Asbury is rebuilding the Waves
BASKETBALL: Pepperdine coach in a similar situation to what Monson faced last season. By Frank Burlison, Staff Writer Posted: 12/02/2008 10:51:07 PM PST
BASKETBALL: Pepperdine coach in a similar situation to what Monson faced last season. By Frank Burlison, Staff Writer Posted: 12/02/2008 10:51:07 PM PST
LONG BEACH - Pepperdine University was a very comfortable home for Tom Asbury for 15 years. Fourteen years later, he's found that little has changed since returning to the school's Malibu campus and its million dollar view of multi-million dollar homes and the priceless Pacific Ocean.
There is one obvious difference, though: The school's men's basketball program isn't in nearly as good of shape as it was during his first stint at the school, nine years of it as an assistant to Jim Harrick and six of those as the Waves' head coach. Since playing in three NCAA Tournaments over the final four seasons Asbury was at the school before he left to take the head job at Kansas State in the spring of 1994, the Waves have played in just two NCAA tourneys and haven't been in postseason play since 2002. Over the past three seasons the program was a combined 26-64. Asbury spent the 2003-07 seasons as an assistant to Mark Gottfried at the University of Alabama, before moving with his wife to Tucson.
When the opportunity to return to coaching at Pepperdine presented itself, he couldn't turn it down. And he knew exactly what he was getting into as well. With a roster sliced and diced via academic eligibility issues and transfers, Asbury and his staff - which includes three former Pepperdine players, including associate head coach Marty Wilson, who played for Harrick and Asbury - had to do the same kind of scrambling for players last spring that the staff of the program his team plays tonight, Long Beach State, had to do the year before.
When the Waves (1-5) take the Walter Pyramid floor tonight at 7 to take on the 49ers (3-2), they will do so with four freshmen - all signed in the spring - and a sophomore. "Life is nice," Asbury said Tuesday morning. "But this team is struggling for good reason. We are where we kind of expected to be right now. You hope for the best but prepare for the worst. "The kids are working, making progress and getting better." The sophomore starting for the Waves is 6-foot-7 Mychel Thompson (11.2 points per game), 
while three of the freshmen were All-CIF selections last season in guards Lorne Jackson of Simi Valley, Pasadena's Keion Bell- who averages a team-high 12.7 points per game and center Corbin Moore of Los Alamitos. In watching video of the 49ers,
Asbury admires the job Dan Monson and his Long Beach staff have done in a little more than a year on the job. "I'm not sure how many games they won last season," Asbury said. "But they're going to win a ton more than that this season. "Watching them, they run their stuff so well. Even though they play a lot of young guys, they play like a mature team. Dan has done a good job of coaching that group. It wouldn't surprise me if they end up being the best team in that conference." Like Monson last season, Asbury is resolute in believing that his team's progress can't be based upon the numbers in the win-loss columns.
"I think we've played well, at times, defensively, and that's an identity we have to establish," he said. "Sure, the kids are going to get down from time to time. But that's part of it when, in reality, you're trying to rebuild a program from scratch." And, in the meantime, there's no knocking that gorgeous view in Malibu.
Pepperdine (1-5) at Long Beach State (3-2)
By Sports Network - The Sports Network
GAME NOTES: The red-hot Long Beach State 49ers will try to remain on the winning side of the spectrum when they host the Pepperdine Waves this evening at The Pyramid. After opening the season with a victory over CS-Monterey Bay, the Waves have come crashing down, losing five consecutive matchups. The last time Pepperdine was on the court the team suffered a tough, 79-72 overtime loss to CS-Bakersfield. 
The Waves, who are 0-2 on the road this season, have posted a terrible 8-24 ledger away from home in the two previous campaigns. As for the 49ers, they stumbled out of the gates, losing two straight games, but the team has rebounded with three consecutive wins. The last time LBSU was in action the team grabbed a hard-fought, 82-77 victory over New Mexico State. After this contest the 49ers will hit the road for three straight games. With respect to the all-time series between the two schools on the hardwood, the Waves have won 16 of the 22 matchups.
