HAWAI’I BOWL
SOUTH FLORIDA vs. SAN JOSE STATE
Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Advanced | (15,194/AstroTurf)
Honolulu, Hawaii

Tv
ESPN
Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker and Marilyn Payne

Stay Statistics
StatBroadcast

THE GAME

The Hawai’i Bowl has been held within the Honolulu space since 2002, when it started at Aloha Stadium … The sport moved to the Clarrence T.C. Ching Athletics Advanced in 2022 … The sport has been a fixture on Christmas Eve for a lot of its existence … The American Athletic Convention has had two groups play within the Hawai’i Bowl and is searching for its first win within the sport … Memphis was slated to play within the 2020 sport, which was canceled … South Florida is making its first look within the Hawai’i Bowl, whereas San Jose State performs within the sport for the second time … The groups have one prior assembly on the ledger, a 42-22 South Florida win in San Jose to start out the 2017 season. 

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SOUTH FLORIDA
6-6, 4-4 American

Head Coach
Alex Golesh (Ohio State ’06)
13-12, second season

South Florida is making its twelfth bowl look and its first journey to the Hawaii Bowl after the Bulls went 6-6 total and 4-4 in The American beneath second-year head coach Alex Golesh … The sport in Honolulu will mark the farthest vacation spot from Tampa for a South Florida soccer sport in program historical past … South Florida has gone 7-4 in its 11 earlier bowl appearances, together with a 45-0 win in opposition to Syracuse in final yr’s Boca Raton Bowl … The Bulls went 4-2 down the stretch to clinch bowl eligibility in 2024 … Golesh has registered 13 wins in his first two years at South Florida after the Bulls had 4 complete wins within the three earlier years … South Florida ranks fifth nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 9.3 per sport, and has 12 fumble recoveries, which stands at fourth nationally … The Bulls are 12-0 beneath Golesh when main after three quarters … QB Bryce Archie has began the final seven video games and has thrown for 1,679 yards and 9 touchdowns with 9 interceptions … Archie took over because the starter after QB Byrum Brown was injured within the second half in opposition to Tulane Sept. 28 and has not returned to motion since … RB Kelley Joiner Jr. has 766 speeding yards with 11 touchdowns, ,whereas RB Nay’Quan Wright has 494 yards with seven TDs … WR Sean Atkins has 68 receptions for 677 yards and two touchdowns and enters the bowl sport with school-record 189 profession receptions … WR Michael Brown-Stephens leads the workforce with 4 landing receptions … The protection is led by DE Decarius Hawthorne, who earned second-team all-conference honors after he had 9.5 tackles for loss and a couple of.5 sacks within the common season … LB Mac Harris has a workforce excessive 74 tackles with 4.0 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss to go along with two pressured fumbles … LB Jhalyn Shuler leads the Bulls with two interceptions together with three pressured fumbles … P Andrew Stokes was South Florida’s lone consultant on the American Athletic Convention first workforce … Stokes averages 44.8 yards per punt and has 16 punts of no less than 50 yards this season … Okay John Cannon has dealt with many of the placekicking duties, going 9-for-13 on area objective makes an attempt, whereas Okay Nico Gramatica is the long-distance specialist with three area objectives of no less than 50 yards.

 

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SAN JOSE STATE
7-5, 3-4 Mountain West

Head Coach
Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii ’89)
7-5, first season at San Jose State
116-88, sixteenth season as collegiate head coach

