Gator Bowl

BaseballCleveland Indians -- Placed C Sandy Alomar (inflamed and irritated right rotator cuff; .202) on 15-day DL. Alomar has thrown out just 3 of 14 runners attempting to steal. Optioned IF Jeff Manto (.158 in 12 games) to Class AAA Colorado Springs. Called up C Ed Taubensee (.329) and IF Ever Magallanes (.320).Pittsburgh Pirates -- Placed 3B Jeff King (.250, 1 HR, 11 RBI) on 15-day DL retroactive to May 5 because of strained lower back. Purchased contract of IF Jeff Richardson (.239, 1 HR, 13 RBI)

College Park -- The first thing Maryland linebacker Wesley Jefferson remembered yesterday about the Terps' November 2003 game at North Carolina State was the dramatic, come-from-behind win that sealed an invitation to the Gator Bowl. It felt good, he said, to beat the Wolfpack in the last few seconds of the game. What didn't feel so good was getting whacked in the head by a soda bottle that came flying from the stands as Jefferson and his teammates were escorted off the field. N.C. State@Maryland Saturday, noon, Ch. 13, 1300 AM, 105.7 FM Line: Maryland by 3

1 Bowl, Part 1: Enjoy a bloomin' onion while you watch Iowa play South Carolina in the Outback Bowl (11 a.m., ESPN). 2 Bowl, Part 2: Watch Georgia take on Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl (1 p.m., chs. 2, 7) as you ponder this question at the end of the holiday season: "What's in your wallet?" 3 Bowl, Part 3: Clemson faces Nebraska in the Gator Bowl (1 p.m., chs. 13, 9). What more is there to say? 4 Bowl, Part 4: In the Rose Bowl (5 p.m., chs. 2, 7), you can watch a couple of teams you actually might be familiar with: Penn State and USC. 5 Bowl, Part 5: Orange you glad there's yet another bowl game?

TODAY'S TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS M. bask West Virginia@Purdue ESPN 2:30 Dayton@New Mexico CBSCS 9 NBA New York@Atlanta NBA 7:30 New York@Atlanta (T) NBA 10:30 C. foot Texas Bowl: Missouri vs. Navy (T) ESPNU 10 a.m. Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Northwestern ESPN 11 a.m. Capital One Bowl: LSU vs. Penn State 2, 7 1 Gator Bowl: Fla. State vs. West Virginia 13, 9 1 Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon 2, 7 5 Sugar Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Florida 45, 5 8:30 Outback Bowl: Auburn vs. Northwestern ESPN 3 a.m. Texas Bowl: Missouri vs. Navy (T)

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars won't play an NFL game until 1995, but they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in league history yesterday.Long shot Jacksonville, Fla., received the NFL's 30th team, joining Charlotte, N.C., as the second expansion site selected this year.The Charlotte Panthers were unanimously accepted at the owners meetings here on Oct. 26. Yesterday, Jacksonville received approval from 26 of the 28 owners. Baltimore, St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn., were the three other cities under consideration.

COLLEGE PARK - Maryland's season of uncertainty got a strong dose of stability Thursday night with a 27-17 win over Virginia. Not only did the Terps remain in contention for a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference title, but they also all but guaranteed themselves a trip to a postseason bowl for the third straight year. That hasn't happened since the 1983, '84 and '85 seasons, which is long enough ago that one of those bowls - the Cherry Bowl ('85) - no longer exists. "I thought it was going to take seven wins to get to a bowl," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen.

COLLEGE PARK - As Dennard Wilson can attest, great feats sometimes have humble beginnings. It wasn't so long ago that Wilson, a senior strong safety, was a shaky sophomore in Maryland's much-maligned secondary. In 2001, Florida State quarterback Chris Rix went out of his way to pick on Wilson in a 52-31 win in Tallahassee, Fla., in which Rix threw five touchdown passes. Wilson, however, erased the game from his memory and has improved steadily ever since. He's widely regarded as one of the Terps' team leaders.

COLLEGE PARK - As it turns out, Maryland's football team won't have to wait until the weekend to find out its opponent in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1. Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett ended the suspense with a trip to Maryland yesterday, announcing during the Terps' regular Tuesday news conference that West Virginia will receive an invitation, regardless of the outcome of this weekend's games. "Legally, because of contractual obligations, we may have to wait to make that official, but your opponent is going to be West Virginia, Coach," Catlett told Maryland's Ralph Friedgen.

BaseballAmerican League -- Promoted John G. Ricco, assistant public relations director, to director of waivers and records.Milwaukee Brewers -- Agreed to terms with OF Robin Yount on a one-year contract with an option. Named Gene Clines batting coach.St. Louis Cardinals -- Named Chris Maloney manager and Ramon Ortiz coach at Single-A Savannah; Steve Turco manager and Mauricio Nunez coach at Single-A Glens Falls; Joe Cunningham manager and Orlando Thomas coach at Rookie League Johnson City; and Roy Silver manager and Tim Redman coach at Rookie League Chandler.

Sugar Bowl No. 12 Louisiana State 47 No. 7 Illinois 34 Domanick Davis rushes for four touchdowns as the Tigers roll past the Illini. It was the highest-scoring Sugar Bowl ever, and LSU's fifth consecutive bowl victory. [Page 5C] Gator Bowl No. 24 Florida State 30 No. 15 Virginia Tech 17 Chris Rix throws for two TDs and runs for another as the Seminoles give coach Bobby Bowden his 323rd win, tying Bear Bryant for second on the all-time Division I-A list. [Page 3C] Citrus Bowl No. 8 Tennessee 45 No. 17 Michigan 17 Quarterback Casey Clausen accounts for five TDs to lift the Volunteers to a rout of the Wolverines.