Honorable finish for Santos

UNH QB heads All-America team

Ricky Santos capped one of the most prolific college careers a quarterback has ever had with an All-America season.

The New Hampshire quarterback, along with record-breaking running back Omar Cuff of Delaware, were selected to the Associated Press FCS All-America team released yesterday.

Santos, last season's Walter Payton Award winner as the best player in what was formerly known as Division 1-AA, has led the Wildcats to the playoffs each season. He threw for 2,972 yards and 24 touchdowns this season and New Hampshire finished 7-5 after a Football Championship Subdivision playoff loss to top-ranked Northern Iowa.

Santos's 123 career touchdown passes and 13,212 yards passing rank third in FCS history behind Alcorn State's Steve McNair and Grambling State's Bruce Eugene.

Cuff, who will lead the Blue Hens into the national championship game against Appalachian State, set an FCS record for touchdowns this season with 38. He's also run for 1,861 yards.

Appalachian State, which is trying for a record third straight national title and began the season by beating Michigan, was represented on the All-America team by offensive lineman Kerry Brown and safety Corey Lynch.

Georgia Southern's Jayson Foster, a Payton Award finalist this season, joined Cuff and Santos in the backfield. The 5-foot-9-inch, 164-pound Foster is second in the nation in touchdowns (24) and yards rushing per game (167.6).

Bentley offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau was named a first-team Division 2 All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. The 6-4, 305-pound senior from Waltham is the second Falcon to win such honors, joining offensive coordinator Mark DeBrito (1999).

Rams hire Fairchild

Sonny Lubick was Steve Fairchild's mentor. Now, the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator is replacing Lubick, the college coaching icon who was fired after 15 seasons at Colorado State. Fairchild, a former Rams quarterback and assistant coach, was named the school's 19th head coach. Lubick was in Montana for family reasons and couldn't be immediately reached for comment. However, his son, Marc, who worked as an assistant coach under his father, said his dad is pleased with the decision. "He likes Steve and is impressed with him," Marc Lubick told the Associated Press. "I think Steve was the best guy they could've gotten." Fairchild, 49, was a member of Lubick's inaugural staff at Colorado State. He was the quarterbacks coach from 1993-96 before taking over as the Rams' offensive coordinator for four seasons. Colorado State won five conference titles in his eight years as an assistant coach. Fairchild won't leave the Bills until after the conclusion of the NFL season . . . Southern Mississippi hired Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora as its new coach. Fedora replaces Jeff Bower, who was forced to resign last month after 17 years and 119 wins. Fedora, 45, just completed his third season as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator and has 16 years of college coaching experience, including a stint as Florida's offensive coordinator. This will be his first job as head coach. Fedora also coached at Air Force, Baylor, Middle Tennessee State, and Austin College, where he went to school . . . Daryl Dickey, the former Tennessee quarterback who spent six seasons as Florida State's quarterback coach, took over the West Georgia program. Dickey replaces Mike Ledford, who resigned in November. The 25-year coaching veteran, the son of former Tennessee and Florida head coach Doug Dickey, was out of football this year after his contract was not renewed at Florida State.

ACC moves title game

The Atlantic Coast Conference championship game is moving after drawing smaller crowds in Jacksonville, Fla., than the league had hoped. A panel of league athletic directors and faculty athletics representatives voted unanimously to move the title game to Tampa in 2008 and 2009 and to Charlotte in 2010 and 2011. "Both Tampa Bay and Charlotte are tremendous destinations in terms of their football venue, community support, and partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference," commissioner John Swofford said. Most importantly, the league hopes both cities will bring more fans. Since the league expanded to 12 schools in 2005 and became eligible to hold a title game, the game has been played in front of dwindling crowds. The game drew 72,749 in 2005, 62,850 in 2006, and 53,212 earlier this month when Virginia Tech beat Boston College, 30-16. BC sold only 3,500 tickets for this year's game . . . Connecticut athletic officials say UConn fans have purchased almost 11,000 tickets to the Dec. 29 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, where the Huskies will take on Wake Forest. UConn is hoping to meet its goal of selling all 12,500 tickets the school was allotted for the game . . . The Big Ten Conference will extend the season to the weekend after Thanksgiving in 2009 so teams can work an off week into their schedules. The university presidents approved the change Dec. 2 . . . Star Colgate running back Jordan Scott and a teammate were charged with entering a dorm room and rifling through a desk drawer. Scott and receiver David Morgan were charged Sunday with second-degree burglary and pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Monday in Hamilton, N.Y. Scott finished the season with 1,875 yards rushing to lead the Football Championship Subdivision.