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BYU offensive lineman Sione Veikoso was killed in a construction accident in his home state of Hawai'i on Friday.
"We are extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of one of our brothers, Sione Veikoso," head coach Kalani Sitake said in a statement. "His passing is heartbreaking to all of us. We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family as we share in their grief. Our love for you is forever, Sione!"
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported a 15-foot retaining wall at a home in Kailua collapsed and trapped three construction workers.
Veikoso was one of three people trapped under the rubble. Firefighters rescued two of the workers, who were in serious but stable condition. Veikoso was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He was a gentle giant who loved his family," said his cousin Joshua Kava. "He was reliable and caring."
The 6'7", 305-pound redshirt freshman began his college career at Arizona State after completing a mission in Brazil for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He transferred to BYU in July and appeared in the Cougars' 52-26 win over Utah Tech on Nov. 19.
BYU beat SMU 24-23 in the New Mexico Bowl on Dec. 17. Veikoso's family told the Star-Advertiser he was to fly back to school next week.
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 264
HAND: 9 7/8"
ARM: 34"
WINGSPAN: 81 5/8"
40-YARD DASH: 4.58
3-CONE: 7.28
SHUTTLE: 4.41
VERTICAL: 34"
BROAD: 10'5"
POSITIVES
— Physical at the point of attack and takes on blocks with good leverage out of a two-point stance to help set the edge.
— Solid strength to win as a power rusher with a one-arm stab move or a bull rush, and he's shown a nice rip move as a counter off of the bull rush that he can win with if he starts working to get on an edge.
— Does a good job of working offensive lineman's hands as a pass-rusher.
— Has plenty of athletic ability to develop finesse moves down the line and has shown flashes of winning with a cross chop, hand swipe and ghost rush.
— Impressive agility to avoid losing ground as the looper in line games.
— Swipes at the ball and has a knack for getting strip sacks.
— Very instinctual against the run and can be hard to reach with his combination of agility and block recognition out of a two-point stance.
— Strong enough to get extension and hold ground against tackles.
— Hustle player who will factor into gang tackles down the field and get coverage sacks.
NEGATIVES
— Slow run-pass transitions against play-action.
— Doesn't have a go-to pass rush move that can win with at the moment and doesn't have the speed off the ball to challenge offensive tackles vertically.
— Could make better use of the stem phase of a pass rush by getting upfield initially to give himself a two-way go and keep the tackle guessing.
— Adequate bend to turn tight corners and take an efficient path to the quarterback but lacks ankle flexibility.
— Needs to start working to get on an edge when bull-rushing.
— More passive against the run when working out of a three-point stance. Likes to stand up and see what the offensive line is doing instead of attacking and reacting.
— Lacks violence when trying to disengage and get off blocks and lets offensive linemen hang onto him.
— Not a forceful tackler and will lose ground after contact from physical running backs.
2022 STATISTICS
— 12 GM, 45 TOT, 14 TFL, 11 SK, 1 FF
NOTES
— DOB: Oct. 30, 2000
— A 4-star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 211 overall, No. 13 WDE, per 247Sports composite rating.
— 25 career starts
— Notre Dame's career sack leader (26.5)
— 2022 Honors: Consensus All-American
— 2021 Honors: Third-team All-American (Phil Steele), first-team All-Independent (Phil Steele)
OVERALL
Isaiah Foskey is an interesting projection because he has plenty of traits with his size, strength and athleticism, and he's been productive, surpassing several notable Notre Dame defensive linemen like Justin Tuck and Bryant Young in the school's record books. Typically, that'd make for a slam-dunk top-10 pick.
However, a lot of Foskey's sacks have come when he's either unblocked, is cleaning up from another pass-rusher winning or as coverage sacks, especially this past year. His impressive rushes have come in flashes versus being something he can consistently win with at the next level, and his stiff ankles are concerning for an edge-rusher.
That being said, if the Golden Domer tests well at the combine to confirm his athletic potential, he's a good enough power rusher and can develop a wider pass-rush arsenal down the road to still be a first-round pick. He might just have to wait a little longer to hear his name called on Day 1.
Against the run, there's a lot to like about Foskey's game. He's physical and strong to set the edge and hold ground against offensive tackles, and his instincts are impressive out of a two-point stance. The biggest issue is that he can look like almost a completely different player with his hand in the ground, which could limit his scheme fit.
Foskey is much better from a standup linebacker position. When he is in a three-point stance, it's almost like his natural inclination is to play from a two-point because he stands up and tries to see what's going on, essentially getting to a two-point stance post-snap. So, he'd be best as an outside backer for a team that uses odd fronts.
Notre Dame would occasionally drop him in coverage, so he has experience covering running backs, tight ends and the underneath zones to go along with the athleticism to carry that part of his game over to the NFL. He might not be "off the board" for even front teams, but he'll need the freedom to play from that standup position.
