65.5 F
Los Angeles, CA
Friday, June 26, 2026
Home Blog Page 82

LINCOLN RILEY NAMED USC FOOTBALL HEAD COACH

By
Press Release
-
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 11: pre game fireworks at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

LOS ANGELES–Lincoln Riley, one of college football’s most successful young coaches who won 85 percent of his games in five seasons at Oklahoma and led the Sooners to four Big 12 titles and four New Year’s Six bowls with three College Football Playoff appearances, has been named the head coach at USC, athletic director Mike Bohn announced today (Nov. 28). 

Lincoln Riley Named USC Trojans Head Football Coach

“We are ecstatic to announce Lincoln Riley as our new head coach and welcome his wife Caitlin and their daughters Sloan and Stella to the Trojan Family,” said Bohn. “Lincoln is the rarest combination of extraordinary person and elite football coach. His successes and offensive accolades as a head coach the past five years are astonishing. Lincoln will recruit relentlessly, develop his players on and off the field, and implement a strong culture in which the program will operate with the highest level of integrity and professionalism.  

“Lincoln is universally considered one of the brightest and most talented football coaches in the nation, and the fact that he chose USC is a testament to the strength of our brand, the power of the Trojan Family, and the leadership of our university. This is for our current players, our former players, our alumni, our fans, and our entire university community. Our time is now.” 

Said Riley:  “I am truly excited to come to USC and join the Trojan Family as its new head football coach.  USC has an unparalleled football tradition with tremendous resources and facilities, and the administration has made a deep commitment to winning.  I look forward to honoring that successful tradition and building on it.  The pieces are in place for us to build the program back to where it should be and the fans expect it to be.  We will work hard to develop a physical football team that is dominant on both lines of scrimmage, and has a dynamic balanced offense and a stout aggressive defense. 

“I want to thank the administration, coaches and players at Oklahoma for five incredible years as their head coach.  We accomplished some great things there and I will always cherish my time as a Sooner.” 

“Lincoln Riley is the perfect choice for our new head coach,” USC President Carol L. Folt said. “He is known for caring about the development and character of his players and winning at the highest level. Mike Bohn and I share a vision for the future of USC Athletics and hiring Coach Riley is a huge statement about where we are going as a program. I cannot wait to welcome Coach Riley and his family to Los Angeles and the Trojan Family.” 

Riley will immediately transition to USC.  Donte Williams will remain USC’s interim head coach for the final week of the 2021 season, including this Saturday’s (Dec. 4) game at California. 

Information on Riley’s introductory press conference, tentatively scheduled for Monday (Nov. 29) at 3 p.m. PT, will be forthcoming. 

The 38-year-old Riley posted a 55-10 overall record in his five years (2017-21) at Oklahoma for an impressive .846 winning percentage.  His Sooners were 37-7 (.841) in league play and won Big 12 championships in his first four years there as he became the first person to win outright Football Bowl Subdivision conference crowns in each of his first four seasons as a collegiate head coach.  He set Oklahoma records for most victories in his first two (24), three (36) and four (45) seasons, breaking marks held by Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops. 

After serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two of the most prolific offenses in OU’s history, Riley took over as the Sooners’ head coach in 2017 when Stoops retired.  He was the youngest FBS head coach (33) at the time of his hiring.  He also coached the OU quarterbacks and called the offensive plays while serving as head coach, running a balanced offensive attack. 

Riley led his initial Oklahoma squad to a 12-2 overall record in 2017, becoming just the fifth FBS coach with no previous head coaching experience at a four-year college to win at least 12 games in his debut season.  The Sooners won the Big 12 title by going 8-1, played in the CFP semifinal in the Rose Bowl and finished third in the final AP poll.  Quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy that season, along with the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, Manning, Walter Camp Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year Awards, and was the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.  Tight end Mark Andrews won the 2017 Mackey Award. 

Oklahoma was again 12-2 overall and 8-1 while winning the Big 12 championships in 2018 and 2019.  He was the Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year in 2018.  Quarterback Kyler Murray won the 2018 Heisman Trophy, O’Brien Award and Manning Award, was the AP Player of the Year and was the No. 1 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, while quarterback Jalen Hurts was the Heisman runner-up in 2019.  The Sooners appeared in the Orange Bowl in 2018 and Peach Bowl in 2019, both CFP semifinals.  OU was fourth in the final AP poll in 2018 and seventh in 2019. 

