LSU shocks Tennessee
ATLANTA, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Backup quarterback Matt Mauck, a 22-year-old freshman who spent four years playing minor league baseball, carried No. 20 LSU to a 31-20 win over second-ranked Tennessee in the SEC championship game Saturday night and created another wild turn to the college football season.
Mauck guided LSU on five scoring drives in the second half in place of the injured Rohan Davey to end the Volunteers' bid for the NCAA title.
For the fifth time in the last three weekends, a team that controlled its own national championship destiny fell victim to an upset.
Tennessee's loss likely gave Nebraska a berth in the Rose Bowl against unbeaten Miami, a matchup that will become official when the final Bowl Championship Series rankings are released Monday.
A Nebraska appearance in the national championship contest will again touch off howls of protest at the BCS since in their final regular-season game of the year, the Cornhuskers surrendered 62 points in a thrashing at the hands of Colorado.
Nebraska was unable to even play in its own conference's title game, but was ranked third in the BCS behind Miami and Tennessee before the Volunteers stumbled Saturday night.
After Nebraska lost to Colorado, Oklahoma, Florida and Texas all moved into position to play for the NAAA crown only to become upset victims. Oklahoma lost to Oklahoma State, Florida fell to Tennessee and Texas was beaten by Colorado.
Colorado is currently fourth in the BCS rankings and Oregon is fifth.
Making its first appearance in the SEC title game, LSU (9-3) likely is headed to the Sugar Bowl to play Big Ten Conference champion Illinois.
Mauck, who was recruited by LSU coach Nick Saban when he was at Michigan State, replaced the injured Davey in the third quarter. Mauck led LSU to three field goals before scoring on a 13-yard quarterback draw 40 seconds into the final period.
Crouch wins Heisman Trophy
NEW YORK, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Eric Crouch, known more as a runner than a passer, emerged from a quartet of quarterbacks Saturday night to win college football's highest individual honor.
The Nebraska star was awarded the Heisman Trophy in the fourth-closest voting in the award's 67-year history. Crouch received 162 first-place votes and 770 points in balloting of 924 electors.
"I just made history today," Crouch said. "Something deep down inside of me said I really wanted it, but win or lose, I would have been the same person."
Florida sophomore Rex Grossman was second with 708 points. The 62-point difference was the closest since John Lattner of Notre Dame won by 56 points in 1953. Bo Jackson of Auburn edged Iowa quarterback Chuck Long by 45 points in 1985 and Ernie Davis of Syracuse won by 53 points in 1961.
Ken Dorsey of Miami was third in this year's voting with 638 points and Joey Harrington of Oregon was a distant fourth with 364.
Crouch's candidacy appeared to suffer a major hit on Thanksgiving weekend, when the Cornhuskers were routed by Colorado, 62-36. But Crouch carried 18 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns that afternoon and the defeat was due more to a shaky Nebraska defense.
"I think after the game some people may have written me off," said Crouch, noting that 90 percent of the ballots were received this week. "But people took a lot of time with their vote and that may have given me a second chance."
With Crouch idle last weekend, all three of the other finalists had chances to move to the front of the Heisman race. But none was spectacular and Crouch was able to move back to center stage and become Nebraska's third Heisman Trophy winner, joining Johnny Rodgers in 1972 and Mike Rozier in 1983.
Van Gundy quits as Knicks coach
NEW YORK, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Claiming he no longer had the intensity necessary for the job, Jeff Van Gundy unexpectedly stepped down Saturday as coach of the New York Knicks.
Van Gundy, who guided the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals, informed general manager Scott Layden of his decision Friday and made the announcement Saturday, hours before the team hosted the Indiana Pacers.
Assistant Don Chaney coached the team Saturday night, but the Knicks did not name an interim coach for the rest of the season.
The Knicks started slowly this season, with just four wins in their first 11 games. But thanks in part to the return of Marcus Camby from the injured list, they had won five of their last six going into the Saturday night meeting with the Pacers.
"I didn't feel that I had the laser-like focus that I needed and what the team and the players deserved," said Van Gundy, who expressed a desire to spend more time with his family.
