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Kiszla: Air Force Falcons squander chance to prove there’s still room for underdog story in college football

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

Playing on the biggest stage in decades, Air Force squandered its claim for a big bowl bid, coughed up the football six times and lost 23-3 Saturday to Army.As 52,401 fans headed to the exit, Falcons cornerback Jamari Bellamy took a slow and silent walk the length of a stadium draped in shadows. His silence spoke volumes: With the dream of an undefeated season broken, the chances of challenging Alabama or Oregon in a New Year’s Six bowl now hover somewhere between slim and none.“We had high expectations to come out here and win this game and we didn’t. So we’re very disappointed,” said Air Force tailback John Lee Eldridge III, the emotional letdown so great his words were robotic. “We just didn’t go out there and execute the small things like we usually do.”Is college football now such a big business that it’s naïve to believe in an underdog story?When the playoffs expand to 12 teams in 2024, it’s hard to make a case that any team from the have-no...

Colorado saw record number of hail reports in 2023 water year

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

Colorado saw record-breaking hail reports during the 2023 water year, according to the year-in-review report from the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University.A water year, in which precipitation is measured, begins Oct. 1 of any year and ends Sept. 30 of the following year. Colorado saw its 31st wettest water year on record this water year, with some areas northeast of Denver, including Denver International Airport and some of the northern suburbs, recording their wettest year.Colorado saw nearly 800 reports of hail over an inch, and hail reports at every inch mark from one to four inches set a record in 2023, according to the report.There were 796 reports of hail over one inch in 2023, over 200 reports higher than the previous record of 561 reports in 2018.Reports of hail over two inches nearly doubled the previous record of 91 also set in 2018, with 176 reports in 2023.The 37 three-inch-and-over and the 15 four-inch-and-over hail reports in 2023 tripled the previous r...

Ready for takeoff: Cody Williams set for CU Buffs debut

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

Ranked as the No. 4 recruit in the class of 2023, freshman Cody Williams (right) is ready for his Colorado Buffaloes debut. (Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)After a recent practice, Colorado freshman Cody Williams lingered on the CU Events Center floor to get in extra shots with a couple of his veteran teammates.As he was winding down, the right-handed Williams lined up a left-handed 3-point attempt. Swish. A bystander, unsure if he saw what he just saw, asked Williams as he was coming off the floor if that was left-handed.“Yeah,” Williams replied. “I want to do one in a game.”Whether that happens — or exactly how many games Williams will play in a Buffs jersey in order to meet that goal — remains to be seen. Regardless of the ultimate fate of that potential left-handed 3-ball, Williams’ pending debut with the CU men’s basketball team is certain to offer more than a few eye-popping highlights.One of the most anticipated player debuts in program history finally arrives on Monday e...

Southern California woman disappears in Guatemala

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

The search is underway for a missing Southern California woman who disappeared while on a yoga retreat in Guatemala.The missing woman, Nancy Ng, 29, from Monterey Park, disappeared on Oct. 19 at a retreat in Lake Atitlán, according to her family.Nancy, a former Cal State L.A. student who works for the Alhambra Unified School District, had planned to relax at a week-long yoga retreat, something she had done for the second year in a row.She left on Oct. 14 and just a few days into her trip, her family said the retreat organizer called to say she had disappeared.She was officially reported missing on Oct. 19 and her family said the worst part is not knowing where she is or what exactly happened that day. The details of her disappearance remain few and far between.Loved ones are searching for Nancy Ng, 29, a Monterey Park woman who disappeared on Oct. 19, 2023 while at a yoga retreat in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. (Ng Family)Loved ones are searching for Nancy Ng, 29, a Monterey Park woman ...

No. 6 Oregon hands Cal a 63-19 loss as Bears suffer four straight loss to Top 25 opponent

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

Cal, with just one road victory over Oregon in the past 35 years, was right there, trailing just 14-13 in the second quarter at rainy Autzen Stadium.And in seemingly no time, it was over.The No. 6 Ducks scored 21 points in the final 5:21 of the first half, including a pair of touchdown passes by Bo Nix, and Oregon took a commanding 35-13 lead into halftime on a rainy afternoon in Eugene, Ore.When it was over, the Ducks (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12) owned a 63-19 victory which should allow them to at least maintain their No. 6 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.The Bears (3-6, 1-5) lost their fourth straight game to a Top-25 conference opponent and have clinched their 14th consecutive losing record in Pac-12 play. Cal closes its home schedule next Saturday against Washington State and needs to sweep its final three games to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2019.Freshman running back Jaivan Thomas of Oakland was injured with 4:05 to play in the third quarter after fumbling...

