T25-SCHEDULE
Gamecocks hold off Bulldogs…Eagles surprise Trojans
UNDATED (AP) β Saturday’s lone matchup of top-25 football teams was in Columbia, South Carolina, where the home team took advantage of a late goal-line stand and a missed field goal.
Dylan Thompson threw for three touchdowns and 24th-ranked South Carolina carried a 31-20 lead into the fourth quarter before holding off No. 6 Georgia 38-35. It was the 201st SEC victory for coach Steve Spurrier, tying him with Vince Dooley for second all time in the conference.
The Bulldogs had a first-and-goal on the South Carolina 4 down three points with 5:24 remaining. But the drive stalled following an intentional grounding call on Hutson Mason before Marshall Morgan missed a 28-yard field goal.
The biggest upset came out of Boston as ninth-ranked Southern California followed last Saturday’s win over Pac-12 rival Stanford by falling to Boston College 37-31, the Eagles’ first win over a top-10 team in a decade. Tyler Murphy rushed for 190 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown with 3 Β½ minutes left. Jon Hilliman ran for 89 yards and two touchdowns for BC, which ripped off 464 yards on the ground.
Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler completed 31 of 41 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns, but he was also sacked five times.
In other top 25 finals:
β Second-ranked Oregon got two touchdown passes and two scoring runs from Heisman Trophy hopeful Marcus Mariota (mehr-ee-OH-tah) in a 48-14 win over Wyoming. Mariota passed for 221 yards for the 3-0 Ducks to become the fourth player in school history to throw for more than 7,000 yards.
β Blake Sims had a big game in Alabama’s 52-12 romp over Southern miss, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for a third in three quarters for the third-ranked Crimson Tide. Sims appears to be the undisputed No. 1 quarterback for the Tide after going 12-of-17 passing for 168 yards.
β Fourth-ranked Oklahoma was a 34-10 winner against Tennessee as Trevor Knight threw for 308 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, one on the ground. Keith Ford caught a touchdown pass and ran for a score in the Sooners’ seventh straight win.
β Kenny Hill had another strong game, throwing for 300 yards and four touchdowns as seventh-ranked Texas A&M hammered Rice 38-10. Josh Reynolds had scoring receptions of 48 and 20 yards to help the Aggies overcome Rice’s 240 rushing yards.
β Freshman Darrel Williams ran for two touchdowns and 10th-ranked LSU posted its second straight shutout by trouncing Louisiana-Monrow 31-0. Leonard Fournette and Kenny Hilliard also reached the end zone for the Tigers, who allowed just 93 total yards and six first downs.
β No. 11 Notre Dame is 3-0 for the second time in three years after the Irish scored the last 20 points in a 30-14 win against state rival Purdue. Everett Golson threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for a season-best 56 yards and a score.
β Backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel (NOO’-hy-sul) threw two touchdown passes, including a 33-yarder to Jordan Payton with three minutes left to guide 12th-ranked UCLA’s 20-17 comeback win over Texas. Neuheisel passed for 178 yards after replacing Brett Hundley, who injured his left elbow in the first quarter.
β Bo Wallace completed 23 of 28 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns as 14th-ranked Mississippi clobbered Louisiana-Lafayette 56-15. Vince Sanders finished with a career-high eight receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
β Stanford bounced back from last week’s loss to Southern California as Kevin Hogan threw for 216 yards and four touchdowns to lead the 15th-ranked Cardinal past Army 35-0. Devon Cajuste caught a career-high three touchdowns and Ty Montgomery had two TDs.
β Taylor Kelly threw for three touchdowns and had a 50-yard scoring run as No. 16 Arizona State outscored Colorado 38-24. D.J. Foster led the Sun Devils’ rushing attack with 148 yards and a TD.
β Quarterback Shane Carden scooted around left end with 16 seconds to go to cap a wild final minutes and give East Carolina a 28-21 upset of No. 17 Virginia Tech. The Hokies erased a 21-point first quarter deficit when Cam Phillips caught TD pass with 1:20 left, but the Pirates needed just three plays to go 65 yards for the game winner.
