Buffaloes stun Nebraska
BOULDER, Colo., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Chris Brown highlighted a shocking offensive display with an almost unthinkable six rushing touchdowns today and the Colorado Buffaloes shook up college football's heirarchy with a 62-36 dismantling of the second-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Nebraska came into the game as the No. 1 team in the Bowl Championship Series ratings and had an undefeated season and a national championship within sight. But the Buffaloes staggered Nebraska with 28 first-quarter points and then fought off a comeback with three touchdowns from Brown in the fourth quarter to earn a spot in next week's Big 12 Conference title contest.
The 14th-ranked Buffaloes will play for the league crown next Saturday in Dallas against either Oklahoma or Texas.
Oklahoma must beat Oklahoma State on Saturday to reach the conference championship game. If the Sooners do win Saturday, they will likely join the Miami Hurricanes in the top two spots of the BCS ratings, which determine the teams that will meet for the national crown in the Rose Bowl.
But Oklahoma would still have the Buffaloes to deal with next week and Miami has Washington and Virginia Tech remaining on its schedule. Additional upsets could create hope for Florida, Oregon and Texas to reach the NCAA title game.
Brown gained 198 yards and put on a dominating performance during the fourth quarter, when Nebraska finally ran out of gas in the thin Rocky Mountain air.
The Cornhuskers, who trailed by 26 points late in the first half, climbed back within 12 with one full quarter to play. But two interceptions thrown by Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch helped lead to three quick Colorado touchdowns -- scoring runs of one, 13 and eight yards by Brown.
Elsewhere in holiday weekend action, Texas scored twice in the fourth quarter to down Texas A&M, 21-7; LSU moved closer to a spot in the SEC title game by beating Arkansas, 31-28; and California avoided a winless season by defeating Rutgers, 20-10.
Robby Gordon wins first NASCAR race
LOUDON, N.H., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Four-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon started from the pole position and led for 257 of 300 laps today, but Robby Gordon bumped him late and went on to win the season-ending New Hampshire 300.
Robby Gordon captured his first career Winston Cup race victory, nudging Jeff Gordon into Mike Wallace with 16 laps left before taking over the lead for good.
A first-time winner in his 62nd career start, Robby Gordon announced he was donating the winnings to the fire fighters of New York City. The New Hampshire 300 was postponed to this week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Triggering the race's seventh caution, Robby Gordon impatiently nudged race-leader Jeff Gordon from behind at the third turn of the 1.058-mile oval. That forced No. 24 into Wallace, whose No. 12 car spun.
Jeff Gordon, the newly crowned NASCAR Winston Cup champion, led the race at the midway point. But the halfway leader had won just five of 35 races prior to Friday and the Loudon event continued the trend.
Wild breaks out its offense
ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Jim Dowd and defenseman Ladislav Benysek scored power-play goals 1:36 apart in the first period and Marian Gaborik enjoyed a three-point game today as the Minnesota rolled to a 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.
The five goals matched Minnesota's output over the previous three games. One of those contests was a 2-1 overtime loss at Phoenix on Tuesday as Claude Lemieux scored with just 24 seconds left in the extra session.
But Minnesota set the tone early Friday, scoring on its first two power-play chances in the opening 5:03.
In the other afternoon NHL contest, Boston beat Vancouver, 3-2.
English soccer players avoid strike
MANCHESTER, England, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The Professional Footballers' Association -- the union for soccer players in the English Premier League -- called off its strike today after reaching an agreement regarding the division of television money.
Officials for the players and league hammered out a deal that gives the PFA an average of $24.68 million in each of the next three years. The union had asked for $36.43 million while the league had offered $14.57 million.
"We have secured what we believe is the long term future of the PFA and I believe there is satisfaction on both sides," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said.
The parties avoided what would have been English soccer's first strike. The players, who voted almost unanimously to refuse to take part in televised matches, had been set to boycott nine Premier matches on Dec. 1-2.
76ers sign Ruffin
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia 76ers today signed forward Michael Ruffin, who spent his first two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and put rookie center Alvin Jones back on the injured list.
Ruffin was waived by the Bulls on Oct. 25. The 6-8, 248-pounder played in 116 games, averaging 2.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
A second-round pick in 1999, Ruffin was a four-year standout at Tulsa, averaging 9.4 points and 9.5 rebounds in 128 college games.
Jones will spend his second stint on the injured list, this time due to a left ankle sprain. He started the year on the injured list with right knee tendinitis before being activated on Nov. 9 and played in five games, recording a total of nine minutes.
Woods seeks Skins Game title
INDIO, Calif., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Fresh from a victory at the Grand Slam of Golf, Tiger Woods goes after another lucrative prize beginning Saturday when he competes in the revamped Skins Game.
A purse of $1 million will be at stake when Woods tees off with defending champion Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, Jesper Parnevik of Sweden and Australia's Greg Norman.
Woods, the world's top-ranked player, fired a 7-under-par 65 on Wednesday in Hawaii to capture his fourth straight PGA Grand Slam of Golf title and $400,000.
