better protection a priority following at its bye.SLOW STARTE

Willie Taggart has become known for rebuilding programs at Western Kentucky and South Florida. His next endeavor will be much more high profile, trying to turn around the struggling Oregon Ducks.Oregon announced Wednesday that it had hired Taggart to take over following a disappointing 4-8 season and the dismissal of coach Mark Helfrich.Taggart has been coach at USF for the past four seasons, guiding the team from a 2-10 record his first year to a 10-2 mark this year and a spot in the Birmingham Bowl.Before he arrived in Tampa he spent three seasons at his alma mater, Western Kentucky, inheriting a winless program that he turned around with back-to-back winning seasons.Willie places an emphasis on ensuring a positive student-athlete experience and on winning, and his previous stops have proven his success at both, Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in a statement. We have a very bright future under his leadership.A news conference to formally introduce Taggart was set for Thursday.Taggart, 40, is the first coach Oregon has hired from outside the program since 1976. The Ducks previous three coaches, Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly and Helfrich, were all assistants who were promoted.Taggart will also be the first black head football coach at Oregon. The length and terms of his contract with the Ducks were not immediately released.Oregon has a strong national presence and a proud recent history of playing among the nations elite, and I look forward to the challenge of upholding the excellence, Taggart said in a statement. I cant wait to get started.Taggart was 16-20 at Western Kentucky, taking over when it was first transitioning to FBS. He went 7-5 in his last two seasons with the Hilltoppers and then moved to USF, not far from where he grew up in Bradenton, Florida.It took two seasons and a change in offensive philosophy from more pro-style, West Coast schemes to a spread, but he now has the 25th-ranked Bulls rolling. They finished second in the American Athletic Conference East Division to Temple and will play South Carolina on Dec. 29 in the Birmingham Bowl.Wednesday was the second straight day the AAC has lost one of its best coaches, and the third the conference has lost since Thanksgiving weekend. Temples Matt Rhule was hired by Baylor on Monday and Tom Herman left Houston for Texas on Nov. 26.Taggart had support from former NFL player and broadcaster Tony Dungy, whose son Eric played at USF in 2014 after transferring from Oregon.Taggart served as running backs coach for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford from 2007-09 and is credited with helping to recruit Andrew Luck. Harbaugh had recruited Taggart, a quarterback, to play at Western Kentucky under father Jack Harbaugh from 1995-98.After taking over when Kelly left in 2013, Helfrich went 37-16 in his four seasons as head coach of the Ducks. He signed a contract extension in early 2015, and had an $11.6 million buyout.Just two seasons ago, Oregon went to the first College Football Playoff championship game, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota.But the Ducks struggled this season with a five-game losing streak -- the programs longest since 1996 -- and finished at the bottom of the Pac-12 North with just two conference wins.In a statement after his dismissal, Helfrich thanked his own family, the campus community, the fans, and his coaches and their families.Finally, to the players -- thank you, and I love you, he said. The future is bright for this young, talented team, and we will be supporting them and their new leadership.Mullens also reportedly interviewed Boise States Bryan Harsin and Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano before settling on Taggart. Kelly, now with the San Francisco 49ers, had said he was not interested in the job, as did former offensive coordinator Scott Frost, now at Central Florida.Taggart leaves USF with four seasons remaining on a five-year, $9 million contract. The deal he received last winter included a provision for a $1.7 million buyout.For the immediate future, Taggart will need to reach out to Oregons recruits. Defensive back Deommodore Lenoir and defensive end Langi Tuifua both previously withdrew verbal commitments. Offensive lineman John Vaka said he was no longer committed via Twitter on Tuesday.---AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo contributed to this report.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org Cheap Hydro Flask Water Bottle .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Cheap White Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Water Bottle . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.flaskwaterbottle.com/hydro-flask-32-oz-sale.html . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Hydro Flask 32 Oz Black . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Hydro Flask 24 Oz Standard Mouth . