Sunday, December 1, 2013

Dave Christensen out at Wyoming

After losing to Utah State 35-7 on Saturday and finishing short of a bowl bid after a 4-2 start, Wyoming head football coach Dave Christensen has been fired.

The Cowboys finished the season 5-7, making this the second straight losing season after making a bowl in two of his first three seasons.

 “We have come to a point where our football program has not achieved at the level of success that we expect, and we know from past experience that we can be successful,” athletic director Tom Burman said in a statement released by the school. “It is with that in mind that we move forward in search of a new leader for Cowboy Football.”

The former Missouri offensive coordinator finished with a  27-34 record with the Cowboys, going 16-22 in the Mountain West Conference.

However, Christensen may not be out of work for too long as he's expected to be mentioned as a possible candidate for offensive coordinator jobs at Florida or Utah.

Urban Meyer won't suspend ejected Ohio State players involved in fight

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer says the players ejected from the Michigan game for fighting will not be suspended for the Big Ten championship game.

Running back Dontre Wilson and offensive lineman Marcus Hall were kicked out of Saturday's game when a skirmish broke out after a kickoff return in the second quarter.

Meyer said Sunday that he will meet with athletic director Gene Smith and speak with Big Ten officials about the fight.

A Big Ten spokesman said Saturday that the league would have to review video of the play before deciding if any players would be punished further.

After Hall was ejected, he made an obscene gesture toward Michigan fans while heading to the locker room.

The second-ranked Buckeyes face No. 9 Michigan State Saturday in Indianapolis.

Report: Joe Philbin wanted to cut Richie Incognito

Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin wanted to release offensive guard Richie Incognito after he was accused of harassing a female volunteer at the team's charity golf tournament in May 2012, ESPN reported Sunday.

Philbin's request was revealed during recent interviews by independent investigator Ted Wells, who is examining the Dolphins' locker room culture stemming from the team's bullying scandal. Offensive tackle Jonathan Martin left the team Oct. 28, claiming he was harassed by Incognito and other teammates.

Philbin, who was hired in January 2012, told others in the organization after the golf outing that he wanted Incognito off the team, sources told ESPN. However, Philbin was overruled by the team's front office.

Incognito was suspended Nov. 3 for conduct detrimental to the team related to Martin's bullying allegations. Incognito's four-game suspension was to end Monday under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, but it was extended with pay and could last up to a maximum six weeks in a deal reached with the Dolphins on Nov. 21.

Martin was placed on the non-football illness list Saturday and will not return to the team this season.

Florida fires offensive coordinator Brent Pease

After enduring their first losing season since 1979, the Florida Gators had to make some changes. It wasn't head coach Will Muschamp being fired, he got the dreaded vote of confidence from athletic director Jeremy Foley.

The Gators ended up firing offensive coordinator Brent Pease and offensive line coach Tim Davis.

The Gators ended the season last in the SEC in points and yards and failed to score more than 20 points during seven straight losses to end the season. The team allowed 56 sacks under Davis.

During a season-ending 37-7 loss to Florida State, the Gators managed just three first downs during the first half and did not score until the fourth quarter as the Seminoles wore down Florida’s defense and pulled away for an easy win. A far cry from the high powered teams of Gators past.

Florida’s offensive woes led athletic director Jeremy Foley to address them prior to Saturday’s FSU game.

“I don't think it's any secret,” Foley told a media throng. “We've got to fix that side of the ball. I’m not being disrespectful to anybody, but you look at some of the games we've lost, we haven't scored many points. This year or last year or what have you, that has to get fixed.

“That's going to be Will's responsibility. I'll help him, support him, advise him, whatever have you. I will tell you if you ask him today, it's his biggest concern.”

The Gators spent most of the season without their first string quarterback Jeff Driskel, running back Matt Jones, receiver Andre Debose and three offensive tackles, Chaz Green, Tyler Moore and D.J. Humphries. Second team quarterback Tyler Murphy was also lost for the season with a sprained shoulder leaving the team with third stringer Skyler Mornhinweg.

Last week, Pease, who is under contract through the 2015 season, said he felt he deserved another chance based on the circumstances. He also sounded resigned to his fate.

Where Muschamp decides to go next for an offensive coordinator is anyone's guess. But he'll need someone that's going to devise a scheme to put points on the board and help win some games.