Jackson State

Six years after it lost a game by 105 points, Delaware State is ready for its football program to step up to full-fledged, top-of-the-line status in Division I-AA. "If you want to be the best, you have to play the best," Delaware State coach Bill Collick said of the Hornets' first-ever game with Jackson State, to be played at 6 p.m. Saturday at Franklin Field. "That's why we look upon this game as such a great opportunity. It's something we've talked about and dreamed about. " Although Delaware State is 3-0 and ranked higher than Jackson State in two polls (No. 1 in the Sheridan poll for predominately black schools and No. 7 in the I-AA poll, compared to the Tigers' respective rankings of sixth and 14th)

The Delaware State Hornets boast the kind of offense that makes defenses look like speed bumps - inconveniences rather than obstacles. In its first three games of the year, Delaware State averaged 30 points and 324 yards a game. Last night, however, it was the Hornets' offense that was run over by the opposition, at least in the first half. And that was enough to provide the difference in the ball game, as Jackson State beat Delaware State, 28-25, in a non-conference battle at Franklin Field.

The last of the Eagles' No. 1 draft choices from the pre-Ray Rhodes era and the team's last tie to Reggie White departed yesterday when offensive lineman Lester Holmes signed with the Oakland Raiders. Holmes' departure had been expected since the end of the 1996 season. The Eagles had made no attempt to sign Holmes, an unrestricted free agent, and had signed Mike Zandofsky, a free agent from Atlanta, to replace him. Terms of Holmes' contract with the Raiders were not announced.

Ray Graham rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns and host Pittsburgh dominated No. 16 South Florida, 44-17, on Thursday night. Graham's 13-yard touchdown gave Pitt (3-2, 1-0 Big East) the lead for good late in the first half and his 8-yard sprint up the middle early in the fourth quarter sealed it as the Panthers broke a five-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Pitt kept the Bulls' BJ Daniels under wraps all night. One of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks couldn't get it going with his arm or legs.

Forget that the Eagles' new starting right guard played right tackle in college. And was a member of a Division I-AA team in a league called the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which is not to be confused with the Southwest Conference. And was known in college as "Big Snail," because he weighed 300 pounds and tended to move slowly off the football field. This, directly from the source, is all you really need to know about Lester Holmes of Jackson State, the Eagles' new starting right guard: "At times I tend to get nasty and dirty in games - that's all in the game of football," Holmes said yesterday, after the Eagles made him their first pick in the NFL draft.

Mike Trimboli had 17 points and eight assists before crumpling to the floor with 19 seconds left last night as visiting Vermont coasted to a 77-63 victory over No. 14 Boston College. Trimboli also had six rebounds, but he put a scare into his team when he slipped near midcourt and needed a trainer to help him limp off the court, favoring his right leg. Chris Holm had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Joe Trapani chipped in 13 points and eight boards. Duke 72, Georgia Southern 48 - Josh McRoberts and DeMarcus Nelson each scored 16 points to lead No. 11 Duke past Georgia Southern in the second round of the CBE Classic in Durham, N.C. Freshman Gerald Henderson added 13 points for the Blue Devils, who won the tournament's Durham regional and advanced to next week's semifinals of the 16-team tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Marquette 59, Idaho State 56 - Dominic James scored 17 points and Jerel McNeal added 13 as No. 16 Marquette escaped with an overtime victory over Idaho State in a first-round game of the CBE Classic in Milwaukee.

Chris Smith scored 18 points and No. 6 Louisville got off to a fast start to beat Long Beach State, 79-66, on Monday night for the shorthanded Cardinals' 14th straight home victory. Louisville (6-0) scored the first eight points of the game and took a double-digit lead early in the first half, but couldn't pull away from the 49ers (2-4) until the closing minute. Xavier 82, Vanderbilt 70 - Tu Holloway scored eight of his 24 points in overtime, and the No. 11 Musketeers (5-0)

MARREESE SPEIGHTS Forward-Center, Florida Hgt.: 6-10. Wgt.: 245 Born: Aug. 4, 1987 Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Fla. High schools: Gibbs High School and Admiral Farragut Academy (both St. Petersburg); Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) His game: Combines quickness and athletic ability with his sturdy frame ... Good hands and more-than-adequate offensive repartee ... Hits the boards hard and works hard on defense. Sophomore year: Averaged 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.36 blocks in 24 minutes per game ... He was ninth in the nation in field-goal percentage (62.4 percent)

No. 7 Penn State has been plagued by injuries all season. So when starting guard Tiffany Longworth fractured her foot, the Nittany Lions knew they could win without her. "All through the year we had to deal with injuries," Missy Masley said last night after second-seeded Penn State defeated Jackson State, 75-62, in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional at State College, Pa. "We're ready for anything injurywise. " Longworth played through the injury as the Lions won the Big Ten Tournament March 6, but she couldn't play last night.

Lester Holmes is a soft-spoken young man from a small Mississippi town who talks in a low, clipped monotone and appears to have been hewn from oak. His chest is as round as an oil drum, and his long biceps and powerful thighs are knotted with thick cables of muscle. When the Eagles made him their first selection in the college draft on Sunday and said he was their new starting right guard, he cried unabashedly. According to people who know him well, Lester Holmes is a very confident and very malevolent football player who likes to knock down defensive linemen.

