1. Background and Career Path: Coach Williams’ journey to becoming a renowned coach started with his passion for the sport. As a player, he excelled as a defensive lineman during his high school years, which provided him with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. After completing his playing career, Coach Williams transitioned smoothly into coaching at various levels before finding his niche at Livingstone College.

2. Development of Defensive Linemen: One of Coach Williams’ greatest assets is his ability to transform raw talent into formidable defensive linemen. Through his meticulous attention to technique and his commitment to player development, he has consistently produced top-tier players who excel on the field. Under his guidance, Livingstone College’s defensive line has become known for their tenacity, strength, and disciplined play.

3. Strategic Recruiting: As the Recruiting Coordinator, Coach Williams has played a crucial role in bringing in talented athletes to Livingstone College. His extensive network and knowledge of the recruiting landscape have allowed the program to attract exceptional prospects. Coach Williams understands the importance of recruiting not just talented athletes but individuals who align with the values and culture of the team, ensuring a cohesive and successful unit. Since arriving at Livingstone College, Coach Williams has produced 4 All Conference players and 1 National All American, as well as an underrated defensive back who transferred to a power 5 university after just one season at Livingstone College.

4. Mentorship and Leadership: Coach Williams is not only a skilled coach but also a mentor and leader for his players. He fosters an environment of growth, instilling discipline and determination in his athletes. His dedication to their overall development, both on and off the field, has earned him the respect and admiration of the players under his tutelage.

5. Impact on the Livingstone College Football Program: Coach Williams’ contributions to the Livingstone College football program are immeasurable. His expertise in coaching defensive linemen and his exceptional recruiting abilities have elevated the team’s performance and reputation. The program has seen increased success in recent years, with the defensive line becoming a formidable force in the conference and attracting talented recruits from across the country.

Coach Austin Coach Michael Austin has been a driving force behind the success of Livingstone College’s turnover-hungry defense. As the defensive coordinator, Coach Austin has instilled a tenacious and aggressive mindset in his players, emphasizing the importance of creating turnovers and making game-changing plays. Under Coach Austin’s guidance, the Livingstone College defense has become known for its ability to force turnovers and capitalize on opponent’s mistakes. This disruptive style of play has been instrumental in the team’s success, often providing a spark and momentum shift during crucial moments in games. Leading the charge for the defense is Jaden Echols, a two-time All-Conference linebacker. Echols’ exceptional skills and leadership have been instrumental in the team’s defensive success. With his speed, instincts, and relentless pursuit of the ball, Echols has consistently made impactful plays, whether it’s interceptions, forced fumbles, or key tackles. Coach Austin’s coaching philosophy revolves around creating a disciplined and aggressive defense. He emphasizes the importance of proper technique, sound fundamentals, and relentless effort in order to create turnovers. Through film study, practice drills, and game planning, Coach Austin ensures that his defense is well-prepared to exploit weaknesses in the opposing team’s offense.

The success of Coach Austin’s turnover-hungry defense has not gone unnoticed. Opposing offenses have struggled to find success against Livingstone College, often falling victim to forced turnovers and costly mistakes. This has given the team a significant advantage, allowing the offense to capitalize on short fields and swing the momentum in their favor. Coach Austin’s ability to develop a turnover-focused defense and cultivate the talents of players like Jaden Echols showcases his coaching prowess. His attention to detail, strategic approach, and ability to motivate his players have made him highly regarded in the coaching community. The impact of Coach Michael Austin and his turnover-hungry defense led by Jaden Echols has been instrumental in the success of Livingstone College’s football program. Their ability to create turnovers and make game-changing plays has elevated the team’s performance and helped secure victories.

In conclusion, Coach Michael Austin’s turnover-hungry defense at Livingstone College, led by two-time All-Conference linebacker Jaden Echols, has become a formidable unit. Through Coach Austin’s expertise and leadership, the defense has developed a reputation for its ability to force turnovers.

