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FARGO — Jackson Williams pointed to the sky briefly after his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last Saturday put a jolt in North Dakota State and the fans that half-filled the Fargodome. Trailing 17-3 to Abilene Christian in the second quarter, the Bison needed something — anything — to get kick-started. Williams provided it, taking the kick four yards deep in the end zone and jetting up the right sideline. The point lasted just a moment, only until teammates Donovan Woolen, Hudson Artz, Will Steil and Chris Harris caught up to Williams in the dome's south end zone and mobbed the true freshman from Omaha, Neb. But there was a deeper meaning to Williams' gesture than usual. There was a deeper meaning to the touchdown than just a much-needed momentum boost for the Bison. "That one was for Harrell," Williams said Tuesday. Harrell Jackson, Jr. was struck by a car and killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 19 near Nebraska City, Neb., about 45 miles south of Omaha. He was 18 years old and a lifelong friend, classmate and high school football teammate of Williams. Jackson was walking on a highway at 5 a.m. wearing dark clothing. The Otoe County sheriff's office said it received phone calls about a pedestrian walking on the roadway and were responding, but Jackson was struck by a vehicle as deputies were on the way. Jackson and Williams were teammates on the football team at Millard West High School in Omaha. Jackson was also a standout in track and wrestling, winning the 157-pound state championship in February. The funeral was Nov. 26, a few days after Williams played in NDSU's regular-season finale at South Dakota. "In high school, every time I was back for a kick or a punt his dad would stand up and yell, 'Take it to the house!' So I loved that for him," Williams said. "I was talking to his dad after the funeral and he said, 'Little Rell is going to be with you. And when you catch that ball, he's going to part it like the Red Sea and you're going to take it to the house.'" Harrell, indeed, did his job. After Abilene Christian kicker Ritsie Vaes booted his first three kickoffs deep enough for touchbacks, Williams told his Bison teammates on the sideline that he was taking out the next one no matter what. "I told Mekhi Collins on the sideline, 'We need a spark to get us going a little bit, we need some fire. I'm taking this next one out of the end zone,'" Williams said. "He said, 'Please do.'" The Bison blocked it perfectly, starting with Marty Brown, as Williams sprinted out of the end zone up the seam and veered toward the right sideline. The speedster got to the end zone untouched. The sea had parted so much that by the time Williams hit the Bison 20 it was clear he was going the distance. The last Wildcats player with a chance to stop him was the kicker and Williams blew past him at midfield. The touchdown clearly energized the Bison and the smallish crowd of 10,373 that needed a boost. NDSU scored 31 straight points to take a 34-17 lead in the third quarter. Abilene Christian hung around for awhile, but the Bison won 51-31 to advance to Saturday's FCS playoffs quarterfinal against Mercer. "I think we all knew we were going to come back, as the Bison would, but I definitely think that helped get us there a little faster," Williams said. "It just got us going for the rest of the game." It continues a standout season for the slight 5-foot-11, 177-pound receiver. With Eli Green departing to Iowa State after spring practice, NDSU needed a returner. Bison coaches decided early in fall camp Williams would get a chance at the job as a true freshman. An outstanding center fielder for Omaha's well-regarded American Legion baseball team, Williams impressed with his sure hands and ability to circle the football and catch it properly on kicks and punts. Polasek said Williams didn't drop a ball until the Bison were a few weeks into fall camp. Williams didn't play at Colorado in the season opener and senior John Gores started the year as the punt returner. But Williams began returning kicks for the home opener against Tennessee State and replaced Gores as the punt returner against Towson in Week 4 at the dome. Williams made it a highlight, returning his first college punt 67 yards for a touchdown in that 41-28 victory. He's had a major impact since then. The Bison are third in the nation in kick returns and 18th punt returns. Polasek references a Bison great from the early dynasty days when describing Williams. "He's so level-headed. Inside there's this humble, confident, calm, collected guy, but on the outside he's on the attack all the time. That's the right mind-set," Polasek said. "Ryan Smith did it as a young returner and I would compare those guys' demeanor. Just workmanline all the time."winph 777 。

Vikings have ruled out tight end Josh Oliver. What does that mean for the running game?