The slow start for Pepperdine can be attributed to the team's woeful play defensively, as the Waves are surrendering 76.7 ppg, while allowing the opposition to shooting 43.7 percent from the floor. However, at the other end of the floor the team has not been much better, netting just 64.5 percent from the field, while shooting a lackluster 40.6 percent from the floor.
Keion Bell has been the main scoring source for Pepperdine, but the guard is netting just 12.7 ppg, and has 25 turnovers against just 12 assists. Mychel Thompson is the only other player netting double-figures, as the guard comes into this game posting 11.2 ppg. The last time Pepperdine was on the floor, the team limited CS-Bakersfield to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field, but still lost in overtime by seven points. The struggles also continued at the other end of the floor, as the team shot just 39.1 percent, while committing 22 turnovers. Bell led the way with 23 points, and also grabbed eight rebounds in the loss, while Lorne Jackson added 17 points, but committed six turnovers as well.
49ers Outshoot Waves, 80-61
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/03/2008
Pepperdine-Long Beach State Box Score
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long-range shooting played a big difference as the Pepperdine men’s basketball team lost 80-61 to Long Beach State at the Walter Pyramid on Wednesday evening.
The Waves (1-6) made just one of their 13 three-point attempts (7.7%), while the 49ers (4-2) hit more than half of theirs, sinking 12 of 23 attempts (52.2%).
Sophomore center Denis Agre (Sofia, Bulgaria/Central Arizona JC) had a season-high 11 points and made five of six shots. Freshman forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) also had 11 points.
Freshman guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) scored 10 points and freshman guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) added nine.
The Waves took their only lead at 4-2 after Jackson made two free throws and Bell hit a jumper from the foul line. But not long after, a 9-0 run gave the 49ers their first double-digit lead at 17-7 with 12:50 to play.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Marshall HS/Collin County CC) hit two jumpers and scored a lay-up off an inbounds pass as part of an 8-2 run that made the score 19-15 with 10:45 left. The 49ers’ lead would dwindle to three points at 22-19 after two free throws by Suttle with 8:41 left.
But another 7-0 run put Long Beach State back up 29-19 with 6 ½ minutes left, and the 49ers would eventually go into halftime with a 38-26 lead.
The 49ers hit three three-pointers in the first three minutes of the second half to extend their lead to 47-33.
The Waves only got the lead back into single-digits on a couple of occasions, last at 54-45 with 10:55 left after a Suttle three-pointer. Long Beach State’s largest lead was 20 points at 77-57.
The 12 three-pointers were the most by a Pepperdine opponent this season. On the positive side, Pepperdine had 20 offensive rebounds (and was +6 in rebounding) and that led to a 20-2 edge in second-chance points. Donovan Morris led the 49ers with 20 points.
Of the 10 players that saw action for the Waves, eight were freshmen or sophomores, and seven weren’t on the roster last year. The Waves played their third game without Ryan Holmes (Phoenix, Ariz./Millennium HS/Phoenix CC), their starting point guard and one of just three upperclassmen, who is sidelined by a knee injury and is expected to miss around six weeks.
The Waves next host UC Irvine on Sunday (Dec. 7) at 2 p.m. Subscribers to “Wave Casts” at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein’s call of the action.
By Sports Network - The Sports Network
GAME NOTES: The red-hot Long Beach State 49ers will try to remain on the winning side of the spectrum when they host the Pepperdine Waves this evening at The Pyramid. After opening the season with a victory over CS-Monterey Bay, the Waves have come crashing down, losing five consecutive matchups. The last time Pepperdine was on the court the team suffered a tough, 79-72 overtime loss to CS-Bakersfield. 
The Waves, who are 0-2 on the road this season, have posted a terrible 8-24 ledger away from home in the two previous campaigns. As for the 49ers, they stumbled out of the gates, losing two straight games, but the team has rebounded with three consecutive wins. The last time LBSU was in action the team grabbed a hard-fought, 82-77 victory over New Mexico State. After this contest the 49ers will hit the road for three straight games. With respect to the all-time series between the two schools on the hardwood, the Waves have won 16 of the 22 matchups.
