialists... Tulane head coach Chris Scelfo guided the Green Wave to its first win at the Louisiana Superdome since Nov. 13, 2004, with a 38-24 toppling of Rice... Thanks to the support of Backyard Adventures, West Texas A&M offered free admission for children 12 and under to their Homecoming football game with Midwestern State on Saturday.

As part of the new five-year contract extension and starting next season, the home team in the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry will be given the option to choose on which side its fans sit at the Cotton Bowl... The Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences are on midseason track to repeat their 70,000-plus average home attendance figures, which were 74,579 and 72,566, respectively, to lead the nation. Only three schools – Michigan (36 times), Ohio State (20 times) and Tennessee (once) - have topped the nation in average attendance since the NCAA began compiling these figures in 1949... The official dedication of Kansas’ Kivisto Field took place last weekend at Memorial Stadium. The $31-million project was funded largely through Jayhawk alums... Orlando’s Citrus Bowl will receive $175 million in renovations... The City of Atlanta is considering giving the Georgia Dome a $150 million upgrade... A groundbreaking ceremony for Minnesota’s new football facility recently took place. TCF Bank Stadium is scheduled for completion in 2009... The Florida International Board of Trustees approved the construction of a multi-purpose university complex that will include the renovation of FIU Stadium.

A 100-pound bronzed rack of ribs trophy was presented to UAB after their victory over Memphis. The trophy reflects the tradition of fine barbeque in both Birmingham and Memphis... The annual national Red Ribbon Campaign will be observed Saturday, Oct. 14, during the Georgia- Vanderbilt game, symbolizing commitment to drug-free living... Cincinnati and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati are offering discounted tickets to United Way donors and volunteers for the Bearcats’ Homecoming game against Syracuse on Oct. 28... Florida State will salute the Seminole Tribe of Florida during the weekend of the FSU-BC game on Oct. 21. The ‘Noles will unveil a new statue of a Seminole family and wear specially designed Nike uniforms in honor of the Seminole tribe... Idaho State will host “Terrific Tailgate II” prior to their game on Oct. 21 with Montana State, offering prizes for best dressed tailgate group, best Bengal-themed tailgate group, best Bengal entree and more... Nike will provide free shoes, apparel and equipment to all Virginia Tech teams starting July 1... Malone College President Ron Johnson spoke at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club, addressing how football’s inception at the school in 1993 has helped enrollment... The Western Kentucky Board of Regents will vote on Nov. 2 to move its football program up to Division I-A status. If approved, WKU could leave the I-AA level as early as 2009... The use of text messaging and other forms of electronic communication between coaches and prospective student-athletes would be restricted under a proposal supported by the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet... Part of the WAC’s new Strategic Plan is for its member institutions to average at least 80 percent of capacity in their home football stadiums by the end of the 2010 season.

Minnesota fans paid tribute to former Golden Gopher great and 2006 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Carl Eller by giving him a rousing standing ovation during the school’s game with Penn State on Saturday... Ouachita Baptist has named seven standouts to its OBU Athletic Hall of Fame, and they will be inducted at festivities on Nov. 10-11... Football standouts in the group include John Baker (1969-72), Tom Murphree (1958-1962 and former coach), Rab Rodgers (coach and athletics director from 1950-65), Ike Sharp (1947-50) and Otis Turner (1945-49). Oklahoma All-America TE and College Hall of Fame member Keith Jackson will serve as the master of ceremonies at the banquet... Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner is the latest nominee for the FedEx Orange Bowl- FWAA Courage Award to be announced at the end of the 2006 season. Hoeppner, 59, underwent brain surgery on Sept. 13... AFCA named 2001 Hall of Famer and former Southern University head coach Arnett “Ace” Mumford the recipient of its 2006 Trailblazer Award.

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Tostitos BCS Championship Game will host a special Volunteer Fair in Scottsdale Oct. 14 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (PDT).

Wyoming named Tom Burman athletics director... Florida International named Pete Garcia athletics director... McNeese State offensive coordinator Matt Viator will take over head coaching responsibilities for the Cowboys program on an interim basis... R.J. Gimbl was hired as Marshall’s Associate Athletic Director and Executive Director of the Big Green Scholarship Fund... Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association commissioner Ralph McFillen has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2007.

Arizona extended its multimedia rights and sponsorship sales with Host Communications through 2019... College contests last week were televised on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights by four different networks – the largest televised weeknight menu in 2006... The 2006 Ivy League/YES Television Network package will kick-off on October 21 with a battle of 2005 League runners-up as Princeton hosts Harvard. It is the fifth year of the league and network’s affiliation... Throughout October, FSN Northwest will air games from the Washington Huskies 1991 Championship season as part of its FSN Classics series... Michael Bradley, longtime contributor to The Sporting News and Sporting News Radio, will release Big Games this month. The book focuses on college football’s 10 greatest rivalries, including Texas- Oklahoma, Michigan-Ohio State, Miami-Florida State and Army- Navy... The Missouri Valley Conference released the book A Century of Sports: The Missouri Valley Conference, 1907-2007, commemorating its centennial and authored by seasoned sports journalist and FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson.