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Pac-12 Football Performance Awards presented by Nextiva – Week 12

By
Press Release
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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:

OFFENSE:  Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Sr., QB, UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)

  • 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

Check out the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist, presented by Nextiva, to learn more. 

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.

Also nominated:  Brandon Kipper, OL, Oregon State; Sataoa Laumea, RG, Utah; Abe Lucas, OT, Washington State; Paiton Fears, RT, Arizona; Kary Kutsch, LG, Colorado

DEFENSIVE LINE:  Junior Tafuna, Fr., DT, Utah (Taylorsville, UT)

  • 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

Kraken get huge bounce back 5-2 win over Capitals

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Megan McConnelly / fi360 News

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.

UCLA rolls past USC with a 62-33 win

By
Eric Ramos
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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. 

Pickett and Addison lead No. 18 Pitt to ACC Coastal title

By
Isabel Gonzalez
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Photo by Edward Thompson / fi360 News

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.”

Kraken buried by Avalanche in brutal 7-3 loss

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

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.

Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

San Pedro Hands Palisades First Loss of Season to Advance to Open Division Final

By
Brianne Ingram
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Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

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.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

2021 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY FINALISTS UNVEILED

By
Press Release
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Photo by Jevone Moore

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FWAA) – Three finalists for the 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy representing the top three teams in the current College Football Playoff rankings and two conferences were named Wednesday by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club as candidates for the award honoring the nation’s top defensive player. One finalist’s team has already clinched a spot in a conference championship game and the two others can clinch spots with wins on Saturday.

In alphabetical order, the finalists are Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy recipient will be chosen from these three finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s entire membership, selects the defensive player of the year who is part of the 2021 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet presented by LendingTree on Mon., Dec. 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Here is a look at the 2021 finalists:

Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama (#31, 6-4, 243, So., Hampton, Ga.): Last season’s FWAA Freshman Player of the Year is the cog in an Alabama (9-1) defense that is fourth nationally in rushing defense giving up just 83.5 yards per game. Anderson is versatile in “affecting the quarterback,” a non-statistical term but a favorite of head coach Nick Saban when talking with the media. A beast in the backfield, he leads the nation in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (23.0) and has been credited by the Alabama coaching staff with a team-high 34 quarterback pressures. Only Derrick Thomas (1987-88) and Wallace Gilberry (2007) have better single-season sack and TFL numbers in Crimson Tide history. Anderson was the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week on Oct. 16 following a 4.0-sack game at Mississippi State, the most since Thomas did it in 1988, and has had at least one sack in 7 of 10 games. His 67 tackles (36 solo), second on the team, include and at least 1.0 TFL in nine of 10 games.  Alabama’s previous Bronko Nagurski winner was defensive end Jonathan Allen in 2016, and the Crimson Tide have had finalists now in nine of the last 11 seasons, most recently nose guard Quinnen Williams in 2018.

Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia (#99, 6-6, 340, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.): Davis is credited with being the most dominant defensive tackle in college football for top-ranked Georgia (10-0). The Bulldogs own the nation’s second-best total defense, giving up 247.0 yards per game and, with Davis anchoring the interior line, own the nation’s second-best rushing defense (78.1 ypg). Georgia is the national scoring defense leader (7.6 ppg) by more than a touchdown and has not given up more than 17 points in any game. Davis first garnered attention in Week 1 when he earned the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week honor with three tackles and a sack as Georgia held Clemson to two rushing yards in a 10-3 win. Double-teamed and avoided in the middle, Davis’ 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks don’t pop off the stat sheet. But nobody has been able to run past Davis and the attention he commands opens opportunities for other players, as linebackers Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall and safety Lewis Cine are each having All-America caliber seasons. Georgia is well represented in Bronko Nagurski Trophy history. The Bulldogs have now had a finalist in three of the last five seasons (safety J.R. Reed in 2019 and linebacker Roquan Smith in 2017), seven finalists overall, and one previous winner in Champ Bailey from 1998.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon (#5, 6-5, 258, Soph., Los Angeles, Calif.): Thibodeaux is perhaps the hottest defender in the nation and the first Bronko Nagurski finalist for Oregon (9-1) since defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in 2005. The pass rush specialist lists as a linebacker but usually plays standing up on the defensive front. Thibodeaux had 26 quarterback pressures in the four games leading into last weekend and owns a 91.2 pass-rush grade from PFF, ninth-best among FBS edge defenders. He added two sacks last week against Washington State, and despite losing two early-season games to injury, leads Oregon with 6.0 sacks and has 35 total tackles, fifth-best on the Ducks. Thibodeaux was the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week for Oct. 23 when he had a career-high nine tackles, 4.5 TFL’s and two sacks in a win over UCLA. Oregon has never had a Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

