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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — After beating Texas A&M 31-28 on Saturday night, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said that Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher’s offseason comments were extra motivation for him this week.

In his postgame news conference, Kiffin was asked if Fisher’s jabs in February served as a motivating factor for the matchup.

“It’s real. I don’t do coachspeak,” Kiffin said. “Most coaches would say no. But when someone attacks you personally and calls you and your buddy Coach [Nick] Saban both clowns, you take that personal.”

“I’m glad we won,” Kiffin added with a smile.

The rift dates back to the Fisher-Saban feud in February after Saban told a group of Alabama businessmen that Texas A&M “bought every player” in its recruiting class with name, image and likeness (NIL) deals. Fisher then went after Saban, and Fisher included Kiffin after he continued to take jabs at the Aggies.

“We don’t have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals,” Kiffin said then. “It’s like dealing with salary caps. I joked I didn’t know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class.”

Fisher responded in his news conference by ripping Saban. “And then to have coaches in our league say it? Clown acts,” Fisher then added. “Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league, the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal, are using it the most. That’s the ironic part. It does piss me off.”

On Saturday, during a postgame interview on the field, Kiffin was asked what he would be dressing as for Halloween.

“Maybe Jimbo has a Joker outfit for me,” he responded.

The Aggies also had several injuries, mostly to defensive linemen, during the game, which slowed the action at times. The NCAA added a new rule in April that would allow for schools to report suspicious injury timeouts. Kiffin was visibly annoyed when asked about Texas A&M’s stoppages.

“I’m not going to get very far into it,” he said. “At one point, it was eight injury timeouts, all on defense. Whatever. It is what it is. There’s a way around the rule. I’m not going to say they did it. But what are the analytics of that happening? And then seeing the players like a play or two later back out there …”

Kiffin made repeated comments about five-star recruits and discussed what an achievement it was to rush for 390 yards against members of the Aggies’ highly touted recruiting class, calling them “some of the best high school players ever” in the “best recruiting class in the history of football.”

During the game, the broadcast caught Kiffin talking to a Texas A&M player, telling him to lay down and fake another injury.

“I was just having fun with them,” Kiffin said. “Those kids are highly energetic, like a lot of five-stars. Kind of fun to mess with. It was all good.”

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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