β Maty Mauk’s four touchdown passes paced No. 20 Missouri to a 38-10 win over Central Florida.
β Ian Frye kicked the decisive field goal with under four minutes to go to give Virginia a 23-21 win over No. 21 Louisville.
β J.T. Barrett threw for 312 yards and a school record-tying six touchdown passes to lead 22nd-ranked Ohio State to a 66-0 romp over Kent State.
NFL-VIKINGS-PETERSON INDICTED
Peterson booked and released
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) β Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson has been booked and released on $15,000 bond from a Texas jail on a charge alleging that he spanked one of his sons with a wooden switch, causing injury.
County prosecutor Phil Grant says the grand jury spent several weeks looking at a lot of evidence.
Peterson has been deactivated for Sunday’s game against New England.
NFL-REDSKINS-GOODELL
Snyder backs Goodell
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) β Redskins owner Dan Snyder is backing Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL’), saying the embattled NFL Commissioner has the best interest of the game at heart and that the league is fortunate to have him.
The backing for Goodell came in a two-sentence statement on Saturday morning, following a week of criticism of Goodell and his handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence case.
Snyder is under pressure to change his team’s nickname, but has vowed he never will. Goodell has supported Snyder’s stance.
NFL-RAMS-QUINN
Rams give Quinn extension
ST. LOUIS (AP) β The Rams have signed defensive end Robert Quinn to a four-year contract extension through the 2019 season. He led the NFC with a franchise-record 19 sacks last season.
In the past three seasons, the 24-year old Quinn has 29 1-2 sacks, second most in the NFL behind Houston’s J.J. Watt’s 32.
NBA-HAWKS-APOLOGY
Hawks CEO issues apology
ATLANTA (AP) β Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin has released an open letter of apology saying the team did not act appropriately to correct racially inflammatory words and innuendos by key members of the organization.
The apology came a day after the team announced general manager Danny Ferry was taking an indefinite leave of absence following his racially charged comments about Miami Heat player Luol Deng.
Koonin says the Hawks will work with a diversity consultant and hire a chief diversity officer.
MLB-SCHEDULE
NL West showdown continues
UNDATED (AP) β Alex Avila has allowed the Detroit Tigers to keep their half-game lead over Kansas City atop the American League Central.
Avila launched a go-ahead, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Tigers past Cleveland 5-4. Victor Martinez also homered for the Tigers, who never led until Avila’s two-out blast.
Jeremy Guthrie held Boston to a run and three hits in eight innings as the Royals whipped the Red Sox 7-1 in Kansas City. Omar Infante (ihn-FAHN’-tay) went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to help the Royals bounce back from two straight losses to the last-place Red Sox.
In other major league finals:
β Zack Greinke (GREHN’-kee) tossed six shutout innings and belted a two-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers ripped San Francisco 17-0 to stretch their lead in the NL West to two games over the Giants. Juan Uribe (yoo-REE’-bay) and Scott Van Slyke also homered, Carl Crawford had three RBIs and Hanley Ramirez went 4-for-5 with two ribbies as part of the Dodgers’ 24-hit assault.
β The Angels picked up their 10th straight win and maintained their 11-game lead over Oakland in the AL West by downing Houston 5-2. Mike Trout smacked his 33rd and 34th homers of the season to back Jered Weaver, who struck out 12 while yielding just one run and four hits.
β The Athletics still control the AL’s first wild-card berth after Jed Lowrie worked out a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning of a 3-2 triumph at Seattle. Josh Donaldson hit a solo homer for the A’s, who moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mariners and stayed a half-game ahead of Kansas City in the wild-card race.
β Rougned Odor (ROOG’-nehd oh-DOHR’) hit a tiebreaking, RBI double in a three-run sixth to lift Texas past Atlanta 3-2, dropping the Braves three games out of a wild-card berth. Lisalverto Bonilla picked up a win in his first major-league start as the worst team in the majors beat the fading Braves for the second straight night.
