“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL
THURSDAY SCORES
HOMESTEAD.COM
| BISMARCK-HENNING (ILL.) TOURNAMENT | ||||
| PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY | 66 | IRVINGTON PREP | 53 | POOL |
| PHALEN ACADEMY | 82 | IRVINGTON PREP | 37 | POOL |
| PROVIDENCE CRISTO REY | 49 | MILFORD (ILL.) | 43 | POOL |
| CENTRAL CHRISTIAN TOURNAMENT | ||||
| CHRISTEL HOUSE | 86 | PURDUE POLY NORTH | 38 | R1 |
| NORTHSIDE HOMESCHOOL | 81 | CENTRAL CHRISTIAN | 40 | R1 |
| KIPP INDY LEGACY | 72 | HORIZON CHRISTIAN | 45 | R1 |
| INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL | 58 | INDIANAPOLIS HERRON | 33 | R1 |
| CHICAGO JULIAN (ILL.) TOURNAMENT | ||||
| HAMMOND SCIENCE & TECH | 47 | LEGAL PREP (ILL.) | 35 | CON |
| EMINENCE TOURNAMENT | ||||
| MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN | 68 | LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN | 53 | POOL B |
| RIVERTON PARKE | 63 | EMINENCE | 34 | POOL A |
| INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE | 67 | LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTIAN | 62 | POOL B |
| RIVERTON PARKE | 82 | SEVEN OAKS | 31 | POOL A |
| MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN | 58 | INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE | 55 | POOL B |
| EMINENCE | 62 | SEVEN OAKS | 19 | POOL A |
| HIGHLAND TOURNAMENT | ||||
| KANKAKEE VALLEY | 56 | BOONE GROVE | 51 | R1 |
| HIGHLAND | 54 | WHITING | 21 | R1 |
| BOONE GROVE | 64 | WHITING | 45 | CON |
| KANKAKEE VALLEY | 65 | HIGHLAND | 50 | SF |
| RICH TWP. (ILL.) TOURNAMENT | ||||
| HAMMOND NOLL | 69 | CORLISS (ILL.) | 27 | R1 |
| HILLCREST (ILL.) | 66 | HAMMOND MORTON | 43 | R1 |
| WABASH VALLEY TOURNAMENT | ||||
| SOUTH VERMILLION | 68 | CLOVERDALE | 56 | R1 |
| NORTHVIEW | 56 | EDGEWOOD | 55 | R1 |
| BLOOMFIELD | 76 | ROBINSON (ILL.) | 51 | R1 |
| LINTON | 53 | PARKE HERITAGE | 50 | R1 |
| TERRE HAUTE SOUTH | 57 | SHAKAMAK | 44 | R1 |
| WEST VIGO | 48 | CASEY-WESTFIELD (ILL.) | 43 | OT | R1 |
| TERRE HAUTE NORTH | 53 | SULLIVAN | 38 | R1 |
| GREENCASTLE | 45 | MARSHALL (ILL.) | 42 | R1 |
FRIDAY’S BEST HOLIDAY MATCH-UPS
@BATESVILLE TOURNEY
MT. VERNON 6-1 VS. BATESVILLE 3-3 10AM
RONCALLI 7-0 VS. COLUMBUS NORTH 5-1 12:00
CHAMPIONSHIP 6:00
@NOBLESVILLE
NOBLESVILLE 4-2 VS. BREBEUF 4-2 10:00
CROWN POINT 4-0 VS. GARY 21ST CENTURY 6-0 12:00
@HOMESTEAD
SB ST. JOSEPH 6-0 VS. HAMILTON SE 3-3 10:00
ZIONSVILLE 4-4 VS. PENN 4-1 10:00
ZIONSVILLE 4-4 VS. EAST CHICAGO 7-2 6:00
@KOKOMO
KOKOMO 5-2 VS. NEW HAVEN 4-3 11:00
PORTAGE 4-1 VS. PLAINFIELD 4-2 2:30
@NORTH CENTRAL
EVANSVILLE REITZ 5-0 VS. PIKE 4-2 5:00
SATURDAY
@NEW CASTLE
FISHERS 7-0 VS. WARSAW 6-0 11:00
GREENFIELD CENTRAL 6-1 VS. JEFFERSONVILLE 4-3 12:45
@SOUTHRIDGE
SOUTH RIPLEY 8-0 VS. ORLEANS 5-0 12:00
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| BISMARCK-HENNING (ILL.) TOURNAMENT | ||||
| WESTVILLE (ILL.) | 34 | ATTICA | 33 | |
| BENTON CENTRAL | 50 | BHRA (ILL.) | 23 | |
| SALT FORK (ILL.) | 59 | NORTH VERMILLION | 34 | |
| OAKWOOD (ILL.) | 47 | ATTICA | 39 | |
| BENTON CENTRAL | 54 | WESTVILLE (ILL.) | 14 | |
| NORTH VERMILLION | 54 | UNITY (ILL.) | 53 | |
| CENTRAL CHRISTIAN TOURNAMENT | ||||
| INDIANAPOLIS HERRON | 39 | CROSSPOINTE CHRISTIAN | 25 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN | 60 | KIPP INDY LEGACY | 16 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL | 49 | IRVINGTON PREP | 10 | |
| HAUSER TOURNAMENT | ||||
| HAUSER | 42 | GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN | 37 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) | 44 | COLUMBUS EAST | 32 | |
| NORTH DECATUR | 47 | PAOLI | 32 | |
| MADISON | 50 | SOUTH DECATUR | 37 | |
| LEBANON TOURNAMENT | ||||
| LEBANON | 48 | PERRY MERIDIAN | 22 | |
| LAFAYETTE JEFF | 53 | BLOOMINGTON NORTH | 48 | |
| GREENFIELD-CENTRAL | 51 | LOWELL | 16 | |
| EVANSVILLE NORTH | 55 | MOORESVILLE | 38 | |
| BLOOMINGTON NORTH | 60 | PERRY MERIDIAN | 43 | |
| LAFAYETTE JEFF | 43 | LEBANON | 31 | |
| PEORIA MANUAL (ILL.) CLASSIC | ||||
| LAKE CENTRAL | 44 | PEORIA MANUAL (ILL.) | 26 | |
| ROBINSON (ILL.) TOURNAMENT | ||||
| NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) | 49 | ALTAMONT (ILL.) | 30 | |
| STAUNTON (ILL.) | 58 | SULLIVAN | 57 | |
| OSWEGO (ILL.) | 64 | SHAKAMAK | 23 | |
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING
BOYS DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/
GIRLS DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/211_girls-dual-results/
BOYS TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/boys-tournament-results/
GIRLS TOURNAMENT RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/212_tournament-results-for-girls-events/
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NFL SCHEDULE/SCORES
THURSDAY DECEMBER 26
SEATTLE 6 CHICAGO 3
SATURDAY DECEMBER 28
LA CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND 1:00 NFL NETWORK
DENVER AT CINCINNATI 4:30 NFL NETWORK
ARIZONA AT LA RAMS 8:15 NFL NETWORK
SUNDAY DECEMBER 29
INDIANAPOLIS AT NY GIANTS 1:00 FOX
NY JETS AT BUFFALO 1:00 CBS
TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE 1:00 CBS
GREEN BAY AT MINNESOTA 4:25 FOX
LAS VEGAS AT NEW ORLEANS 1:00 FOX
CAROLINA AT TAMPA BAY 1:00 CBS
MIAMI AT CLEVLAND 4:05 CBS
DALLAS AT PHILADELPHIA 1:00 FOX
ATLANTA AT WASHINGTON 8:20 NBC
MONDAY DECEMBER 30
DETROIT AT SAN FRANCISCO 8:15 ESPN, ABC, ESPN+
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
TOLEDO 48 PITTSBURGH 46 6OT
KANSAS STATE 44 RUTGERS 41
ARKANSAS STATE 38 BOWLING GREEN 31
FRIDAY, DEC. 27
NAVY VS. OKLAHOMA (ARMED FORCES BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
GEORGIA TECH VS. VANDERBILT (BIRMINGHAM BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
ARKANSAS VS. TEXAS TECH (LIBERTY BOWL) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 21 SYRACUSE VS. WASHINGTON STATE (HOLIDAY BOWL) | 8 P.M. | FOX
USC VS. TEXAS A&M (LAS VEGAS BOWL) | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
UCONN VS. NORTH CAROLINA (FENWAY BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NEBRASKA (PINSTRIPE BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. LOUISIANA (NEW MEXICO BOWL) | 2:15 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 13 MIAMI (FLA.) VS. NO. 18 IOWA STATE (POP-TARTS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
COLORADO STATE VS. MIAMI (OHIO) (ARIZONA BOWL) | 4:30 P.M. | CW NETWORK
NC STATE VS. EAST CAROLINA (MILITARY BOWL) | 5:45 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 17 BYU VS. NO. 23 COLORADO (ALAMO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
NO. 22 ARMY VS. LOUISIANA TECH (INDEPENDENCE BOWL) | 9:15 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, DEC. 30
NO. 19 MISSOURI VS. IOWA (MUSIC CITY BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 31
NO. 11 ALABAMA VS. MICHIGAN (RELIAQUEST BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
LOUISVILLE VS. WASHINGTON (SUN BOWL) | 2 P.M. | CBS
NO. 15 SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NO. 20 ILLINOIS (CITRUS BOWL) | 3 P.M. | ABC
LSU VS. BAYLOR (TEXAS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 4 PENN STATE VS. NO. 9 BOISE STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — FIESTA BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1
NO. 3 TEXAS VS. NO. 12 ARIZONA STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — PEACH BOWL) | 1 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 1 OREGON VS. OHIO STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — ROSE BOWL) | 5 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 2 GEORGIA VS. NO. 5 NOTRE DAME (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — SUGAR BOWL) | 8:45 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 2
NO. 14 OLE MISS VS. DUKE (GATOR BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 3
NORTH TEXAS VS. TEXAS STATE (FIRST RESPONDER BOWL) | 4 P.M. | ESPN
MINNESOTA VS. VIRGINIA TECH (DUKE’S MAYO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, JAN. 4
LIBERTY VS. BUFFALO (BAHAMAS BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN2
SUNDAY, JAN. 5
NORTH CENTRAL (IL) VS. MOUNT UNION (STAGG BOWL FOR THE DIII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN HOUSTON) | TBA | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 6
MONTANA STATE VS. NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TEXAS) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — ORANGE BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — COTTON BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 20
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NBA SCORES
OKLAHOMA CITY 120 INDIANA 114
WASHINGTON 113 CHARLOTTE 110
MIAMI 89 ORLANDO 88
ATLANTA 141 CHICAGO 133
BROOKLYN 111 MILWAUKEE 105
HOUSTON 128 NEW ORLEANS 111
MEMPHIS 155 TORONTO 126
PORTLAND 122 UTAH 120
DETROIT 114 SACRAMENTO 113
NHL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES/HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
DOMINANT DEFENSIVE EFFORT SENDS SEAHAWKS PAST BEARS
Jason Myers kicked two field goals and Seattle’s defense did the rest as the Seahawks kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-3 victory against the host Chicago Bears on a rainy Thursday night at Soldier Field.
