College Football Briefs: Bellotti just says no to UCLA

By: Associated Press - | Friday, December 21, 2007 11:16 PM PST ∞

Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti, approached by UCLA in its search for a head coach, said Friday he's staying put.

"You're always flattered when others want to talk to you, but that's because of the success we've enjoyed based on our players, our support staff and our administration," Bellotti said in a statement posted on the university Web site. "I have been, and continue to be, 100 percent committed to the University of Oregon and our pursuit of a national championship."

Bellotti, who turned 57 on Friday, is in his 13th season as Oregon's coach with a record of 105-52. The university confirmed Thursday that he had spoken to UCLA officials.

"I was approached by them on several occasions and finally agreed to allow them to come to Eugene and speak with me," his statement said.

Bellotti said his priorities are "the quality of life, my family and the opportunities to win. ...

"UCLA wanted to present to me a scenario that would offer all those things and asked if I would listen. That's as far as it ever went. I never considered it an interview, merely an opportunity for them to provide me with some information and insights into their program," he said.

The Ducks are 8-4 this season, but lost their final three regular-season games after losing quarterback Dennis Dixon to a knee injury. Oregon will play South Florida in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve in El Paso, Texas.

UCLA is seeking a successor to Karl Dorrell, who was released from his contract Dec. 3 after compiling a 35-27 record in five seasons.

Players robbed

A 911 dispatcher in Chapel Hill, N.C., could barely hear a North Carolina football player as he quietly but desperately called for help during an apparent robbery last weekend, according to a recording released by police.

Prosecutors are still investigating the incident, but have said it included the sexual assault of at least two players. There is no audible mention of any sexual assault on the 911 call. None of the players were injured.

The caller's voice is barely audible throughout the 80-second-long phone call, made at 3:25 a.m. Sunday morning. The dispatcher immediately asked him to speak up to explain what's happening.

Authorities have charged Monique Jenice Taylor, 28, of Greenville, Tnika Monta Washington, 29, and Michael Troy Lewis, 32, both of Durham, in connection with the assault.

They all face three counts of kidnapping, three counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and one count of resisting arrest. Taylor and Washington also are charged with one count of first-degree sexual offense. Lewis is charged with robbery, possession of stolen goods and assault on government officials.

No pass, no play

Three starters are among a half dozen Tennessee Volunteers who have been ruled academically ineligible for the Outback Bowl.

Wide receiver Lucas Taylor, linebacker Rico McCoy and defensive tackle Demonte Bolden are among the six scholarship players whose fall semester grades didn't meet NCAA and Southeastern Conference requirements to play.

No. 16 Tennessee (9-4) faces No. 18 Wisconsin (9-3) on Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla.

"We have every resource available through our academic center for academic success by our athletes in all of our sports," coach Phillip Fulmer said in a statement. "In most of these cases, it was simply the student-athlete not being accountable and doing their work. One bright spot is the fact that all of these athletes will be in school spring semester."

Rodriguez hires back

Fred Jackson was brought back as Michigan's running backs coach on, a day after new coach Rich Rodriguez fired all the assistants on Lloyd Carr's staff.

"Rich spoke with everyone individually last night and did not want to hold them up in exploring other options," said school spokesman David Ablauf. "He has rehired Fred Jackson as an offensive coach."

Rodriguez met with the coaches one by one at Schembechler Hall on Thursday, as the retiring Carr packed up his belongings in boxes, clearing space for his successor.

Kickoff is when?

Justice can wait until after the LSU game.

A state judge near the home of the Tigers has agreed to postpone a trial scheduled to start on the same day LSU plays Ohio State in the BCS national championship game.

Stephen Babcock, an attorney defending Imperial Casualty Insurance Co. in a lawsuit over a car crash, requested the delay because he has tickets to the Jan. 7 game at the Superdome in New Orleans. He and other LSU fans have rented out the second floor of a Bourbon Street bar for a pre-game tailgate party.

In his written request for a new trial date, Babcock refers to Ohio State as "Slowhio" ("due to their perceived lack of speed on both sides of the ball") and notes that Allstate, sponsors of the Sugar Bowl, are not a party in the insurance case.

"All counsel to this matter unequivocally agree that the presence of LSU in the aforementioned contest of pigskin skill unquestionably constitutes good grounds therefor," Babcock wrote. "In fact we have been unable through much imagination and hypothetical scenarios to think of a better reason."

Babcock, whose law office is in Baton Rouge, said lawyers for the plaintiff in the case also have tickets to the game.

"We might disagree on the merits of the case, but everyone was in agreement on this, for sure," he said during an interview.

That includes West Baton Rouge Parish District Judge Alvin Batiste, who agreed Thursday to postpone the trial but didn't immediately set a new date. Babcock said he doesn't know if Batiste is an LSU fan, "but most people around here are."

Louisiana already has a legal precedent for football trumping a trial date. In January, a judge agreed to postpone a trial due to a conflict with last season's NFC championship game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears.