Top teams make statement
MIAMI, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The top college football teams in the country made statements Saturday and the No. 1 statement of all came from the Miami Hurricanes.
The second-ranked Hurricanes, who a year ago were kept out of the national championship game in controversial fashion, took a big step toward a berth in the title contest Saturday with a 59-0 blasting of the Syracuse Orangemen. Miami clinched at least a share of the Big East Conference title.
No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Oklahoma also scored big victories in hopes of positioning themselves for a chance at the national crown.
Florida blasted Florida State, 37-13, and Oklahoma overpowered Texas, 30-13.
Miami's Ken Dorsey threw four touchdown passes, two each to Andre Johnson and Jeremy Shockey, boosting the Hurricanes to 9-0 for the season and to 6-0 in the Big East. The longest current winning streak in major college football was extended to 19 games. Miami has regular-season games remaining with Washington and Virginia Tech.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, took the first of two necessary steps toward a rematch with Nebraska Saturday by shutting down Texas Tech in the second half. The defending national champion Sooners (10-1, 6-1 Big 12 South) took a step backward with a 20-10 loss at Nebraska on Oct. 27. Oklahoma, however, has won three in a row by a combined 96 points to get back in the championship chase.
Oklahoma has one regular-season game remaining, the "Bedlam Battle" with overmatched rival Oklahoma State. If the Sooners win that game, they would advance to the Big 12 title game, where an unbeaten Nebraska could be waiting.
In Gainesville, Fla., Rex Grossman threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as Florida stayed in the national title chase.
The victory gave the Gators (9-1) their 12th straight nine-win season, breaking the Southeastern Conference record set by Alabama from 1971 to 1981. Florida State has suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in a decade.
Top-ranked Nebraska had the week off, as did Texas.
In other action, Brigham Young captured the Mountain West title with a 24-21 decision over Utah and Maryland claimed the ACC championship by downing North Carolina State, 23-19.
Lewis regains heavyweight title
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Lennox Lewis, who did not appear to take Hasim Rahman seriously last April when he lost the WBC and IBF heavyweight championships, was all business Saturday night as he regained both belts with a fourth-round knockout.
Lewis (39-2-1, 30 KOs) used his height advantage and reach over the first three rounds before displaying his powerful right hand to knock out Rahman 89 seconds into the fourth.
The 36-year-old Lewis was ahead on all three judges' cards entering the fourth round. He began the round with an overhand right to Rahman's ear. After Rahman landed a few jabs, Lewis threw a winging left that grazed Rahman's chin before connecting solidly with a right cross.
Rahman was knocked on his back and managed to get to his knees at the count of three, but crumbled back into the corner.
Lewis was coming off his second knockout loss. In September 1994, he was stopped by Oliver McCall and has had his chin questioned by critics ever since. Just as he did with Rahman, Lewis avenged his first defeat when he scored a technical knockout of McCall in February 1997.
Rahman (35-3, 29 KOs) was lightly regarded when he shocked the boxing world on April 21 with a fifth-round knockout of Lewis. On Saturday, Rahman never got the chance to test Lewis's chin.
Dolphins host Jets in top NFL game
MIAMI, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Last month, the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a nine-game losing streak against the New York Giants. Two weeks ago, the Oakland Raiders put an end to their seven-game skid against Denver. Is it the Miami Dolphins' turn?
The New York Jets (6-3) have beaten the Dolphins (6-2) seven straight times, including comebacks of 23 and 17 points in the last two games at the Meadowlands. The AFC East rivals meet today to highlight the NFL's slate of games.
The Raiders (6-2) and San Diego Chargers (5-4) meet for the first time this season and Oakland has won six of the last seven games from its AFC West rival.
Oakland will put a nine-game home winning streak on the line and will be looking to get back on track after its five-game winning streak was stopped last week with a 34-27 loss at Seattle.
