Chad Capellman's Various Articles


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS 'Canes dazed, banged-up after 2nd straight loss Series: MIAMI NOTEBOOK CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/27/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 3C (Copyright 1999) A day after the Miami Hurricanes' second straight heartbreaking loss in as many weeks, the team still was hurting. Several players were banged up or worn down, and will no doubt welcome having Saturday off before an Oct. 9 matchup with top-ranked Florida State. FB Will McPartland (major concussion), DT Damione Lewis (sprained right knee), DE Michael Boireau (sprained left ankle), LB Dan Morgan (five stitches in his forehead, bruised hamstring), FB Wilbur Valdez (sprained knee, pulled right hamstring) and RB James Jackson (sprained ankles) were being evaluated Sunday. But injuries alone cannot explain how the Hurricanes watched a 23- 3 lead deteriorate into an East Carolina victory. Against Penn State one week earlier, the Hurricanes lost a fourth-quarter lead after failing to gain a first down that would have enabled them to run out the clock. "We need to take a long, hard look at what are the things that are creating the self-destructions," Miami coach Butch Davis said. "We have got to work on ourselves. It's a blessing we don't play next week." FRESH FACE: The injury to Jackson, sustained in the season opener against Ohio State, forced Davis to give Clinton Portis the start. Portis became the first true freshman to start at TB since Dyral McMillan against Rutgers on Oct. 14, 1995. Portis, who finished with 147 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, became the first UM freshman TB to rush for more than 100 yards since Edgerrin James got 105 against Temple in '95. Jackson came into the game late, however, and carried five times on the Hurricanes' final drive. Jackson finished with nine rushes for 38 yards. "I don't think a freshman comes into a ballgame in this type of pressure situation and realizes how difficult it is to get hit every single time," Davis said when explaining the decision to go with Jackson late. "James has been in this situation the last couple years and is a little bit more polished." WAYNE'S MILESTONE: Reggie Wayne caught his first touchdown pass of the season, a 21-yarder from Kenny Kelly in the first quarter. It was Wayne's 100th catch as a Hurricane. IMPROVING SPECIAL TEAMS: The Hurricanes recorded their 34th blocked kick of the Davis era in the first quarter. Edward Reed blocked an Andrew Bayes punt and Nick Ward recovered at the Pirate 15. Andy Crosland converted the turnover to points with a 34-yard field goal that gave the Hurricanes a 10-0 lead. Freddy Capshaw took over the punting duties as Davis looked to help Crosland improve on a poor kicking season. Crosland also made field goals of 38 and 47 yards before having a 42-yard attempt blocked in the third quarter. Capshaw punted seven times and averaged 42 yards. - CHAD CAPELLMAN


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Suspended Hurricanes may return vs. FSU Series: UM NOTEBOOK CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/20/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 3C (Copyright 1999) The five Miami Hurricanes players who have been suspended since the beginning of the season might be eligible to play Oct. 9 against top-ranked Florida State, coach Butch Davis said Sunday. Davis for the first time this season gave some indication of when defensive backs Markese Fitzgerald, Darell Arline and Delvin Brown and linebackers Chris Campbell and Sheven Marshall might return. "They'll be back after East Carolina" this Saturday, Davis said. When asked if "they" meant all five players, Davis replied, "I assume." When asked why he chose to keep the players out of Saturday's heartbreaking 27-23 loss to Penn State, Davis replied: "You're assuming that was my decision." None of the five has played a down though they have been practicing with the team. Davis has not elaborated on reasons for the suspensions, but did say the school, and not the NCAA, enacted them. "The two guys who really feel the brunt of it are (cornerbacks) Leonard Myers and Michael Rumph," Davis said. "They played absolutely every single snap on defense and most of the snaps on kickoff coverage and punt coverage and kickoff returns. It is really, really hurting us to not have those five guys." SMITH'S SEASON ENDS: LB Michael Smith will miss the rest of the season after tearing the patella tendon and anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Davis said. Because he is a redshirt senior, his college career very likely is over. Smith, injured late in the first quarter,had surgery Sunday. The most likely replacement is Rod Mack, a 6-1, 225-pound fifth- year senior who had four tackles Saturday, but Davis would not commit to him. "I have to see if Rod is the best guy," Davis said. The only other injury Davis reported was to LB Dan Morgan, who finished the game despite playing with a pulled hamstring. "He gutted it out," Davis said. SHAKEN: While playing without the luxury of an occasional breather can be stressful, Rumph undoubtedly is dwelling more