GREENVILLE — Taylor Hudson has started all six games at center for East Carolina this season.
Given recent history, that fact could be considered a minor miracle.
Hudson, a 6-foot-5-inch, 291-pound sophomore, became the seventh player to start at center for the Pirates since the 2010 season began when he suited up for this year’s opener against Appalachian State.
Since then, the converted guard has helped bring a level of stability to the offensive line that’s unprecedented in head coach Ruffin McNeill’s three-year tenure.
Houston:
The University of Houston and Comcast SportsNet Houston announced Wednesday an agreement to air weekly coaches shows during the football and basketball seasons and additional programming throughout the fall and spring seasons.
Houston Cougar Football Central, which features clips from coach Tony Levine’s weekly press conference and in-studio discussions, debuted Oct. 3 and will run at 3:30 p.m. each Wednesday.
The 30-minute Tony Levine Show, with host Kevin Eschenfelder, will air at 4:30 p.m. each Thursday. The partnership between UH and CSN Houston also includes a Houston football bowl and spring game specials.
The Houston Basketball Coaches’ Show with James Dickey and Todd Buchanan will air each Monday beginning Jan. 7 through the week of March 4. The network also plans to air a season preview for the men’s and women’s basketball programs on Nov. 5 and NCAA Tournament preview show should either team qualify for the postseason.
Marshall:
HUNTINGTON - Sometimes the most important things that happen on a football field aren't what's done. It's what's said - or not said.
Is a receiver in motion? Is a formation shifting? If one player stays quiet, that could mean the difference between a big stop or six points. It's something the Marshall football team's defense has dealt with through the first six games of 2012.
Communication issues have been a significant ingredient in the problems the Thundering Herd defense has faced this year, said defensive end Jeremiah Taylor.
He and the Herd hope it gets fixed by 7 p.m. Oct. 20 when the Herd visits Southern Miss (0-5, 0-1 Conference USA).
Memphis:
MEMPHIS — Justin Fuente is nothing if he’s not consistent.
For weeks so far this season when the Memphis head football coach enters the room in the University of Memphis athletic office building, he’s pretty calm and speaks matter-of-factly about the Tigers’ upcoming opponent that week.
Every previous week, he did that coming off a loss, so there was a little bit of wonder from media who were present for Monday’s press conference how Fuente would be in the aftermath of the Tigers’ first win.
What was his demeanor on Monday when he arrived after the Tigers’ 14-10 win over Rice? He was pretty calm and spoke matter-of-factly about the Tigers’ upcoming opponent this week — East Carolina.
Rice:
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced on Thursday that Rice freshman linebacker Alex Lyons is one of five winners of the 2012 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award. The five winners were selected as the best of the best from their region of the country at the high school level. The five winners, who are now playing college football, are being recognized solely for their previous accomplishments in high school.
"The NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards honor the absolute finest from the gridiron at the high school level," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "The accomplishments of this year's five honorees clearly place them among the most elite student-athletes in the country. Their contributions both on and off the field set the standard for their peers to follow, and we are extremely proud to highlight their accomplishments on our national stage."
SMU:
IRVING (CUSA/SMU) - After setting career-highs with 14 tackles and two interceptions, SMU junior linebacker Randall Joyner has been named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week by a panel of the league's media, the league office announced today.
Making the start for an injured teammate, Joyner notched a team and career-high 14 tackles and recorded two interceptions as SMU shutout UTEP in El Paso, 17-0. This was the Mustangs' first win at UTEP since 2002, marked just the second time in 31 seasons that a Mike Price-coached team was shut out and the first time UTEP was blanked at home since 2003. SMU's defense has allowed just three points over the past six quarters and has now posted two shutouts in a season for the first time since 1983. The Mustangs join the 1999 Southern Miss team and the 2011 UCF squad as the only teams in C-USA history to record multiple shutouts in the same season.
Southern Miss:
HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss football coach Ellis Johnson talks often about the youth of his football team.
The playing chart bears him out.
According to statistics compiled by the University of Colorado’s sports information office, USM (0-5) ranks fifth nationally when it comes to playing redshirt or true freshmen, having used 23 in five games.
TCU leads with 27, followed by Kentucky (26), UCLA (25) and USC (25).
USM has played 13 redshirt freshmen and 10 freshmen. While many are on special teams, the young players also include quarterbacks Ricky Lloyd and Anthony Alford, the team’s third-leading receiver, its fourth-leading rusher and a slew of defensive contributors.
Tulane:
For the first time in more than a month, maybe winless Tulane will have a fighting chance to win a football game. The Green Wave offense will finally be pulling from a full deck.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Ryan Griffin will be back behind center after missing the past three and half games with a shoulder injury. Top tailback Orleans Darkwa continues to improve after suffering a high ankle sprain in fall camp.
And Tulane goes back into Conference USA play after facing some difficult teams out of league play. The Green Wave (0-5, 0-1 in C-USA) will play SMU (2-3, 1-0 in C-USA) on Saturday at noon in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Tulsa:
Among the University of Tulsa football program's defining characteristics is an apparent imperviousness to stress.
What happened on Saturday - a 45-38 Conference USA victory at Marshall, secured with a fourth-quarter comeback and clutch plays - has become routine for the Golden Hurricane.
"I texted that to a lot of my friends after the game - I just really believe that we've got a bunch of tough guys," TU coach Bill Blankenship said on Sunday. "They're physically and mentally tough. They don't panic."
UAB:
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - UAB football players spent plenty of time with Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Enhancement Dwayne Chandler this summer, but they never wanted to go running under his watch.
Chandler put the Blazers through a strong offseason workout program, but there was one day a week when players came to "The Track." He knew they hated all that running. He also knew it would pay off later in games and in games against fast-paced, no-huddle offenses like Houston, this week's opponent, and Tulsa, the Blazers' opponent on Sept. 29.
UCF:
ORLANDO - The return of senior running back Latavius Murray to full-time duty should be a big boost for the UCF football team in a number of areas.
“He can do a lot of things,” Knights quarterback Blake Bortles said Tuesday. “He can run, he can catch and he can block. He’s smart. He’s a good, complete back. And he’s also a big senior leader on our offense.”
Murray, who injured his shoulder in UCF’s season opener against Akron, missed three games before returning to action in the second quarter of last Thursday’s victory against East Carolina.
UCF coach George O’Leary told reporters Murray and Storm Johnson should see plenty of action in Saturday night’s Conference-USA matchup against visiting Southern Miss, and that those two backs have “separated” themselves from the rest of the Knights’ running backs.
UTEP:
Coach Mike Price feels that he is at his best when things are at their worst, when the adversity is stacked high and the lowest point arrives.
Well, it's here now.
His team is 1-5, an all-time worst in his nine-year era, getting ready to play at 5-1 Tulsa on Thursday as a two-touchdown underdog. The Miner offense is in disarray behind struggling quarterbacks, currently putting up a Price-era low 17 points per game that ranks 113th nationally out of 120 teams.
The Miners are coming off a 17-0 loss to SMU that sent the season to the brink, and while the announced attendance of 34,073 was good, that included 10,000 freebies to local teachers. The actual crowd appeared to be less than 30,000 at kickoff and many of those
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