Seattle, WA – The Washington state Cougars beat the Washington Huskies for the first time since 2012, bringing the Apple Cup trophy back to Pullman. Another frustrating loss caps an extremely disappointing season for the Huskies, who started the season ranked #20 in the nation.
The game was won with a mixed attack by WSU, as quarterback Jayden de Laura only had five completions on the night, adding 245 yards through the air. Max Borghi, senior tailback for the Cougars, complimented the passing game by running for 129 yards and putting the ball in the endzone twice. The Washington defense stayed in a three man pass rush for most of the game, leaving open lanes for Borghi, and letting him gain 5.9 yards on average. A bad Husky run defense was exposed once again, in their last game of the year.
Photo by Jerry Kelly / fi360 News
The offensive struggles continued this game for the purple and gold, but with a different quarterback. True freshman Sam Huard would start his first career game, being put into a difficult situation. Huard would have an underwhelming starting debut, throwing four interceptions and competing slightly over half of his passes. Not all of the issues would be Huard’s fault, as his wideouts dropped nine passes. Kamari Pleasant would get the majority of the carries on the ground with eight, gaining 34 yards and scoring once. The run game was mostly non-existent, as UW ran the ball only 12 times. The Huskies would only total 200 yards of offense, and be outgained in time of possession 18:35-41:25.
This year will be one that Husky fans will immediately want to forget. The program has not lost eight or more games since 2008, arguably the worst year in team history when their record was 0-12. Losing the season opener to Montana set the stage for what would be a major let down, as expectations were high considering the talent on the team and the hype still surrounding head coach Jimmy Lake. Ranked #20 coming into the season, the Huskies would lose that game with poor offensive production and a bad run defense.
Photo by Jerry Kelly / fi360 News
Those trends would continue throughout the season as coaching would fail to properly adjust, and make questionable decisions. Jimmy Lake would be involved in controversy and be fired. Dylan Morris would struggle. Everyone in the program and in the fanbase will now hope to put this year in the past, and return to the level of play that is expected from this university.
The importance of making the right decision on who is at the helm of this football team next year loom over the head of athletic director Jen Cohen, who has been under scrutiny for the hiring of Lake and men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins, who has struggled in his coaching tenure. The bounce back for the program starts when the new head coach is announced, with the hope that the 2021 season was an outlier.
All African American Crew officiating the Apple Cup. (Photo by Jerry Kelly / fi360 News)
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken are winners of two straight after knocking off the Carolina Hurricanes, the team tied for second in the NHL for total points. Seattle would beat Carolina 2-1 just three days after knocking off the Washington Capitals, who are the team that the Hurricanes are tied with.
The first period would play out like a broken record of Seattle’s season so far, as Carolina would score first. Defenseman Brendan Smith would score from just inside the Kraken blue line, as his teammate Jordan Staal would screen Philipp Grubauer. Seattle had been dominating shots wise leading up to the Hurricanes goal, but Carolina would ultimately strike first.
Seattle would tie the game up with 15:44 to go in the second period on a power-play, on a slapshot by Jared McCann. That would be the fifth power-play goal in as many games, a streak that is tied with Colorado for the longest active streak in the league. That turnaround on the power-play is huge, considering that Seattle was dead last for a good amount of the season to this point. Seattle is now 21st in the league in both power-play goals and power-play percentage.
From there, the game would be a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, trading shots on goal. Philipp Grubauer and Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen would make great save after great save as we headed deep into the third period. Marcus Johansson would
break the tie, bringing the puck around the back of the Carolina net and firing off a rocket. The shot would slip between Andersen’s shoulder and the post of the goal, giving Seattle the 2-1 advantage with 3:09 left to play in the final period. Seattle would play great defense to hold Carolina out of the net, and top another great team as the final buzzer sounded.
