Associated Press
CULLOWHEE ó Western Carolina University says head football coach Dennis Wagner has resigned from the program.
The school said Sunday that Wagner told Fred Cantler, interim director of athletics, about his decision on Sunday morning.
Wagner was formally introduced as WCUís coach in December 2007. He took over for Kent Briggs, who was moved to another job at the university after the Catamounts went 1-10 in 2007.
Assistant head coach Mark Rhea has agreed to serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2011 season and until a new head football coach is hired.
Western Carolina wraps up its regular season Saturday against Coastal Carolina.
JUDGE DISMISSES MCADOO
DURHAM ó A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former North Carolina football player Michael McAdoo against the school and NCAA after he was declared permanently ineligible for academic misconduct.
McAdoo sought damages from UNC and the NCAA, alleging ěgross negligenceî in the ineligibility ruling that his attorneys argued was based on inaccurate information. But Durham County Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson sided with attorneys representing the school and NCAA arguing for the dismissal during a 21/2-hour hearing Monday.
OWAH OUT
GREENVILLE ó East Carolina has suspended backup running back Alex Owah indefinitely for violating unspecified team rules.
Coach Ruffin McNeill announced Owahís suspension Monday.
Owah had five carries for 15 yards and a touchdown this season. His suspension raises further questions in an already shaky backfield for the Pirates (4-6, 3-3 Conference USA), who play Central Florida this week.
McNeill says starter Reggie Bullock practiced lightly on an injured thigh Sunday after missing East Carolinaís loss at UTEP.
Sophomore running back Michael Dobson is listed as questionable this week after suffering a concussion against UTEP.
FSU BACK IN TOP 25
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ó Florida State is back in Top 25 after more than a month on the outside looking in.
Coach Jimbo Fisherís young club has reeled off five straight wins to climbed back to No. 23 following Saturdayís 23-19 victory over Miami. The Seminoles had dropped completely out of sight in the rankings after Wake Forest handed them a third straight defeat on Oct. 8.
It was a hard fall for a team that was ranked fifth nationally only three weeks earlier and came into the season picked as a possible contender for a national title.
ěWeíre growing through the season,î Fisher said after the Miami game. ěWeíve got problems, we arenít perfect but we are figuring out how to win.î
The Seminoles (7-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) now prepare to face another hot club, Virginia, in its home finale Saturday.
ěTheyíve still got hopes of winning their division,î Fisher said Monday about the resurgent Cavaliers. ěWe need to get over the Miami game and move on.î
The Cavaliers (7-3, 4-2 ACC) have won five of their last six and will be after their fourth straight win Saturday. Theyíre still in the hunt for the ACCís Coastal Division title if they can knock off the Seminoles and Virginia Tech on successive weekends and are already bowl eligible for the first time since 2007.
ěTheyíve won a lot of close games,î Fisher said. ěThe magic thing is confidence. Heís got them playing with confidence.î
Florida State, however, has no such opportunity. Clemson locked up the Atlantic Divisionís berth in the conference title game with its win Saturday over Wake Forest.
ěWeíve only got three more games left, including the bowl game,î Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel said. ěWeíve got to win out and finish strong.î
But Manuel, who grew up in Virginia Beach, said he wasnít interested in playing spoiler against his home state university.
ěIt doesnít matter if itís UVA or any other team,î Manuel said. ěThese guys are playing great football right now and we want to play great football too.î
Manuel said he was a fan of college football in general and no school in particular as a boy.
ěThere were a lot of programs that I liked,î said Manuel, who was Fisherís signature signee after his arrival at Florida State in 2007 as offensive coordinator. ěYou get a great education from there (Virginia). At the time their program wasnít as great as it is now so thatís why I looked elsewhere.î
Florida State has a 14-2 edge in its series with Virginia, including last yearís 34-14 win in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers were the first school to defeat Florida State in ACC competition when they won 33-28 in 1995 to end the Seminolesí 29-game winning streak in league play.
The Seminoles wrap up the regular season at Florida on Nov. 26 and await a bowl invitation for a 30th straight season, the longest current streak in college football.
But for the moment, only Virginia is on their mind.
The Associated Press
11/14/11 18:11