San Jose State is bowl eligible for the third consecutive season and can play in Bowl Season for the fourth time within the final 5 years … The Spartans will make their 14th bowl look in program historical past and have gone 7-6 of their first 13 bowls … San Jose State’s final bowl win was a 27-16 victory in opposition to Georgia Sate within the 2015 Treatment Bowl … The Spartans are searching for their first eight-win season since 2012 … Head coach Ken Niumatalolo is not any stranger to American Athletic Convention opponents, with 52 wins in The American as Navy’s coach between 2015-22 … Niumatalolo’s seven wins are probably the most by a first-year San Jose State coach since Ron Turner gained seven video games in 1992 … Niumatalolo, who notably ran the triple-option offense at Navy, comes into the Hawaii Bowl with the nation’s fifth-ranked passing offense at San Jose State … The Spartans have averaged 325.3 passing yards per sport … The highest participant for San Jose State within the common season was WR Nick Nash, a unanimous NCAA Consensus All-America choice who led all FBS gamers in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382) and landing receptions (16) … Nash has opted out of the Hawaii Bowl, nevertheless, to arrange for the NFL Draft … QB Walker Eget completed the common season by throwing for 385 yards in and 4 touchdowns within the win in opposition to Stanford and has handed for two,224 yards and 11 touchdowns … Emmett Brown, a switch from Washington State. has accomplished 125 of 217 passes for 1,621 yards with 16 touchdowns in opposition to 5 interceptions … RB Floyd Chalk is the main rusher with 661 yards and 9 touchdowns on 139 carries … With Nash’s absence, WR Justin Lockhart, himself a first-team All-Mountain West choice, turns into the first receiver … Lockhart has 52 receptions for 973 yards and 5 touchdowns … The protection is led by LB Jordan Pollard, who has 110 tackles and 12.0 tackles for loss … DE Soane Toia has a team-high 4.5 sacks, whereas CB DJ Harvey leads the Spartans with 4 interceptions … Pollard and Toia each earned first-team honors from the Mountain West coaches, whereas Harvey and S Rocket Rahimi have been second-team decisions.

Olympian snowboarder Sophie Hediger was killed in an avalanche in her house nation of Switzerland on Monday.

Hediger, 26, was caught in an avalanche whereas “freeriding,” also referred to as snowboarding on pure terrain in Arosa, each a city and a resort in japanese Switzerland, in keeping with a press release from winter sports activities federation Swiss-Ski.

“We’re shocked and our ideas are with Sophie’s household, to whom we provide our deepest condolences,” mentioned Walter Reusser, CEO of Sport at Swiss-Ski.

Hediger and one other individual had been on a closed black diamond slope Monday afternoon when she was struck by the avalanche after leaving the closed slope, native police shared with ABC Information.

The opposite individual notified rescue companies, who situated Hediger buried within the avalanche discipline a pair hours later. She died on the scene of the accident after unsuccessful CPR makes an attempt, ABC Information reported.

No further info, or particulars concerning the incident can be launched by Swiss-Ski on the request of Hediger’s family members, Swiss-Ski mentioned. Swiss-Ski has additionally requested the privateness of Hediger’s household be revered.

“For the Swiss-Ski household, the tragic demise of Sophie Hediger forged a darkish shadow over the Christmas days,” Walter Reusser, alpine director for Swiss-Ski mentioned in a press release. “We’re immensely unhappy. We are going to maintain a transferring reminiscence of Sophie.”

Arosa didn’t instantly reply to USA TODAY’s request for touch upon Tuesday.

Who was Sophie Hediger?

Hediger grew up in Horgen, a city within the canton of Zurich, however spent quite a lot of time in Arosa.

“It was there that her life now ended tragically, brutally and much too quickly, whereas she practiced freeriding, a passion she liked very a lot,” Swiss-Ski mentioned.

She obtained her first two locations at World Cup podiums throughout the 2023-2024 season. he positioned second in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in January, adopted by third in Gudauri, Georgia, in February, ABC Information reported.

One in all Hediger’s “sports activities goals” was to win a medal within the upcoming Ski Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, in March, Swiss-Ski mentioned.

Hediger additionally competed within the 2022 Olympics in Beijing within the ladies’s snowboard cross and the blended workforce snowboard cross, finishing “one other dream” together with her participation within the video games, in keeping with ABC Information.

The Philadelphia Eagles entered Week 16 with visions of capturing the NFC East title and combating the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings for the No. 1 seed within the convention dancing of their heads.

