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USC escapes with a sloppy win over Washington in Pac-12 tournament

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USC escapes with a sloppy win over Washington in Pac-12 tournament

USC had withstood lots on its path to the Pac-12 Convention event. Brutal begins. Shut finishes. Prolonged defensive lapses and unlucky offensive slumps. In some way, the Trojans appeared to at all times nonetheless discover a means, even once they have been on the worst.

They have been fairly near that nadir once more Thursday, if not dragging alongside the naked backside of their all-too-familiar doldrums. They’d turned the ball over a season-high 23 instances. Their high scorers had fallen flat. Virtually each aspect of their 40 minutes pointed towards an inexcusable quarterfinal loss, its first within the Pac-12 event beneath coach Andy Enfield since his first season as coach.

However towards all odds, at the same time as third-seeded USC tried time and again within the remaining minute handy away its ham-fisted effort, it didn’t matter. The Trojans, regardless of all of it, nonetheless emerged unscathed, at the very least bodily so, in a 65-61 victory over sixth-seeded Washington. They superior to face second-seeded UCLA in a semifinal sport Friday night time at 8:30.

The Trojans escaped at the same time as the ultimate two of their turnovers got here within the final minute. With 37 seconds left, Max Agbonkpolo threw an errant move simply as USC had taken a four-point lead. When Washington minimize that result in two, Drew Peterson lowered his shoulder right into a Washington participant simply 10 seconds later, handing the Huskies yet one more probability. They promptly gave it away once more, as Isaiah Mobley had the ball stripped.

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Nonetheless, even the barrage of ill-fated errors couldn’t assist Washington hit a shot late, as USC gave the Huskies each probability to ship the Trojans packing after one night time on the Pac-12 event. The Huskies missed 11 of their remaining 12 pictures.

And by some means, USC nonetheless had hassle placing away Washington.

After lugging its first shedding streak since final February with it to Las Vegas, USC regarded like a workforce that ended its common season on the improper be aware. The place the Trojans might’ve rapidly dispelled any issues Thursday a few potential postseason freefall, they as a substitute impressed extra questions on their trajectory within the upcoming NCAA event. Particularly how they may flip issues round or their sudden turnover downside — or how they may cease one other star guard like Terrell Brown Jr.

USC struggled mightily to decelerate Brown early because the all-conference choice opened by scoring Washington’s first 9 factors. Even because the Trojans blanketed Brown, providing assist from each course, the Huskies’ silky main scorer nonetheless sliced by way of the lane with ease.

Washington’s Terrell Brown Jr. shoots round USC’s Isaiah Mobley through the second half of the quarterfinal spherical of the Pac-12 event on Thursday in Las Vegas.

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(John Locher / Related Press)

He scored 16 factors within the sport’s first 16 minutes, and 21 factors within the first half, ending his early onslaught with a high-arcing, fallaway three-pointer with time ticking away within the first half.

He’d solely rating two extra within the second half, ending with 23. However whereas Brown put the burden of the Huskies’ offense on his again, the alternative was true of the Trojans’ high scorers, whom Enfield had known as on earlier this week to step up.

That wasn’t the case towards Washington. Neither Isaiah Mobley nor Drew Peterson made a lot of an impression, hitting simply seven of 16 pictures for 18 factors. Each have been held with out a made shot till 12 minutes into the primary half, when Mobley lastly hit a layup. For Peterson, it took practically quarter-hour earlier than he sank a jumper from the highest of the important thing.

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Washington constructed an early lead over USC not solely by means of Brown incinerating USC’s protection, but additionally by forcing early turnovers, 5 of which got here within the first seven minutes.

These points would emerge once more after half, simply as USC appeared to regular its shaky begin. The Trojans fired off an 11-2 run, taking again the lead inside 5 minutes of the half, solely to show the ball over six instances over the subsequent 5 minutes.

These turnovers appeared as if they might be USC’s downfall. However once more, the Trojans escaped to dwell one other day in Las Vegas.

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Heisman straw poll: Ashton Jeanty has one more chance to change minds as Travis Hunter sits

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Heisman straw poll: Ashton Jeanty has one more chance to change minds as Travis Hunter sits

Colorado receiver/cornerback/flawed Heisman poser/presumed Heisman winner Travis Hunter has achieved perfection in The Athletic’s Heisman Trophy straw poll.

Of the 27 writers and editors who voted this week, all 27 voted Hunter first, giving him the maximum possible 81 points. Two first-place votes for Ashton Jeanty and one for Cam Ward in the previous poll switched this week to Hunter, who wrapped up his Colorado season with three touchdown catches, an interception and two pass break-ups in a 52-0 rout of Oklahoma State.