GRADE: 7.4 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter)
OVERALL RANK: 53
POSITION RANK: EDGE10
PRO COMPARISON: Harold Landry III
Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis announced Saturday via social media that he is transferring to BYU.
Slovis entered the transfer portal on Dec. 5. BYU will be his third school in what will be his fifth season in 2023. In addition to Pitt, he also suited up for the USC Trojans from 2019-2021.
The BYU staff was intrigued by the former Pitt quarterback's "level of accuracy," according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. He is entering his final year of eligibility in 2023 and will compete for BYU's starting quarterback job, Thamel added.
BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick praised Slovis in a statement, via Sean Walker of KSL.com:
"Kedon is an effortless passer, great leader and one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football. I've enjoyed watching his calm demeanor. He is always poised, never too high or too low. I have been so impressed with his methodical approach to this decision to come to BYU. I can't wait for him to join us in January."
In his lone season at Pitt, Slovis completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 2,397 yards and 10 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 11 games. The transfer of star wide receiver Jordan Addison to USC heavily impacted the team's aerial attack.
Still, Slovis was far more accurate during his three seasons at USC, completing 68.4 percent of his passes for 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns against 24 interceptions in 27 games.
BYU finished the 2022 season with an 8-5 record and is preparing for a move to the Big 12 in 2023 after being independent since 2011. Having played in both the Pac-12 and ACC, Slovis should help with that transition.
The addition of Slovis comes after former Cougars quarterback Jaren Hall, who spent the last two seasons as BYU's starter, declared for the 2023 NFL draft.
UCLA also expressed interest in adding Slovis this winter, according to Walker.
Players at service academies across the United States, including Army linebacker Andre Carter II, may be prevented from playing professional sports right out of school if a bill being sent through Congress is passed.
A section of the National Defense Authorization Act states that not participating in active duty service after graduation from a service academy is considered "a breach of agreement to serve as an officer," according to Leo Shane III and Jonathan Lehrfeld of the Military Times.
The bill says a cadet or midshipman can't be employed as a professional athlete or otherwise until they have completed their commissioned service obligation. An explanation for authorization of the bill states:
"Service academy appointments are a zero sum game. Every appointment that goes to a graduate who does not complete his or her active-duty service obligation to pursue professional athletics could have been awarded to many other qualified young people who would have happily served their country."
Since 2019, some athletes from service academies have been able to apply to delay their active duty requirement and pursue a career in professional sports.
Carter, a 6'7", 260-pound linebacker, is likely to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The senior's best year came in 2021 when he posted 14.5 sacks, 41 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, one interception, two pass breakups, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 12 games.
This season, he had 3.5 sacks, 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two pass breakups in 10 games. The Black Knights finished the season 6-6.
If Carter can't play in the NFL immediately, it would be disappointing since he has dreamed about playing professional football his entire life. While Carter declined to speak to ESPN's Pete Thamel, his father, Andre, said Carter is "so upset."
"He was literally, visually upset because of the uncertainty. He was not happy. When you're in the military, everything is precise," his father said. "To have something at the eleventh hour kind of thrown out there when you are so used to having a regiment; he's in a fog about the whole thing."
Army head coach Jeff Monken told Thamel the policy change isn't fair to Carter, who could have left the service institution and played elsewhere:
"It's not fair. It's not fair to him. He was loyal to this team and institution. He could have left and he didn't. He still wants to serve. It's not that he doesn't want to serve. He wants to pursue the NFL and play, and then serve.
"I'm 100 percent against it."
If the bill is passed, players at service academies would need to complete two years of service before applying for an alternative service option. That could damage their chances of pursuing a career in professional sports.
The policy change could go into effect as soon as next week.
There was more to celebrate on Saturday than just Army's 20-17 double-overtime victory over Navy.
Quinn Maretzki's 39-yard field goal in the second overtime after Army recovered a fumble by Navy running back Anton Hall Jr. at the goal line provided the difference. This was the first overtime game in the 123-year history of the matchup between the United States military academies.
Thanks to two quick touchdowns in the first overtime period, this game hit the over for the first time since 2005.
Things got very interesting in overtime. Markel Johnson ran through the Navy defense for a 25-yard touchdown on the first play for either team.
Army responded on Xavier Arline's 25-yard touchdown pass to Maquel Haywood on its first play in overtime. Haywood's score also pushed the game to the over, causing Twitter to rejoice at the milestone moment.
Gambling analyst Brad Powers noted coming into this game how much a bettor would have won if they started with a $100 bet on the under and rolled over their winnings for 16 straight years:
It looked for a long time like we were destined for another low-scoring affair where the offenses had to grind out every single yard.
