Florida sophomore QB Tebow wins Heisman
NEW YORK, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow won the 2007 Heisman Trophy Saturday to become the first sophomore ever to earn the prestigious college football award.
Tebow received 462 first-place votes and 1,957 points to beat out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, the other three finalists.
It was the first time since the Heisman Trophy has been awarded since 1935 that the winner has not been a junior or a senior.
Tebow, who Thursday won the Maxwell Award as the nation's top all-around player, became the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision history, formerly Division I-A, to throw at least 20 touchdown passes and run for at least 20 TDs in the same season. He has thrown for 3,132 yards with 29 touchdowns and run for 838 yards and 22 touchdowns this season.
McFadden was second in the voting with 291 first-place votes and 1,703 points. Last year's Heisman runner-up to Troy Smith, McFadden has run for 1,725 yards with 15 touchdowns in 12 games. He tied an SEC record with 321 rushing yards in a Nov. 3 game against South Carolina and has averaged 143.8 yards per game.
Reggie Bush out with left-knee injury
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush will not play Monday against the Atlanta Falcons because of ligament damage in his left knee.
Coach Sean Payton made the announcement Saturday in the wake of reports Bush would miss the rest of the season due to a tear in the posterior cruciate ligament.
"If you study the history of PCL injuries, I know they vary with each player, but it is an injury you can come back from," Payton told The New Orleans Times-Picayune Friday. "We'll see (and) we'll monitor where he's at."
The newspaper said Bush will travel to Birmingham, Ala., Monday for a consultation with noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews.
The former Heisman Trophy winner has four touchdowns and 581 yards on 157 carries, and has caught 73 passes for 417 yards and two scores this season.
Austin and Calcavecchia lead by two
NAPLES, Fla., Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia teamed for a 12-under 60 Saturday to take the lead after the second round of the Merrill Lynch Shootout.
Austin and Calcavecchia finished 36 holes at a best-ball 20-under 124, two shots better than Greg Norman and Bubba Watson, who had an 11-under 61 Saturday.
Defending champions Jerry Kelly and Rod Pampling (64), Scott Hoch and Kenny Perry (62), and Steve Elkington and Scott McCarron (62) are tied for third at 14-under 130.
Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman shared the opening-round lead with Austin and Calcavecchia, but posted a 67 Saturday. The only team with two players old enough for the Champions Tour share sixth with Anthony Kim and Mark O'Meara (63) at 13-under 131.
Ernie Els leads Dunhill Championship
MPUMALANGA, South Africa, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Ernie Els Saturday used an 8-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.
The native South African vaulted from a tie for third place overnight to put himself in position to win the European Tour event for a fifth time.
His overall total through 54 holes is 13-under 203.
"That's the round I've been looking for a while," he said. "I played well (Friday) and I felt good about my game, but was disappointed with my finish."
England's Lee Slattery (67) is second at 11-under 205.
Ross McGowan (67) shares third place with fellow Englishman John Bickerton (68) at 9-under 207.
Second-round leader Omar Sandys, who like Els, is playing on home turf in Mpumalanga, made two double bogeys on the way to a 2-over 74 and slipped into a tie for fifth place with Dutchman Joost Luiten at 6-under 210.
