Stoops Takes Over at Oklahoma

Bob Stoops, a defensive specialist who played a part in rebuilding Kansas State and helped lead Florida to a national title, was hired Tuesday as Oklahoma’s football coach.

It’s the first head coaching job for Stoops. He replaced John Blake, who was fired Nov. 22 after a 12-22 record in three seasons.

“I shall not shy away from the expectations that you have at Oklahoma,” Stoops said after he was introduced at a news conference in Norman, Okla. “There are no excuses. You succeed or you don’t.”

Stoops, 38, played and coached at Iowa and was defensive coordinator at Kansas State before taking the same job at Florida three years ago.

Florida has been ranked in the nation’s top 15 in defense during each of Stoops’ seasons there.

Stoops will take over an Oklahoma program that has not had a winning season since 1993.

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Tommy Bowden will become head coach at Clemson and may not coach Tulane in the Liberty Bowl, the (Columbia, S.C.) State reported.

Bowden will tell Tulane’s athletic director and president before lunchtime today, according to the newspaper.

Clemson, which reportedly has offered to pay half of Bowden’s $750,000 buyout clause, plans a Thursday news conference to introduce him as the school’s 23rd football coach, the newspaper said. A Clemson spokesman did not immediately return a call from the Associated Press.

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Central Florida is going to its first bowl game, unless Miami shakes up the postseason picture.

School officials accepted a conditional invitation to play in the new Oahu Bowl, facing Air Force in the second game of a Christmas Day doubleheader in Honolulu.

Colorado and Washington are expected to play in the first game, the Aloha Bowl.

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Air Force quarterback Blane Morgan, hobbled because of a bad ankle, may not be available for the Western Athletic Conference title game against Brigham Young on Saturday at Las Vegas. . . . David Cutcliffe, offensive coordinator at Tennessee, is expected to be named head coach today at Mississippi. . . . Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer, courted by other schools after leading the Hokies to their sixth consecutive bowl bid, said he will stay at his alma mater. . . . South Carolina, seeking a replacement for fired coach Brad Scott, sought permission to talk with Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year George O’Leary of Georgia Tech. O’Leary, however, was close to agreeing to a new contract with the Yellow Jackets. . . . Despite Texas El Paso’s 3-8 record, the contract of Coach Charlie Bailey has been extended for two seasons, UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull announced.

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Bowl Schedule

* DEC. 19--LAS VEGAS BOWL

San Diego State (7-4) vs. North Carolina (6-5), 3 p.m. (ESPN2)

* DEC. 23--MOTOR CITY BOWL AT DETROIT

Mid-American No. 1 vs. TBA, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 25--ALOHA BOWL AT HONOLULU

Pac-10 No. 4 vs. TBA, 12:30 p.m. (ABC)

* DEC. 25--OAHU BOWL AT HONOLULU

WAC No. 2 or 3 vs. Pac-10 No. 5, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 26--INSIGHT.COM BOWL AT TUCSON

West Virginia (8-3) vs. Big 12 No. 5, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 29--MUSIC CITY BOWL AT NASHVILLE

Va. Tech (8-3) vs. Southeastern No. 6, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 29--MICRON PC BOWL AT MIAMI

North Carolina State (7-4) vs. Miami (7-3), 4:30 p.m. (TBS)

* DEC. 29--ALAMO BOWL AT SAN ANTONIO

Big 10 No. 4 vs. Big 12 No. 4, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 30--HUMANITARIAN BOWL AT BOISE, IDAHO

Idaho (8-3) vs. TBA, noon (ESPN2)

* DEC. 30--HOLIDAY BOWL AT SAN DIEGO

WAC No. 1 or Pac-10 No. 2 vs. Big 12 No. 3, 5 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 31--LIBERTY BOWL AT MEMPHIS

Tulane (11-0) vs. Brigham Young (9-3), 10:30 a.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 31--SUN BOWL AT EL PASO

USC (8-4) vs. Big 10 No. 5, 11 a.m. (CBS)

* DEC. 31--PEACH BOWL AT ATLANTA

Virginia (9-2) vs. Southeastern No. 4, 2 p.m. (ESPN)

* DEC. 31--INDEPENDENCE BOWL AT SHREVEPORT, LA.

Southeastern team vs. TBA, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

* JAN. 1--OUTBACK BOWL AT TAMPA, FLA.

Southeastern No. 3 vs. Big 10 No. 3, 8 a.m. (ESPN)

* JAN. 1--GATOR BOWL AT JACKSONVILLE, FLA.

Ga. Tech (9-2) vs. Notre Dame (9-2), 9:30 a.m. (NBC)

* JAN. 1--CITRUS BOWL AT ORLANDO, FLA.

Big Ten No. 2 vs. Southeastern No. 2, 10 a.m. (ABC)

* JAN. 1--COTTON BOWL AT DALLAS

Big 12 No. 2 vs. Pac-10 No. 2 or WAC No. 1, 8 a.m. (FOX)

* JAN. 1--ROSE BOWL AT PASADENA

Wisconsin (10-1) vs. Pac-10 No. 1 or 2, 1:30 p.m. (ABC)

* JAN. 1--SUGAR BOWL AT NEW ORLEANS

BCS vs. BCS, 5:30 p.m. (ABC)

* JAN. 2--ORANGE BOWL AT MIAMI

BCS vs. BCS, 5 p.m. (ABC)

* JAN. 4--FIESTA BOWL AT TEMPE, ARIZ.

BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2, 5 p.m. (ABC)

All Times Pacific