on Penn State's game-winning touchdown Saturday. Rumph was in man coverage against Chafie Fields, who scored on a 79-yard pass play from Kevin Thompson to stun a near-capacity Orange Bowl crowd ready to celebrate a Hurricanes victory over one of the country's elite teams. The sophomore, who sat for a long time in the locker room with his head hung low, declined to speak to reporters. "I talked to him in front of the entire team in the locker room yesterday," Davis said. "I told him that one play can never determine the outcome of a football game. If you lose on the last play of the game, then you've done something really bad on the first 175 plays of the game. "It was an opportunity similar to the play that he intercepted against Ohio State. Michael is going to get tested in the next couple years. He's going to get a lot of opportunities." - CHAD CAPELLMAN


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Turnovers won't cause Kelly to sound alarm Series: COLLEGE FOOTBALL QB: Experience will help me improve. CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/19/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 26C (Copyright 1999) Kenny Kelly threw an interception to end Miami's last possession Saturday, but the sophomore's turnover troubles have lingered all season. The interception was the fourth of the game for Kelly, who also had a fumble and now has 10 turnovers in three games. The Plant City native who has spent the past three summers playing minor-league baseball in the Devil Rays organization, completed 11 of 21 attempts for 160 yards and a touchdown. "The turnovers I feel were my personal fault. I take the blame on the turnovers," said Kelly, who has started three college games. "A loss or a win is a team thing, so I don't take the blame for the loss. It is a team thing, but the team isn't to blame for the turnovers I made." The first two Kelly interceptions set up Penn State scores. The fumble short-circuited a potential Hurricane scoring drive as a raucous crowd watched on a rainy day at the Orange Bowl. After scrambling for what would have been a first down on the Penn State 7, Kelly was hit by safety Derek Fox, who jarred the ball loose. All-America linebacker LaVar Arrington recovered to end the drive. "Some of the mistakes weren't his fault," Hurricanes coach Butch Davis said. "He was facing a great defense that has many players that will be playing on Sunday for a long, long time. "There are many new things he saw today. He is a young quarterback and every single week he is going to see new things." Despite the struggles, Kelly, who played at Tampa Catholic High School, is confident. "My sophomore year in high school, I had 15 interceptions. As the season went on, I got better. Hope that is the case here."


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Crosland's cross-hairs off-target Series: NOTEBOOK; COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAD CAPPELMAN 09/19/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 26C (Copyright 1999) K Andy Crosland's struggles continued Saturday - he missed a fourth-quarter extra point that ultimately meant UM could not tie the score late with a field goal. Crosland missed an extra point and a field goal attempt against Florida A&M two weeks ago, and both his field goal attempts against Ohio State in the season opener. He made his only field goal try Saturday, a 23-yarder that cut Penn State's first quarter lead to 10- 3. "It was a good snap, it went through (holder) Jeff (Popovich's) hands just a bit, there was a funny lean on the ball, but it was very makeable and I kicked the ground and just pushed it left," Crosland said. "Basically, I should have slowed down and took my time. "It's been kind of a roller-coaster, but I consider myself a pretty mentally tough kid that can handle pressure and can handle the adversity." SANTANA STRIKES AGAIN: Santana Moss has scored in his past five games. Saturday, Moss came back for an underthrown pass by Kenny Kelly to complete a 31-yard scoring strike early in the fourth quarter. The streak started with a 71-yard fourth-quarter TD against No. 3 UCLA in last year's regular-season finale. Moss also scored from 80 yards against N.C. State, 67 yards against Ohio State and 9 yards against FAMU. Moss, a candidate for the Biletnikoff award as the nation's best receiver, is the 21st UM player to surpass 1,000 career receiving yards (1,164). Moss and RB James Jackson are the only Miami players to score a touchdown in every game this season. Jackson's touchdown runs of 18 and 39 yards, respectively, give him five for the season. HAIR-RAISING CROWD: The announced attendance of 74,427 was the 14th largest regular season crowd in school history, and the most since Oct. 12, 1996 against Florida State. "(The atmosphere) was something I was very proud of, watching Miami all these years," Miami LB Nate Webster said. "All those fans came out to support us and I hope they continue that. It made the hair stand up on your neck. It makes it very hard to quit." SMITH OUT: UM senior LB Michael Smith (sprained right knee) left late in the first quarter and did not return. MORE SACKS: Miami had six sacks to bring its season total to 15. Last year, Miami recorded 29 sacks in 12 games. WELCOME BACK: A number of former Hurricanes were expected to attend: Tolbert Bain, Bennie Blades, Brian Blades, Kenny Calhoun, Rod Carter, Tony Coley, Ryan Collins, Maurice Crum, Danyell Ferguson, Tony Gaiter, Bernie Kosar, Tremain Mack, Stephen McGuire, Rusty Medearis, Kevin Patrick, A.C. Tellison and Lamar Thomas. - CHAD CAPELLMAN