The slow start for Pepperdine can be attributed to the team's woeful play defensively, as the Waves are surrendering 76.7 ppg, while allowing the opposition to shooting 43.7 percent from the floor. However, at the other end of the floor the team has not been much better, netting just 64.5 percent from the field, while shooting a lackluster 40.6 percent from the floor.
Keion Bell has been the main scoring source for Pepperdine, but the guard is netting just 12.7 ppg, and has 25 turnovers against just 12 assists. Mychel Thompson is the only other player netting double-figures, as the guard comes into this game posting 11.2 ppg. The last time Pepperdine was on the floor, the team limited CS-Bakersfield to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field, but still lost in overtime by seven points. The struggles also continued at the other end of the floor, as the team shot just 39.1 percent, while committing 22 turnovers. Bell led the way with 23 points, and also grabbed eight rebounds in the loss, while Lorne Jackson added 17 points, but committed six turnovers as well.
49ers Outshoot Waves, 80-61
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/03/2008
Pepperdine-Long Beach State Box Score
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long-range shooting played a big difference as the Pepperdine men’s basketball team lost 80-61 to Long Beach State at the Walter Pyramid on Wednesday evening.
The Waves (1-6) made just one of their 13 three-point attempts (7.7%), while the 49ers (4-2) hit more than half of theirs, sinking 12 of 23 attempts (52.2%).
Sophomore center Denis Agre (Sofia, Bulgaria/Central Arizona JC) had a season-high 11 points and made five of six shots. Freshman forward Dane Suttle Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif./Summit College Prep) also had 11 points.
Freshman guard Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley, Calif./Simi Valley HS) scored 10 points and freshman guard Keion Bell (Los Angeles, Calif./Pasadena HS) added nine.The Waves took their only lead at 4-2 after Jackson made two free throws and Bell hit a jumper from the foul line. But not long after, a 9-0 run gave the 49ers their first double-digit lead at 17-7 with 12:50 to play.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' (Houston, Texas/Marshall HS/Collin County CC) hit two jumpers and scored a lay-up off an inbounds pass as part of an 8-2 run that made the score 19-15 with 10:45 left. The 49ers’ lead would dwindle to three points at 22-19 after two free throws by Suttle with 8:41 left.
But another 7-0 run put Long Beach State back up 29-19 with 6 ½ minutes left, and the 49ers would eventually go into halftime with a 38-26 lead.The 49ers hit three three-pointers in the first three minutes of the second half to extend their lead to 47-33.
The Waves only got the lead back into single-digits on a couple of occasions, last at 54-45 with 10:55 left after a Suttle three-pointer. Long Beach State’s largest lead was 20 points at 77-57.The 12 three-pointers were the most by a Pepperdine opponent this season. On the positive side, Pepperdine had 20 offensive rebounds (and was +6 in rebounding) and that led to a 20-2 edge in second-chance points. Donovan Morris led the 49ers with 20 points.
Of the 10 players that saw action for the Waves, eight were freshmen or sophomores, and seven weren’t on the roster last year. The Waves played their third game without Ryan Holmes (Phoenix, Ariz./Millennium HS/Phoenix CC), their starting point guard and one of just three upperclassmen, who is sidelined by a knee injury and is expected to miss around six weeks.
The Waves next host UC Irvine on Sunday (Dec. 7) at 2 p.m. Subscribers to “Wave Casts” at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 can watch the game and listen to Al Epstein’s call of the action.
Waves Beaten by Anteaters in Close One
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports Information
Release: 12/07/2008
Pepperdine-UC Irvine Box Score
Courtesy: Jeff Golden
Courtesy: Pepperdine Sports InformationRelease: 12/07/2008
Pepperdine-UC Irvine Box Score
Courtesy: Jeff Golden
Lorne Jackson
MALIBU, Calif. — UC Irvine won the final four minutes, and that was enough as the Anteaters defeated the Pepperdine men’s basketball team, 71-63, on Sunday afternoon at Firestone Fieldhouse.