The Seahawks (9-7) pulled within a half-game of the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams (9-6). Seattle, which has already been eliminated from wild-card contention, is rooting for the Rams to lose to the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. That would set up a winner-take-all finale between the Seahawks and Rams next weekend at SoFi Stadium.
Seattle sacked Bears quarterback Caleb Williams seven times, allowed just 179 total yards and grabbed a game-clinching interception in the final seconds.
Myers kicked a 27-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive and added a 50-yarder with 21 seconds left in the first half to make it 6-3.
The Bears’ Cairo Santos booted a 42-yard field goal with 2:32 left in the second quarter to tie the score at 3-all.
The Seahawks were without starting running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle), who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day. Zach Charbonnet rushed for a game-high 57 yards on 15 carries in his place, and Kenny McIntosh added 46 yards on seven attempts.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, hobbled by a knee injury, completed 17 of 23 passes for 160 yards and didn’t commit a turnover.
The Bears (4-12) took their 10th consecutive loss, a streak that began when they allowed a Hail Mary on the last play in an 18-15 loss to the host Washington Commanders on Oct. 27.
Williams finished 16 of 28 for 122 yards and the one pick. D’Andre Swift rushed for 53 yards on 12 attempts, and DJ Moore made six catches for 54 yards.
It appeared Williams might lead the Bears to a late score, as he converted a pair of mid-range passes in the final 2:15.
Facing an all-out blitz, he hit Moore for 14 yards on fourth-and-5 from Chicago’s 35, then scrambled and found Rome Odunze between three defenders for a 15-yard gain on third-and-14.
Facing fourth-and-10 with 20 seconds left from Seattle’s 40, the Bears eschewed a potential tying 57-yard field-goal try, and Williams’ wobbly pass under pressure from Coby Bryant’s cornerback blitz was intercepted by Riq Woolen to seal the outcome.
The fans at Soldier Field got one chance to cheer late in the third quarter.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon dragged down Seattle tight end Pharaoh Brown after a 4-yard reception, got up with the ball and jogged 62 yards to the end zone with seemingly all the Seahawks thinking the play was over. Referee Scott Novak announced the call on the field was the ball came loose and raised his hands above his head to signal a touchdown, sending the fans into a frenzy, but a video review determined Gordon was down by contact after recovering the fumble.
REPORT: SIRIANNI, ERTZ HAD TO BE SEPARATED IN POSTGAME ALTERCATION
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz had to be separated after getting into a brief altercation following the Commanders’ 36-33 win last weekend.
During handshakes, Ertz took exception to a comment Sirianni made during about the tight end’s performance in the game, a source told The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Ertz began his career with the Eagles and played with the franchise for nine seasons.
Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro, also known as “Big Dom,” reportedly separated the two men and guided Sirianni back toward the locker room after the incident.
Sirianni and Ertz downplayed the interaction when questioned by reporters during their respective postgame media availabilities.
“We just exchanged holiday pleasantries,” Ertz said.
“We said ‘congrats’ to each other,” Sirianni answered when asked about the postgame moment.
Ertz recorded one catch on two targets for 12 yards after sustaining a concussion in Washington’s previous contest. The matchup marked the second time that the 34-year-old faced his former club as a member of the Commanders.
The three-time Pro Bowl pass-catcher spent six games with the Eagles during Sirianni’s first year as the team’s head coach. He was subsequently traded to the Arizona Cardinals.
The 43-year-old Sirianni appeared frustrated after the Eagles saw their 11-game win streak snapped at the hands of their NFC East rivals. Quarterback Jalen Hurts left the game and did not return after being evaluated for a concussion.
Sirianni came under fire for his trash talk earlier this season.
BROWNS PLACE DT SHELBY HARRIS (ELBOW) ON INJURED RESERVE
The Cleveland Browns placed starting defensive tackle Shelby Harris on injured reserve on Thursday because of an elbow issue.
The Browns (3-12) host the Miami Dolphins (7-8) on Sunday before completing their season against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who started last week’s 24-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and aggravated his calf injury, is expected to start against the Dolphins, offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said Thursday.
“As of right now, I would say Dorian’s healthy,” Dorsey said. “He’s going to be our starter for this week and we’re moving forward with that mindset.”
Thompson-Robinson, 25, was 20-of-34 passing for 157 yards and two interceptions. He replaced starter Jameis Winston (shoulder), with Bailey Zappe serving as his backup.
Cleveland selected Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He is 1-3 as a starter, with career totals of 95-of-180 passing for 697 yards, one touchdown and nine interceptions in 13 games.
Harris, who was injured during the 21-7 loss to Kansas City on Dec. 15, had started 13 of 14 games he played this season and totaled 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
The Oakland Raiders selected Harris in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. Harris, 33, has 326 career tackles, 27.5 sacks, 51 tackles for loss, 60 quarterback hits, one interception and five forced fumbles in parts of 10 seasons with the Raiders (2014-15), Denver Broncos (2017-21), Seattle Seahawks (2022) and Browns (2023-present).
The Browns signed wide receiver and return man James Proche II from the practice squad to the active roster on Thursday, and signed defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour to the practice squad.
Proche, 28, has three receptions on three targets for 21 yards in seven games this season. He also has returned 18 punts for 163 yards for a 9.1 average. A sixth-round draft pick by Baltimore in 2020, Proche has 28 career receptions for 299 yards in 60 games (one start) for the Ravens (2020-22) and Browns (2023-present).
Dwumfour, 26, was in training camp and spent time on the Browns’ practice squad this year. He played in 12 NFL games with the Houston Texans (2021-22) and San Francisco 49ers (2022) and has 13 total tackles.
REPORT: QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER TO UNRETIRE, REJOIN LIONS
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Detroit Lions, NFL Network reported Thursday.
Bridgewater, 32, appeared in one game (three snaps) for the Lions last season. He announced his retirement in February and spent the 2024 season coaching his alma mater Miami Northwestern High School to a Class 3A Florida state championship.
A first-round pick by Minnesota in 2014 and a Pro Bowl selection with the Vikings in 2015, Bridgewater also played for the New Orleans Saints (2018-19), Carolina Panthers (2020), Denver Broncos (2021) and Miami Dolphins (2022) before joining the Lions in 2023.
Bridgewater owns a 33-32 record as a starting quarterback, completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 15,120 yards with 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions in 79 games. He has also rushed for 844 yards and 11 scores.
He would provide experience and depth behind starter Jared Goff as the Lions (13-2) chase the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs. Hendon Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023, is Goff’s current backup.
Detroit visits San Francisco (6-9) on Monday night before ending the regular season with an NFC North showdown against the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in Week 18.
BUCCANEERS PLACE S CHRISTIAN IZIEN (PECTORAL) ON IR
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed starting safety Christian Izien on injured reserve Thursday, likely ending his season.
Izien, 24, sustained a pectoral injury during last Sunday’s 26-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.
The second-year player has 75 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble in 14 games (10 starts) this season.
Undrafted out of Rutgers in 2023, he tallied 65 tackles and two interceptions in 17 games (four starts) as a rookie.
He must sit out a minimum of four games, meaning the Bucs (8-7) would have to make the playoffs and win at least two postseason games for Izien to have a chance to return this season.
DOLPHINS WAIVING LB SHAQ BARRETT FROM RESERVE/RETIRED LIST
The Miami Dolphins are waiving two-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett from the reserve/retired list on Thursday, his agent confirmed to ESPN.
Barrett, 32, would be eligible to play again this season if he clears waivers and signs with another team. If another team claims him, however, the veteran linebacker would be ineligible to play the rest of this season.
“We appreciate the Dolphins giving Shaq this opportunity to continue his career in the NFL,” said Drew Rosenhaus, Barrett’s agent. “Hopefully he will pass through waivers and become a free agent so he can play again this season. He is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately.”
Barrett announced his retirement in July, four months after signing a one-year, $9 million deal with the Dolphins.
He had a change of heart and applied for reinstatement on Nov. 26, but Miami did not greenlight that opportunity.
Undrafted out of Colorado State in 2014, Barrett has played in 131 games (85 starts) across nine seasons with the Denver Broncos (2014-18) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-23). He won Super Bowls with both franchises and recorded 400 tackles (73 for loss), 59 sacks, 22 forced fumbles and three interceptions.
His best season came with the Buccaneers in 2019, when he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl. His 10-sack season in 2021 earned him another Pro Bowl nod.
EAGLES BRING IN QB IAN BOOK FOR VISIT WITH JALEN HURTS (CONCUSSION) AILING
With the quarterback position suddenly an uncertainty, the Philadelphia Eagles brought QB Ian Book in for a visit on Christmas Day.
Book, 26, has some familiarity with the organization. He was waived by the Eagles in August 2023 as they finalized their 53-man roster.
Starter Jalen Hurts is in the concussion protocol, and backup Kenny Pickett suffered an injury to his ribs last Sunday in a loss to the Washington Commanders.
Second-year player Tanner McKee is the team’s third quarterback.
Book was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Saints. The former Notre Dame star has played in just one NFL game, starting for New Orleans on Dec. 27, 2021, in a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
He also has spent time with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Eagles (12-3) are headed to the NFL playoffs and will host the Dallas Cowboys (7-8) on Sunday.
WITH QUESTION AT QB, EAGLES BID TO WRAP UP NFC EAST VS. COWBOYS
The Eagles are looking to clinch the NFC East title while completing a rare sweep of the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Philadelphia.
The Eagles (12-3) may have to play without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts, who sustained a concussion during last weekend’s 36-33 loss at Washington that snapped their team-record 10-game winning streak.
Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett suffered a rib injury against the Commanders, potentially putting Tanner McKee under center Sunday as Philadelphia tries to sweep Dallas for the first time since 2011.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys (7-8) are clicking with their own QB2 at the controls. Cooper Rush has guided Dallas to wins in four of the last five games, throwing nine touchdown passes and just one interception in that span.
The Cowboys are in the unfamiliar position of playing spoiler, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Two more wins would give Dallas its fourth straight winning season under fifth-year coach Mike McCarthy.
“It’s hard to win games in this league. It’s definitely an end goal just to have a winning season,” Cowboys right guard Brock Hoffman said. “… But definitely where we’ve been at on this journey, take it week by week, win these last two games, have a winning season, and it’s definitely a big boost going into next season.”
The Eagles cruised to a 34-6 win over the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, in the first meeting in Week 10, with Hurts throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for two scores. Rush finished with just 45 yards on 13-of-23 passing.
The Eagles did not practice on Christmas Day, so their injury report Wednesday was an estimation, but the team said Hurts would not have practiced and Pickett would have been a limited participant.
Pickett replaced a woozy Hurts in the first quarter against Washington and finished the drive with a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown.
“I thought it was so cool for our guys to have the confidence in (Pickett) to just hop in there and handle a third down, handle another completion, throw a third-down touchdown in the red zone,” Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said Tuesday. “I thought that was a really cool moment.”
A sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, McKee has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
“I feel like I’ve always been preparing to be the starter and preparing to play, and so my preparation is going to stay the same,” McKee said Tuesday. “And you know, I’m obviously excited for any opportunity that I do get, but we’re going to take it day by day for those guys.”
No matter who plays QB, the Eagles likely will lean heavily on Saquon Barkley. With a league-leading 1,838 rushing yards, he needs 268 in the last two games to break Eric Dickerson’s 1984 NFL single-season record of 2,105.
Philadelphia’s initial injury report Wednesday also included linebacker Nakobe Dean (abdomen) and running back Will Shipley (concussion) as non-participants. Wide receiver/return specialist Britain Covey (neck) and defensive end Bryce Huff (wrist) were full participants.
The Cowboys’ first injury report also was an estimation. Star wideout CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) and middle linebacker Eric Kendricks (calf) highlighted the list of non-participants. Receiver Jalen Tolbert (finger) was limited, while cornerback Jourdan Lewis (elbow) and defensive tackle Mazi Smith (back) were full participants.
TITANS, JAGUARS SEEK SPARK IN BATTLE OF STRUGGLING AFC SOUTH TEAMS
If the Tennessee Titans’ contest against the host Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday were a bowl game, some might term it the Tank Bowl.
In a matchup of 3-12 AFC South teams playing out the string of forgettable seasons, it could be argued that the loser will come out ahead in the long run. After all, that team would enhance its chances to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But competitive instincts and human nature being the powerful forces they are, both teams will try for a win that will — at least for a week — give them a little better feeling about the season.
Don’t believe that? Just look at Tennessee’s decision to start backup quarterback Mason Rudolph again instead of going with second-year pro Will Levis. In theory, Levis and the team would be better served with him taking snaps, since he could still be a good NFL quarterback if and when he quits making big mistakes.
But first-year coach Brian Callahan is going with Rudolph, who threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns in last Sunday’s 38-30 loss at Indianapolis. Rudolph also threw three interceptions, adding to the team’s NFL-high total of 32 turnovers.
“He’s got the ability to avoid the negative play when it comes to sacks,” Callahan said of Rudolph. “He gets the ball out. He knows where to go with it quickly.”
The Titans’ offensive line has permitted 47 sacks this season — 40 with Levis at the helm. Levis also has thrown 12 interceptions and lost two fumbles, while Rudolph has thrown eight picks and lost a fumble.
When the teams met on Dec. 8 in Nashville, Jacksonville notched a 10-6 win, holding Tennessee to 272 total yards and limiting Levis to 168 yards passing. It’s the Jaguars’ only road win of the season.
Jacksonville is coming off a 19-14 loss last week in Las Vegas, another three-win team. The defeat moved Jacksonville up to the projected No. 3 overall pick, according to tankathon.com. That’s one spot ahead of the Titans.
But Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, whose team could be without six projected offensive starters from the season’s beginning for this game, isn’t hunting for alibis.
“It’s just a tough situation to be in, but at the same time, listen, I’m not going to make excuses for it,” he said. “We are who we are. … We haven’t been consistent enough in our play on the field.”
The exception to that rule has been rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who is closing the season with a bang. Thomas has 27 catches for 323 yards the last three weeks, including nine for 132 and a touchdown against Las Vegas. He owns franchise rookie records for receptions (73), yards (1,088) and touchdowns (nine).
With Thomas cooking, backup quarterback Mac Jones has played solid football lately. He completed 25 of 39 passes for 247 yards last week. He has completed 65.4 percent of his passes, his best mark since his rookie year with New England in 2021.
Jacksonville offensive tackle Walker Little (ankle), linebacker Ventrell Miller (ankle), safety Darnell Savage (concussion) and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton (illness) did not participate in practice on Wednesday.
For the Titans, wide receiver Tyler Boyd (foot), kicker Nick Folk (abdomen), safety Amani Hooker (shoulder), offensive lineman Dillon Radunz (shoulder) and linebackers Kenneth Murray Jr. (wrist) and Otis Reese did not participate in Wednesday’s session.
CHASING PLAYOFF BERTH, BUCCANEERS TAKE ON PANTHERS
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done enough to stay in the chase for a postseason spot, but they can’t afford a slip-up.
The Carolina Panthers will try to knock an opponent out of playoff contention for the second week in a row when they visit the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon at Tampa, Fla.
“We understand where we are,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. “It’s great to be playing December football. We just have to take care of ourselves and look up at the end and see where we’re at.”
The Buccaneers (8-7) are tied with the Atlanta Falcons atop the NFC South, but even if Tampa Bay wins out, there’s no guarantee the team will claim the division because Atlanta owns the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series.
“We’re in playoff mode,” Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “We’ve got to take care of business or we have no shot.”
The Panthers (4-11) snapped a four-game losing streak by winning their home finale by defeating Arizona 36-30 in overtime last week. That outcome doused the Cardinals’ playoff prospects.
“It has been my hope all year to build a brand of football that we’re proud of,” first-year Carolina coach Dave Canales said.
Now it’s a chance for Canales to disrupt the plans of his former team. He was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator before taking the job with the Panthers.
The Buccaneers won the first meeting with the Panthers this season, 26-23 in overtime Dec. 1 in Charlotte. Carolina scored a go-ahead touchdown with 30 seconds left, but Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard field goal on the final play of regulation extended the game, and then McLaughlin’s 30-yarder in overtime won it.
Mayfield threw for 235 yards in that game, while Carolina quarterback Bryce Young passed for 298.
Tampa Bay lost 26-24 at Dallas last weekend, halting a four-game winning streak that included three lopsided victories. Mayfield’s 303 yards in the air against the Cowboys marked his most passing yards in a seven-game stretch.
For the Panthers, six of their last seven games have been decided by six points or fewer, with three of the games going to overtime.
“We got to make sure that our bodies are right for this weekend, especially going down to Tampa, where it’s going to be a little warmer down there,” Canales said.
Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard’s 152 rushing yards with two touchdowns, including the winner in overtime, provided highlights in the Arizona game. He’s up to 1,195 rushing yards for the season.
“Just the example of consistency, of hard work, Panthers football, our style, all that stuff, personified,” Canales said. “I know if Chuba was up here, he’d be giving all the love to the big boys up front.”
In the first game vs. Tampa Bay, Hubbard was limited to 43 yards rushing on 12 carries.
The Panthers have had a revised practice schedule this week. Offensive tackle Taylor Moton (knee) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (hip) have been nursing injuries and missed time early in the week.
Perhaps of bigger curiosity for the Panthers is the status of rookie receiver Xavier Legette (hip/wrist), who missed the Arizona game but hopes to play again by the season’s end. Canales said Legette was moving well earlier in the week, and the receiver was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice, so that is encouraging news for the team ahead of the Tampa Bay game.
The Buccaneers could have safety Jordan Whitehead (pectoral muscle) back on Sunday following a stint on injured reserve.
Tampa Bay will close the season next week at home against New Orleans, while the Panthers will have another chance to impact the divisional standings by finishing at Atlanta.
BILLS NOT SATISFIED WITH RECENT PLAY, AIM TO BE BETTER VS. JETS
The playoff-bound Buffalo Bills are far from satisfied.
It’s been four weeks since Buffalo punched its ticket to the postseason, but the Bills still have plenty of work to do as they prepare for a meeting with the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Buffalo (12-3) believes it has room for improvement on both sides of the ball after being tested by the 3-12 Patriots last week. Most of the Bills’ struggles came on the defensive end, as New England jumped out to a 14-0 lead and converted 7 of 12 third downs for the game.
A string of 24 consecutive points allowed Buffalo to escape with a 24-21 victory, but Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich wants to make sure New York (4-11) has a hard time extending drives.
“Certainly we’re not where we need to be or where we want to be, and we’re constantly looking to get that corrected,” Babich said of Buffalo’s third-down defense. “It’s a combination of us putting our players, and me specifically, putting the players in position to be successful and understand how they’re going to get attacked.”
The Bills are also hoping to get wide receiver Amari Cooper going. Acquired from the Cleveland Browns in October, Cooper has 17 receptions for 241 yards and one touchdown in seven games with Buffalo. He had just one catch for 10 yards against the Patriots.
“We’re better when Amari Cooper is out on the football field,” Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady said. “I got to do a better job of getting the ball in his hands, because he helps us.”
While Buffalo gears up for a playoff run, the Jets are trying to put a disappointing season to bed.
New York once had aspirations of winning the AFC East, dreams that the Bills shattered by running away with the division. A 19-9 setback against the Los Angeles Rams last weekend dropped the Jets to 1-5 over their past six games, but finishing strong is still important to linebacker Jamien Sherwood.
“There are only two weeks (remaining). There is no reason for anybody to be checked out,” Sherwood said. “You have two full weeks of football left and preparation and go out there and put your best tape on the line.
“In these final moments in seasons like this, it shows what type of person you are, what type of player you are.”
Any sense of optimism New York still holds took a bit of a hit earlier this week, though, as veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers noted that his future with the Jets is a big question mark.
While appearing on the “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, Rodgers joked about team owner Woody Johnson’s teenage sons, Brick and Jack, cutting him at season’s end. The Athletic had reported that Johnson takes advice from his kin, and Rodgers might not be in their plans for 2025.
“You should ask Woody,” Rodgers said Tuesday when asked if he thought Johnson wants to stick with the 41-year-old next season.
Rodgers is dealing with a knee injury but would have practiced in full on Wednesday had the Jets gotten a session in. Wide receiver Davante Adams (hip), offensive linemen Morgan Moses (knee) and Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) and cornerbacks Michael Carter II (back) and Sauce Gardner (hamstring) were among those who would have sat out.
Buffalo also didn’t practice on Wednesday, turning in an estimated injury report. Five Bills were listed as limited, including safety Damar Hamlin (rib) and linebacker Matt Milano (biceps, groin).
RAMS ON RISE ENTERING MATCHUP WITH HURTING CARDINALS
Riding a four-game winning streak, the Los Angeles Rams are playing some of their best football as they close in on a possible NFC West title.
The Rams will aim to maintain their impressive form Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif.
Los Angeles (9-6) is coming off a 19-9 road win over the New York Jets last week in freezing temperatures after trailing 9-6 entering the fourth quarter while being outgained by nearly 100 yards.
The Rams matched their largest margin of victory this season. They have won eight of 10 games since their bye week, when they were 1-4.
“You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” Los Angeles coach Sean McVay said this week about persevering through the early-season struggles. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship.
“Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.”
The Rams have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay. The franchise endured 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before McVay took over in 2017, when he was only 31 years old.
A productive running game led by Kyren Williams has provided support for quarterback Matthew Stafford during the Rams’ winning run in December.
Williams, a Pro Bowl selection last season, has a career-high 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 303 carries following his 122-yard game against New York.
Arizona (7-8), which has dropped four of its past five games, was eliminated from playoff contention with a 36-30 overtime loss to the host Carolina Panthers last week.
