Roundup: Mariota cleans up at awards show; Heisman next?
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota cleaned house at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show Thursday night, winning the Maxwell Award (nation's most outstanding player), Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and Walter Camp player of the year award. All that’s left? The Heisman Trophy; that announcement comes Saturday.
He wasn’t the only Pac-12er to take home hardware Thursday night, as Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright won the Chuck Bendarik Award (top defensive player in the country).
Last but not least, Utah punter Tom Hackett won the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter. He is the first Ute to win the award.
At his pre-Alamo Bowl press conference Wednesday, head coach Jim Mora said that the Alamo Bowl will be Brett Hundley’s last game at UCLA, as he is planning on entering the NFL draft.
Doug Haller reports that Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell has removed his name from consideration for the Tulsa head coaching opening.
One of the pleasant surprises of my 28th birthday on Wednesday was that former Cal basketball star Patrick Christopher got called up to the Utah Jazz from the Iowa Energy of the D-League, and Jody Genessy of the Salt Lake Tribune details Patrick Christopher’s road to the NBA, which featured stops in Turkey and France before the D-League.
What’s this – a matchup of two Pac-12 teams in the Sweet 16? Yup; Stanford women’s volleyball faces Oregon State in a regional semifinal Friday night in Ames, Iowa.
While we’re on the volleyball tip, Washington is playing Nebraska in the round of 16 in Seattle, and Terry Wood (special to The Seattle Times) details the storied volleyball rivalry between Washington and Nebraska. Including Friday’s matchup, the Dawgs and Huskers have met in the Sweet 16 or later five times in the last 10 years.
The Oregonian’s Connor Letourneau tries to give us an answer on why Gary Andersen left Wisconsin for Oregon State. Also, Oregon State volleyball coach Taras Liskevych says the pressure is on top-seeded Stanford in the Sweet 16 matchup.
Former USC volleyball player April Ross was named the 2014 Beach Volleyball Player of the Year by USA Volleyball.
CougCenter tackles Washington State’s search for a defensive coordinator and who the Cougs might tab.
Colorado AD Rick George is trying to increase fan support for football games, notes Kyle Ringo.