Cal player hospitalized after tackle leaves him motionless

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

Cal running back Jaivian Thomas, a freshman from McClymonds High in Oakland, was taken off the field on a hardboard stretcher in the third quarter of the Bears’ game at Oregon on Saturday.Thomas lay motionless for about 15 minutes while attendants strapped him to the cart and transported him to a nearby hospital. There was no immediate word on Thomas’ condition.The injury occurred on a first-down play from the Oregon 5. Thomas took a handoff from quarterback Fernando Mendoza and immediately lost control of the ball, fumbling it forward.The hit occurred after the fumble, away from the play and from TV cameras.This breaking news story will be updated when more is known.  

Miller’s 4 TD day leads Southern Utah past winless Lincoln (CA), 35-6

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP) — Justin Miller threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score after Southern Utah staked winless Lincoln (California) to a 6-0 lead, leading the Thunderbirds to a 35-6 victory Saturday. Lincoln drove 61 yards on 12 plays to take a 6-0 lead. TJ Goodwin ran 12 yards for the score midway through the first quarter, but a two-point conversion pass fell incomplete). Miller found Braedon Wissler with a 27-yard touchdown with :26 left in the first quarter and Tyler Graham’s PAT kick put the T-Birds in front for good and Isaiah Wooden caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from Miller and followed it with a 45-yard score before Miller capped the first-half scoring with a 1-yard keeper for a 27-6 lead. Miller completed 17 of 30 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns but was picked off twice to lead Southern Utah (2-2, 4-5 United Athletic Conference). Wooden finished with seven catches for 168 yards.Goodwin was 17-of-33 passing for 139 yards and was picked off ...

Jayson Tatum scores 10,000th career point with Celtics

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum scored his 10,000th career point in the second quarter of Saturday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.The 25-year-old Tatum is the youngest player in franchise history to score 10,000 points. The previous record holder was Antoine Walker, who was 26.With 5:05 remaining in the quarter, Tatum drove into the lane, spun and converted the layup while drawing a foul on Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas. Thomas then knocked down the free throw to give Boston a 52-48 lead.Tatum, drafted third overall in 2017, is averaging 29.8 points per game this season.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nbaSource

Nix throws 4 TD passes and runs for 2 more scores in No. 6 Oregon’s 63-19 rout of California

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bo Nix threw four touchdown passes and ran for two more scores and No. 6 Oregon pulled away from California in a wild first half in a 63-19 victory Saturday. Nix completed 29 of 38 passes for 38 yards. He had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs. Tez Johnson caught 12 passes for 180 yards and two scores and the Ducks (8-1, 4-1 Pac-12, No. 6 CFP) remained undefeated at Autzen Stadium. Jaydn Ott ran for 93 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Bears (3-6, 1-5). Nohl Williams scored on a fumble return and Mateen Bhaghani made two field goals. Nix was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a pair of touchdowns and running for another during Oregon’s 35-6 victory at No. 13 Utah last weekend. He went into the game against Cal averaging 292.1 yards passing. He has thrown 25 touchdown passes and run for five more. Nix is getting Heisman Trophy buzz, although he’s facing competition from fellow Pac-12 quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who has helped keep No. 5 ...

Michigan asks Big Ten commissioner to await for NCAA investigation before acting on allegations

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:30:56 GMT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — University of Michigan President Santa Ono sent an email to Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, imploring the conference to wait for results of the NCAA’s sign-stealing investigation before potentially taking action against the Jim Harbaugh -led football program.“The reputations and livelihoods of coaches, students, and program cannot be sacrificed in a rush to judgement, no matter how many and how loudly people protest otherwise,” Ono wrote in an email to Petitti on Thursday night before their meeting the next day. “Due process matters.”Michigan athletics spokesman Kurt Svoboda shared the contents of Ono’s email with The Associated Press on Saturday night, when the third-ranked Wolverines played Purdue at home.Connor Stalions, the low-level Michigan football staffer at the center of the probe into impermissible scouting and sign stealing, resigned Friday.Stalions attorney, in a statement to The Athletic, said his client chose to resign because sto...