Dell Sports – College Football News

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is unavailable to coach this weekend due to COVID-19.A spokesperson for the Buckeyes said Day would not be out of isolation required following a positive test in time to coach Ohio State against Michigan State on Saturday.Big Ten coaches who test positive for COVID-19 are required to be out for 10 days. That puts Day's earliest possible return from isolation at Dec. 7 -- next Monday.Several positive tests within the program caused the Buckeyes to cancel last week's game at Illinois. The status of this week's game isn't certain because of a positivity rate protocol the Big Ten instituted prior to the season.Other individuals who tested positive are not being identified by Ohio State. Athletic director Gene Smith said Day is "doing well physically" but the statement issued last week did not disclose whether Day experienced symptoms common with the novel coronavirus.If Ohio State (4-0) remains at or above 7.5 percent within the program, the team will not be eligible to play at Michigan State, and would then not have enough games played to qualify for the Big Ten championship.

Just hours after Texas Longhorns coach Tom Herman said he anticipated no more players to opt out for the final two games of the regular season, another of his starters declared he was leaving the team Monday. The school announced that junior defensive back Caden Sterns will forgo the remainder of the 2020 season to enter the NFL Draft.One day earlier, left tackle Sam Cosmi opted out to prepare himself for the draft, and Herman said on the Monday morning Big 12 conference call that he wished Cosmi "nothing but the best." Herman went on to say that he didn't expect any similar announcements because "they would have happened already."Yet later in the day, as the 17th-ranked Longhorns (5-3, 4-3 Big 12) prepare for Saturday's game at Kansas State, the school issued a statement from Sterns, a co-captain and three-year starter, which said in part, "it is time for me to follow my lifelong dream and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft."In seven games this season, Sterns recorded 52 tackles, tied for second most on the team. In Saturday's last-minute loss to Iowa State, which effectively ended the Longhorns' Big 12 championship chances, Sterns led the team with 13 tackles.Sterns made a splash as a highly touted freshman in 2018, being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. For his career, he started 28 games and was credited with 173 tackles and five interceptions.

For the first time in 86 years, the Sun Bowl is going dark.Sun Bowl officials confirmed Monday the game will not take place this December because of COVID-19 concerns. The cancellation was first reported by Stadium.With the Orange and Sugar bowls, the Sun Bowl is tied for second-longest running bowl game -- behind only the Rose Bowl. The game in El Paso, Texas, had been played for the past 85 years dating back to 1935, and this year was scheduled to feature teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Pac-12.The Rose Bowl has been played every year since 1916, and this season is scheduled to host a CFB national semifinal, as is the Sugar Bowl, with the National Championship Game in Miami.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban plans to be back on the sideline when the undefeated Crimson Tide visit LSU on Saturday.The makeup game this weekend was originally scheduled for Nov. 14, but LSU was experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak in its program.Saban, 69, tested positive for COVID-19 the day before Thanksgiving. By rule, SEC players or coaches can return to the team 10 days after experiencing symptoms and if they have no fever. Saban said Monday he has no fever and thereby sees no hurdles to him being the team's head coach Saturday."I'm feeling fine, so you don't need to worry about me," Saban said on Monday. "And just to make it clear, I'll be evaluated by the medical staff later in the week and they'll make a determination as to when I come back. But I don't anticipate any problems in being able to coach the game this week."With Saban at home, Alabama beat Auburn 42-13 in the Iron Bowl last week. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian served as head coach.

Georgia season-opening quarterback D'Wan Mathis has entered the NCAA transfer portal, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said Monday.Mathis, a redshirt freshman, went 8-of-17 passing for 55 yards and one interception against Arkansas on Sept. 26 before being replaced during the game by junior Stetson Bennett.In recent weeks, Southern California transfer JT Daniels has emerged as the starter with Mathis falling to fourth on the depth chart.Mathis didn't travel for Georgia's 45-16 rout of South Carolina last Saturday, leading to heavy speculation that his time with the team was ending."As far as D'Wan goes, he's handled everything first class. He didn't want to be a distraction for the team," Smart said. "He was hurt and disappointed things came out before the game. He wanted to handle it the right way and have it come out (Monday) when he entered the portal. I'm excited about his future."Smart said he tried to persuade Mathis to stay with the Bulldogs.

Sarah Fuller made history over the weekend.She received some league-wide recognition for her achievement on Monday.Vanderbilt's Fuller, who became the first woman to play during a regular-season game in one of college football's Power 5 conferences when she took the opening kickoff in the second half against Missouri on Saturday, was named one of the SEC's special teams players of the week.Fuller, the starting goalkeeper for the Commodores' women's soccer team, executed a squib kick that traveled 30 yards and was downed at the Missouri 35-yard line during the Tigers' 41-0 win. Her opportunity came because several of Vanderbilt's specialists were unavailable due to COVID-19 protocol.

