Mayfield sorry for flag in field
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has apologized for planting Oklahoma’s flag at midfield of Ohio State’s stadium following the Sooners’ victory over the Buckeyes.
After Saturday night’s 31-16 win over the then-No. 2 Buckeyes, Mayfield ran around the field at Ohio Stadium with a crimson OU flag, took it to the “O’’ at midfield and stuck it in the ground as his teammates celebrated around him.
“It was an emotional game, and so after the game, I did not mean for it to be disrespectful toward any Ohio State people at all, especially not the team or the players,” Mayfield said Monday. “They’re a great team, a great program, so I didn’t mean for it to be disrespectful at all.”
Mayfield said the now-No. 2 Sooners do the same thing with the flag when they play Texas, but that game is played at a neutral site in Dallas each year. Mayfield said he should have saved his celebration for the locker room.
“Obviously, if they did that here (in Norman), I’d be pissed, too,” he said. “Not surprised, looking back on it. I understand why they’re very upset about it, but I didn’t mean it to be disrespectful in any way.” Coach out after season: Northern Arizona head coach Jerome Souers is leaving after this season, announcing the move at a news conference with athletic director Lisa Campos.
Souers, 59, is in his 20th season coaching the Lumberjacks (0-2).Souers is the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history with 112 wins. Briefly: Rutgers offensive coordinator Jerry Kill has been hospitalized after suffering a seizure Sunday. Head coach Chris Ash said Kill, 56, was expected to be fine. Ash said the former Minnesota head coach, who has dealt with epilepsy for almost two decades, was in a hospital and hoped to be released Monday or Tuesday . ... Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino said senior running back Jeremy Smith will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his right foot last week, leaving the No. 14 Cardinals without one of their top rushers for Saturday’s ACC matchup against third-ranked Clemson.