Gator Bowl

Virginia reportedly going to Gator BowlVirginia will play in theMazda Gator Bowl, according to a published report.The bowl's selection committee decided yesterday afternoon to offer the 21st-ranked Cavaliers a spot in the Dec. 29 game in Jacksonville, Fla., the Roanoke Times & World-News reported in a story for its editions today.Virginia's opponent would be a Big Eight team, most likely No. 18 Oklahoma, the paper said.The bowl appearance would be the third in a row for the Cavaliers, who are 7-2-1 and on a seven-game unbeaten streak since losing two of their first three games.

Baseball Boston Red Sox -- Signed IF Steve Lyons to 1-year contract. Placed OF Randy Kutcher on waivers.Chicago Cubs -- Activated P Rick Sutcliffe from 15-day disabled list. Sent IF-C Erik Pappas to Class AAA Iowa.Houston Astros -- SS Eric Yelding withdrew appeal of 1-game suspension and will miss tonight's game as penalty for throwing helmet at Cincinnati Reds' Rob Dibble in retaliation for pitch that went foot behind Yelding's back. The pitcher is appealing 3-game suspension.Pittsburgh Pirates -- Recalled P Mark Huismann from Class AAA Buffalo.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia is ranked ahead of Oklahoma in the national college football polls. The Cavaliers have won more games than the Sooners during the past three seasons.Yet Virginia players and coaches admit that a victory against Oklahoma in Sunday's Gator Bowl would rate among the Cavaliers' most significant triumphs ever."I think it would be as big as any because the name is Oklahoma," offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said. "There might not be 10 programs in the country with the name of Oklahoma."

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - On the Maryland football team, everyone has a Lamar Bryant story. Some of them are tall tales, some of them will induce belly-aching laughter, and most of them, according to junior center Kyle Schmitt, probably aren't suitable for publication in a family newspaper. But picture, if you can, Bryant - all 6 feet 3 and 315 pounds of him - standing in front of a banquet hall full of people last year, days before the Peach Bowl. He has a microphone in his hand, and he's part of a select group of players prepared to belt out the national anthem to kick off a comedy show that's part of the festivities in Atlanta.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - He could have said superb, and he could have said gracious. Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen could have used the word relieved to describe his senior quarterback yesterday, because clearly that was the case. But after watching Scott McBrien throw for a career-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-7 Gator Bowl rout of West Virginia, Friedgen found an even better way to describe his senior quarterback. McBrien was, quite simply, divine. "Scott," Friedgen said, "was heaven."

Navy (4-6) vs. Army (5-5)Site: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.Time: NoonTV: Channels 13, 7Radio: WMAL (630 AM) and WNAV (1430 AM)Series: Tied 43-43-7Line: Pick 'emOutlook: The Midshipmen, seeking to rebound from consecutive trouncings by Vanderbilt and Southern Methodist in their past two games, have a chance to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy by beating Army. The Cadets, idle since beating Lafayette, 35-12, Nov. 13, are looking to conclude their first winning season in three years.

March 30, 1976: Four years after he bought the team, Robert Irsay acknowledged he had received "an attractive offer" to move the club to Phoenix.Jan. 9, 1977: During Super Bowl XI, Irsay said he'd been approached by Indianapolis about plans to move the team and build a rent-free stadium. "I can get the votes. We can move if we want to," he said.Jan. 27, 1979: Tired of delays for the Owings Mills complex, Irsay met with the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission. Kenneth Hahn, president of the commission, referred to the team as the L.A. Colts in a news conference immediately afterward.

Don't expect a knockout blow when North Carolina State and Maryland get together today at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. "Every year, this game is like a boxing match that goes to a decision," said Maryland offensive lineman Lamar Bryant. "One team isn't going to put the other away early." The last three contests - all close games - have one other thing in common, though. They've all been last-minute Maryland victories. In 2000, the Terps beat N.C. State in double overtime, 35-28.

SAN FRANCISCO -- After a season nearly derailed by injuries and punctuated by victories over a pair of top 10 teams, the Maryland Terrapins came here last week to prepare for the Emerald Bowl against Oregon State with chips on their shoulders. Tonight at AT&T Park, Maryland hopes to cash in those chips. "We had high expectations coming into the season, and we haven't met those expectations," senior offensive guard Andrew Crummey said earlier this week. "We had a lot of adversity. This is a chance to show how good we are when we're healthy."

COLLEGE PARK - Maryland can take nothing for granted tonight at Clemson, where the Terrapins haven't won since 1985. With talent that Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen raved about earlier this week, the Tigers (6-4, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) nearly beat No. 7 Georgia, played a respectable first half at No. 15 Florida State and come into tonight's 7:45 game on a two-game winning streak. Moreover, the 19th-ranked Terps (8-2, 4-1) will play in front of a mostly hostile crowd of around 70,000 at Clemson Memorial Stadium, trying to follow their 24-21 win over North Carolina State and maintain their hopes of a second straight ACC title.