Coach Marcel Caver has been an integral part of the success of Livingstone College’s explosive wide receiver core, led by the talented Devontay Deloatch. Caver’s coaching expertise and his ability to develop and refine the skills of his players have significantly contributed to the team’s overall performance. Coach Marcel Caver brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to his role as the Wide Receiver Coach at Livingstone College. With a deep understanding of the intricacies of the position, Caver is well-versed in teaching his players the fundamentals of route running, catching technique, and overall game strategy. His dedication to player development and his commitment to excellence have made him highly regarded in the coaching community. Under Coach Caver’s guidance, Livingstone College’s wide receiver core has flourished. One standout player who has benefited greatly from Caver’s coaching is Devontay Deloatch. Deloatch has emerged as a dynamic playmaker for the team, showcasing exceptional speed, agility, and hands. Coach Caver’s coaching philosophy revolves around pushing his players to reach their maximum potential. He emphasizes the importance of attention to detail, discipline, and hard work in order to excel on the field. Through personalized training sessions, film analysis, and constructive feedback, Caver ensures that each receiver under his tutelage has the tools necessary to succeed. The explosive wide receiver core at Livingstone College, led by Devontay Deloatch, has become a force to be reckoned with. Deloatch’s ability to create separation from defenders, make difficult catches, and turn short gains into big plays has made him a standout performer. His success can be attributed, at least in part, to the exceptional coaching and mentorship provided by Coach Caver. The impact of Coach Caver and his explosive wide receiver core led by Devontay Deloatch has not gone unnoticed. Their performances have garnered attention from rivals and fans alike, raising the profile of Livingstone College’s football program. Coach Caver’s ability to develop top-tier talent and produce outstanding results on the field is a testament to his expertise and dedication.

Coach Caver has been instrumental in the success of Livingstone College’s explosive wide receiver core. Through his coaching prowess, he has helped players like recently transferred Matthew Henry, Devontay “Tay” Deloatch and Angel Carrillo reach their full potential and become key contributors to the team’s success. Coach Caver’s dedication to player development and his unwavering commitment to excellence make him a valuable asset to the program.

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Head coach Trei Oliver then walked to the front of the room and made a not-so-surprising move.

“I turned the TV off and told them, ‘It’s time to go to work, guys,’” said Oliver. “We immediately went to the field and went to practice.”

It is all business for the Eagles as they prepare to face Richmond in the first round of the 24-team postseason tournament on Saturday that starts at 2 p.m. Saturday on ESPN+.

North Carolina Central (9-2) lost out on a trip to the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta after it dropped a pivotal MEAC game at Howard, which won 50-20, on Nov. 11. Despite finishing the conference season at 4-1, losing the head-to-head meant Howard, which also was 4-1, took the MEAC title and bowl game bid.

“I told (the media) back, I guess four or five weeks ago when we were about start conference play, I would rather be 0-5 (in nonleague competition) and win six straight and win the conference and go to the Celebration Bowl because that would be Black College National champions,” said Oliver, whose program won the 2022 Celebration Bowl and was named the HBCU national champion.

“But I’m not going to complain with us sitting here 9-2, and we were one of 24 teams selected in the country to go compete (in) the national playoffs. So, we are definitely blessed to be here. We’re excited to be here … There are probably a hundred-and-some (FCS) teams at home right now about to go grab their fishing poles and go fishing. So we’re excited about playing in the playoffs.”

The Eagles will enter postseason play on a run where it has won 14 of its last 15 games against FCS opponents, including three winx against CAA teams, the conference Richmond represents as co-champion this season, along with Albany and Villanova.

NC Central running back Latrell Collier indicated that the records won’t matter come Saturday in the single-elimination situation.

“We were 3-0 against the CAA, but it’s the playoffs now, and a lot more is on the line,” he told HBCU Sports earlier this week. “We know we are going to get their (Richmond’s) best, and we look forward to the matchup.”

For Richmond (8-3), the Spiders are making its 13th to the postseason trip and have won six consecutive games after starting the season 2-3.

“They (the players) know what it is. They know what it’s about and what has to happen here,” Russ Huesman, Richmond’s seventh-year coach, told The Richmond Dispatch.