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Scar leaves an impression on Miami's top receiver Series: STATE INSIDER: A WEEKLY REPORT ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/14/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 1C (Copyright 1999) Santana Moss' determination sometimes borders on stubbornness. The evidence can be found on his arm. It's not the tattoos that say "God Bless" and "Lord Knows" on his right arm. And it's not the ones that say "Moss Man" and "War Time" on his left arm, or even the lion. Rather, it's the 4-inch long scar on his left elbow. It's a reminder of the time he broke his arm doing back flips in his back yard at age 6. "I remember my mom telling me not to do it, and I went out there and did it anyway," Moss said. "Every time I look at that scar I tell myself I've been through worse, and I've been through pain at a young age. I've been through a lot. I think that kind of gave me the mentality I have now." That has helped the 5-foot-10, 175-pound receiver overcome his lack of size and various setbacks to become a blazing presence on the Miami football team. What distinguishes the 20-year-old junior from Miami is his speed. The fastest Hurricane with a 4.3-second 40-yard dash time, Moss also was named co-most outstanding track athlete last year. He is a member of the 4x100-meter relay team that won the 1999 Big East outdoor track and field championships. During the indoor season, Moss won the Big East 60-meter dash title in 6.87 seconds after setting a conference record at 6.83 in the preliminaries. Moss has been the lightning rod for the 2-0 Hurricanes in both of their games this season. A candidate for the Biletnikoff award given to the nation's best receiver, Moss leads UM in receiving with seven catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns. This season has started much less painfully than last for Moss, who broke his jaw two days before the '98 season opener against East Tennessee State. "It really hurt me at that time," Moss said. "Not hurt me as in (physical) pain, but it hurt me as in pride because I wanted to play so bad. I said to myself when I was sitting in that hospital, 'I can't sit back and dwell on this.' I just had to take it in stride and get better." Moss returned after missing two games and finished with 30 catches for a team-leading 631 yards and eight touchdowns. He had a critical 71-yard fourth-quarter touchdown catch in a 49-45 upset of No. 3 UCLA and scored on an 80-yard catch in Miami's 46-23 victory over North Carolina State in the Micron PC Bowl. "He is tough as a knot," coach Butch Davis said. "There's no two people I know who can tackle him in a phone booth." Moss has been quarterback Kenny Kelly's favorite target this season. No time was that more evident than late in the first half of Miami's 23-12 season-opening victory over Ohio State. With 42 seconds left in the half and the ball on the UM 33, Kelly lofted a pass down the right sideline for Moss. The ball was underthrown but Moss came back for it, made the catch and eluded three stunned defenders for a 67-yard touchdown and a 23-9 Miami lead. "The catch probably was the biggest play of the game," OSU coach John Cooper said afterward. With the loss of teammate Najeh Davenport to a season-ending knee injury, Moss has been called upon to handle punt returns. During Miami's 57-3 drubbing of Division I-AA Florida A&M, Moss broke one of his three returns for 34 yards. "He's the kind of player that needs to touch the ball between 10, 12, 14 times a game between punts and passes and reverses and any other way we can get the ball to him," Davis said. "He's got big-play ability. He's electrifying." Moss said he sees that ability in his younger brother Sinorice, a 16-year-old sophomore at Miami's Carol City High. Being a role model to his younger brothers (Lloyd Jr., 13, wants to play defense) is a great source of pride for Moss. "When I see (Sinorice) play, I see every bit of me on that field," Moss said. "I really don't teach this guy too much because I don't want to put too much in his head so he won't be confused. I just let his coach teach him. I look at him and I say most of the stuff he does he gets it from me. I play a big role in my brothers' lives." As he looks to put himself in the best possible position to move on to the pros, Moss uses one receiver as a source of inspiration: 5- 7, 172-pound speedster Jermaine Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. "I was so amazed that they gave a guy his size a chance to start on a team like that," Moss said. "That really gave me a lot of confidence to go out and do what I can do because size don't mean nothing - speed kills. "I just try to work on my speed and work on my ability to catch and run good routs so I can be in his situation."


