College category, Page 23
Texas beats Clemson, advances to face to Arizona State in College Football Playoff quarterfinals
AUSTIN, Texas — Jaydon Blue ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, the last a 77-yard burst in the fourth quarter, and Texas beat Clemson 38-24 on Saturday in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff. Blue’s fourth-quarter touchdown came after Clemson rallied from down 31-10 to 31-24...
Tim Cowlishaw: SMU-Penn State matchup signals a strange new world for college football
DALLAS — The SMU Mustangs are venturing into the unknown Saturday, and I don’t just mean trying to find University Park on a map, which is a challenge of its own. This is something completely different. For years, one loud chorus of voices shouted that college football needed a real...
DJ Lagway helps Florida trounce Tulane in Gasparilla Bowl
TAMPA, Fla. — DJ Lagway shrugged off a couple of first-half turnovers and threw for 305 yards and a touchdown to lead Florida to a sloppy but dominating 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday. Trey Smack kicked a Gasparilla Bowl-record four field goals for the Gators...
Former NFL star Michael Vick officially hired by Norfolk State on FridayVideo
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State officially named Michael Vick its football coach Friday, the latest hire of a talented NFL player with no college coaching experience to lead an HBCU program. Vick’s addition was unanimously approved by the school’s board of visitors, Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb said in...
Parker Navarro’s big 1st half helps Ohio win Cure Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. — Parker Navarro ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth in the first half, and Ohio held off Jacksonville State, 30-27, on Friday in the Cure Bowl, the only bowl game featuring two conference champions. The Mid-American Conference champion Bobcats (11-3), who won their seventh straight...
Jaylon Jimmerson, Hunter Watson help Sam Houston to win over Georgia Southern at New Orleans Bowl
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jaylon Jimmerson returned the first of his two interceptions 28 yards for a touchdown in the opening minutes, Hunter Watson accounted for three touchdowns and Sam Houston beat Georgia Southern, 31-26, on Thursday night at the New Orleans Bowl. Brad Cornelsen served as acting head coach...
Tim Benz: For the College Football Playoff, let’s hope the games overcome the planning
The 12-team College Football Playoff begins Friday. I’d like to be more excited about it than I am. That’s probably because three of the first-round CFP contests are occurring on a Pittsburgh Steelers’ game day. The lone game I’ll definitely get to watch is the Friday night opener between No....
Notre Dame-Indiana playoff game a twist for those with dual loyalties in the Hoosier StateVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Jim O’Donnell’s legacy will be felt inside Notre Dame Stadium on Friday night. His son, Jim, will attend the first playoff game in major college football to be played at a campus site, dressed in the cream-and-crimson color garb of his dad’s alma mater, Indiana. The younger O’Donnell’s...
Playoff QBs include a hometown recruit, a prep title rematch and some 1-year hired gunsVideo
Kevin Jennings wasn’t even the player Rhett Lashlee was going to watch when he went to his first Texas high school playoff game a week after becoming SMU’s coach. Three years later, Jennings is the only quarterback starting for his hometown team in the debut of the expanded 12-team College...
Ohio State wants redemption, Tennessee seeks respect in 1st-round CFP matchupVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Coach Josh Heupel doesn’t much care for the narrative that No. 7 Tennessee, with its checkered history over the past 15 years, is content just to have reached the College Football Playoff. The fourth-year coach knows that mindset won’t work facing a team like No. 6 Ohio...
Heavyweights Texas, Clemson meet for 1st time in College Football PlayoffVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — No. 13 Clemson got into the College Football Playoff on a thunderous kick in the final seconds of the ACC championship. No. 4 Texas limped in after a great regular season was deflated by a frustrating overtime loss to Georgia in the SEC title game. Now these...
James Madison secures its 1st bowl win after topping Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Backup Billy Atkins threw for 181 yards and a touchdown in his first start since 2022, leading James Madison to the program’s first bowl win after topping Western Kentucky, 27-17, on Wednesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl. JMU was without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III,...