These past two games are what fans around the NHL and in Seattle were expecting the best-case scenario to be for this team. Not a lot of scoring, but defense and goaltending that would keep them in games. Although, I doubt many people would have expected the team to beat two teams ranked at the very top of the league in back-to-back games. The recipe of stellar defense and goalkeeping in addition to the good power-play shifts, are what this team needs to replicate if they want to keep this sort of play up and potentially secure a playoff spot down the road. Head coach Dave Hakstol, Philipp Grubauer, and Jared McCann all spoke about the way the defense and Grubauer have played as of late.
“Grubi played amazing for us in the pipes, we were able to build some confidence off of him… We need to realize that playing defense first is our strong suit, and that will create offense for us,” Jared McCann remarked when asked about the teams play.
Dave Hakstol talked about Grubauer’s play over these past two games, saying “He looks very calm and settled… he had a lot of traffic around him tonight, he had good help from the guys around him.”
And the goaltender himself had this to say about the team’s defensive play as of late, “Everybody’s growing into their roles, and I think everything is starting to come together.”
The next game for the Kraken comes on Friday, November 26th against the Tampa Bay Lightning on the road with a puck drop of 4PM PST.
OMAHA (FWAA) – The top defensive tackle on the nation’s current top-ranked team, a standout center from a program with separate finalists in consecutive years and the top lineman on a contender for the Atlantic Coast Conference title are the three finalists for the 2021 Outland Trophy, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
Jordan Davis, the persistent force clogging the middle of Georgia’s defensive line, Tyler Linderbaum of Iowa, regarded nationally as the country’s top center this season, and Ikem “Ikey” Ekwonu of N.C. State, an offensive tackle and one of the top run blockers in the country, are this season’s superior linemen.
The 2021 Outland Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s best college interior lineman on offense or defense. The All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected the three finalists from among the six semifinalists announced last week.
The recipient of the 2021 Outland Trophy will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards, live on ESPN on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. ET. The official presentation to the winner will be made at the Outland Trophy Awards Dinner sponsored by Werner Enterprises and produced by the Greater Omaha Sports Committee in Omaha, Neb., on Jan. 12, 2022.
Of note is that the three schools represented by the finalists have a combined six Outland Trophy winners in their past. Each of the three finalists will also be a member of the FWAA First-Team All-America team.
Here is a closer look at each of the finalists:
Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia (#99, 6-6, 340, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.): Simply put, Davis is the most dominant defensive tackle in college football for top-ranked Georgia (11-0). The Bulldogs own the nation’s second-best total defense giving up 236.3 yards per game and with Davis anchoring the interior line own the nation’s second-best rushing defense (77.2 ypg). Georgia is the national scoring defense leader (7.5 ppg) by more than a touchdown above second-place and has not given up more than 17 points in any game. Nobody has been able to run on Davis. Georgia has an Outland Trophy tradition on the defensive front. The Bulldogs’ lone Outland Trophy winner was also a defensive tackle, Bill Stanfill, in 1968 and boasted defensive tackle Andrew Thomas as a semifinalist in 2019. Defensive tackles have won two of the last four Outland Trophies: Quinnen Williams of Alabama in 2018 and Ed Oliver of Houston in 2017.
Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State (#79, 6-4, 320, So., Charlotte, N.C.): Ekwonu has been ranked as the top run blocker in college football by Pro Football Focus and has more than 50 pancake blocks and 17 knockdowns.for the Wolfpack (8-3). He has earned the ACC Offensive Line Player of the Week twice this season. Protecting quarterback Devin Leary at left tackle, Ekwonu and N.C. State are 19th nationally in passing offense at 292.2 yards per game, fifth in the ACC and 11th among Power 5 schools. Leary is tied for 14th nationally in passing yards at 289.6 ypg. “He’s.nasty. He’s athletic. He’s big,” said Tim Hasselbeck of the ACC Network. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic calls him the most feared lineman in the ACC. “Ridiculous strength levels, athleticism and will to finish,” said Jordan Reid of ESPN. Ekwonu is N.C. State’s first Outland Trophy finalist. Jim Ritcher, a center, won N.C. State’s only previous Outland Trophy in 1979 before finalists were designated. Garrett Bradbury, a center, was a semifinalist in 2018. Offensive tackles have won the last two Outland Trophys: Alex Leatherwood of Alabama (2020) and Penei Sewell of Oregon (2019).
Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa (#65, 6-3, 290, Jr., Solon, Iowa): Linderbaum is one of the dominant linemen at his position for the Hawkeyes (9-2). He was the Second Team FWAA All-America center a year ago. The junior has started all 32 career games after playing on the defensive line as a true freshman. He moved to the offensive line following the 2018 regular season, and this season has a 94.8 offensive grade among centers by PFF, the best for a center since 2014. Iowa’s run game has improved, as Tyler Goodson became Iowa’s first 1,000-yard-season rusher since 2017 with a 132-yard output last week. The Hawkeyes have four Outland Trophy winners in their past, most recently offensive tackle Brandon Scherff in 2014, who is also the Big Ten’s last Outland winner. Offensive tackle Robert Gallery (2003), tackle Alex Karras (1957) and guard Calvin Jones (1955) are other winners. Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs was a semifinalist in 2019. The last center to win the Outland came in 2005 from the Big Ten, Greg Eslinger of Minnesota.
The Outland Trophy is the third-oldest major college football award behind the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award. Created in 1946 when Dr. John Outland presented the FWAA with a financial contribution to initiate the award, the Outland Trophy has been given to the best interior lineman in college football ever since. Dr. Outland, an All-American at the University of Pennsylvania in the late 1890s, eventually took up practice in Kansas City, Mo. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Outland believed linemen did not get the credit they deserved and wanted an award to recognize them.
The Outland Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 24 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about our story.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.
Los Angeles, CA – The No.24 USC Trojans (4-0) overpowered the Dixie State Trailblazers (1-4) on Monday night in a 98-71 win to mark USC’s fifth 4-0 start in the last seven seasons.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
USC took a commanding 22-5 lead with 11:16 left in the first half.
Dixie State started to show some signs of life and tried to climb their way back in the game.
Trailblazer Cameron Gooden hit a step back jumper outside of the paint to cut the lead to 11 at halftime 47-36.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
USC head coach Andy Enfield discussed what caused his team’s defensive lapses near the end of the first half.
“I thought our defense was strong and then in the last five minutes in the half it really let down and they scored about 7 or 8 straight possessions to get back in the game. We subbed five at a time which we normally don’t do because we had the lead. I wanted to try to get our young guys in the game and see what they could do. We brought our starters back in the last seven minutes and that’s when the defensive lapses started. We expect more from our starters, but I think they fixed that in the second half and came out with an intensity and more communication to pull away.”
Out of the break, Dixie State cut the lead to ten 56-46 around the 17-minute mark.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
Coach Enfield explained the defensive adjustments made in the second half.
“We made some defensive mistakes that were uncharacteristic with a lot of switching,” said Coach Enfield. “We were supposed to be switching but we weren’t. They made it tough on us. I think our guys adjusted to that from about the 17-minute mark on to finish the game.”
Despite the shaky defense, it was clear that Dixie State posed zero threat to USC.
The Trojans shot 52.8% from the field and 37.5% from distance.
USC’s Max Agbonkpolo recorded a career-high 17 points.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
“It was very important to hit my shots tonight. It was getting in my head the first three games. My teammates said to keep shooting. Tonight, they went in, and it felt good. Defense and rebounding are big things for me,” said Agbonkpolo.
Five Trojans scored in double figures, Boogie Ellis (19), Max Agbonkpolo (17), Isaiah Mobley (14), Ethan Anderson (13), and Chevez Goodwin (12).
“We’ve been playing together for a long time. It’s great to show everyone it’s coming together,” said Agbonkpolo.
This game marked the first-ever meeting in basketball between the two schools.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
USC head coach Andy Enfield picked up his 202nd career win, and 161st win at USC.
The USC Trojans will compete in the Paycom Wooden Legacy tournament on Thursday, November 25th against Saint Joseph’s at 6:30 p.m. in Anaheim, CA.
DTR on the way to the endzone. Photo by Jevone Moore Full Image 360
SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 today announced its 2021 football season’s 12th weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva. See below for Week 12’s recognitions across the Conference and keep track of the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year watchlist here:
Second time that he has won this award, also winning it in Week Four of the 2019 season. It’s the second time a UCLA player has won this award this season with RB Zach Charbonnet taking it in Week One.
Accounted for six of the eight UCLA offensive touchdowns on the day in the 62-33 win over USC. Thompson-Robinson, who tossed four scoring passes in the game, completed his final 14 straight passing attempts in the contest while throwing for a season-high of 349 yards.
He averaged 21.8 yards per completion and 15.9 yards per passing attempt in the contest. On the game, he connected on 16 of 22 attempts overall.
Added 46 rushing yards on 11 carries for two more touchdowns and a total offense count of 395 yards for the day.
Thompson-Robinson piloted the offense to a season-high 609 yards and a 9.2 yards per play average for the game.
It was the most points ever scored by a Bruin team in the annual crosstown rivalry game.
Also nominated: B.J. Baylor, RB, Oregon State; Trevon Clark, WR, California; Tavion Thomas, RB, Utah; Max Borghi, RB, Washington State; Michael Wiley, RB, Arizona
DEFENSE: Jahad Woods, Gr., LB, Washington State (San Diego, CA)
Third time that Woods has won this award but the first since 2018 (also won in 2017). He’s the second Cougar to win this award this season, DB George Hicks III was honored in Week Six.
Recorded a game-high 12 tackles, 1.5 for loss, forced a fumble and picked off a pass in the Cougars’ 44-18 win over Arizona. Woods collected all 12 tackles in the second and third quarters as WSU outscored Arizona 30-10 in that span.
Sits at 8.73 tackles per game, second in the Pac-12. Woods ran his career tackles total to 415, third most among active FBS players and tops in the Pac-12 Conference.
His interception came in midway through the fourth quarter, sealing the victory with his first pick of the season.
Recorded 1.5 tackles-for-loss to push his career total to 36, passing Peyton Pelluer and Rien Long for seventh-most in WSU history.
Registered his fourth-straight double-digit tackle effort, fifth of the season and 16th of his career.
Also nominated: Lu-Magia Hearns III, CB, California; Cole Bishop, Safety, Utah; Quentin Lake, DB, UCLA; Kyrei Fisher, ILB, Oregon State; Carson Wells, OLB, Colorado; Kyle Soelle, LB, Arizona State
SPECIAL TEAMS: Britain Covey, Jr., WR/KR, Utah (Provo, UT)
Second time that Covey has won this award this season, having earned this honor in Week Three.
Returned two punts for 90 yards and two other kickoffs for 59 yards in No. 23 Utah’s win over No. 3 Oregon (Nov. 20). Covey had the highlight of the night with a 78-yard punt return touchdown as the first half expired. It was his second such score this season and fourth of his career.
Covey is the first Pac-12 player with multiple punt return touchdowns in a season since 2017, when both Dante Pettis (Washington; 4) and Shun Brown (Arizona; 2) accomplished the feat. Covey is just the fifth known player since 1937 with multiple 70-yard punt return touchdowns in a single season, and first since 2013. Covey’s 17.5 yard punt return average leads FBS.
Utah’s win over the third-ranked Ducks is the highest-ranked victory for Utah against an opponent ranked in the CFP. Against the AP poll, Utah’s win over Oregon (No. 4) was the highest ranked victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium and tied the highest overall AP-ranked victory in program history, matching a win over No. 4 Alabama in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Utah has two wins over AP-ranked opponents in 2021, the first such feat for the Utes since 2015.
The Utes have won at least a share of four Pac-12 South titles (2015, ’18, ’19, ’21) since joining the league in 2011.
Also nominated: Kazmeir Allen, WR/KR, UCLA; Joey Hobert, WR, Washington State; Chad Johnson Jr., WR, Arizona State
OFFENSIVE LINE: Ben Coleman, RS So., LG, California (Murrieta, CA)
First time a Cal player has won this award since it was created prior to the 2019 season.
Had the highest internal grade of Cal’s offensive lineman (90%) in a historic performance for the Golden Bears’ offense in a 41-11 victory at Stanford that was Cal’s biggest margin of victory in the Big Game since 2004. Cal’s offense produced a Big Game record 636 yards of total offense including 352 on the ground that was the most by the Bears in any game since Cal rushed for 431 yards against Washington on Dec. 6, 2008.
Coleman threw a key block to spring Marcel Dancy on a 76-yard touchdown run while the Bears became the first FBS team this season and the first Pac-12 team since 2014 to record three plays of 75 or more yards in a game. Dancy’s run was Cal’s longest since an 81-yard touchdown run by Brendan Bigelow at Ohio State in 2012.
Also had what Cal defines as four “above & beyond” plays.
First honor for Tafuna but he’s the second Ute to win this award this season with Van Fillinger selected in Week Four.
Turned in three tackles (1.5 sacks for 9 yards) during No. 23 Utah’s win over No. 3 Oregon (Nov. 20). First tackle of the game came just before halftime, putting Oregon in a fourth down situation. Britain Covey ultimately returned the punt 78 yards for a touchdown as the half expired.
Wrapped up Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown for a seven-yard sack on the third play of the third quarter. He was in on another sack with Zemaiah Vaughn as time ticked away late in the third period.
Now has 4.5 sacks on the season, leading all Pac-12 freshmen.
Also nominated: Mitchell Agude, DE, UCLA; Keonte Schad, DL, Oregon State
FRESHMAN: Lu-Magia Hearns III, Fr., CB, California (Pittsburg, CA)
First Cal player to win this award since it was created prior to the 2019 season.
Set the tone with his first career interception on Stanford’s second offensive play from scrimmage and finished with a career-high and Cal season-high five passes defended in the Golden Bears’ 41-11 win at Stanford that was their largest margin of victory in the Big Game since 2004.
Hearns’ five passes defended were tied for the third-most in the nation in a single game this season and the most by a Pac-12 player, while his four pass breakups were tied for fifth nationally and tied for first in the Pac-12. He also contributed three tackles.
Now second in the Pac-12 with 0.90 passes defended per game
Also nominated: Cole Bishop, Safety, Utah; Jayden de Laura, QB, Washington State; Jaxson Dart, QB, USC; Will Plummer, QB, Arizona; Eric Gentry, LB, Arizona State
Seattle, WA – The Kraken were finally able to snap their losing streak after a rebound victory against the Washington Capitals. A strong performance by the defensive units and Philipp Grubauer was aided by a three goal second period, giving Seattle two points and their fifth victory on the season.
Backed by the loud crowd within Climate Pledge arena, the Kraken were able to overcome another first period goal, this time by Tom Wilson. On a powerplay late in the opening period, Jaden Schwartz would find Jared McCann to equalize the game at one goal apiece. The Capitals would get a powerplay opportunity to start the second, but the Seattle defense would stand tall and hold Washington off the scoreboard. The Kraken response would be three goals in the span of seven minutes and 34 seconds.
Photo by Megan McConnelly / fi360 News
The first of those three would be a Jaden Schwartz tap in on a delayed penalty, with Philipp Grubauer pulled in exchange for another skater. Adam Larsson would follow that goal up with a tap in courtesy of the Yanni Gourde assist on a two on one situation. To add insurance, Calle Jarnkrok would score his first goal as a member of the Kraken with a blazing shot that would get past former Seattle goaltender Vitek Vanecek in the top right corner of the net for a 4-1 lead.
