By C. RAY HALL
The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The GMAC Bowl - only a few moments old - was still in doubt. But the coach was out.

Word spread on the University of Louisville sideline Wednesday night: This would be John L. Smith's last game. He was taking the Michigan State job.

"I found out after the first series in the first quarter that he was gone," said Jason Spitz, an offensive lineman from Jacksonville, Fla.

The rumor had been swirling in the air much of the day in Mobile, Ala., the bowl site.

"It was all floating around," said offensive lineman Jason Hilliard. "So we were wondering if he was going to go or if he was going to stay."

Spitz and Hilliard already were shaken by offensive line coach Danny Hope's decision to leave for Eastern Kentucky University, where he is the new head coach. Now Smith was leaving.

Did that make it harder to stay focused as Marshall pulled away to a 38-15 victory?

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't," Spitz said Thursday. "It's kind of hard to get into the game knowing that coach Hope was going to leave - and then after the first series, when you find out your head honcho is gone, too, it's difficult."

Hilliard, a 340-pound junior from Jeffersonville, Ind., said he managed to attend to business on the field:

"Once you're out there playing," he said, "all you think about is doing your job."

It was a different matter on the sideline, Spitz said.

"I didn't think about it on the field - it was only when I got off," the 289-pound redshirt freshman said. "It was kind of hard listening to his half- time speech also, knowing that he was going to be leaving. So it did make it difficult."

After the game, Smith addressed his decision in the locker room.

"He didn't really mention that he was leaving. Everybody knew by that time," Spitz said. "He said I'm sorry that you found out this way, that it leaked out. He didn't want to go out that way.

"I was pretty sad about it. Coach Smith is a great guy, and I love him. So, it hurt me. But this is a good step for him. He gets to move forward."

Hilliard seconded the emotion: "It's a big step up for him. He gets to go to a program that will compete for a national championship. ... He was a good coach. It's kind of hard to see him go."

The night before, senior quarterback Dave Ragone reacted to the coach's decision this way: "I'm not going to turn on Coach Smith. He's done too much for me. You know what, there wasn't one abrasive person in the locker room when he didn't deny anything (about the rumors).

"Five bowls, two conference championships, the greatest turnaround in U of L history, knocking off Florida State ... we had some great wins. He's done a lot for this program. He's definitely a guy who players play for. I'm sure he'll do a good job at Michigan State."

At the U of L football office Thursday, the expressions looked about as cloudy as the skies, which dumped nearly 2 inches of rain on Louisville by dusk. Assistant coaches wondered about their fate.

"Everybody is in limbo," said John Pettas, the offensive coordinator.

Recruiting coordinator Greg Nord was equally in doubt about the future, allowing, "I don't know what my options are."

But he expressed no such doubts about the past.

"It's been a good run," he said. "We as a staff - and coach Smith especially - have done a great job here. Not a good job. A great job. It's going to be hard for the next guy to follow him."