AUSTIN, Texas - A son of Depression-era Oklahoma, Darrell Royal came to Texas to take over a sleeping giant of a football program. Over 20 years, his folksy approach to sports and life, his inventive wishbone offense and a victory in the "Game of the Century" - where a U.S. president declared his team national champion - made him an icon of college football.
Royal, who won two national championships and turned the Longhorns into a national power, died early Wednesday at age 88 of complications from cardiovascular disease, school spokesman Bill Little said. Royal also suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
Royal didn't have a single losing season in his 23 years as coach at Texas, Mississippi State and Washington. Known for their stout defenses and punishing running attacks, his Texas teams boasted a 167-47-5 record from 1957-1976, the best mark in the nation over that period.
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"It was fun," Royal told The Associated Press in 2007. "All the days I was coaching at Texas, I knew this would be my last coaching job. I knew it when I got here."
Seminoles wary of Hokies
When No. 8 Florida State and Virginia Tech meet tonight only the Seminoles will be playing for high stakes.
The Hokies (4-5, 2-3 ACC) are in the midst of their worst season in 20 years and fighting just to become bowl eligible.
It's exactly the kind of setup Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel has warned his teammates about this week - a struggling team putting its best effort forward on a big stage.
"I think I saw that a little bit in the N.C. State game," Manuel said of Florida State's lone loss, 17-16 at N.C. State on Oct. 6. "Not to say that we took them lightly, but they played lights out, they had a good game. … If they get a chance to knock us off, it will kind of make their season."
The Hokies have three games remaining, and need to win two to qualify for a bowl game for the 20th consecutive season. They still have games against Boston College and Virginia, but beating the Seminoles would be a big boost.
Extra points
• Anthon Samuel ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns to help Bowling Green beat Ohio 26-14 on Wednesday night for its sixth straight victory in Athens, Ohio. Samuel reached 100 yards for the 10th time in his first 18 games for the Falcons (7-3, 5-1 Mid-American), and pushed his season rushing total to 906 yards.
• The Oklahoma-Nebraska football rivalry, once one of the great traditions in college football, is on the verge of being renewed for two seasons next decade. Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said Wednesday he has an "agreement in principle" for games with the Sooners in 2021 and 2022. The first game would be played in Norman, Okla., and the second in Lincoln.
