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Fourteen months ago, USC quarterback Caleb Williams was a freshman backup at Oklahoma entering the Red River Rivalry game against Texas hoping to give the Sooners a spark.

Now, the 20-year-old is a Heisman Trophy winner.

On Saturday in New York, Williams — much like he did on the field this year — left no doubt that the Heisman was his, securing the award given to the most outstanding player in college football in a decisive victory. Williams outraced Georgia‘s Stetson Bennett, TCU‘s Max Duggan and Ohio State‘s C.J. Stroud for the award.

Williams received 544 first-place votes. His 2,031 points easily beat out Duggan, who finished second. Stroud was third, followed by Bennett.

“I may be standing up here today, but y’all get to go to the College Football Playoff,” Williams said in his acceptance speech, in saluting the other finalists in front of him. “Guess you can’t win them all.”

Over the course of 13 games this season, the former five-star recruit from the Washington D.C. area dazzled with his play, throwing for 4,075 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushing for 372 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, as well as only four interceptions.

How he did it was through a display of consistent efficiency and an array of highlight plays that left teammates, coaches and fans alike in awe. His creativity and vision when plays broke down resulted in almost never throwing the ball away, but instead turning scramble plays and potential sacks into electric runs or miraculous passes.

Williams’ performance went beyond the numbers and highlights too. After head coach Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC in November 2021, Williams followed and became the fulcrum for the Trojans’ turnaround from a 4-8 season to an 11-win team.

“While this may be an individual award, I certainly understand that nothing, in this sport or life, is done alone,” Williams said.

With Williams under center, USC started 8-0 for the first time since 2006 and defeated both of their rivals — UCLA and Notre Dame — in the same season for the first time since 2016.

Despite his age, Williams was tasked with a crucial responsibility once he joined Riley in moving from Norman, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles via the transfer portal. He was one of the only players who was intimately familiar with Riley’s style and his offense. At 19, Williams became one of the captains of the team and, on offense, a second coach on the field.

Though the Trojans fell one game short of winning the Pac-12 title and playing in the College Football Playoff, Williams’ leadership during a year of transition for USC helped the Trojans have one of the best turnarounds of the sport. Williams and USC are likely to enter 2024 as both Heisman and title contenders, respectively.

Williams joins Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray as the third quarterback Riley has coached to win the award. Riley also coached 2019 Heisman runner-up Jalen Hurts.

A product of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., Williams is the seventh official USC player to win the award (though Reggie Bush’s 2005 Heisman remains vacated) and the third quarterback from the school. He’s the first Trojan quarterback to win since Matt Leinart in 2004.

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

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Fired Moore in custody, suspect in alleged assault

Sherrone Moore was in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday night as a suspect in an alleged assault, just hours after he was fired as Michigan’s football coach for having what the school said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore was initially detained by police in Saline, Michigan, on Wednesday and turned over to authorities in Pittsfield Township “for investigation into potential charges.”

Pittsfield police released a statement Wednesday night saying they responded at 4:10 p.m. to the 3000 block of Ann Arbor Saline Road “for the purposes of investigating an alleged assault. … A suspect in this case was taken into custody. This incident does not appear to be random in nature, and there appears to be no ongoing threat to the community.

“The suspect was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail pending review of charges by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor,” the statement continued. “At this time, the investigation is ongoing. Given the nature of the allegations, the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, and its current status at this time, we are prohibited from releasing additional details.”

Pittsfield police did not name the suspect in its statement.

Earlier, Saline police stated they “assisted in locating and detaining former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore. Mr. Moore was turned over to the Pittsfield Township Police Department for investigation into potential charges.”

Michigan fired Moore on Wednesday following an investigation into his conduct with a staff member.

“U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,” the school said in a statement. “Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.”

Moore, 39, spent two seasons as Michigan’s coach, after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

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Braves sign vet OF Yastrzemski to 2-year deal

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves signed veteran outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to a two-year deal Wednesday that includes a club option for 2028.

The 35-year-old Yastrzemski hit .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs in 146 games last year between San Francisco and Kansas City.

Yastrzemski, who spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the Giants before being sent to the Royals in July, will make $9 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027. Atlanta holds a club option for 2028. Yastrzemski will make $7 million if the Braves pick up the option. He will receive a $4 million buyout if they do not.

The versatile Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, can play all three outfield positions and is a career .238 hitter. His best season came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when he batted .297 with 10 homers in 54 games and finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting.

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

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Rule 5: Yanks pick Winquest, Rockies get Petit

ORLANDO, Fla. — The New York Yankees made their first selection in a Rule 5 draft since 2011 on Wednesday, taking right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Winquest was one of 13 players — and 12 right-handed pitchers — chosen in the major league portion of the draft.

The Rockies took RJ Petit, a 6-foot-8 reliever, with the first pick from the Detroit Tigers. Petit, 26, had a 2.44 ERA in 45 relief appearances and two starts between Double A and Triple A last season. The Minnesota Twins chose the only position player, selecting catcher Daniel Susac from the Athletics.

Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player and must keep him on the active major league roster for the entire following season unless he lands on the injured list. Players taken off the roster must be offered back to the former club for $50,000.

The 25-year-old Winquest recorded a 4.58 ERA with a 48% groundball rate in 106 innings across 25 games, including 23 starts, between Single A and Double A last season. He features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph plus a curveball, cutter and sweeper. He is expected to compete for a spot in the Yankees’ bullpen next season.

Right-hander Brad Meyers was the last player the Yankees had chosen in a Rule 5 draft. He suffered a right shoulder injury in spring training and was on the injured list for the entire 2012 season before he was offered back to the Washington Nationals. He never appeared in a major league game.

Also picked were right-hander Jedixson Paez (Colorado from Boston), right-hander Griff McGarry (Washington from Philadelphia), catcher Carter Baumler (Pittsburgh from Baltimore), right-hander Ryan Watson (Athletics from San Francisco), right-hander Matthew Pushard (St. Louis from Miami), right-hander Roddery Munoz (Houston from Cincinnati), right-hander Peyton Pallette (Cleveland from Chicago White Sox), right-hander Spencer Miles (Toronto from San Francisco), right-hander Zach McCambley (Philadelphia from Miami) and right-hander Alexander Alberto (White Sox from Tampa Bay).

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