Sports briefs 11/29/05

Colleges

• Texas A&M defensive coordinator Carl Torbush was fired on Monday, the first casualty from the Aggies' disappointing 5-6 season, its second losing record in three seasons under head coach Dennis Franchione.

Franchione announced the firing in an e-mail Monday afternoon.

Texas A&M's defense was ranked 108th out of 117 Division I-A schools and its pass defense was the worst in the nation. The Aggies allowed a whopping 443.82 yards per game and gave up 31.2 points a contest.

The Aggies even struggled with Division I-AA Texas State, allowing the Bobcats to pile up 493 yards and 22 first downs in a 44-31 Texas A&M win.

* VMI head football coach Cal McCombs was fired Monday after compiling a 19-60 record over seven seasons.

McCombs was the Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 2002, when he led the Keydets to the first of two consecutive six-win seasons. But VMI, which moved to the Big South Conference in 2003, was winless last year and finished 3-8 this season.

Hockey

• Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov was suspended by the NHL for three games for shoving a linesman.

Markov made contact with the official after Mats Sundin's game-ending power-play goal gave Toronto a 4-3 victory Saturday.

An automatic three-game ban applies, and Markov has the right to appeal.

The Canadians play their next game tonight against Ottawa.

-- From wire reports