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Davis gets smile from progress Series: UM NOTEBOOK CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/06/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 10C (Copyright 1999) Coach Butch Davis appeared as relaxed Sunday as he is likely to be all season. That's probably due in large part to the fact that his Hurricanes never let up during Saturday night's 57-3 victory against Florida A&M and that their matchup with Penn State is Sept. 18, with a bye in between. "They may be the No. 1 team in the country by the time we play them," Davis said. The bye week "has to be an advantage because we have one. You have to use it as an advantage." Davis was especially impressed with the improvement in the special teams, which played a large role in half of Miami's 20 offensive series starting in FAMU territory. The special teams also contributed the first safety in the Davis era. Aaron Moser blocked a punt out of the end zone, giving Miami a 40-3 halftime lead. Kicker Andy Crosland got a lot of work, mostly on extra points, going 7-for-7. He made field goals of 22 and 32 yards, but missed a 28-yard attempt late in the third quarter. He missed both field-goal attempts against Ohio State. "It's always a concern. If he's missing 45- and 50-yarders, you could kind of say, 'That goes with the territory,' " Davis said. "(But) he made some from the hash mark that has given him some trouble, and that's a shot of confidence for him. "There's going to come a time (when) he's going to be put on the spot and the game hangs in the balance. I trust him. He's the guy we got right now who can do it." BACKPEDALING: The Rattlers marched 72 yards on nine plays and got on the board first with a a field goal. FAMU finished, however, with minus-4 net yards for a total of 68 for the game. "Our defense continued to play exceptionally well," Davis said. "The pursuit was relentless." MIAMI SUBS: Sixty-nine players saw action for Miami, 56 in the first half. Ten made their debuts, including quarterback Ken Dorsey and tailbacks Clinton Portis and Jarrett Payton. Dorsey became the first true freshman quarterback to play since Ryan Clement in 1994. Payton, the 6-2, 205-pound son of NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton, gained 32 yards on nine carries. Portis carried nine times for 19 yards and two touchdowns. ON THE SIDELINE: RB Najeh Davenport, who had reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Monday, watched in a wheelchair and was joined on the sideline by former teammate Edgerrin James, who left school early and is a tailback with the Indianapolis Colts. STILL SUSPENDED: Davis said DBs Markese Fitzgerald, Darell Arline and Delvin Brown and LBs Chris Campbell and Sheven Marshall remain suspended for academic reasons. Those suspensions made it difficult for Miami to play in the dime defensive package it was forced to go with for much of the game. Dan Morgan, the leading tackler the past two seasons and the top tackler in the Big East last season, was the only linebacker to start for Miami. Phillip Buchanon and James Lewis made their first career starts as they joined Leonard Myers, Edward Reed, Jeff Popovich and Mike Rumph in the backfield. Missing from the game was SS Al Blades, who Davis said likely would play after injuring his forearm last week. - CHAD CAPELLMAN


