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Blue
Devils come back for victory on Florida State
DURHAM, N.C.
(AP) — No. 1 Duke looked like an average team against Florida
State for almost 30 minutes again Thursday night.
This time, the
Blue Devils closed with a vengeance for an 80-49 victory.
Many believed
the Blue Devils (21-1, 9-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) would roll
over a team that gave them their only loss a month ago. But that
was far from the case as the Seminoles (10-11, 3-7) made Duke look
more like an NCAA tournament bubble team than contender to defend
its national title most of the night.
One Florida
State fan even brought a broom to Cameron Indoor Stadium in case
the Seminoles knocked off the nation’s top team for the second
time. But that may have been asking too much from a .500 club that
shot 29 percent in the second half.
After its worst
half of the season, Duke, which won its ninth straight by double
figures since the 77-76 road loss on Jan. 6, got its first 10-point
lead with 13:57 left.
Then the Blue
Devils got some additional breathing room minutes later as Mike
Dunleavy hit a baseline jumper, a 3-pointer and a driving slam in
a 12-0 run for a 56-38 lead and the route was on.
Florida State
changed defenses and used its athletic ability to turn Duke’s
powerful offense into a walking turnover. Many Duke players shook
their heads and showed frustration as an offense that averages 91.5
points a game bogged down until a closing 36-11 run over the final
12:39.
While Dunleavy
finished with 20 points, All-American guard Jason Williams had one
of his worst games of the season. The ACC scoring leader came in
averaging 21.9, but had seven points on 3-for-13 shooting.
Duke’s
outside game was also off. The Blue Devils hit 15 3-pointers against
Florida State in the first meeting, but was 8-for-24 Thursday.
Buccaneers
and Lewis discussing contract
TAMPA, Fla.
(AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved closer to making Baltimore
defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis their coach Thursday, discussing
a contract and working to assemble an offensive staff.
While there
was no official word from the club on the status of the search,
a formal announcement likely will come early next week.
That would give
general manager Rich McKay and Lewis time to hammer out details
of a contract and make several important decisions, including who
will become Tampa Bay’s fourth offensive coordinator in as
many seasons.
Lewis, the Ravens’
defensive coordinator since 1996, emerged as the prime candidate
after McKay made an unsuccessful pitch to get Oakland’s Jon
Gruden.
Tampa Bay contacted
the Raiders this week about the possibility of hiring Gruden, who
has one year remaining on his contract. The Bucs offered draft picks
and perhaps cash as compensation but abandoned hope of making a
trade because Oakland’s asking price was too high.
Lewis, Pittsburgh
Steelers offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and former Washington
Redskins coach Norv Turner interviewed for the Tampa Bay opening
last week.
Turner dropped
out of the running Monday, a day before accepting a position as
the Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator.
This is the
third NFL job for which Lewis has been a candidate since Baltimore
set a record for the fewest points allowed in a 16-game season and
won last year’s Super Bowl.
Green
Bay signs former Oklahoma quarterback
GREEN BAY, Wis.
(AP) — Former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel signed with
the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.
Heupel, 6-foot-2
and 215 pounds, was a sixth-round draft selection of the Miami Dolphins
last year after leading Oklahoma to the national championship. He
was waived Sept. 18.
The Packers
also said Thursday that they had allocated running back Herbert
“Whisper” Goodman to NFL Europe along with guards Tim
Stuber and Ed Kehl, cornerback Hurley Tarver, linebackers Paris
Lenon and Cornell Menafee, safety Emile White and punter Cory Sargent.
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