Army's only touchdown in regulation came on a blocked punt that Jabril Williams recovered in the end zone.
There were only 10 combined points scored in the first half and it looked like Navy was going to hang on for a 10-7 win until Maretzki's 37-yard field goal tied the score in the final two minutes of regulation.
Thanks to Maretzki's leg, not only was Army able to force overtime and get the win to finish the season .500 (6-6), but members of the Sickos Committee who had a financial stake in the over got to celebrate for the first time in 17 years.
Liberty University and head football coach Hugh Freeze reportedly have reached an agreement on an eight-year contract extension through the 2030 season.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Friday the new deal "averages just under $5 million per year," bringing the total salary to around $40 million.
Freeze has compiled a 33-12 record since being hired by Liberty in December 2018. That includes a 7-1 mark so far this season, with the only loss coming against then-No. 19 Wake Forest by one point in mid-September.
After last week's win over BYU, the 53-year-old coach said he hoped the Flames would begin getting some respect from the poll voters.
"I would think we would probably get a few votes here and there, but you've got to go to Arkansas next," Freeze told reporters. "If you don't get it done against an SEC team, they just drop you out of it. How much value we put on that is pretty small, really. Now, at the end of the season, I think there's some value that would be put on that if we end up in it."
Liberty ended up in the "also receiving votes" section of both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.
Freeze previously compiled a 39-25 record across five years at Ole Miss, though 27 of those victories were later vacated following an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations by the program. The team lost a total of 33 wins as part of the punishment.
He resigned from his role with the Rebels in July 2017 after a separate investigation into allegations he called a female escort service, which the school said also showed a "concerning pattern" of use from his university-issued phone.
Before his time at Ole Miss, Freeze served as head coach at Lambuth and Arkansas State.
The Flames' clash with the Razorbacks is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday at the Hogs' Razorback Stadium.
Dreary weather in Louisiana couldn't bring down the UAB Blazers, who defeated No. 13 BYU 31-28 on Saturday to win the 2021 Independence Bowl.
Heavy rain in the Shreveport area briefly delayed kickoff, but it cleared up as the game kept going.
Both starting running backs dominated on the ground. DeWayne McBride racked up 183 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries. Tyler Allgeier carried the ball 27 times for 192 yards and three scores in the loss.
Trea Shropshire scored the game-winning touchdown for UAB with 6:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. He caught a 14-yard pass from Dylan Hopkins in the end zone after BYU took a 28-24 on its previous possession.
BYU came into the bowl game riding a five-game winning streak. The offense was averaging 48.5 points in its final four games of the regular season.
Notable Game Stats
This turned out to be a back-and-forth high-scoring affair. UAB's scoring outburst was especially surprising because it only ranked 59th in the nation in points per game during the regular season.
The Blazers looked like they were going to dominate right out of the gate.
After both teams traded punts on their first possession, UAB scored touchdowns on consecutive drives to go up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.
McBride scored the second one on a 64-yard run. He showed no lingering effects from the ankle injury suffered in the regular-season finale against UTEP that kept him out for the entire second half.
BYU stormed back in the second quarter with two scores of its own to tie the score at 14.
The Blazers regained the lead before halftime with a nine-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by Gerrit Prince's 23-yard touchdown catch from Hopkins.
Allgeier tied the score for BYU with a 62-yard touchdown run. The sophomore running back set a new school record for rushing yards in a season in this game.
UAB regained the lead with a field goal on its first possession of the second half.
BYU responded with a 52-yard scoring drive, capped off by Allgeier's touchdown from one yard out. The Cougars took their only lead of the game, 28-24, at that point.
BYU's only turnover of the game came at the worst possible moment. Samson Nacua caught a pass at UAB's 28-yard line, but he lost possession of the ball and Mac McWilliams recovered it.
The Blazers picked up four first downs to run out the final 3:18 of regulation and secure the win. Their nine wins this season are tied for the second-most in program history.
Even though BYU's season ended on a down note, head coach Kalani Sitake has the program trending in the right direction. The Cougars have won at least 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing it four times in a row from 2006 to 2009.
The Navy Midshipmen won their second straight game on Saturday with a 17-13 win over the Army Black Knights at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was Navy's first victory over Army since 2019, as the Black Knights took last year's rivalry game 15-0.
It was also Navy's second win in the series over the last six years as Army has dominated the annual rivalry game as of late. However, Navy won 14 straight games against Army between 2002-15. Maybe the tides are beginning to shift in the Midshipmen's favor.
Navy finishes the regular season with a 4-8 record, while Army finishes 8-4.
