BC SPORTS
Skinner gets extension to 2010-11
Following a 25-5 season that included a 20-0 start and a Big East regular season championship, men's basketball head coach Al Skinner was rewarded with a contract extension that will keep him at BC for at least the next seven years.
Skinner, who will spend his ninth season on the bench for the Eagles this season, has been one of the most successful coaches in Boston College history. Since coming to Chestnut Hill after nine years as the head coach at Rhode Island, Skinner has compiled a 147-100 record, including 115 wins since the 2000-2001 season, the highest five-year total in school history. Skinner's teams also collected three Big East regular season titles over that period.
With four starters returning and several promising newcomers, Skinner's 2005-06 squad could be one of his best yet.
CC women finish second, men fourth
Competing in the Murray-Keating Invitational, both men's and women's cross country teams finished in the top half of the field on Saturday.
The women were especially impressive, finishing with four of the top 10 runners on their way to a second place overall finish. Captain Laurel Burdick finished third out of 92 runners, with seniors Maria Cicero and Kristin Coon and freshman Mallory Champa all crossing the line in the top-10.
In their second best finish of the season, the men took fourth place in the meet with junior co-captain Mark Allizzi finishing 15th out of 101 runners. Sophomore Patrick Mellea came in 20th, while four other Eagles crossed the finish line between 28th and 38th.
ACC award goes to field hockey's Dirks
Freshman field hockey forward Bob Dirks was named the ACC Player of the Week last week for her effort in helping the Eagles to two wins.
Dirks, a native of the Netherlands, netted two goals for BC to share the award with Wake Forest goalie Kristina Gagliardi. Against Providence, Dirks scored on her only shot of the game in helping BC to a 4-3 win. She then netted the only goal in BC's 1-0 victory over Virginia, helping the team to its first-ever ACC victory.
On the season, Dirks has scored five goals in helping BC rise to No. 16 in the nation.
ACC
Hokies, Seminoles remain dominant
With plenty of shifting around the top 25, both Virginia Tech and Florida State remain steady at the top of the ACC standings. After squashing upset bids on Saturday, the two powerhouses are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the conferenece.
In a game many thought could give the Hokies trouble, No. 3 Tech made quite a statement in doubling up former Big East rival West Virginia, 34-17. Multi-purpose quarterback Marcus Vick piled up 251 total yards and three touchdowns, throwing for two and running for one.
Florida State was equally impressive in dismantling another Big East opponent, Syracuse, 38-14. The game wasn't even that close as the No. 4 'Noles jumped to a 24-0 lead with QB Drew Weatherford throwing for three touchdowns. The FSU defense held Syracuse to just 57 yards and two first downs in the first half.
Though both teams have tough games remaining - Tech against Miami, FSU at Clemson and Virginia - they remain the favorites to meet in the ACC championship game. The Hokies are considered one of the teams with the best chance to knock off No. 1 USC.
ACC foes surprise Virginia, Clemson
Two ACC teams with high expectations this season suffered unexpected conference upsets Saturday as University of Virginia fell to Maryland and Clemson lost to Wake Forest.
UVA, which had been undefeated and second in the Coastal Division, was upset at home by Maryland 45-33. The No. 25 Cavaliers were up 26-24 before being outscored 21-7 in the final quarter. BC welcomes UVA to Alumni Stadium next week in the Eagles' third ACC match-up.
In its third devastating loss in three weeks, Clemson lost to Wake Forest 31-27 after Cory Randolph threw a 6-yard touchdown pass with 33 seconds remaining to give Wake the lead. Clemson had lost two overtime games in a row against Miami and BC before blowing yet another close game. All five of the Tigers games have been decided by fewer than six points.
NATION
Storied programs making comebacks
Somebody better check the calendar and make sure this really is 2005, not 1995.
One of the college football's most surprsing developments early this season has been the re-emergence of Alabama, Penn State, and Nebraska - three of college football's most successful programs. All three teams are undefeated and each defeated a top 25 team this past weekend.
Most impressive was the Crimson Tide, who reached the top-10 for the first time since 1999 after demolishing No. 5 Florida, 31-3.
As the second-winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno has led his Penn State teams to many successful victories, but has come under scrutiny over the past few years. An infusion of young talent has helped Joe Pa and the Nittany Lions get to 5-0 after an upset of No. 18 Minnesota.
After facing growing pains from switching from a old-school run attack to new coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense, Nebraska finally seems to be comfortable as the Cornhuskers beat No. 23 Iowa State to remain undefeated.
Apparent suicide bomb kills one at OU
One person was killed in a bomb blast outside of Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium on Saturday night in what authorities said appeared to be a suicide.
The bomb exploded around 8 p.m. during halftime of the game between Oklahoma and Kansas State and could be heard by many of the 84,000 in the stadium. University President David Boren said that no one inside the stadium was ever in danger and that the game was completed without interruption.
The area was searched by bomb-sniffing dogs and several explosives were detonated in the area.
OU coach Bob Stoops told the Dallas Morning News that he was made aware of the explosion at halftime, but felt there was nothing he could or should have done.
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