SPORTS digest

Heisman winner apologizes for tweets

NORMAN, OKLA.

Newly minted Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is apologizing for anti-gay tweets posted to his Twitter account several years ago, when he was 14 and 15.

The Oklahoma quarterback tweeted : “I apologize for the tweets that have come to light tonight from when I was 14 and 15. I used a poor choice of word that doesn’t reflect who I am or what I believe. I did not intend to single out any individual or group.”

The tweets have since been deleted from the account of the 21-year-old Murray, who won college football’s most prestigious individual award Saturday night over Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins.

Murray, a junior from the Dallas suburbs, has signed a $4.66 million contract with the Oakland Athletics after he was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in June and this season may be his last in college football.

Harbaugh says he’s staying at Michigan

ANN ARBOR, MICH.

Jim Harbaugh insisted he is staying at Michigan to coach, responding to speculation he is returning to the NFL.

“This is a choreographed message that comes up at this time every year before signing day,” Harbaugh told ESPN. “It’s people spreading messages to further their own personal agenda. But I’m on record right here, right now: I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying at Michigan. We have big plans here, and there’s a lot we want to accomplish.”

Former Ohio State star receiver and Fox Sports analyst Cris Carter has said Harbaugh is a potential candidate to lead the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns.

Michigan won 10 games this season for the third time under Harbaugh but dropped to 0-4 against the rival Buckeyes and fell out of the Big Ten and national championship races. The Wolverines face No. 10 Florida on Dec. 29 in the Peach Bowl.

River Plate wins Copa Libertadores

MADRID

Two Colombian players made all the difference — one good, one bad — in the Copa Libertadores final on Sunday.

Boca Juniors’ Wilmar Barrios was sent off close to the start of extra time, and River Plate’s Juan Fernando Quintero scored his team’s second goal at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

River added a third to win 3-1 and lift its fourth South American crown 5-3 on aggregate.

River took advantage of the extra man and 25-year-old Quintero, who nearly missed the final due to injury, scored after 108 minutes. The Colombian received the ball on the edge of Boca’s box and guided in a well-struck shot to put River ahead.

In the dying seconds of the match, Quintero assisted Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez, who pushed the ball into an empty net after Boca’s goalkeeper Esteban Andrada tried to score from a corner.

The first leg of the final ended 2-2. The second was transferred to Madrid because of fan violence in Buenos Aires.

Maryland defeats Akron, wins NCAA title

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.

Amar Sejdic scored on a penalty kick in the 57th minute and Maryland held off Akron 1-0 on Sunday night to win its fourth NCAA men’s soccer title.

Akron’s Colin Biros kicked Johaness Bergmann in the face pursuing the ball inside the 18-yard box, resulting in the penalty shot. Sejdic calmly converted the opportunity with a well-struck shot to the right of Ben Lundt after the goalkeeper guessed wrong and dove to the left.

The goal came on Maryland’s first penalty kick during regulation play all season.

Dayne St. Clair made two saves in Maryland’s fifth straight shutout.

Maryland shared the 1968 title with Michigan State and also won championships in 2005 and 2008. Coach

Sasho Cirovski won his third title at the school.

Maryland finished the season 13-6-4, and Akron was 15-7-2.

Staff/wire report