Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy as college football's top player
NEW YORK (AP) -- Two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado has won the Heisman Trophy, punctuating a tireless performance all season by a dynamic player with a unique combination of skills. The big-play wide receiver and lockdown cornerback dominated on both sides of the ball for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, joining late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the only players in school history to take home college football's most prestigious individual award. Hunter received 552 first-place votes and 2,231 points in a comfortable victory. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points, the closest margin since 2009.
Blake Horvath shines as Navy dominates in a 31-13 victory over Bryson Daily and No. 19 Army
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- Blake Horvath outplayed Bryson Daily at quarterback, accounting for 311 yards and four touchdowns to lead Navy to a 31-13 victory over No. 19 Army. Horvath threw for 107 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 204 yards and two TDs. Navy snapped a two-game losing streak in the series. The teams entered this Army-Navy matchup with a combined 19 victories, the most in the 125-game history of this storied clash. Daily, who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy vote this year, threw a touchdown pass of his own, but he was intercepted three times.
Shiffrin recovering after abdominal surgery to clean out deep puncture wound suffered in race crash
BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) -- Mikaela Shiffrin is recovering after undergoing abdominal surgery on Thursday night to clean out a puncture wound she received in a giant slalom crash two weeks ago. Shiffrin posted an update Saturday on Instagram while her teammates took the Birds of Prey course in a women's downhill race at Beaver Creek. There's no timetable for Shiffrin's return to racing after suffering bruises and the deep puncture to her hip area during a crash on Nov. 30 in Killington, Vermont, while charging after her 100th career World Cup win. She has more wins than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport.
Marshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against Army
HUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) -- Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal. The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech have announced that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead. Marshall said it pulled out "after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe." The 10-3 Herd beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time.
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs set for season-ending knee surgery, AP sources say
AP Pro Football Writer (AP) -- Two people with knowledge of the decision say Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs is set for season-ending surgery on his left knee. The procedure will deal with an issue that was about to sideline him for the third time in four games. It's the same knee that needed surgery early last season to repair a torn ACL, but the ligament is intact. The Cowboys have had an injury-plagued season that is on the verge of ending a three-year run of playoff appearances. Dallas visits Carolina on Sunday.
Cornelia Huetter of Austria wins first-ever women's World Cup downhill held on Birds of Prey course
BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) -- Cornelia Huetter of Austria navigated the tricky and steep terrain to win the first-ever women's World Cup downhill held on the Birds of Prey course. Huetter finished in 1 minute, 32.38 seconds to hold off Italian ski racer Sofia Goggia by 0.16 seconds. Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland wound up third. Reaching speeds near 79 mph (126.94 kph), Huetter charged through a course filled with bumps, technical turns and steep sections. Huetter, the reigning World Cup downhill champion, stuck to her line -- and it proved to be the swiftest to the finish. The top American was Lauren Macuga in fourth.
Schroder set to be traded by Brooklyn to Golden State, AP source says
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Golden State is acquiring point guard Dennis Schroder in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for injured forward De'Anthony Melton, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Saturday. The trade is expected to be finalized Sunday when league rules allow, with the Nets also receiving a package of second-round draft picks, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal still needs league approval. ESPN first reported the agreement.
Bluegrass rivalry enters new era with No. 5 Kentucky and Louisville led by Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Fifth-ranked Kentucky maintained its dominance of archrival Louisville with a 93-85 victory Saturday. But the game itself might have injected new life into a Bluegrass rivalry that had become stagnant. The showdown featured first-year coaches with Mark Pope guiding the Wildcats and Pat Kelsey leading the Cardinals, along with revamped rosters featuring newcomers who previously viewed the rivalry from the outside. This week provided a crash course in the history, producing an intense game that offered reminders of the past and perhaps a glimpse into the future.
Sixers standout rookie Jared McCain is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus that requires surgery
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain has a meniscus tear in his left knee that requires surgery and is expected to be out indefinitely. McCain who has starred for the struggling Sixers early in the season, reported a sore left knee after Friday night's 121-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Philadelphia said on Saturday that an MRI showed a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee that requires surgery. Injuries to Philadelphia stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have led to the team stumbling to a 7-16 start. Through it all, McCain has been one of the few highlights, averaging a league-wide rookie best 15.3 points The 20-year-old guard has scored 20 or more points in eight games this season.
Wild's Kirill Kaprizov scores off Flyers' goalie helmet, banking shot into net
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Kirill Kaprizov doesn't need much space to score a goal, but he's not above getting a little help from the opposing goalie. The Minnesota star forward banked a puck from a sharp angle off the side of Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson's helmet and into the net in the first period of the Wild's 4-1 win on Saturday. Just over 15 minutes into a scoreless first period, Wild defenseman Jon Merrill fired a shot that caromed off the end boards behind Ersson. The puck ricocheted to Kaprizov, who was about a foot ahead of the goal line, 10 feet to the left of the net. Ersson slid to his left to cover the post. But firing high from a bad angle, Kaprisov's shot rattled off the side of Ersson's