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Player of the Week

After her lights-out performance against Iowa, I’m choosing Kansas State center Ayoka Lee as my Player of the Week. The senior’s double-double — 22 points and 12 rebounds — took down the No. 2 Hawkeyes in their house.

Week 3 Power 10

1. South Carolina (Previous: 1)

The Gamecocks scored 114 points vs. Clemson en route to their third win of the season.

2. UCLA (4)

UCLA outlasted a tough Princeton defense on Friday to remain untouchable, 77-74.

3. Colorado (NR)

Since knocking down the reigning champs, the Buffs are still perfect, now at 5-0.

4. Southern California (NR)

The Trojans are undefeated with a quality win over FGCU, who frequents good runs in the NCAA postseason.

5. Stanford (8)

Surviving unranked Duke in overtime moves Stanford up.

6. UConn (5)

UConn bounced back against No. 20 Maryland, holding the Terps under 50 points.

7. LSU (3)

The Tigers tacked on a pair of wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Kent State this week. Their next opportunity to climb is in the SEC-ACC Challenge on Nov. 30.

8. Iowa (2)

Iowa slips down six rankings after suffering an upset to unranked Kansas State. But the Hawkeyes did bounce back Sunday with balanced scoring attack against a tough Drake team that recently defeated Iowa State.

9. Virginia Tech (7)

The Hokies’ only loss is from Iowa; Georgia Amoore broke the program assist record this week, dishing out 16 dimes against Houston Christian.

10. Utah (6)

The Utes took a hit this week, falling to No. 21 Baylor, 77-84.

Watch out for Florida State… The Noles are looking to break in with wins over two SEC foes.

Games to watch in Week 3

Gather the family around the TV, because you’re going to want all eyes glued to some very competitive games starting Thanksgiving Day.

All times in ET

UCLA vs. UConn | Nov. 24 | 7:30 p.m.

There’s madness going down in the Cayman Islands as UCLA will have its first ranked game against UConn. Charisma Osborne vs. Paige Bueckers is going to be a stellar guard matchup. 

Princeton vs. Oklahoma | Nov. 23 | 4 p.m. & Princeton vs. Indiana | Nov. 25 | 11 a.m.

Princeton recently took UCLA to the wire, and now head down to Fort Myers to face more ranked opponents in Oklahoma and Indiana.

Tennessee vs. Indiana | Nov. 23 | 6 p.m. & Tennessee vs. Oklahoma | Nov. 25 | 1:30 p.m.

The injury bug is sprawling around Tennessee, but hopefully the Lady Vols can hold up against Indiana and Oklahoma down in Fort Myers as well. 

Colorado vs. NC State | Nov. 25 | 1 p.m.

Colorado faces NC State in the Virgin Islands on Saturday afternoon. I expect to see Jaylyn Sherrod and Saniya Rivers giving each other buckets all game long. 

Louisville vs. Gonzaga | Nov. 26 | 1 p.m.

Louisville has a touch matchup against Gonzaga down in Texas. The Truong twins and the Zags are looking to pull off their first upset of the year. 

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Jordan Cornette will host Clemson Pro Day (10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET, ACCN) from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studio joined by his teammates from the The Huddle – Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel and Mark Richt. ESPN NFL Draft analyst and Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy and NFL front office insider Mike Tannenbaum will also provide insight throughout Thursday’s coverage.

Notable participants include: wide receivers Amari Rodgers, Cornell Powell and Diondre Overton, tight end J.C. Chalk, and running backs Travis Etienne and Adam Choice.

Typical pro day events include: 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle among other position specific drills.

Additionally, ACCN will televise Miami Pro Day on Monday, March 29, while ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), the network’s digital platform available on the ESPN App, will carry Pitt Pro Day (March 17), Florida State Pro Day (March 22), Virginia Tech Pro Day (March 26), Duke Pro Day (March 29), Louisville Pro Day (March 30) and Wake Forest Pro Day (March 31) through the end of March.

Details surrounding Miami Pro Day and events on ACCNX will be announced in the coming weeks.

