ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997 TAG: 9701060041
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTES
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
The NCAA has accepted Clemson's penalties in the case of defensive end Trevor Pryce illegally using a university long-distance credit card.
The NCAA's letter, dated Dec. 17 and released Thursday by Clemson, officially closes the case, The (Greenville, S.C.) News reported.
``It's what we anticipated,'' athletic director Bobby Robinson said.
Pryce, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive end, had to sit out Clemson's first two games as part of the penalties. He announced Tuesday he would forego his final college season and enter the NFL draft.
Also, Clemson decided to freeze coach Tommy West's salary for a year because he waited almost a month before reporting the violation. West said he was busy recruiting and waited until after signing day to let administrators know.
The NCAA's letter said, ``The case should be classified as secondary, and that inasmuch as the institution's actions in this case were substantial and meaningful, no further action should be taken by the NCAA.''
In other college football news:
WESTERN CAROLINA: Bill Bleil, Western Carolina's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, has been hired as the school's head coach.
In 1996, Bleil worked with Steve Hodgin, who was fired Nov. 18 after seven seasons as the Catamounts' head coach.
It is the first head coaching post for Bleil, who has been an assistant at several schools since 1983.
Western Carolina was 4-7 this season and 31-45 under Hodgin.
Bleil joined Hodgin's staff after three years as offensive coordinator at Pacific. Before Pacific, Bleil had worked at Eastern New Mexico and at Division I-A Northwestern, where he was the offensive line coach in 1990-91.
TEXAS TECH: Tony Daniels, a junior defensive end at Texas Tech, said he will make himself available for this spring's NFL draft.
He is the second Red Raiders' junior to make that decision. Star tailback Byron Hanspard announced previously he was turning pro.
``I'm 24 years old, and I didn't want to be about 30 and going in to the NFL,'' said Daniels, who sat out what would have been his first season because of academic ineligibility, then missed the 1995 season with a knee injury sustained in a diving accident.
``These years are precious, and I feel like I need to take advantage of them as much as I can.''
As a junior, his only season as a full-time starter, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Daniels had seven sacks and 73 tackles.
WASHINGTON: Corey Dillon, who rushed for a school-record 1,555 yards and 22 touchdowns for the Huskies this season, will pass up his senior season for the NFL.
The announcement came four days after Washington's 33-21 loss to Colorado in Monday's Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Dillon ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns against the Buffaloes after winning the Pac-10 rushing title.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Dillon, a junior college transfer, rewrote Washington's rushing record book in his one season playing for coach Jim Lambright. He set the Huskies' single-season all-purpose record with 2,185 yards.
His 22 rushing touchdowns also tied him with Marcus Allen (1981) and O.J. Simpson (1968), both of Southern California, for the Pac-10 single-season record.
And Dillon set an NCAA record by rushing for 222 yards in the first quarter against San Jose State Nov.16.
ARMY: D-Day - as in decision day - is closing in as Army considers joining Conference USA.
The U.S. Military Academy was invited to join the football conference late last year. Superintendent Daniel Christman had promised a decision ``by the beginning of 1997.''
Academy public affairs officer Lt. Col. Rick Machamer said the superintendent still is sifting through input from West Point alumni.
A decision will be made ``within a month or two,'' he said.
Conference USA football members are Houston, East Carolina, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis and Southern Mississippi.
Army lost to Auburn 32-29 in the Independence Bowl and finished the season 10-2 and No.25 in the rankings.
SENIOR COACHES: Kansas City's Marty Schottenheimer and the Washington Redskins' Norv Turner will be coaches in the Senior Bowl, a Jan.18 matchup of senior college football players looking to become pros.
Schottenheimer and his Chiefs staff will coach the South team, Turner and his Redskins assistants the North.
Schottenheimer will be coaching in the Senior Bowl for the third time. Turner is coaching in the game for the first time.
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Danielsby CNB