Texas A&M lineman is killed in car crash
Texas A&M senior offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio was killed in a car accident, the university said. Witness reports say that Villavisencio swerved to avoid a buzzard and veered head-on into the path of an 18-wheeler near the town of Normangee about 40 miles from College Station, on Thursday.
Texas A&M senior offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio was killed in a car accident, the university said.
Witness reports say that Villavisencio swerved to avoid a buzzard and veered head-on into the path of an 18-wheeler near the town of Normangee about 40 miles from College Station, on Thursday.
Villavisencio spent part of the day with the team delivering gifts to families at a local shelter after the Aggies finished their last workout on campus in preparation for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Villavisencio was heading to his home in Jacksonville, Texas, at the time of the crash.
Villavisencio saw very limited action in his career with the Aggies, but touched many involved in the program. Former coach Mike Sherman says everyone will remember him as a person "who would do anything for anybody."
The 22-year-old was a three-year letterman whom athletic director Bill Byrne says "epitomized selfless service" to helping the Aggies improve as a team.
Boise State wins
Doug Martin rushed for 151 yards and returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving Boise State a lead 14 seconds into the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas on the way to a 56-24 win.
Arizona State (6-7) never seriously threatened the Broncos (12-1), even though Boise State had three turnovers and allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Sun Devils to start the second half.
Arizona State missed on several opportunities to make the game closer, and Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore played well enough in his last college game to keep his team scoring, despite some missteps.
Moore finished with 266 yards and two touchdowns, ending his career with 50 total wins.
Barkley returns to USC
Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley has decided to return for his senior season and put off the NFL for another year.
With USC coach Lane Kiffin and his family in attendance, Barkley announced Thursday that while he feels prepared for the NFL, he has unfinished business with the Trojans. "I am staying so I can finish what I started," Barkley said.
Barkley is coming off a spectacular season in which he led the Trojans to a 10-2 finish and the No. 5 ranking in the country. Because of NCAA sanctions, USC was not allowed to play in the postseason.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound quarterback has been projected as a first-round pick in the NFL draft, in the top 10 overall on some boards.
With Barkley, the Trojans are loaded and likely one of the front-runners to win next year's national title.
Barkley will enter next season as the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Dream job for Levine
Tony Levine was introduced as the new full-time coach of Houston. Levine replaces Kevin Sumlin, who left to coach Texas A&M.
The 39-year-old assistant head coach under Sumlin, Levine was already serving as the interim coach getting the Cougars (12-1) ready to play Penn State (9-3) in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas on Jan. 2.
Levine called his new position his "dream job" and vowed to stay in Houston for a "long, long time." He promised to heavily recruit the talent-rich city and keep the fast-paced offensive system that led the nation in scoring this season.
Chryst to coach Pitt
Pittsburgh hired Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst to replace Todd Graham, who bolted for Arizona State last week after less than a year on the job.
The 46-year-old Chryst is Pitt's fourth head coach in the last 13 months, following Dave Wannstedt, Mike Haywood, and Graham, who left for the Sun Devils after a disappointing 6-6 season.