About ACC Network

Owned and operated by ESPN in partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference, ACC Network (ACCN) and its digital platform ACCNX is a 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports that launched on August 22, 2019. ACCN features regular-season and tournament games from across the conference’s 27 sponsored sports plus a complement of news and information shows and original programming. ESPN has been televising ACC content since 1979 and has exclusive rights to every conference-controlled game across all sports and championships.

Carriage agreements are in place with the following video providers: AT&T TV, AT&T TV NOW, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH Network, fuboTV, Google Fiber, Hulu Live TV, Optimum, Sling TV, Spectrum TV, Suddenlink, TVision, Verizon Fios, YouTube TV, members of the NCTC, NRTC and Vivicast, among others. All ACCN games will also be available on the ESPN app to authenticated subscribers. Fans interested in learning more about ACCN can visit www.GetACCN.com.

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Women’s basketball fans will have the opportunity to be represented at the Women’s Final Four in San Antonio as part of a new fan cutout program that will support several causes.

All proceeds from the cutout program will benefit three nonprofits: the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, which awards research grants and funds programs to serve the underserved in the fight against all cancers affecting women; the Pat Summitt Foundation, which funds research for treatment and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease while supporting patients and caregivers; and the San Antonio Food Bank, which serves hundreds of thousands of individuals at risk for hunger across southwest Texas.

“This fan cutout initiative provides an opportunity for women’s basketball fans — who have passionately supported the growth of the game — to continue to make an impact during an unprecedented year,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. “While the program will enhance the in-venue experience for participating teams, it will more importantly support causes that are close to the hearts of the women’s basketball and San Antonio communities.”

Cutouts at the Women’s Final Four will be interspersed with limited fan seating available for the games. Earlier this year, the NCAA announced in conjunction with local health officials that tournament venues in San Antonio would host up to 17% capacity with masking and physical distancing of fans.

Cutouts will be featured inside the Alamodome for the Women’s Final Four semifinal games and the national championship game. Sales begin today and conclude Sunday, March 28. Cutouts cost $100 and can be purchased at ncaa.com/womens-final-four. Current college students can purchase cutouts at a discounted rate of $50 with their school email address.

For an additional fee, fans can choose to ship the cutouts home afterward to keep as a memento. Any cutouts that are not purchased will be recycled after the event.

“The Kay Yow Cancer Fund is honored and grateful to be a beneficiary of the NCAA’s fan cutouts initiative at the 2021 Women’s Final Four. We continue to be so appreciative of the impact women’s basketball is making in the fight against all cancers affecting women,” said Kay Yow Cancer Fund CEO, Stephanie Glance. “Coach Yow loved the championship, and she believed in the power of uniting people for a common cause. What better way to show our unity at this time than through a fan-based initiative that will be a visible display of support at the championship.”

“It is such an honor to be chosen by the NCAA to be featured as one of the three charities of choice for this amazing initiative,” said Joan Cronan, advisory board chair for the Pat Summitt Foundation. “We are grateful to be featured alongside the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the San Antonio Food Bank. Thank you to the NCAA for supporting our mission to defeat Alzheimer’s and carrying on coach Summitt’s legacy.” 

“In a time when the pandemic has brought fear and isolation, San Antonio Sports has brought us the NCAA Women’s Final Four,” said Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. “Watching the NCAA Women’s Final Four will feed the soul of fans across the world, while the fundraising from the tournament will help the San Antonio Food Bank to feed the hungry across our community. I encourage fans to follow the example of the NCAA Women’s Final Four by supporting your local Feeding America food bank so we can ensure that all our neighbors who struggle to put food on the table get nourished.”

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Turner Sports and CBS Sports will present the 2021 NCAA March Madness Selection Show, featuring the exclusive live first-time announcement of the pairings for the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, on CBS – Sunday, March 14, at 6 p.m. ET. The one-hour Selection Show, produced in partnership between CBS Sports and Turner Sports, will be broadcast live from New York.

