U.S./World Sports category, Page 72
Michigan’s stingy D faces Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. in strength vs. strength
The College Football Playoff national championship game between No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Washington is a contrast in styles and a matchup of strength versus strength when Michael Penix Jr. faces the Wolverines’ defense. “You get a schematic, professional-style matchup and to me you get the Baltimore Ravens versus...
Report: Texas Tech leading scorer Pop Isaacs accused of sexually assaulting minor
LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech basketball player Pop Isaacs, the team’s leading scorer, was accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual assault of a minor when the Red Raiders were playing in a tournament in the Bahamas, ESPN reported Friday night. The lawsuit was filed in Lubbock County, where the...
Ukraine and the U.S. will play a Davis Cup qualifier in Lithuania because of the war with Russia
LONDON — Ukraine’s Davis Cup qualifying matches against the United States will be played in Lithuania on Feb. 1-2 because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The other matches in this round of the men’s team tennis competition are scheduled for Feb. 2-3 or Feb. 3-4. The latter dates include...
Edge rusher Bralen Trice hopes for 1 more big performance for Washington, this time for the title
SEATTLE — More than most, Roger Rosengarten knows the difficulty that comes with trying to block Washington’s Bralen Trice. So allow the Huskies’ right tackle, who spent the entire offseason and fall camp trying to contain Trice in practice, explain what makes Washington’s standout edge rusher so difficult. “Bralen does...
Blake Corum bounces back from knee injury, leads Michigan to brink of 1st national title since 1997
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Blake Corum declared it was “natty or bust,” before the college football season kicked off and reiterated his bold statement before helping Michigan beat Alabama to put the school within a win of its first national championship since 1997. “This time last year, I wasn’t here,”...
Michael Penix Jr. rising ‘very high’ on NFL draft boards after dazzling Sugar Bowl performance
SEATTLE — Given the stakes and the stage, Michael Penix Jr.’s masterful display in the Washington Huskies’ 37-31 College Football Playoff victory over Texas in the Sugar Bowl might rank as the No. 1 individual performance in Husky history. Washington has a proud lineage of quarterbacks, and what Penix did...
Theegala leads season opener at Kapalua with 64. Morikawa hits opening tee shot packed with emotionVideo
KAPALUA, Hawaii — Collin Morikawa already has won two majors and played in the opening session twice in the Ryder Cup. His opening tee shot Thursday at Kapalua felt as special as any moment. Long before Sahith Theegala rolled in his 10th birdie for a 9-under-par 64 to lead The...
Ex-Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announces he is transferring to Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard announced his intention to transfer to Ohio State on Thursday night, giving the Buckeyes a replacement for Kyle McCord after his own decision to transfer to Syracuse. Howard made the announcement on his social media channels. Howard has one season of...
Long after Super Bowl clash, Harbaugh brothers soaring again
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Eleven years after turning the Super Bowl into one of football’s most memorable family reunions, John and Jim Harbaugh are again at the forefront of the sport. This time, the two coaches are chasing different prizes — and won’t be in each other’s way. John Harbaugh’s...
PGA Tour starts new year that feels like the old one
KAPALUA, Hawaii — One upside for the PGA Tour extending the Dec. 31 deadline to finalize a deal with Saudi Arabia is the new season starting Thursday at Kapalua can avoid a big distraction. The focus finally returns to golf. Except that it really doesn’t. The new year feels a...
Oscar Pistorius is set to be released on parole. He will be strictly monitored until December 2029
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Oscar Pistorius is due to be released from prison Friday to live under strict conditions at a family home having served nearly nine years of a murder sentence for the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The double-amputee Olympic runner from South Africa is set...
NBA fines Nets $100,000 for violating participation policy by resting 4 players
The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets $100,000 on Thursday, marking the first time a team was sanctioned for violating the league’s player participation policy that went into effect this season. The Nets held out four rotation players — starters Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson, along with key reserve...
MetLife Stadium to remove 1,740 seats for 2026 World Cup, officials hoping to host final
NEW YORK — MetLife Stadium officials plan to remove 1,740 seats to widen the field for World Cup matches as they hope to host the 2026 final but will retain a narrower surface for this year’s Copa América. The stadium in suburban East Rutherford, New Jersey, is among the contenders...
