Dell Sports – College Football News

Small-college powerhouse North Dakota State saw its FCS-record 39-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday when it was routed 38-14 by Southern Illinois in Missouri Valley play at Carbondale, Ill.It was the first setback for the top-ranked Bison since a 33-21 road loss to South Dakota State on Nov. 4, 2017. North Dakota State (2-1, 1-1 MVC) has won the past three FCS titles and eight of the last nine."We didn't show up and play very well," Bison coach Matt Entz said after the loss. "There was not any position group that played well."Nic Baker passed for 254 yards and one touchdown in his first career start for the Salukis (2-1, 1-1).

Former Notre Dame standout and NFL defensive lineman Louis Nix III was reported missing in Florida by his family on Saturday.The 29-year-old Nix was last seen at his father's home in Jacksonville on Tuesday, according to a missing persons' flyer posted by his family.The family said Nix drives a 2014 gray Hyundai Azera. Nix's mother told Action News Jacksonville that she believes her son is in danger as this behavior "...is out of the normal for him."Nix was shot in an attempted robbery in December when he said he was putting air into his vehicle's tires at a Jacksonville gas station.Nix posted the following on Twitter on Dec. 9: "I'm alive everyone. The bullet that hit me ricocheted off my sternum into my lung. Surgery is the next step so keep praying for me. Thank you all for the positive energy and prayers."On Dec. 19, Nix posted that he was released from the hospital.Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly was among the many people putting out the call for help on Saturday."NOTRE DAME Nation: Let's all do our best to reach out and connect with Louis Nix. Louis, let us know you are doing alright or that you may need your NOTRE DAME family and friends for assistance," Kelly tweeted.Nix, a nose guard, recorded 122 tackles in 34 games (30 starts) over three seasons (2011-13) for the Fighting Irish. He had 14 tackles for losses, including 2.5 sacks.

Five-star quarterback prospect Ty Simpson committed to Alabama.The 6-foot-2 Simpson, from Martin, Tenn., is ranked as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2022. He had scholarship offers from more than 30 Power Five programs, plus Notre Dame.He chose Alabama over finalists Tennessee, Ole Miss and Clemson."Roll Tide!!," he posted to Twitter on Friday, along with a short video, in making his announcement.His father, Jason Simpson, is the head coach at Tennessee-Martin.

Future football games between Michigan and Northwestern will be played for the George Jewett Trophy in honor of the first Black player in the Big Ten.Jewett, who went on to become a doctor, played at both schools in the 1890s and was a standout on both sides of the ball. It will be the first trophy in the FBS to be named for a Black football player.The first Jewett Trophy is scheduled to be awarded on Oct. 23 when the Wildcats and Wolverines meet at Michigan Stadium.

Clemson defensive end Justin Foster announced his retirement from football after missing the entire 2020 season battling symptoms of COVID-19.Foster was projected to start for Clemson last season after finishing second on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss in 2019. However, Foster tested positive for the virus in August 2020, a battle from which he has not yet fully recovered."With sadness but no regret, I have decided it is in my best interest to call it a career and hang up football," Foster posted to Twitter on Wednesday."I was born with asthma and allergies that, when active, affect my ability to breathe normally," Foster wrote. "The combination of these conditions, along with contracting COVID, made for a severe difficulty to perform physically. While my situation has improved, I am not in a position now, or do I see that position soon, to step back on the field."

Former LSU coach Les Miles reportedly was investigated for sexual harassment of student workers early last decade and reached a settlement with at least one of the women, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.According to The Advocate, the settlement doesn't show up in court records in Baton Rouge, La., and emerged amid a investigation into how LSU has handled allegations of sexual misconduct.USA Today sued LSU in January for copies of the Miles investigation report after the university refused to release it. A judge ordered that it remain sealed until March 30, when a trial to hear Miles and LSU's objections will be heard.LSU also has retained the outside law firm Husch Blackwell to audit roughly 60 sexual misconduct cases from 2016 to 2018.The investigation involving Miles reportedly occurred in 2013, three years before he was fired by the school after the football program's fortunes dropped significantly from the established level earlier in Miles' tenure.The Advocate reached Miles on Wednesday, and he denied he made sexual advances toward a student intern."That's not true," Miles said.Miles declined to answer questions about the reported settlement.Miles, 67, is now the head coach at Kansas, where he has a 3-18 record in two seasons with the Jayhawks.