The game was tied 61-61 at the final media timeout, but the Anteaters (1-6) outscored the Waves 10-2 down the stretch for their first victory of the season. Pepperdine (1-7) lost its seventh straight.
Freshman guard Lorne Jackson ( Simi Valley , Calif./Simi Valley HS) matched one season high with 17 points and set another one with five assists to lead the Waves. Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' ( Houston , Texas / Marshall HS/Collin County CC) added a season-high 13 points in his first start of the season.
Five Anteaters finished in double-figures, led by Eric Wise’s 15 points and Michael Hunter’s 14 points. Kevin Bland had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Anteaters shot a blistering 70.6% (12-for-17) from the field in the second half and were at 57.1% for the game, compared to 49.0% for Pepperdine. The Waves had a 29-23 edge in rebounding.
The Waves held the lead for nearly the entire first half after a jumper by Dupre’ made the score 8-7 with 14:55 to play. Freshman guard Keion Bell ( Los Angeles , Calif. /Pasadena HS) later hit a short jumper to make the score 11-7 with 13:30 to go.
It was just a two-point game with five minutes to play in the half, but the Waves went on a 9-0 run extend their advantage to their largest of the game, 11 points at 33-22, with 2 ½ minutes left. Sophomore center Denis Agre ( Sofia , Bulgaria /Central Arizona JC) made a lay-up, Jackson scored on a fast break after a steal by Bell , Jackson hit a three-pointer and freshman forward Dane Suttle Jr. ( Los Angeles , Calif. /Summit College Prep) made a short jumper.
The Waves were still up by 10 with 59.8 seconds left after Agre made two free throws, but the Anteaters scored the final five points before the break on a three-pointer by Chad DeCasas and a lay-up at the buzzer by Bland. That cut Pepperdine’s halftime lead to 37-32.
UCI hit three-pointers on its first two second-half possessions, and Wise’s lay-up with 18:21 left gave the Anteaters their first lead since early in the game at 40-39.
The Waves would build back up a couple of four-point leads, last at 55-51 with 10:33 to go after a three-point play by senior guard Rico Tucker (San Diego, Calif./University HS/Minnesota). But the Anteaters tied the game again at 55-55, and that began a string that saw the game tied at 57, 59 and 61.
UCI broke the 61-61 tie with two free throws by Wise with 3:12 left, Pepperdine failed to score on its next two possessions, and the Anteaters went up by four points with 1:38 left after Bland scored in the post.
The Waves responded with a short jumper by Bell with 1:26 left to make the score 65-63, but Derrick Strings drilled a three-pointer from the left baseline with 1:02 to play, putting UCI back up 68-63.
Pepperdine missed its final four shots of the game and the Anteaters hit three of four free throws to close out the victory.
The game had a total of eight ties and eight lead changes.
Of the 10 players that saw action for the young Waves, eight were freshmen or sophomores, and seven weren’t on the roster last year. The Waves played their fourth straight game without Ryan Holmes ( Phoenix , Ariz. /Millennium HS/Phoenix CC), their starting point guard and one of just three seniors, who is sidelined by a knee injury.
The Waves now take about a week off from competition due to finals and will next host Pacific on Saturday (Dec. 13) at 2 p.m. Subscribers to “Wave Casts” at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 can watch the game and hear Al Epstein ’s call of the action
MALIBU, Calif. — UC Irvine won the final four minutes, and that was enough as the Anteaters defeated the Pepperdine men’s basketball team, 71-63, on Sunday afternoon at Firestone Fieldhouse.
The game was tied 61-61 at the final media timeout, but the Anteaters (1-6) outscored the Waves 10-2 down the stretch for their first victory of the season. Pepperdine (1-7) lost its seventh straight.
