San Jose State gets early football test with USC
San Jose State will begin defense of its 2020 Mountain West football championship Sept. 18 in Honolulu against the University of Hawaii, according to the initial schedule released by the conference office.
The Spartans’ 12-game regular-season slate includes six home and six away games — eight Mountain West contests and four nonconference games evenly split between home and on the road. Going into the 2021 season as the defending Mountain West champion, San Jose State starts a new two-year cycle of Mountain Division conference opponents with Colorado State, Utah State and Wyoming replacing Air Force, Boise State, and New Mexico.
Coach Brent Brennan, the 2020 Mountain West Coach of the Year, will lead the Spartans on the field against Southern Utah for the season-opener inside CEFCU Stadium on Aug. 28. San Jose State’s other nonconference home game is against New Mexico State on Oct. 2.
The Spartans jump into the Pac-12 Conference for on Sept. 4 for a game in Los Angeles against USC.
Here is the schedule: Aug. 28 vs. Southern Utah; Sept. 4 at USC; Sept. 18 at *Hawaii; Sept. 25 at Western Michigan; Oct. 2 vs. New Mexico State; Oct. 9 at *Colorado State; Oct. 16 vs. *San Diego State; Oct. 23 at *UNLV; Oct. 30 vs. *Wyoming; Nov. 6 at *Nevada; Nov. 13 vs. *Utah State; Nov. 27 vs. *Fresno State. (*— denotes conference games).
Hockey
‘MIRACLE ON ICE’ STAR PAVELICH FOUND DEAD >> Olympic hockey star Mark Pavelich was found dead in a residential treatment center, the Minneapolis Star News reported Friday.
Police said emergency personnel were sent to the Eagle’s Healing Nest after Pavelich had not been seen for most of a day. There was no initial indication of the cause of death.
Pavelich, who turned 63 last week, had been receiving mental health treatment under civil commitment for a violent assault on a neighbor in 2019.
A hockey star at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Pavelich was a key member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic Team. He assisted on Mike Eruzione’s winning goal in the legendary upset of the Soviet Union, and scored a goal and had six assists in the Olympic tournament, which Team USA won by defeating Finland in the gold medal game.
Pavelich went on to play with the New York Rangers for five seasons, followed by brief stints with the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks. The scrappy, 5-foot-8 forward last played professionally in 1992, after scoring 137 goals with 192 assists in 355 career games.
Golf
MAN REPORTEDLY FOUND TIGER WOODS UNCONSCIOUS AFTER CRASH >> Tiger Woods was unconscious in a mangled SUV after he crashed the vehicle in Southern California last week, according to a court document that also revealed a nearby resident and not a sheriff’s deputy was first on the scene.
The witness, who lives near the accident scene in Rolling Hills Estates just outside Los Angeles, heard the crash and walked to the SUV, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Johann Schloegl wrote in the affidavit. The man told deputies that Woods had lost consciousness and did not respond to his questions.
The first deputy, Carlos Gonzalez, arrived minutes later the morning of Feb. 23 and has said Woods appeared to be in shock but was conscious and able to answer basic questions. Woods suffered severe injuries to his right leg and cuts to his face.
Woods told deputies — both at the wreckage and later at the hospital — that he did not know how the crash occurred and didn’t remember driving, according to the affidavit. CONNERS GRABS ONE-SHOT LEAD AT BAY HILL >> Corey Conners is alone atop the leaderboard at the midway point of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Conners, who shared the firstround lead with Rory McIlroy, fired a 3-under-par 69 at Bay Hill Club to sit at 9-under 135. He is one stroke ahead of Martin Laird (67).
McIlroy (71), Viktor Hovland (68) and Lanto Griffin (68) are tied for third at 7 under.
Bryson DeChambeau (71) holds sixth place at 6 under.
KUPCHO, ERNST SHARE LEAD IN LPGA’S DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP >> Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst each shot their second straight 5-under 67 to share the second-round lead in the LPGA Tour’s Drive On Championship in Ocala, Fla.
Carlota Ciganda of Spain had the best round of the day, a bogey-free 65 to get to 8 under, two shots back.
Baseball
DYSON SUSPENDED FOR YEAR >> Former Giants relief pitcher Sam Dyson accepted a suspension for the entire 2021 season Friday for violating Major League Baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
Dyson’s ex-girlfriend, Alexis Blackburn, posted a series of disturbing Instagram posts in November 2019, alleging that Dyson had shown a pattern of abusive behavior toward her and the couple’s cat.
Shortly after Blackburn’s posts, which alleged Dyson had thrown items at her and the cat during angry outbursts, MLB announced an investigation into Dyson’s behavior.
Dyson spent parts of three seasons with the Giants as he joined the club in June 2017. His tenure with the team ended at the 2019 trade deadline when he was dealt to the Minnesota Twins.
Dyson, who has eight seasons of major league experience, did not pitch in 2020 while recovering from shoulder surgery.
ASTROS MINUS 8 PITCHERS BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS PROTOCOLS >> The Houston Astros are minus eight pitchers because of COVID-19 protocols, but general manager James Click said there were no plans to pause activity at the team’s spring training camp.
Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that pitchers Cristian Javier, Pedro Báez, Francis Martes, Enoli Paredes and Hector Velazquez were out. On Thursday, Baker said pitchers Bryan Abreu, Ronel Blanco and Luis Garcia were sent away from the complex.
Swimming
LEDECKY WINS 3RD TITLE IN TEXAS >> Katie Ledecky led all the way in winning the 200-meter freestyle at San Antonio’s TYR Series meet, earning her third title in three days.
She touched in 1 minute, 56.62 seconds. Other winners were Ryan Murphy (men’s 200 back) and Kathleen Baker (women’s 200 back).