The Selection Show will begin with the release of the full bracket by region as well as reactions from teams as they find out if they made this year’s field of 68. Host Greg Gumbel will be joined in New York by analysts Clark Kellogg and Seth Davis. Selection Committee Chair Mitch Barnhart will also join remotely from Indianapolis for a live interview to discuss the bracket.

The NCAA Selection Show will also be available on NCAA March Madness Live, the official live streaming product of March Madness available via web, mobile and connected devices.

Turner Sports and CBS Sports will provide live coverage of all 67 games from the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – and via NCAA March Madness Live.

CBS will broadcast this year’s NCAA Final Four National Semifinals on Saturday, April 3, along with the National Championship on Monday, April 5.

TBS will televise the NCAA Final Four National Semifinals and National Championship in 2022, with the events alternating between CBS Sports and Turner Sports each year throughout the partnership.

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NCAA March Madness Live, managed by Turner Sports in partnership with the NCAA and CBS Sports, is available now to download across mobile devices and 18 platforms, including Apple devices, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One and for the first time, Google TV, offering fans direct access to live coverage of NCAA Tournament games.

For the tenth consecutive tournament, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will provide live coverage of all 67 games from the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – and via NCAA March Madness Live.

Fans can access all tournament games telecast on CBS via the web and on mobile devices with no authentication required. Additionally, fans can watch games via live streaming on TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV’s digital platforms, as well as participating TV provider websites and apps.

The enhancements follow a record-breaking performance in 2019 when NCAA March Madness Live recorded the largest live audience in its history.

Some of the new and returning features fans can access on NCAA March Madness Live include:

Game Center

Game Center is the central hub of NCAA March Madness Live providing all the news, highlights, and interactive content needed to augment the fan experience. For the first time, Game Center will be featured on all connected devices and include Condensed Games presented by AT&T 5G to give fans the most important moments of live game action. To fuel engagement and connection with users, Game Center will debut a new tab featuring interactive widgets that will introduce polls, quizzes, alerts and more. The widgets will be updated during every game to create a unique experience alongside video viewing.

The Catch Up presented by AT&T 5G and Fast Break presented by AT&T 5G and Nissan

NCAA March Madness Live will debut an all-new feature for this year’s Tournament, The Catch Up presented by AT&T 5G. The video feature will provide users with a succinct summary of any key plays or moments in the game before they start watching live streaming coverage. For the fourth consecutive Tournament, Fast Break presented by AT&T 5G and Nissan will exclusively provide an all-encompassing look at live Tournament action from a single viewing location. This live, whip-around coverage will also offer quick turnaround highlights, real-time analysis by industry stars, social reaction and commentary for all games. Fast Break will be available when there are multiple games being played during the first two rounds of the Tournament, Friday through Monday, March 19-22. AT&T 5G will present Fast Break coverage on Friday and Sunday, with Nissan serving as sponsor for Saturday and Monday.

Bracket Integrations

Capital One NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge has been optimized for discovery and features intuitive integrations with live game coverage, from the moment they fill out their brackets through the cutting down of the nets. NCAA March Madness Live will remind users of the outcomes they predicted so that they know which results to root for in anticipation of winning their Bracket Challenge. While in Game Center, users will also be able to follow their Bracket Challenge group leaderboard(s).

In addition, Matchup Analysis will allow fans to choose from over 20 stats to personalize their bracket picking experience as part of Bracket IQ presented by Invesco QQQ. Fans will also gain extra insight with Path to the Championship, which will let fans calculate possible tournament outcomes based on remaining games in the bracket, giving users a visualization of their best possible ranking. Path to the Championship will be available starting during the Sweet Sixteen on the NCAA March Madness Live mobile app.

NCAA March Madness Live Sponsors

Tri-presenting sponsors for NCAA March Madness Live are NCAA Corporate Champions AT&T 5G, Capital One and Coca-Cola. On mobile, Coca-Cola, Capital One and Buick will sponsor the NCAA March Madness Live App for iOS; AT&T 5G, Capital One and Nissan will sponsor the Android app. On connected streaming devices: Capital One and AT&T 5G will sponsor the Roku app; AT&T 5G will serve as a sponsor for the Apple TV app; Capital One and AT&T 5G will sponsor the Amazon Fire TV app; Invesco will serve as sponsor for Google TV; and AT&T 5G, Coca-Cola and POWERADE will sponsor the Xbox app.