In the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Oklahoma went 9-2 overall, won the Big 12 at 6-2, beat Florida in the Cotton Bowl and was sixth in the final AP poll. 

In 2021, the Sooners were 10-2 in the just-completed regular season, tied for second in the Big 12 standings at 7-2 and are ranked 13th by AP. 

Riley spent 2015 and 2016 as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  He won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach in 2015 when his offense ranked seventh nationally in total offense.  In 2016, receiver Dede Westbrook won the Biletnikoff Award and was fourth in the Heisman voting, while running back Joe Mixon set the OU season all-purpose yardage record (2,331 yards) and fellow running back Samaje Perine set the school career rushing mark (4,122 yards). 

Riley came to Oklahoma after five seasons (2010-14) as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at East Carolina.  He added the title of assistant head coach in 2014.  The Pirates, running a spread offensive scheme, set more than 50 team and individual school offensive records during his time there.  His squads had the top five passing seasons in school history and top four total offense marks.  In 2014, ECU set a school season mark with 6,929 yards of total offense.  East Carolina appeared in the national Top 10 in such categories as passing and scoring offense, third down conversion percentage and red zone scoring efficiency.   

His Pirate wide receivers Justin Hardy and Zay Jones became the most productive pass catchers in FBS history.  Hardy caught an NCAA record 387 career passes for 4,541 yards (including a trio of 1,000-yard seasons).  Jones, who Riley coached for the first two years of his career, went on to break Hardy’s mark with 399 career receptions. 

East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis was the 2010 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year and set school records for career completions and TD passes.  He completed an NCAA record 36 consecutive passes in 2011.  He was succeeded by Shane Carden, who broke many of Davis’ record.  Carden set ECU season marks for passing yards (4,736 in 2014) and completion percentage (.705 in 2013) and was the Conference USA MVP in 2013 followed by the American Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2014. 

Riley was on the football and track teams at Muleshoe (Tex.) High, a West Texas town of 5,000.  He was a walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech in the spring and summer of 2003 before starting his coaching career as a student assistant there under head coach Mike Leach for three seasons (2003-05), working with the offense.   

He became an offensive graduate assistant at Texas Tech in 2006, then joined the Red Raiders’ fulltime staff as the wide receivers coach in 2007 and the inside wide receivers coach in 2008 and 2009.  In 2009, he called plays as the interim offensive coordinator in the Alamo Bowl, producing 579 yards of offense.  His wide receiver Michael Crabtree won the 2007 Biletnikoff Award while establishing Big 12 and NCAA freshman records with 134 receptions for 1,962 yards, while fellow wideout Danny Amendola also had a 100-catch, 1,000-yard season in 2007.  The Red Raiders played in a bowl in each of his seven seasons and Tech quarterbacks won NCAA passing titles in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.   

Riley received his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science from Texas Tech in 2006. 

He was born on Sept. 5, 1983, in Lubbock, Tex.  He and his wife, Caitlin, have two daughters, Sloan and Stella.  His younger brother, Garrett, is the offensive coordinator at SMU after previously coaching at Appalachian State, Kansas, East Carolina and Augustana College and playing quarterback at Texas Tech and Stephen F. Austin. 

USC comeback bid falls short in loss to No. 13 BYU

By
Eric Ramos
-
LOS ANGELES, CA -NOVEMBER 27: Brigham Young Cougars running back Jackson McChesney (21) during a college football game between the BYU Cougars and the USC Trojans on November 27, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

Los Angeles, CA – USC trailed by four points when they drove to the BYU 15-yard line with a minute left in the game. Jaxson Dart’s pass to Gary Bryant Jr. was a yard short on fourth and six with 38 seconds remaining. 

The Trojans erased a 15-point deficit but came up short on its final drive in a 35-31 loss to No. 13 BYU on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

LOS ANGELES, CA -NOVEMBER 27: USC Trojans running back Darwin Barlow (22) during a college football game between the BYU Cougars and the USC Trojans on November 27, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

“Ultimately we didn’t get the final outcome that we wanted,” said USC interim coach Donte Williams. “The kids fought extremely hard tonight. We battled back from mistakes that we made and made it a ballgame up to the last play of the ballgame. We fought hard all night and created turnovers, we ran the ball the way I would like for us to run the ball and controlled at the line of scrimmage.”