Alex Ovechkin would score with 16:51 to go in the third, bringing the game within two. Washington would get several opportunities to bring 2 themselves back, with icing calls and two power plays. The Seattle defensive lines and goaltender Philipp Grubauer would hold strong with several blocks from the defensemen and great saves by Grubauer. Yanni Gourde would add the finishing touch with an empty net goal as the clock went under 30 seconds, and the Kraken would be able to celebrate a win for the first time in seven games.
Photo by Megan McConnelly / fi360 News
The crowd was loud all night, supporting their team just like they had a few nights ago when the score was seven to zero. Head coach Dave Hakstol and several players spoke about the fans, as well as how it felt to get the bounce back win in the post-game press conference.
“The atmosphere in our building also stays with you, how much support we had two nights ago on a real crappy night and then to be able to come out tonight and do what we could to try to reward the people up there,” remarked Hakstol.
Starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer spoke about the support of the fans in Climate pledge through the bad and good moments so far this season, saying “We were down 7-0 and the fans cheered us on. And it’s incredible, like, I’ve been in places where they throw beer cans at you.”
Photo by Megan McConnelly / fi360 News
“I think it was a team effort. We did a lot of things right that we haven’t been doing, Grubi played unreal tonight, and we scored on our chances. I thought that we were pretty solidly defensively, penalty kill was good, we did a lot of good things today,” recalled defenseman Adam Larsson.
It was a game that did not seem like bounce back material on paper for the Kraken, playing the team with the third most points in the 3 league. A team that features Alex Ovechkin, a player that continues to make history and who already is one of the greatest to ever put on a pair of skates. Those factors, plus bringing a six-game losing streak to try and beat that team did not give Seattle good odds. Seattle came together as a group and took care of business, and this may be a win that we look at down the line as a stepping stone for greater team success.
Photo by Megan McConnelly / fi360 News
Seattle’s next game is Wednesday, November 24th against the Carolina Hurricanes at Climate Pledge arena with a 7PM PST puck drop.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 20: UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans on November 20, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Los Angeles, CA – The victory bell is headed to Westwood. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson passed for 349 yards and four touchdowns with two rushing touchdowns in a dominating 62-33 win over crosstown rival USC on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“It means everything,” Thompson-Robinson said. “They had our tails the last two times we played, and to really hang it up on them this time and get that win out on their turf means something special.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 20: UCLA Bruins running back Kazmeir Allen (19) during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans on November 20, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
The 62 points scored by UCLA today were its most in the history of the series. The previous high in points USC had allowed to UCLA was 48 in a double-overtime loss in 1996 (48-41).
USC dropped to 4-6 (3-5) and UCLA improved to 7-4 (5-3). The Trojans must win their next two games to become bowl eligible. True freshman Jaxson Dart got his first career start for USC and finished 27 of 47 for 325 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
“They capitalized on a lot of mistakes that we made today and we didn’t capitalize on the mistakes they made,” USC interim head coach Donte Williams said. “We came
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 20: USC Trojans head coach Donte Williams during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans on November 20, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
out and got two turnovers in the first quarter but got no points out of it. The kickoff return to the house in the second half, just different things like that, that every time momentum swung in our way, they did things to all of a sudden swing it back in theirs.”
On the Trojans opening possession, Dart led a 10-play, 63-yard drive that led to a 29-yard field goal. Two dropped passes in the red zone hurt the Trojans. After throwing two interceptions, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson put the Bruins on the board with a 45-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Kazmeir Allen.
