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Gophers AD Mark Coyle: Fans can look forward to more marquee nonconference games

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Gophers fans can look forward to more football games against teams from power conferences.Athletics Director Mark Coyle said Saturday on KFAN that even in an expanded 18-team Big Ten Conference, the U can expect to play nonconferenece games against teams from the ACC, SEC and Big XII.“In my mind, and P.J’s mind, the answer is absolutely yes,” Coyle said. “…  (Fleck) thinks it’s important for our program to see where we are at, and it prepares you for a gauntlet that is the Big Ten schedule. I very much see these games in our future.”The U already has a few bigger nonconference games on future schedules: vs. North Carolina in the 2024 season opener; at California (2025); vs. Mississippi State (2026); at Mississippi  State (2027); vs. Cal (2028); vs. Alabama (2032); and at Alabama (2033).This leaves the U with openings for these types of bigger nonconference opponents in 2029-31.Coyle anticipated the Big Ten football schedule for 2024 — with the additions of USC, U...

Sepp Kuss on verge of victory at Spanish Vuelta. He’ll be 1st American man to win Grand Tour in a decade

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

GUADARRAMA, Spain — Sepp Kuss arrived at the Spanish Vuelta tasked once more with helping to shepherd some of the top stars in cycling over the mountains and put them in a position to win the prestigious race.Twenty racing days later, Kuss was being congratulated by his teammates on Saturday for having virtually locked up the first Grand Tour title for an American man in a decade.Kuss crossed the finish line of the 20th and penultimate stage flanked by Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time defending Tour de France winner, and Primoz Roglic, who was aiming to match a record with a fourth Vuelta title. His illustrious Jumbo-Visma teammates locked arms with Kuss and gently pedaled over the final meters.“It was very special to finish the stage with my teammates after all the team had put in so much work. I am very, very happy,” Kuss said in Spanish. “(We are) almost there … we still have tomorrow.”Kuss will wear the red leader’s jersey heading into Sunday’s final stage, when cyclin...

Ezequiel Tovar leads Rockies to 9-5 win over Giants in first game of doubleheader

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

The Rockies’ one-two rookie punch KO’d the Giants in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Coors Field.Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar hit a three-run triple and drove in a career-high four runs, and left fielder Nolan Jones tripled and scored three times as Colorado rolled to a 9-5 victory.The Rockies won their fourth consecutive game, tying a season-best streak set way back on April 30 to May 4.The Giants, who entered the day one game out of the race for the National League’s third wild-card spot, were hurt by awful pitching. The Giants walked seven, including four in Colorado’s three-run fifth inning.Ryan Walker walked Hunter Goodman with the bases full to force in one run. Walker was replaced by Ross Stripling, who promptly walked Harold Castro for another run.San Francisco led 3-0 in the third until Tovar’s bases-loaded triple knotted the game in the bottom of the frame.Jones hit a one-out triple in the sixth and scored on Tovar’s s...

Broncos placing TE Greg Dulcich on IR with hamstring issue, will be without him until Week 6 at earliest

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich is going on injured reserve after all.The second-year player out of UCLA injured his hamstring late in the first half against Las Vegas last weekend. As a result of the placement, Dulcich will miss at least four games. He is eligible to return Week 6 at Kansas City — a Thursday night game — at the earliest.Part of the concern with Dulcich is that he’s had recurring injuries to his right hamstring. They cost him a total of seven games — the first five of the year and the final two — over his rookie year and most of the offseason program after he was drafted.Dulcich did not practice during the week but Denver waited to see how he responded in the opening days after the injury before deciding to take him out of consideration for at least four weeks.Teams can designate up to eight players to return from injured reserve over the course of the season. The Broncos already have four that could be contenders: Dulcich, safety P.J. Locke, nickel...

California lawsuit says oil giants deceived public on climate, seeks funds for storm damage

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The state of California filed a lawsuit against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels now faulted for climate change-related storms and wildfires that caused billions of dollars in damage, officials said Saturday.The civil lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in San Francisco also seeks creation of a fund — financed by the companies — to pay for recovery efforts following devastating storms and fires. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement the companies named in the lawsuit — Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP — should be held accountable.“For more than 50 years, Big Oil has been lying to us — covering up the fact that they’ve long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet,” Newsom said. “California taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for billions of dollars in damages — wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clog...