The Cardinals may have to play their last two games without running back James Conner, who came out in the third quarter last week with a knee injury after producing 117 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said on Monday that Conner wants to continue playing despite his injury and the Cardinals’ out-of-contention status.
“If they’re healthy enough to play, they’ll play,” Gannon said in general of his injured players. “We’re gonna play who we think gives us the best chance to win.”
Conner has never played a full season in his eight years in the NFL, missing at least one game due to injury each year.
He has a career-high 1,090 rushing yards. His 410 receiving yards are close to his career-high total of 497 set in 2018.
Right tackle Jonah Williams and left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. were both placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to knee ailments.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 202 yards with one touchdown and an interception in the loss at Carolina. Murray also rushed eight times for 63 yards and a TD.
Conner was his top receiver with 49 yards on four receptions.
Gannon plans to play Murray in the last two games. The Cardinals close with a home game with the San Francisco 49ers next week.
“He gives us the best chance to win,” Gannon said. “He’s gonna play.”
Arizona safety Joey Blount (ribs) and cornerback Elijah Jones (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, while Conner was limited.
For the Rams, right tackle Rob Havenstein (shoulder) was the only player on the Wednesday injury report. He was listed as limited in practice.
SAINTS, SMARTING FROM SHUTOUT LOSS, SEEK TURNAROUND VS. RAIDERS
The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t going to the playoffs. Neither are the New Orleans Saints.
When the two teams meet Sunday in New Orleans, it will be largely an audition for future employment for coaches and players on both teams.
Las Vegas (3-12) hired Antonio Pierce as head coach after the team had an encouraging 5-4 record during his stint as interim head coach last season. Still, the disappointing 2024 season leaves Pierce’s future in question.
New Orleans is 3-3 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who was promoted when Dennis Allen was fired after a seven-game losing streak this season.
The Raiders are expected to start second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who has shared that role with Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder. None has shown that he should be considered a centerpiece of the rebuild going forward.
Rizzi earned victories in his first two games in charge and three of the first four, but the team had by far its worst performance under him in a 34-0 road loss to the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
Former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who is in his second season in New Orleans, is trying to return from an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand. Rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler, who is 0-4 as a starter and played poorly against the Packers, is more likely to start Sunday.
Las Vegas ended a 10-game losing streak by beating the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars 19-14 last week.
“Guys are never going to quit,” Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said. “We hear about (draft picks) and all that, but we’re professionals. We do our best to win every play every day, and wherever the ball falls, it falls.”
The Raiders’ losing streak included games decided by five, seven, two and six points.
“It is so hard to win in this league,” Las Vegas running back Alexander Mattison said. “When you’re this close so many times … you just want to finish the season strong.”
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers needs 10 receiving yards to break Mike Ditka’s NFL rookie record for tight ends (1,076 yards in 1961).
New Orleans (5-10), meanwhile, is trying to avoid another poor start. The Saints allowed touchdowns on Green Bay’s first three possessions to fall behind 21-0 and never recovered.
“It was the first game where the score wasn’t very competitive,” said Rizzi, whose first two losses as interim head coach came by seven points and one point. “I saw a lot of great effort from guys. We just didn’t execute well. There was nothing that stuck out on film more than just the lack of execution and the lack of playmaking.”
Rattler, who relieved Jake Haener after a scoreless first half in a loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 15, had an interception and lost a fumble against the Packers.
“We’ve got to get rid of those negative plays — for any quarterback,” Rizzi said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re starting your fourth game or your 400th game.”
Both teams were off Wednesday so the players’ statuses were an estimate of what their level of participation would have been for a full practice. Guard Jordan Meredith was the lone Raider listed as a non-participant, while Carr was one of four Saints starters listed that way.
Rizzi said left guard Lucas Patrick (knee) would miss the last two games. Running back Alvin Kamara (groin) and center Erik McCoy (elbow) will be evaluated throughout the week. Wide receiver Chris Olave (head) missed the past six games, but he was listed as a full participant on Wednesday.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
DT KENNETH GRANT TO LEAVE MICHIGAN FOR NFL DRAFT
Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday after three seasons with the Wolverines.
The 6-foot-3, 339-pound junior was a third-team All-American and a second-team All-Big Ten selection this season. He had three sacks among his 32 total tackles over 12 games in 2024.
As a sophomore, Grant helped the Wolverines claim the national championship with 29 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks in 15 games.
“I am very appreciative to Coach (Jim) Harbaugh and coach (Sherrone) Moore and the rest of the University of Michigan staff that I have crossed paths with,” Grant posted on social media. “It has been an honor to be developed into a Michigan Man.”
Other Michigan players who intend to leave the program for the draft include defensive lineman Mason Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland.
ARKANSAS STATE OUTGUNS BOWLING GREEN TO TAKE 68 VENTURES BOWL
Jaylen Raynor completed 18 of 30 passes for 221 yards and two touchdown connections to Corey Rucker as Arkansas State fended off Bowling Green 38-31 to win the 68 Ventures Bowl on Thursday night in Mobile, Ala.
Rucker finished with four catches for 107 yards and Zak Wallace rushed 15 times for 99 yards and a score for the Red Wolves (8-5), who earned their first bowl win since 2019. Courtney Jackson returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.
Connor Bazelak went 32-for-49 passing for a season-high 390 yards and three touchdowns for Bowling Green (7-6), which lost a bowl game for the third year running.
Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. finished with career highs of 17 receptions and 213 yards with a touchdown, and he broke two major FBS records along the way.
Fannin set the single-season tight end records for receiving yards (previously held by Jace Amaro, 1,352 for Texas Tech in 2013) and receptions (previously James Casey, 111 for Rice in 2008). Fannin ended his season with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards.
Bowling Green trailed 24-21 at halftime and received the ball to start the second half. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Terion Stewart was stripped of the ball and Arkansas State’s Noah Collins recovered. Raynor threw his second touchdown to Rucker, this one from 6 yards out, for a 10-point Red Wolves lead.
The Falcons cut it to seven before the end of the third, but their next three drives ended in a turnover on downs, a missed field goal and a punt.
Arkansas State turned to Wallace to close the game. He gained 59 yards on six straight rushes, the final of which was a 14-yard touchdown with 3:10 to go.
Wallace’s insurance score was crucial, as Bowling Green scored late on Bazelak’s 23-yard pass to Rahkeem Smith (seven catches, 97 yards).
The Red Wolves held an early 10-0 lead after Jackson broke down the left side on his punt return TD less than seven minutes into the game.
Bowling Green got revenge on its second possession when it had backup QB Baron May disguise himself as the punter. May tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr.
Raynor’s 5-yard TD run put Arkansas State ahead 17-7. Bazelak responded with 6:46 left in the second quarter, hitting Jaison Patterson for an 8-yard score.
Raynor hit Rucker over the top for a 79-yard catch-and-run score, punctuating a 93-yard drive.
The Falcons drove to the 4-yard line, and Bazelak threw to the end zone with 1:36 left. His pass went in and out of a defender’s hands, and Fannin caught it as he fell to the ground.
K-STATE ADDS ANOTHER LATE COMEBACK TO BEAT RUTGERS IN RATE BOWL
Dylan Edwards ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns and added a third score receiving as Kansas State defeated Rutgers 44-41 in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz., on Thursday.
The Wildcats trailed by 17 points approaching the midpoint of the third quarter and won their fourth game this season when trailing in the fourth quarter.
Kansas State (9-4) had 542 yards of total offense. Avery Johnson was 15-of-30 passing for 195 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 57 yards and a score.
Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis finished 14 of 32 for 237 yards and a touchdown for Rutgers (7-6).
After opening with a punt, the Scarlet Knights scored on six straight possessions, capped by a touchdown the first time they had the ball in the second half. Kaliakmanis found Ja’shon Benjamin for a touchdown on a 7-yard screen pass to give Rutgers a 34-17 lead.
Following an exchange of punts, Edwards rushed 65 yards to trim the lead to 34-23.
On Rutgers’ next possession, Daniel Cobbs intercepted Kaliakmanis, and the Wildcats capitalized on 13-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Garrett Oakley, and the deficit was down to five at 34-29.
Late in the third, Rutgers took over at the Kansas State 18-yard line following Christian Dremel’s 67-yard punt return. Soon after, Antwan Raymond scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving Rutgers a 41-29 lead with 14:02 left.
Johnson then found Joe Jackson on a 9-yard touchdown pass to trim it the Wildcats’ deficit to 41-36.
After a three-and-out, Edwards ran for a 36-yard score, giving Kansas State its first lead since early in the second quarter. Johnson found Oakley for the two-point conversion and a 44-41 lead with 4:15 left.
The Wildcats then stopped Rutgers on fourth-and-7 at the Scarlet Knights’ 44-yard line with 1:55 left.
In the first half, Kansas State got a 29-yard Chris Tennant field goal.
The teams then traded 75-yard touchdown drives, as Raymond and Johnson scored on 2-yard runs. Rutgers settled for a 31-yard field goal from Jai Patel to tie the game.
Raymond had a 65-yard run to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Benjamin for a 17-10 lead with 9:31 left in the half.
Moments later, Johnson found Edwards on a screen for a 26-yard touchdown to tie the game. But Raymond raced untouched for a 24-yard touchdown to give Rutgers the lead.
Rutgers closed the half with Patel’s 48-yard field goal with 4:15 left in the half.
TOLEDO STORMS BACK TO WIN BOWL-RECORD 6OT THRILLER OVER PITT
DETROIT (AP) — Tucker Gleason ran for one overtime score and threw for four more as Toledo beat Pittsburgh 48-46 in a bowl-record six overtimes at the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field on Thursday.
The game surpassed the previous mark set 48 hours earlier when South Florida beat San Jose State 41-39 in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday.
Pitt freshman Julian Dugger, making his college debut, ran for two overtime scores and threw for two more, but his incomplete pass in the sixth overtime ended the game.
After Gleason and Dugger traded rushing touchdowns in the first overtime, each team got a field goal in the second. Each threw two-point passes in the third overtime, and Gleason got another in the fourth to make it 44-42.
Dugger was sacked, apparently ending the game, but the Rockets were called for holding. Dugger was ruled short on a sneak attempt, sending Toledo rushing onto the field for a second time, but replay ruled he crossed the plane.
In the fifth overtime, Dugger made it 46-44 with a scoring pass to Gavin Bartholomew, but Gleason tied it with his fifth scoring pass of the game. The sixth put Toledo back in front, and Dugger was pressured into a bad throw to end the game.
The Panthers played without starting quarterback Eli Holstein (leg) and backup Nate Yarnell (transfer portal). David Lynch, a redshirt freshman walk-on, started his first game but was pulled in the third quarter after throwing two interceptions.
Dugger led the Panthers to two touchdowns and a field goal on his first three drives, turning a 20-12 deficit into a 30-20 lead.
However, Toledo got their second pick-6 of the game when Darius Alexander returned Dugger’s interception 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 30-27 with 7:49 left and the Rockets kicked a tying field goal with 1:45 to play.
Toledo started quickly, driving for a Gleason touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive, but Kyle Louis blocked the extra point and returned it for Pitt’s first defensive two-point conversion since 1990.