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Miami wakes up, cruises past FAMU Series: COLLEGE FOOTBALL Rattlers take 3-0 lead, then Santana Moss' big plays start Hurricanes' domination in their home opener. CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/05/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 19C (Copyright 1999) Florida A&M wasn't expected to give Miami much of a challenge, and after the Hurricanes came alive, the Rattlers didn't have a chance. Santana Moss, much like he did a week earlier against Ohio State, provided the initial spark as the Hurricanes came back from a 3-0 deficit to roll over the Rattlers, 57-3 before 54,147 in Miami's home opener at the Orange Bowl. "We wanted to come out, win and improve on some things," Miami coach Butch Davis said. "We were able to do that." The Division I-AA Rattlers (0-1) turned the ball over four times (on six fumbles) and gained just one first down after their initial drive as the Hurricanes posted their ninth highest scoring total. Hurricane starting quarterback Kenny Kelly completed 9 of 15 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in less than a half, and starting tailback James Jackson rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries - including 96 yards in the first quarter - and two touchdowns. But it was Moss who woke up a Hurricanes team (2-0) that played its first game as a Top 10 team in nearly three years and next hosts No. 2 Penn State on Sept. 18. Moss had a 32-yard reception that set up his lone touchdown reception as well as a dazzling 34-yard punt return to the FAMU 4 that helped jump-start the expected romp, and the Hurricanes led 40-3 at the half. The scoring output was the most in a half for Miami since it scored 49 points against Rutgers on Oct. 14, 1995. "We were really focused," said Moss, who finished with four catches for 73 yards. "We wanted to just go out and execute and worry about Florida A&M." While FAMU finished with minus-17 yards rushing and 68 yards of total offense, the Rattlers appeared to keep the Hurricanes off balance early. Quarterback Quinn Gray threw a 38-yard pass to Cainon Lamb, who gave FAMU a first and goal at the Miami 8. But the Rattlers had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Jeremy Edwards. FAMU has never scored a touchdown at the Orange Bowl. The Rattlers, who gave up six sacks, could not advance beyond their 34 the rest of the game. "You can't feel bad about a game like this," FAMU wide receiver Jacquay Nunnaly said. "It's like we were playing the Green Bay Packers." Miami looked to be on its way to scoring on its second possession, before Aaron Gray made an acrobatic interception of a Kelly pass on FAMU's 14. But the Rattlers did nothing on their next possession, the last for Quinn Gray (4-of-11 for 55 yards), who left with an unspecified rib injury. Gray was replaced by junior Jorade Jackson, who completed 1 of 7 passes for 5 yards. Miami opened its first scoring drive on the FAMU 44. Kelly found Moss streaking along the left sideline for a 32-yard pass to the FAMU 12 that could have been a touchdown had the ball's momentum not carried Moss out of bounds. Moss got his touchdown three plays later, as Kelly found his favorite target in the middle of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. "I threw a couple of bad balls in the beginning of the game," Kelly said. "But once I settled down I thought I was pretty effective. I need to do some things better to be effective for Penn State." Miami then forced FAMU to punt and marched 47 yards in four plays. Miami backup quarterback Ken Dorsey (4-of-12 for 44 yards, one TD) saw his first action.


