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ECU's McNeill embraces challenge of 1st game weekNCAA Football Betting Lines08/31/2010 - GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) -The smoke will billow near East Carolina's locker room, the pyrotechnics will sparkle and they'll blast Jimi Hendrix's ``Purple Haze'' over the speakers. Then, for the first time, Ruffin McNeill will lead the Pirates onto the field. ``Right now, I'm getting little goose bumps,'' McNeill said Monday, a full six days before gameday. ``You can't fake that.'' While there's no hiding McNeill's passion for his alma mater, there are more pressing things to worry about than making a grand entrance. Playing a Conference USA rival - not to mention, one that might be carrying a grudge - has a way of creating an added sense of urgency. McNeill's first game in charge of the two-time defending league champion Pirates, and his first game as a full-time head coach anywhere, comes Sunday when Tulsa visits in the first C-USA game of the season. ``It's a conference game, but it's our first game, and it's the only game we've got this week, so all the focus will be on Tulsa,'' McNeill said. ``The motivation will be there. It's the next guy up. It's the first guy up. That's enough motivation for us.'' It helps that McNeill has some familiarity with Tulsa coach Todd Graham. McNeill spent the past decade on Texas Tech's staff, while Graham was a high school coach in a Dallas suburb before he made the jump to college ball, joining West Virginia's staff in 2001 and later getting his Division I head coaching job at Rice in 2006. He moved to Tulsa a year later. ``I've crossed paths with coach McNeill quite a bit,'' Graham said. ``It's genuinely the real deal. I'm very impressed with him. ... As a former high school coach, just the type of person that he is, he really cares about people.'' The Pirates are 2-0 in the past two seasons against Tulsa, including a victory in the 2008 C-USA title game, and that prompted Graham to call East Carolina ``the team to beat in this conference.'' But those teams were settled at quarterback. That is not the case, at least not yet. McNeill said he has yet to decide whether former Boston College QB Dominique Davis or sophomore walk-on Brad Wornick will take the first snap Sunday against the Golden Hurricane. The longtime Mike Leach assistant said Wornick at times reminds him of former Tech signal-callers Cody Hodges and Kliff Kingsbury. Davis, Ruffin said, has big-game experience after helping BC reach the 2008 ACC title game, plus the talent and intelligence to run McNeill's version of the ``Air Raid'' offense. ``In this offense, and what we do, a strong arm is great, but it's ... when and how you deliver that thing that's important in this offense,'' McNeill said. ``Both guys are doing a great job. ... Those guys are battling night and day. ... You'll see one guy in seven-on-seven just complete great throws. Then, the next guy in team (drills will) do the same thing.'' For the man known around campus as ``Coach Ruff,'' it's been a long wait to not only return home, but to get that elusive first head coaching opportunity. The Lumberton native and former East Carolina defensive back in the late 1970s spent the past 30 years as a career assistant. He bounced from Austin Peay to Appalachian State to UNLV, before landing at Texas Tech in 2000. Following a messy divorce between Leach and the school, McNeill was put in charge on an interim basis for the Red Raiders' Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan State. Tommy Tuberville got the full-time job and didn't retain McNeill, who was hired by his alma mater in January after Skip Holtz left for South Florida. ``I'm looking forward to seeing our fans and getting around Pirate Nation and getting our football team, more importantly than me, around them,'' McNeill said. ``They're not coming to see me. They're coming to see our football team. ``I'm sure it'll be emotional, and I'm looking forward to the execution of the game operation. That's the exciting part of it to me. Let's see who can beat who. I love that part of the game. But I'll be excited, I'm sure.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Nine carries in preseason plenty for Jackson
ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson says nine carries in the preseason is enough to get ready for the season.The Pro Bowler said he didn't want to play Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. Then came the long, rumbling
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Nick Saban didn't so much as raise his voice. The trademark scowl never made even a cameo appearance.Sure seems as if No. 1 Alabama's top ranking and elephant-sized expectations are becoming the status quo around here, judging
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Super Bowl XLIII Betting - Super Bowl 2009Super Bowl 2009, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go. MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points. Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game. Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again. After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes. Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at. Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds. If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time. Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now. Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards MySportsbook.com refunds all bets on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay from NFL week one. (September 14) – Week one of NFL action saw three teams go scoreless for the first time since 1977. Another four were unable to get a touchdown and almost half of the underdogs covered the spread. Those three teams saved bettors at MySportsbook.com from losing out completely, thanks to the company’s unique NFL Shutout Rule -- which ensures that if the team you backed goes scoreless, your wager is refunded. Sportsbook refunded tens of thousands of dollars to customers who bet on Oakland, Green Bay and Tampa Bay, the three teams that stunk up the field so badly that their fans and backers never had a chance to get up from their couches and cheer. In the spirit of the low scoring start to the season, odds makers at the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino have set odds on how many total shutouts there will be this season. MySportsbook.com has posted updated sports betting lines for week two of the season. Ben Roethlisberger’s health status is still questionable, so Willie Parker will try to lead Pittsburgh again as they travel to Jacksonville as a one point favorite. After beating up on his little brother last week, Peyton Manning will look to lead the Colts to victory against Houston. Indianapolis is a whopping 13.5 favorite in the match-up. Seattle, last year’s highest scoring team, showed the power of their defense with their gritty 9-6 win in Motown over the ravenous Lions. They take their act back home to the comforts of Qwest Field where they will face the resurgent Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks are favored by a touchdown. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs. |
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