Desmond Reid’s 3-yard run and Ben Sauls’ 57-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh a 12-6 lead, but Gleason’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Junior Vandeross III put the Rockets up 13-12 midway through the second quarter.
On the next play from scrimmage, Braden Awls picked off Lynch’s pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown and a 20-12 halftime lead.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
LARRANAGA STEPS DOWN AS MIAMI HEAD COACH
Miami head coach Jim Larranaga announced Thursday he’s stepping down after 14 seasons with the school.
Bill Courtney will be promoted from assistant to head coach for the remainder of the season.
“After more than fifty years in college coaching, it is simply time,” said Larranaga in a press release. “There is never a great moment to step away, but I owe it to our student-athletes, our staff and the University of Miami to make this move now when my heart is simply no longer in the game and I owe it to Liz, Jay, Jon, and my grandchildren to be a greater part of their lives.”
He continued: “The University needs a new leader of the program, one who is both adept at and embracing of the new world of intercollegiate athletics. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of the Hurricane Family and to represent this world-class institution. Most importantly, I have been so blessed to have coached the hundreds of young men who chose to wear the UM jersey and who have gone on to flourish in their respective journeys.”
Larranaga is the winningest coach in program history with a 274-174 record. He led the school to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including four trips to the Sweet 16, the Hurricanes’ first Elite Eight in 2022, and their first Final Four in 2023.
Things went downhill for Larranaga and his school after the 2023 run, as the Canes finished with a 15-17 record in 2023-24 and began this campaign at 4-8. They have lost 18 of their past 22 games dating back to last season.
The 75-year-old led Miami to two ACC regular-season titles in 2013 and 2023 and the programs first ACC Tournament title in 2013. He has also racked up personal honors during his illustrious career, including ACC Coach of the Year (2013, 2016), AP College Coach of the Year (2013), and Naismith College Coach of the Year (2013).
Larranaga was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
“It is hard to fully articulate just what Jim Larranaga has meant to the University of Miami,” said Miami president Joe Echevarria. “His contributions go well beyond the wins, the championships and the Final Four run in 2023. He has elevated our athletics program and increased the visibility of our institution by championing our educational mission.”
Larranaga has been coaching since 1971 when he took on an assistant role with Davidson. He also spent time at Virginia as an assistant before becoming head coach of Bowling Green in 1986. Prior to joining Miami, Larranaga coached George Mason for 14 years from 1997-2011.
He has totaled an impressive 740 wins in his coaching career.
NBA NEWS
PAT RILEY SAYS HEAT ARE NOT TRADING JIMMY BUTLER
Six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler isn’t going anywhere, Miami Heat team president Pat Riley announced Thursday.
“We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches,” Riley said in a statement. “Therefore, we will make it clear — We are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
Multiple media outlets have been reporting for weeks that Butler’s days are numbered in South Beach, where the 35-year-old veteran swingman has played since the 2019-20 season.
ESPN reported on Christmas that Butler was “ready for his exit” and preferred to be dealt before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The report also said the Heat had been listening to trade offers.
Butler is earning $49 million this season and has a $52 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, which he reportedly intends to decline to become a free agent in July.
Entering Thursday, Butler is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 20 games (all starts) this season while shooting a career-best 55.2 percent from the field.
Butler missed the Heat’s last two games with a stomach illness and is listed as doubtful for Thursday night’s game against the Orlando Magic.
Butler has career averages of 18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 834 games (729 starts) with the Chicago Bulls (2011-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18), Philadelphia 76ers (2018-19) and Heat. He was selected to the All-Star Game in 2015-18, 2020 and 2022.
HEAT SIGN G LEAGUE STANDOUT KESHAD JOHNSON
The Miami Heat announced the signing of NBA G League standout Keshad Johnson on Thursday.
The team converted his two-way contract to a standard two-year NBA deal. Terms were not disclosed.
Johnson, 23, has averaged 21.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in 13 starts for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate. The 6-foot-7 forward is shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from 3-point range.
Johnson, undrafted out of Arizona in 2024, has played in three games for the Heat and totaled two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.
BLAZERS COACH CHAUNCEY BILLUPS TO MISS 2 GAMES
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups will miss the next two games following the death of his grandmother.
The team confirmed that assistant Nate Bjorkgren will coach Thursday night’s home game against the Utah Jazz and Saturday’s home date with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Blazers (9-20) have lost two straight games and eight of their last nine.
Billups, 48, is in his fourth season as Portland’s head coach and owns an overall record of 90-185.
A five-time All-Star over 17 seasons as a player, Billups was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in October.
NBA ROUNDUP: HAWKS DIG OUT OF 21-POINT HOLE, OUTSCORE BULLS
Jalen Johnson scored a career-high 30 points, including the go-ahead basket late in the fourth quarter, to help the Atlanta Hawks erase a 21-point deficit and defeat the visiting Chicago Bulls 141-133 on Thursday.
Johnson scored 11 of Atlanta’s 50 points in the fourth quarter, and his basket with 2:44 remaining put the Hawks in the lead to stay. It was the highest-scoring fourth quarter for any NBA team this season.
Johnson shot 11-for-16 from the field and added 15 rebounds and four assists. Trae Young produced 27 points, 16 in the fourth quarter, and 13 assists. He hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 126-126 with 3:03 to go. De’Andre Hunter scored 25 off the Atlanta bench.
Chicago’s Zach LaVine scored a season-high 37 points, 22 in the third quarter, and dished seven assists. Reserve Jevon Carter scored a season-high 26, and Coby White amassed 23 points and nine assists.
Thunder 120, Pacers 114
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 45 points as Oklahoma City rallied past Indiana in Indianapolis for its ninth straight win.
Gilgeous-Alexander also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out eight assists for West-leading Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams contributed 20 points and Isaiah Hartenstein paired 11 points with 13 boards. Williams and Hartenstein each hit a pair of free throws to cap an 8-0 run that gave Oklahoma City a 111-107 lead with 1:39 to play.
Andrew Nembhard finished with 23 points as Indiana saw its five-game winning streak come to an end despite outshooting the Thunder 47.2 percent to 46.3 percent overall. Pascal Siakam had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Myles Turner finished with 12 and 11, respectively.
Grizzlies 155, Raptors 126
Jaren Jackson Jr. and rookie Zach Edey each posted 21-point double-doubles and Memphis set a franchise record for points in a game with a victory over visiting Toronto.
Memphis, the NBA’s top-scoring team, won for the seventh time in nine games while sending Toronto to its ninth loss in a row. Edey grabbed 16 rebounds while Jackson pulled down 11. Desmond Bane had 19 points, Jaylen Wells had 17 and Ja Morant added 15 points and nine assists.
Toronto, which fell to 1-14 on the road, was led by RJ Barrett, who finished with 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Scottie Barnes added 26 points and eight assists for the Raptors, who were outrebounded 63-40.
Heat 89, Magic 88
Tyler Herro drilled a 15-footer with 0.5 seconds left to send Miami, which blew a 17-point lead, past host Orlando.
Herro finished with a team-high 20 points and Alec Burks added 17 as the Heat got revenge on their in-state rivals after coughing up a 25-point lead in a 121-114 loss to the Magic on Saturday.
Orlando had the opportunity for a last shot, but Jalen Suggs’ long 3-point attempt rimmed out and was ruled to have come after the buzzer. Suggs finished with 29 points but was just 2-for-11 from 3-point range. Goga Bitadze added 10 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and three steals for the Magic.
Nets 111, Bucks 105
Cameron Johnson scored 29 points, Noah Clowney and Shake Milton added 20 apiece and visiting Brooklyn rallied to beat Milwaukee.
Brooklyn outscored the Bucks 35-23 in the fourth quarter and snapped a two-game skid. Milwaukee played without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who sat out because of a non-COVID illness. Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 21 points, while Brook Lopez made four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points.
Brooklyn moved ahead 109-102 when Keon Johnson converted a four-point play with 47.9 seconds left. Middleton responded with a 3-pointer with 41.3 seconds to play before Johnson made two free throws to seal the comeback win.
Rockets 128, Pelicans 111
Jalen Green scored 30 points, Cam Whitmore added 27 off the bench and visiting Houston never trailed in routing New Orleans.
Fred VanVleet netted 25 points and Alperen Sengun added 10 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Rockets, who won their fourth straight in a streak that began with a 133-113 blowout of the Pelicans a week earlier in Houston.
Trey Murphy III scored 21 points and Dejounte Murray and Brandon Boston had 17 each for the Pelicans, who lost their eighth consecutive game.
Wizards 113, Hornets 110
Jordan Poole hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds left and Washington rallied late to defeat visiting Charlotte after squandering a 21-point first-half lead.
Poole’s triple made it 112-110 before Charlotte’s Brandon Miller misfired from long range with six seconds to go. Washington’s Justin Champagnie rebounded and hit one of two free throws as the Wizards ended the game on a 13-4 run. Poole led the way with 25 points and Bilal Coulibaly added 20 as Washington, which has five wins this season, beat Charlotte for the second time.
The Hornets’ LaMelo Ball led all scorers with 31 points but was shut out in the fourth quarter. Miles Bridges had 22 points and 14 rebounds and Miller scored 18 for Charlotte, which has lost six straight and 14 of 15.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLTS FOOTBALL
COLTS QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON LISTED AS NON-PARTICIPANT IN FIRST PRACTICE REPORT OF WEEK 17
Quarterback Anthony Richardson was listed as a non-participant with back and foot injuries in the Colts’ first practice report of Week 17 Thursday.
Richardson started and finished the Colts’ 38-30 Week 16 win over the Tennessee Titans, completing seven of 11 passes for 131 yards with a touchdown and rushing nine times for a career-high 70 yards with a touchdown.
The Colts adjusted their practice schedule this week due to Christmas falling on a Wednesday. Players were given Christmas off, with their usual off day of Tuesday becoming the Colts’ first practice day of the week (the Colts held a walkthrough on Tuesday, but per NFL rules did not have to release an injury report until Wednesday). Richardson’s “did not practice” status was an estimation of if there were a practice.
The Colts return to their usual in-week practice schedule Friday.
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 114, THUNDER 120
The Pacers went toe-to-toe with the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana built a 15-point lead in the first quarter, took an eight-point lead into halftime, and even withstood multiple Thunder rallies to take a lead into the final minutes.
But Oklahoma City (24-5) finished the game with one last run, outscoring Indiana 17-7 over the final 3:21 to hand the Pacers (15-16) a 120-114 defeat. The loss snapped a season-high five-game win streak for the Pacers.
Andrew Nembhard led Indiana with a season-high 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in the loss. Pascal Siakam added 22 points and 10 rebounds while going 5-for-7 from 3-point range.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to victory, as the All-NBA guard tallied 45 points while going 15-for-22 from the field, 4-for-5 from 3-point range, and 11-for-11 from the free throw line, while also tallying seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and a steal.