Chris Smith scored 18 points and No. 6 Louisville got off to a fast start to beat Long Beach State, 79-66, on Monday night for the shorthanded Cardinals' 14th straight home victory. Louisville (6-0) scored the first eight points of the game and took a double-digit lead early in the first half, but couldn't pull away from the 49ers (2-4) until the closing minute. Xavier 82, Vanderbilt 70 - Tu Holloway scored eight of his 24 points in overtime, and the No. 11 Musketeers (5-0)

Who bears more culpability for the DeSean Jackson situation? Is it the mercurial receiver, or the Eagles? Is it Jackson, who hasn't played up to snuff and admitted Monday that his unresolved contract status is affecting his happiness? Or is it the Eagles, who handed out larger contracts to free agents who aren't anywhere near as important to their team? Is it Jackson, who became tardy and then missed a meeting that led to his benching on Sunday? Or is it the Eagles, who could have found a way to extend Jackson if they wanted to avoid a dip in his production?

Ray Graham rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns and host Pittsburgh dominated No. 16 South Florida, 44-17, on Thursday night. Graham's 13-yard touchdown gave Pitt (3-2, 1-0 Big East) the lead for good late in the first half and his 8-yard sprint up the middle early in the fourth quarter sealed it as the Panthers broke a five-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Pitt kept the Bulls' BJ Daniels under wraps all night. One of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks couldn't get it going with his arm or legs.

Villanova reclaimed the top spot in Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 after Saturday's impressive 35-0 win at Lehigh. The Wildcats began the season ranked No. 1 but fell to No. 2 following the season-opening loss at Temple, 31-24. Montana held the top spot last week before losing on Saturday to Cal Poly. Villanova earned 3,338 points and 74 first-place votes. Appalachian State is second with 3,269 points and 25 first-place votes, while James Madison, an upset winner over Virginia Tech, is third with 3,100 points and 30 first-place votes.

Friday's season-opening loss to Temple cost Villanova its No.1 national ranking in the Sports Network/Fathead.com Football Championship Subdivision Top 25 poll. The defending national champion Wildcats dropped to second Monday after receiving 46 of the 126 first-place votes. Penn, which doesn't open the season until Sept. 18, fell out of the top 25. The Quakers had been 23d. Montana moved up one spot to No.1 following its 73-2 season-opening rout of Western State. Appalachian State remained third.

B.W. Webb had three interceptions as William and Mary shut down Virginia's new spread offense in a 26-14 shocker yesterday in Charlottesville, Va. The Tribe forced seven turnovers and Webb returned his last interception for a 50-yard TD with 2 minutes, 39 seconds left. The Cavaliers used all three of their quarterbacks, but none were as effective as the Tribe's R.J. Archer. William and Mary last beat a Division I-A school in 1998 - the Temple Owls. Minnesota 20, Syracuse 17 - Eric Ellestad kicked a 35-yard field goal in overtime to give Minnesota a victory over Syracuse, spoiling the debut of Orange quarterback Greg Paulus in Syracuse, N.Y. Paulus was 19 for 31 for 167 yards and one touchdown, but the former Duke point guard threw his only interception in the extra period to give the Gophers the break they needed.

Auburn has hired Iowa State's Gene Chizik as its football coach, turning to a former defensive coordinator who helped the Tigers forge a perfect season in 2004 but who has won five games in two years as a head coach. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said that Chizik told him yesterday he was accepting the Auburn job. He called the timing of the situation, and how it transpired, "hurtful and disappointing. " The former Auburn defensive coordinator will succeed Tommy Tuberville, who resigned following 10 seasons with an 85-40 record.

MARREESE SPEIGHTS Forward-Center, Florida Hgt.: 6-10. Wgt.: 245 Born: Aug. 4, 1987 Birthplace: St. Petersburg, Fla. High schools: Gibbs High School and Admiral Farragut Academy (both St. Petersburg); Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.) His game: Combines quickness and athletic ability with his sturdy frame ... Good hands and more-than-adequate offensive repartee ... Hits the boards hard and works hard on defense. Sophomore year: Averaged 14.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.36 blocks in 24 minutes per game ... He was ninth in the nation in field-goal percentage (62.4 percent)

IN THE PHILLIES' year of the non-save, it is nice that No. 1 draft pick Joe Save ry has formally joined this pitcher-starved organization. If the 6-3 Rice lefthander (and the Owls' best hitter, as well) is the real deal, he could be in the rotation as early as 2009. That assumes he will overmatch the short-season, Class A New York-Penn League, where he will audition with the Williamsport Crosscutters, get bumped up to Lakewood, or even to Clearwater, then begin next season in Clearwater or Reading.

Mike Trimboli had 17 points and eight assists before crumpling to the floor with 19 seconds left last night as visiting Vermont coasted to a 77-63 victory over No. 14 Boston College. Trimboli also had six rebounds, but he put a scare into his team when he slipped near midcourt and needed a trainer to help him limp off the court, favoring his right leg. Chris Holm had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Joe Trapani chipped in 13 points and eight boards. Duke 72, Georgia Southern 48 - Josh McRoberts and DeMarcus Nelson each scored 16 points to lead No. 11 Duke past Georgia Southern in the second round of the CBE Classic in Durham, N.C. Freshman Gerald Henderson added 13 points for the Blue Devils, who won the tournament's Durham regional and advanced to next week's semifinals of the 16-team tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Marquette 59, Idaho State 56 - Dominic James scored 17 points and Jerel McNeal added 13 as No. 16 Marquette escaped with an overtime victory over Idaho State in a first-round game of the CBE Classic in Milwaukee.