Notable Stats
Tai Lavatai, QB, NAVY: 4/6 for 82 YDS and 20 CAR for 62 YDS and 2 TDs
Christian Anderson, QB, ARMY: 7/15 for 108 YDS and 9 CAR for 67 YDS, 1 TD
Carlinos Acie, RB, NAVY: 9 CAR for 34 YDS
Jakobi Buchanan, RB, ARMY: 4 CAR for 24 YDS
Mychal Cooper, WR, NAVY: 1 REC for 28 YDS
Recap and Reaction
Saturday's Army-Navy game began with some pretty great trash-talking ahead of kickoff.
Aside from the trash-talking, it was a well-fought contest between Army and Navy, and the Black Knights kicked things off with a 56-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Christian Anderson.
However, Navy quarterback Tai Lavatai responded with an 8-yard rushing score of his own on the following drive to tie the game at seven a piece.
Army outplayed Navy in the first half of Saturday's rivalry game. The Black Knights had 175 yards of total offense compared to the Midshipmen's 130 yards. Army also had eight first downs compared to Army's five, and Anderson undoubtedly outplayed Lavatai.
However, many were quick to note that Lavatai still had a strong first half despite entering the locker room down 13-7, and he didn't disappoint to open up the third quarter.
Lavatai and the Midshipmen came out buzzing after halftime, with a major turning point in the game being the quarterback's two-yard rushing score to help give Navy a 14-13 lead, an advantage they would never surrender.
Navy then added a field goal with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 17-13, and many praised Lavatai for his second-half performance, which is a big reason why the Midshipmen came out victorious on Saturday.
It should also be noted that the Midshipmen defense stood tall, too, allowing the Black Knights just 102 yards in the second half and forcing the team to punt three straight times before forcing a turnover on downs to seal the win.
Saturday's game marked Army's lowest scoring output since a 20-14 Oct. 16 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, further emphasizing how good the Midshipmen defense was at MetLife Stadium.
Player and Coach Reaction
What's Next?
While Navy's season is officially over, Army will move on to face Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22.
There are rivalries, and then there's Army vs. Navy, perhaps the most storied and intense rivalry in all of college football.
For the 122nd time, the Cadets and Midshipmen will battle it out for the right to "sing second."
Army (8-3) comes into the patriotic matchup on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as the favorite, having won four of the last five matchups over Navy (3-8).
Not only are fierce bragging rights on the line, but for the Black Knights, it's a chance to reach nine wins for the second straight season and the right to hang on to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
It's been a disappointing season for the Midshipmen, but if they pull off the upset over the Black Knights, it would likely go a long way to putting that behind them.
To date, Navy leads the all-time series 61-53-7, but Army has been dominant of late in the traditionally low-scoring matchup.
Here's a quick look at how to watch "America's Game" and a brief preview of what to expect.
Army-Navy Game Information
Date: Saturday, December 11
Location: MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ
Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports.com or CBS Sports app
Odds (via Oddschecker): Army (-7.5), Navy (+7.5); over/under: 36.5
Preview
Last year, Army beat Navy 15-0, and this season, it feels like the game might be just as lopsided as the previous one.
The Black Knights are playing in the Armed Forces Bowl against Missouri on Dec. 22, while this is the end of the line for the Midshipmen.
"Our guys could care less about the bowl game," Army head coach Jeff Monken told Mitchell Northam of SB Nation. "They knew. They all read it online. They all got a phone. They knew before they got to the team meeting yesterday. Really, it was just kind of matter of fact. They didn't want to hear anything about it. They were ready to get on and get ready to prepare for Navy. There wasn't any big celebration or jumping up and down or anything like that.
"There's one game in the whole world right now, and that's the one this Saturday. That's all our guys really care about. It's all I really care about."
While the history between these two teams runs deep and definitely embodies everything great about sports, the game itself will not be the kind of high-powered scoring game that is prevalent in college football.
Both teams feature run-heavy offenses, the kind of smashmouth football that isn't played as much these days with all of the gunslinging quarterbacks that rule the sport.
Army only averages 7.7 pass attempts per game, the lowest in the nation. Navy is right there with them with only 8.3 pass attempts per contest.
The most points scored in any Army-Navy Game since 2014 is 38 (2015, 2016 and 2019). In all of the recent high-scoring games, the Midshipmen emerged victorious.
Football fans might recall how the New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 14-10 recently on Dec. 6. They followed Navy-supporter Bill Belichick's game plan of running the ball. The Patriots ran the ball 46 times for 222 yards and only three passes for 19 yards.
Both service academies will likely mirror New England's ground-based attack and are very familiar with each other's game plans.
"We know each other very well," Monken told Scott Allen of the Washington Post. "Their team knows ours, and we know them. We recruit the same guys, and we compete over the same things all the time. It'll be the toughest game we've played all year. We know that."
The odds favor the Black Knights to beat the Midshipmen this time around, and considering how Air Force beat Navy 23-3 back in September and how Army beat Air Force 21-14 in November, the signs are the oddsmakers might be right.