The Bronko Nagurski 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 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.

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.

About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated nearly $3 million to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.

About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree is the nation’s leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, by comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search and choosing the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards, insurance and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers’ credit accounts against offers on their network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. LendingTree’s purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

Kraken comeback falls short in 4-2 loss to Blackhawks

By
Charles Hamaker
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Photo by Maddy Grassy / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken fell to the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-2 on Wednesday contest. The Kraken would battle another member of the NHL’s “original six” in the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that has been surrounded by controversy this season. With that being said, Chicago has been playing better after a poor start, and that trend would continue in Seattle. The Blackhawks held a three-goal lead late into the third period, putting the nail in the coffin with 26 seconds left to play via open net goal.

Period 1

Centers Yanni Gourde and Jared McCann were credited with the goals from tonight’s loss, both coming within the final six minutes of the game. The McCann goal was a product of chaos in front of the net, disrupting Chicago goaltender Marc Andre Fleury and creating a distraction big enough to give McCann a great look. Seattle would carry that momentum into the Gourde goal, but it would all came far too late for Seattle.

Some of the worrying trends for this team were showcased once again in this game, including starting slow and not being able to score in outside of power play situations. Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann, and HC Dave Hakstol spoke on those issues in the post-game press conference.

“We can’t hope that we’re going to get back in games in the last minute,” a frustrated Gourde stated. “I thought we looked good on the six on five, but we have to start figuring out how to score goals five on five.”

“Obviously we need to have better starts, we can’t be chasing the game the whole time. For some reason we start to play better when we’re behind,” remarked McCann. “It’s definitely frustrating. We know it, we see it on the video, there’s no other way to put it. It’s frustrating and we need to clean it up.”

Photo by Maddy Grassy / fi360 News

“Tonight, really wasn’t a slow start, we gave up one outnumbered in the period, it was an elite play. I think they skated better in the first, I don’t think it was a poor period by us, but the end result was that we were down by one,” Hakstol said. Hakstol took a different viewpoint to the teams start then both McCann and Gourde did, citing the shots on goal that the team was able to generate as compared to Chicagos.

Defensive breakdowns, inability to finish, and slow starts are three main things that you can see in all of the Kraken losses this season. Seattle must figure out how to take advantage of the barrage of shots they put on opposing goaltenders’ night in and night out. Getting off to better starts is another crucial point, as it is hard to play every game down by a few goals and effectively being in catch-up mode.

With the loss, the Kraken drop to a record of 4-11-1 and remain at eighth in the Pacific division. On a five-game losing streak, their next contest takes place against the Colorado Avalanche on November 19th with a 7PM PST puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena.

UCLA Breezes by North Florida for Fourth Straight Win

By
Brianne Ingram
-
Photo by Jevone Moore

Westwood, CA – The No.2 UCLA Bruins (4-0) breezed by the North Florida Ospreys (0-5) with a commanding 96-63 victory on Wednesday night.  

The Bruins led by 22 points at the half 55-33. From there, it was all downhill for North Florida.

Photo by Jevone Moore

UCLA held North Florida to 37.1% shooting and 30.8% from 3-point range.

