The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Cards, Murray win on Hail Mary pass
Hail Murray! Kyler Murray completed a stunning 43yard desperation pass to DeAndre Hopkins with 2 seconds left to lift the Cardinals to a 32-30 victory over the Bills on Nov. 15.
The catch was as sensational as the throw.
The game appeared lost for the Cardinals until Murray rolled out to his left as the seconds ticked off the clock. He flung the ball toward the end zone, where Hopkins was waiting with three Buffalo defenders draped all over him. Somehow, the three-time All-Pro came down with the ball, and the Cardinals started a wild celebration in the end zone.
Josh Allen threw a 21yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs with 34 seconds left that looked like it would win it for the Bills (7-3).
But Murray and the Cardinals (6-3, tied for the NFC West lead) ended the Bills’ winning streak at three games with the improbable throw and catch.
College football
TULSA RANKED; IU TO NO. 9» No. 25 Tulsa is ranked in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in 10 years and No. 9 Indiana is set to play the first top-10 matchup i n program history.
The AP Top 25 was mostly stagnant Nov. 15 after four of the top five teams did not play and only one ranked team lost this weekend.
Alabama is No. 1 for the second straight week, with 60 first-place votes. No. 2 Notre Dame received one first-place vote and No. 3 Ohio State got the other. The rest of the top eight was unchanged: Clemson is No. 4, followed by Texas A&M, Florida, Cincinnati and BYU.
Indiana moved up one spot to ninth — the Hoosiers’ best ranking since they were fourth in the 1967 poll — heading into a matchup with Ohio State.
MUSCHAMP FIRED » South Carolina has fired football coach Will Muschamp, the second time he’s been let go from a Southeastern Conference program in midseason.
The school said in a release that Muschamp has been “relieved” of his duties with the football program. Athletic director Ray Tanner said firstyear offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, a former head coach at Colorado State, will take over as interim coach.
The 49-year-old Muschamp had four years remaining on his contract. His buyout from the school is $13.2 million.
GAMES CANCELED » Arizona State’s game against Colorado next Saturday has been canceled, the second straight game the Sun Devils will miss due to positive COVID-19 tests.
The Pac-12 announced cancelation of the game Sunday due to Arizona State not having enough scholarship players available to meet the conference’s 53-player minimum.
Arizona State’s game against California on Saturday was canceled after numerous Sun Devils players and coaches, including head coach Herm Edwards, tested positive for COVID-19.
“The cancellation of another game is very difficult to accept for all of us, but it continues to be the right decision under the circumstances,” Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson said in a statement. “The health, safety and welfare of our student-athletes is our number one priority and will continue to be at the forefront of every decision.”
The Mid-American Conference also had its first cancellation. Ohio’s game at Miami on Nov. 17 was called off because of roster issues related to COVID-19 with the Bobcats.