A rare Tuesday morning college football game has fallen victim to a not-so-rare 2020 problem.Western Kentucky's game at Charlotte was canceled as a result of COVID-19 testing within the 49ers' program.It was originally scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 28, before being postponed to Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET."We had high hopes that we would be able to play," Charlotte athletic director Mike Hill said in a statement released Monday. "We are disappointed for both teams and appreciate WKU and Conference USA for having worked with us to accommodate the unusual game date and time."We'll continue to follow the advice of our medical professionals as they guide us to the safest outcomes for our student-athletes, coaches and staff. We also recognize that having not played a game since Oct. 31 creates uncertainty for everyone involved. We will continue to make decisions with our student-athletes' desires and best interests at heart."

Oklahoma State right tackle Teven Jenkins declared for the 2021 NFL Draft on Monday and will skip the rest of the season.The 6-foot-6, 320-pound redshirt senior is projected to be the Cowboys' first offensive lineman taken in the first round since Russell Okung (No. 6 overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.Jenkins did not play Saturday when No. 23 Oklahoma State (6-2, 5-2 Big 12) defeated visiting Texas Tech, 50-44.

The Northwestern-Minnesota football scheduled for Saturday has been canceled because of COVID-19 issues within the Golden Gophers' program.Per Big Ten policy this season, the game will not be rescheduled and will be ruled a no-contest.Minnesota (2-3 overall, 2-3 Big Ten), which also canceled last Saturday's game at Wisconsin, reported 47 people (21 athletes, 26 staff members) have tested positive for the coronavirus since Nov. 19."The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff continues to be our main priority," Golden Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle said. "The last couple of days have shown a decrease in positive cases, but not to the point where we are able to return to competition. We are disappointed not to be able to compete against Northwestern on Saturday, but we need to continue to focus on following all CDC and MDH guidelines and slow the spread of the virus. We will now shift our priority to doing everything possible to compete at Nebraska on December 12, and our decisions will continue to be guided by our medical experts."

Michigan paused team activities Monday due to presumptive positive COVID-19 tests within the football program."Out of caution, we are holding all team activities virtually today," a spokesperson told reporters.The Wolverines fell to 2-4 during a disappointing Big Ten season with a 27-17 loss Saturday at home to previously winless Penn State.

Star LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and won't play the rest of the season.The 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior leads the Tigers (3-4) with 48 catches, 731 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games."Since a kid, to play in the NFL and to retire my parents has been my #1 mission," Marshall posted Sunday on social media. "After careful consideration but with faith, I have decided to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft."Marshall is ranked No. 21 among draft-eligible prospects (No. 4 among wide receivers) by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is done for the season because of a lower leg injury sustained in Saturday's 27-11 victory against Maryland, multiple outlets reported Monday.Penix got hurt while scrambling out of bounds inside the Terrapins' 5-yard line with 4:36 left in the third quarter. He went down awkwardly and immediately clutched his leg in apparent pain.He was replaced by fellow redshirt sophomore Jack Tuttle, who would be in line to start Saturday when the 12th-ranked Hoosiers (5-1) continue the Big Ten season at No. 16 Wisconsin (2-1).

Vanderbilt fired head coach Derek Mason on Sunday and elevated offensive coordinator Todd Fitch to interim coach for the rest of the season.The Commodores are winless on the season after getting trounced 41-0 by Missouri on Saturday.Mason had a 27-55 record in his sixth season at Vandy and led the team to two bowl games in his tenure, just the second coach to accomplish the feat. He finishes as the sixth-winningest coach in program history."On behalf of the entire Vanderbilt community, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Coach Mason for his many years of dedication and service leading our football program," athletic director Candice Storey Lee said in a statement. "Derek cares deeply about the student-athletes under his charge. His tenure at Vanderbilt will be remembered for his steadfast commitment to our student-athletes, not only on the field, but in the classroom and as young people."

The Atlantic Coast Conference canceled next week's Florida State-Duke game due to ongoing COVID-19 conditions in Tallahassee.Instead, No. 9 Miami will travel to Durham, N.C., to play the Blue Devils on Saturday night.It's the third consecutive missed game for the Seminoles, whose latest contest against Virginia was called off due to Florida State having just 44 scholarship players available. Many of the missing players were expected to miss next week, too, due to protocols with contact tracing and quarantining.

The Pac-12 football game between No. 17 Southern California and visiting Washington State has been moved from Friday night to Sunday.The game was pushed back to allow for the return of USC players who are in isolation due to testing positive for COVID-19 or because of contact tracing, according to the Pac-12. USC has reported four players with current positive tests and another seven in quarantine.The game will kick off at 9 p.m. ET from the Los Angeles Coliseum.USC (3-0, 3-0 Pac-12) paused football operations last Thursday and did not play its scheduled home game against Colorado on Saturday.

Alabama remains the odds-on favorite to win the national title after dominating Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, while Florida quarterback Kyle Trask is inching closer to the Heisman Trophy.The Crimson Tide are the unanimous No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll and are expected to remain in the top spot when the next College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday. Alabama is being offered at +125 by DraftKings to win the national title, ahead of the Clemson Tigers (+250), Ohio State Buckeyes (+550) and Notre Dame (+600).With Clemson and Notre Dame on a collision course for a rematch in the ACC title game, Florida (+1200) and Texas A&M (+1600) are among the teams still battling for a spot in the CFP semifinals.The Gators moved to 7-1 with a 34-10 win over Kentucky on Saturday. Trask has thrown for at least three touchdowns in every game this season and remains the Heisman favorite at -110 by DraftKings.Alabama quarterback Mac Jones did close the gap a bit and is being offered at +150 after throwing for 302 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-13 rout of Auburn. Jones was listed at +300 by DraftKings last week.