Van Gundy insisted he had not lost control of his team, but he ended practice 15 minutes early on Friday, upset with what he felt was a lack of effort.
Hawaii hands BYU first loss
HONOLULU, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Nick Rolovich passed for an astounding eight touchdowns and 543 yards Saturday, both school records, in carrying Hawaii to a 72-45 blasting of seventh-ranked Brigham Young that ended the Cougars' hopes for an unbeaten season.
As the Heisman Trophy was being handed out six time zones away, Rolovich remained the hottest quarterback in the country. He has thrown for more than 500 yards in each of his last three games.
The 72 points were the most ever scored by Hawaii and the most ever given up by BYU. The Warriors also amassed 646 total yards.
Hawaii scored two touchdowns in the first 2:18 and never looked back.
Things went so well for Hawaii that Justin Ayat converted a 50-yard extra point in the third quarter following a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
BYU (12-1) played without Luke Staley, the nation's leading rusher who won the Doak Walker Award on Thursday. He suffered a broken leg in last week's win over Mississippi State.
Division showdowns in NHL
GREEN BAY, Wis., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Heavyweight division battles involving the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers will highlight today's NFL schedule.
Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis, meanwhile, is expected to be on the sidelines and thus spoil a potential showdown between the league's leading rushers in a pivotal meeting between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets.
The Bears (9-2) have not reached the postseason since 1994, yet they can become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season. Chicago can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday along with losses by Tampa Bay, the New York Giants and Atlanta.
But Brett Favre and the Packers (8-3) can put themselves in the driver's seat for the NFC Central title with a win over the Bears at Lambeau Field.
With Favre at the controls, Green Bay has won 13 of the last 15 meetings between the division rivals, but both of the Bears' wins have come in their last two trips to Lambeau Field.
St. Louis' Kurt Warner has feasted on the 49ers and he will have another chance today. Warner passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns and Marshall Faulk totaled 184 yards to lead the Rams to a 30-26 victory at San Francisco on Sept. 26.
In four career starts against the Niners, Warner has completed 89 of 132 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions. The San Francisco-St. Louis winner will take over the lead in the NFC West.
The New York Jets (7-4) have never won in Pittsburgh, but this may be the right time to visit because Bettis, the NFL's second-leading rusher with 1,072 yards, is listed as doubtful with groin and hip injuries suffered last week.
The absence of Bettis would also spoil a matchup of the NFL's top two rushers.
New York's Curtis Martin, a native of Pittsburgh, has rushed for 1,082 yards, and is just the third player in NFL history to open his career with seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson are the others.
The Jets are the AFC's only unbeaten road team at 5-0, but have lost all four games at Pittsburgh.
The other NFL games today find Carolina at Buffalo, Cleveland at New England, Detroit at Tampa Bay, Jacksonville at Cincinnati, Kansas City at Oakland, New Orleans at Atlanta, the New York Giants at Dallas, San Diego at Philadelphia, Tennessee at Minnesota and Washington at Arizona. In the evening game, Seattle will play at Denver.
Jordan leads Wizards past Mavericks
DALLAS, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Michael Jordan scored 21 points to lead five players in double figures Saturday night as the Washington Wizards defeated the undermanned Dallas Mavericks, 102-95, for their fifth win in eight games.
Since Jordan complained openly about his team's struggles following a 94-75 loss at Cleveland on Nov. 27, the Wizards are 4-2.
Rookie Brendan Haywood added 19 points off the bench while hitting eight of nine from the field and Richard Hamilton, who led Washington in scoring in each of the previous three games, also had 19.
Washington opened a 62-43 lead with 8:27 left in the third quarter, but the Mavericks answered with a 21-6 burst that sliced the deficit to four points heading into the final period.
But like he has done so many times, Jordan took over down the stretch, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter. He broke an 82-82 tie with just over three minutes remaining as the Wizards took the lead for good.
Michael Finley scored 32 points to lead the Mavericks, who were without Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas' leading scorer was sidelined with a strained tendon in his left ankle.
