Wisconsin wins Duke’s Mayo Bowl, breaks trophy,
CHARLOTTE, N.C. » The Wisconsin Badgers captured the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and the trophy that came along with it.
And then they broke it. While dancing around to celebrate his team’s 4228 victory over Wake Forest on Wednesday, quarterback Graham Mertz dropped the football- shaped piece of Lenox crystal, leaving it shattered on the floor of the locker room after it fell off its base.
Mertz accounted for three touchdowns and Wisconsin turned four secondhalf interceptions, all by different players, into 21 points to turn a close game into a near-rout of the Demon Deacons. Five players scored touchdowns for the Badgers.
Mertz, a redshirt freshman, threw for 130 yards and ran for two short TDs as Wisconsin (4-3) finished a rocky 2020 season on a high note.
PASADENA ALLOWS ROSE BOWL NAME TO BE USED IN TEXAS » The College Football Playoff semifinal in Texas will be allowed to call itself the Rose Bowl Game, but Pasadena officials don’t want the New Year’s event relocated in the future.
The Tournament of Roses will pay the city $2 million to help Pasadena with its expenses and lost revenue as a result of the game being relocated.
COASTAL CAROLINA’S CHADWELL IS AP COACH OF THE YEAR » Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell is The Associated Press college football coach of the year after leading the Chanticleers to a surprising, nearperfect season.
San Jose State’s Brent Brennan finished fifth.
Pro football
49ERS SIGN GOULD TO NEW
DEAL, PLACE HIM ON COVID-19 LIST » The San Francisco 49ers locked up their kicker for the next two seasons and found one for this week.
The Niners signed Robbie Gould to a renegotiated contract that keeps him on the team through 2022 with a guaranteed contract at a reduced rate from his current deal. Gould was also placed on the COVID-19 list Wednesday and will miss the season finale against Seattle.
The 49ers still needed a kicker for this week and signed Tristan Vizcaino, who had spent time on Minnesota’s practice squad this season. Vizcaino is expected to clear coronavirus protocols in time to practice on Friday.
Pro basketball
PACERS EXECUTIVE WALSH ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT » Longtime Indiana Pacers executive Donnie Walsh, the architect of the franchise’s turnaround, announced his retirement.
Walsh built the Pacers with solid draft picks and shrewd moves. Indiana won its first playoff game in 1987, its first playoff series in 1994 and after reaching the Eastern Conference finals four times between 1994 and 1999, the Pacers finally won the 1999-2000 conference crown.