Freshman guard Lorne Jackson ( Simi Valley , Calif./Simi Valley HS) matched one season high with 17 points and set another one with five assists to lead the Waves. Sophomore forward Jonathan Dupre' ( Houston , Texas / Marshall HS/Collin County CC) added a season-high 13 points in his first start of the season.
Five Anteaters finished in double-figures, led by Eric Wise’s 15 points and Michael Hunter’s 14 points. Kevin Bland had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.The Anteaters shot a blistering 70.6% (12-for-17) from the field in the second half and were at 57.1% for the game, compared to 49.0% for Pepperdine. The Waves had a 29-23 edge in rebounding.
The Waves held the lead for nearly the entire first half after a jumper by Dupre’ made the score 8-7 with 14:55 to play. Freshman guard Keion Bell ( Los Angeles , Calif. /Pasadena HS) later hit a short jumper to make the score 11-7 with 13:30 to go.
It was just a two-point game with five minutes to play in the half, but the Waves went on a 9-0 run extend their advantage to their largest of the game, 11 points at 33-22, with 2 ½ minutes left. Sophomore center Denis Agre ( Sofia , Bulgaria /Central Arizona JC) made a lay-up, Jackson scored on a fast break after a steal by Bell , Jackson hit a three-pointer and freshman forward Dane Suttle Jr. ( Los Angeles , Calif. /Summit College Prep) made a short jumper.
The Waves were still up by 10 with 59.8 seconds left after Agre made two free throws, but the Anteaters scored the final five points before the break on a three-pointer by Chad DeCasas and a lay-up at the buzzer by Bland. That cut Pepperdine’s halftime lead to 37-32.
UCI hit three-pointers on its first two second-half possessions, and Wise’s lay-up with 18:21 left gave the Anteaters their first lead since early in the game at 40-39.The Waves would build back up a couple of four-point leads, last at 55-51 with 10:33 to go after a three-point play by senior guard Rico Tucker (San Diego, Calif./University HS/Minnesota). But the Anteaters tied the game again at 55-55, and that began a string that saw the game tied at 57, 59 and 61.
UCI broke the 61-61 tie with two free throws by Wise with 3:12 left, Pepperdine failed to score on its next two possessions, and the Anteaters went up by four points with 1:38 left after Bland scored in the post.The Waves responded with a short jumper by Bell with 1:26 left to make the score 65-63, but Derrick Strings drilled a three-pointer from the left baseline with 1:02 to play, putting UCI back up 68-63.
Pepperdine missed its final four shots of the game and the Anteaters hit three of four free throws to close out the victory.The game had a total of eight ties and eight lead changes.
Of the 10 players that saw action for the young Waves, eight were freshmen or sophomores, and seven weren’t on the roster last year. The Waves played their fourth straight game without Ryan Holmes ( Phoenix , Ariz. /Millennium HS/Phoenix CC), their starting point guard and one of just three seniors, who is sidelined by a knee injury.The Waves now take about a week off from competition due to finals and will next host Pacific on Saturday (Dec. 13) at 2 p.m. Subscribers to “Wave Casts” at http://www.pepperdinesports.com/?SPSID=90183&SPID=10851&DB_OEM_ID=18500 can watch the game and hear Al Epstein ’s call of the action
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UC Irvine beats Pepperdine, 71-63
The Anteaters snap a 61-61 tie by outscoring the Waves 10-2 in the final four minutes of the game.
December 8, 2008
UC Irvine 71, at Pepperdine 63: Eric Wise had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead the Anteaters' victory at Malibu. The teams traded turnovers and the lead for much of the game before Irvine (1-6) snapped a 61-61 tie by outscoring Pepperdine 10-2 in the final four minutes. Lorne Jackson tied a career-high with 17 points for the Waves (1-7). Pepperdine led by as many as 11 in the first half before Irvine cut the deficit to 37-32 at halftime.
UC Irvine beats Pepperdine, 71-63
The Anteaters snap a 61-61 tie by outscoring the Waves 10-2 in the final four minutes of the game.
