out Page 26 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

With heavy hearts, USF opens season against No. 21 Florida
South Florida will take the court for a somber season opener when it meets No. 21 Florida on Monday at the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational.,The Bulls are still grieving the sudden loss of head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who died Oct. 24 at age 43 while undergoing a medical procedure.,Abdur-...

South Carolina leaning on transfers for meeting with North Florida
When South Carolina opens its season against North Florida in Columbia, S.C., on Monday, a trio of transfers will be looking to make an immediate impact for the Gamecocks.,Forward Nick Pringle (Alabama) and guard Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State) are competing for starting spots, while Jordan Butler (M...

Former Pac-12 foes USC, Washington set to test mettle
This wasn't the way Washington or Southern California expected their first season of Big Ten Conference football to go.,When the former Pacific-12 Conference powers meet Saturday in Seattle, it won't be for a spot in the College Football Playoff but for mere bowl eligibility.,Both Southern Californi...

Michigan State, poised for another tourney run, opens vs. Monmouth
Michigan State enters its 30th season under head coach Tom Izzo unranked and without last year's preseason expectations, which could be a good thing.,The Spartans were projected as a top-five team before the 2023-24 campaign but were one of the country's more disappointing teams.,Michigan State did ...

No. 10 Texas A&M set for 'enormous challenge' at South Carolina
The regular-season finale with arch-rival Texas is still four weeks away, but Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said Saturday night's Southeastern Conference game against South Carolina will be his team's "most challenging game to date.","This is going to be an enormous challenge for our program," Elko said...

South Florida names Ben Fletcher interim coach
South Florida named Ben Fletcher as the interim coach on Tuesday following last week's unexpected passing of head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim.,Fletcher joined the Bulls as an assistant coach on Abdur-Rahim's first staff last season. He spent the previous four seasons as Abdur-Rahim's assistant at Kennesa...

Woody Marks (3 TDs), USC blast past Rutgers
Woody Marks rushed for three touchdowns, Miller Moss passed for two scores and rushed for a third, and Southern California snapped a Big Ten Conference losing streak while outscoring Rutgers 42-20 on Friday night in Los Angeles.,USC (4-4, 2-4 Big Ten) pounced on the visiting Scarlet Knights early, b...

South Florida coach Amir Abdur-Rahim dies at 43
South Florida coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died Thursday due to complications during a medical procedure, the school announced. He was 43.,Abdur-Rahim underwent the procedure at a Tampa-area hospital. He was viewed as a rising star in college basketball circles after going 25-8 during the 2023-24 campaign...

No. 22 SMU takes high-powered offense on road vs. Duke
If No. 22 SMU is going to contend for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship, there obviously are going to be big games along the way. ,Count Saturday night against host Duke at Durham, N.C., among those. ,SMU (6-1, 3-0) is riding a four-game winning streak and is trying to stay unblemished in l...

South Carolina to retire number of program legend A'ja Wilson
Former South Carolina star A'ja Wilson will have her No. 22 jersey retired by the school on Feb. 2.,Wilson, who won her third WNBA MVP award this season, led South Carolina to the 2017 national title. She was the consensus National Player of the Year for the 2017-18 season.,The 6-foot-4 Wilson is th...

Slumping squads clash in first-ever Rutgers-USC matchup
Sputtering Rutgers and Southern California meet for the first time ever on Friday in Los Angeles, each looking to pull out of a midseason tailspin.,USC (3-4, 1-4 Big Ten) has endured a rough introduction in its inaugural season in its new conference, losing four of its past five games -- all in eith...

NBA season-preview capsules: Southeast Division
Orlando Magic,Predicted 2024 record: 50-32,Last season: 47-35, 5th in NBA Eastern Conference. Lost 4-3 to Cleveland Cavaliers in first round of playoffs.,Last time: That Orlando advanced past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs it was 2009-10. The Magic have made the postseason just f...

NBA season-preview capsules: Southwest Division
San Antonio Spurs,Predicted 2024-25 record: 38-44,Last season: 22-60, 14th in NBA Western Conference.,Last time ... ,The Spurs had a head coach not named Gregg Popovich it was Bob Hill, who held the job from 1994-96. Popovich's 29-year run on the bench currently stands at 2,209 games.,FanDuel champi...

Southern Miss fires coach Will Hall
Southern Miss fired coach Will Hall on Sunday after 3 1/2 seasons on the job.,After a 3-9 season in 2023, Hall's Golden Eagles were off to a 1-6 start (0-3 Sun Belt) this year when the athletics department pulled the plug.,"We are grateful to Will and his family for their dedication to Southern Miss...

Joey Logano wins in Vegas, locks up championship berth
Joey Logano had his second great week in a row, hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas, Nevada, by holding off Christopher Bell to win Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series' South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and advancing into next month's championship race.,Using a fuel strategy and older tires, the No. 2...

No. 21 SMU strikes early, scores big in blowout of Stanford
Kevin Jennings threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns, including an 87-yarder to Moochie Dixon on the first offensive play of the game, and 21st-ranked SMU remained unbeaten in Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 40-10 shellacking of host Stanford on Saturday night.,LJ Johnson Jr. added two rush...

No. 21 SMU strikes early, scores big in rout of Stanford
Kevin Jennings threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns, including an 87-yarder to Moochie Dixon on the first offensive play of the game, and 21st-ranked SMU remained unbeaten in Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 40-10 shellacking of host Stanford on Saturday night.,LJ Johnson Jr. added two rush...

Maryland scores late to hand USC another close loss in Big Ten
Billy Edwards Jr. went 39-of-50 passing for 373 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for the game-winning score in the final minute as Maryland edged Southern California 29-28 on Saturday in College Park, Md.,Maryland (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) took possession for its decisive drive when Donnell Brown spran...

South Carolina's defense scores 2 TDs in rout of Oklahoma
Nick Emmanwori had two first-quarter interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, as South Carolina used an early defensive barrage to Oklahoma 35-9 on Saturday in Southeastern Conference action at Norman, Okla.,LaNorris Sellers threw for 175 yards and a touchdown as the Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3 SEC) sn...

Stakes are high as Round of 8 rolls into Vegas
With four races left, the NASCAR Cup Series continues its nationwide trek back and forth across four time zones, anxious to award a championship a month from now.,The miles are adding up and time is quickly running out.,This Sunday the series makes its second stop at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with th...