Lawrence, ’Bama teammates named Heisman finalists
A labama teammates Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith along with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Florida’s Kyle Trask have been named finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
The Heisman will be awarded Jan. 5 during a virtual ceremony. Jones and Smith are the eighth set of teammates to be finalists together since the tradition started in 1982. Smith is trying to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991.
If it isn’t Smith, who leads the nation in receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,511), the winner will be a quarterback for the 13th time in the past 15 years. Jones leads the nation in efficiency rating (202.34), completion percentage (76.5) and yards per pass (11.4), with 32 touchdown passes.
Lawrence was the preseason favorite to win the award but missing two games after contracting COVID-19 slowed his campaign. He did play in Atlantic Coast Conference championship rematch against the Fighting Irish last weekend and led the Tigers to a blowout victory. On the season, Lawrence has thrown for 2,753 yards and 22 touchdowns in nine games, helping Clemson reach the playoff for the third time in his career.
No. 2 Clemson plays No. 3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl semifinals on Jan. 1. Lawrence would be the Tigers’ first Heisman winner.
Trask leads the country with 43 touchdown passes and 4,125 yards. The senior is trying to join Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow as Heismanwinning quarterbacks from Florida.
The rest of the top 10 was revealed in order, starting with Alabama running back Najee Harris, the former Antioch High star.
Iowa State running back Breece Hall was sixth, fol
lowed by Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
HAWAII TOPS HOUSTON WIN IN NEW MEXICO BOWL >> Hawaii turned a pair of firstquarter interceptions into touchdowns, and running back Calvin Turner Jr. caught a long touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to lead the Rainbow Warriors (5- 4) to a 28-14 win over Houston in the New Mexico Bowl.
The game was moved from Albuquerque to Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico.
Houston (3-5) was without as many as 16 players due to COVID, opt- outs for the NFL draft and academics. Four of those were wide receivers.
TULSA LB COLLINS TO SKIP BOWL GAME, ENTER NFL DRAFT >> Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins announced he’s heading for the NFL, a day after he won the 2020 Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the best defensive player in college football.
He’s leaving the program immediately and won’t play in the Armed Forces Bowl on New Year’s Eve when Tulsa (6-2) faces Mississippi State (3-7) in Fort Worth, Texas.
NHL
LIGHTNING RE- SIGN CIRELLI TO 3-YEAR DEAL >> The Tampa Bay Lightning resigned restricted free-agent forward Anthony Cirelli to a three-year, $14.4 million contract Thursday.
The move comes one day after the defending Stanley Cup champions announced that star forward Nikita Kucherov will miss the upcoming regular season with a hip injury that requires surgery. Cirelli, 23, tallied a career- high 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) in 68 games during the 2019-20 regular season and added nine points (three goals, six assists) in 25 postseason contests. BLACKHAWKS’D ACHINJURED IN CANADA’S EXHIBITION WIN >> Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach has been ruled out for the world junior championship after he hurt his right wrist during Canada’s exhibition victory over Russia on Wednesday night in Edmonton, Alberta.
The Blackhawks said Dach was returning to Chicago for further evaluation.
Dach was selected by Chicago with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft. He had eight goals and 15 assists in 64 games during his rookie season with the Blackhawks.
Dach’s injury is another tough blow for rebuilding Chicago after it announced Wednesday that Alex Nylander, another young forward, could miss the entire 2021 season because of a left knee injury. Nylander had surgery Monday to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee.
CANADIAN TEAMS ABLE TO START SEASON IN HOME ARENAS >> The NHL believes all seven Canadian teams will be able to start the season playing in their home arenas.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league believes it is clear to play in Canada during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic after discussions with provincial health authorities. The league has been involved in discussions with the five provincial governments that have NHL teams to try to gain approval to start play Jan. 13.
Soccer
FIFA U-20, U-17 WORLD CUPS MOVED TO 2023 DUE TO COVID-19 >>
Next year’s men’s Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia and Under-17 tournament in Peru have been moved to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, soccer’s world governing body FIFA said.
Indonesia will still host the U20s and Peru the U17s.
Baseball
PIRATES TRADE SLUGGER BELL TO NATIONALS >> Josh Bell is heading to the Washington Nationals. The Pittsburgh Pirates traded the slugging first baseman to Washington for pitching prospects Will Crowe and Eddy Yean.
The 28-year-old Bell was an All- Star in 2019 following a torrid first half in which he hit .302 with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs. Bell hit .233 with 10 home runs during an injuryshortened second half of 2019 and hit just eight homers while batting a careerlow .233 in 57 games for the Pirates in 2020.