Sports

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The late college football coach Mike Leach was nothing if not entertaining.

The holiday break is usually a quiet time in college basketball, many of the top teams playing small-conference schools at home or taking extra time off before conference schedules start in full. The season isn’t quite there yet and this week is loaded with marquee games, including two involving No.

FIRST TEAM Offense Quarterback — Caleb Williams, second-year, Southern California. Running backs — Bijan Robinson, third-year, Texas; Blake Corum, third-year, Michigan.

Editor’s Note: Results from Thursday night’s game were too late to be included in the print edition of the Empire-Tribune. The Brock Purdy show is hitting the road in prime time.

BEREA, Ohio — Feeling far less pressure or hostility, Deshaun Watson looked relaxed, confident and more like a franchise quarterback in his second game for the Cleveland Browns. After his dreadful debut, the bar was low.

Here is the latest Big 12 Conference sports news from The Associated Press UNDATED (AP) — Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach has died following complications from a heart condition. The pioneering coach helped revolutionize the college football passing game with the Air Raid offense. Leach had been hospitalized over the weekend and had a bout of pneumonia late this season. He died Monday night. In 21 seasons as a head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach went 158-107. Six of the 20 best passing seasons in major college football history were by quarterbacks who played for Leach, including four of the top six. Mike Leach was 61.

GLEN ROSE — Glen Rose senior linebacker Tristan Black played in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl on Monday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington as a member of the East team. Black was nominated to participate in a regional combine over the summer and received another invite to a super-combine, and after that, he earned an invite to the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

ORLANDO, Florida — The Texans started off Sunday’s game in Orlando, Florida, outshooting UCF in the first half, but a dry spell in the second resulted in a 75-49 loss to the Knights. Tarleton (5-5, 0-0 WAC) started the game making their first three field goals, trading the lead with UCF (7-2, 0-0 AAC) three times over the first four minutes of the game.

Texas, Washington set to square off in Alamo Bowl No. 12 Washington and No.