College Confidential

Not since TCU-Air Force in 1959

Oregon State's 3-0 victory over Pitt at the Sun Bowl in El Paso is the lowest-scoring major college bowl game since TCU and Air Force battled to a 0-0 tie in the 1959 Cotton Bowl. That game was on Jan. 1, 1959, almost exactly a half-century ago,

jai lucas transfers to texas

Jai Lucas, an all-SEC freshman point guard at Florida last season, announced Sunday that he will transfer to Texas.

Lucas, who left the team before the season, said he was homesick and that he would have initially chosen to play for the Longhorns if not for the presence of since-departed All-American point guard D.J. Augustin.

Lucas, who is 5-foot-10, averaged 8.5 points and 2.3 assists in an average of 30 minutes last season. He made 43.5 percent of his 3-point shots. He must sit out a year and may not be eligible until the second semester next season. He will join one of Texas' most-anticipated recruiting classes of the Rick Barnes era. 

His older brother played at Oklahoma State and his father is a former NBA player and coach. He was originally a consensus Top 50 recruit out of Houston Bellaire.--Mike Jones.

Under Mike Leach, not much changes at Texas Tech

IRVING _ Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell had to chuckle a little bit when someone asked him about coach Mike Leach's play-calling.

One of the top coaches in the country and the Big 12 Coach of the Year this season, Leach has this penchant for sticking with a variation of a few plays and daring the opposition to stop him. It worked to the tune of an impressive 11-1 record for the Red Raiders this season and a berth in Friday's AT&T Cotton Bowl against Mississippi.

"When I'm 35 years old I'll probably be able to turn on the TV and watch Coach Leach's team and call every play they're about to do,'' Harrell said after Sunday's practice at Texas Stadium. "Like I said, he doesn't change as many signals, he doesn't change his plays, he runs the same things over and over.''

Harrell said Leach believes if his team executes to perfection, they'll win more than their share of games.

"I've been here for five years and we haven't changed hardly anything,'' Harrell said. "Same practice, same everything.

"And if you do that for a certain number of years you're going to be good at executing it. His whole philosophy is we're going to out-execute anyone we play.''

Under Leach's philosophy, the onus is placed on his quarterback to get the job done. That's why he gives his quarterbacks probably more freedom than any coach in the country.

"He puts a lot of responsible on the quarterback to get (the ball) in the right place,'' Harrell said. "You have the freedome to check from goal line to goal line, which means you can call any play you want regardless of what (Leach) signals in.

"That's why his offense has success, because you can check at the line. In theory you shouldn't ever be in a bad play because the quarterback should be able to get you out of it. That's the offense he runs and that's his philosophy on football.''

Leach has parlayed that philosophy into nine consecutive bowl appearances in his nine seasons coaching at Tech. 

-- Dwain Price

Another tragedy for Iowa State football family

Mixed martial arts fighter Justin Eilers, 30, a former Iowa State middle linebacker (1998-01), was shot and killed Christmas night in his hometown of Nampa, Idaho, the Des Moines Register reported.

A suspect was taken into custody and charged, according to several media outlets.

Eilers' death comes about a month after Stevie Hicks, a former Iowa State running back (2003-06), died in his hometown of Omaha, Neb. A 9-1-1 caller reported seeing a man jump off a highway overpass, the Omaha World-Herald reported, citing investigative records. Hicks died of head injuries suffered in a 57-foot fall. Investigators saw no evidence of foul play.

Iowa State has also mourned the passing of football players Cris Love, Ennis Haywood and Matt Grosserode since 2003.

Haywood, a former Cyclones running back (1998-2001), was a member of the Dallas Cowboys when he died in May 2003 of what the medical examiner determined was a mix of alcohol, codeine, an unknown sedative and asthma, the Register reported.

Lufkin recruit picks OU over Texas

The New York Times reports that Jamarkus McFarland, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive tackle from Lufkin, has committed to the Oklahoma Sooners in a recruiting battle with the Texas Longhorns. He did so, the Times reports, in a phone call at 12:01 a.m. Christmas Day.

Rivals.com rates McFarland as the second-best defensive tackle in the country and 20th-best player overall.

Here is the Orangebloods.com response.

TCU Wrap

TCU defeated Boise State 17-16 in the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Tuesday night at Qualcomm Stadium.

Here's a few TCU notes from the game:

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton was named the bowl's offensive player of the year for the second consecutive year. Dalton earned the honor at last year's Texas Bowl.

With the victory, the senior class sets a school record for most wins by a class. The seniors finished with a 41-10 record, breaking the 1932-35 stretch.

TCU has now won four straight bowl games for the first time in school history. The Frogs all-time bowl record is 11-12-1.

Senior Stephen Hodge, who was the defensive player of the game, grabbed his first career interception.

Hodge said that he played the game for a Make-A-Wish child he visited early in the week named Faith. Hodge, in fact, wore a wristband with ‘S-Bolt’ inscribed on it.

“I was playing this game for her and she came up with the nickname, ‘S-Bolt,’” Hodge said. “She really touched me so I feel good I was able to win this game for her.”

The announced attendance was 34,628.

-- Drew Davison

Frogs win 17-16 as Boise falls to 12-1 on the season

No. 11 TCU tried to run out the clock after Stephen Hodge's interception, but after Andy Dalton dropped back and slid down on fourth-and-three, Boise State took over at its own 33 with 6 seconds to play.

On the first play, Kellen Moore threw 7 yards to Jeremy Childs, who tried a lateral -- no, not a hook-and-lateral -- but TCU defensive lineman Matt Panfil caught the pitch and secured the Poinsettia Bowl victory for the Horned Frogs, who finish 11-2.

The Frogs dominated the statistical battle. TCU had a 28-15 edge in first downs and outgained Boise State 475-255 in total yards, including 278-29 rushing. Aaron Brown ended his Frogs career with 105 yards rushing on 13 carries, including a 16-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds left in the first half. Andy Dalton was 22 of 35 passing for 197 yards.

Slide show of TCU's victory by Star-Telegram staff photographer Ron Jenkins

Hodge intercepts Boise pass (1:47, 4th)

TCU defensive back Stephen Hodge, ESPN's Player of the Game, intercepted a Kellen Moore pass at the Boise State 35 with 1:47 to play, giving the Frogs a chance to run out the clock with a 17-16 lead.

TCU 17, Boise State 16 (4:47 4th)

Boise State has pulled within one-point of TCU on sophomore kicker Kyle Brotzman's 33-yard field goal.

-- Drew Davison

TCU 17, Boise State 13 (8:51 4th)

TCU junior running back Joseph Turner plowed his way 17 yards to give TCU its first lead of the game, 17-13, over Boise State with 8:51 left in the game. The Frogs have scored 17 unanswered points and have a Poinsettia Bowl victory within reach. The Frogs defense has played well, as it has held the Broncos rushing attack to only 25 yards this game.

-- Drew Davison