Ex-Fitch standout enters portal

Iowa State defensive back Cam Smith put his name in the transfer portal.

He announced his decision Tuesday via a post on X.

A junior, the former Austintown Fitch standout made nine tackles, including a half tackle for loss, with half a sack in 11 games this season for the Cyclones. He appeared in 25 games for Iowa State, making 18 stops.

Smith has one year of eligibility remaining.

Iowa State DC Heacock retires

AMES, Iowa — Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has retired, ending a coaching career after four-plus decades.

He announced his decision on Tuesday.

Heacock, known for a 3-3-5 scheme with the Cyclones, was a finalist for the Broyles Award that recognizes college football’s top assistant coach in 2017 and was nominated for it from 2022-25.

He was a top assistant on Matt Campbell’s staff at Iowa State for 10 seasons and at Toledo for two seasons. Campbell left Iowa State earlier this month to lead Penn State’s program.

Heacock was 60-44 as coach at Youngstown State from 2001 to 2009, leading the second-tier college football program to the FCS semifinals in 2006 and earning conference coach of the year honors twice.

The 65-year-old Heacock, who is from Beloit, Ohio, started his coaching career in 1983 at Toledo as a graduate assistant. He later was a graduate assistant for the late Bo Schembechler at Michigan and defensive coordinator for Jim Tressel at Youngstown State.

WKU rallies past Southern Miss

NEW ORLEANS — Quarterback Maverick McIvor came off the bench to lead three second-half touchdown drives and Western Kentucky rallied to beat Southern Mississippi 27-16 on Tuesday night to win the New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome.

Head coach Tyson Helton has led the Hilltoppers (9-4) to a bowl game in seven straight seasons, winning five of them.

McIvor completed 12 of 19 passes for 199 yards with one interception and rushed for a season-high 48 yards and a score on eight carries. Matthew Henry had seven receptions for 126 yards. Jack Cannon kicked two field goals.

Braylon Braxton threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Tychaun Chapman in the first quarter and Creighton Wilbanks kicked two field goals in the second to help the Golden Eagles (7-6) take a 13-6 lead into halftime.

Southern Miss piled up 265 yards in the first half, while holding Western Kentucky to 84. The Hilltoppers outgained the Golden Eagles 338-112 after halftime.

Freshman quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. completed 9 of 20 passes for 65 yards with an interception for Western Kentucky before leaving right before halftime after taking a hard hit.

McIvor, who hadn’t played since starting the first seven games, led the second-half charge.

McIvor capped an eight-play drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to tie it 13-all midway through the third quarter before Wilbanks kicked a 41-yard field goal to put Southern Miss up 16-13 heading to the fourth.

McIvor had a 23-yard run to the Golden Eagles’ 1 and George Hart III plunged into the end zone two plays later for a 20-16 lead 7:48 remaining.

McIvor completed a 14-yard pass to Matthew Henry on third-and-11 and Marvis Parrish raced 54 yards for a score on the next play to set the final margin with 3:38 left. The Hilltoppers were successful on all eight third-down opportunities in the second half after going 1 for 9 in the first.

Braxton totaled 258 yards on 24-for-47 passing with an interception.

Nylander lifts Leafs over Pens

TORONTO — Max Domi scored the winner with 8:25 remaining to snap a 23-game goalless streak and added an assist to end the Toronto Maple Leafs’ three-game slide with a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Domi danced around Pittsburgh newcomer Brett Kulak for the deciding goal, a few hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence for the second time this season.

William Nylander scored twice and added two assists, and Matias Maccelli and Steven Lorentz also scored for Toronto. Bobby McMann added an empty-netter to give Toronto its third win this season against the Penguins.

Bryan Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, who lost nine of their last 10.

Nylander scored the icebreaker for his first in 11 games, midway through the first period. But Rust drew the Penguins even 44 seconds later, getting behind Nicolas Roy and Chris Tanev for a successful breakaway.

Tanev returned after a 23-game absence. He was stretchered off the ice after a collision on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia.

Toronto fired 31 shots on goal while the Penguins registered 32, with Joseph Woll picking up his sixth win in 11 starts. Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner has yet to win in three starts, with 12 goals against since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15.

A day after assistant coach Marc Savard was fired for steering the Maple Leafs to the NHL’s worst power play, Toronto went 0 for 2 against Pittsburgh. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde has been tasked with fixing the team’s power-play struggles.