However now, the Eagles have pushed a unique request to the highest of their Christmas checklist: a wholesome Jalen Hurts.

Hurts suffered a concussion early within the Eagles’ 36-33 Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders. It is not clear how lengthy he’ll be sidelined by the illness, however the Eagles might must attempt to seize the NFC East title with out him.

Here is all the things to find out about Hurts’ accidents, together with the newest updates on how lengthy he is perhaps within the NFL’s stringent concussion protocol.

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What occurred to Jalen Hurts?

Hurts suffered a concussion after a scramble early within the Eagles’ Week 16 loss to the Commanders. He took off on what seemed to be a designed quarterback draw on second-and-20 with just below 10 minutes left within the first quarter and gained 13 yards earlier than he was delivered to the bottom by Bobby Wagner.

As Hurts was being tackled and turtling up, linebacker Frankie Luvu came visiting to assist Wagner out. He put a hard-but-legal hit on the Eagles quarterback, which made Hurts’ head hit the bottom.

Hurts obtained up after the play and signaled to umpire Alex Moore that he was OK, giving him a thumbs up. Nonetheless, Moore, who was trying Hurts straight within the eyes at a detailed distance, stopped the sport regardless and despatched the quarterback off the sphere to be evaluated for a concussion.

Hurts appeared able to return to the sport later within the drive, however he was known as again to the sidelines by the medical employees on Philadelphia’s sideline. He was then taken into Philadelphia’s locker room and recognized with a concussion, which dominated him out for the rest of the sport.

Kenny Pickett took over for him and accomplished 14-of-24 passes for 143 yards, one landing and one interception within the loss.

All of the gamers and the performs: Join USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday publication.

Jalen Hurts damage updates

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni offered an replace on Hurts’ standing throughout a information convention on Monday. He confirmed the quarterback was within the NFL’s concussion protocol however did not provide a lot past that.

“When that occurs, we simply lean on the medical doctors to tell us every day of the place he’s,” Sirianni mentioned, per NBC Sports activities Philadelphia.

Sirianni was additionally requested if Hurts would wish to follow forward of Week 17 so as to have the ability to play towards the Dallas Cowboys. He advised reporters that “each week is a unique situation.”

“What I’ve seen is Jalen is aware of how one can put together, is aware of how one can get himself prepared,” Sirianni mentioned. “He’s a real professional, who like I’ve mentioned, I simply can’t say sufficient good issues about Jalen. Jalen the participant, Jalen the chief, Jalen the individual. Each week is somewhat bit completely different and I do know Jalen does all the things he can to prepare for each week whatever the circumstances.”

The Eagles didn’t follow Wednesday, however the crew launched a report that mentioned Hurts would not have participated.

If Hurts cannot follow the rest of the week, his availability for Week 17 might rely on each his restoration and his off-the-field preparation for the matchup with the Cowboys.

Initially, Sirianni did not present a lot of an replace on Hurts’ standing throughout his postgame information convention after the damage.

“I have not talked to the medical employees but, so I haven’t got updates on any of that stuff but,” Sirianni advised reporters.

Sirianni did deal with the transient second the place it appeared that Hurts was making ready to re-enter the sport earlier than being known as again to the sidelines. The coach defined management of Hurts’ standing at that time laid within the fingers of the NFL’s unaffiliated neurotrauma guide (UNC) as a part of the league’s concussion protocol.

“Something that has something to do with the pinnacle is out of our fingers there,” Sirianni mentioned.

So, even when Hurts needed to return to the sport or felt able to doing so, he couldn’t achieve this till clearing concussion protocol. He in the end did not do.

OPINION:Michael Penix Jr. had excellent setup from Falcons in sudden ascension to beginning QB

How lengthy is Jalen Hurts out?

It is not clear how lengthy Hurts shall be out because of his concussion. The Eagles didn’t instantly present an replace on his standing, however Sirianni will seemingly achieve this sooner or later early within the week.