Hunter “clinched the Heisman,” coach Deion Sanders said afterward, and while that may not be officially true, Hunter couldn’t have gone out with a stronger closing statement — other than the fact that his Heisman pose still needs work to better emulate the trophy itself. In all seriousness, it would have helped him with naysayers focused on team success for the Buffaloes to get the help necessary to make the Big 12 title game. They didn’t.

And the fact that Jeanty gets to play Friday for No. 11 Boise State (11-1) against No. 22 UNLV (10-2) in the Mountain West title game for a national Fox audience at least gives him the final word. It will have to be the running back performance equivalent of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Like, how about 341 yards to reach 2,629 on the season and break Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA rushing record? Would that do it?

Maybe? Jeanty lost ground in the straw poll this week after going for 226 yards and a touchdown in a win over Oregon State so … the bar is high. The pathway to change hearts and minds is narrow. The nation’s leading rusher got 25 second-place votes and two third-place votes for a total of 50 points.

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The Athletic follows the same voting protocol as that of the Heisman: three points for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, one point for a third-place vote.

Player Team Pos 1st 2nd 3rd Pts

Travis Hunter

WR/DB

27

0

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0

81

Ashton Jeanty

RB

0

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25

2

52

Tyler Warren

TE

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0

0

8

8

Dillon Gabriel

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QB

0

1

5

7

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Cam Ward

QB

0

0

6

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6

Cam Skattebo

RB

0

0

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5

5

Kaleb Johnson

RB

0

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1

0

2

LaNorris Sellers

QB

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0

0

1

1

At the least, Jeanty knows he’s going to New York and should be a lock to come in second by a safe margin. There’s no obvious third place this year, which will make the voting and the number of candidates invited to New York interesting.

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Miami quarterback Cam Ward fell from 15 points to six in the poll after Saturday’s loss at Syracuse, dropping him to fifth place behind Penn State tight end Tyler Warren (eight points) and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (seven points).

That also means no ACC title game platform for Ward while Warren and Gabriel will face each other for the Big Ten championship in Indianapolis, thanks to Ohio State’s shocking loss to Michigan to let the Nittany Lions sneak in the back door.

The poll’s rising No. 6 vote-getter, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (five points), also gets an opportunity to make his case when the surprising Sun Devils take on Iowa State for the Big 12 title.

Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (two points) is the third running back among the eight vote-getters. That’s the same as the number of quarterbacks — and there’s a new quarterback, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, picking up a third-place vote.

Sellers will not make it to New York this year. But that’s a hint of things to come in 2025 when he should be high on the list of preseason hopefuls for the award.

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(Photo of Ashton Jeanty: Brian Losness / Imagn Images)

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Michigan fires offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell despite team's upset win over Ohio State

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Michigan fires offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell despite team's upset win over Ohio State

The Michigan Wolverines pulled off a massive upset on the road Saturday, beating Ohio State to continue their recent dominance in the rivalry. 

Despite the win, Michigan made a big coaching change. 

Kirk Campbell, the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator, was fired by head coach Sherrone Moore Tuesday.

The university released a statement, saying Moore would conduct a national search to find Campbell’s replacement. 

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Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell reacts to a play against Ohio State during the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Imagn)

“After a thorough assessment of our offense, I made the decision to relieve Kirk Campbell of his duties and move in a different direction,” Moore said in the statement. “This was a decision that I felt was in the best interest of our football program. I want to thank Kirk for his hard work and dedication to the university, Michigan Football and our student-athletes. I wish him well in his future coaching endeavors.”

Tight ends coach Steve Casula will serve as interim offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season, the statement said.

FOX NEWS DIGITAL SPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINNERS AND LOSERS: WEEK 14

The Wolverines’ offense struggled after winning the national championship and the departure of Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Moore was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator. 

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Michigan did lose key offensive players, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum and receiver Roman Wilson. But the team is 7-5 after 12 games. 

Kirk Campbell talks to quarterback

Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell talks to quarterback Davis Warren (16) during a timeout against Ohio State in the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Imagn)

The Wolverines are near the bottom of the NCAA in yards per game, sitting at 128th out of 134 FBS schools. They are also 125th in first downs per game and 111th in points. 

The Wolverines scored just one touchdown in the win Saturday against Ohio State’s defense, which is one of the best in the country. 

Campbell worked his way through the Wolverines’ ranks, becoming the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2023 during the national championship run. When Moore took over as head coach after Harbaugh joined the Los Angeles Chargers, Campbell was quickly promoted again, but he only lasted one season.

