Cutcliffe interested in N.C. State job

Assistant has rejuvenated Vols' offense

David Cutcliffe, veteran offensive coordinator at Tennessee, expressed strong interest Tuesday in the N.C. State coaching job.

"Obviously, I would be very interested if they are interested in me," Cutcliffe said.

The assistant, who is noted for producing prolific offenses, added that he's impressed with State's facilities and likes the Wolfpack program's potential for success.

Cutcliffe, 52, also has strong recruiting ties in North Carolina, having signed several of the state's top football prospects for Tennessee, including former Vols and ex-Washington Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler.

After sitting out last season following a heart attack, Cutcliffe returned to coaching this year and rejuvenated a sagging Vols' offense.

Cutcliffe coached Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss, where he had a successful run as head coach. He carved out a 44-29 record and went to five bowls, winning four. His Rebels teams won at least seven games in his first five years, a feat no other coach in Ole Miss history has achieved.

(A.J. Carr)

LENOIR-RHYNE HIRES GOLDSMITH: Fred Goldsmith, the former Duke coach named in a sex-discrimination lawsuit by a female kicker, was hired Tuesday as the football coach of Division II Lenoir-Rhyne.

Goldsmith coached Duke from 1993 to 1998 and Rice from 1989 to 1993. He most recently coached at Franklin High. He was the coach of the year in the ACC in 1994 and led the Blue Devils to the Hall of Fame Bowl, but he was fired three years later.

BOWL NEWS: Several teams accepted bowl bids on Tuesday.

* Florida State is set to play UCLA in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 27 in San Francisco.

* Oregon State, the only team to beat Southern California this season, accepted a bid to play in the Dec. 29 Sun Bowl.

* Rice will make its first bowl appearance since 1961 when the Owls play in the New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 22.

* Arizona State will play No. 24 Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.

* Central Michigan accepted a bid to play in the Motor City Bowl on Dec. 26 in Detroit.

* Western Michigan will play in the inaugural International Bowl in Toronto on Jan. 6.

* New Mexico will play San Jose State in the first New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 23 in Albuquerque.

* Northern Illinois accepted a bid to play TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 19 in San Diego.

* Tulsa will play Utah in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 23 in Forth Worth, Texas.

BRIEFLY: No. 8 Oklahoma will be without star tailback Adrian Peterson when it faces No. 19 Nebraska in Saturday's Big 12 title game. Peterson has missed six weeks after breaking his collarbone Oct. 14 against Iowa State.

* Tulane fired coach Chris Scelfo on Tuesday after eight years and only two winning seasons. The 2005 season was perhaps Scelfo's most difficult. Hurricane Katrina forced the team to travel throughout the season, playing 11 games in 11 different cities while compiling a 2-9 record. Tulane was 4-8 in 2006.

(The Associated Press)