December 8, 2008
UC Irvine 71, at Pepperdine 63: Eric Wise had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead the Anteaters' victory at Malibu. The teams traded turnovers and the lead for much of the game before Irvine (1-6) snapped a 61-61 tie by outscoring Pepperdine 10-2 in the final four minutes. Lorne Jackson tied a career-high with 17 points for the Waves (1-7). Pepperdine led by as many as 11 in the first half before Irvine cut the deficit to 37-32 at halftime.
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Cal to Face Miami in Emerald Bowl Dec. 27
Bears Making Record Sixth Straight Postseason Appearance
Dec. 6, 2008
BERKELEY - California has accepted a bid to the seventh annual Emerald Bowl and will play Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, Dec. 27 at San Francisco's AT&T. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m.
Executive director Gary Cavalli extended the Emerald Bowl bid to the Bears following the team's 48-7 victory Washington.
"We are ecstatic that Cal is going to be in the Emerald Bowl," Cavalli said. "With the success the team has had under Jeff Tedford, the Bears have become not only a Bay Area story, but a national college football name as well."
The Bears will go to their sixth postseason game in Tedford's seven seasons as head coach. Cal finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record and in fourth place in the Pac-10 with a 6-3 mark - a three-game improvement over last year.
The six-year bowl streak is the longest in school history. The Bears own a 5-1 bowl record under Tedford, including last year's 42-38 victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.
"This is the first time the Emerald Bowl has had either of the Bay Area's Pac-10 teams," Cavalli said. "I expect this to be our biggest game yet."
The Emerald Bowl and the Pacific-10 Conference reached agreement in 2005 to have a Pac-10 representative in the game. UCLA and Oregon State played in the Emerald Bowl previously.
"Playing near home in the Emerald Bowl allows all of our fans the opportunity to see the team in a great postseason atmosphere," said Cal Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "The Emerald Bowl will be a chance for all Bears - students, faculty, alumni - to come together for a great evening and what I'm sure will be a great matchup."
"We are very happy to accept the Emerald Bowl's invitation," head coach Jeff Tedford said. "It is an outstanding game with great people behind it. I'm certain that whoever our [ACC] opponent is, it will be a great game."
Miami finished its regular season with a 7-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the ACC. Cal is 1-2 all-time vs. the Hurricanes, The Bears won 9-7 in Miami in 1964, but lost 31-3 at then-No. 2 Miami in 1989 and lost 52-24 in Memorial Stadium in 1990 when the Hurricanes were ranked 10th.
"Cal has had an outstanding season and I'm quite confident we'll have a top-calibre ACC opponent for the Bears to match up with," Cavalli said.
Several ACC-affiliated bowl games had to wait for the outcome of today's ACC championship game between Virginia Tech and Boston College before determining their selections. The process will be finalized by Sunday afternoon.
Diamond Foods, Inc. has title-sponsored the game since its inception in 2002. It was known as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl for two years, and became the Emerald Bowl in 2004. Emerald is the brand name of Diamond's snack nuts division. Over 30 different products carry the Emerald name
Bears Making Record Sixth Straight Postseason Appearance
Dec. 6, 2008
BERKELEY - California has accepted a bid to the seventh annual Emerald Bowl and will play Miami (Fla.) on Saturday, Dec. 27 at San Francisco's AT&T. Kickoff will be at 5 p.m.
Executive director Gary Cavalli extended the Emerald Bowl bid to the Bears following the team's 48-7 victory Washington."We are ecstatic that Cal is going to be in the Emerald Bowl," Cavalli said. "With the success the team has had under Jeff Tedford, the Bears have become not only a Bay Area story, but a national college football name as well."
The Bears will go to their sixth postseason game in Tedford's seven seasons as head coach. Cal finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record and in fourth place in the Pac-10 with a 6-3 mark - a three-game improvement over last year.The six-year bowl streak is the longest in school history. The Bears own a 5-1 bowl record under Tedford, including last year's 42-38 victory over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.
"This is the first time the Emerald Bowl has had either of the Bay Area's Pac-10 teams," Cavalli said. "I expect this to be our biggest game yet."
