College Football
Alabama, Florida State on top of initial BCS rankings
Alabama and Florida State hold the top two spots in the first BCS standings of the season. Oregon was a close third behind second-place Florida State.
The Seminoles (.9348 BCS average) are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 51-14 victory at previously unbeaten Clemson.
The Ducks (.9320) have played only one team that was ranked at the time but could get a boost in the next two weeks with games against UCLA and at Stanford.
Ohio State is a more distant fourth, followed by Missouri in the standings released Sunday night.
The top two teams in the final standings after the end of the regular season will play at the Rose Bowl for the national title in January.
Legendary former Washington coach Don James dies
SEATTLE – Don James, the longtime University of Washington football coach who led the Huskies to a share of the national championship in 1991, died Sunday. He was 80.
The university said James died at his home from the effects of pancreatic cancer. He had been receiving treatment for the disease since late September.
James was 176-78-3 as a head coach at Kent State and Washington. He went 153-58-2 with the Huskies from 1975-92 and led the school to a six-pack of Rose Bowl appearances.
Golf
Webb Simpson snares 6-shot victory at TPC Summerlin
LAS VEGAS – Webb Simpson cruised to victory Sunday at TPC Summerlin, pulling away for a six-stroke win in the second event of the PGA Tour’s new wraparound season.
Winning for the first time since the 2012 U.S. Open, Simpson closed with a 5-under 66 in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He finished at 24-under 260.
INCHEON, South Korea – Amy Yang made a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with South Korean compatriot Hee Kyung Seo to win the KEB HanaBank Championship.
CONOVER, N.C. – Michael Allen won the Greater Hickory Classic for his second Champions Tour title of the year and fifth overall, beating Olin Browne with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
CHEONAN, South Korea – Kang Sung-hoon won the Korea Open, which ended in a dispute after Kim Hyung-tae was informed of a two-shot penalty when he lead by one shot with two holes to play.
Kim, who started the final round with a four-shot lead, argued that he never grounded his club on the 13th hole. The OneAsia Tour said he discussed the violation with tournament officials for two hours. The Korean Golf Association voted 5-3 against him.
mixed martial arts
Velasquez wins rubber match vs. Dos Santos, retains title
HOUSTON – Cain Velasquez stopped Junior Dos Santos in the fifth round Saturday night at UFC 166 to retain the heavyweight title.
Dos Santos came out firing to start the final round, but Velasquez (13-1) worked him down to the mat only to have Dos Santos (16-3) get back up against the Octagon walls.
The two traded lefts before Velasquez landed a left and took Dos Santos down head-first to the mat, causing referee Herb Dean to stop the bout at 3:09.
soccer
USA women give Sermanni win over old Australian squad
SAN ANTONIO – Lauren Holiday and Carli Lloyd scored in the first half and the U.S. women’s national team overpowered Australia 4-0, giving coach Tom Sermanni a victory in his first match against his former team.
Holiday and Lloyd both scored on powerful volleys, and Abby Wambach scored her 162nd career international goal with a delicate flick off the outside of her right foot that trickled into the corner. Christen Press scored in stoppage time.
Associated Press