What a great way to end the year — trying to set a new world record. That’s what a Hyundai team in India has been doing with its fully electric Hyundai IONIQ 5. Hyundai Motor India Limited has tried to drive the IONIQ 5 across the biggest altitude change in history for an electric car — well, using a professional driving team from Evo India. To set the new record — which, yes, they did accomplish — they started out at India’s highest drivable point, Umling La in Leh Ladakh. They then went down 5,802 meters to Kuttanad, Kerala. The journey was over 4,900 km (3,045 miles). And, yes, they used a standard production version of the IONIQ 5 for this. The Hyundai IONIQ 5 that was used to set the record didn’t have some crazy 200 kWh battery. It had a simple 72.6 kWh battery pack like other IONIQ 5 EVs you can see out on the road or buy from a Hyundai dealer. That said, Hyundai used the achievement to fluff up its description of the car and its capabilities: “Equipped with a high-capacity 72.6 kWh battery, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 delivers exceptional driving range, advanced safety, and cutting-edge smart technologies, offering customers an exhilarating and versatile e-mobility experience.” Well, it is a world record–holding car. The new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM took 14 days to complete. Hyundai’s take on it — aside from getting press in the last week of the year — is that this accomplishment shows how versatile, robust, and capable the IONIQ 5 is. “Throughout the journey, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 reaffirmed its position as a benchmark in electric mobility, seamlessly navigating harsh environments, from freezing temperatures and steep mountain passes in the Himalayas to humid coastal regions in Kerala.” (I imagine plenty of other electric cars could do the same, but, hey, this was Hyundai’s idea, so it gets to bask in the glory.) Mr. Unsoo Kim, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor India Limited said, “We are incredibly proud to see the Hyundai IONIQ 5 create history by achieving the Guinness World RecordTM for the Greatest altitude change by an electric car. This achievement is a testament to Hyundai’s unwavering commitment to innovation, technological excellence, and sustainability. The IONIQ 5’s performance in such extreme conditions reflects its engineering prowess and durability. At Hyundai, we are dedicated to pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks in e-mobility, and this record further reinforces our vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’.” I’m sure Hyundai would like to take all the credit and funnel people into its dealerships — and deservedly so — but the achievement is more of a testament to how far battery technology has come in the past decade and how much more capable and well built popular electric cars are today. They lead the auto market on safety. They have enough range for any normal, sane use. There are chargers all over the place. These EVs have been tested under all sorts of conditions. Last but not least, as sales and production have ramped up, automakers have worked out more and more of the bugs of early technology, refined the cars, and made them more reliable. There is no need for “sacrifice” when going electric today. In fact, by buying an electric car, you are going to benefit from a few key advantages EVs have over gas cars: greater convenience, a smoother drive, a quieter driving experience, more torque/acceleration, over-the-air software updates, and cleaner air of course. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email RedditTrump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd'

ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others on Friday rejected an attempt by former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro to invalidate his guilty plea . Chesebro, Trump and 17 others were charged in August 2023 in a sprawling indictment that accused them of participating in a sweeping scheme to try to illegally overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count a few months later after reaching a deal with prosecutors just before he was to go to trial. His lawyer t his month asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to invalidate the plea after McAfee in September tossed out the charge to which he had pleaded guilty. Defense attorney Manny Arora wrote that a failure to invalidate the plea would violate Chesebro's constitutional right to due process. McAfee's order denying that request said the motion was procedurally defective "in more ways than one.” He ultimately said he lacks jurisdiction to grant the request and therefore dismissed it. He noted that while Chesebro's filing challenges the validity of the indictment, he “already submitted a plea in response to this indictment — one of guilt.” While Chesebro did raise a pretrial challenge prior to his plea, he did not make the argument that ultimately caused the judge to throw out that charge. Arora had also argued in his filing that his request could be considered a “motion in arrest of judgment." But McAfee said that, technically, no judgment has been rendered against Chesebro because he was sentenced under Georgia's First Offender Act, which “defers further proceedings while the charge remains pending for the duration of the sentence.” Under that law, if Chesebro completes his probation without violating the terms or committing another crime, his record will be wiped clean. The request is also too late, McAfee wrote, because a motion in arrest of judgment must be filed during the term when a judgment is entered. Arora said that he had addressed McAfee's concerns in his motion but that the judge still found that he could not grant the request. He said he will file a habeas corpus motion, a civil proceeding used to challenge a conviction, and expects to get Chesebro's plea invalidated that way. Prosecutors have said Chesebro was part of a plot to have a group of 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely saying that Trump had won Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. He pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents related to the the filing of that document with the federal court in Atlanta. Chesebro was one of four people to plead guilty in the case in the months following the indictment. The rest have pleaded not guilty. The case against Trump and the remaining defendants is mostly on hold pending a pretrial appeal of an order allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on the case despite what defense attorneys say is a conflict of interest. Even if the appeals court rules in Willis’ favor, the fate of the case against Trump is unclear since he is set to be sworn in again as president next month. Kate Brumback, The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Same iconic statue, very different race. With two-way star Travis Hunter of Colorado and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty leading the field, these certainly aren't your typical Heisman Trophy contenders. Sure, veteran quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel from top-ranked Oregon and Cam Ward of No. 15 Miami are finalists for college football's most prestigious award as well, but the 90th annual ceremony coming up Saturday night at Lincoln Center in New York City offers a fresh flavor this year. To start with, none of the four are from the powerhouse Southeastern Conference, which has produced four of the past five Heisman winners — two each from Alabama and LSU. Jeanty, who played his home games for a Group of Five team on that peculiar blue turf in Idaho more than 2,100 miles from Manhattan, is the first running back even invited to the Heisman party since 2017. After leading the country with 2,497 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns, he joined quarterback Kellen Moore (2010) as the only Boise State players to be named a finalist. “The running back position has been overlooked for a while now," said Jeanty, who plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. "There's been a lot of great running backs before me that should have been here in New York, so to kind of carry on the legacy of the running back position I think is great. ... I feel as if I'm representing the whole position.” With the votes already in, all four finalists spent Friday conducting interviews and sightseeing in the Big Apple. They were given custom, commemorative watches to mark their achievement. “I'm not a watch guy, but I like it,” said Hunter, flashing a smile. The players also took photos beneath the massive billboards in Times Square and later posed with the famous Heisman Trophy, handed out since 1935 to the nation's most outstanding performer. Hunter, the heavy favorite, made sure not to touch it yet. A dominant player on both offense and defense who rarely comes off the field, the wide receiver/cornerback is a throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades. On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season to help the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) earn their first bowl bid in four years. On defense, he made four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor. Hunter played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Call him college football’s answer to baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani. “I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,” Hunter said. “It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you'll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery.” Hunter is Colorado's first Heisman finalist in 30 years. The junior from Suwanee, Georgia, followed flashy coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering combination of accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. Hunter also won the Walter Camp Award as national player of the year, along with the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for best wide receiver. “It just goes to show that I did what I had to do,” Hunter said. Next, he'd like to polish off his impressive hardware collection by becoming the second Heisman Trophy recipient in Buffaloes history, after late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994. “I worked so hard for this moment, so securing the Heisman definitely would set my legacy in college football,” Hunter said. “Being here now is like a dream come true.” Jeanty carried No. 8 Boise State (12-1) to a Mountain West Conference championship that landed the Broncos the third seed in this year's College Football Playoff. They have a first-round bye before facing the SMU-Penn State winner in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Jacksonville, Florida, won the Maxwell Award as college football’s top player and the Doak Walker Award for best running back. Jeanty has five touchdown runs of at least 70 yards and has rushed for the fourth-most yards in a season in FBS history — topping the total of 115 teams this year. He needs 132 yards to break the FBS record set by Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State in 1988. In a pass-happy era, however, Jeanty is trying to become the first running back to win the Heisman Trophy since Derrick Henry for Alabama nine years ago. In fact, quarterbacks have snagged the prize all but four times this century. Gabriel, an Oklahoma transfer, led Oregon (13-0) to a Big Ten title in its first season in the league and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The steady senior from Hawaii passed for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate ranks second in the nation, and he's attempting to join quarterback Marcus Mariota (2014) as Ducks players to win the Heisman Trophy. “I think all the memories start to roll back in your mind,” Gabriel said. Ward threw for 4,123 yards and led the nation with a school-record 36 touchdown passes for the high-scoring Hurricanes (10-2) after transferring from Washington State. The senior from West Columbia, Texas, won the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Year award and is looking to join QBs Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992) as Miami players to go home with the Heisman. “I just think there's a recklessness that you have to play with at the quarterback position,” Ward said. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football