Mississippi ends Nebraska's 40-year winning streak
SHREVEPORT, La., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Eli Manning and the Mississippi Rebels put an end to one of the most amazing streaks in American sports Friday night.
With a 27-23 victory over Nebraska in the Independence Bowl, Mississippi halted the Cornhuskers' NCAA-record streak of 40 consecutive winning seasons.
Nebraska, which last year competed for the national championship, finished the season at 7-7. It was the Cornhuskers' first non-winning campaign since going 3-6-1 in 1961. Nebraska had not lost seven games since it went 3-7 in 1958.
Manning completed 25 of 44 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. He ended his junior year with 6,519 yards, surpassing Romaro Miller's previous school mark of 6,311 yards, set from 1997-2000.
Trailing, 24-20, Nebraska had a chance to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter when the Cornhuskers reached the Rebels' eight. But Nebraska had to settle for Josh Brown's 29-yard field goal with 7:50 left.
Defense was a huge problem for Nebraska throughout the season and the Cornhuskers could not stop the Rebels with the game on the line.
Mississippi chewed nearly three minutes off the clock on its ensuing possession as Manning completed pases of 18 yards to Kerry Johnson and 32 yards to Chris Collins to set up Jonathan Nichols' 46-yard field goal with 4:39 to go.
In the other bowl games played Friday, the Holiday Bowl lived up to its reptation for producing thrillers as Kansas State rallied for a 34-27 win over Arizona State and Oklahoma State came back to down Southern Mississippi in the Houston Bowl, 33-23.
In San Diego, Eli Roberson accounted for 20 points in the fourth quarter with two touchdown runs and a scoring pass to give Kansas State its victory.
Roberson hit Derrick Evans with a 10-yard pass with 75 seconds remaining to provide the winning points.
The Holiday Bowl has a history of close finishes and has been decided by seven or fewer points each of the last five years.
In Houston, Tatum Bell scored Oklahoma State's go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. He delivered the touchdown on a 22-yard run and then set up a late field goal with an 88-yard scamper.
Oklahoma State (8-5) rebounded from a 2-4 start to win six of its last seven games and reach eight victories for the first time since 1997 and just the second time since 1988. The Cowboys defeated Nebraska and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time in school history.
It was Oklahoma State's first bowl victory since Barry Sanders ran for 222 yards and five touchdowns in a 62-14 rout of Wyoming in the 1988 Holiday Bowl.
The bowl season continues Saturday with Virginia playing West Virginia in the Continental Tire Bowl and Colorado facing Wisconsin in the Alamo Bowl.
Nets win 12th straight at home
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Lucious Harris scored a season-high 25 points and Kenyon Martin added 21 Friday night to give the New Jersey Nets their 12th straight home win.
The Nets downed Milwaukee in the opener of a home-and-home series, 110-90.
New Jersey is one victory from matching the longest home winning streak in franchise history and hosts Cleveland on Monday in its final game of 2002. But the Nets play 11 of the next 14 contests on the road, beginning with Saturday's visit to the Bradley Center, making their recent home success crucial for gaining momentum.
Harris and Martin combined to make 18 of 28 shots as New Jersey shot 55 percent from the floor and improved to 17-1 at Continental Airlines Arena, the league's best home record.
The Nets never trailed after the opening seven minutes and outscored the Bucks, 26-17, in the third quarter to take control.
Harris and Jason Collins each scored four points during a 10-0 run early in the second half and New Jersey cruised to its fifth straight win.
Other NBA results: Atlanta 81, San Antonio 79; Indiana 113, Cleveland 89; Miami 90, Boston 70; Memphis 99, Orlando 86; Minnesota 113, Chicago 100; New YOrk 99, Houston 83; Phoenix 108, Los Angeles Clippers 95.
Thrashers win for new coach
RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The Atlanta Thrashers produced a series of firsts Friday night in downing the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-3.
