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A22 SPORTS
Saturday 31 december 2016
No. 18 Va. Tech stages epic comeback to win Belk Bowl

CHARLOTTE, North Caro- son in seven years. South Florida past South
lina (AP) — Jerod Evans James Washington caught Carolina.
threw for 243 yards and nine passes for 171 yards South Florida (11-2) squan-
two touchdowns and ran and a touchdown before dered a 39-21 lead in the
for two scores and No. 18 leaving in the third quarter second half, but recovered
Virginia Tech pulled off with an apparent hand in- for its school-record 11th
the largest comeback in jury. Rudolph and Wash- victory. Flowers threw a 25-
its 124-year history, erasing ington have already an- yard touchdown pass on
a 24-point halftime deficit nounced they will return the first play of overtime,
to beat Arkansas 35-24 on for their senior seasons, finding Elkanah Dillon in the
Thursday night in the Belk putting the Cowboys (10-3) end zone. South Carolina’s
Bowl. among the favorites to win overtime drive ended after
After being limited to 180 the Big 12. Rudolph even Jake Bentley was sacked
yards in the first half, Hok- set up Oklahoma State’s by Mike Love on fourth
ies (10-4) took advantage first touchdown when he down. Bentley fumbled
of three of Austin Allen’s caught a throw-back pass and Khalid McGee recov-
interceptions and scored for 24 yards. His 5-yard TD ered to end the game.
touchdowns on five of their pass to Washington made Flowers, who was selected
first seven possessions of the it 17-0 in the second quar- the game’s Most Valuable
second half. ter. Rudolph had scoring Player, completed 23 of 32
Evans scored on a 4-yard throws to Blake Jarwin and passes for 261 yards and
run and threw touchdown Jhajuan Seales in the third ran for 105 yards on 21 car-
strikes to Sam Rogers and to make it 31-0. ries.
Chris Cunningham to cut it Colorado’s best season in The Bulls controlled the
to 24-21 In the third quarter. more than a decade — game for most of the after-
Travon McMillan put the dubbed “The Rise” — end- noon, but the Gamecocks
Hokies ahead for good with ed with a thud: consecu- rallied to tie it at 39 with
12:03 left in the game when Arkansas’s Devwah Whaley (21) is upended by Virginia Tech’s tive losses in the Pac-12 title 1:11 remaining on A.J. Turn-
Chuck Clark (19) during the second half of the Belk Bowl NCAA
he scored on a 6-yard run. college football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 29, game and the program’s er’s 1-yard touchdown run
Evans sealed the win with 2016. first bowl appearance and a 2-point conversion.
an 8-yard touchdown Associated Press since 2007. Sefo Liufau Bentley completed 32 of 43
scamper if it might cruise to an easy ALAMO BOWL passed for 195 yards and passes for 390 yards, three
Virginia Tech came in aver- victory. NO. 13 OKLAHOMA STATE ran for a touchdown for the touchdowns and two inter-
aging 35 points, but the Ra- But Evans had other ideas. 38, NO. 11 COLORADO 8 Buffaloes (10-4). ceptions. Deebo Samuel
zorbacks (7-6) set the tone He completed 12 of 16 SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Ma- BIRMINGHAM BOWL caught 14 passes for 190
early by turning Evans’ fum- passes for 129 yards and son Rudolph passed for No. 25 SOUTH FLORIDA 46, yards and a touchdown.
ble and interception into 10 two TDs in the second half, 314 yards and three touch- SOUTH CAROLINA 39, OT South Carolina (6-7) was
points to take a 17-0 lead in helping Justin Fuente be- downs and Oklahoma BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) hurt by five turnovers, in-
the first quarter. Arkansas came the first coach in State’s defense smothered — Quinton Flowers ran for cluding a pick-six thrown by
extended the lead to 24-0 school history to win 10 Colorado to give the Cow- three touchdowns and Bentley that Tajee Fullwood
at halftime and it looked as games in his first season. boys their fifth 10-win sea- threw for two more to lead returned 47 yards.

Ferdy Kuebler, 1950 Tour de France

champion, dies at 97

NAOMI KOPPEL Switzerland’s national cy- near Zurich, Kuebler knew An accident in 1946 that
Associated Press cling association, Swiss Cy- as a child that he wanted hospitalized him for two
LONDON (AP) — Ferdy Kue- cling, paid tribute to Kue- to be a professional cyclist. months almost ended his
bler, who came back from bler and offered its con- Forced as a teenager to postwar career.
injury and the interruption dolences to his family. “We find work to support his He came back in 1947 and
of World War II to win the are taking leave of one of family, he got a job deliver- started his first Tour, aged
1950 Tour de France, has the greatest cycling leg- ing bread by bicycle. 28. He won the first stage,
died. He was 97. ends of our time,” it wrote “I had to climb the moun- becoming the first post-war
The Swiss won an epic bat- on its website. tain up to four times a day. wearer of the famed yellow
tle with French rider Louison For many, his biggest That was how I trained for jersey. In 1950, third-placed
Bobet in the 1950 race, and achievement was win- my career. I told myself: Kuebler took over the race
became world champion ning the Fleche Wallonne one day you will be a cy- lead when Italy’s team of In this June 9, 1999 file photo
the following year. and Liege-Bastogne-Liege clist,” Kuebler said in a 2003 riders withdrew, accusing Ferdy Kuebler, Swiss cycling
legend, is pictured in Birmens-
Andre Haefliger, the chief races, then held on succes- television documentary. spectators of assaulting dorf, Switzerland.
reporter at Swiss magazine sive days, in both 1951 and Later, as a Zurich office them. Associated Press
Schweizer Illustrierte, said 1952. In an era of mara- worker, Kuebler cycled He finished the 4,773 kilo-
from Kuebler’s home in thon races on poor roads, the 100-kilometer (63-mile) meters (2,983 miles) 9 min- After retiring at age 38,
Switzerland on Friday that Kuebler also won the 1953 round trip from home. utes, 30 seconds ahead of Kuebler trained as a ski in-
he could confirm the death Bordeaux-to-Paris after 570 World War II broke out as Belgium’s Stan Ockers, with structor and worked on the
on behalf of Kuebler’s wid- kilometers (356 miles) and he was starting to make his Bobet third. Swiss slopes for 25 winters.
ow, Christina. Kuebler died more than 14 hours in the name as a cyclist. Kuebler Kuebler chose not to race In summer he did publicity
Thursday at a Zurich hospi- saddle. was drafted into the Swiss another Tour until 1954. He for the Tour de Suisse and
tal. He had been suffering Born July 24, 1919, into a army. “I lost five or six of my finished second, behind traveled with the race as
from a cold. poverty-stricken family best years,” he said. Bobet. an official for 35 years.