Tulane Green Wave: Tulane punter Chris Beckman was expected to
recover from a gunshot wound he sustained at the end of a hunting
expedition, authorities said.
Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone said Beckman, 22, of Grenada,
Miss., was struck Sunday in the abdomen by a large-caliber rifle
bullet that ricocheted off a small metal target at which he and
three others had been firing.
The case was being treated as an accident, Stone said. Beckman
was listed in stable condition at a hospital.
The shooting happened off Louisiana Highway 33 after Beckman and
the others, including his brother, had returned to a staging area
after a hunt.
The Green Wave football team is enrolled at Louisiana Tech while
its campus is repaired from Hurricane Katrina for the resumption of
classes in January. Beckman is expected to miss Tulane's final two
games against Tulsa on Saturday in Monroe and at Southern Miss on
Nov. 26.
Beckman, a three-year starter at punter and a first team
all-Conference USA selection choice year, had returned to Ruston
with the Tulane team from Houston, where the Green Wave lost to
Rice 42-34 on Saturday.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Sophomore running back Jeff Jennings will miss at least five months with a torn ligament in his right knee, the Nashville City Paper reported.
Jennings will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and will miss spring drills. He is expected to begin rehabilitating next summer in preparation for the 2006 season.
Jennings rushed for 476 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Central Florida Knights: Cornerback Ron Ellis has
been suspended indefinitely after being arrested for sexual
battery.
Authorities said Monday that the 20-year-old junior is accused
of sexually assaulting a woman Nov. 1 while she was drunk. Ellis
was arrested two days later and released Nov. 5 on $5,000 bond, UCF
police Sgt. Troy Williamson.
An arrest report said Ellis and others were drinking in the
woman's apartment when he followed her into her room and touched
her inappropriately.
UCF Coach George O'Leary said he would not determine Ellis'
future until the school's student disciplinary panel has reviewed
the case. Ellis has been ordered not to consume alcohol, use drugs
or have contact with the alleged victim.
The former Palm Bay High standout started nine games for UCF and
appeared in 25 games in three seasons.
Hofstra coach retires
Football coach Joe Gardi retired
Monday after 16 seasons with a school he guided from Division III
to a consistent winner in I-AA.
Gardi will coach his final game Saturday at home against
Massachusetts. His record of 118-62-2 and .654 winning percentage
are both second best in school history. Hofstra (6-4) is out of
playoff contention entering the finale.
Gardi was an assistant coach for the New York Jets from 1976-84
and worked as the NFL's assistant supervisor of officials for five
years before taking over at Hofstra in 1990.
He helped the school jump from Division III to I-AA in 1994.
Hofstra went 8-1-1 in its first season as a I-AA member. Gardi was
I-AA coach of the year in 1995 after Hofstra went 10-1 in the
regular season.
The Pride have been to the I-AA playoffs five times in the last
10 years under Gardi, and he has had 10 winning seasons.
Gardi was an offensive lineman for at Maryland from 1956-60 and
started his college coaching career at the school in 1970.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.