USC came right back on Vavae Malepeai’s 7-yard touchdown run to give the Trojans a 10-7 lead with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. UCLA took the lead back after Thompson-Robinson connected with Kyle Philips for a 23-yard touchdown.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 20: UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans on November 20, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
UCLA took a 21-10 lead when Thompson-Robinson launched a 58-yard touchdown pass to Allen. After forcing a punt, UCLA capped a 5-play, 69-yard drive with a Thompson-Robinson 4-yard touchdown run to give the Bruins a 28-10 lead.
With just over two minutes left in the first half, USC drove down the field and Malepeai scored from four yards out to cut the UCLA lead 28-17. UCLA opened the third quarter with a Thompson Robinson 11-yard touchdown pass to Philips for a 35-17 lead.
The Trojans went on a 16-play drive but settled for a 23-yard field goal after failing to get into the end zone. USC had 1st and goal from the one and couldn’t score a touchdown. After forcing a punt, Dart hit Gary Bryant Jr. in stride for a 44-yard touchdown. USC trailed 35-26 with 2:09 left in the third quarter.
Just when momentum seemed to shift towards the Trojans, Allen returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and a 42-26 UCLA lead. Zach Charbonnet added a touchdown in the fourth quarter and Thompson-Robinson leaped over a defender to score on a 15-yard run to give UCLA a commanding 55-33 lead.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 20: UCLA Bruins linebacker Mitchell Agude (45) and losses his helmet during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans on November 20, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
“I always take personal satisfaction in every game we win,” UCLA head coach Chip Kelly said. “You watch how hard these players work and what they put in
during the week, and what it means for them. The way they prepared all week long and then to see it come to fruition on Saturday is just an awesome deal. We were really excited as a group, you look at the enthusiasm and the energy and the
juice this team has, they’re a lot of fun to be around.”
USC will host BYU next Saturday while UCLA hosts Cal in their season finale.
The No. 18 Pittsburgh Panthers clinched the ACC Coastal title on Saturday evening with a 48-38 home win over the Virginia Cavaliers.
Photo by Edward Thompson / fi360 News
“Wow,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi opened the postgame press conference. “What a ball game. I couldn’t be prouder of our football team. Not an easy game. Good football team, but our guys hung in there from the first minute to the 60th minute.”
Pitt went scoreless in the first quarter but got a touchdown early in the second with an 11-yard pass from redshirt senior quarterback Kenny Pickett to sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison. They proved to be a strong duo, recording four touchdowns together throughout the night.
Not a bad Senior Day for Pickett, who completed 26 of 41 passes for 340 yards. It was also a pretty good day for Addison, a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, an honor given to the top receiver in college football. He recorded 202 yards on Saturday.
Photo by Edward Thompson / fi360 News
The Panthers finished the first half with a slight 24-21 lead over Virginia. The game remained close as both teams registered 10 points in the third quarter, so it came down to the last 15 minutes.
A 1-yard rush by freshman running back Rodney Hammond Jr. put Pitt ahead when the clock read 9:43 in the last period. However, Virginia was quick to reply. When the scoreboard showed 9:18 left, a pass from the Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong reached senior wide receiver Ra’Shaun Henry for a 39-yard touchdown.
Pitt’s defense stopped the visitor team from scoring again. A 62-yard pass from Pickett to Addison became the last touchdown of the night with 2:10 left on the clock.
Photo by Edward Thompson / fi360 News
“Another gutsy performance for Kenny Pickett, him and Jordan Addison,” Narduzzi said. “Maybe they’re a tie for the Heisman. If Jordan Addison didn’t get the Biletnikoff today, I don’t know who does.”
This win secured Pitt’s spot in the ACC championship game on Dec. 4, which will take place in Charlotte, N.C. against a still undetermined winner of the Atlantic division.
Pitt will play its last game of the regular season on the road against Syracuse on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Photo by Edward Thompson / fi360 News
“Coastal champions, that is really not what our goal is. It’s to be ACC champions,” Narduzzi said. “But we have unfinished business with Syracuse next weekend, then we all head to Charlotte.”
Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken losing streak extended to six games with a loss at home to the Colorado Avalanche this Friday.
It was known that this would be a tough game for the Kraken, as Colorado were betting favorites to win the Stanley cup this offseason. This is yet another loss that can be attributed to defensive breakdowns, a slow start, and an inability to finish. Those three issues have played a big role when it comes to why Seattle has lost 13 of 17, and are in desperate need of a bounce back.
While Seattle was able to capitalize on the power play late and net their first two goals of the game because of it, the Kraken are still searching for a way to score in the opening period. The Avalanche were able to score twice in the first period, with Seattle being a few inches away from getting on the scoreboard and keeping pace. Good saves by Colorado goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who was brought in to replace Philipp Grubauer, unlucky misses and poor finishing continue to haunt the Kraken.
Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News
Speaking of Grubauer, the German born goaltender did not start in goal against his former team in this game. It would be Chris Driedger, who has now been deemed fully healthy, who would get the nod. When asked about the decision to not play Grubauer against his former team, head coach Dave Hakstol had this to say “That’s always something that we look at. Ultimately, the decision is based off of what’s right for the team. What’s right in terms of schedule, performance, and everything else that comes into play.”
The goaltenders have been a hot topic of discussion for the Kraken, particularly the play of Philipp Grubauer. Many fans have said that Grubauer has been the reason that Seattle has been losing games, but as can be seen coming out of this game, the defensive issues run deeper than the man in net. In the postgame press conference, Colin Blackwell was asked about the play of the goaltenders and stated “Those guys work their asses off. It has nothing to do with them… I respect the hell out of those guys.”
Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News
If Seattle wants to turn things around and get back on the winning track, then it will take a huge effort. Seattle faces Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Sunday November 17th, and Washington ranks third in the league in points. Their next few after that? Second place Carolina, 11th place Tampa Bay, and first place Florida. Things will not get easier for Seattle, so the Kraken will have to do some serious self-improvement work to get back on the victory trail.
San Pedro, CA – The San Pedro Pirates (10-1) handed the Palisades Dolphins (11-1) their first loss of the season on Friday night 33-17 to advance to the City Section Open Division Championship against Birmingham, the 2019 defending champions.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
San Pedro Head Coach Corey Miller shared his experience competing in the semi-finals and moving on to the Championship next week.
“In my experience, the semis have always been the toughest. To get to a final is just an awesome feeling. But like I just told the boys, we have unfinished work to do. We can’t be satisfied with this. They gotta give us six more days of grind and find a way to get it done.”
The Pirates forced five turnovers and were able to capitalize from their defensive pressure.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
San Pedro senior Elijah Thorp scored a pick six at the opening drive of the second quarter to lead 13-0.
“They got a good quarterback and a good group of receivers over there, so we practiced all week-long pass defense wise. We had to generate a pass rush at times, and I think our defense played well overall,” said Coach Miller.
Lightning bolt Chris Nixon juked his way down the field for a 35-yard touchdown carry to extend the lead to 20-10 at the half.
Senior quarterback Aidan Jackson zipped it to the fearless Robert Sarmiento for a 25-yard touchdown pass to go up 27-17 in the third quarter.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
Palisades was still in striking distance, but not for long.
Senior Kejuan Bullard leaped in the air for an interception with 8:59 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
In the very next play, Chris Nixon caught a touchdown in the endzone for the final score of the game 33-17.
As the clock struck zero, San Pedro celebrated their victory.
Coach Miller commented on playing Birmingham in the final.
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News
“It’s just great to be there whoever we get to play. Birmingham is really the defending City Champs. They knocked us out in the playoffs back in 2019, so I think that’s going to be some motivation for us. At least I hope so. They got a quality ball club over there so we’re going to really have to bring our A-game.”
The battle for the City Section Open Division Championship title between the San Pedro Pirates and the Birmingham Patriots is scheduled for next Saturday, November 27th at 7 p.m. at Pierce College.