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Miami wakes up, cruises past FAMU Series: COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAD CAPELLMAN 09/05/1999 St. Petersburg Times EARLY TAMPA 17C (Copyright 1999) Florida A&M wasn't expected to give Miami much of a challenge, and after the Hurricanes came alive, the Rattlers didn't have a chance. Santana Moss, much like he did a week earlier against Ohio State, provided the initial spark as the Hurricanes came back from an early 3-0 deficit to roll over the Rattlers 57-3 before 54,147 in Miami's home opener at the Orange Bowl. Moss finished with four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. The Division I-AA Rattlers (0-1) turned the ball over four times (on six fumbles) and gained just one first down after its initial drive of the game as the Hurricanes posted their ninth highest scoring total. Hurricane starting quarterback Kenny Kelly completed 9 of 15 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in less than a half and starting tailback James Jackson rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries - including 96 yards in the first quarter - and two touchdowns. But it was Moss who woke up a Hurricanes team (2-0) which played its first game as a Top 10 team in nearly three years and next hosts No. 2 Penn State on Sept. 18. Moss had a 32-yard reception that set up his lone touchdown reception as well as a dazzling 34-yard punt return to the FAMU 4 that helped jump-start the expected romp. The Hurricanes led 40-3 at halftime. The scoring output was the most in a half for Miami since it scored 49 against Rutgers on Oct. 14, 1995. While FAMU finished with minus-17 yards rushing and 68 yards of total offense, the Rattlers appeared to keep the Hurricanes off balance early. The Rattlers, which passed 75 percent of the time last season, opened their first possession with a delayed handoff to Kenneth Williams for a 17-yard gain. Four plays later quarterback Quinn Gray threw to Cainon Lamb, who made several cuts in the middle of the field on a 38-yard play that gave FAMU a first and goal at the Miami 8. Gray threw three straight incompletions, preventing the Rattlers from scoring their first-ever touchdown in the Orange Bowl in four games, and Jeremy Edwards kicked a 25-yard field goal. The Rattlers did not advance beyond their 34 the rest of the game. Miami looked to be on its way to scoring on its next possession, before Aaron Gray made an acrobatic interception of a Kelly pass on FAMU's 14. The Rattlers could do nothing on their next possession, which proved to be the last for starting quarterback Quinn Gray. The redshirt sophomore left after a hit by blitzing safety Edward Reed just after throwing an incomplete pass on third down and seven on the FAMU 23. Gray was replaced by junior Jorade Jackson. On a drive that started on the FAMU 44, Kelly found Moss streaking along the left sideline for a 32-yard pass that could have been a touchdown had the ball's momentum not carried Moss out of bounds. Moss scored three plays later, as Kelly found his favorite target in the middle of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. Miami then forced FAMU to punt and marched 47 yards in four plays. Jackson was the beneficiary of a great block by Richard Mercier and ran 43 yards to cap the drive. Demetris Bendross fumbled the kickoff and James Scott recovered at the FAMU 22. James scored his second touchdown six plays later on a seven-yard run to open the second quarter to cap the three minute, 11 second drive. It was Miami's most time-consuming drive of the half. In the second half, Miami kept the pressure on. Andy Crosland made a 32-yard field goal, reserve quarterback Ken Dorsey (4-12 for 44 yards, 1 TD) threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ethenic Sands and Clinton Portis (9 rushes for 18 yards) scored from two yards out for the final score of the game. Crosland, who missed both of his field goal attempts against Ohio State, made 7 of 7 extra points and field goals of 22 and 32 yards. Linebacker Dan Morgan, the Hurricanes' leading tackler each of the past two seasons and the top tackler in the Big East last season, was the only linebacker to start for Miami. Florida A&M, which sometimes uses as many as six wide receivers, forced the Hurricanes to frequently use six defensive backs. That was no easy task for Miami, which still has three defensive backs (Markese Fitzgerald, Darell Arline and Delvin Brown) and two linebackers (Chris Campbell and Sheven Marshall) suspended for academic reasons. Also missing was strong safety Al Blades, who Davis said would likely play after injuring his forearm last week. Buchanan and Lewis made their first career starts as they joined Leonard Myers, Edward Reed, Jeff Popovich and Mike Rumph in a dime defensive package. Crosland passed Edgerrin James for sixth on UM's all-time scoring list. Carlos Huerta if first with 397 points.