Kirk Campbell walks on field

Michigan offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell watches warmups before the Oregon game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 2, 2024. (Imagn)

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Michigan will look to make a big hire for this role, especially considering the commitment flip of quarterback Bryce Underwood, the Michigan native who is first overall in the Class of 2025 prospect rankings. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Prep basketball roundup: Westchester survives rally to beat Brentwood

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Prep basketball roundup: Westchester survives rally to beat Brentwood

Westchester started the high school basketball season with losses to Chatsworth, Crespi and Harvard-Westlake. The Comets, filled with transfer students, took out their frustration on unbeaten Brentwood on Tuesday night in the Redondo Union tournament, only to come within seconds of losing.

With Tajh Ariza leading the way, Westchester built up a 21-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Brentwood came back behind Shane Frazier, who made four threes in the quarter. The Eagles twice had the ball in the final seconds with a chance to take the lead before the Comets finally prevailed 74-72.

“We have to finish off games,” said Ariza, who finished with 21 points and is the son of former Westchester and NBA player Trevor Ariza.

Brentwood (7-1) received 21 points from AJ Okoh and 18 points from Frazier. The Eagles outscored Westchester 24-6 in the fourth quarter.

Brentwood got the ball back with 8.8 seconds left after Ariza missed two free throws. But the Eagles could not pull out the victory. It was a tough night for Gold Coast League teams, as the Eagles, Viewpoint and Windward all were beaten.

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Ty Ingram helped Westchester (1-3) with 17 points.

Harvard-Westlake 67, San Gabriel Academay 48: It was a bit of a struggle in the second half for the Wolverines (5-0) after building a 20-point halftime lead. Joe Sterling finished with 21 points and Nikolas Khamenia had 19. Sophomore Mahamadou Diop had 16 points for San Gabriel, which has lost to the Wolverines, Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame this season.

Long Beach Poly 62, Windward 60: The Jackrabbits continue to play a tough schedule and came away victorious behind Jovani Ruff, who had 13 points. JJ Harris scored 23 points for Windward.

Redondo Union 97, Oak Park 39: Brayden Miner, the son of former USC and NBA dunk champion Harold Miner, scored 27 points for Redondo Union (4-0).

Leuzinger 55, Crean Lutheran 51: Arnez Reynolds had 15 points for Crean Lutheran (3-1).

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Loyola 87, Hacienda Heights Wilson 35: Tyson Powell made four threes to finish with 12 points.

Crescenta Valley 90, University Prep Value 21: Vaughn Zargarian had 38 points for Crescenta Valley.

Damien 83, Orange Vista 63: Eli Garner had 27 points and Nate Garcia 23 for Damien.

JSerra 66, La Jolla Country Day 44: BJ Davis-Ray had 17 points for the Lions.

Moorpark 64, South Hills 51: Sophomore Levi Oaks had 27 points and freshman Logan Stotts added 13 points for Moorpark.

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Campbell Hall 89, Venice 56: The Vikings (4-0) received 29 points from Isaiah Johnson and 22 points from James Bass.

Murrieta Valley 72, Sun Valley Poly 70: JD Wyatt had 28 points in his season debut for Poly.

St. Francis 67, Lake Stevens (Wash.) 58: Freshman Luke Paulus scored 21 points and Noah Henry had 20 points and 10 rebounds for St. Francis.

Chaminade 54, Santa Monica 53: Koby Nichols led the way for the Eagles (8-0) with 14 points.

Canyon 63, Saugus 51: Max Guardado led Saugus with 22 points.

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Shalhevet 70, Viewpoint 69: A 31-point outburst from Aiden Bitran lifted Shalhevet to the win in double overtime.

Mater Dei 71, San Juan Hills 55: Luke Barnett scored 22 points to help coach Gary McKnight become the second winningest coach all-time.

Inglewood 95, St. Bernard 92: Jason Crowe Jr., cleared by the Southern Section to play, scored 43 points in Inglewood’s overtime victory.

Girls basketball

Mater Dei 80, King 22: Kaeli Wynn had 21 points and 10 assists for Mater Dei (5-0).

Redondo Union 38, Harvard-Westlake 32: Chloe Choy led Redondo Union with 13 points.

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Hart 65, Valencia 35: Morgan Mack finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists for Hart.

Bishop Montgomery 67, Brentwood 57: Lev Feiman and Payton Sugar each scored 16 points for Brentwood.

Birmingham 62, Mira Costa 52: The Patriots won the Gold Division championship of the Battle of the Beach. Camille Newton had 17 points. Tournament MVP Lili Martinez had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

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