The Emerald Bowl and the Pacific-10 Conference reached agreement in 2005 to have a Pac-10 representative in the game. UCLA and Oregon State played in the Emerald Bowl previously."Playing near home in the Emerald Bowl allows all of our fans the opportunity to see the team in a great postseason atmosphere," said Cal Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "The Emerald Bowl will be a chance for all Bears - students, faculty, alumni - to come together for a great evening and what I'm sure will be a great matchup."
"We are very happy to accept the Emerald Bowl's invitation," head coach Jeff Tedford said. "It is an outstanding game with great people behind it. I'm certain that whoever our [ACC] opponent is, it will be a great game."
Miami finished its regular season with a 7-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the ACC. Cal is 1-2 all-time vs. the Hurricanes, The Bears won 9-7 in Miami in 1964, but lost 31-3 at then-No. 2 Miami in 1989 and lost 52-24 in Memorial Stadium in 1990 when the Hurricanes were ranked 10th.
"Cal has had an outstanding season and I'm quite confident we'll have a top-calibre ACC opponent for the Bears to match up with," Cavalli said.
Several ACC-affiliated bowl games had to wait for the outcome of today's ACC championship game between Virginia Tech and Boston College before determining their selections. The process will be finalized by Sunday afternoon.
Diamond Foods, Inc. has title-sponsored the game since its inception in 2002. It was known as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl for two years, and became the Emerald Bowl in 2004. Emerald is the brand name of Diamond's snack nuts division. Over 30 different products carry the Emerald name
MIAMI HURRICANES TO TEST CAL BEARS IN EMERALD BOWL
Dec. 7, 2008
MIAMI HURRICANES TO TEST CAL BEARS IN EMERALD BOWL
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Miami Hurricanes will face the California Golden Bears in the 2008 Emerald Bowl in a prime time, Saturday night pairing of notable East & West Coast programs.
The 7th Annual Emerald Bowl will kick off Saturday, December 27, at 5 p.m. at San Francisco's AT&T Park.
The announcement came this afternoon from Emerald Bowl executive director Gary Cavalli, in concert with University of Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt.
The Hurricanes' trip to San Francisco comes on the heels of yesterday's announcement that California would remain within 8.5 miles of its Berkeley home to play in the Emerald Bowl. ESPN will offer the game to a nationwide audience. It is the only game, college or pro, scheduled for television the evening of the 27th.
"We are thrilled to have Miami in our game," Cavalli said. "When you think of the great programs in college football, the truly dynamic teams with a long tradition, you immediately think of Miami. Over the years, Miami has won five national championships and produced dozens of NFL stars.
"The Hurricanes have a ton of young talent and are definitely on the rise under head coach Randy Shannon. We can't wait for them to come to San Francisco. With Cal vs. Miami, I think we have one of the top 10 matchups of the 2008 bowl season."
The Hurricanes bring a 7-5 record into the contest. Miami's signature wins included a narrow 16-14 decision over eventual ACC champion Virginia Tech in a nationally-televised November tussle.
After a 2-3 start, which included a game at BCS Championship Game contender Florida, the Hurricanes went on a five-game winning streak that featured wins over Wake Forest and Virginia, among others.
Miami returns to bowl competition following a one-year hiatus. The Hurricanes edged Nevada, 21-20, in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl.
This decade alone has seen Miami beat Nebraska for the 2002 national championship at the Rose Bowl; drop a two-overtime thriller to Ohio State in the 2003 national title game at the Fiesta Bowl; defeat cross-state rival Florida State in the 2004 FedEx Orange Bowl; and play in two subsequent Chick-fil-A Bowl games.
No one personifies the Miami program more than its 42-year-old head coach Randy Shannon. Shannon was a Hurricanes linebacker from 1984-88 and played on Miami's '87 national champions.
He spent two NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys prior to beginning his coaching career in 1991.
The Emerald Bowl will be Shannon's 12th bowl game as a coach.