Milan Hnilicka made 35 saves for his first victory of the season and Ilya Kovalchuk scored a pair of breakaway goals. The victory came one day after Atlanta Coach Curt Fraser was fired and General Manager Don Waddell took over behind the bench.
The Thrashers fired Fraser -- the only coach in the franchise's 3 1/2-year history -- following an 8-20-1-4 start. Atlanta owns the worst record in the NHL and has allowed a league-high 127 goals.
Hnilicka, who turned aside all 18 shots in the third period, entered with an 0-6-2 mark. He was relegated to the minors after the Thrashers signed Byron Dafoe but made at least 30 saves for the fifth time in nine games this season.
Kovalchuk scored his 19th and 20th goals and assisted on power-play tallies by Dany Heatley and Patrik Stefan. Brad Tapper had the other goal for Atlanta, which beat the Hurricanes for the first time in 18 meetings (1-11-3-3).
Atlanta also snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in 11 contests (2-6
3).
Other NHL results: Ottawa 3, Montreal 2 in overtime; Washington 3, New Jersey 2; Dallas 4, Florida 0; Tampa Bay 5, Boston 2; Philadelphia 2, Colorado 1 in overtime.
Tar Heels fall to Iona
NEW YORK, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Courtney Fields scored 18 points Friday night as Iona beat a ranked team for the first time in 23 years, 65-56 over No. 23 North Carolina.
Freshman Ricky Soliver scored seven of his 13 points in a 15-1 burst that erased an early second-half deficit and put the Gaels ahead for good.
Maceo Wofford's lay-in with 13:34 to go capped the burst and gave Iona (5-3) a 42-36 advantage.
The Gaels ended a three-game skid with their first victory against a ranked foe since Feb. 21, 1980, when they defeated eventual national champion Louisville. It also was Iona's first win over an Atlantic Coast Conference school since a triumph over North Carolina St. on Dec. 21, 1991.
Rashad McCants scored 15 points for the Tar Heels (7-3), who were without ailing starting forward Jawad Williams (stomach virus). Reserve guard Melvin Scott served a one-game suspension and also did not play.
Not only did they lose the game, North Carolina lost freshman center Sean May for six to eight weeks with a broken bone in his left foot.
May, who is averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds, fell hard on his foot 20 seconds into the second half and did not return.
Eagles, Raiders seek home-field edge
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders can clinch homefield advantage throughout the playoffs Saturday.
To do so, however, they must beat division rivals who are fighting for wild card spots in their final regular season games.
The Eagles (12-3) visit the New York Giants (9-6) in Saturday's first contest and the Raiders then host the Kansas City Chiefs (8-7), one of six 8-7 teams in the AFC.
Despite losing star quarterback Donovan McNabb to a broken ankle last month, the Eagles have already secured a first-round bye to go along with a second straight NFC East title under Coach Andy Reid.
The Giants are seeking their third postseason appearance in six years under coach Jim Fassel, who has an 18-5 record in December, including three straight wins. But he will need another win on Saturday or a loss by the New Orleans Saints, who host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, to make the playoffs.
If the Giants lose, they will need a favor from former defensive coordinator John Fox, who left to become Panthers coach. But New York wants to take care of its own business.
"It's our own destiny," said Giants Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey. "We don't wait for someone else to lose. We've got to beat the Eagles and then we'll be on our way to something special."
New York has won six of its last eight games. But no team is hotter than the Eagles, who have won six straight, including five with backup quarterbacks Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley, and nine of 10 overall. Feeley will make his fifth start on Saturday with Detmer still recovering from a dislocated left elbow suffered in a Nov. 25 win at San Francisco.
AFC West champions for the third straight year, the Raiders can make staying on the West Coast for the postseason a reality with a win Saturday.
The Chiefs need to win and have both Denver and New England lose or a combination of losses by Denver and the New York Jets and a win by Indianapolis on Sunday. There is also a scenario in which Kansas City can make the playoffs if Denver and Indianapolis lose and the Jets and Cleveland win.
