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MANHATTAN, Kan. — Avery Johnson has few peers among college football quarterbacks when it comes to explosive running ability. Two games in, Kansas State’s sophomore starter hadn’t had many chances to show it.

On Friday night, Arizona gave him no choice.

Johnson delivered his first career 100-yard rushing performance in his fourth start and threw for 156 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers, leading No. 14 Kansas State to a 31-7 win over No. 20 Arizona.

“It felt really good just being able to match up with another top-20 team in the nation and being able to go out and have a dominant win like that,” Johnson said. “Credit to the defense and the guys around me. It was a really fun win tonight.”

After surviving an upset bid on the road last week in a 34-27 victory at Tulane, Kansas State bounced back on a short week and played up to Big 12 title contender expectations by overpowering an Arizona squad that had won nine consecutive games dating to last season’s 10-3 finish.

K-State called only five designed runs for its young quarterback through its first two games, but Johnson knew more were planned for Arizona. When he saw defenders focus on his running backs, he said he had to make them pay. Johnson picked up 126 yards on his 14 rushing attempts (excluding sacks), and the trio of Johnson and running backs DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards combined for 237 yards on the ground with nine runs of 10 or more yards.

“I never really know how teams are going to play us,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of like pick your poison.”

Edwards, a touted Colorado transfer, put Kansas State ahead with a 71-yard punt return touchdown to start the second quarter. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita answered by leading a drive down to K-State’s 30-yard line and then took a shot at the end zone, but cornerback Keenan Garber cut off his receiver to snag an interception.

Arizona’s preseason All-America wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, tied a career-high 11 catches for 138 yards, but Kansas State’s defense managed to pitch a shutout the rest of the way and got three fourth-down stops in the second half.

Johnson helped his squad pull away in the second half with three consecutive scoring drives, effectively controlling the clock and finishing with a career-high 266 yards of total offense.

“Our quarterback is a pretty good player,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “He rose up tonight when we needed him to and played really good football and was really calm. He made some plays with his feet, made some plays with his legs and that was a fun performance to watch him.”

“This guy is something different,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “He’s a 10.4 100-meter guy. He’s unique.”

The sophomore’s inexperience as a starter showed in the final moments of the first half, when a long scramble burned the final 10 seconds of the second quarter and ended with Johnson running out of bounds after time expired, taking away a field goal attempt that could’ve put the Wildcats up by 10. Afterward, his head coach took the blame for what he called a “terrible gaffe.”

“It is all on me,” Klieman said. “I’ve got to be better in that situation, and I should’ve just taken a timeout. That’s not on the kid. That is 100 percent on me, and I told him that.”

Johnson appreciated Klieman’s support but still regretted the missed opportunity. As he walked off the field at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium to the locker room, strength coach Trumain Carroll reminded him that this team feeds off his energy. Johnson responded with a strong second half. He said he believes he’s starting to settle in to comfortably running the offense.

“I really wish I could be playing my top, best football right now,” Johnson said, “but it’s just going to take some time. All Coach asks me to do is get 1 percent better each week.”

Klieman believes his 3-0 Wildcats showed they’re capable of being a complete team and are heading in the right direction with their week-to-week improvement as the program chases a second Big 12 title in three years.

“I don’t know what we’re trying to prove to everybody else,” Klieman said. “We need to prove to ourselves that we can sustain this and keep playing at a high level.”

For Kansas State, the win will not count in the Big 12 standings since this showdown was technically a nonconference game. The two programs agreed to this home-and-home series in 2016 and agreed to keep it on the schedule rather than cancel after Arizona agreed to join the Big 12 this season.

K-State’s conference opener comes next week in a road test against BYU (10:30 ET, ESPN). Arizona is idle before traveling to face Utah on Sept. 28.

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Utes’ Whittingham reenergized after ’24 free fall

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Utes' Whittingham reenergized after '24 free fall

FRISCO, Texas — A dynamic new quarterback, a new offensive system and two projected first-round picks up front have Utah coach Kyle Whittingham feeling enthusiastic about the Utes’ chances of bouncing back from a disastrous debut season in the Big 12.

Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll last year after joining from the Pac-12, but a brutal run of injuries and inconsistency resulted in a seven-game conference losing streak and a 5-7 finish — the program’s first losing season since 2013.

After weeks of contemplation about his future and what was best for the program, Whittingham, the third-longest-tenured head coach in FBS, decided in December to return for his 21st season with the Utes.

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note,” Whittingham told ESPN at Big 12 media days Wednesday. “It was too frustrating, too disappointing. As much as college football has changed with all the other factors that might pull you away, that was the overriding reason: That’s not us, that’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note. It was too frustrating, too disappointing. … That’s not us. That’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on going 5-7 in 2024

Whittingham and Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley conducted a national search for a new offensive coordinator and quickly zeroed in on New Mexico‘s Jason Beck. Then they managed to land Devon Dampier, Beck’s first-team All-Mountain West quarterback, via the transfer portal.

After finishing 11th nationally in total offense with 3,934 yards and 31 total touchdowns and putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (1,166) among all FBS starters, Dampier followed his coach to Salt Lake City and immediately asserted himself as a difference-maker for a program that had to start four different QBs in 2024.

“He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that, if spring is any indication, he’s an exciting player, and we can’t wait to watch him this season. … He’s got that ‘it’ factor. He’s a leader. Needless to say, very excited to see what he does for us.”

They’ve surrounded Dampier with 21 more newcomers via the transfer portal and will protect him with two returning starters at tackle in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, who are projected first-round NFL draft picks by ESPN’s Matt Miller.

“We feel they’re the best tandem in the country,” Whittingham said. “The offensive line in general, I feel, it’s the best since I’ve been there. And that’s quite a statement. We’ve had some really good offensive lines. We’ve got two first-rounders and three seniors inside that have played a lot of good football for us. That better be a strength of ours, and that’s what we’re counting on.”

Whittingham has previously said he did not want to coach past the age of 65. Now that he’s 65, he acknowledges that he might’ve arrived at a different decision about his future had the Utes ended up winning the Big 12 in 2024. He is reenergized about getting them back into contention, but he’s not ready to say whether this season might be his last.

“The best answer I can give you is, right now, I’m excited and passionate about going to work every single day,” Whittingham said. “As soon as that changes, I’ll know it’s time. I’m just counting on knowing when the time is right. I can’t tell you exactly what the circumstances will be other than losing the fire in the belly.”

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

The automated ball-strike system is coming to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.

MLB officials added the feature to the annual exhibition game knowing it could be a precursor to becoming a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.

The same process used this past spring training will be used for the Midsummer Classic: Each team will be given two challenges with the ability to retain them if successful. Only a pitcher, catcher or hitter can ask for a challenge and it has to happen almost immediately after the pitch. The player will tap his hat or helmet indicating to the umpire he wants to challenge while any help from the dugout or other players on the field is not allowed.

MLB officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a “positive” one. Sixty-nine percent said they’d like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity toward it.

MLB’s competition committee will meet later this summer to determine if ABS will be instituted next season after the league tested the robotic system throughout the minor leagues and spring training in recent years. Like almost any rule change, there were mixed reviews from players about using ABS but nearly all parties agree on one point: They prefer a challenge system as opposed to the technology calling every pitch.

As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire.

The All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday.

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

The Kansas City Royals have signed former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.

The 37-year-old left-hander will start at Triple-A Omaha and will earn a prorated $2 million salary if he reaches the big leagues, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Keuchel has not pitched in the majors for nearly a full calendar year. He elected to become a free agent on July 18, 2024, after being designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.

In four starts with the Brewers last season, Keuchel had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings without a decision. In 13 major league seasons, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner with the Houston Astros is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA in 282 appearances (267 starts).

After pitching his first seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel has made appearances for six different teams since 2019. He won a World Series with Houston in 2017 and is a two-time All-Star selection and five-time Gold Glove winner.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.

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