The Pacers led 107-103 with under four minutes remaining on Thursday following back-to-back layups by Nembhard and Tyrese Haliburton. But a jumper from Gilgeous-Alexander and a Jalen Williams layup on the next two Thunder possessions tied the game with 2:32 to play.
Nembhard was whistled for an offensive foul on the ensuing possession, giving the ball back to Oklahoma City. Williams drove and drew a foul on Mathurin, sending him to the line with 2:04 remaining. The third-year guard made both foul shots to put the visitors in front.
Nembhard got a good look to tie it on the other end, but his shot went in and out. Isaiah Hartenstein then drew a foul on Siakam and made both free throws to make it a four-point game.
Mathurin attacked and drew a foul on Gilgeous-Alexander, then hit both free throws with 1:16 remaining to trim the Pacers’ deficit in half. But with the shot clock winding down, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a contested three over Mathurin on the other end. After Nembhard couldn’t get a three to fall on the other end, the Pacers were forced to play the foul game and Gilgeous-Alexander sealed the win for Oklahoma City at the charity stripe, hitting six free throws in the final minute.
“It was really make or miss going down the stretch,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “The three that (Gilgeous-Alexander) hit right up top was a hellacious shot. Mathurin was right in his face…That was the deciding shot. And we had a couple okay looks that didn’t go down.”
Myles Turner recorded a double-double in the loss, finishing with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks. Mathurin finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists. T.J. McConnell scored 13 points off the bench, while fellow reserve Jarace Walker added 12 points and five rebounds.
Williams had 20 points, four rebounds, and five assists for Oklahoma City. Dort added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Hartenstein tallied 11 points and 13 boards.
The Pacers got off to a tremendous start, scoring the first 10 points on Thursday. Siakam was red hot from 3-point range, knocking down three straight shots from beyond the arc.
On the other end, the Pacers were locking down the Thunder early. After Williams’ three with 8:22 remaining trimmed Indiana’s lead to 13-5, Oklahoma City made just one of their next 11 shots, managing just two points over the next five minutes of game time. The Pacers scored nine points in that span to stretch their lead to 15.
Second-year forward Jarace Walker provided the exclamation point on a strong opening quarter, throwing down a two-hand dunk in traffic in the closing seconds of the frame to give Indiana a 29-19 lead after one.
In the ensuing frame featured a series of runs. The Thunder used a 10-2 run to pull within five, only for the Pacers to counter with a 10-2 spurt of their own, capped by a Mathurin jumper that forced an Oklahoma City timeout. Out of the break, the visitors reeled off an 11-2 run over the next few minutes to trim Indiana’s lead to 46-42.
The two teams traded blows over the closing minutes of the first half, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring eight straight points for the Thunder and Nembhard converting three baskets for Indiana. In the end, the Blue & Gold took a 61-53 lead into the break.
After Nembhard scored the first points of the second half, the Thunder reeled off 11 unanswered points, briefly taking a 65-64 lead on Hartenstein’s jumper with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter. Siakam answered with a jumper on the other end and the hosts gradually built their lead back as high as eight points.
But the Thunder fought back with another run — this time a 14-2 spurt — to take an 83-79 into the final minute of the frame. Walker ended Indiana’s scoring drought by knocking down a jumper and a three on the Pacers’ final two possessions of the quarter, giving the Pacers an 84-83 lead entering the fourth quarter.
The first three minutes of the final frame featured two ties and four lead changes. The Pacers moved in front at the end of that stretch on another Walker jumper.
They remained in front until Williams converted a layup to tie the game at 100 with 5:45 to go. The Thunder took another brief lead on a three by Gilgeous-Alexander 24 seconds later, but Turner answered that at the other end with a triple of his own.
After Dort missed a three, Nembhard got to the lane for a go-ahead layup with 4:16 to play. But the Thunder would control the final few minutes of the contest to come away with the win.
The Pacers will travel to Boston to play the Celtics on Friday night on the second night of back-to-back. They face the defending champs again on Sunday before returning to host Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon in the annual New Year’s Eve matinee game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Inside the Numbers
Nembhard’s 23 points were a new season high, surpassing the 19 he scored last Thursday at Phoenix.
Siakam recorded his fifth double-double of the season and his third in his past four games.
Turner blocked five shots in a game for the third time this season. He now has 1,332 career blocks, moving him past Zydrunas Ilgauskas and into the 50th place in NBA history.
Haliburton scored just four points on 2-of-6 shooting, though he did dish out a team-high eight assists.
Indiana outrebounded the Thunder 51-45 overall and 11-9 on the offensive glass. The Pacers are now 8-4 on the season when outrebounding their opponent.
Oklahoma City outscored the Pacers 50-38 in points in the paint.
You Can Quote Me On That
“We won the boards and we had 11 turnovers. Those two numbers coming into it, you would have said those are going to give you a real chance. And they did. But the last two minutes, we got outscored 13-7. Sometimes games just get condensed into very short periods of time. They made some great plays and we didn’t make enough.” -Carlisle on the difference in the game
“They made more buckets than we did. I missed a couple easy ones. They just executed a little better.” -Nembhard on the difference down the stretch
“He’s a great player. There’s no doubt about that. He will be an MVP, maybe this year. I thought the stretch at the end of the first half where we really were just not organized where he was taking it right at us was a killer…It gave him juice and it probably gave their team juice, too.” -Carlisle on Gilgeous-Alexander
“His size, his physicality, his pace, his ability to make shots pretty much everywhere on the court makes him a tough guard.” -Nembhard on Gilgeous-Alexander
“A lot of it has to do with the matchups. Coming into this game, it was the kind of game where we really knew the best chance for us was to keep the game as random as possible, keep pace and movement in the game. And when you do that, it’s hard to gauge really where the ball goes. Ty only ended up with four points and six shots, but they committed Lu Dort to him and Lu Dort’s as good a best defender as there is in the league right now. That had a lot to do with it as well.” -Carlisle on Haliburton’s low number of shot attempts
“We’ve just got to keep playing the way we play, which is just go out there and try to get the best shot that we can. He’s always going to make the right decision. At the end of the day, we’ve got to set screens, we’ve got to move and create more confusion.” -Siakam on Haliburton being limited to six shots
“Myles is rebounding his butt off and he’s playing hard. I’m trying to go help him as much as I can. Benn is doing a good job. It’s got to be a five-man job. That’s an area we’ve got to get better at. We know how much better we are as a team if we do that because our defense is improving. We’ve just go to make the effort every single night.” -Siakam on the Pacers’ improved rebounding
“Jarace did some good things. I love the aggression that he’s showing right now. He’s been rebounding the ball. Now is a great opportunity that’s going to be presented to him with Obi (Toppin) probably missing some times.” -Carlisle on Walker’s contributions
Stat of the Night
The Thunder had just three turnovers on Thursday. It was only the fourth time in the last 40 years that a Pacers opponent has had three or less turnovers in a game.
Noteworthy
Pacers forward Obi Toppin sprained his left ankle late in the first quarter. He headed to the locker room before returning to the game in the second quarter, but was ruled out for the second half after his ankle continued to bother him.
Dort headed to the locker room after landing awkwardly on his left knee early in the first quarter, but returned and finished the game.
Actor and Indiana native Drew Powell was in attendance for Thursday’s game.
Up Next
The Pacers travel to Boston for the first of two straight games against Jayson Tatum and the Celtics on Friday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 PM ET.
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT CELTICS
A trio of games remain on the schedule for the Pacers before the new year, and up next for the Blue & Gold are a pair of road matchups against the defending NBA champions.
The Pacers (15-16) will kick off two straight games at TD Garden when they face the Boston Celtics (22-8) on Friday in Bean Town. Indiana will then play at Boston again on Sunday before the Pacers host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday in a New Year’s Eve matinee.
Indiana beat Boston 135-132 in overtime on Oct. 30 in their first of three regular season matchups. If the Pacers win Friday, they will claim their first regular season series against the Celtics since their 2013-2014 campaign.
The Pacers enter the game coming off a 120-114 loss against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Pacers, while the Thunder picked up a league-best ninth straight win.
So far this season, the Pacers are 2-3 on the second legs of back-to-backs, including a recent win at the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
Boston has played well to start the season, currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, but the Celtics have lost three of their last four games overall.
The Celtics enter Friday’s game coming off a 118-114 Christmas Day defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston made 20 3-pointers in the loss, as Jayson Tatum posted 32 points and 15 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown scored 23 points, and Derrick White added 21 points.
The duo of Tatum and Brown have continued to lead the Celtics this season, as Tatum is averaging 29.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, and Brown is putting up 23.8 points and 6.0 rebounds nightly.
Boston could be missing two starters on Friday as point guard Jrue Holiday didn’t play on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, and center Kristaps Porzingis played just 13 minutes against the Sixers due to left ankle soreness.
Porzingis didn’t play in the first meeting between the teams and Holiday had eight points and four assists in the initial matchup with Indiana.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Celtics: G – Derrick White, G – Jaylen Brown, F – Jayson Tatum, F – Al Horford, C – Kristaps Porzingis
Injury Report
Pacers: Obi Toppin – TBA (left ankle sprain), Aaron Nesmith – out (left ankle sprain), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon).
Sixers: Jrue Holiday – questionable (right shoulder impingement), Kristaps Porzingis – questionable (left ankle soreness)
Last Meeting
Oct. 30, 2024: In their first matchup since the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers outlasted the Celtics 135-132 in overtime at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers came out hot, scoring a season-best 67 first-half points to lead by 10 at intermission, before the Celtics overcame a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force extra time.
Tied at 132 with six seconds left in overtime, Pascal Siakam stepped up and buried a 3-pointer at the top of the arc over Boston’s Derrick White for the game-winner.
Seven Pacers scored in double figures, topped by a season-best 30 points and 11 rebounds from Bennedict Mathurin off the bench. Siakam was next for the Blue & Gold with 29 points and 11 boards, Tyrese Haliburton collected 17 points and 12 assists, and Obi Toppin finished with 18 points.
Indiana outshot Boston 48.1 to 40.4 percent, but Boston made 19 3-pointers to the Pacers’ 15 treys. The Pacers also outrebounded the Celtics 57-51.
Noteworthy
The Celtics shoot and have made more 3-pointers than any team in the NBA this season, making 18.4 threes per game while averaging 50.4 attempts.
Myles Turner is four blocks from passing Tyson Chandler for 49th most blocks in NBA history. Turner has 1,332 career blocks.
Tyrese Haliburton is one made 3-pointer away from passing Buddy Hield for the fifth-most threes made by a player in Pacers franchise history. Haliburton has made 505 3-pointers while playing for Indiana.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network/NBA TV – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO OPENS CONTINUOUS MVC PLAY AT PRESEASON FAVORITE BRADLEY
Valparaiso (7-5, 0-1 MVC)
at Bradley (10-2, 1-0 MVC)
Game No. 12 – Sunday, Dec. 29, 3 p.m. CT
Carver Arena (6,500) – Peoria, Ill.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will look to extend its winning streak to three on Sunday afternoon as the Beacons resume action after six days without a game due to the Christmas holiday. Valpo will open up the continuous portion of Missouri Valley Conference play and compete in its first Valley road game of the year with a tough test by visiting Bradley on Sunday at Carver Arena. The preseason favorite Braves are the highest rated Missouri Valley Conference team in KenPom (72) and the second-highest behind Drake in the NET (65). This will mark Valpo’s second league game of the season with both coming against the league’s top two teams in both KenPom and NET.