UCLA scheduled its first-ever games against Historically Black College or University programs, adding contests against Alabama State and North Carolina Central to its future schedules.The Bruins are scheduled to host Alabama State on Sept. 10, 2022, and North Carolina Central on Sept. 16, 2023.The well-known bands of each team -- The Mighty Marching Hornets of Alabama State and The Sound Machine Marching Band of North Carolina Central -- are set to perform at the Rose Bowl."Adding two HBCUs to our football schedule is special," UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a news release. "It's exciting to give our student-athletes and fans a new experience and to bring a little bit of the South to Southern California."

Former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough is heading for Texas Tech, he announced Monday, only a little more than a week after he entered the NCAA's transfer portal.Shough, who will enter the Red Raiders program as a graduate transfer, threw for 1,559 yards and 13 touchdowns and started all seven of the Ducks' regular-season games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 schedule.Oregon won its second straight Pac-12 title despite finishing 4-3.In the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, which No. 25 Oregon lost to No. 10 Iowa State, Shough shared time with Anthony Brown. Shough, who completed 7 of 9 passes for 79 yards and an interception, said after that game that he intended to remain at Oregon, according to ESPN, but he entered the transfer portal on Feb. 12.Shough posted on Twitter on Monday, "Let's go to work. I'll be continuing my athletic career and obtaining a Masters at Texas Tech! #GunsUp"

Former Nebraska quarterback Luke McCaffrey announced Monday he is transferring to Louisville."Excited to continue my athletic and academic career at the University of Louisville. Go Cardinals!" he posted on Twitter.As a redshirt freshman in 2020, he played in seven games with two starts for the Cornhuskers. He completed 48 of 76 passes for 466 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions and rushed 65 times for 364 yards and three scores.

Deion Sanders may or may not have had personal items stolen during his head coaching debut at Jackson State on Sunday.After the school's 53-0 victory over NAIA opponent Edward Waters, a visibly upset Sanders said items were taken from his office during the game."For one, the kids played really well," Sanders said during his postgame news conference. "But while the game was going on, someone came in and stole every darn thing I have in the coaches' office. Credit cards, wallet, watches. Thank god I had on my necklaces."However, the school later told ESPN that Sanders' effects were "misplaced and found."But Sanders took to Twitter afterward to re-assert that the items were stolen.

Northwestern All-Big Ten linebacker Paddy Fisher was named the winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy on Sunday night.Fisher, a three-time team captain, finished his career with 404 tackles, the most among active players, in 48 career games.The IMPACT part of the award stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. It is named after Ronnie Lott, who is both a college football and pro football Hall of Famer and is awarded to the NCAA defensive player who made the biggest impact on his team.Fisher was named Big Ten linebacker of the year after posting 86 tackles (4.5 for losses), one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in nine games this season.Northwestern's scholarship fund will receive $25,000 due to Fisher winning the award.

Notre Dame has paused all spring football activities because of positive COVID-19 tests in the program, Irish Illustrated reported Saturday.This isn't new for Notre Dame. Last August, the Fighting Irish paused practices amid five positive tests. The team canceled its game against Navy, scheduled to be played in Ireland, and postponed a game against Wake Forest following 18 positive tests.Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick acknowledged in an interview earlier this week with Irish Illustrated that things haven't returned to normal amid a winter season that is winding down and a spring season that is gearing up."I am optimistic as I look forward to the fall, which has a chance to feel more normal," he said. "But in terms of the operation right now, you see how hard it is to get basketball games played. I think we'll see versions of that with our lacrosse schedule and our baseball and softball schedules.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel received a five-year contract extension, the school announced Thursday.The deal, which was approved by the University of Michigan Board of Regents, runs through June 30, 2026. Manuel's salary will be increased to $1.1 million on March 14, according to the Detroit Free Press.The 52-year-old Manuel earned $940,500 in 2020 after taking a voluntary 10 percent pay cut due to athletic department revenue shortfalls because of the coronavirus pandemic.Manuel's current contract was slated to expire on March 13.