Next on the Tee: Kermit Zarley recalls U.S. Open battle with Jack Nicklaus at Pebble Beach
Next on the Tee host Chris Mascaro kicks off Season 11 of the podcast with guests Tom Patri, Kermit Zarley, Bob Winters and Jane Crafter. Patri, a Golf Magazine Top 100 instructor discusses the deadline that wasn’t with the Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour. The New Year’s deadline...
Michigan QB McCarthy says sign-stealing saga masked work of players who ‘did things the right way’Video
The sign-stealing scandal that has hung over Michigan’s season has overshadowed the work the team has put in to go unbeaten and reach the College Football Playoff championship game, quarterback J.J. McCarthy said Wednesday. Michigan plays Washington for the national title in Houston on Monday as the NCAA continues to...
McIlroy eases off criticism of LIV Golf. He’s says Rahm defection was a smart business moveVideo
KAPALUA, Hawaii — Rory McIlroy has gone from being the harshest critic of LIV Golf to extending an olive branch. He said on a British soccer podcast Wednesday he was too judgmental about players defecting and has accepted that LIV is “part of our sport now.” He referred to Jon...
Djokovic struggles with wrist injury as Australia stuns Serbia in quarterfinals of United Cup
PERTH, Australia — Novak Djokovic continued to struggle with his wrist injury as Australia stunned Serbia with a 3-0 win in the quarterfinals of the United Cup on Wednesday. Poland also qualified for the semifinals with a 3-0 victory over China, while France and Greece completed sweeps of Italy and...
Founder of retirement thoroughbred farm in Kentucky announces he’s handing over reins to successor
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Michael Blowen’s love for horses stretched far beyond the racetrack and spurred him into starting a mid-life career as founder of a retirement farm in Kentucky, where older thoroughbreds could spend their remaining years in dignity and security — long after their earning days were over. For...
Luke Littler, 16, reaches final of world darts championship in one of the sport’s most unlikely storiesVideo
Luke Littler reached the final of the world darts championship at the age of 16 on Tuesday, extending one of the most unlikely stories in the history of the sport. Littler, an unseeded player from Runcorn in northwest England who started throwing darts as a toddler, beat 2018 champion Rob...
CFP championship game matches Washington’s prolific passing against Michigan’s best-in-nation defense
Michael Penix Jr. hasn’t faced a defense like Michigan’s, and the Wolverines certainly haven’t faced a quarterback like the Heisman Trophy runner-up from Washington. The matchup will be the most intriguing in the College Football Playoff championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Jan. 8. That much was assured...
Hermoso testifies in sexual assault case after kiss at Women’s World Cup
MADRID — The Spanish player kissed on the lips by the soccer president at the Women’s World Cup final appeared in court on Tuesday to testify in the sexual assault case against the former official. Jenni Hermoso was at the Madrid court to give her version of the kiss by...
Nadal returns with win in Brisbane in 1st competitive singles match in a year
BRISBANE, Australia — His arms raised triumphantly, unable to conceal a winner’s grin, Rafael Nadal took time to savor a victory that was 12 months and a lot of rehab in the making. Sure, it was the first round of a season-opening tournament, but it felt momentous for the 22-time...
Michael Penix Jr. leads No. 2 Washington to 37-31 victory over Texas and spot in national title game
NEW ORLEANS — The remarkable comeback story of Michael Penix Jr. is a victory away from a perfect ending for Washington. Penix passed for 430 yards and two touchdowns, and the Huskies held off Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night to advance to the College Football Playoff...
Michigan beats Alabama 27-20 in overtime on Blake Corum’s TD run to reach national title gameVideo
PASADENA, Calif. — Blake Corum rushed for a 17-yard touchdown on the second snap of overtime, and top-seeded Michigan advanced to its first College Football Playoff championship game with a 27-20 victory over fourth-seeded Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Monday. Michigan’s defense ended only the second overtime game in...
Bo Nix closes career with 5 TD passes as No. 8 Oregon rolls over Liberty in Fiesta Bowl
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Bo Nix threw for 363 yards and five touchdowns to cap a recording-breaking career, and No. 8 Oregon closed a season that started with national title expectations by rolling over No. 18 Liberty, 45-6, in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday. Nix played like a Heisman Trophy finalist...
