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Published

3 years ago

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4:38 PM ET

  • Associated Press

ATLANTA — Deion Sanders was sentimental before his final game at Jackson State, and those emotions grew after coming up short in the Celebration Bowl for the second straight year.

Quarterback Davius Richard ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 1-yard scoring plunge in overtime, and North Carolina Central beat Jackson State 41-34 on Saturday in the Celebration Bowl to spoil Sanders’ bid for an undefeated season in his farewell.

It was the second consecutive season that Sanders’ Tigers were favored before losing in the game regarded as the championship of teams from historically Black colleges and universities.

“I feel like we’ve won, but we didn’t win that game,” said Sanders, who now will devote his full attention to his new job as Colorado‘s coach. He was tearful in a pregame speech to his players.

“I miss these guys already. I love them,” Sanders said after the game.

The Eagles’ defense made a goal-line stand on Jackson State’s first possession in overtime to preserve the win. Tight end Hayden Hagler‘s drop on third down from the 1 set up an incompletion by Jackson State quarterback Shedeur Sanders to end the game.

Sanders’ 19-yard touchdown pass to Travis Hunter as time expired in regulation set up Alejandro Mata‘s tying extra point to send the game to OT. It was the fourth scoring pass of the game for Sanders, who also ran for a score.

Jackson State (12-1) was denied its bid for the first undefeated season in school history. Deion Sanders wanted to finish the season with his Tigers first before taking over at Colorado. Shedeur Sanders will accompany his father to Boulder.

The win by N.C. Central (10-2) gave the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference a 6-1 edge over teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the Celebration Bowl.

Eagles coach Trei Oliver said he hopes the victory gives more respect to the MEAC and North Carolina Central after all the pregame attention was on “Coach Prime” and Jackson State.

“They had a chip on their shoulder,” Oliver said of his players. “The disrespect was real since we’ve been down here.”

Latrell Collier‘s 7-yard scoring run with 4:31 remaining gave NCCU the lead. The Tigers answered with a 15-play drive that included Sanders’ 10-yard, fourth-down pass to JD Martin.

Richard passed for 177 yards with a touchdown and ran for 97 yards and two scores. Richard showed his versatility on a three-yard drive for the game’s first touchdown. He had a 21-yard run, a 30-yard catch on a trick play and a 5-yard scoring run that gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.

Sanders quickly showed he also boasts dual-threat skills as Jackson State outscored North Carolina Central 21-7 the remainder of the half. Sanders completed 13 of 14 passes for 178 yards and two touchdown and had four carries for 34 yards with another score in the half, giving the Tigers a 21-17 lead.

A fake punt early in the second half helped the Eagles reclaim the lead. Tight end Kyle Morgan took the snap on the fake punt and ran 43 yards to the Jackson State 24. Richard’s 12-yard scoring pass to Quentin McCall gave North Carolina Central a 23-21 lead following Adrian Olivo‘s missed extra point.

Olivo’s 21-yard field goal late in the third quarter pushed the lead to five points.

PASSING FANCY

Sanders completed 30 of 40 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns. A highlight was an 85-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman. The touchdown pass to Hunter at the end of regulation was perhaps the biggest highlight.

“When I threw the ball, all I’ve got to do is put air under it, he’s going to do the rest,” Sanders said of Hunter.

COMMISH IN THE CROWD

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended the game in support of his nephew, Jackson State sophomore defensive lineman Charlton “Charlie” Goodell. The younger Goodell is the son of Roger Goodell’s brother.

THE TAKEAWAY

North Carolina Central: The Eagles relied on their stronger running game. A balanced running attack led by Richard and Collier gave N.C. Central a 276-78 advantage in rushing yards. “Those boys were running with an edge,” Richard said of the Eagles’ running backs.

Jackson State: The Tigers were resilient in responding to an early 10-0 deficit. Sanders was the key, producing as a runner and passer while leading the comeback.

