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Trent Dilfer, the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and ESPN analyst, was introduced as UAB‘s head coach on Wednesday, laying out a vision for an era of Blazers football that he said “many people couldn’t possibly imagine.”

Dilfer, who is about to finish his fourth season as coach at Lipscomb Academy in Tennessee, said he knows it’s going to be challenging to transition to the college game. He said he likes “big climbs.”

“It’s a giant mountain,” he said, “but I think the College Football Playoff is something we should talk about.”

It was a strong sentiment to express about a program that until recently was a doormat in the Group of 5.

UAB didn’t start playing NCAA football until 1996 — overshadowed by the University of Alabama and far less resourced. It had three winning seasons and one bowl berth in the 17 seasons before Bill Clark took over as head coach in 2014.

The program was then shuttered following the 2014 season and didn’t play again until 2017.

Clark stayed on through the shutdown and the return, and he led the team to a 43-20 record and two Conference USA championships before he stepped down in the summer to address an ailing back.

Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent was elevated to interim head coach and led the team to a 6-6 record during the regular season.

Dilfer, 50, admitted that he wasn’t very well versed in the history of the program.

“I know this,” he said. “I know if you’re in the Southeast, you have a president that cares about excellence and an [athletic director] that understands the impact of football on a donor base that wants football to be good, you can be really good. So whatever the brand is on the jersey, I think this has an opportunity to be one of the best.”

Dilfer, who won a Super Bowl as quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, said he didn’t know what to think when UAB athletic director Mark Ingram first gauged his interest in the job.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘scared,'” he said. “I was skeptical.”

But the more Dilfer thought about it, the more he said his interest grew. People thought he was foolish for taking a job coaching high school football in Tennessee, he said, and on Thursday he’ll lead Lipscomb to a state championship game.

“I’ll make very few promises,” he said. “But this promise I will make: You will get the best of me.”

Dilfer said he’d be lying if he said he knew how to recruit at an elite level. But he said he’d learn.

He also acknowledged the players’ feelings in him being brought on as coach.

The team sent a letter to the school president on Tuesday morning, expressing their frustration over the handling of the coaching search and throwing their support behind Vincent to be named the permanent head coach.

“They’re losing a man they truly, truly believe in,” Dilfer said. “Talking to those players today, you can see the pain in their eyes. They love Coach Vincent. They love that staff. And I said, ‘I want to honor that.’ I want to help them finish strong.

“But I also hope to earn their trust as we go through this together because great things are coming. So we’ll connect with our current roster and we’ll recruit them.”

Vincent will stay on and coach the team in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16 against Louisiana Tech.

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

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Makar 9th NHL blueliner with 30 goals in season

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Avalanche star Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the ninth defenseman in the NHL, and the first with Colorado, to score 30 goals in a season.

The sixth-year player is the NHL’s first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals had 31 in 2008-09.

Makar put the Avalanche up 5-2 by scoring a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the second period. He was set up in the left circle for a one-timer by a pass from Nathan MacKinnon. He also had two assists as the Avalanche won, 7-3, to clinch their eighth consecutive playoff appearance.

Overall, NHL blue liners have now combined to reach 30 goals 18 times, led by Bobby Orr, who had five 30-goal seasons. Paul Coffey (four) and Denis Potvin (three) are the only others to have had multiple 30-goal seasons. The list is rounded out by Ray Bourque, Kevin Hatcher, Phil Housley and Doug Wilson.

With the goal and two assists, the 26-year-old Makar also increased his point total to 90, matching the franchise record for defenseman he set last season. In doing so, he became the NHL’s fifth defenseman to produce consecutive 90-point seasons, and first since Coffey (1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (1989-90 to 1990-91).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

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Oilers keep pace for home ice, but lose Draisaitl

SAN JOSE, Calif. — NHL leading goal scorer Leon Draisaitl left the Edmonton Oilers‘ game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night in the second period because of an undisclosed injury and didn’t return.

Draisaitl appeared to be injured midway through the second period and skated gingerly to the bench before leaving for the dressing room. Coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game that he had no update on the severity of the injury.

Jeff Skinner scored the tiebreaking goal shortly after Draisaitl left the game, giving the Oilers a 3-2 victory that kept them within two points of the Los Angeles Kings in the race for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Obviously we’ve had some injuries to key guys,” Skinner said. “It’s a lot of opportunity for other guys to step up and I think guys have done a good job so far. We’re going to have to continue that and keep working together to get the results we want.”

Draisaitl had an assist earlier in the second period. He leads the NHL with 52 goals and is third in the league with 106 points.

Draisaitl sat out four games last month because of an undisclosed injury.

The Oilers are already without star center Connor McDavid, who has been sidelined since colliding with Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey on March 20. McDavid has resumed skating with the team in a noncontact jersey but there is no timetable for his return.

The playoffs begin in just over two weeks.

“You never want to miss those guys,” Knoblauch said. “You never want your top players not to play because every time they’re not in, it decreases your chances of winning because they are good players, obviously. But what happens is other guys have some opportunities to play, get some confidence, hopefully score some goals, because we’re going to need them.”

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Blues’ Holloway exits with lower-body injury

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Blues' Holloway exits with lower-body injury

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis forward Dylan Holloway left the Blues’ 5-4 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period Thursday night because of a lower-body injury.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had no additional information on the injury after the game.

“We’ll have more, I’m sure, tomorrow,” Montgomery said.

The team announced the injury during the first intermission and said he would not return to the game. It was not clear when Holloway was injured.

Holloway had eight shifts in the first period.

Holloway has been a driving force in the Blues’ 11-game winning streak, which ties a franchise record. He has 26 goals and 37 assists in 77 games this season.

“Obviously, that’s an elite player for us, someone who plays in all situations, and, you know, a really important piece to our team,” forward Jake Neighbours said. “We had to focus on the task at hand. … it sucked losing Dylan, and just hope he’s OK.”

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