The Sports Report: Caleb Williams will not play in USC’s bowl game

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: As the time ticked off the clock against UCLA, Caleb Williams could do nothing but watch from the Coliseum sideline. Backup quarterback Miller Moss approached to wrap his arm around Williams’ shoulder and tap the junior on the chest.

The moment was an unofficial passing of the torch.

Williams will not play another game for USC as the star quarterback will sit out of the Holiday Bowl against No. 15 Louisville, coach Lincoln Riley said Monday. While the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has until Jan. 15 to officially declare for the NFL draft, he said last month it would be unlikely that he would sit out of the bowl game if he planned to return to college.

Instead, Moss can take the reins as USC (7-5) hopes to finish a disappointing season on a high note on Dec. 27 in San Diego’s Petco Park.

“I think he’s really improved as a player,” Riley said of Moss on Monday. “I would have liked to have been able to play him a little bit more here in the last couple of years, but the opportunities that he has had, he’s played well and he’s moved us well.”

Moss, who played in front of third-string freshman Malachi Nelson, appeared in blowouts against San José State, Nevada and Stanford this season. He completed 23 of 32 passes for 309 yards and his third career touchdown pass, thrown against the Wolf Pack. He also ran for touchdowns against San José State and Stanford.

Riley said he anticipates Moss, a redshirt sophomore, to “be in the mix no matter what happens” next season, but went on to add that the coaching staff will shop in the transfer portal for quarterbacks.

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DODGERS

From Jack Harris: Mookie Betts playing second base is no longer just an experiment.

According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the team is planning to move the former MVP right fielder to second base full time in 2024.

Roberts first made the announcement during an interview Monday afternoon on MLB Network, saying, “I think it’s pretty safe to say No. 50, Mookie Betts, is going to be our everyday second baseman.”

Later, during a chat with reporters at MLB’s annual winter meetings, the eight-year manager doubled-down, explaining that after conversations between himself, Betts and the front office, “we all just kind of felt that … for him to look at himself primarily as a second baseman is where we want him to start, as opposed to looking at himself primarily as a right fielder.”

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ANGELS

From Sarah Valenzuela: This offseason for the Angels has been nothing quite like what their last one was.

Around this time last year, the Angels had already gotten to work on addressing their depth. Before the start of the 2022 winter meetings, they had already acquired starting pitcher Tyler Anderson, outfielder Hunter Renfroe, infielder Gio Urshela and were closing in on signing closer Carlos Estévez.

This offseason, the Angels’ manager search and signing of Ron Washington, and subsequent hiring of coaches, have taken up much of their news cycle.

They have signed just one free agent, left-handed relief pitcher Adam Kolarek. They do not have an answer to whether Shohei Ohtani will re-sign with them.

As this year’s meetings kick off this week, here are four things to consider about the Angels’ offseason and why it all, no matter what, revolves around Ohtani.

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BASEBALL

From Jorge Castillo: The night before this week’s winter meetings launched inside a dystopian resort and convention center, the event’s top storyline was plastered all over Major League Baseball’s official website.

The homepage Saturday featured a box in the top right corner titled “Ohtani Watch,” where readers could “keep track of the latest news and rumors.”

Ohtani’s free agency presents a chance for the league to cross over into the mainstream sports conversation and grab attention from casual fans for a stretch during the offseason. MLB, a league fading from the national consciousness, understands the game. Ohtani and his camp, however, do not.

MLB is an entertainment product. It is competing not only with other sports leagues, but with Netflix, TikTok, etc., for attention and for dollars. The hot stove is a part of the entertainment package — just as free-agency frenzies and trade speculation are for the NFL and NBA. The goal is to reside in the minds of as many people for as many days as possible.

But nobody on the outside — not even the teams trying to lure him — has a clue where Ohtani is signing. Nobody knows, for sure, what Ohtani’s demands or priorities are. Nobody knows, for sure, which teams interest Ohtani. Nobody knows which clubs, if any, have met with Ohtani yet.

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RAMS

From Gary Klein: Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua suffered a shoulder sprain during the team’s victory over the Cleveland Browns but is expected to play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

“We might be smart with him early on in the week, but don’t expect that to affect his ability to be ready to go,” McVay said during a video conference with reporters.

