COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Stanford close to finalizing extension for Harbaugh
Published 11:51 pm Sunday, November 15, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford is close to completing a contract extension with football coach Jim Harbaugh.
Athletic director Bob Bowlsby said Sunday in an e-mail that a formal announcement of a new deal was expected shortly. The two sides were close to announcing an extension after last season, but talks were put on hold in February because of the poor economy.
Harbaugh has done an impressive rebuilding job at Stanford since taking over a one-win team from Walt Harris after the 2006 season. The Cardinal won four games in Harbaugh’s first season, including big wins over Southern California and California.
Stanford went 5-7 last year, falling one win shy of a possible bowl bid. The turnaround was completed this year as Stanford (7-3, 6-2 Pac-10) has moved into The Associated Press rankings for the first time in eight years and has qualified for its first bowl bid since 2001.
Stanford is playing its best football of late, beating then-No. 7 Oregon 51-42 last week and knocking off No. 11 USC 55-21 Saturday. The Cardinal can earn a Rose Bowl bid by beating California at home next week and getting losses by Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona down the stretch.
Harbaugh is currently in the third year of a five-year contract.
Texas kick returner suspended
Texas freshman kick returner D.J. Monroe has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested Saturday on a drunken driving charge.
Monroe was arrested on Interstate 35 hours after Texas beat Baylor. He was taken to the Hays County jail, said Lt. Leroy Opiela of the Hays County Sheriff’s office. Monroe was released Sunday morning after posting $3,000 bond.
Opiela said he did not have details of the arrest or who posted Monroe’s bond.
Coach Mack Brown said Monroe would be suspended indefinitely.
“We’re disappointed anytime one of our players is accused of wrongdoing,” Brown said. “We’re aware of the situation involving D.J. Monroe. We have talked to D.J. and his family and have decided to suspend him indefinitely, pending the completion of the legal process.”
Third-ranked Texas has two regular-season games left and could clinch the Big 12 South with a win Saturday against Kansas.
Monroe set a Texas record with two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season. He also has 110 yards on 20 carries at tailback.
WR catches record 25 passes
Daniel Passafiume, a wide receiver for NCAA Division III Hanover College in Indiana, caught 25 passes Saturday to break a record that was shared by former San Francisco 49ers star Jerry Rice.
“Jerry Rice, that’s just crazy,” Passafiume said in a phone interview from his dorm room. “I’m still shocked.”
Rice, the NFL’s career leader in touchdowns, receptions and yards receiving, set the previous NCAA all-division record for catches in a game with 24 in 1983 for Mississippi Valley State against Southern University. Chas Gessner tied the mark in 2002 for Brown against Rhode Island.
Passafiume grabbed his 25th reception with about a minute and a half left in Hanover’s 42-28 loss to Franklin College in the season finale. It came on a screen from quarterback C.J. Croft and gained about 8 yards, Passafiume said.
He finished the day with 153 receiving yards.