Other NBA results: Atlanta 107, Orlando 104; Cleveland 109, Denver 99; New York 101, Indiana 99; Memphis 92, Philadelphia 83; Minnesota 107, Houston 97; Chicago 87, Boston 84; Milwaukee 95, New Jersey 79; Utah 111, Golden State 101; Portland 113, Seattle 92.
Blues win sixth straight at home
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Fred Brathwaite stopped 17 shots for his first shutout of the season Saturday night and Al MacInnis and Dallas Drake scored third-period goals, leading the St. Louis Blues to their sixth straight home win, 2-0 over the Los Angeles Kings.
Both teams had scored one goal in their previous two games and this contest was scoreless into the third period.
MacInnis ended the goaltending duel between Brathwaite and Felix Potvin with 17:01 remaining, firing a slap shot from just below the left point through traffic for his sixth goal of the season and second in four games.
Brathwaite got some help en route to his 12th career shutout. With 11:05 to play, defenseman Jeff Finley and Mike Keane cleared a loose puck off the goal line.
Drake provided some insurance with 3:13 left. Doug Weight broke down the right side on a two on one and feathered a pass across the slot to Drake, whose one-timer from the left faceoff circle hit Potvin's glove and continued into the net.
It was Drake's second goal of the season, both of which have come in the last four games.
Other NHL results: New Jersey 3, Washington 1; Philadelphia 5, Minnesota 1; Boston 4, Buffalo 2; Colorado 2, Columbus 0; Phoenix 3, Montreal 3; Ottawa 5, Tampa Bay 2; Toronto 4, New York Rangers 3; Carolina 3, Florida 2; Pittsburgh 6, Atlanta 4; Edmonton 2, Nashville 2; Anaheim 4, Calgary 0; San Jose 5, Vancouver 3.
Duke blasts Wolverines
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Duke's talent was too much for Michigan's inexperience Saturday as the top-ranked Blue Devils cruised to a 104-83 victory over the Wolverines in the first meeting between Mike Krzyzewski and former assistant Tommy Amaker.
Amaker played for Krzyzewski from 1984-87, then assisted the Hall of Fame coach for 12 years before taking the Seton Hall job in 1997. During that time, he learned that a coach is only as good as his players.
That was evident Saturday as the Blue Devils (8-0) delivered an early knockout en route to their 18th straight victory.
Duke started on a 200-point pace, scoring 25 points in the first five minutes and opening a 29-4 lead eight minutes into the contest.
Jason Williams scored 18 of his career-high 35 points in the first half for the Blue Devils, who shot 60 percent in the opening 20 minutes.
Elsewhere in the top 10, No. 4 Florida pulled away from South Florida, 92-73; No. 5 Kansas bested Missouri-Kansas City, 79-68; No. 6 Illinois rallied past Arkansas, 94-91; No. 7 Virginia edged Auburn, 77-72; No. 8 Arizona won over Purdue, 79-66; No. 9 Syracuse fell to North Carolina State, 82-68; and No. 10 Oklahoma State crushed Jackson State, 90-41.
Downhill race marred by severe accident
VAL D'ISERE, France, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Austria's Stephan Eberharter climbed the podium for the second day in a row Saturday, winning the men's season-opening World Cup downhill after claiming the super-G the previous day.
Eberharter charged down the icy Oreiller Killy course in one minute, 59.89 seconds to claim his eighth career World Cup win -- his third in the downhill.
The Austrian was unfazed by the change in conditions following an hour-long wait at the top of the course after Switzerland's Silvano Beltrametti crashed out midway down the course and suffered a paralyzing injury.
Beltrametti, third in Saturday's super-G, lost control midway down the course and careened into the security fencing.
With Beltrametti only the 14th racer to run, most of the field was forced to wait atop the course as the Swiss skier was picked up by helicopter and taken to hospital in nearby Grenoble.
Italy's Kurt Sulzenbacher, who ran before the accident, finished runner-up in 2:00.06 for his first career podium finish, while Austrian Michael Walchhofer was third in 2:00.45.
