USC upset denied by Utah comeback; Trojans fall to 1-3
SALT LAKE CITY >> He slipped. As Adoree’ Jackson followed Utah receiver Tim Patrick to the co er of the end zone, the junior co erback lost his footing, as the shoe on his right foot fell off. The Utes had already traveled 75 yards to USC’s 18-yard line and converted twice on fourth down to preserve...
Yasiel Puig hoping to play in Dominican Winter League
LOS ANGELES >> Yasiel Puig hasn’t played winter baseball since he was 21, a few months after he successfully defected from Cuba. Puig played 20 games for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican Winter League in 2012. It was a logical step after his first season in the Dodgers organization, which consisted of 2...
Dodgers, Yasmani Grandal pester Colorado Rockies for win
LOS ANGELES >> The Dodgers were so a oying at times in their 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday, they were good. In the eighth i ing, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez barely moved to catch a low line drive hit by Carlos Gonzalez. He dropped the baseball, tagged out D.J. Lemahieu between firs...
UCLA LB Mique Juarez coping with pressure during absence
LOS ANGELES — The weight of five stars can be heavy. UCLA freshman linebacker Mique Juarez has lea ed that the hard way. Just a few days into fall camp, the former five-star recruit stopped showing up on the practice field while head coach Jim Mora explained his absence only as “excused.” Juarez has...
UCLA freshman WR Theo Howard fighting 'disease' of youth
LOS ANGELES — Theo Howard can’t help he’s been afflicted. The good news for the UCLA freshman is his ailment is curable. “They say youth is a disease and the only cure is experience,” receivers coach Eric Yarber said of Howard, who has only one catch in three games. “He’s going to gradually get the ...
Whittingham says USC QB change won't alter Utah game plan
LOS ANGELES — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham caught the news like everyone else Monday. USC had picked a new starting quarterback. Redshirt freshman Sam Da old was in. Redshirt junior Max Browne was out. It seemed possible the Trojans’ abrupt shakeup could alter the Utes’ prep for the teams’ game Frida...
USC needs Adoree Jackson, Sam Darnold to spark offense
USC’s season is three games old but the fans are irate after blowout losses to Alabama and Stanford. Even worse, four of the past six losses were by at least 17 points, which last happened in 1983. Something must be done to stop the current slide, but so far the program has demonstrated a resistance...
UCLA prepares for Christian McCaffrey after defensive gem
LOS ANGELES — Christian McCaffrey needs no introduction. The Stanford ru ing back is the golden-haired golden boy of the Pac-12, but UCLA head coach Jim Mora said his star power should not be limited to just the West Coast. “In my opinion, it’s not even arguable that he’s the top player in college f...
Homecoming King Pete Carroll fumes, falls with Seahawks
LOS ANGELES >> There were flames and smoke and daylight fireworks, the big homecoming dressed up entirely too well Sunday for something that would implode into rubble. Oh, the Rams won, 9-3, beating Seattle in a football game decided by actual feet, the kicker-infested victory coming in their first ...
Rams CB Troy Hill gets first real test in 9-3 win vs. Seahawks
LOS ANGELES >> On Sunday afte oon, Troy Hill smiled and pointed into the stands at the Coliseum, where just over a dozen of his friends and family sat. Once an all-conference co erback at Oregon, the 25-year-old has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2015. The Cinci ati Bengals signe...
Youth is served in another Los Angeles Dodgers' victory
PHOENIX >> If September Dave Roberts could time-travel and show February Dave Roberts some of the lineup cards he has been filling out, it might have given his younger self reason to worry what it meant that he was depending so much on rookies this late in the season. “It probably would have,” the r...
WOLF: USC football season is turning into false start
PALO ALTO >> There is no shame in losing, but what do you do with a team and coaching staff that look lost? No. 7-ranked Stanford defeated USC 27-10 on Saturday night. That outcome was expected but not with the level of disorganization and ridiculous decisions that personified the latest loss to the...
Angels' Ricky Nolasco turns in another strong outing
ANAHEIM >> Ricky Nolasco is being tested now, and he’s passing. Nolasco, who came to the Angels in a deal just before the trading deadline with a reputation as a back-end i ings-eater, has lately proved he can be more than that. And he’s done it against two of the more powerful lineups in baseball. ...