East Carolina

Texas Christian (7-4) vs. No. 20 East Carolina (9-2)When: Tonight, 7: 30Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.TV: ESPN2Line: East Carolina by 4 1/2Series record: First meetingOutlook: East Carolina won its first five games and will play in its fourth bowl game of the '90s, hoping to finish with double-digit wins for the second time this decade (11-1, 1991). TCU won six of its last seven en route to a second bowl invitation in two years under coach Dennis Franchione. TCU's offense features the nation's leading rusher, junior RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who amassed 1,850 yards rushing, 16 more than Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, and scored 18 TDs rushing.

Matchup -- East Carolina (0-0) at Navy (0-0) Time -- 5:30 p.m. TV -- CSTV Radio -- 1370 AM, 1430 AM Series -- First meeting Navy offense vs. East Carolina defense -- Navy is a 12-point favorite, and this matchup is the reason. The Mids led the nation in rushing with their spread triple option, while East Carolina brings an even younger defense than the one that ranked 112th among 199 Division I schools against the run. Navy's offensive line returns four starters, and junior FB Adam Ballard has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his three starts, and junior Reggie Campbell is the perfect complement at slotback.

Navy's rivalry game Saturday against Air Force is sold out. The game, set for noon at Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium, will be televised nationally on CBS. Tickets still remain for the following Navy home games: Southern Miss (Oct. 8), East Carolina (Oct. 22) and Troy (Nov. 5). To purchase tickets, call 1-800-US4-NAVY or go to NavySports.com .

GMAC Bowl Marshall (10-2) vs. East Carolina (6-5) Site: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala. TV: ESPN2, 8 Line: East Carolina by 2. Key matchup: ECU TB Leonard Henry vs. Marshall's front seven. Henry is sixth in the nation in rushing (130.2 yards per game) and averages 7.8 yards per carry. Marshall, which uses a 4-4-3 defensive set, is 108th in the nation against the run, giving up 217.8 yards per game. If Henry approaches his average, the Herd is in trouble. When Henry runs well, ECU QB David Garrard generally performs well.

ANNAPOLIS -- After 10 games of trying to work the kinks out of its new shoot-till-you-drop offense, Navy found out yesterday that the style needs more fine-tuning to work in the Colonial Athletic Association.That was evident to the 601 fans at Halsey Field House who watched East Carolina run what amounted to an effective layup line in the first half on its way to a 97-81 victory over Navy in the CAA opener for both teams.East Carolina (7-4, 1-0) led by as many as 18 points in the first half in scoring its most points ever in a CAA game.

Maryland's Hudson Taylor defeated Trevor Brandvold of Wisconsin and lost to Cam Simaz of Cornell to finish fourth at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb. Taylor dominated his match with Brandvold, whom he had lost to earlier this season, nearly pinning him in the first period and going on to capture a 10-0 major decision. He then took Simaz to sudden-death overtime after they wrestled to a 2-2 tie in regulation. Simaz recorded a quick takedown in overtime, giving him a 4-2 win. Taylor finished his senior season 42-4 and ended his Maryland career with a 165-28 record, the most wins in school history.

Coming into Saturday's season-opening 28-23 victory over East Carolina, the only established Navy slotback was junior Reggie Campbell. Sophomore Shun White has taken a significant step into the picture. One of five slotbacks who played, and one of four who got onto the field during Navy's opening drive, White finished the Midshipmen's 13-play, 86-yard march with his first career touchdown - a 3-yard run that came with a twist. Massachusetts @Navy Saturday 1:30 p.m., 1050 AM, 1370 AM, 1430 AM Line: None

Amanda White (Dulaney) is that rarest of college athletes -- a star in three sports at a Division I school.Now a sophomore, White began her Stanford career last fall on the cross country team, did the 100-meter breaststroke and 200 individual medley as the Cardinal won its third straight NCAA Division I swimming title and finished eighth in the 3,000 meters in the Pac-10 outdoor track championships.This fall she is one of the school's top three cross country runners after a fourth in the University of San Francisco Invitational and a sixth in the Cal-Irvine Invitational.

Motor City Bowl Marshall (7-5) vs. Cincinnati (7-4) Site: Silverdome, Pontiac, Mich. When: Today, 4 p.m. TV: ESPN Line: Cincinnati by 3, Outlook: Marshall is the only school that has represented the Mid-American Conference in the three-year history of the Motor City Bowl. The Thundering Herd started 2-4, and on Oct. 5, Western Michigan ended the nation's longest home winning streak at 33 games. Marshall won four of its last five regular-season games and capped the turnaround with a come-from-behind win over Western Michigan in the MAC championship game, 19-14.

ILLINOIS (6-5) vs. EAST CAROLINA (7-4)Site: Memphis, Tenn.Time: 1 p.m. todayTV: ESPNOutlook: Illinois jumped to a 21-0 lead against Penn State, but lost, 35-31, when the Nittany Lions drove 96 yards for the winning score. Illinois ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 14.2 points per game. On offense, Johnny Johnson has thrown for 2,245 yards and 15 touchdowns. Dana Howard of Illinois is the winner of the Butkus Award, presented to the best linebacker in college football. The last bowl appearance for the Pirates was a win over North Carolina State in the 1992 Peach Bowl.