CLEMSON-SPRING GAME
Clemson backup QB Schuessler throws 2 TDs in spring game
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) β Clemson quarterback Nick Schuessler threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ annual Orange and White game on Saturday.
Schuessler connected with Mike Williams on a 19-yard TD pass for the Orange team and a 20-yard scoring toss to Artavis Scott for the White. Reserve quarterback Kelly Bryant also had two touchdown passes, a 6-yard throw to Williams and a 20-yarder to Germone Hopper for the Orange.
White took a 35-24 victory as Clemson wrapped up spring workouts. Despite Schuessler’s solid showing, it won’t move him up the depth chart. Clemson starting passer DeShaun Watson spent the spring on the sidelines recovering from knee ligament surgery.
Watson is expected to be fully healthy for his sophomore season.
S CAROLINA-SPRING GAME
Hootie’s Rucker catches TD at South Carolina spring game
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β Hootie and the Blowfish singer Darius Rucker caught a touchdown pass at South Carolina’s spring football game Saturday, an annual tradition for Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier.
South Carolina’s coach each year calls on a guest receiver to come off the sideline and catch a long ball. This time it was Rucker, the Hootie singer and best-selling country artist and native of Charleston who also attended the school. Rucker caught a perfectly thrown ball from quarterback Connor Mitch at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Backup quarterback Michael Scarnecchia rallied the Black team to a 14-13 victory over the Garnet squad. Scarnecchia completed 10 of 12 passes for 162 yards in the final three quarters, including a 2-yard TD pass to Terry Googer in the final seconds for the winning score. Scarnecchia also had a 2-yard touchdown run.
RED WINGS-HURRICANES
Mrazek leads Red Wings past Hurricanes 2-0
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) β Petr Mrazek made 35 saves in his third shutout of the season, leading the Detroit Red Wings past the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0 on Saturday night.
Landon Ferraro scored his first career goal in the opening minute and Joakim Andersson added an empty-netter with 2:20 left to help the playoff-bound Red Wings β who gave regulars Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk the night off β clinch the Atlantic Division’s No. 3 seed.
After taking that early lead, they turned the game over to Mrazek. He stopped all 10 shots he faced in the third period of his fifth career shutout and second in a little over two weeks. He most recently blanked Tampa Bay 4-0 on March 28.
After giving up a goal on the first shot he faced, Cam Ward finished with 27 saves for the Hurricanes β who missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
WAKE FOREST-SPRING GAME
Wake makes progress during 2nd spring with Clawson
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) β For Wake Forest, even slight progress still counts as progress.
John Wolford threw two touchdown passes to the White’s 22-3 victory over the Black in the Demon Deacons’ spring game Saturday.
Wolford was 21 of 33 for 185 yards, and the White defense allowed just 136 total yards.
The Demon Deacons are coming off a 3-9 finish in coach Dave Clawson’s first season in which they went 1-7 in Atlantic Coast Conference play and had the nation’s least productive offense, averaging 216 total yards. Wolford was thrust into the starting lineup as a true freshman.
But Wake Forest still lacks the big-play threat it needs to elevate an offense that averaged just 14.8 points and scored 19 total touchdowns.
NC STATE-SPRING GAME
Gallaspy, Dayes, Samuels headline NC State spring game
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) β Freshman running back Reggie Gallaspy II ran for 131 yards while rising junior Matt Dayes nearly racked up 100 total yards in North Carolina State’s spring game Saturday.
Dayes finished with 57 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving in Red’s 16-3 win against White to cap spring drills.
Gallaspy had 120 yards for the Red in the second half and 11 for White in the first.
Sophomore Jaylen Samuels showed off plenty of versatility and had a 50-yard catch.
Starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett wasn’t particularly sharp, completing just 13 of 32 passes for 164 yards with one touchdown.
N.C. State is coming off an eight-win season and a bowl victory in coach Dave Doeren’s second season.
HORNETS-MKG SECURITY
For Kidd-Gilchrist, better shooting equals better defense
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s tireless work to remake his jump shooting form has resulted in significant improvement in his mid-range game for the Charlotte Hornets this season.
His coach also thinks it’s trickling over to the defensive end of the floor.
Kidd-Gilchrist has been one of the bright spots in a disappointing season for the Hornets this year. In his third season in the league, he has taken his defensive prowess to another level while becoming a more reliable shooter from 16 feet.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford says he thinks the added confidence of making shots has helped Kidd-Gilchrist be more assertive and vocal on defense.
The Hornets have started a campaign to get Kidd-Gilchrist considered for the All-Defensive team.
INDYCAR-LOUISIANA
Rain washes out IndyCar qualifying at GP of Louisiana
AVONDALE, La. (AP) β Juan Pablo Montoya got some extra mileage out of his season-opening IndyCar series victory, thanks to a rain out of qualifying Saturday in the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana.
The gird order for Sunday’s race outside New Orleans was set on points for the season. And because there has been only one race, drivers will start in the order they finished in St. Petersburg, Florida, two weeks ago.
That’s good news for the four Team Penske cars that finished in the top five.
But it’s a frustrating setback for Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon, who had the fastest time in Saturday’s practice. Now he’ll have to start 15th.
Fellow Ganassi driver Tony Kanaan, who had Friday’s fastest practice lap, will still have a good grid spot based on his third-place finish in St. Petersburg
