Schnellenberger, coaching great at Miami and Louisville, dies at 87
MIAMI >> Howard Schnellenberger, who revived football at the University of Miami and Louisville and started the program at Florida Atlantic during a coaching career that spanned a half century, died Saturday. He was 87.
FAU announced his death and said he recently had been in a care center in South Florida.
Schnellenberger had a career record below .500, but when it came to building, he was a winner. His legacy includes campus stadiums at Louisville and Florida Atlantic.
He led the Miami Hurricanes to the first of their five national championships in 1983, and coached Louisville to a Fiesta Bowl win over Alabama to cap the 1990 season. He then founded the program at Florida Atlantic and retired as coach after 11 seasons there highlighted by backto-back bowl victories.
Schnellenberger’s career bowl record was 6-0, and he experienced perfection in the NFL, too. He was the offensive coordinator under Don Shula for the Miami Dolphins in 1972, when they won the Super Bowl to finish 17-0 for the NFL’s only perfect season.
He would wear a championship ring on each hand, one for the Dolphins and the other for the ’83 Hurricanes. That University of Miami team finished No. 1 thanks to a 31-30 upset victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, a game still considered among the greatest in college football history.
SAN DIEGO BREAKS FCS RECORD WITH WIN >> Mason Randall threw for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead San Diego to a 24-21 win over Presbyterian.
With the win, the Toreros (3-0, 3-0) broke the NCAA FCS record for consecutive conference wins with their 40th-straight victory over a Pioneer Football League opponent. The previous record of 39 previously was set by Duquesne from 1999 to 2006 competing in the MAAC.
Pro football
RAVENS ADDING WR WATKINS >> Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who won a Super Bowl with Kansas City, has agreed to a oneyear contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Entering his eighth NFL season, Watkins has been a solid target for Buffalo (2014-16), the Los Angeles Rams (2017) and the Chiefs (2018-20). Watkins has 321 career receptions for 4,665 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Baseball
SANDOVAL MAKES BRAVES’ ROSTER >> Pablo Sandoval has made the opening day roster for the Atlanta Braves.
The 34-year-old is a twotime All-Star and 2012
World Series MVP looking to revive his career in a bench role with the Braves. The portly switchhitter earned his spot with a strong spring, hitting .429 with four RBIs in 35 at-bats.
The Braves hope Sandoval can return to the form he showed in 2019, when he hit .268 with 14 homers for the Giants.
YANKS’ VOIT NEEDS KNEE SURGERY >> Major league home run champion Luke Voit needs knee surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear, an injury that opened a New York Yankees roster spot for Jay Bruce as a converted first baseman.
Voit will not have any baseball activities for three weeks after the operation on his left knee, manager Aaron Boone said. Voit is expected back in May.
The injury to Voit, who hit 22 homers in the pandemic-shortened season, played a role in the decision to add Bruce, who attended spring training with a minor league contract.
Golf
SCHEFFLER MOWS DOWN
STALWARDS >> Scottie Scheffler delivered all the right shots and moved into the semifinals of the Dell Technologies Match Play by taking down Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm.
Scheffler was the highest seed remaining at No. 30, which is just a number the way he handled Austin Country Club against two of Europe’s best in this format.
The 24-year-old Texan made 15 birdies in the 31 holes required to get through his two matches.
He advances to a final day that features three Americans and one European — Victor Perez of France, who made short work of Sergio Garcia in their quarterfinal match.
Matt Kuchar, the only player to win every match he has played in this most unpredictable event, pulled out a 1-up victory over Jordan Spieth in the morning and then kept Brian Harman from another amazing rally by rolling in a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole of their quarterfinal match.
Kuchar and Scheffler will meet in one semifinal match. Perez will face Billy Horschel, who never led in his quarterfinal match until Tommy Fleetwood sent his tee shot out of bounds on their 19th hole, the par-5 12th.
CAMPOS BIRDIES 18TH FOR SHARE OF LEAD >> Rafael Campos holed out for birdie with a putter from off the front of the 18th green for birdie and a share of the lead with Joel Dahmen in the PGA Tour’s windy Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.
Campos, the 32-year-old Puerto Rican player whose family has a home in the Dominican, shot a 3-under 69 to match Dahmen at 10-under 206 at Corales Golf Club.