Shannon coached the defensive line and linebackers at Miami from 1992-97 and then spent the next three seasons on the Miami Dolphins staff.
He returned to his Coral Gables alma mater as defensive coordinator in 2001 and held that position through '06. He was named head coach in December 2006.
As a player or coach, Shannon has been part of three of the Hurricanes' five national championship teams.
Diamond Foods, Inc. has title-sponsored the Emerald Bowl since its inception in 2002. It was known as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl for two years, and became the Emerald Bowl in 2004. Emerald is the brand name of Diamond's snack nuts division. Over 30 different products carry the Emerald name.
Emerald Bowl tickets may be purchased in several fashions. They may be ordered via the bowl website, www.emeraldbowl.org ; by visiting the AT&T Park ticket office at 3rd and King Streets; or by calling (415) 947-BOWL.
Dec. 7, 2008
MIAMI HURRICANES TO TEST CAL BEARS IN EMERALD BOWL
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Miami Hurricanes will face the California Golden Bears in the 2008 Emerald Bowl in a prime time, Saturday night pairing of notable East & West Coast programs.
The 7th Annual Emerald Bowl will kick off Saturday, December 27, at 5 p.m. at San Francisco's AT&T Park.
The announcement came this afternoon from Emerald Bowl executive director Gary Cavalli, in concert with University of Miami athletic director Kirby Hocutt.The Hurricanes' trip to San Francisco comes on the heels of yesterday's announcement that California would remain within 8.5 miles of its Berkeley home to play in the Emerald Bowl. ESPN will offer the game to a nationwide audience. It is the only game, college or pro, scheduled for television the evening of the 27th.
"We are thrilled to have Miami in our game," Cavalli said. "When you think of the great programs in college football, the truly dynamic teams with a long tradition, you immediately think of Miami. Over the years, Miami has won five national championships and produced dozens of NFL stars.
"The Hurricanes have a ton of young talent and are definitely on the rise under head coach Randy Shannon. We can't wait for them to come to San Francisco. With Cal vs. Miami, I think we have one of the top 10 matchups of the 2008 bowl season."
The Hurricanes bring a 7-5 record into the contest. Miami's signature wins included a narrow 16-14 decision over eventual ACC champion Virginia Tech in a nationally-televised November tussle.
After a 2-3 start, which included a game at BCS Championship Game contender Florida, the Hurricanes went on a five-game winning streak that featured wins over Wake Forest and Virginia, among others.Miami returns to bowl competition following a one-year hiatus. The Hurricanes edged Nevada, 21-20, in the 2006 MPC Computers Bowl.
This decade alone has seen Miami beat Nebraska for the 2002 national championship at the Rose Bowl; drop a two-overtime thriller to Ohio State in the 2003 national title game at the Fiesta Bowl; defeat cross-state rival Florida State in the 2004 FedEx Orange Bowl; and play in two subsequent Chick-fil-A Bowl games.
No one personifies the Miami program more than its 42-year-old head coach Randy Shannon. Shannon was a Hurricanes linebacker from 1984-88 and played on Miami's '87 national champions.
He spent two NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys prior to beginning his coaching career in 1991.
The Emerald Bowl will be Shannon's 12th bowl game as a coach.
Shannon coached the defensive line and linebackers at Miami from 1992-97 and then spent the next three seasons on the Miami Dolphins staff.
He returned to his Coral Gables alma mater as defensive coordinator in 2001 and held that position through '06. He was named head coach in December 2006.
As a player or coach, Shannon has been part of three of the Hurricanes' five national championship teams.
Diamond Foods, Inc. has title-sponsored the Emerald Bowl since its inception in 2002. It was known as the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl for two years, and became the Emerald Bowl in 2004. Emerald is the brand name of Diamond's snack nuts division. Over 30 different products carry the Emerald name.Emerald Bowl tickets may be purchased in several fashions. They may be ordered via the bowl website, www.emeraldbowl.org ; by visiting the AT&T Park ticket office at 3rd and King Streets; or by calling (415) 947-BOWL.
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