Alabama remains the odds-on favorite to win the national title after dominating Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday, while Florida quarterback Kyle Trask is inching closer to the Heisman Trophy.The Crimson Tide are the unanimous No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll and are expected to remain in the top spot when the next College Football Playoff rankings are released Tuesday. Alabama is being offered at +125 by DraftKings to win the national title, ahead of the Clemson Tigers (+250), Ohio State Buckeyes (+550) and Notre Dame (+600).With Clemson and Notre Dame on a collision course for a rematch in the ACC title game, Florida (+1200) and Texas A&M (+1600) are among the teams still battling for a spot in the CFP semifinals.The Gators moved to 7-1 with a 34-10 win over Kentucky on Saturday. Trask has thrown for at least three touchdowns in every game this season and remains the Heisman favorite at -110 by DraftKings.Alabama quarterback Mac Jones did close the gap a bit and is being offered at +150 after throwing for 302 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-13 rout of Auburn. Jones was listed at +300 by DraftKings last week.

Max Duggan recorded touchdowns on all three of his completed passes and scored on a 58-yard run Saturday as TCU throttled Kansas 59-23 at Lawrence, Kan.The Horned Frogs (4-4, 4-4 Big 12) were content to pound the football, rushing for a whopping 337 yards and an 8.2-yard average per carry. Freshman running back Zach Evans responded to his first start by gaining 100 yards on 12 carries. Another freshman, Darwin Barlow, added 83 yards and a TD on eight carries.TCU also scored two defensive touchdowns and returned a punt for a score.Duggan, who finished 3-for-11, led the Horned Frogs to scores on their first three possessions, connecting with a pair of tight ends, Pro Wells and Carter Ware, for wide-open touchdowns of 46 and 26 yards, respectively.Wells scored again on a 24-yard strike in the second quarter.The rout was on when Derius Davis scored on a punt return for the second time this season, a 37-yarder that gave the Frogs a 24-0 bulge with 3:49 left in the first quarter.At that point, Kansas (0-8, 0-7) had not yet recorded a first down and was doomed to a 12th consecutive defeat. The Jayhawks remain in jeopardy of absorbing the third winless season in their history.Third-string quarterback Miles Kendrick played the entire second half for Kansas. He passed for two touchdowns but also threw a pick-six that TCU's C.J. Ceasar II returned 30 yards and lost a fumble that Dee Winters returned 2 yards for a TD.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Morris completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cade Otton with 36 seconds left in regulation to complete Washington's 24-21 comeback win Saturday over Utah in the impromptu Pac-12 game at in Seattle.Washington (3-0) overcame a 21-0 deficit at halftime behind the play of Morris, who finished with 272 yards and two touchdowns on 23 of 38 passing. He was intercepted three times.The last time Washington overcame a 21-0 halftime deficit was on Nov. 12, 1988, when the Huskies beat California 28-27.The Huskies' game-winning drive covered 88 yards in 12 plays in just under four minutes. Morris completed 6 of 9 pass attempts for 71 yards in the drive.Otton finished with eight catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.The Utes (0-2) were originally scheduled to play at Arizona State, but that game had to be canceled because of lingering COVID-19 issues with the Sun Devils.Washington became available when its Apple Cup rivalry game with Washington State was canceled because of COVID-19 cases within the Cougars' program.South Carolina graduate transfer quarterback Jake Bentley started for the first time for Utah after redshirt sophomore Cameron Rising suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last week against USC.In the first half, Bentley completed 9 of 11 pass attempts for 87 yards with a touchdown, and he rushed for a touchdown to lead Utah to its 21-0 halftime lead.

James Cook and Zamir White each rushed for two touchdowns as No. 9 Georgia rolled to a 45-16 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night in SEC action at Columbia, S.C.Cook gained 104 yards on just six rushes and White added 84 on 13 carries as the Bulldogs (6-2, 6-2 SEC) racked up 332 yards on the ground. JT Daniels completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while Tre' McKitty and Arian Smith caught touchdown passes.Luke Doty completed 18 of 22 passes for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first career start for South Carolina (2-7, 2-7), which lost its fifth straight game. Nick Muse had eight receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown and Kevin Harris tacked on a scoring run for the Gamecocks.Georgia held a 471-273 edge in total offense. The South Carolina defense was hampered by the loss of middle linebacker Ernest Jones (team-high 86 tackles), who missed the second half with an ankle injury.The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on all three first-quarter possessions while quickly pulling away from the Gamecocks.Daniels threw a 6-yard scoring pass to McKitty on the first drive of the game and Cook scored on a 5-yard run to make it 14-0. White tacked on a 22-yard scoring run with 2:23 left in the quarter.