The excellent news for Eagles followers is that Hurts may very well be again for the crew’s Week 17 sport towards the Dallas Cowboys. He simply has to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol first.

Nonetheless, Hurts’ is not assured to go that take a look at in brief order. A number of NFL gamers have endured longer-term absences due to concussions throughout the 2024 season. That does not simply apply to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed 5 video games after struggling a concussion in Week 2 towards the Buffalo Payments and touchdown on IR; Cleveland Browns receiver Cedric Tillman has missed 4 video games and counting since struggling a concussion in Week 12 towards the Pittsburgh Steelers.

All that is to say there may be a variety of potential outcomes for Hurts as he seemed to return to motion and assist the Eagles wrap up the NFC East.

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NFL concussion protocol guidelines

The NFL’s concussion protocol is a wide-ranging coverage that’s designed to guard a participant’s security after struggling a head damage.

All of it begins on gameday, when a participant is recognized as needing an analysis for a head damage. These are sometimes flagged by one of many officers or by the UNC within the sales space, who’s watching participant actions and replays to identify any important blows to move.

As soon as recognized, exams are carried out by a crew’s doctor and a UNC. They give the impression of being particularly for any “no-go” signs, which embody lack of consciousness, confusion, amnesia, ataxia and extra. The 2 events additionally assess the participant’s historical past of concussion and overview video to additional consider the damage.

The crew doctor and UNC additionally present a neurological examination to the participant, who’s escorted to the locker room if there may be any doubt about his schools within the sideline analysis.

As soon as a participant is within the concussion protocol, he should clear a five-step course of earlier than having the ability to return to play. Beneath are these 5 benchmarks, in keeping with the NFL:

1. Symptom restricted exercise
2. Cardio train
3. Soccer particular train
4. Membership-based non-contact coaching drills
5. Full soccer exercise/clearance

The NFL’s concussion protocol notes that every concussion is “distinctive” and that “restoration time will range from participant to participant.” That makes it onerous to foretell precisely how lengthy a participant is perhaps out due to the damage.

Thus, Eagles followers might should be affected person whereas awaiting Hurts’ return to motion.

This story was up to date with new data.

Snowboard cross athlete Sophie Hediger has died after being caught in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26.

The Swiss Ski Federation (Swiss-Ski) introduced the information on Tuesday (24 December), a day after her passing.

Swiss-Ski Sport CEO Walter Reusser stated, “We’re surprised and our ideas are with Sophie’s household to whom we specific our deepest condolences.

“For the Swiss Ski household, the tragic dying of Sophie Hediger has solid a darkish shadow over the Christmas holidays.”

Hediger received silver on the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Video games earlier than competing within the particular person and combined staff snowboard cross occasions at Beijing 2022.

She made a FIS World Cup breakthrough final season, securing her first podium end by taking second at St. Moritz in late January. Per week later, she was third at Gudauri in Georgia.

The rising star was born and raised in Horgen close to Lake Zurich, however spent a lot of her time freeriding on the Arosa resort the place she suffered her deadly accident.

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Hyman gave Edmonton a 2-1 lead on the facility play at 14:05, retrieving a rebound together with the online off a shot by Arvidsson and placing it previous Merilainen’s outstretched left pad. It was his seventh aim throughout the six-game streak, which matched an NHL profession finest.

Since getting back from a five-game absence on Dec. 5, Hyman has recorded 11 factors (10 objectives, one help) in 9 video games. He had eight factors (three objectives, 5 assists) in his first 20 video games this season.

“So long as you stick together with your course of and also you’re enjoying the identical approach, for those who’re enjoying effectively and getting appears, for those who proceed to keep it up and in case your group has the boldness to stay with you — which clearly the teaching workers did — it was only a 20-game form of blip,” Hyman mentioned. “I believed I used to be enjoying effectively, I simply wasn’t scoring. That’s what occurs, you simply should maintain enjoying.”