Tied with San Diego for second place in the division, the Broncos (5-4) will host the Washington Redskins (3-5). Washington has won three straight after starting the Marty Schottenheimer era with five losses.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) have had the upper hand in their NFC Central series with the first-place Chicago Bears (6-2), winning six straight before the Bears ended the streak with a 13-10 victory last November.
Chicago is two games ahead of the Bucs, who were considered among the preseason favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
In other games today, Green Bay hosts Atlanta, New England hosts St. Louis, San Francisco visits Carolina, Philadelphia travels to Dallas, Baltimore will be at Cleveland, Pittsburgh goes to Jacksonville, New Orleans entertains Indianapolis, Detroit seeks its first win at Arizona, Seattle will be at Buffalo and Tennessee travels to Cincinnati.
Grizzlies win first game
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Rookie Shane Battier scored 20 points Saturday night as the Memphis Grizzlies rallied in the final 12 minutes to win their first game of the season, 98-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After six years in Vancouver, the Grizzlies had lost their first eight games in Memphis, most of them due to a lack of execution in the fourth quarter.
It looked like it was happening again as the Grizzlies trailed, 72-62, late in the third period. But they went on a 10-0 run to tie the game going into the final quarter.
In the fourth, Memphis did not fold as it outscored Cleveland, 26-19. Battier's jumper with 7:31 left gave the Grizzlies their first lead since early in the first quarter at 84-83.
Other NBA results: Atlanta 112, Boston 103; Portland 97, Charlotte 87; Detroit 104, Indiana 98; Minnesota 103, Orlando 95; Philadelphia 94, New Jersey 82; Houston 124, Dallas 87; Milwaukee 104, Utah 93; Golden State 93, Chicago 88; Denver 103, Seattle 93.
Shorthanded goal keys Red Wings
DETROIT, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Brett Hull scored a shorthanded goal 7:03 into the second period Saturday night, helping the Detroit Red Wings hand the Los Angeles Kings their fifth straight road loss, 4-2.
With Detroit protecting a 1-0 lead and Darren McCarty in the penalty box for holding the stick, the Red Wings limited the Kings to few chances near the net before Steve Yzerman raced down the ice and passed to defenseman Chris Chelios.
Chelios, who also set up Detroit's first goal, whipped a pass to Hull for a patented one-timer that found space between goaltender Felix Potvin's pads.
It was Detroit's league-leading seventh shorthanded goal and second in as many nights.
Other NHL results: Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 1; Tampa Bay 2, Carolina 0; Boston 3, Buffalo 1; Montreal 1, Florida 0 in overtime; Ottawa 2, Toronto 1 in overtime; Washington 4, anaheim 1; Pittsburgh 1, New York Rangers 0 in overtime; Nashville 3, Columbus 2; Calgary 2, St. Louis 0; Phoenix 6, New York Islanders 1; Edmonton 2, Vancouver 2; Dallas 3, San Jose 2 in overtime.
Arizona remains unbeaten
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Jason Gardner scored a career-high 28 points and Salim Stoudamire added 19 Saturday night as 12th-ranked Arizona remained undefeated with an 88-74 victory over No. 22 Texas.
Gardner made seven of 15 shots, including four of nine from behind the arc, as Arizona (3-0) recorded its sixth straight win over Texas. The Wildcats used a 14-0 run early in the second half as they erased a 43-27 halftime deficit.
Rick Anderson contributed 14 points and nine rebounds and Luke Walton added 11 and nine for Arizona, which had a 48-43 edge on the boards.
Brandon Mouton, Royal Ivey and reserve Sydmill Harris each scored 15 points for Texas (0-1), which shot just 28 percent in the second half.
In games involving top 10 teams, No. 6 Maryland downed American, 83-53; No. 7 Florida was a 68-47 winner over Florida State; and No. 10 defeated Louisiana Tech, 75-67.
Webb owns three-shot lead
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Karrie Webb recorded an unspectacular 1-over 73 Saturday, but it was good enough to keep her three shots in front with one round to play at the LPGA Tour's season-ending Tyco/ADT Championship.
