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Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis on Monday confirmed he is out for the season after suffering a lower left leg injury against North Alabama on Saturday.

In a social media post Monday, Travis thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers since the injury. He was tackled at the end of a run and his left leg bent awkwardly underneath him. Trainers rushed to the field immediately, and he was carted off with an air cast on his left leg and taken to the hospital.

Travis remained hospitalized over the weekend, according to his Instagram stories. In one video clip, he showed his room filled with teammates who came to visit.

“I have been overwhelmed by the support from my teammates, coaches, the Florida State community and those all around the world,” Travis wrote in his statement. “Although the injury … marks the end of my Seminole playing career, the great memories created here at FSU will never fade.

“Being the quarterback here at Florida State University has been a dream come true. I am humbled, honored and forever grateful. The journey this team set out on is not over yet as all of our goals still lie just ahead. I am excited to be by my brothers’ sides every day as we continue our attack. We’re all we got, we’re all we need. Job’s not finished. Go Noles!”

Travis, who grew up in West Palm Beach as a Seminoles fan, transferred to Florida State in 2019 after beginning his career at Louisville. He emerged as the starting quarterback midway through the 2021 season after nearly walking away from the game.

He has helped bring Florida State back to the top echelon of college football, throwing for 8,715 yards, which ranks second in school history, while amassing a school-record 10,676 yards of total offense.

Florida State has won 16 straight games and clinched a spot in the ACC championship game against Louisville on Dec. 2.

Travis is the only player in school history ranked in top 10 on FSU’s career passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns lists.

“Jordan will be talked about forever in this program,” coach Mike Norvell said during his weekly news conference Monday. “It’s not necessarily going to be just about his playing ability. It’s going to be about who he is.

“There’s an expectation and responsibility we have for him because he’s been such a huge part of this journey. We’ve got work to do. We gotta put it in. Our guys came in with great purpose yesterday. I was pleased with the work that I saw. Guys know what needs to be done.”

The Seminoles (11-0, 8-0 ACC), who were No. 4 in last week’s CFP rankings but fell to No. 5 in the latest AP Top 25, visit rival Florida on Saturday and will start Tate Rodemaker, who has spent his four seasons with the Seminoles as a backup.

Rodemaker has had his opportunity to help the Seminoles win games. Last season, when Travis went down with an injury against Louisville, Rodemaker came into the game and led the Seminoles to a comeback victory.

He went 13-of-23 for 217 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against North Alabama on Saturday.

Norvell said nobody on the team was shocked to see what Rodemaker did last week, and the coach has the “utmost confidence” in the quarterback.

“We’ve seen him do that before,” Norvell said. “We’ve seen him on the road. We’ve seen him lead us back. We’ve seen him be ready when his number’s called, and he’s always answered that. We’ve got a football team that’s going to rally around and behind him. It’s his time.”

As for how the College Football Playoff selection committee will view Florida State when the next rankings come out Tuesday, Norvell said that is not something he needs to address with his team.

“I’m sure they hear it,” Norvell said. But thank God the opinions of others don’t dictate what our actions are going to be. This team, a year ago, nobody thought we were worth a crap. They proved them wrong. Big expectations coming into this season, and people waiting for us to slip and fall. They’re continuing to get better.

“Quarterback goes down. Oh, that must be it. That’s why we get to play the game. It’s why we get to go to work. It’s why we get to continue to push and build and go be all that I know that this team can be. I believe in them. And I believe if we can put that on display, then maybe a few more will believe in what they can do.”

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Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett dies at 39

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Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett dies at 39

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Michael Annett, a former race car driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39.

JR Motorsports, one of Annett’s former teams, posted the news on social media Friday. No cause of death was announced.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

According to NASCAR, Annett made 321 starts in the Xfinity Series, 158 of which came with JRM.

In 2019, Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his only win at the national level.

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was also a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. He won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and took the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” the racing body said in a statement. “Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

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Baker staying put as LSU defensive coordinator

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Baker staying put as LSU defensive coordinator

LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker is remaining with the program, coach Lane Kiffin said Friday on X.

Baker, who has led LSU’s defense the past two seasons, interviewed for head coaching vacancies at Tulane and Memphis this week and was a strong candidate, sources said. But he instead will remain with Kiffin, who prioritized retaining Baker, one of the nation’s highest-paid assistants at $2.5 million.

Baker is expected to receive a revised contract and a raise.

Under Baker, the Tigers ranked 15th in scoring defense and 25th nationally in total defense this fall. His retention capped a strong day for LSU, which signed defensive tackle Lamar Brown, ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit, and defensive tackle Deuce Geralds (No. 37).

Baker, 43, is in his second stint at LSU after coaching the team’s linebackers in 2021. A former Tulane linebacker, he also has held coordinator roles at Louisiana Tech, Miami and Missouri.

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Sources: Mississippi State, Arnett set for reunion

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Sources: Mississippi State, Arnett set for reunion

Mississippi State defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler has been informed that he is not returning next season, with the Bulldogs expected to target former head coach Zach Arnett to be the next defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday.

The move would be the rare reunion of a former head coach returning to the staff of that team.

Arnett is a proven high-end defensive coordinator in the SEC. In three years as Mississippi State DC (2020-22), his defenses ranked in the top five in the conference in total defense, rushing defense and takeaways.

He took over as coach following the death of Mike Leach in December 2022, but Arnett was fired with two games to play in 2023 after leading the Bulldogs to a 4-6 record that season.

After leaving Mississippi State, Arnett has spent the past two seasons as an analyst at Ole Miss and Florida State.

Hutzler had been the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator since 2024, but Mississippi State has ranked last and second to last in yards per game allowed and points per game allowed the past two seasons.

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