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. DENVER -- Even when the 4,500th second ticked off the clock on this spectacular Sunday night showdown, the Kansas City Chiefs werent sure they had won and the Denver Broncos wondered if theyd really lost.Cairo Santos 34-yard field goal hit the left upright and bounced through as the overtime period expired to give the Chiefs a 30-27 victory fueled by rookie Tyreek Hills trio of touchdowns -- on a reception, a rush and a return, something no one had done since Gale Sayers in 1965.The only way this game could end, NBC color analyst Cris Collinsworth declared. Holy smokes. I didnt know what had happened.With only one of the two officials raising his arms to signal the ball had gone through the uprights, the Chiefs hesitated as they ran onto the field to celebrate. The stadium was rocking as if it hadnt.I waited for everybody to rejoice, Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali said, because I didnt know if it went in.Neither did thousands of fans who wanted so much to believe the Chiefs had squandered their second chance. But Kansas Citys lucky bounce avoided the third tie in the NFL this season, something that hasnt happened since 1973 before the league introduced overtime.The winner followed a risky move by Broncos coach Gary Kubiak that backfired and left the Broncos (7-4) two games back of Oakland (9-2) in the AFC West and one behind the Chiefs (8-3).Kubiak sent his kicker out for a 62-yard try with 1:01 left. But Brandon McManus -- who has hit from 70 yards in training camp and was perfect in the playoffs during Denvers Super Bowl 50 surge -- came up way short and wide left on what would have been the longest game-winning field goal in NFL history.Its on me, Kubiak said, explaining he made the move because he had confidence in his kicker even with a new long snapper who joined the team on Friday. We didnt have any doubt that he could get the ball there. The thought process was on the other end: if we do punt, do we get the ball back?McManus was confident as he trotted out for the 62-yarder even after one of Thomas Gaffords snaps had skidded on the ground in regulation.Thats still well within my range. I just kind of hit the ground, McManus said. From that distance, everything kind of needs to be perfect just because of how far you are away. It didnt happen for me.Instead of having to go 80 yards or more, the Chiefs got the ball at the Denver 48 with one timeout and just over a minute remaining. The Chiefs reached the Denver 16 before Santos ended the showdown with one last bit of drama.Cairo, he kept us all in suspennse with that bank shot, or the chip shot, or whatever it is, Chiefs coach Andy Reid saidThe defending Super Bowl champs could find themselves fighting for a wild card now.ddddddddddddTonight was a terrible night, Von Miller said. But well be back.Added cornerback Chris Harris Jr.: We just got to get into the playoffs. I feel like if we get in the playoffs, we can be scary for anybody.Both teams kicked field goals on their opening possession of overtime, McManus from 44 yards and Santos from 37. Those followed Kansas Citys amazing tying drive in the final 3 minutes of regulation.Alex Smith threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hill and a 2-point conversion pass to tight end Demetrius Harris with 12 seconds left to tie it at 24.Hills third touchdown of the night capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included three defensive penalties, a fourth-and-10 conversion at the Broncos 3 and zero Kansas City timeouts.The Chiefs had burned their last two timeouts just before Trevor Siemians 76-yard touchdown toss to Bennie Fowler, who got behind cornerback Phillip Gaines with three minutes left that seemingly sealed Denvers win.Siemian threw for 368 yards and three TDs with no interceptions in his best game as a pro. But he was sacked five times as his O-line proved just as porous as it has all season even after the team made better protection a priority following at its bye.SLOW STARTER: The game turned into the white knuckler the NFL expected when it flexed the AFC West showdown to Sunday night rather than having the Patriots-Jets game in prime time as originally scheduled.But the first half was laborious -- Kansas City managed just 49 yards of offense but led 9-3 thanks to a safety and Hills 86-yard touchdown return on the ensuing free kick.Hill also had a 3-yard TD run for Kansas City.NO REGRETS: Miller said nobody in Denvers locker room will second-guess Kubiak for attempting the 62-yarder with McManus, who set an NFL record by going 10-for-10 in the playoffs last year.Im 100 percent behind Kube, Miller said. I wouldnt just play for the tie, either. B-Mac is the man.UP NEXTChiefs: K.C. continues its brutal road swing with a trip to Atlanta next weekend.Broncos: After the lone November home game, the Broncos travel to Jacksonville.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ' ' '