U.S./World Sports category, Page 338
No. 6 Oklahoma beats No. 8 Baylor in OT for Big 12 titleVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — No. 6 Oklahoma has done all it can, winning a fifth Big 12 title in a row with another close win over No. 8 Baylor. Now the Sooners wait to see if they are going to get in back in the College Football Playoff. That is up...
No. 13 Oregon ends No. 5 Utah’s playoff hopes with 37-15 winVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — CJ Verdell ran for 208 yards and broke open the game with two long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, and No. 13 Oregon spoiled No. 5 Utah’s playoff hopes with a 37-15 victory in the Pac-12 championship game Friday night. The Utes (11-2, No. 5...
High stakes for Ohio State, Wisconsin in Big Ten title gameVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Ohio State coach Ryan Day mapped everything out months ago. He expected to finish the Big Ten season with three straight top-10 games. He anticipated seeking an unprecedented third straight outright league crown. And he believed the Buckeyes would return to the College Football Playoff for the first...
LSU’s offense, Georgia’s defense makes SEC title game contrast in stylesVideo
ATLANTA — LSU is perfectly comfortable in an offensive shootout, throwing caution to the wind and lighting up the scoreboard with big play after big play. Georgia would prefer a defensive quagmire, the sort of knock-‘em-back stalemate that puts a premium on old-school concepts like field position and turnovers. In...
Clemson wants to prove its playoff-worthy in ACC title gameVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is happy his players finally can prove they are a championship-caliber team. The third-ranked Tigers (12-0, No. 3 CFP) take on No. 22 Virginia (9-3, No. 23 CFP) for the ACC championship Saturday night, knowing a win cements their fifth consecutive appearance in...
All eyes on No. 5 Utah in Pac-12 title game against OregonVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Pac-12 championship game largely has been an afterthought for the rest of the country the past two seasons with the conference mostly out of contention when it comes to the all-important College Football Playoff. That will be far from the case this year when there...
Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts, Baylor QB Charlie Brewer create havoc as runnersVideo
NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley never imagined having his quarterback run the ball so much. He also has never had one quite like Jalen Hurts. The graduate transfer has rushed for 1,217 yards and 18 touchdowns this season and is nearing the school record for rushing yards in...
Patrick Reed builds 3-shot lead in Hero World ChallengeVideo
NASSAU, Bahamas — A tropical breeze replaced the raging wind and made golf a lot easier for Patrick Reed, Tiger Woods and just about everyone else Thursday in the Hero World Challenge. Reed took advantage of the back nine at Albany Golf Club for the second straight day. He was...
Ohio State QB Justin Fields will go ’60 minutes’ in Big Ten championship gameVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The first real hero moment for Justin Fields came in the third quarter last Saturday, a display of toughness destined to live in the lore of the Ohio State-Michigan game. The first-year starter who had led the Buckeyes to a perfect record went down and couldn’t get...
Similar paths for coaches at Clemson, VirginiaVideo
CLEMSON, S.C. — Bronco Mendenhall only had said a few words and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney realized the new Virginia coach was more than a colleague. This was someone who understood how to lead a team to success. Mendenhall and the 22nd-ranked Cavaliers (9-3, No. 23 College Football Playoff) will square...
Mixed emotions for Tiger Woods in 1st round at Hero World ChallengeVideo
NASSAU, Bahamas — As a player, Tiger Woods wasn’t all that happy with his game Wednesday in the Hero World Challenge. As the Presidents Cup captain, he had reason to be pleased. U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and Patrick Reed, who will be part of the U.S. team next week...
Clemson’s Travis Etienne earns ACC player of year honorVideo
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Clemson running back Travis Etienne once again is the ACC’s player of the year, and North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell is the league’s top rookie. The ACC on Wednesday announced its individual awards as determined by a panel of 46 media members and 14 coaches. Etienne also...