UP NEXT

North Carolina Central: The Eagles will look for back-to-back MEAC championships when they open their 2023 season at North Carolina A&T on Sept. 3.

Jackson State: With wide receivers coach T.C. Taylor moving up as the new coach, the Tigers will return to Atlanta to open the 2023 season against South Carolina State in the Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge.

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Twins no longer for sale; owners eye investors

Published

5 hours ago

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August 13, 2025

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Twins no longer for sale; owners eye investors

  • Associated Press

Aug 13, 2025, 11:15 AM ET

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins are no longer for sale, executive chair Joe Pohlad announced Wednesday on behalf of his family.

After exploring a variety of options over the past 10 months, the Pohlad family will remain the principal owner of the club and add new investors instead. Carl Pohlad, a banking magnate and the late grandfather of Joe Pohlad, purchased the Twins in 1984 for $44 million.

“For more than four decades, our family has had the privilege of owning the Minnesota Twins. This franchise has become part of our family story, as it has for our employees, our players, this community, and Twins fans everywhere,” Joe Pohlad said in his announcement. “Over the past several months, we explored a wide range of potential investment and ownership opportunities. Our focus throughout has been on what’s best for the long-term future of the Twins. We have been fully open to all possibilities.”

Pohlad said the family was in the process of adding two “significant” limited partnership groups to bring in fresh ideas, bolster critical partnerships and shape the long-term vision of the franchise that relocated to Minnesota in 1961 after originating as the Washington Senators. Details about the new investors will be kept private until Major League Baseball approves of the transactions, Pohlad said.

The Twins are on track for their lowest attendance total in 16 seasons at Target Field, and an ownership-mandated payroll reduction last year, among other factors, has contributed to a dissatisfied customer base. The Twins traded 10 players off their roster leading up to the July 31 deadline, furthering the frustration. Word that the Pohlads are staying put certainly won’t help the morale of Minnesota baseball fans, who’ve been waiting for another World Series title since 1991.

“We see and hear the passion from our partners, the community, and Twins fans. That passion inspires us,” Pohlad said. “This ownership group is committed to building a winning team and culture for this region, one that Twins fans are proud to cheer for.”

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Cards’ Contreras out with foot contusion after HBP

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5 hours ago

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August 13, 2025

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Cards' Contreras out with foot contusion after HBP

  • Associated Press

Aug 13, 2025, 01:37 PM ET

ST. LOUIS — Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras was not in the lineup Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies a day after he was hit in the foot by a pitch and broke his bat in frustration.

Contreras, listed as day-to-day with a right foot contusion, was hit by Rockies starter Kyle Freeland‘s sweeper in the fourth inning. He then slammed his bat into the dirt and snapped it over his knee.

As he walked toward first base, the 33-year-old threw the two pieces of the broken bat toward the Cardinals’ dugout.

He remained in the game until the sixth inning, when he was replaced by Nolan Gorman.

The Cardinals said X-rays did not reveal any structural damage in Contreras’ foot.

Contreras has been hit by a National League-leading 18 pitches this season, trailing only Randy Arozarena and Ty France.

Contreras leads the Cardinals with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs.

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Rangers’ struggling García to IL with ankle injury

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5 hours ago

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August 13, 2025

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Rangers' struggling García to IL with ankle injury

  • Associated Press

Aug 13, 2025, 02:06 PM ET

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers put struggling slugger Adolis García on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and activated outfielder Evan Carter.

Texas, which is chasing an American League wild-card berth, made the moves their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Another outfielder, Wyatt Langford, was held out of the lineup because of forearm stiffness, but manager Bruce Bochy said he could be available to pinch-hit.

García is hitting .224 with 16 homers and 64 RBIs in 116 games. He hit .176 (6 for 34) during the nine-game homestand that ended with Wednesday’s game.

Carter, who turns 23 later this month, missed 10 games because of back spasms. He was in a 4-for-34 slump when he was placed on the IL on Aug. 2. He hit .238 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 55 games before then.

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