USC lost five of its last six games and has been eliminated from bowl contention. Dart finished 23 of 45 for 248 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.

Bryant Jr. gave the Trojans good field position after he returned the opening kickoff 61yards to the BYU 35-yard line. USC can’t get into the end zone and settle for a 26-yard field goal. 

BYU responded with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jaren Hall to Puka Nacua for a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. The Cougars opened the second quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run by Tyler Allgeier to extend the lead 14-3. 

USC came right back with a 6-yard run by Jaxson Dart on a fumbled snap to cut the lead 14-10. Allgeier scored his second touchdown of the game on a 5-yard run to give BYU a 21-10 lead. The Trojans added a field goal right before halftime to cut the lead 21-13. 

LOS ANGELES, CA -NOVEMBER 27: USC Trojans running back Vavae Malepeai (6) during a college football game between the BYU Cougars and the USC Trojans on November 27, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

The Cougars took a 28-13 lead in the third quarter when Hall hit Keanu Hill for a 41-yard touchdown. USC scored 18 unanswered points to take a 31-28 lead in the fourth quarter. 

Vavae Malepeai scored on a 2-yard run and Parker Lewis added a 37-yard field goal. USC took the lead on Dart’s 10-yard pass to Bryant Jr. followed by a successful two-point conversion. 

“I’m proud of the guys,” said Malepeai, who finished with 99 yards in his final home game. “This was a really emotional game, but I felt like we were able to stay level-headed throughout the calls. As an offense, we fed off of the defensive plays and that gave us momentum coming into a drive.”

LOS ANGELES, CA -NOVEMBER 27: USC Trojans running back Darwin Barlow (22) during a college football game between the BYU Cougars and the USC Trojans on November 27, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

Jackson McChesney scored on a 7-yard run to give BYU a 35-31 ldad with 3:57 left in the game. The Cougars finish the season 10-2 while the Trojans have one game remaining against Cal next Saturday. 

“It was looking pretty bad, but once we regained our composure, I was confident we could come back and get the win,” BYU head coach Kelani Sitake said.  “USC was bringing a lot of physicality to the game.”

Bruins Dominate In Style In Season Finale

By
Manny Nunez
-
Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360

Pasadena, CA – How much does finishing a season 8-4 mean to a college football team?
UCLA may not be going to a fancy bowl game. But with how frustrating their last three seasons have been, 8-4 means so much for this program.

They had that chance to finish with that record needing to take care of Cal. Not only did they control every aspect of the game, but they had fun doing so in their 42-14 win that sealed their regular season on a tremendous high note.

Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360


“I think our kids have done a really nice job,” Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said. “We talked about it in November – you have to practice well and these guys have really practiced well. You have to pay attention to detail. Proud of the effort they’ve put in all season long. Navigated a few injuries early, but
came out of it and affirmed – what they did today against that team, that team had over 600 yards of offense last week against Stanford. It was a challenge for our defense all week long, I thought our defense played outstanding today.”


Things were a bit sour for UCLA to start their game off. Cal took advantage of a kickoff return blunder in the second quarter as Kazmier Allen muffs the catch and had Cal recover. The Bears end up scoring six plays later, knocking down a quick 14 unanswered points.


Since that score, the Bruins end up with unanswered on their own. In the process, UCLA’s defense were hungry for as many stops as they could collect, allowing just 66 yards in the second half. The offense wanted to return the favor, and they had done so with the passing and rushing game taking off at will.

HOF Jonathan Ogden stands with Martin Jarmond. Photo by Jevone Moore


“On the defensive side, we’ve had a lot of momentum in the month of November,” UCLA cornerback Quentin Lake said. “We had a big shutout in the second half against Colorado, came out and had multiple turnovers and successful drives against USC, and then tonight held Cal, who [had] 600 total
yards of offense last week against Stanford. We just kept the ball rolling, just locking in on every play, running to the ball, all the fundamentals. I think when you lock in on the defensive fundamentals on the defensive side, you can do your job, you’ll have shutout games or low-scoring games.”


