10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2017
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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SPORTS
IN BRIEF
More NBA games
on TV in 2017
Associated Press
NEW YORK — With 2016
over and the NFL regular sea-
son as well, it’s about time for the
NBA to start showing up more
often on more nights.
The new year will feature a
new night of national TV games,
one of the highlights of a busy
January, when there are nearly
half as many nationally televised
games as in the previous two
months combined.
TNT’s new Monday night
package debuts where last season
ends, with the second NBA Finals
rematch between Golden State
and Cleveland on Martin Luther
King Jr. Day. The Jan. 16 double-
header concludes with Oklahoma
City at the Los Angeles Clippers.
The second season of ABC’s
Saturday night prime-time cover-
age then returns at the end of that
week with San Antonio visiting
Cleveland.
There are 49 nationally tele-
vised games in January, including
17 NBA TV telecasts. There were
104 such games through Dec. 31.
Wisconsin wins
Cotton Bowl
Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas — Troy
Fumagalli had highlight catches
for Wisconsin even before the big
tight end’s leaping 8-yard touch-
down in the fourth quarter and his
26-yard gain on third down that
effectively wrapped up the Cotton
Bowl victory.
The game’s offensive MVP
also had a nifty one-handed grab
on third down with his left hand
— the one missing an index fin-
ger since right after his birth — to
extend the eighth-ranked Badgers’
opening touchdown drive. There
was another leaping two-handed
catch in the first half of a 24-16
victory Monday that denied West-
ern Michigan a perfect season.
“It’s special,” said Fumagalli, a
junior. “It’s a great feeling to come
out on top.”
Fumagalli had seven passes
thrown his way, and the 6-foot-6
junior caught six of them. The last
two clinched the third consecutive
bowl victory for the Big Ten run-
ner-up Badgers (11-3).
After his TD catch between two
defenders in the back of the end
zone with 12:26 left made it 24-10,
Western Michigan (13-1) took 9
minutes to score. Wisconsin was
able to run out the clock after Fum-
agalli’s big play on third-and-8.
“He’s unbelievable,” Western
Michigan coach P.J. Fleck said.
With their “Row The Boat”
mentality inspired by Fleck, the
12th-ranked Broncos (13-1) went
from one win during his first sea-
son in Kalamazoo three years ago
to the last FBS team other than
No. 1 Alabama this season with a
chance to be undefeated.
“Told them I was very proud of
them, how much I love them, and
the effort they gave,” Fleck said
about what he told his team on the
sideline just before the end of the
game. “We will continue to learn
from this. We will embrace our
past to create our future, and it just
wasn’t enough tonight.”
The Badgers, who finished
with 11 wins for the fourth time
in seven seasons, were clearly big-
ger and stronger — especially up
front. Their offensive line averaged
about three inches and 45 pounds
more than the WMU defensive
front.
SCOREBOARD
PREP SCHEDULE
TODAY
Girls Basketball — Union (Wash.) at
Astoria, 7 p.m.; Warrenton at Catlin Ga-
bel, 7:45 p.m.; Neah-Kah-Nie at Knap-
pa, 6 p.m.; Vernonia JV at Jewell, 5:30
p.m.
Boys Basketball — Warrenton at
Catlin Gabel, 6 p.m.; Neah-Kah-Nie at
Knappa, 7:45 p.m.; Astoria JV2 at Jew-
ell, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Girls Basketball — Knappa at Verno-
nia, 6 p.m.
Boys Basketball — Knappa at Verno-
nia, 7:45 p.m.
AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Southern California defensive back Leon McQuay III intercepts a pass intended for Penn State cornerback Jordan Smith during the
second half of the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game Monday in Pasadena, Calif.
USC kicks at buzzer, beats
Penn State in epic Rose Bowl
By GREG BEACHAM
Associated Press
ASADENA, Calif. — After 98 com-
bined points and 1,040 yards of spectac-
ular offensive play, the highest-scoring
Rose Bowl in history rested on the left foot of
a Southern California kicker who had already
missed two field goals.
Matt Boermeester somehow blocked out
the cacophonous tension in the chilly air. He
focused only on securing a perfect ending to
an epic evening.
“Game was on the line, but you’ve got to
keep true to your technique and trust it,” Boer-
meester said.
His technique was sound. His kick was
true. And the Trojans got their storybook fin-
ish in Pasadena.
Boermeester hit a 46-yard field goal as time
expired , and No. 9 USC rallied from a 14-point
deficit in the fourth quarter for a 52-49 victory
over No. 5 Penn State on Monday night in the
103rd edition of the Granddaddy of Them All.
Freshman Sam Darnold passed for 453
yards and five touchdowns while leading a
stirring comeback by the Trojans (10-3), who
P
won their ninth consecutive game and tri-
umphed in their first Rose Bowl since 2009.
USC trailed 49-35 with nine minutes to play,
but persevered to win one of the greatest Rose
Bowls ever played.
“It was just two really good football teams
playing at the highest level and compet-
ing until the absolute, very end,” USC coach
Clay Helton said. “The greatest players shined
brightest on the biggest stage. It’s what fairy
tales are made of.”
