Associated Press
LAS VEGAS ó Las Vegas coach Jim Fassel and cornerback Isaiah Trufant were grateful for the opportunity to play in the inaugural United Football League championship game on Friday.
Graham Gano kicked a 33-yard field goal in overtime to give the Locomotives a 20-17 victory over the Florida Tuskers.
“It was a great effort, a great game,” said Fassel, who coached the New York Giants from 1997-2003 and led them to the Super Bowl after the 2000 season. “We waited for an opportunity, and we got it. If the fans don’t think this was good football, they don’t know what good football is.”
Las Vegas (5-2), which lost twice to the Tuskers during the regular season, became the first team to beat Florida (6-1) during the first-ever UFL overtime game in front of 14,801 fans at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Florida won the coin toss and had possession first in OT, but Brooks Bollinger was intercepted by Isaiah Trufant to set up Gano’s winning kick.
Bollinger was 22 of 45 for 306 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Michael Pittman caught six passes for 77 yards.
TENNIS
LONDON ó Top-ranked Roger Federer was eliminated from the ATP World Tour Finals on Saturday, losing to Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the semifinals.
It was the Russian’s first win over Federer in 13 matches.
Davydenko will face U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in Sunday’s final. The 21-year-old Argentine advanced by beating Robin Soderling 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (3).
PORTER TO MEMPHIS?
BATON ROUGE, La. ó An LSU official says Tigers assistant Larry Porter has accepted an offer to become the next head coach at Memphis.
Memphis officials have scheduled a news conference for Sunday. Memphis (2-10) completed its season with a 33-30 overtime loss against Tulsa on Friday. Coach Tommy West was fired earlier in the month, but finished out the season. He was 49-61 in nine seasons as Tigers coach.
GOLF
BRIGHTS GROVE, Ontario ó Mike Weir was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Saturday night at Huron Oaks, the course where the left-hander fell in love with the game.
“It’s special to do it here,” said Weir, the 2003 Masters champion.