	Return to Clips Index SPORTS Hurricanes lose TB Davenport for season Series: UM NOTEBOOK; STATE INSIDER: A WEEKLY REPORT ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAD CAPELLMAN 08/31/1999 St. Petersburg Times SOUTH PINELLAS 7C (Copyright 1999) A 23-12 victory over Ohio State on Sunday in the Kickoff Classic gave Miami its first Top 10 ranking since 1996, but it came at a price. Tailback Najeh Davenport, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound redshirt sophomore, is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. (Coach Butch) Davis said Davenport had surgery on the ligament Monday morning. Davis said Davenport might return for a bowl game. Davenport rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries against the Buckeyes. During a crucial 17-play, 79-yard fourth-quarter drive that consumed 7 minutes, 39 seconds, Davenport carried the ball six times for 52 yards. The power running of Davenport complemented that of junior James Jackson, who rushed for 102 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. With the loss of Davenport, Davis said he would look to a pair of reserves, senior Mondriel Fulcher and junior Will McPart-land, to fill the void. "It's definitely serious," Davis said. "Any time you lose a player of that magnitude this early in the season, that's a tough thing. James is a proven commodity and obviously he'll be the featured guy for the rest of the year, but we've got to get these other two kids ready to come in and be able to help us." BLADES ON THE MEND: S Al Blades left the game at the end of the first quarter after catching Ohio State's Michael Wiley and preventing a touchdown. Blades was believed to have a dislocated bone in his forearm, but he should be able to play in Saturday's home opener against Florida A&M. "It's probably going to have to have some sort of splint or a cast on it, but they think that he'll definitely be able to play," Davis said. FROM HUNTER TO HUNTED: This week's No. 8 ranking in the Associated Press poll marks the first time the Hurricanes have been ranked in the Top 10 since Oct. 12, 1996, when they were No. 6. Davis acknowledged the satisfaction of returning to this level, but said he knows the hard part awaits. "Last year we were a hungry football team and a hungry football program," he said. "We were embarrassed. No one liked the idea of going 5-6 and having our first losing season in 20 years (in 1996). We talked about there being a different mentality when you're a hunter." PLAYERS REMAIN SUSPENDED: DBs Markese Fitzgerald, Darell Arline and Delvin Brown, and LBs Chris Campbell and Sheven Marshall were suspended for academic reasons and did not make the trip Sunday to the Meadowlands. Davis would not say when or if the players would return this season. "Right now I don't know exactly what the status is going to be," Davis said. "We can determine that later on this week." FLAG WAVING: While they were able to shut down the Buckeyes, the Hurricanes also halted their own progress, committing 10 penalties for 82 yards. Three were for holding, including one that took away a 27-yard touchdown run by Jackson in the first quarter. "It's surprising to win against a team that good and have as many penalties as we had," Davis said. "I think the only explanation for it is our defense played well and we had big plays." - CHAD CAPELLMAN


	Return to Clips Index Sports Bison Men, Women Hold On Chad Capellman Special to The Washington Post 02/27/1998 The Washington Post FINAL C04 Copyright 1998, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved The Howard University Lady Bison kept themselves in a position to make history last night, but only after overcoming one of their sloppiest performances of the season in beating Maryland-Eastern Shore, 66-62, at Burr Gymnasium. Howard forward Alisha Hill, who was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year before the game and had her jersey retired during a halftime ceremony honoring the seniors, led the Lady Bison with game highs of 23 points and 19 rebounds. In the men's game, Howard ended a six-game losing streak with a 79-77 overtime win over UMES. Xavier Singletary scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Bison (7-18, 5-12). Jeremy Jones and Marcus Cheek each scored 17 points to lead the Fighting Hawks (9-16, 7-10). Rene Harry scored what proved to be the game-winning shot when he was fouled with 26 seconds left in overtime, giving Howard a 78-76 lead. He failed to complete the three-point play, however, then fouled the Fighting Hawks' Brian Reynolds with 18 seconds left. Reynolds made one of two free throws, then stole a pass from Singletary to set up a potential game-winning shot. But Joel Hoover missed a 10-footer, and Howard's Melvin Watson rebounded the ball. Antonio Michell made one of two free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the victory. The Howard women need a road win over first-place Hampton Saturday to finish the season as regular season co-champions. Should they do so, the Lady Bison (19-6, 15-2) would become the first women's team in MEAC history to win three consecutive conference championships. The Lady Bison won despite committing 32 turnovers -- their most in a MEAC game this season. The win was the fifth straight for Howard and the 15th in its last 16 games. Vanessa Velez led the Lady Hawks (15-10, 11-6) with 17 points. "I don't know what it is -- we're just not playing the kind of basketball we should be playing right now," Howard Coach Sanya Tyler said. "I just think we're getting away with murder."