College Football
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jerod Evans threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two scores, and No. 18 Virginia Tech pulled off the largest comeback in its 124-year history, erasing a 24-point halftime deficit to beat Arkansas 35-24 on Thursday night in the Belk Bowl.
After being limited to 180 yards in the first half, Hokies (10-4) took advantage of three of Austin Allen’s interceptions and scored touchdowns on five of their first seven possessions of the second half.
Evans scored on a 4-yard run and threw touchdown strikes to Sam Rogers and Chris Cunningham to cut it to 24-21 In the third quarter. Travon McMillan put the Hokies ahead for good with 12:03 left in the game when he scored on a 6-yard run. Evans sealed the win with an 8-yard touchdown scamper
Virginia Tech came in averaging 35 points, but the Razorbacks (7-6) set the tone early by turning Evans’ fumble and interception into 10 points to take a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Arkansas extended the lead to 24-0 at halftime and it looked as if it might cruise to an easy victory.
But Evans had other ideas.
He completed 12 of 16 passes for 129 yards and two TDs in the second half, helping Justin Fuente became the first coach in school history to win 10 games in his first season.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Quinton Flowers ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more to lead No. 25 South Florida past South Carolina, 46-39 in overtime Thursday in the Birmingham Bowl.
South Florida (11-2) squandered a 39-21 lead in the second half, but recovered for its school-record 11th victory. Flowers threw a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, finding Elkanah Dillon in the end zone.
South Carolina’s overtime drive ended after Jake Bentley was sacked by Mike Love on fourth down. Bentley fumbled and Khalid McGee recovered to end the game.
Flowers, who was selected the game’s Most Valuable Player, completed 23 of 32 passes for 261 yards and ran for 105 yards on 21 carries.
Skiing
SANTA CATERINA VALFURVA, Italy — Alexis Pinturault won an Alpine combined race Thursday to match Jean-Claude Killy for the French record with his 18th World Cup victory.
Pinturault edged overall World Cup leader Marcel Hirscher of Austria by 0.34 seconds in the event, which combined the times from one super-G run and one slalom run.
Killy’s wins came in 1967 and 1968 when he won the first two overall World Cup titles.
SANTA CATERINA VALFURVA, Italy — Bode Miller is still planning on racing again. Just probably not this season.
U.S. Ski Team head coach Sasha Rearick said that Miller told him he no longer plans on coming over to Europe for training in January.
Earlier this month, a lawsuit Miller had filed against his former sponsor and ski manufacturer Head was dismissed.
Miller ended his nearly 10-year partnership with Head in 2015 and signed an agreement not to use other skis in World Cup or world championship races for two years.
Miller was attempting to get out of the remainder of the deal so that he could race on skis by New York-based Bomber, which he helped develop.
However, Miller would be free to race on Bomber next season and at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, when he’ll be 40.
If that’s the plan, Rearick wants Miller to start training immediately — even if he can’t race due to the contract issues.
Associated Press