Michigan quarterback Joe Milton has entered the transfer portal as a graduate and will have three years of eligibility remaining.The third-year player took to Twitter to announce his decision."I want to thank Coach [Jim] Harbaugh for giving me that opportunity to come play for a program with lots of tradition," Milton posted, in part.Milton was named the starter for the 2020 season before being replaced by Cade McNamara for the final two games of the season. Milton completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 1,077 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.As a grad transfer, Milton will be able to play immediately. Milton had not used his redshirt season yet and the NCAA granted an extra year, giving Milton three.

Former UNLV head coach and NFL assistant Wayne Nunnely has died. He was 68.UNLV announced the news on Nunnely but didn't list a cause of death.Nunnely played for the Rebels in the 1970s and was later the running backs coach from 1982-85 before serving as head coach from 1986-89. The school said Nunnely was the first Black head coach on the West Coast. He compiled a 19-25 in four seasons."We are saddened to learn of the passing of former head coach Wayne Nunnely," Rebels athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said in a statement. "He was a role model as our only football alumnus to later become head coach and was truly blessed to have touched so many lives while teaching the sport he loved for nearly four decades."Among the players Nunnely coached at UNLV was Ickey Woods, who rushed for 1,658 yards in 1987 and was briefly a star for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.

Miami's N'Kosi Perry entered the NCAA transfer portal, becoming the second Hurricanes quarterback to do so in the past four weeks, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.Tate Martell previously put his name in the portal.The move by Perry was expected. Coach Manny Diaz said two weeks ago that Perry would remain enrolled at Miami to finish the three classes he needed to graduate but wouldn't take part in spring practice.Perry was 6-3 as a starter in the 2018-19 seasons and backed up D'Eriq King in 2020. He replaced King in the Dec. 29 Cheez-It Bowl -- a 37-34 loss to Oklahoma State -- when the starter suffered a knee injury. Perry completed 19 of 34 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.King has said he will return for his final season of eligibility in 2021.

Former Alabama defensive lineman Lorenzo Washington has died. He was 34.Alabama announced Washington's passing on Monday but didn't release a cause of death."We are devastated to hear of the passing of Lorenzo Washington," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said in a statement posted on Twitter. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Zo's family, friends and teammates. He was an integral part of our 2009 national championship team, a wonderful son, father, friend and a loved teammate."Washington played for the Crimson Tide from 2007-09, including starting every game for the 14-0 team in 2009 that beat Texas to win the national championship.Washington had 21 tackles and two sacks in 2009, part of a career in which he posted 69 tackles (12 for losses) and six sacks in 40 games while splitting time at tackle and end.Washington was not selected in the 2010 NFL Draft and never played in an NFL game. He was signed by four different teams over the next three seasons.

UCF is expected to hire former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn as its next football coach, and the deal could be finalized as soon as Monday, multiple outlets reported.The job was offered to Malzahn on Sunday, according to 247Sports.UCF had been seeking a replacement for Josh Heupel, who left last month to take the head coaching job at Tennessee. He followed athletic director Danny White, who assumed the same position with the Volunteers.Since then, UCF named Terry Mohajir as its athletic director, and he has a connection to Malzahn. He previously was the athletic director at Arkansas State, where Malzahn coached in 2012.Auburn fired Malzahn, 55, on Dec. 13 after eight seasons and a 68-35 overall record and 39-27 mark in Southeastern Conference play. He had four years remaining on his seven-year, $49 million contract extension and guided the program to an SEC Championship and BCS National Championship appearance in his first season.

Former Tennessee kicker Brent Cimaglia announced Sunday that he is transferring to Georgia Tech.He entered the transfer portal late last month and has one year of eligibility remaining."Honored and blessed to receive this opportunity," Cimaglia tweeted Sunday, his words accompanied by an illustration of him kicking in a Georgia Tech uniform. "Proud to be a yellow jacket, big things to come!"

Five-star quarterback Maalik Murphy announced he will play at Texas, giving new coach Steve Sarkisian his first major commit in the Class of 2022.Murphy is ranked as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and the No. 30 player in the nation by the 247Sports composite. The 6-foot-5 prospect from Gardena, Calif., had offers from about 30 teams across the nation, including Alabama, Florida, Oregon and Southern California."I feel like I will be able to succeed at the highest level playing at the University of Texas with a man like Coach Sark by my side calling the plays," Murphy told ESPN. "Putting me in the best position to showcase my talent and prepare me for the next level."