The bad news is all the possibilities must contain a loss by Denver, which is a heavy favorite Sunday against Arizona.
Chiefs Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes will not play Saturday after missing last week's 24-22 win over San Diego with a right hip injury.
Lions fire Bill Tobin
ALLEN PARK, Mich., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Bill Tobin became the first casualty in the Detroit Lions' front office Friday night.
The Lions fired their executive director of player personnel after less than two years on the job.
Since Tobin was hired by team president Matt Millen on Feb. 2, 2001, the Lions have lost 26 of 31 games, including all 16 on the road.
"Bill did a good job, but we made this decision today for philosophical reasons," Millen said in a statement. "He was part of our player personnel process, and that process will continue. We have a plan in place to fill this position. It is in the best interest of the organization to get it done as quickly as possible."
Tobin came to Detroit after four years as director of football operations for the Indianapolis Colts. He also spent 18 years with the Chicago Bears, including the final eight as vice president of player personnel.
Tobin's first NFL job was with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he spent four years in the scouting department.
Indiana responds to Big Ten
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Big Ten officials have received a response from Indiana University to the league's recommendation that basketball coach Mike Davis be suspended.
There was no immediate indication, however, whether the school had agreed that Davis should be suspended for last week's on-court outburst or whether Indiana officials want to settle the issue with a public reprimand.
Big Ten rules allow the league until next Tuesday to answer Indiana's response, which means Davis is sure to be at courtside Saturday night when the Hoosiers entertain Temple. Indiana's next game will be on Tuesday against Ball State.
With Kentucky holding a one-point lead in the final seconds against Indiana last Saturday, a Hoosiers player attempted a game-winning layup. The shot was no good and Davis dashed onto the court to protest the lack of a call.
The Indiana coach received two technical fouls and was ejected. Kentucky put the game away with the ensuing free throws.
Davis has apologized for his actions and said he would live with whatever sanctions are imposed by the Big Ten or the school.
Lemieux leads Eastern Conference voting
NEW YORK, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux continues to be the big leader in the Eastern Conference All-Star voting.
Lemieux leads at center in the latest balloting with 130,055 votes. The top vote-getters among wingers are Washington's Jaromir Jagr, who played alongside Lemieux for seven seasons, and Alexei Kovalev of the Penguins.
The lastest totals were released Friday and Jagr has 102,738 votes, while Kovalev's 76,082 are just ahead of Alexander Mogilny (75,437) of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the other starting forward spot.
Two-time Norris Trophy winner Brian Leetch of the New York Rangers tops all Eastern Conference defensemen with 113,251 votes. Scott Stevens is second with 95,729 votes, 4,612 more than New Jersey Devils teammate Scott Niedermayer.
Leetch has missed New York's last 10 games due to an ankle injury.
Nikolai Khabibulin of the Tampa Bay Lightning leads goaltenders with 83,005 votes, 5,916 more than Martin Brodeur of the Devils. Carolina's Arturs Irbe, who is just 5-9-1, is third with 71,127 votes.
In the West, two-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings and three-time Vezina Trophy winner Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche are the leaders.
Lidstrom's 138,881 votes leads all players and is 26,497 more than Roy's teammate, Rob Blake, for the lead among Western Conference defenseman. Lidstrom tops all defenseman with a plus-19 rating and his nine goals are tied for the most among blueliners.
Roy, the all-time wins leader in the regular season and playoffs, has 122,230 votes. He has played in 10 All-Star games.
Chris Chelios, Lidstrom's teammate, is third among defensemen with 98,433 votes. Sergei Zubov of the Dallas Stars is next with 82,300, which is more than all but two forwards.
Colorado captain Joe Sakic, who currently is on injured reserve, leads centers with 85,722 votes. Dallas Stars center Mike Modano, who just returned after missing three games due to a concussion, is 1,303 votes behind Sakic.
Bill Guerin of the Dallas Stars remained in the lead among wingers with 86,370 votes, which is 11,686 ahead of Detroit's Brett Hull.