In the end, Dorian Thompson Robinson finished 19 for 28 with three total touchdowns in the air. Zach Charbonnet and Kazmir Allen added for the bulk of rushing game with a touchdown each on the ground. Thomspon Robinson also managed over 100 yards rushing for the night.

Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360


“I think focus, playing each play as its own individual play and not trying to focus on the end result which is obviously scoring or getting a 3-and-out on defense,” Thompson Robinson said. “When you focus on each individual play, you can consistently be locked in.”


Over the first three seasons under Chip Kelly, the Bruins were always on the short end in many contests. Last season had some hope an in each loss they ended up in the losing side of tight games. While most of the Bruins team returned for some unfinished business, experience was practically all what UCLA to flip the season to their liking.


Their offensive dominance was in full force all season. Thompson Robinson became the sixth bruin to finish a season with over 3000 total offensive yards. Charbonnet also leads the Pac-12 with seven 100 yard rushing games, including tonight. The Michigan transfer wanted more touches to prove its
dominance, and the response was welcomed with open arms.

Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360


Their season at the end means so much for this Bruins program. Their last game, unlike the last three seasons, will extend through December and will await the decision from the bowl committee where they will end up.

Birmingham Defeats San Pedro in City Section Open Division Final

By
Brianne Ingram
-
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

Woodland Hills, CA – The Birmingham Patriot’s (8-5) swarming defense propelled them over the San Pedro Pirates (10-2) to take home the City Section Open Division Championship title with a 24-14 victory at Pierce College on Saturday night.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

Birmingham head coach Jim Rose commented on being named back-to-back champions.

“It feels great. The last time we were back-to-back champs was 06’-07’ with those great teams and these kids are trying to make their own mark. We get the opportunity to go to State, and hopefully we can pull that off.”

Birmingham struck first in the first quarter with a 25-yard touchdown reception by a wide-open Peyton Waters at the 3:12 mark to lead 7-0.

Senior quarterback David Jordan-Oliveros threw a perfectly thrown pass right up the middle to senior Arlis Boardingham for a 41-yard catch to the house.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

Birmingham held San Pedro scoreless in the first half 14-0.

Coach Rose discussed his team’s defensive intensity.

“We had a great run in the Open Division playoffs. We held two shutouts prior to this, so we went ten straight quarters without giving up a point in the open division and that’s huge right there. Monty Barnes and Carlos, they led us on defense tonight.”

Boardingham was unstoppable. He scored a 10-yard catch to stretch the lead to 21-0 with 6:57 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

Boardingham reflected on winning the championship and being doubted throughout the season.

“I believe it’s great. We were doubted coming in. We were doubted the whole season. They didn’t believe in us. I feel like this is just a great story to show how to formulate a team, going down 0-5 the first five games and coming back to win a championship. It means a lot.”

San Pedro’s Chris Nixon put the Pirates on the board at the end of the third quarter.

Nixon leaped in the air for a 3-yard touchdown reception to trail 21-7 going into the final period.

San Pedro’s crowd was chanting “defense” at the top of the fourth quarter to hype their team up for the final twelve minutes of the game, but Birmingham was able to close it out for the win.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

On the final play of the game, San Pedro rushed the line as Birmingham took a knee resulting in an injured Birmingham quarterback Jordan-Oliveros.

“It was a(n) [expletive] play. You don’t do something like that at the end of a game,” said Coach Rose.

Jordan-Oliveros highlighted how his coaches prepared their team for a game of this magnitude.

“They honestly prepared us the only way they could. The Patriot way. It’s one of my favorite sayings. It’s a great day to be a Patriot. I’m always going to live by it. Honestly, we’re just a big family and we just attack like Patriots when we need to.”

Boardingham embraces the trophy. (Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News)

Boardingham shared his thoughts on the team’s run for a State title.

“It’s spectacular. I couldn’t have asked for a better season right now. The only thing left I need is State. I love these guys so much and they played their heart out for me and for everybody else.”

