As Tommy West walked into The University of Memphis AthleticOffice, he couldn't stop smiling.
West, University of Memphis Tigers Football head coach, had justlearned of the Tigers' acceptance of a bid to play in the NewOrleans Bowl, officially ending the team's 32-year bowldrought.
"I couldn't say it before, but this is the bowl we wanted to goto," West said. "This is the bowl our players wanted to go to, andthis is the bowl I think most of our fans wanted to go to."
West didn't learn until around midnight Sunday that his teamwould be back in The Big Easy Dec. 16.
There wouldn't have been any delay in the announcement if TexasChristian University hadn't wanted out of the GMAC Bowl. TCU wasobligated to go by contract, but officials said the bowl conflictedwith the school's exam schedule.
Memphis might have ended up in the GMAC Bowl, but bowl officialsdecided to release the Tigers from any obligation to play in theDec. 18 bowl, whether TCU accepts or not, allowing Memphis toaccept the New Orleans Bowl bid.
Memphis (8-4, 5-3 in Conference USA) will face North Texas (9-3,7-0 in the Sun Belt Conference), a team that this year won itsthird straight Sun Belt title and holds the nation's longestconference winning streak at 18.
West said the Tigers still have plenty of motivation to playwell after a seven-turnover performance against South Florida Nov.29, in which Memphis quarterback Danny Wimprine threw fourinterceptions and backup running back Darron Parquet fumbledtwice.
"We've got a little something to prove because we didn't playwell in our last ballgame," West said. "We haven't played our bestgame yet, and that's how I'm going to challenge this team. There'sstill one out there that's our best game. That's our goal -- toplay the best game we played all year down there."
The Mean Green features one of the nation's most prolificrunners. Patrick Cobbs is the nation's fifth leading rusher with1,570 yards, despite not playing in two games this season. Cobbsleads the nation in yards per game with 157 -- 20 yards per gamemore than anyone else.
Senior linebacker Coot Terry said he knows Cobbs will present aformidable challenge for the Memphis defense, which ranked 19th inthe nation against the run during the regular season.
"I watched him play against New Mexico State," in which Cobbsran for 216 yards, Terry said. "He's a great runner. He reminded mea little bit of DeAngelo (Williams)."
Williams, Memphis's leading rusher, was on crutches during theTigers' final regular season game against South Florida and is notexpected to return in time for the bowl game.
With or without Williams, West said reaching a bowl game is aquantum leap forward for Memphis.
"So many people said this couldn't be done," West said. "(Theysaid) this was a graveyard for coaches. This is a big step for thisprogram. I think it's easy to see that the surface is just gettingscratched here.
"There are just so many things that can happen here. All theteams they told me we couldn't beat -- we can beat them inrecruiting, we can beat them on the field, and we can beat them inattendance. There are a lot of things in front of thisprogram."
