GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Miami will head back home for a shot at its first national championship since 2001 after beating Mississippi 31-27 in an exhilarating College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl. Carson Beck scrambled for a 3-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left for the go-ahead score. He threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Trinidad Chambliss had put Ole Miss ahead with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae'Quan Wright with 3:13 left. The 10th-ranked Hurricanes didn't play in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game but proved they belong in the CFP. They will face either top-ranked Indiana or Oregon for the national title.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Mario Cristobal is taking his Miami Hurricanes to the national championship after the kind of performance that the former offensive lineman had to love. The No. 10 seed Hurricanes dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of their 31-27 victory over No. 6 Ole Miss on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl, racking up an impressive 191 yards rushing as a veteran offensive line spent much of the night steamrolling the Rebels’ defense. Miami’s veteran, massive line has been one of the team’s strengths all season and created some big holes for Mark Fletcher Jr., who ran for 133 yards on 22 carries. The Hurricanes finished with 459 total yards.
While John Harbaugh quickly became the most sought-after head coach this cycle after he was fired by Baltimore, many NFL teams seek the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan. The young, up-and-coming coordinators usually get most of attention. With eight openings around the league, there’s plenty of opportunities for rising candidates to emerge. McVay became the youngest coach since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 when the Los Angeles Rams hired him in 2017 at age 30. He’s led them to one Super Bowl title in two appearances, four NFC West championships, seven playoff berths and eight winning seasons in nine years.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins have fired coach Mike McDaniel following a 7-10 season in which Miami missed the playoffs for the second straight year. The decision Thursday ends McDaniel’s four-year tenure in Miami, a period defined by soaring expectations that ultimately went unfulfilled. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said he spoke with McDaniel on Thursday morning to inform him of the decision. The Dolphins went 35-33 under McDaniel, reaching the playoffs in his first two seasons but losing in the first round each time.
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A non-league team against the defending champion. It’s what the FA Cup is all about. Macclesfield, a club playing in the sixth tier of English soccer, hosts Premier League side Crystal Palace on Saturday hoping to pull off a memorable upset. The third round of the FA Cup is one of the most anticipated weekend’s in the sport’s calendar as England’s top clubs enter the draw and can be pitted against lowly opposition. Such a clash of cultures have produced historic giant-killings. So the warning signs are there for Palace as it begins its defense of the trophy it won last May when stunning Manchester City in the final to lift its first major trophy.
TOKYO (AP) — Kazuyoshi Miura, the Japanese soccer player they call “King Kazu,” says he’s only getting better with age. If so, that should make him very, very good. Miura turns 59 next month. He’s the globe’s oldest professional soccer player, and on Friday he gave a news conference in Tokyo to celebrate joining his new team — third-division J-League club Fukushima United FC. Miura says “my passion only grows the more I pursue it.” Miura is moving on loan from Yokohama FC and spent last season on loan with fourth-division club Atletico Suzuka.
College football is facing chaos with players frequently transferring and legal battles over NIL deals. A quarterback recently decided to stay at his school instead of transferring, avoiding a legal dispute. Another player is waiting for NCAA approval to play next season, with a NIL deal at stake. Legal experts say the situation resembles past labor issues in professional sports. Some suggest collective bargaining or employment contracts as solutions. However, these options face significant challenges, including legal complexities and resistance from universities. The NCAA has been lobbying for limited antitrust protection, but progress has stalled in Congress.
ATLANTA (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl is a celebration of the Big Ten's strength with No. 1-seed Indiana facing No. 5-seed Oregon. The game is a rematch. Indiana won at Oregon 30-20 on October 11 to hand the Ducks their only loss. Indiana is undefeated. Each team is coming off dominant wins. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl as Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw three touchdown passes. The Ducks shut out Texas Tech 23-0 in the Orange Bowl. Brandon Finney Jr. had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The Peach Bowl winner will face Miami for the national title.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points when the Minnesota Timberwolves star swished a 13-foot fadeaway jumper from the baseline in the fourth quarter against Cleveland. Edwards at 24 years and 156 days old was beaten to the mark by LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He is one of seven players who’ve hit 10,000 points before age 25. Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony are also in that group. Edwards had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Timberwolves beat the Cavaliers 131-122.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim says she dislocated her shoulder in training and doesn’t know whether she’ll be able to compete at the Winter Games in Italy next month. Kim posted footage of her fall on the halfpipe in Switzerland, where the world’s top snowboarders compete later this month in a key pre-Olympic tune-up. She remains optimistic and has full range in the shoulder and expects to know more after tests Friday.
Finals
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final (10)Miami 31 (6)Mississippi 27
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Detroit 5 Vancouver 1
Final Boston 4 Calgary 1
Final Carolina 5 Anaheim 2
Final OT Toronto 2 Philadelphia 1
Final Pittsburgh 4 New Jersey 1
Final Montreal 6 Florida 2
Final Buffalo 5 N-Y Rangers 2
Final Edmonton 4 Winnipeg 3
Final SO Nashville 2 N-Y Islanders 1
Final Colorado 8 Ottawa 2
Final OT Minnesota 3 Seattle 2
Final Vegas 5 Columbus 3
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (8)Gonzaga 89 Santa Clara 77
Final (12)Michigan State 76 Northwestern 66
Final (16)Illinois 81 Rutgers 55