Top National Sports Stories: Trojans outlast Lions before Sooners coast…Wisconsin, Florida victorious…Rockets stay hot

UNDATED (AP) — Freshman Sam Darnold threw for five touchdowns and ninth-ranked Southern California won the highest-scoring game in Rose Bowl history by beating fifth-ranked Penn State, 52-49 on Matt Boermeester’s 46-yard field goal as time expired. The Trojans had just tied the game on Darnold’s final scoring pass before Leon McQuay III picked off Trace McSorley and returned it 32 yards to the Penn State 33 with 27 seconds left, setting up the game-winning kick. Oklahoma took the Sugar Bowl as Joe Mixon ran for two touchdowns and Baker Mayfield threw for 296 yards and two scores to lead the seventh-ranked Sooners to a 35-19 win over Auburn.

UNDATED (AP) — Eighth-ranked Wisconsin won the Cotton Bowl as Corey Clement and Dare Ogunbowale ran for TDs on the Badgers’ first two drives in a 24-16 victory over No. 13 Western Michigan. The Broncos were trying to complete a perfect season. Austin Appleby threw for 222 yards and two TDs as No. 20 Florida whipped No. 21 Iowa, 30-3 in the Outback Bowl.

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets earned their fifth straight win as Eric Gordon poured in 31 points and James Harden registered his ninth triple-double of the season in a 101-91 triumph against Washington. Harden had 23 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds but shot just 2-for-11 from 3-point range and committed six turnovers. The Rockets have won 16 of 18 since the start of December.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Blues were winners in the first NHL game to be played at Busch Stadium, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 in front of over 46,000 fans. The game was tied 1-1 until Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice in a 1:53 span of the third period. Patrick Berglund tied the game in the second period, and Alex Steen scored an empty-netter after collecting his 300th career assist and 500th point.

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (shuh-SHEF’-skee) will undergo back surgery this Friday and is expected to need about four weeks to recover. Jeff Capel (KAY’-pihl) will coach the team in place of Krzyzewski, who elected to have surgery to remove a herniated disk fragment after trying several treatment options. The winningest men’s coach in Division I history had four surgeries during the offseason to replace his left knee, repair his left ankle and fix a hernia.