In the previous game against Long Beach State, UCLA wasn’t as successful on the defensive end.

Long Beach State was able to shoot 58.2% from the field and 63.3% from distance against UCLA.

UCLA Head Coach Mike Cronin shared his thoughts on the defense against North Florida compared to Long Beach State. 

“I think we still got a long way to go. I think some of the kids from Long Beach, in truth, deserve a lot of credit. It’s — what is it? November 17th? So, it’s still early. But we’re not to a point yet where we’re making multiple rotations defensively. I’m never happy. So, let’s just get that out on the table. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting there. They pass and they don’t jack shots up, so they tried to force us to play half-court defense which was great practice for us. So, I thought tonight was great practice for us.”

Photo by Jevone Moore

The UCLA starters controlled this game from start to finish. 

Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jules Bernard, and Tyger Campbell all scored in double figures. 

Myles Johnson imposed his presence defensively.

“Coach Cronin always emphasizes how I’m always the biggest person out there, and I think today I made that really well-known and definitely helped the team out getting offensive rebounds and kicking it out. I’m surrounded by amazing shooters. On defense it’s getting the rebound and pushing it out to start the offense. But definitely it just felt like I was on a mission, vibing a little more with the team, getting my presence down there. It felt good,” said Johnson.

This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last six years.

Photo by Jevone Moore

The UCLA Bruins take a trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Good Sam Empire Classic tournament and battle against Bellarmine on Monday, November 22nd at 5 pm, followed by No.1 ranked Gonzaga on Tuesday, November 23rd at 7 pm.

UCLA Defeats Long Beach State to Start Season 3-0

By
Brianne Ingram
-
Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

Westwood, CA – The Long Beach State 49ers hung with the No. 2 UCLA Bruins in the first half, but the Bruins were able to pull away in the second half to win 100-79 on Monday night and remain unbeaten to start the season.

The 49ers were aggressive inside with 40 paint points and refused to back down to the number two team in the nation.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

Colin Slater and Joel Murray combined for 57 points for Long Beach State.

“First of all, I’ve got to give congratulations to Murray and Slater,” said UCLA head coach Mike Cronin. “Those guys played great. Give them a lot of credit. I’ve been doing this long enough, you’ve got to give other people credit. So good for those kids. That’s not going to ease my pain of [our] horrendous defense. You’ve got to give those guys credit well.”

Despite UCLA’s 21-point victory, Coach Cronin was disappointed in his team’s defensive effort.

The 49ers shot 58.2% (32-55 FGs) from the field and 63.6% (7-11 FGs) from the three.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

He commented on what worked for his team defensively in the second half.  

“Not a whole lot. I would say they ran out of a bit of gas. Right now, my opinion defensively – I don’t know one thing we’re good at. On the ball, off the ball, our talk in transition. That’s my opinion,” said Cronin.

The Bruins are currently averaging 93.7 points per game.

“We better. We better. If I had a pair of sneakers, I think I could have scored on some of our guys tonight. I turn 50 this summer, just to remind you,” said Cronin.

Cronin expressed his frustration to his team after the game.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

“They know I’m extremely upset. There’s three options. You try to teach and coach. When that don’t work, you go to option two and scream and yell. Then option three: run in practice or sit in the game. So, we’re on option three. … I’ve got a lot of issues, but being convicted to what I believe in is not a problem for me. So right now, I’m just trying to search for somebody who can guard the ball, help when they’re supposed to help and follow the scoring report.”

UCLA’s Johnny Juzang explained the disconnect of winning the game and having a coach upset.

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

“We have a team where everyone is returning, so we know the level that we’re capable of playing at, so just winning a game isn’t always [going to] satisfy us. It’s how you performed, how you won the game or lost the game. You know when you’ve made too many mistakes,” said Juzang.

The UCLA Bruins host North Florida on Wednesday, November 17th at 7:30 pm.  

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