East Carolina

LIBERTY BOWL: Arkansas 20, East Carolina 17, OT The Razorbacks win despite going 0-for-13 on third down. PG 7 PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL: Connecticut 20, South Carolina 7 PG 7 INTERNATIONAL BOWL: South Florida 27, Northern Illinois 3 PG 7

Replay Torrey Smith needed one kickoff return touchdown to set the Maryland career record with three. He got it on an 82-yard return that cut North Carolina State's lead to 31-28 with 10:09 left in the third quarter. Erase Maryland quarterback Chris Turner's first pass was intercepted in the flat by defensive end Willie Young. Only 13 seconds had elapsed in the game when N.C. State took over on Maryland's 21-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Russell Wilson fired a 17-yard touchdown pass over the middle to tight end George Bryan.

East Carolina coach Skip Holtz hopes to meet with Syracuse's athletic director but said he is not close to accepting the Orange's head coaching job. Holtz said yesterday that he has had no formal meetings with Syracuse and called an NFL Network report that he was to be introduced as the new coach today "inaccurate." Holtz, however, didn't rule out replacing the fired Greg Robinson. "I would like to have the opportunity to talk to [Syracuse AD] Daryl Gross," Holtz said. "But at this point, no, I'm not going through an interview process.

After opening the season by upsetting two ranked teams, East Carolina earned itself a place in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in nine years. The Pirates were No. 14 in the media poll released yesterday. Southern California remained No. 1 and Georgia was No. 2. Ohio State's sluggish 26-14 victory against Ohio, without star tailback Chris Wells, on Saturday cost the Buckeyes two spots in the rankings. They fell to No. 5 behind No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 Florida. The Buckeyes will have a chance to move back up when they visit USC on Saturday.

Moves Baseball BLUE JAYS -- Purchased contract of OF John-Ford Griffin from Triple-A Syracuse. Placed OF Vernon Wells on 60-day DL. GIANTS -- Recalled OF Fred Lewis from Single-A San Jose. Basketball BUCKS -- Signed F Michael Ruffin. MAVERICKS -- Signed G Devin Harris to five-year contract extension through 2012-13 season. Colleges EAST CAROLINA -- Dismissed baseball P Josh Dowdy from team for violating team rules. OHIO STATE -- Signed men's basketball coach Thad Matta to contract extension through 2016 season.

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- It was the end of a late-summer practice, and Virginia Tech football players pulled off their jerseys and shoulder pads. Two team assistants carefully removed and folded a flag that had been suspended from an observation tower high above the practice fields. The flag, featuring a burnt-orange ribbon on a black background, is routinely unfurled at practice to pay homage to the 32 victims of a student's April 16 campus rampage - the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The Morgan State men's basketball program is progressing, step by step. It made another move forward last night at Hill Field House, parlaying a strong defensive and rebounding effort into a 76-70 victory over East Carolina, a member of Conference USA. The outcome reversed an earlier result when the Bears opened the season in Greenville, N.C., and absorbed a 19-point whipping from the Pirates (4-5), who have lost four games in a row. "We're getting better, and I told them I'm proud of them," Morgan coach Todd Bozeman said.

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

Minutes after finishing his first collegiate start, Navy senior quarterback Brian Hampton looked weary and sounded displeased with his performance. Never mind that Hampton had rushed 34 times for 149 yards, the most by a Navy quarterback in nearly two years. Never mind that Hampton had spearheaded the Midshipmen's triple option in a hard-earned, 28-23 victory over East Carolina, in the season opener for both teams before 33,809 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium last night. Massachusetts @Navy Saturday 1:30 p.m., Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 1050 AM, 1370 AM, 1430 AM

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.