San Leandro police chief on leave, city investigating allegations of ‘policy violations’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

San Leandro police Chief Abdul Pridgen is on paid administrative leave, following allegations that the department’s top cop violated internal policies, city officials confirmed Friday.Chief Pridgen, who was appointed to the job in July 2021, was placed on the temporary leave Sept. 11, according to a press release from Paul Sanftner, a spokesperson for the City Manager’s Office.No specific details or clarifications about the allegations have been released. The city has not released any estimated timeline for how long the investigation will take.In the meantime, the city has tapped Kevin Hart, a 35-year Bay Area law enforcement veteran and former Dublin councilman, to serve as interim chief. After retiring as an Alameda County Sheriff’s deputy, Hart has served as chief of the state Department of Hospitals and in the upscale East Bay enclave of Kensington.In a statement Friday, San Leandro City Manager Fran Robustelli said that Hart’s “extensive background and proven leadership s...

SF Giants fail to wake up in first game of doubleheader, drop second straight to last-place Rockies

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

DENVER — Breakfast food piled on to plates as players gathered around tables in the visiting clubhouse Saturday morning. It was so early that the televisions were tuned to ESPN, but no college football had kicked off yet. Pancakes, waffles, french toast, eggs, hash browns, bacon, berries. Fuel for a long day at altitude.For most Giants, their day-night doubleheader Saturday meant more than 12 hours at the ballpark, one that keeps supplemental oxygen canisters in the dugouts for players gasping for air after as little as scoring from second base, due to its mile-high elevation.“It’s gonna be a pretty big challenge,” manager Gabe Kapler acknowledged of the physical toll of playing 18 innings here, with only a couple hours of intermission in between. “It’ll be a pretty big challenge for the Rockies, too.”It’s not good, then, that the Giants looked out of gas in the opening game of the taxing twin bill.Less than 24 hours after being held without...

Rabbit rescued from side of I-80 freeway

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

(KRON) -- A rabbit was rescued from the side of I-80 on Friday, according to Animal Care & Control San Francisco. Officials say a Good Samaritan noticed a bunny on the freeway and called animal control.Officers then stopped traffic on the westbound lanes coming from the Bay Bridge in order to rescue the animal. They were able to safely bring the rabbit back to the animal shelter at 1419 Bryant Street. The bunny is "healthy, uninjured and doing well in our care," Animal Care & Control San Francisco said. Shelter staff nicknamed the rabbit Elektra "after another female daredevil of note."(Animal Care & Control San Francisco)(Animal Care & Control San Francisco)Elektra will remain at the shelter for several days to see if an owner claims her. If not, Animal Care & Control San Francisco will likely put her up for adoption next week.

Giants pitchers walk 7 in 9-4 loss to Giants that opens doubleheader

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

DENVER (AP) — San Francisco pitchers walked seven, matching their second-most this season, and the Colorado Rockies overcame a three-run deficit to beat the Giants 9-5 on Saturday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.Thairo Estrada tied a career high with four hits for the Giants (75-73), who began the day one game behind Arizona and Cincinnati for the final NL wild berth, also a half-game back of Miami.Keaton Winn, Ryan Walker (4-3) and Ross Stripling combined for the seven walks, and Rockies pitchers also walked seven. LaMonte Wade Jr. homered for San Francisco.Ezequiel Tovar had a career-high four RBIs and three hits for the Rockies, starting the comeback from a 3-0 deficit with a bases-loaded triple in the third.Kris Bryant hit an RBI single in the fifth for a 4-3 lead, Walker forced in a run with a walk to Hunter Goodman, his third of the inning. and Stripling walked Castro for a 6-3 advantage. Tovar added an RBI single in the seventh that included Austin Wynns’ two-...

Thomas, Theis each score 2 TDs as South Dakota runs past Lamar 35-6

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:14:02 GMT

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Nate Thomas ran for 164 yards and two touchdowns and Travis Theis carried for 120 yards and two more touchdowns as South Dakota ran past Lamar, 35-6 on Saturday. Lamar (0-3) took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on a pair of 26-yard field goals by Chris Esqueda and turned the ball over deep in South Dakota territory twice. Theis capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive by scoring on a 2-yard run with 2:14 left in the half to send the Coyotes (2-1) into intermission with a 7-6 advantage. Theis added a 32-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter and Thomas scored on two short runs in the second half. The pair combined for 35 carries. Aidan Bouman completed 7 of 9 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown to JJ Galbreath, but was picked off once. Robert Coleman was 13 of 23 for 119 yards for Lamar and threw one of the Cardinals’ two interceptions. __AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollSource