Seahawks advance to playoffs for fourth straight year

The Seattle Seahawks headed into their last regular season match-up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a three-game losing streak and a playoff fate already sealed. Having little to play for exceptsome momentum before heading into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, the Seahawks played all their starters and defeated the Buccaneers 23-7 in one of Seattle's better games of the season.

The momentum-changing win came with a price, however, as the Seahawks — already without starting cornerback Marcus Trufant due to a high-ankle sprain — lost starter Kelly Herndon and backup corner Jimmy Williams in the game. Both did not return and will be out for Saturday's contest with the Dallas Cowboys at Qwest Field.

Rookie Kelly Jennings, who made his first career start against the Bucs on Sunday, will start alongside Jordan Babineaux against the Cowboys' talented receiving corps, which includes Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn. Owens finished the year with the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL and has been a Seahawk nemesis since the sharpie incident on Monday Night Football in 2002.

The Seahawks signed cornerback Pete Hunter and safety John Howell, a former Seahawk, on Tuesday.

Broncos' cornerback killed

Early Monday morning reports surfaced that cornerback Darrent Williams of the Denver Broncos was shot and killed while leaving a nightclub in Denver. It was a stunning and devastating loss for not only the Denver Broncos franchise but the entire NFL. Williams, in his second year, had been emerging as an elite young player at the position and a respectable person in the community.

Details as of Tuesday afternoon were still sketchy, but it seems Williams left a birthday party that was being thrown for Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin, and after a small verbal altercation outside the nightclub Williams left in his stretch Hummer limousine.

Some time later, an SUV pulled up alongside the limousine and riddled it with bullets, killing Williams and injuring two passengers. Police are looking for a white 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe with tinted windows.

A private memorial was held at the Broncos' headquarters on Wednesday, and a funeral will be held in Texas on Saturday

Boise state wins Fiesta Bowl; USC wins Rose

Amid the countless bowl games that occurred over the holidays, many on New Year's Day, two games were worth the wait.

Boise State defeated Oklahoma 43-42 in the last game of the day, meaning most of America missed it. The exciting game featured three ties and two lead changes in the last three minutes of the game, an overtime, and two trick plays including an improbable hook-and-ladder play that happened on 4th and 18 with seven seconds left to play in the fourth quarter and the Broncos down 35-28.

After tying the game, the Broncos went into overtime with the Sooners and fell behind 42-35 when Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson scored on the Sooners' first possession. Peterson finished the game with 77 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

The Broncos answered with Vinny Perretta's fourth-down touchdown pass to Derek Schouman. Instead of tying the game with the extra point, Boise State went for two and the win.

The next play culminated a classic BCS game and completed the Broncos' perfect 13-0 season. Quarterback Jared Zabransky took the snap, dropped back and faked a pass to the right flat, holing the ball behind his back in a Statue of Liberty play. This left running back Ian Johnson to take the ball and sprint untouched into the end zone.

Earlier in the day, USC dominated Michigan in the Rose Bowl with a final score of 32-18. Pete Carroll's team showcased its skills in a game featuring two teams that had hoped to be in the championship game up until the last week of the college football season.

Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett finished the game with 205 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions for the Trojans and left teammates and fans alike hoping for his return next season.

The 11-2 Trojans got better as the season went on, and by dominating a very competitive Michigan team they showed that their young team will be one to be reckoned with next season.

Reach reporter Anthony Dion at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.