Kurt Hess, Martin Ruiz recognized by MVFC

Kurt Hess, Martin Ruiz recognized by MVFC

St. Louis, Mo.

Youngstown State quarterback Kurt Hess was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s offensive player of the week while freshman tailback Martin Ruiz was picked the newcomer of the week.

Hess completed 22-of-26 passes for 283 yards and two scores while rushing for another in a come-from-behind 38-34 win at South Dakota.

YSU trailed 34-31 when it started its final drive at its own 26-yard line with just over two minutes left.

Hess guided his second fourth-quarter comeback of the season marching YSU 74 yards in 10 plays.

Ruiz amassed 225 all-purpose yards and he ran for the game-winning touchdown.

He had 22 rushes for 131 yards and two touchdowns, returned four kickoffs for 85 yards and had two catches for 19 yards in the game.

Curbstone Coaches

austintown

Mark Mangino, Youngstown State assistant head football coach and tight end coach, will be the guest speaker at the Curbstone Coaches meeting.

The group will meet today at Lucianno’s Cafe at noon.

Flip-flop-flip: Florida St. back in 2nd in BCS

Florida State is back in second place in the BCS standings, edging past Oregon behind first-place Alabama.

The Seminoles’ lead is thin and their stay at No. 2 could be short again.

Third-place Oregon plays Stanford Thursday night and a win is likely to push the Ducks back into second.

The Seminoles and Ducks have exchanged positions in the BCS standings the last two weeks.

The top two in the final standings play in the BCS championship game.

Unbeaten Ohio State is fourth in the standings, followed by Stanford and unbeaten Baylor.

HSBC Champions

SHANGHAI

It only took four holes over two days for Dustin Johnson to lose a six-shot lead in the HSBC Champions.

All that mattered was the high-powered kick down the stretch Sunday at Sheshan International that brought him the biggest win of his career.

In what felt like the end of a long year and beginning of a new season, Johnson broke loose from a three-way challenge on the back nine by playing a five-hole stretch in 5-under par.

Johnson closed with a 6-under 66 for a three-shot win over Ian Poulter to capture his first World Golf Championship title.

Charles Schwab Cup Championship

SAN FRANCISCO

Fred Couples won the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, and Kenny Perry topped the yearlong points race to earn a $1 million annuity.

Couples ended a 16-event winless streak dating to the Senior British Open in July 2012, closing with a 2-uunder 69 for a six-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer, Peter Senior and Mark O’Meara.

The Hall of Famer has nine victories in four seasons on the 50-and-over tour after winning 15 times on the PGA Tour.

Couples finished at 17-under 267 at TPC Harding Park.

PGA Assistant crown

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.

Frank Bensel became the second three-time winner in PGA Assistant Championship history, shooting a 3-under 69 in windy conditions for a six-stroke victory.

The 45-year-old Bensel, the PGA assistant professional at Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., also won in 2010 and 2011.

He matched the record set by Kyle Flinton of Edmond, Okla., the winner in 2002, ‘03 and ‘05.

Bensel finished at 10-under 278 and earned $9,000.

Charles Frost of Charlotte, N.C., shot a 76 to finish second. Jeff Seavey of Homosassa, Fla., and Ray Franz Jr. of Mount Pleasant, S.C., tied for third at 2 under.

They each shot 72.

Vindicator staff/wire reports