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Meanwhile, the 17,579 witnesses inside CenturyLink Center on Sunday evening will chatter years into the future over their ticket-buying luck at seeing this Midwest Region final because of all the gasps and palpitations and frenzy and quality it provided. And at last, the heavy majority that yearned for the Jayhawks will know their team surmounted a big heap of difficult stuff because they whistled boldly through the corridor of their goblins and haunts, the Elite Eight, and the 85-81 overtime win signaled Kansas could withstand both that and the constellation of stars at Duke.

“It’s hard to describe, man,” said Kansas senior leader Devonte’ Graham, the consensus all-American whose gut the Jayhawks’ Elite Eight losses in 2016 and 2017 had attempted to mangle. Yet describe, the participants did. Blue Devils Coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose record in this oft-torturous round in the NCAA tournament dipped to a still-celestial 12-3 and caused him an ashen final walk down the hallway afterward, called it “an honor to play in this game.” Kansas Coach Bill Self, whose reddened reaction upon the final horn hinted at apparent demon-banishment, called it “a big-boy game” and “two blue bloods that’ll beat each other’s heads in” and “a heavyweight fight” and “the second-best win that we’ve ever had,” after only the 2008 title game against Memphis.

“I would have been proud to coach in that game even if the outcome was different,” he said.

Indeed, Kansas ventures to the third Final Four of Self’s 15 seasons — and its first in six years — by riding a demanding rodeo of a game that played out with ludicrous evenness. Kansas made 30 of 69 field goal attempts; Duke made 30 of 70. Kansas used rebounding by scrapping committee to beat Duke on the boards 47-32; Duke used beyond-freshman moxie from its freshmen to commit only 11 turnovers to 18 from its opponent. Duke sprang for five players in double figures; Kansas presented four with another guy at nine points. Duke giant Wendell Carter Jr. fouled out in overtime; Kansas giant Udoka Azubuike fouled out two minutes before overtime.

Duke (29-8) never led by more than four.

Kansas (31-7) never led by more than seven, and when it did, with 16:06 left, Duke cleaned up most of that in a jiffy.

The Blue Devils received a fine game from their lead star, Marvin Bagley III, with 16 points and 10 rebounds and two assists; the Jayhawks had a soaring game from one of their two lead stars, Malik Newman, the transfer from Mississippi State who scored 32 points, including the paramount shot from the corner with 1:49 left in overtime. Duke had large splashes from its slightly less famous freshmen, Trevon Duval and Gary Trent Jr., who scored 20 and 17 points and also made confident drives; Kansas had shrewd Lagerald Vick operating from the middle of the Duke zone with 14 points, Graham with six assists and six rebounds, and 6-foot-8 senior Svi Mykhailiuk with 11 points and 10 rebounds and pretty damned good defense on the 6-11 Bagley and . . .

And Kansas’s second-biggest shot.

It came with 26 seconds left in regulation, and Mykhailiuk’s audacity in taking it exemplified Kansas’s audacity all told. He had just missed two open three-point shots as things had begun to creak with a hint of familiarity for the Jayhawks. After Duke senior captain Grayson Allen’s four perfect free throws in the penultimate minute pushed the Blue Devils ahead 72-69, Newman missed with 1:05 left, Bagley rebounded, Carter missed with 36 seconds left, 6-9 freshman Silvio De Sousa rebounded, and March had gone into franticness as only March can.

The ball wound up with Mykhailiuk at the right of the top of the key, and his shot sang its way through, tying the score, leaving the whole heaving occasion with the two shots that might hang on in memory.

With the seconds ticking more furiously than normal, the game distilled to Allen against Newman, one-on-one. Newman’s defense excelled. Allen’s move wasn’t bad. He wound up backing off at the left side of the lane and sending up a promising shot that could not seem to help itself from skittering around in fickleness and tantalizing all the spectators.