Last Time Out: The Beacons stuffed their stockings with plenty of treats, prancing by Calumet College of St. Joseph 107-57 on Sunday, Dec. 22 in the nonconference finale. Cooper Schwieger clinched a double-double with 7:27 remaining in the first half and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while All Wright recorded a double-double of his own with 10 points and 10 assists. The Beacons owned a 51-17 rebounding advantage and handed out 24 assists in the victory over the Crimson Wave.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Brian Bedo (play-by-play) and Kristof Kendrick or Matt McClain (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (14-30) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
Powell Back at Bradley: Peoria was the one Missouri Valley Conference destination that Valpo did not visit during head coach Roger Powell Jr.’s first season in charge of the program in 2023-24, so this will mark his first game as a head coach at Bradley, which was the site of the first ever college basketball game Powell attended as a child.
Series Notes: Valpo is 5-12 all-time against the Braves including an 86-61 setback at the ARC in the lone matchup last season. Bradley has won six straight showdowns since Valpo’s double-overtime victory on Jan. 28, 2021 (91-85). Valpo is seeking its first-ever win at Bradley, as the Beacons are 0-7 in Peoria with five of those matchups coming since joining the Missouri Valley Conference. Valpo’s seven losses at Bradley have come by an average of 23.6 points per game and five of the seven have come by 20+ points.
Points-Assists Double-Doubles
Freshman All Wright turned in a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists on Dec. 22 vs. CCSJ. This marked not only his first collegiate double-double, but according to Wright, it was his first double-double at any level.
Wright became just the sixth Valpo player to record a points-assists double-double in the last 20 years, joining Darius DeAveiro (Feb. 14, 2024 vs. UNI), Nick Edwards (Dec. 21, 2022 vs. Stonehill), Urule Igbavboa (Feb. 5, 2007 at Chicago State), Ron Howard (Jan. 24, 2005 vs. Oakland) and Seth Colclasure (Jan. 10, 2005 at Oakland).
Wright became the fifth freshman nationally with a points-assists double-double this season, joining Boogie Fland (Arkansas), Robert Wright III (Baylor), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois) and Egor Demin (BYU).
In the last 15 years, there have been only seven double-doubles recorded by Valpo freshmen. Wright joined a list that also includes Cooper Schwieger (twice last season), Javon Freeman-Liberty (2018-19), Jaume Sorolla (2016-17), Alec Peters (2013-14) and Michael Rogers (2007-08).
First-Half Double-Double
Valpo sophomore Cooper Schwieger clinched a double-double with 7:27 remaining in the first half of the Dec. 22 game vs. CCSJ. He finished the contest with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds.
The 13 rebounds were one shy of a season high set on Nov. 8 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor and his point total was one away from a season high, set on Nov. 21 vs. Lindenwood.
The double-double represented Schwieger’s third of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career. This marked the second time this season that he eclipsed 20 points.
Schwieger went 3-for-3 from 3 and 4-for-4 at the free-throw line, extending his run of made free throws to 12, as he went exactly 4-for-4 for the third straight game. He has scored at least 16 points in each of those three contests.
Schwieger, who also had three blocks, needed just 12:33 of total game time to clinch the double-double. This marked Valpo’s first first-half double-double since Alec Peters on Jan. 12, 2017 at Youngstown State.
By securing the double-double with 7:27 left in the first half, Schwieger notched Valpo’s earliest first half double-double in the last two decades, surpassing Dan Oppland at 5:03 of the first half on Feb. 8, 2006 vs. Niagara.
Successful Nonconference
Valpo closed out the nonconference portion of the schedule with a nonleague record of 7-4 (.636).
This marked the team’s best nonleague regular-season winning percentage in six years, since going 9-4 in 2017-18.
The seven nonconference wins matched the program’s full season win total from last season.
Other Notes Wrapping Up Dec. 22: Valpo 107, CCSJ 57
This victory marked the second time this season and just the eighth time in the last quarter of a century that Valpo enjoyed a 50-point margin of victory.
Five Beacons scored in double figures as Cooper Schwieger (21) and All Wright (10) were joined by Devon Ellis (16), Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (14) and Tyler Schmidt (10).
Ellis’ 16 points came on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting and marked his highest scoring output of the last nine games.
De La Cruz Monegro had his fourth straight game with at least 13 points and kept up his streak of scoring at least nine points in every game this season, doing so for the 12th straight contest.
Kaspar Sepp gobbled up 10 rebounds, his third double-figure performance on the glass this year.
Valpo hit a season-high 16 3-pointers, the team’s highest total since making 18 on Feb. 22, 2020. Prior to that, Valpo hadn’t produced 16 made 3s in a game since Dec. 15, 2007 vs. Chicago State. The program record is 19 on Feb. 6, 1989 vs. Butler.
The season of giving was on full display in the final game prior to Christmas, as Valpo handed out 24 assists, the squad’s second-highest total this year behind 28 vs. Concordia Ann Arbor.
Senior Darius DeAveiro had five points, five rebounds and five assists, moving his career assist total to 327, three shy of cracking the program’s all-time top 10.
The Beacons held a 51-17 rebounding advantage and outscored the Crimson Wave 14-2 on second-chance points.
The 107 points marked Valpo’s third-highest total in the last decade behind this season vs. Concordia Ann Arbor (111) and November 2018 vs. Concordia Chicago (121).
Scouting the Braves
The Braves are the preseason favorites to win the Missouri Valley Conference after hauling in 46 out of 49 first-place votes.
The Braves have won 10 straight home games including a 6-0 mark inside the Peoria Civic Center this season.
Bradley opened conference play on Dec. 3 with an 83-60 win over Southern Illinois. The Braves have won each of their last two, beating San Francisco (66-64) and Canisius (92-59).
Duke Dean was named the MVC Preseason Player of the Year, while Darius Hannah was also tabbed to the First Team and Zek Montgomery to the Second Team. Dean leads the team at 14.8 points per game, followed by Montgomery at 13.0 and Hannah at 12.0.
Bradley is under the direction of veteran head coach Brian Wardle.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
“SPORTS EXTRA”
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
21 – 20 – 11 – 9 – 13 – 45 – 7 – 15 – 11 – 99 – 8 – 19 – 66 –
December 27, 1956 – Number 21, Bill Sharman of the Boston Celtics ends NBA free throw streak of 55 games
December 27, 1960 – 1961 NFL Draft: Number 20, Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings
December 27, 1962 – 28th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Oregon State Quarterback, Number 11, Terry Baker
December 27, 1966 – Ballon d’Or: Manchester United midfielder Number 9, Bobby Charlton won the award for best European football player; claims award by a single point ahead of Benfica striker Number 13, Eusébio
December 27, 1974 – 40th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Ohio State running back Number 45, Archie Griffin
December 27, 1977 – Ballon d’Or: Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Danish forward Number 9, Allan Simonsen was named Europe’s best football player ahead of Hamburg forward Number 7, Kevin Keegan and Nancy midfielder Number 15, Michel Platini
December 27, 1978 – Ballon d’Or: Hamburg’s English forward Number 7, Kevin Keegan won his 1st of 2 consecutive trophies as best football player in Europe; beats Barcelona striker Number 9, Hans Krankl and Anderlecht winger Number 11, Rob Rensenbrink
December 27, 1979 – Los Angeles left wing Number 11, Charlie Simmer scored in a Kings’ 3-0 shutout of the Quebec Nordiques to extend his modern day NHL goal-scoring streak to 13 straight games (ends next game)
December 27, 1981 – Edmonton Oilers Number 99, Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 pts (38th game)
December 27, 1983 – Ballon d’Or: Juventus’ French midfielder Number 10, Michel Platini claims first of 3 trophies for Europe’s best football player ahead of Liverpool midfielder Number 7, Kenny Dalgleish and Vejle BK striker Number 9, Allan Simonsen
December 27, 1987 – Seattle Seahawks Number 80, Steve Largent sets all-time NFL record for career catches when he catches his 752nd pass
December 27, 1988 – Ballon d’Or: Milan 1-2-3; Dutch striker Number 9, Marco van Basten won his 1st of 3 best football player in Europe awards ahead of Number 10, Ruud Gullit and Number 8, Frank Rijkaard
December 27, 1999 – Number 19, Joe Sakic records his 1,000th career point, an assist against the St. Louis Blues
December 27, 2000 – Pittsburgh Penguins center and part-owner Number 66, Mario Lemieux scored a goal and 2 assists in his return to the NHL after more than 3 years out with injury problems and lingering cancer issues; Penguins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-0
December 27, 2017 – Number 10, Raheem Sterling scored to give Manchester City 1-0 win over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park; EPL record 18th consecutive win; streak ends with 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace 31/12
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 27, 1892 – Salisbury, North Carolina – Snow blanketed the front yard of Livingstone College. Hundreds of people from around the area were making the trek to the venue to witness what would become the first game that two black colleges would meet on the gridiron as Biddle University (now known as Johnson C. Smith University) traveled from Charlotte. The website Ourstate.com lets the story unfold, telling how the crowd had traveled from near and far on foot, by horse, and by wagon to watch a football game and to see history unfold. The teams played two 45 minute halves and wore hand made uniforms produced by women studying in Livingstone’s industrial department, and players from both sides raised the funds for a regulation-size football. In the game a very controversial play occurred when a Livingstone player picked up a fumble and raced for the tying score. That fumble recovery was ruled out of bounds, and so Biddle hung on to defeat Livingstone 5-0 in this monumental college football game.
December 27, 1942 – Shibe Park, Philadelphia -According to the NWW2M.com the way that NFL All-Star games worked for a five year period was that the NFL Champs would face a team of hand-picked League All-stars a couple weeks after the Title Game. Back in the December 13 edition of this series we talked about the Washington Redskins winning the Big game in an upset of the Chicago Bears 14-6 at Griffith Park in D.C. . Tradition would hold the 5th and final NFL All Star Game in this format would play out as Washington faced a team of All-Stars coached by the Bears staff led by Hunk Anderson. The NFL stars included Bullet Bill Dudley of Pittsburgh at halfback, Bears quarterback Sid Luckman with Eagles signal caller Tommy Thompson, and the line play of Bruiser Kinard and Bulldog Turner. The makeshift NFL All-Stars squad overcame the champs that day as the Washington Redskins fell 14-17.