Adam Henrique made it 3-1 at 1:38 of the third interval, taking a cross-crease feed from Mattias Janmark after the Senators didn’t clear the puck from their zone. Janmark slid the puck throughout into the slot, the place Henrique scored excessive stick facet on Merilainen.

NOTES: The Senators didn’t register their first shot on aim within the third interval till 11:24. … Draisaitl pushed his level streak to 9 video games (seven objectives, 13 assists), and recorded his 14th profession 20-point month, tying Paul Coffey and Mark Messier for third most in Oilers historical past behind Wayne Gretzky (48), McDavid (23) and Jari Jurri (20). … Draisaitl (14) handed Nikita Kucherov (13) for third-most 20-point calendar months amongst energetic gamers, behind solely McDavid (23) and Sidney Crosby (19). … McDavid prolonged his level streak to 9 video games (three objectives, 15 assists) for the sixteenth time in his profession, tying Crosby for essentially the most amongst energetic gamers. … Hyman’s aim was his tenth in eight video games and prolonged his level streak to 6 video games (seven objectives, one help). … Oilers ahead Derek Ryan performed his 600th NHL recreation.

New Yorkers are waking as much as the primary white Christmas in New York Metropolis in 15 years.

The Nationwide Climate Service considers it a white Christmas if there’s 1 inch or extra of snow on the bottom at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning. The snow that fell in New York Metropolis on Tuesday morning did not soften in a single day, leaving Central Park with 1 inch recorded on the bottom at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Nebraska’s soccer group loved a snowball struggle in Central Park on Wednesday forward of their look within the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.

New York Metropolis’s final white Christmas was in 2009, when there was 2 inches of snow.

Boston can also be getting a white Christmas this 12 months, with 4 inches of snow on the bottom.

Most of this snow will soften slowly as a result of it will be colder than regular on Christmas Day and Thursday.

Milder climate is forecast to maneuver in by the weekend, with temperatures within the 40s in New York and 50s in Chicago.

In the meantime, the West Coast continues to get pounded by an infinite parade of storms bringing enormous waves, robust winds, heavy rain and mountain snow.

In Oregon and Washington, winds may gust as excessive as 65 mph on Christmas.

River flooding is feasible this week in western Washington and Oregon; some areas may see 6 to 12 inches of rain over the subsequent 5 days.

A winter storm warning has been issued for the Cascade mountains in Washington, the place as much as 3 toes of snow may pile up over the subsequent 24 to 36 hours. A winter storm watch was issued for the northern Rockies, together with Wyoming and Idaho, the place 2 toes of snow is feasible within the subsequent two days.

The West Coast’s unusually excessive waves of 40 to 60 toes have subsided some, however California may nonetheless see waves reaching 20 to 30 toes on Thursday.

Within the South, a brand new spherical of extreme climate will transfer in on Thursday afternoon and night, bringing an elevated menace for tornadoes, hail and damaging winds. Flash flooding can also be doable.

Dallas, Houston and Shreveport, Louisiana, are all within the path of the extreme climate.

The Ottawa Senators had been unable to win their seventh straight as they fell to the Edmonton Oilers by a rating of 3-1. Nick Cousins scored the lone objective for the Senators, whereas goaltender Leevi Meriläinen entered the sport after the primary interval in reduction of Linus Ullmark.

The primary interval began off scoreless for almost all of play, however the Edmonton Oilers opened the scoring with 5:34 remaining within the first body. It was Viktor Arvidsson together with his third objective of the season to provide the Oilers a 1-0 lead late into the interval.

The rest of the primary interval was scoreless, and the Senators headed into the primary intermission down by one.

To kick issues off within the second interval, there was a change in web as goaltender Leevi Meriläinen entered the sport in reduction of Linus Ullmark. Ullmark sustained an higher physique damage throughout the first interval and was unavailable for the rest of the sport.

A sneaky takeaway on the blue-line by ahead Nick Cousins noticed him tie the sport at 1-1 together with his fifth objective of the season simply 25 seconds into the second interval.