β The Yankees kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 win over AL East-leading Baltimore. Brian McCann opened a three-run second inning with his 19th homer, and Chris Young capped it by stealing home as the Yanks ended the Orioles’ six-game winning streak.
β The Orioles’ magic number to clinch the AL East remains five over Toronto after Adam Lind hit the tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Blue Jays over Tampa Bay 6-3. Edwin Encarnacion (ehn-kahr-nah-see-OHN’) followed with a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who entered the day four games out of the AL wild card race.
β St. Louis held off Colorado 5-4 as Shelby Miller hit an RBI double and gave up just a run and five hits in six innings. Matt Holliday and Matt Carpenter homered as the Cardinals stretched their lead in the NL Central to 2 Β½ games over Pittsburgh.
β The Pirates still own a 1 Β½-game lead over Milwaukee for the final NL playoff berth following the Bucs’ 6-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. Javier Baez smacked a two-run homer and Felix Doubrant (doh-BRAHNT’) held the Bucs to four hits in six shutout innings.
β Billy Hamilton hit a two-run triple and Todd Frazier went 3-for-4 with two runs scored as Cincinnati beat Milwaukee 5-1 to end the Brewers’ three-game winning streak. David Holmberg picked up his first major league win by limiting the Brewers to a run and two hits in six innings.
β Bryce Harper and Denard Span hit two-run homers and Ian Desmond had three RBIs as Washington ripped the Mets 10-3 in New York. Doug Fister allowed two runs in six innings to help the Nationals drop their magic number for winning the NL East to six.
β Chicago took a pair from Minnesota Jose Quintana struck out a career-high 13 and Alexei Ramirez smacked a two-run homer as the Chicago White Sox beat Minnesota 5-1 in Game 1. The White Sox pulled out a 6-5 win in the night cap on Dayan Viciedo’s (day-ANZ’) two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.
β Kyle Kendrick gave up a run and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings to pitch Philadelphia past Miami 2-1.
β Mark Trumbo had three hits and three RBIs in Arizona’s 10-4 pounding of San Diego.
GOLF-TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
McIlroy, Horschel share lead
ATLANTA (AP) β Rory McIlroy and Billy Horschel have set up a final day showdown for the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus by tying for the lead after three rounds of the Tour Championship. The top-ranked McIlroy shot a 3-under 67 while Horschel posted a 69 to deadlock at 9-under heading into the final round of the playoff finale.
That puts them two shots up on previous FedEx Cup winner Jim Furyk (FYOOR’-ihk), who matched McIlroy’s 67. Justin Rose shot a 66 to tie with Jason Day and Rickie Fowler at minus-6.
LPGA-EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Kim battles into the lead
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) β South Korean teenager Hyo-Joo Kim posted a 1-over 72 to take the lead after the third round of the Evian Championship. Kim is a shot in front of veteran Karrie (KAR’-ee) Webb, who’s looking for her eighth career major championship. Webb shot a 70.
Overnight leader Brittany Lincicome (LIHN’-sih-kohm) dropped four shots back with a 6-over 77.
NASCAR-AMBROSE
Ambrose to leave NASCAR
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) β Marcos Ambrose has informed Richard Petty Motorsports he will leave NASCAR at the end of this season and return to his native Australia.
The announcement comes amid mounting speculation that Ambrose will join Roger Penske as the team enters prepares to enter Australia’s V8 Supercar Series. Penske acknowledged in July he was “looking at the opportunity” to work with Ambrose in Supercars.
BOXING-MAYWEATHER/MAIDANA
Mayweather wins Maidana rematch
LAS VEGAS (AP) β Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains unbeaten in 47 pro fights after plugging his way through a 12-round unanimous decision over Marcos Maidana.
Mayweather stayed out of trouble and boxed masterfully in winning a rematch of their May bout.
The fight was held up momentarily in the eighth round when Mayweather complained that Maidana bit him on the wrist while the two were tied up. Maidana was penalized for tripping Mayweather in the 10th round.