Nacua scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass play in the first quarter but left in the second quarter after suffering the injury on a 20-yard sideline reception. He returned after halftime and finished with four catches for 105 yards. He also rushed for 34 yards in two carries in the 36-19 victory.

McVay said Nacua was able to “kind of gut through” the injury.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Louisiana State’s Jayden Daniels, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., transfer quarterbacks who have all played at least five college seasons, and Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists on Monday night.

The Heisman has been given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top four vote-getters determined by more than 870 voters, which include members of the media and former Heisman winners, are selected as finalists.

With Nix and Penix, the Pac-12 has two Heisman finalists for the first time since 2010 when Stanford’s Andrew Luck was the runner-up to Auburn’s Cam Newton and Oregon running back LaMichael James finished third in the voting.

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LAKERS

From Dan Woike: On the eve of their biggest game this season to date, the Lakers didn’t manufacture a playoff atmosphere with a practice detailing their opponent’s tendencies. They didn’t gather for some rah-rah speech about the “win or go home” game.

Monday at the Lakers’ practice facility was mostly just a practice — something the Lakers haven’t gathered to formally do in more than a month.

The timing of that practice, before the Lakers host Phoenix on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s in-season tournament, was a bonus instead of some preparation for high-pressure, win-at-all-costs basketball.

“I don’t think we’re really looking at it that way,” Anthony Davis said. “I mean, obviously it’s a big game as far as the tournament goes but we’re taking it as another game. Obviously you want to get to Vegas and have a chance to win it all, but we’re not putting too much stress on or too much pressure on ourselves that this is an end-all, be-all type of game.”

NBA scores

NBA standings

FIGURE SKATING

From Helene Elliott: He hadn’t been sick. Except for persistent pain in his upper back, between his neck and his shoulder blades, Todd Sand was the picture of health when he traveled to Calgary early this year to coach promising pair skaters Sonia Baram and Daniel Tioumentsev at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

The first part of the competition went well, with the stylish duo performing the top-ranked short program. But that night, when Sand called his wife and fellow coach, Jenni Meno, he mentioned he was tired and achy and would go to bed early. Meno, his skating partner at two Olympics and the delicate but strong flower in their medal-winning performances at three world championships, had stayed home to work with the other pairs they coach at Great Park Ice in Irvine. She wasn’t especially alarmed by his call.

Her world turned upside down, however, when the phone rang again at 3 a.m. Calls at that hour rarely bring good news, and this one, from an agonized Sand, changed their family’s life in ways that are still unfolding.

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NHL

NHL scores

NHL standings

BOWL SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Saturday, Dec. 16

Myrtle Beach Bowl
8 a.m., ESPN
Georgia Southern vs. Ohio

New Orleans Bowl
11:15 a.m., ESPN
Louisiana vs. Jacksonville State

Cure Bowl
12:30 p.m., ABC
Appalachian State vs. Miami (Ohio)

New Mexico Bowl
2:45 p.m., ESPN
New Mexico State vs. Fresno State

L.A. Bowl
4:30 p.m., ABC
Boise State vs. UCLA

Independence Bowl
6:15 p.m., ESPN
Texas Tech vs. Cal

Monday, Dec. 18
Famous Toastery Bowl
11:30 a.m., ESPN
Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion

Tuesday, Dec. 19
Frisco Bowl
6 p.m., ESPN
Marshall vs. UTSA

Thursday, Dec. 21
Boca Raton Bowl
5 p.m., ESPN
South Florida vs. Syracuse

Friday, Dec. 22
Gasparilla Bowl
3:30 p.m., ESPN
UCF vs. Duke

Saturday, Dec. 23
Birmingham Bowl
9 a.m., ABC
Georgia Tech vs. Troy

Camellia Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois

Armed Forces Bowl
12:30 p.m., ABC
James Madison vs. Air Force

Potato Bowl
12:30 p.m., ESPN
Utah State vs. Georgia State

68 Ventures Bowl
4 p.m., ESPN
South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan

Las Vegas Bowl
4:30 p.m., ABC
Northwestern vs. Utah

Hawaii Bowl
7:30 p.m., ESPN
San Jose State vs. Coastal Carolina

Tuesday, Dec. 26
Quick Lane Bowl
11 a.m., ESPN
Bowling Green vs. Minnesota

First Responder Bowl
2:30 p.m., ESPN
Texas State vs. Rice

Guaranteed Rate Bowl
3 p.m., ESPN
Kansas vs. UNLV

Wednesday, Dec. 27
Military Bowl
11 a.m., ESPN
Tulane vs. Virginia Tech

Duke’s Mayo Bowl
2:30 p.m., ESPN
North Carolina vs. West Virginia

Holiday Bowl
5 p.m., Fox
No. 15 Louisville vs. USC

Texas Bowl
6 p.m., Fox
No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

Thursday, Dec. 28
Fenway Bowl
8 a.m., ESPN
No. 24 SMU vs. Boston College

Pinstripe Bowl
11:15 a.m., ESPN
Miami vs. Rutgers

Pop-Tarts Bowl
2:45 p.m., ESPN
NC State vs. Kansas State

Alamo Bowl
6:15 p.m., ESPN
No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Arizona

Friday, Dec. 29
Gator Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 22 Clemson vs. Kentucky

Sun Bowl
11 a.m., CBS
No. 19 Oregon State vs. No. 16 Notre Dame

Liberty Bowl
12:30 p.m., ESPN
Iowa State vs. Memphis

Cotton Bowl
5 p.m., ESPN
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri

Saturday, Dec. 30
Peach Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss

Music City Bowl
11 a.m., ABC
Auburn vs. Maryland

Orange Bowl
1 p.m., ESPN
No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia

Arizona Bowl
1:30 p.m., The CW
Toledo vs. Wyoming

Monday, Jan. 1
ReliaQuest Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN2
No. 13 LSU vs. Wisconsin

Citrus Bowl
9 a.m., ABC
No. 17 Iowa vs. No. 21 Tennessee

Fiesta Bowl
9 a.m., ESPN
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty

Rose Bowl
2 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama

Sugar Bowl
5:45 p.m., ESPN
No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas

Monday, Jan. 8
1:30 p.m., ESPN
National Championship Game

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1971 — Willie Ellison of the Rams sets an NFL record with 247 yards rushing in a 45-28 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Teammate Travis Williams also returns a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown.

1972 — Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska wins the Heisman Trophy beating out Oklahoma’s Gregg Pruitt and teammate Rich Glover. The all-purpose back gains 5,586 yards and scored 45 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

1974 — David Thompson scores an ACC-record 57 points to lead North Carolina State to a 144-88 rout of Buffalo State. Thompson surpasses the 56 points scored by South Carolina’s John Roche against Furman on Feb. 5, 1971.

1981 — USC’s Marcus Allen, who set an NCAA record for yards rushing in a season with 2,342, wins the Heisman Trophy.

1987 — Tim Brown, wide receiver and kick returner from Notre Dame, is awarded the Heisman Trophy.

1992 — Second-ranked Alabama beats No. 15 Florida 28-21 in the first SEC championship game. Alabama’s Antonio Langham intercepts a Shane Matthews pass, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown with 3:16 left in the game.

1995 — Dan Marino completes 35 of 50 passes for 343 yards with two touchdowns and in leading Miami to a 21-20 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It was his 52nd 300-yard game of his career, breaking the league record he had shared with Dan Fouts.

2004 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis is 25-of-33 for 425 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 51-24 win over Tennessee. Manning notches his 13th straight multi-TD game, breaking the NFL record held by Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith and Brett Favre.

2012 — Kobe Bryant scores 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000, and the Lakers snap a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. The other players to score more than 30,000 are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

2016 — Klay Thompson has 60 points, an NBA season high and the most by a Golden State player in more than 42 years, as the Warriors whip the Indiana Pacers 142-106. Thompson scores 40 by halftime in just 18-plus minutes. He had a career-best 60 points through three quarters and called it a night, sitting down with 1:22 left in the period.

2017 — Russia is banned from the next Winter Olympics in South Korea over state-sponsored doping.

Compiled by the Associated Press