COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WILLIAMS SHINES AS MEMPHIS TRIUMPHS IN MOTOR CITY BOWL DeAngelo Williams set an NCAA record with his 34th 100-yard rushing game and scored three touchdowns, leading Memphis to a 38-31 victory over Akron in the Motor City Bowl yesterday.Williams ran for 233 yards on 30 carries and finished his career with 6,021 yards rushing – trailing only Ron Dayne, Ricky Williams, and Tony Dorsett in Division I-A history – and an NCAA-record 7,568 all-purpose yards.

The Tigers (7-5) took a 21-point lead with 3:09 left, but needed to recover an onside kick with 55 seconds left to seal the win after Luke Getsy threw his fourth touchdown pass to cut the lead to seven points. Akron (7-6) made a good showing in its first Division I-A bowl game. Getsy was 34-for-59 for a Motor City Bowl-record 455 yards, and tied Chad Pennington’s mark for passing touchdowns in the bowl’s nine-year history.

FOOTBALL

GIANTS ADD LEWIS TO DEPLETED LINEBACKING CORPS The Giants shored up their injury-depleted linebacking corps yesterday by signing Kevin Lewis, who they cut last September after he started all 16 games for New York last season. The Giants, who have clinched at least a wild-card playoff spot, can wrap up the NFC East with a victory in Oakland on Saturday night. But they have been beset by injuries at linebacker the past few weeks, beginning with Antonio Pierce, the middle linebacker and heart of the defense.

Rookie free-agent Chase Blackburn, who replaced Pierce and returned an interception for a touchdown in a 35-20 loss in Washington on Saturday, sprained his neck later in that game. Outside linebacker Carlos Emmons also has been out with an injury to a pectoral muscle. Blackburn was placed on injured reserve on yesterday to make room for Lewis, who played mostly on special teams with the team from 2000-03. He started all 16 games at middle linebacker last season but was released in the final cut this year.

The Giants (10-5) already had signed 37-year-old Roman Phifer, a 15-year veteran, who played briefly in the Washington game. They had also worked out 35-year-old Jessie Armstead, who made the Pro Bowl five times with the Giants but has not played since 2003 with Washington.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

BLUE DEVILS HOLD TIGHT TO TOP SPOT Duke held the no. 1 spot it has occupied since the preseason rankings after a light week of games failed to produce changes yesterday at the top of the Associated Press’s men’s college basketball poll.

But there was some movement near the bottom of the rankings. Wisconsin came into the poll for the first time this season at no. 24, and West Virginia returned at no. 25 after a four-week absence. Wisconsin and West Virginia replaced Tennessee, which fell out after a one-week appearance, and Iowa, which fell out for the first time this season despite being on a three-game winning streak.

BASEBALL

MILLWOOD AGREES TO FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH TEXAS Free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood reached a preliminary agreement on a $60 million, five-year contract with Texas, giving the Rangers the legitimate no. 1 starter they have been seeking. Millwood had a 2.86 ERA to lead the American League last season, his only season for Cleveland. The right-hander, who turned 31 Saturday, rejected a salary arbitration offer from the Indians. Millwood, who also was sought by Boston, is 107-75 with a 3.76 ERA in nine major league seasons. He won at least 17 games in three of his six seasons with Atlanta (1997-2002) and was an All-Star in 1999.

Just hours before Millwood agreed to join the Rangers, starter Jason Johnson agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Indians. Johnson, a 32-year-old free agent, went 8-13 with a 4.55 ERA in a career-high 210 innings last season for Detroit.

– Associated Press