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SPORTS Thursday 27 december 2018

‘Generation Z’

Continued from Page 17 efficiency rating set by for-
mer Sooners quarterback
Combined with offensive Baker Mayfield (198.92) last
innovation that many of season. The quarterbacks
these young QBs have seen in the Cotton Bowl playoff
since middle school, the game have also done their
passing game has reached part. No. 2 Clemson, led by
new heights this season. freshman Trevor Lawrence
With 25 bowls and the Col- (154.02 rating), faces No. 3
lege Football Playoff na- Notre Dame and quarter-
tional championship game back Ian Book (162.50 rat-
left to play, interceptions ing).
are at an all-time low (0.82 Murray, Tagovailoa and
per team per game) and Lawrence were five-star
the frequency of passes talents who fall into Dilfer’s
resulting in a touchdown “clearly the best” catego-
(5.48 percent) is at an all- ry. But polished passers are
time high in the Bowl Subdi- being churned out as if by
vision. Major-college quar- a factory.
terbacks are completing “They have had ‘Outlier’ In this Dec. 8, 2018, file photo, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray holds the Heisman Trophy
passes at a near-record reps from doing all this after winning the award in New York.
percentage (59.9) while stuff,” said former UCLA Associated Press
average yards per attempt coach and quarterback gather dust because you paring for the draft. mation.
(7.41) is the best it has ever Rick Neuheisel, referring to were more than likely in- “I don’t know what the “So a student-athlete
been. Malcolm Gladwell’s book volved in other sports,” said number is but, if I threw 5,000 comes in and he’s like: ‘I get
The current passer effi- that theorized 10,000 hours Luck, who is now the com- passes (combining practic- what two-high safeties look
ciency rating for all of FBS is of practice is necessary missioner of the XFL. es, games and workouts) in like. I get what one-high
134.99, which would break to become an expert in a By the time his son was in my high school career I bet safeties look like and that
the previous mark of 133.83 field. high school in Houston, Andrew threw 50,000 and paints a picture for me.’
set in 2012. Or as Dilfer puts it: “They’ve spring practice was com- today’s kids might throw They’re learning that in the
The latest statistical surge had more opportunity to mon and 7-on-7 — a pared- 100,000,” Oliver Luck said. sixth grade. Eighth grade,”
has been led by the quar- be the quarterback.” down version of football “A significant increase in said Pac-12 Networks ana-
terbacks who will play in Oliver Luck was the quar- with no linemen or tackling, the number and the quality lyst Yogi Roth, who works
the Orange Bowl semifi- terback at West Virginia just quarterbacks, receiv- of the repetitions. That’s just with Dilfer on Elite 11 and
nal on Dec. 29, when No. before being drafted by ers and defensive backs — the physical part.” was part of Pete Carroll’s
1 Alabama faces No. 4 the Houston Oilers in the was growing. Andrew Luck The information age has staff at Southern California
Oklahoma. Both Heisman second round in 1982. was a two-time Heisman been a boon to quarter- from 2005-09.
Trophy winner Kyler Murray Growing up in Cleveland, runner-up at Stanford and back development. What Dilfer called Tagovailoa,
(205.72) of Oklahoma and football was played during the first overall pick in the iPhone-dependent teens the MVP of the 2016 Elite 11
Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa football season. 2012 NFL draft by the Colts. might lack in interpersonal competition, an “incred-
(202.30) are on pace to “As soon as the season was He didn’t dabble in private skills, they often make up ible learner. Maybe the
break the record for passer over, that football would coaches until he was pre- for in ability to absorb infor- best I’ve been around.”q

Jones-Gustafsson UFC fight moved from Las Vegas to L.A. area

weight champion Jon 2017. Nevada State Ath- light heavyweight title was
Jones is being moved from letic Commission executive overturned and Jones re-
Las Vegas to Southern Cali- Bob Bennett said Jones was ceived a 15-month suspen-
fornia after doping officials allowed to withdraw his ap- sion for doping.
reported that Jones tested plication for a fight license “At these extremely low
positive for low levels of a in Nevada after commis- levels, Jones obtained no
banned steroid, officials sion Chairman Anthony performance enhance-
said Monday. Marnell III said he wanted ment,” a statement from
UFC 232 events that had to postpone the fight un- the doping agency said. It
been set for Saturday at T- til after a January hearing said Jones is not facing pro-
Mobile Arena will be held about Jones’ recent dop- ceedings for violating UFC
at The Forum in the Los An- ing tests. anti-doping policy.
geles suburb of Inglewood, The U.S. Anti-Doping Agen- Breckenridge said in a
UFC spokeswoman Lenee cy said it got notice Thurs- statement that AXS.com
Breckenridge said. day that urine samples planned refunds at original
Breckenridge did not re- from a Dec. 9 test showed points of purchase for buy-
spond to questions from Jones had what the agen- ers of tickets to the Las Ve-
The Associated Press about cy called an extremely gas event.
In this Nov. 2, 2018, file photo, Jon Jones, left, pushes Alexander the reason for the reloca- small amount of an ana- She said Las Vegas ticket
Gustafsson out of the way during a news conference about their tion. bolic steroid metabolite in buyers will be able to buy
light heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. Jones (22-1) beat Gustafs- his system. UFC 232 tickets at noon PST
Associated Press son (18-4) in a tough bout It was the same substance Wednesday, followed at
By KEN RITTER rematch this weekend be- in 2013. Jones hasn’t fought that was detected in July 2 p.m. by UFC Fight Club
Associated Press tween Alex Gustafsson and since for testing positive for 2017, when Jones’ victory members and 3 p.m. by the
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A UFC former UFC light heavy- a banned steroid in July over Daniel Cormier for the public.q