Chip Kelly

Coach Chip Kelly and his UCLA football team will end their season Saturday against Stanford, passing up a chance to play in a bowl game. Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

UCLA’s football game against Stanford on Saturday will be its final game of the season after the Bruins announced on Thursday they would decline any bowl invitations.

Athletic Director Martin Jarmond and Coach Chip Kelly said in a statement that the decision was largely made by the players and supported by the administration.

The Bruins (3-3) and Oregon State are the only Pac-12 programs who have played all six weekends since the league began playing in early November. UCLA has had five COVID-19 cases since testing began in late June.

Stanford also decided earlier this week to decline any bowl opportunities. Five ACC schools – Boston College, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Virginia Tech – are also opting out of bowl games, along with Kansas State from the Big 12.

BOSTON COLLEGE: Junior Hunter Long, who led all tight ends in yards receiving and catches this season, has declared his eligibility for the NFL draft.

A New Hampshire native, Long finished with 89 receptions for 1,297 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. His 57 receptions in 2020 are second in school history to Pete Mitchell’s 66 in 1993. Long totaled 685 yards and five touchdowns this year to help the Eagles finish their season at 6-5.

Advertisement

BIG TEN: Indiana’s Tom Allen swept the league’s Coach of the Year awards, getting picked by the coaches and media in separate votes.

The seventh-ranked Hoosiers (6-1) finished second in the Big Ten East and are enjoying one of their best seasons in decades.

The Maryland-Michigan State game on Saturday night has been canceled because of a COVID-19 outbreak at Maryland.

It’s the second time this season the Terrapins and Spartans have been preparing to face each other, only to have the game called off just two days before it was to be held. The same thing happened on Nov. 19 prior to the Nov. 21 scheduled meeting, also because Maryland had a COVID outbreak.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

(5) KANSAS 58, (14) TEXAS TECH 57: Ochai Agbaji made the go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left and finished with 23 points as the Jayhawks (7-1, 1-0 Big 12) beat the Red Raiders (6-2, 0-1) in Lubbock, Texas, to win their conference opener for the 30th season in a row.

Advertisement

(9) CREIGHTON 94, ST. JOHN’S 76: Marcus Zegarowski scored 20 points, shooting 6 for 7 from 3-point range, and the Bluejays (5-2, 1-1 Big East) cruised past the Red Storm (5-4, 0-3) in New York.

FLORIDA: The Gators have postponed their next three games while forward Keyontae Johnson continues to show “truly encouraging signs of progress,” Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said.

Johnson collapsed on the court during a game at Florida State on Saturday and remains hospitalized at UF Health while undergoing further tests and evaluation. He is alert, moving, talking and even chatting with friends and teammates via FaceTime.

The Gators had been scheduled to host Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Florida A&M on Sunday and James Madison on Tuesday. They will try to make up all three games later this season, but the priority will be to get through Southeastern Conference play.

“This has been an emotionally taxing time for Keyontae’s family, friends and teammates,” Stricklin said. “Our hope is that everyone impacted will take an opportunity to process those emotions and regroup ahead of the start of the new year.”

Florida’s next game is now Dec. 30 at Vanderbilt, the league opener for both teams. The Gators (3-1) have postponed or canceled six games already, including against UMass Lowell, Virginia and Oklahoma to open the season.

Advertisement

CREIGHTON: Ninth-ranked Creighton will allow a limited number of fans to attend games at CHI Health Center, beginning with a game against Xavier on Wednesday.

Under a plan approved by health officials in Omaha, Nebraska, about 1,700 fans can attend. Limited tickets will be offered to season ticket holders based on the athletic department’s priority seating point system.

Fans must wear face coverings and maintain social distancing in and around the arena. Temperature checks will be done at all entrances. Concession stands will be open but no cash transactions will be allowed.

BAYLOR: No. 2 Baylor resumed team activities after a five-day pause in their program because of COVID-19 issues.

Coach Scott Drew said the Bears are thankful for the clearance to resume practice. They will play their first Big 12 game Saturday at Kansas State after their scheduled conference opener at home last Sunday against No. 11 Texas was postponed.

Baylor (4-0) is also scheduled to play at home Monday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Advertisement

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

(3) CONNECTICUT 80, CREIGHTON 47: Olivia Nelson-Ododa hit all nine of her shots from the floor and scored 24 points to lead the Huskies (3-0, 2-0 Big East) past the Bluejays (2-4, 1-1) in Storrs, Connecticut.

(4) NORTH CAROLINA STATE 79, WAKE FOREST 65: Jakia Brown-Turner 14 of her 23 points in the first quarter, and the Wolfpack (7-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast) used sizzling early shooting to beat the Demon Deacons (4-2, 1-1) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

(5) SOUTH CAROLINA 103, TEMPLE 41: Zia Cooke tied her career high with five 3-pointers and scored 23 points as the Gamecocks (5-1) powered past the Owls in Columbia, South Carolina.

TENNESSEE 66, (15) INDIANA 58: Rennia Davis scored 19 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, and visiting Tennessee (4-1) handed Indiana (2-2) its second-straight loss.

Ali Patberg led the Hoosiers with 16 points. Gorham’s Mackenzie Holmes was held to six points on 1-for-9 shooting.

(16) NORTHWESTERN 70, PURDUE 54: Veronica Burton scored a career-high 27 points and helped the Wildcats (3-0, 2-0 Big Ten) get off to a fast start en route to a win over the Boilermakers (3-2, 0-1) in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Comments are no longer available on this story