The leader after each of the first two rounds, Webb finished 54 holes at 5-under 211. She is seeking her third win this year and is atop the leaderboard heading into a final round for the 23rd time in her career. She has won 15 of those events and is looking to go wire-to-wire in a tournament for the sixth time in her career.
Janice Moodie of Scotland tied Maria Hjorth for the lowest round of the day, shooting a 3-under 69 to move to 2-under 211 and within three strokes of Webb.
Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, who already has won Player of the Year honors for 2001 and is seeking her ninth title of the season, was tied with Rosie Jones for third at even-par 216.
International team in front by two points
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A decisive victory by Scott Hoch and Loren Roberts cut the United States' deficit to two points against the Rest of the World team Saturday at the inaugural Warburg Cup, but the Americans missed a chance to take the lead when three matches slipped away over the closing holes.
The Warburg Cup is a Ryder Cup-style event for players over the age of 40. The international team captained by South Africa's Gary Player clung to a 7-5 lead with 12 singles matches to be played Sunday at the Kiawah Island Ocean Course.
The American teams of Raymond Floyd-Mark Calcavecchia, Mark O'Meara-John Cook and Tom Watson-Curtis Strange all had the lead going to the 17th tee in the fourball format and all of them wound up having to settle for a halved match.
Floyd and Calcavecchia lost the 17th and Floyd missed a 15-foot birdie chance at the 18th as Bernhard Langer of Germany and Frank Nobilo rallied for the halve.
Neither O'Meara nor Cook could par the difficult, par-3 17th while Ian Woosnam of Wales did to tie that match and both teams made par at the final hole.
And the Watson-Strange team could not manage a par at either of the final two holes to let a 2-up lead disappear. Nick Faldo parred the last two to partner Isao Aoki to a halve.
Heisman Trophy winner dies
CORAL GABLES, Fla., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Billy Vessels, the 1952 Heisman Trophy winner who helped Oklahoma win its first national title, died Saturday after a long illness. He was 70.
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Vessels was the first in a long line of star running backs at Oklahoma that would later include Billy Sims and Steve Owens, the school's other Heisman winners.
Vessels led Oklahoma in both rushing and receiving in 1950 as the Sooners finished first in both major polls. Two years later, Vessels finished second nationally with 1,072 yards and 108 points and won the Heisman Trophy.
He was a 1952 consensus All-American and set school records for rushing yards, scoring and all-purpose yards in a season.
Vessels had a brief professional career with the Baltimore Colts and in the Canadian Football League.
Report: Jamal Lewis suspended
BALTIMORE, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis, who is out for the season with a torn left ACL, apparently had another setback on Saturday.
According to ESPN.com, Lewis has been suspended four games by the NFL for a repeat violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
The suspension will have no impact on the field for the defending Super Bowl champions, who have been without Lewis since training camp. But the ban could hinder Lewis' rehabilitation.
Under guidelines for suspended players, Lewis can have no contact with the club during the sanctioned period and he cannot use the team's training facility for his rehabilitation.
Hewitt captures Masters Cup
SYDNEY, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Australia's Lleyton Hewitt ended a superlative season today with a triumph at the Tennis Masters Cup.
Hewitt cruised past Sebastien Grosjean of France, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in the final of the $3.65 million, season-ending event.
The Australian's 2001 season began and ended with victories in Sydney. In between, he captured his first Grand Slam crown at the U.S. Open and became the youngest world No. 1.
In addition, his run to the crown here began and ended with victories over Grosjean. He defeated the diminutive Frenchman Monday in a tight match to open round-robin play but had little difficulty in today's final.
A winner of 22 of his final 24 matches, Hewitt claimed his sixth tournament of the year. He began the season by winning the adidas International here and added titles in England, the Netherlands and Japan. This was his 12th career tournament title.