Hajj-Malik Williams throws 2 TDs passes to help No. 24 UNLV beat Cal in the LA Bowl
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Despite losing its starting quarterback after three games and head coach 10 days ago, UNLV had its best season in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The 24th-ranked Rebels picked up their 11th win and first bowl victory in 24 years Wednesday night when they pulled away in the...
Notre Dame and Indiana get 1st taste of playoff football under the Friday night lightsVideo
Marcus Freeman spent his first two seasons as the Notre Dame coach chasing the playoff dream. This year, he’s living it at home. After closing the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and getting two weeks to prepare for the most meaningful postseason game of his career, Freeman is...
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney once again defies, dismisses critics
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t see this season much differently than others in his long, successful career: criticism over his philosophy, his team counted out early before celebrating another season on top. “The way I’ve been taking shots since I got the job,” Swinney said. “Yeah, what’s...
Ivy League football to compete in FCS playoffs beginning next season
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Ivy League will compete in the FCS playoffs beginning next season, the conference announced on Wednesday, ending a century-long postseason ban originally aimed at allowing the athletes to focus on their schoolwork. “It’s a monumental day in the Ivy League and a special day to be...
Reports: Greensburg Salem grad Brennan Marion to become Sacramento State head coach
Greensburg Salem graduate Brennan Marion is finalizing a deal to become the head coach at Sacramento State, according to multiple reports and first reported by Matt Zenitz of 247Sports. Marion was the offensive coordinator at UNLV for the last two seasons. Dan Mullen was hired after UNLV head coach Barry...
‘Better than going to Disney World’: Fans revel in CFP debuts at campus sitesVideo
Forget the cost, the frenzied planning and the timing around the holidays. SMU fan Will Howard is living the dream: His beloved Mustangs are in the 12-team hunt for a national championship, and he’s going to ride it to the end. “It’s better than going to Disney World,” Howard said....
Curt Cignetti named AP Coach of the Year after leading a remarkable turnaround at Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — When Curt Cignetti took the Indiana job last fall, he promised immediate success. It wasn’t boastful bluster. After daring the doubters to Google his winning pedigree, the son of a Hall of Fame football coach delivered on his word by leading the Hoosiers to a school-record 11 wins,...
Vermont claims program’s 1st national championship on Maximilian Kissel’s overtime goalVideo
CARY, N.C. — Maximilian Kissel scored in a sudden-death overtime to help Vermont beat Marshall 2-1 on Monday night for the program’s first national championship. It was the ninth championship game decided by overtime or penalty kicks in the 21st century. Vermont (16-2-6) became the first squad in school history...
Former Steelers QB Michael Vick talks to Sacramento State, Norfolk State about head coaching jobs
Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Michael Vick has talked to at least two schools about becoming a college head coach. Sacramento State president Dr. Luke Wood said Monday he has spoken with Vick about the opening at his school, and the Virginian-Pilot reported that Norfolk State has also interviewed the former...
Notre Dame jumps to 3rd in AP Top 25 women’s poll after win over UConn; UCLA, South Carolina 1-2
Notre Dame jumped to No. 3 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Monday after beating rival UConn last week. The Irish climbed five spots after the 79-68 victory over the Huskies, who fell two places to fourth. Notre Dame’s victory over UConn gave the Irish three wins over top...
No. 2 Auburn closes the gap on No. 1 Tennessee as the SEC holds 5 of top 7 spots in AP Top 25
Tennessee held onto No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the second consecutive week, though No. 2 Auburn closed the gap as the top five remained unchanged in the men’s college basketball poll Monday. The Volunteers received 50 first-place votes from the national media panel after wins over Miami...
AP All-America team: Travis Hunter, Xavier Watts back on first team; Ashton Jeanty is unanimous pick
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of Colorado was a first-team selection at two spots and a second-team pick at another on The Associated Press All-America team announced Monday. Hunter and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts were repeat first-team selections, and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was the only unanimous pick after...
Notre Dame gives coach Marcus Freeman contract extension as playoff week begins
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Marcus Freeman opened his first playoff week as a head coach by holding a team meeting and fielding questions from reporters. A few hours later, Notre Dame made sure Freeman wasn’t going anywhere. Freeman has agreed to a long-term contract extension, making him one of the...