Oregon clinched their third straight Pac-12 Conference Championship appearance

By
Bryce Viglione
-
Photo by Megan Connelly /fi360 News

“Oregon clinches 3rd straight Pac-12 Championship appearance after defeating in-state rival Oregon State”

EUGENE, OR – Coming off a heartbreaking loss that crushed Oregon’s College Football Playoff hopes, the Ducks still had plenty to play for Saturday when they hosted in-state rival Oregon State for their 125th meeting. After fighting off a late comeback, the Ducks claimed the state and clinched their third straight Pac-12 Conference Championship appearance defeating the Beavers 38-29.

Photo by Megan Connelly /fi360 News

Oregon dominated early, heading into the half with a 24-3 lead after impressive performances by quarterback Anthony Brown and running back Travis Dye. Dye struck first for the Ducks on a 20-yard run on the opening drive giving them an early 7-0 lead.

Anthony Brown then found Devon Williams on a 50-yard touchdown, and was the star of the game finishing with 358 all purpose yards and 3 total touchdowns.

Oregon State almost mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter where they scored two touchdowns in less than two minutes. Running back B.J. Baylor cut the lead to 16 points with a 2-yard touchdown run, and after recovering an onside kick quarterback Chance Nolan found Trevon Bradford for a 15-yard touchdown which made it a 10 point game at 31-21. 

Photo by Megan Connelly /fi360 News

The Ducks scored their final touchdown with 3:17 remaining thanks to a 31-yard touchdown run by Byron Cardwell that set Travis Dye up with an easy 2-yard touchdown which would prove to be too much for the Beavers to overcome. 

Oregon will head to Las Vegas to compete for the Pac-12 Championship next Friday, December 3rd at 5 PM PST.

Venice Gondos 2021 City DI Football Championship

By
Tony Jones
-
Photo by Full Image 360

Down on the football field at Birmingham Charter High School last night, Venice High School head coach Angelo Gasca was the center of attention from his players, alumni, fans, parents and well-wishers.

Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360


  That was the scene after Venice (8-3) defeated Canoga Park, 36-9, for its first-ever Los Angeles City Section championship.


  Gasca been waiting for this shining moment for about 30 years or so. After all, he was a standout quarterback at Venice in his high school years, eventually becoming a successful head coach of a winning program that has sent many players to college.


  Led by junior wide receiver Robert Lamar’s three-touchdown performance, Venice led 14-3 at the half, only to increase it to 29-9 after the third quarter to put the game away. 

Robert Lamar #2 (Photo by Jevone Moore)


   Typically, Gasca’s Venice teams consisted of high scoring teams featuring highly productive Division I quarterbacks and wide receivers. 


   Under Gasca, his Venice teams are often championship contenders, dominating the Western League during the regular season. However, the bigger and stronger South Bay teams would usher Venice toward the exit door from the playoffs.

But last night, Venice had the right recipe for victory. It used several big plays on offense and defense, blending in a ball-control attack that kept Canoga Park’s potent running attack, led by senior Kayden Collins, off the field. 

Rashawn Jackson on his way to the endzone. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

  Venice’s Rashawn Jackson and Jamier Flowers provided Venice’s other touchdowns.

  Last week, Collins rushed for more than 400 yards in the semifinal win over Dorsey. Last night, he scored on a 44-yard run that closed the gap to 22-9, but he couldn’t bring the Hunters any closer. He finished with 116 yards on 25 carries for the game and finished the year with 2,400-plus yards.  

Kayden Collins turns the corner for extra yards. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Lacking a potent passing attack, Canoga Park tried to cobble together a comeback attempt, but the Venice defense rose to the occasion each time.      To make matters worse, Canoga Park’s junior running back Dane Reed, the team’s second leading rusher, was injured in the first half and never returned.

Cougars beat Huskies 40-13, winning their first Apple Cup since 2012

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Photo by Jerry Kelly / fi360 News

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)

Kraken upset Hurricanes in low scoring thriller

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Photo by Maddy Grassy / 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.

FWAA names Outland Trophy Finalists

By
Press Release
-

2021 OUTLAND TROPHY FINALISTS UNVEILED
Three standout interior linemen tabbed by FWAA

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.

USC Overpowers Dixie State to Mark Fifth 4-0 Start

By
Brianne Ingram
-
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

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.

1...818283...205Page 82 of 205

Recent Stories

Full Image 360

Full Image 360

Follow us on Instagram @fullimage360/

fi360 News
Contact us: editor@fi360news.com

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

© @fi360News powered by Full Image 360