Deontay Burnett, who had three TD recep-
tions, caught a tying 27-yard scoring pass from
Darnold with 1:20 left to cap an 80-yard drive
in 38 seconds with no timeouts available.
Leon McQuay III then intercepted an
ill-advised long pass by Trace McSorley and
returned it 32 yards to the Penn State 33 with
27 seconds left. In an instant, the Trojans
went from preparing for overtime to having a
chance to win.
“I didn’t know whether to block or cel-
ebrate” after McQuay’s interception, USC
defensive lineman Stevie Tu’ikolovatu said. “I
kind of did both.”
The Trojans set up Boermeester, and the
junior confidently drilled the Rose Bowl win-
ner , sprinting away as it went through the
south uprights and set off pandemonium on
the hallowed field.
“It’s beautiful,” McQuay said. “This is a
special group of guys. Oh man, this is the time
to step up. This is the time to make plays.”
McSorley passed for 254 yards and threw
two of his four touchdown passes to Chris
Godwin for the Nittany Lions (11-3), whose
nine-game winning streak ended in heart-
breaking fashion.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards and
two TDs as the Nittany Lions (12-2) followed
up their 21-point comeback in the Big Ten
title game with another ferocious rally, only to
watch the Trojans rally back.
“That game doesn’t really define us,” Penn
State coach James Franklin said. “I wouldn’t
be any more proud tonight sitting here with a
win ... after what might have been the most
exciting Rose Bowl game ever.”
With one jaw-dropping play after another
from two talent-laden offenses, the teams
obliterated the combined Rose Bowl scoring
record in the third quarter, surpassing Ore-
gon’s 45-38 victory over Wisconsin in the
2012 game.
Seahawks enter the playoffs
with a whimper, not a roar
QB Mayfield
leads OU to
sweet victory
Associated Press
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
RENTON, Wash. — For the fifth
straight season, the Seattle Seahawks
have won 10 games and are headed to
the playoffs, the longest such streaks
in franchise history.
So why does this division title and
playoff appearance feel so under-
whelming? It’s because unlike the
previous four playoff appearances
when the Seahawks were rolling
headed into the playoffs, this time
Seattle is limping into the NFC wild-
card game against Detroit on Satur-
day night.
The latest example came in Sun-
day’s regular-season finale against
San Francisco when Seattle slogged
its way to a 25-23 victory that again
raised more questions than provided
answers about what to expect when
the playoffs arrive.
But even with the lackluster per-
formance the latter half of the season,
Seattle coach Pete Carroll believes
the Seahawks have the pieces for a
playoff run.
“I think we’ve got great leader-
ship. We’ve got a lot of young guys
and we’re bringing them with us,”
Carroll said during his radio show on
KIRO-AM on Monday morning. “It’s
a great challenge, a great exercise in
putting it together.”
Seattle is playing on wild-card
weekend for the second straight year
after squandering its chance at a bye
AP Photo/Tony Avelar
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson scrambles from 49ers lineback-
er Ahmad Brooks during the first half in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday.
UP NEXT: SEAHAWKS
• Detroit Lions (9-7)
at Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1)
• Saturday, 5:15 p.m. TV: NBC
with a home loss to Arizona in Week
16 . Facing the lowly 49ers was sup-
posed to be Seattle’s opportunity to
get itself pointed in the right direction
headed into the playoffs. And while
the win can’t be discredited, the fash-
ion in which it happened failed to pro-
vide much confidence.
Seattle fell behind 14-3, needed
a huge turnover to get back into
the game in the first half and nearly
watched the 49ers rally in the fourth
quarter before running out the clock
with Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin
and a chunk of Seattle’s starters sit-
ting on the bench as Carroll tried to
protect key players.
“When coach made the decision,
I was for it and I saw that some other
guys weren’t playing, too,” Wilson
said after the win. “He just made
those decisions. We knew that we
were going to have a home game and
so that was kind of our focus trying
to get some rest, trying to get ready,
allowing nothing crazy to happen.”
NEW ORLEANS — Heisman
Trophy finalists Baker Mayfield
and Dede Westbrook connected
one last time for a touchdown. Joe
Mixon emerged from his recent
controversy with big plays that
had teammates lifting him off his
feet in celebration. Samaje Per-
ine put his name in Oklahoma’s
record books.
Seventh-ranked Oklahoma had
plenty to celebrate after a 35-19
triumph over No. 17 Auburn in
the Sugar Bowl on Monday night,
including a 10th-straight victory.
“We’re a prideful team,” Okla-
homa coach Bob Stoops said.
“And we’re confident, regardless
of the people that try to rattle the
cage and shake your confidence. ...
We improved as we went through
the end and we fought through the
outside noise.”
Mayfield passed for 296 yards
and two touchdowns. Mixon
heard boos from Auburn fans, who
also shouted derisive comments
regarding a recently publicized
video of him punching a woman
in the face in 2014. Mixon, who
served a season-long suspension
in 2014 and has apologized for
the assault, also drew cheers from
crimson-clad Oklahoma fans with
his play. His two short touchdown
runs were among the highlights of
a performance in which he gained
180 yards from scrimmage.