COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC AND OKLAHOMA PROLONG REIGN ATOP TOP 25

No. 1 Southern California and no. 2 Oklahoma have been the top two teams in the Associated Press Top 25 since the preseason, a nine-poll run that is the longest to start a season in nine years.

There were few changes in the media poll yesterday with no movement among the first 11 teams. The Trojans and Sooners both improved on Saturday to 7-0 with blowout victories. The last time the preseason top two went deeper into a season unchanged was 1995, when Florida State was no.1 and Nebraska was no. 2 for the first 10 polls.

No. 4 Miami, which won at North Carolina State 45-31, was second in last week’s initial Bowl Championship Series standings, just slightly ahead of Oklahoma. The BCS standings will be released today, and much like the polls, not much change is expected in Week 2.

No. 5 Florida State, which needed a late field goal to edge Wake Forest on Saturday, has only a one-point lead in the AP poll over no. 6Wisconsin (8-0). The unbeaten Badgers got another solid defensive effort to beat Northwestern 24-12 and gained 25 points in the rankings, which could help them close the gap over the Seminoles in the BCS standings.

BASKETBALL

CRAWFORD LIFTS KNICKS OVER MAVERICKS

Jamal Crawford had 22 points to help the Knicks rout the Dallas Mavericks 102-86 in a preseason game last night.

Crawford, who has led the Knicks in scoring four times this preseason, scored seven points during New York’s 10-1 run to start the third quarter. He capped the third with two fast breaks on consecutive steals, dunking after the first and finding Penny Hardaway with a slick behind-the-head pass on the second, helping the Knicks take a 78-56 lead to the fourth quarter.

Hardaway added 14 points and Stephon Marbury had 13 points and eight assists for the Knicks. Jason Terry added 17 points and five rebounds for the Mavericks. Allan Houston sat out his sixth straight preseason game while resting his left knee.

SOCCER

MAN. UNITED ENDS ARSENAL’S UNBEATEN STREAK

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 73rd-minute penalty kick and Wayne Rooney’s injury-time goal gave Manchester United a 2-0 victory yesterday over league-leading Arsenal, ending the Gunners’ unbeaten league streak at 49 games and moving the Red Devils back into the league chase.

Arsenal’s previous defeat in a league game was a 3-2 loss to Leeds on May 4, 2003. No other English club has gone undefeated for so many league games since the Football League began in 1888.

GOLF

RYAN PALMER TAKES FUNAI CLASSIC

Ryan Palmer birdied four straight holes down the stretch and closed with a 10-under 62 yesterday to win the Funai Classic at Disney by three shots over Vijay Singh and Briny Baird. The 28-year-old Texan finished at 22-under 266 for his first PGA Tour victory.

STERNE WINS MADRID OPEN

Richard Sterne shot a 5-under 65 and rallied to win the $1.2 million Madrid Open by two shots yesterday, earning the 23-year-old South African his first European tour victory and playing rights on the continent for another year.

TENNIS

MOLIK UPSETS SHARAPOVA AT SWISSCOM CHALLENGE

Australia’s Alicia Molik beat Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 yesterday, snapping the Russian’s 12-match winning streak and capturing the Swisscom Challenge title. The 17-year-old Sharapova was looking for her third straight title, after winning in Seoul and Toyko. It was the third title of Molik’s career, including a victory at Stockholm in August.

SAFIN DEFEATS NALBANDIAN AT MADRID MASTERS

Marat Safin defeated David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 yesterday to win the $3 million Madrid Masters, moving closer to locking up a berth in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Houston next month. Safin earned $534,000 and captured 100 points, moving him ahead of Britain’s Tim Henman into sixth place in the battle for the eight spots in the Tennis Masters Cup. Nalbandian stayed in 10th place.

– Associated Press