It rolled off, the horn sounded, and soon Allen’s fine and checkered four-year college career would conclude with him at his locker in a silent room, dutifully answering questions with a skill he had learned to master. “It’s way different than a [regular] loss,” he said, “because with a loss, you know you’ve got something else. There’s two parts in me, one still fighting” for the closing Final Four dream, “and the other, ‘Sorry, it’s done.’ That’s why it’s really hard to grasp.”

In between the fickle ball and that, the teams had insisted upon remaining tied, this time at 78-78, as the two-minute mark of overtime arrived. In tension, Kansas forged beauty. Graham kicked a pass to Vick amid the zone, and Vick, whom Newman credited rightly with “a great job in the middle,” never touched the ground in redirecting that thing hurriedly to the left corner to Newman. Newman had spent much of the game driving with an unafraid abandon because “Coach just told us to keep attacking the zone,” and by getting “paint touches, then the three-point line would open up.”

Here the three-point line opened up, and now he lofted one to try to put a pinnacle on his hot March and let Kansas lead and let Duke chase, let Duke fizzle on offense until the score became 85-78 and let Kansas’s heart both intensify and then leap, all of which happened after that prettiest of shots smashed down.

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This time the Crimson Tide had to overcome a loss in the final regular-season game, a series of defensive injuries and a period of uncertainty when it wasn’t clear if a fourth consecutive playoff invitation even was forthcoming.

Then there was the climactic title game with Georgia that included a 13-0 halftime deficit, a quarterback switch and an overtime that started for the Tide with a huge sack of Tua Tagovailoa. The final play — Tagovailoa’s 41-yard touchdown heave to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith — was etched in the memories of Tide fans, players and coach Nick Saban.

“I don’t think anybody’s ever going to forget” that play, Saban told a crowd Alabama estimated at 40,000.

“I know I’ll never forget the feeling that I had when Tua takes a sack and one minute later the feeling that I had when we threw the touchdown pass,” he said.

It was the fifth, and perhaps most eventful, championship run of Saban’s 11-year tenure at Alabama. He also matched Bear Bryant with his sixth overall national title.

After receiving a much-debated berth despite a loss to Auburn, Alabama toppled playoff nemesis and top-ranked Clemson in the Sugar Bowl before beating the Bulldogs 26-23 in an All-Southeastern Conference matchup. Second in the SEC West, first in the nation.

“This whole 2017 season, man, it’s amazing,” senior linebacker Rashaan Evans said.

Evans was so excited after the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he says he didn’t take his pads off until returning to the hotel. It was at least the second title celebration for the seniors, and after a snow-filled week in much of the state, temperatures warmed up enough for a comfortable celebration.

Much warmer than the one two years ago.

“I’ve never seen this many fans at a celebration before,” senior center Bradley Bozeman said. “It’s unreal. We’re really blessed to have this fan base.”

Added Evans: “It’s almost like a reunion, man. I remember the first time, it wasn’t near as many people as it was (today). The fact that all of these fans came out, they took the time out of their day to come out here and just have fun with us, it means a lot.”

Team captains Evans, Bozeman, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton spoke at the podium. Hamilton missed the past two playoffs because of knee injuries but savored another championship celebration.

“I’d probably say this one is sweeter just because of the way how we finished out,” he said. “Nobody would have ever thought that after a sack and us being down, and boom, we come back with a haymaker in overtime. It makes the win that much sweeter.”

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock also were on hand.

This Alabama team is losing a number of key seniors plus five juniors leaving for the NFL draft , including Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, tailback Bo Scarbrough and safety Ronnie Harrison. The senior class won a record 53 games.

Saban ended his speech with a familiar message.

“For the seniors that are here on this team and the guys that will be leaving the team, my message after the game to them was, ‘Use the lessons that you learned in this season to help you be more successful in life. They will serve you well because the things that you did were extremely special,”’ he said. “And to the players that are coming back, get ready for the challenges of the future and let everybody know that we’re not finished …”

He paused to let fans and players complete the sentence: “Yet.”

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