CFB

AP Sports WriterNotre Dame special teams provide too many 'head scratchers'By TOM COYNESOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly calls the repeated blunders the Fighting Irish keep making on special teams ''head scratchers.''That's the polite way of phrasing it.The miscues have played a major role in...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Dalvin Cook and Everett Golson returned to practice on Monday as No. 17 Florida State began preparations for Saturday's game at third-ranked Clemson.Cook, the nation's second-leading rusher, did not practice last week after suffering an ankle injury in a 22-16 loss at Georgia Tech on...

Villanova sets 2017 schedule for Ferrante debut(STATS) - Villanova will meet local rival Temple and play five home games in coach Mark Ferrante's first season as part of an 11-game 2017 schedule that was announced Friday.The Ferrante era will kick off at Patriot League champ Lehigh on Sept. 2...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) Illinois fired athletic director Mike Thomas on Monday as it released the final report from its investigation into mistreatment of football and women's basketball players.The report found no wrongdoing by Thomas, according to interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson. She praised Thomas for dealing with the string...

Motel 6 returns to sponsor Cactus Bowl in 2016PHOENIX (AP) Motel 6 is returning as the title sponsor of the Cactus Bowl.This year's game, which features opponents from the Big 12 and Pac-12, will be played Dec. 27 at Chase Field.The Cactus Bowl is typically held at Arizona...

(STATS) - Tennessee State football coach Rod Reed announced Wednesday that former Florida quarterback Treon Harris has transferred to the Ohio Valley Conference program. Harris will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. The 5-foot-11, 201-pound Harris played in 21 games with 15 starts at Florida in 2014 and '15, but was...

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) California fired coach Sonny Dykes in a surprise move Sunday after four seasons that produced just one bowl appearance. Dykes left Louisiana Tech to replace Jeff Tedford and took over the struggling Cal program in 2013, but could never get the Bears turned around. They went 8-5...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - For the first half of a Liberty Bowl shootout, West Virginia played Texas A&M to a virtual draw.The Mountaineers couldn't quite keep pace the rest of the way.Kyle Allen threw four touchdown passes and ran for a fifth score Monday, and the Aggies erased an...

Baylor releases 5 signees to transfer without restrictionsWACO, Texas (AP) Baylor is releasing five incoming freshman players from their national letters of intent and allowing them to attend other schools without losing eligibility.The five players were not identified in Baylor's news release, but all requested release prior to...

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Since Mark Hudspeth took over as coach at Louisiana-Lafayette in 2011, the Ragin' Cajuns have finished each season the same way.Back in the Big Easy again, the Cajuns (8-4) will try to extend their run of consecutive New Orleans Bowl victories to four Saturday morning...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Just when it seemed Oregon's defense was peaking at the perfect time, with Jameis Winston and Florida State on the horizon, an injury took away the Ducks' best defensive back.Second-ranked Oregon (12-1) will face the third-seeded Seminoles (13-0) on Jan. 1 in the College Football...

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Less than an hour after he was loaded into an ambulance after getting knocked unconscious against Ohio State, Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. was back on the sideline with teammates. His rapid return was encouraging to anyone who saw Armstrong lay motionless following a hit by Malik...