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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — TCU star receiver Quentin Johnston said he had several inquiries about transferring elsewhere during the offseason, particularly with Gary Patterson stepping down as coach toward the end of the 2021 season.

But Johnston stayed put and is ecstatic that he did.

The Horned Frogs will make their first College Football Playoff appearance on Saturday in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, the first school from Texas to ever play in the playoff. Not only that, but the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnston has emerged as the No. 1 receiver prospect in the 2023 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s Todd McShay.

“Sure, there were a lot of different people doing different things, people on our coaching staff splitting up and going to different places,” Johnston said Wednesday, speaking ahead of TCU’s semifinal matchup against Michigan. “And then from other schools I had offers from coming out of high school, you know they were there (with transfer opportunities).

“But like I said, I wasn’t really planning on leaving in the first place. So I kind of shut everything down early and just focused on TCU football.”

Johnston isn’t naïve. He’s seen the reports of players being offered millions of dollars to jump into the transfer portal and cash in with bigger NIL deals. He’s not knocking those players who choose to go that route and pointed out that everyone’s situation is different. It just wasn’t the right move for him.

“I feel like overall that people are going to see dollar signs … and obviously it’s not something to be taken lightly,” Johnston said. “You see X amount of dollars and say, ‘Why wouldn’t I go there?’ But if you’re offering that to three 5-stars on the team playing the same position, somebody’s not going to play. You’re going to have money, but you came to play football, which is why I try my best to try not to get caught up into it.

“I mean, if you think about it, it’s not overly hard not to run to a dollar sign every time you see one. It’s going to come if you stay down, play your style of football and get better in the program, then obviously somebody’s going to recognize that and hopefully one day you’ll get paid.”

Johnston, a junior from Temple, Texas, was the second-highest rated recruit of the Patterson era at TCU (58th overall by ESPN). He also had offers from Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Baylor and Nebraska among others. Ironically enough, he said at the time one of the reasons he chose TCU was because of Patterson’s longevity as coach. And then part of the way through Johnston’s second season on campus, Patterson resigned.

“We weren’t sure of what type of change was coming and how it was going to turn out, but obviously it turned out good. So I can’t complain about it,” Johnston said laughing.

Even before Sonny Dykes was named coach, Johnston had already bought in and wasn’t going to let anything detract from his desire to play football for the Frogs. He said a big part of that was growing up in a family with a military background.

“From coach Dykes’ first meeting, I was in there right up front, just embracing everything, you know, and listening to what he had to say,” Johnston said. “So yeah, I just kept my mind on TCU football and not who was coaching TCU football.”

TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley said Johnston was a big part of the whole team buying in so early with his selfless attitude. And while the staff did have to spend much of its first few weeks re-recruiting players, Johnston wasn’t one of those.

“We didn’t have to do much with Quentin. He loves TCU and wanted to be here,” Riley said. “He just said, ‘You know what, we’ve got the guys here to do it. We’ve just got to put it together,’ and that’s what this team has done.”

Johnston figures to play a big role Saturday if TCU is going to beat Michigan. Riley said it will be paramount to hit some big plays against a stifling Michigan defense that hasn’t allowed much of anything in the running game this season. The Wolverines are ranked third nationally against the run (85.2 yards per game) and tied for fourth in scoring defense (13.4 points per game).

Johnston has five touchdown catches and is averaging 17 yards per catch. He’s tied for second nationally with five catches of 50 yards of longer and is especially adept at breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch.

Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said one of the Wolverines’ biggest challenges will be keeping Johnston from making big plays down the field.

“He and Marvin Harrison, I would say, are the two guys on the same wavelength,” Minter said. “Both are extremely good, extremely productive and extremely explosive. (Johnston) is even a little bit bigger. The thing that impresses me is that he can not only go up and get the ball, but his run-after-the-catch ability is so good. Half his yards are after the catch, which is impressive for a big guy.”

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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