Former role players in SEC title game spotlight for GeorgiaVideo
ATHENS, Ga. — Tyler Simmons’ role as the senior leader of No. 4 Georgia’s wide receivers has never been more important. The Bulldogs lost top receiver Lawrence Cager after ankle surgery. The depth at the position took another blow when freshman George Pickens, who shares the team lead in receptions...
Don’t overlook Clemson, Virginia defenses in ACC championship gameVideo
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The offenses deservedly are getting a lot of attention heading into Saturday night’s clash between Clemson and Virginia in the ACC championship game. But the defenses shouldn’t be overlooked. They are among the conference’s best and will play a role in who walks off the field with...
Ohio St, LSU, Clemson, Georgia in CFP position; Utah, Oklahoma next
Ohio State will go into championship weekend as the top team in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings, followed by LSU, Clemson and Georgia. Utah was fifth, Oklahoma sixth and Baylor seventh in the committee’s second-to-last top 25 released Tuesday. The final rankings that set the pairings for the...
Masters field could be biggest in more than 50 years
NASSAU, Bahamas — Seven tournaments from the six largest tours over the next three weeks could shape the field for the Masters and, perhaps, pave the way for the largest gathering at Augusta National in more than 50 years. The Masters invites the top 50 from the final world ranking...
Jacksonville University discontinues football program
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville University has decided to discontinue its football program. The school made the announcement Tuesday, saying it spent more than a year evaluating its athletic department and exploring ways to position itself for long-term growth and success. Athletic director Alex Ricker-Gilbert says “ultimately, one option stood out...
Virginia embraces underdog role against Clemson in ACC championship game
Virginia just ended one streak, and the No. 22 Cavaliers would like nothing more than to end a few more against Clemson in the ACC championship game. The Cavaliers (9-3) earned their spot in the title game by snapping a 15-year losing streak against rival Virginia Tech. They now are...
Louisville is new No. 1 in AP poll; unranked Michigan goes to No. 4
Louisville is the latest No. 1 following an unexpected loss by Duke. Michigan has matched a record by debuting at No. 4. A season of parity is taking a toll in the AP Top 25. Louisville became the fourth team in five weeks to claim the top spot, receiving 48...
Boston College fires Addazio, turns to Gunnell as interim coachVideo
BOSTON — Boston College fired coach Steve Addazio after seven seasons in which the Eagles never surpassed seven wins. Wide receivers coach Rich Gunnell will serve as interim coach, athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement on Sunday afternoon, a day after BC beat Pittsburgh to achieve bowl eligibility...
AP Top 25: Alabama out of top 5 for first time in 4 years
Alabama dropped to No. 9 in The Associated Press college football poll, snapping the Crimson Tide’s record streak of 68 appearances in the top five. The top four teams in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank were unchanged, with LSU at No. 1, followed by Ohio State, Clemson...
Talent disparity overshadows Ohio State-Michigan rivalry
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ohio State has turned one of the greatest rivalries in sports into a one-sided series against Michigan by simply having more talent. That seems to be true throughout the rosters, and it makes the largest difference on the offensive and defensive lines. The Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0...
Peters Township native Brendon Todd overcame ‘yips’ to revive PGA Tour careerVideo
Rolling Hills Country Club in McMurray is no more. The grounds are being converted into a park. PGA Tour pro Brendon Todd, a native of Peters Township, went back there recently. In a manner of speaking, at least. Todd spent his early years learning to play golf at Rolling Hills...
Report: Conor McGregor to return to UFC in 2020
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will return to the octagon in 2020, according to reports. Per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, McGregor will face Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight is said to be a non-title welterweight bout that will headline the...
GoFundMe donations spike for Stephen F. Austin player after upset of DukeVideo
DURHAM, N.C. — The biggest winner in the aftermath of Stephen F. Austin’s shocking upset of No. 1 Duke might be the fundraising effort for the family of the player who hit the winning layup. A thankful Nathan Bain was still in “disbelief” Wednesday about the contributions more than his...