December 27, 1953 – Briggs Stadium, Detroit – The 1953 National Football League Championship had the previous year’s Champion Detroit Lions at home to face the contending Cleveland Browns. According to a Pro Football Hall of Fame story this one had some game ending drama to it. Legendary Lions QB Bobby Layne had been hearing from his substitute Tight End Jim Doran all game that he could get downfield past the Browns defender that had been assigned to him all day. Starting End Leon Hart had left the game with a knee injury earlier so Doran was pulled from the defensive side of the ball to fill in. The Lions were down by 6 with a few seconds more than two minutes remaining in the contest. The wiley old signal caller finally decided to play his wild card in this poker game on the gridiron he and the Cleveland defenders had been dabbling in that afternoon. “Can you still beat that feller?” Layne asked bluntly to Doran in the huddle per the article. You just know that Jimmy D. eyeballed him back and gave him words of conformation! The DB on Doran that day was Warren Lahr and the two opponents had been going at it all day. Doran was now licking his chops as he finally had his quarterback’s focus on the advantage he felt he could get over Lahr. Then it happened a crucial 3rd and long and Layne took the snap and completed an 18 yard strike to Doran to get past the lead stick. A few plays later it was Layne to Jim Doran again for the touchdown! After the extra point was nailed, the Detroit Lions held on and beat the Cleveland Browns, 17-16 to retain the title!
December 27, 1959 – Memorial Stadium, Baltimore – National Football League Championship game had the same billing as the watershed 1958 Title contest as the New York Giants faced the Baltimore Colts. There were more than a few changes though from the previous year that the Golden Rankings website describes. The Giants had lost Vince Lombardi as their offensive strategist when he left to coach the Packers. The League had record setting attendance during the 1959 season directly attributed to the overtime 1958 Championship between these two teams. A tragedy struck the NFL when on October 11, 1959 Commissioner Bert Bell suffered a heart attack while at the Steelers versus Eagles game and passed away. The former treasurer Austin Gunsel stepped up to lead the League but there were some very big shoes to fill. The American Football Database fills in some details about the game itself stating that after 3 field goals by Giants kicker Pat Summerall, New York was up 9-7 going into the fourth quarter. In the final stanza though Baltimore came to life as Johnny Unitas ran in a touchdown and threw for another while the Colts defense scored on a pick six to bury the Giants. The Baltimore Colts came from behind to register a convincing 31-16 victory over the New York Giants.
December 27, 1960 – Running Back Tommy Mason from the University of Tulane was the first pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL Draft. The Football Database website reports that also picked in this draft were future Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, Jimmy Johnson, Herb Adderley, Bob Lilly, Fran Tarkenton, Billy Shaw and Deacon Jones. Not a bad class of college players turning professional at all.
December 27, 1962 – 28th Heisman Trophy Award went to Quarterback Terry Baker from Oregon State. The Senior signal caller according to Heisman.com was the first player from Oregon State to win the coveted prize. Baker was a dual threat on offense as he tossed for 1723 yards and 15 scores in 1962 while he also churned out 9 TDs and 538 yards on the ground.
December 27, 1964 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – The 1964 National Football League Championship game had the Baltimore Colts pitted against the Cleveland Browns. Hall of Famer Jim Brown rushed for 114 yards in the game for Cleveland but the scoring came on three Frank Ryan to Gary Collins pass plates and a few kicks by Lou Groza as the Cleveland Browns blanked the Baltimore Colts, 27-0 per the Pro-Football-Reference.com website. Onthisday.com states that the victory was the last championship win by a major-league pro sports team from Cleveland until in 2016 when the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers captured the crown.
December 27, 1971 – The first Fiesta Bowl is played as #8 Arizona State University’s Sun Devils defeated the Florida State Seminoles, 45-38 per the OnthisDay.com website.
December 27, 1974 – 40th Heisman Trophy Award went to Archie Griffin, the running back of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Heisman’s official website states that even though Griffin was considered smallish for a Division I back at 5’-9” and a mere 180 pounds he was a consistent and truly explosive runner. The Junior ran for 1620 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to an impressive 10-1 record that ranked them 3rd in the nation. If you remember back to our December 6 Football History Headlines post we learned that as a Senior Archie Griffin became the only player in history to win back to back Heismans. For his regular season college career Griffin pounded out 5177 yards to rank fifth in the annals of collegiate rushers but his 31 games of 100 yards or more is at the top of the list in NCAA history.
December 27, 1987 – Arrowhead Stadium – Steve Largent sets all-time NFL record for career catches when he catches his 752nd pass. Seahawks.com shares with us that the previous record of 750 by Charlie Joiner was broken when Largent caught 6 balls for 95 yards and a TD in a 41-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
December 27, 1991 – OnthisDay.com reports that the Brown family, owners of the Cincinnati Bengals, hired Dave Shula, the son of legendary Coach Don Shula, as their new head coach. The younger Shula then became the youngest NFL coach in history at the ripe age of 32.
December 27, 2003 – Week 17 (Dec 27 & 28) of the 2003 season is played and an NFL record paid attendance of 1,106,108 for the 16 games played for one weekend.
HALL OF FAME BIRTHDAY FOR DECEMBER 27
December 27, 1947 – Seminole, Texas – The tackle from the University of Texas Bob McKay was born. The NFF says that the Longhorns with the help of McKay won the 1969 National Championship as Bob became a consensus All-American in the process with his great blocking. During his college career Texas averaged 363 yards rushing per game which was tops in the FBS in that same span of seasons. The National Football Foundation selected Bob McKay to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017. After graduation Bob McKay was picked by the Cleveland Browns at the 1970 NFL Draft, 21st overall and spent nine seasons as a pro with the Browns and New England Patriots.
December 27, 1959 – Birmingham, Alabama – Andre Tippett the great linebacker from Ellsworth Junior College and Iowa celebrated his birth. Andre was a beast and terrorized members of the offensive backfield on a regular basis earning him to become a consensus All-America selection in 1981. The National Football Foundation voters inducted Andre Tippett into their College football Hall of Fame in 2021.The New England Patriots used a second round pick to land Tippett in the 1982 NFL Draft and what an outstanding choice that was. According to his bio on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website, Andre in 1985 led the NFL with 16-½ sacks, became the AFC Defensive Player of the Year and played in the Super Bowl. For his career Tippett registered 100 quarterback sacks in 150 games played. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Andre Tippett in 2008.
December 27, 1979 – Fresno, California – Carson Palmer the quarterback from Southern Cal was born. The National Football Foundation voters inducted Carson Palmer into their College football Hall of Fame in 2021.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Dec. 27
1953 — The Detroit Lions edge the Cleveland Browns 17-16 for the NFL championship. Doak Walker’s extra point, following a 33-yard scoring pass, is the difference.
1959 — The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 31-16 in the NFL championship. Three field goals by Pat Summerall give the Giants a 9-7 lead after three periods, but Baltimore’s defensive backfield makes three interceptions that result in scores.
1964 — The Cleveland Browns break out after a scoreless first half with 17 points in the third quarter and go on to beat the Baltimore Colts 27-0 for the NFL title.
1974 — Ohio State junior running back Archie Griffin wins the Heisman Trophy.
1981 — Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 point in a season (his 38th game), with 4 goals and an assist in 10-3 win over visiting Los Angeles Kings.
1987 — Steve Largent of the Seattle Seahawks becomes the NFL’s all-time reception leader in the Seahawks’ 41-20 loss to Kansas City. Largent’s six catches gives him 752, surpassing the 750 by San Diego’s Charlie Joiner. Gayle Sierens announcing the game for NBC becomes the first female play-by-play announcer in NFL history.
1999 — Joe Sakic scores his 1,000th career point on a second-period assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.
2000 — Mario Lemieux makes a remarkable comeback after 3½ years of retirement, scoring a goal and assisting on two others — one on his first pass on his first shift, no less — as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-0.
2005 — Rudy Carpenter passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns as Arizona State holds off Rutgers for a wild 45-40 victory in the Insight Bowl. The teams combine for 1,210 yards, a record for any bowl game.
2008 — Pat White, the most prolific running quarterback in college football history, has the best passing game of his career to lead West Virginia to a 31-30 victory over North Carolina in the Meineke Bowl. The senior is voted MVP of a bowl for the third straight year and finishes 4-0 in postseason games, the first quarterback to do so.
2010 — Niklas Kronwall scores the game-winner with 1:18 remaining in overtime and Chris Osgood stops a season-high 46 shots in the Detroit Red Wings’ 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche to become the 10th goalie in NHL history to reach 400 wins.
2015 — Carolina’s bid for an undefeated season ends when Julio Jones’ dramatic 70-yard touchdown reception powered the Atlanta Falcons to a 20-13 victory over Cam Newton and the 14-1 Panthers.
2015 — Kansas City beat Cleveland 17-13 for its ninth consecutive victory and clinches a playoff spot when Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore. The Chiefs and 1986 Jets are the only teams in NFL history with a nine-game win streak and five-game losing streak in the same season.
2017 – Raheem Sterling scores to give Manchester City 1-0 win over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park; EPL record 18th consecutive win; streak ends with 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace 31/12.
2022 — Luka Dončić becomes the first player to register a 60-21-10 triple-double in NBA history as the Dallas Mavericks beat the NY Knicks, 126-121; first 60-point game in Mavs franchise history.
Dec. 28
1944 — Maurice Richard has five goals and three assists to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 9-1 rout of the Detroit Red Wings.
1947 — The Chicago Cardinals behind Elmer Angsman’s two 70-yard scores and Charlie Trippi’s 44-yard TD run and 75-yard punt return beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 for the NFL title on a frozen Comiskey Park field.
1952 — Doak Walker’s 67-yard third-quarter touchdown run leads the Detroit Lions to a 17-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns for the NFL championship.
1954 — Tony Trabert and Vic Seixas give the United States a 3-2 victory over Australia for the Davis Cup.
1958 — The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime to win the NFL championship at Yankee Stadium. Quarterback Johnny Unitas takes the Colts 80 yards in 13 plays, the last a one-yard carry by Alan Ameche at 8:15 of sudden death overtime. The regulation game ends 17-17 when Baltimore’s Steve Myhra kicks a 20-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the game. The game is widely known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” With a national television audience watching, this game is believed to have made the NFL a challenger to baseball as the national pastime.
1968 — Arthur Ashe leads the United States to its first Davis Cup title since 1963 with a 4-1 victory over Australia.
1975 — The Dallas Cowboys beat the Minnesota Viking 17-14 on Roger Staubach’s desperate 50-yard pass to Drew Pearson in the final minute of an NFC Divisional playoff game. Staubach connects with Pearson down the right sideline with 24 seconds remaining after the Cowboys had second-and-10 with no timeouts left. Staubach later tells reporters he got knocked down on the play, closed his eyes and said a Hail Mary. The term “Hail Mary” is born.
1988 — Division II Alaska-Anchorage, behind Michael Johnson’s 20 points, pulls the biggest surprise of the college basketball season by stunning No. 2 Michigan 70-66 in the opening round of the Utah Classic.
2000 — Robby Portalatin becomes the fourth bowler to roll a 900 series according to the American Bowling Congress. Portalatin, a 28-year-old worker for an auto parts company, accomplishes the feat at Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich.
2003 — Jamal Lewis becomes the fifth player in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season. He gained 114 yards on 27 carries in Baltimore’s 13-10 overtime victory against Pittsburgh, finishing the year with 2,066 yards — second-most in NFL history.
2003 — San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for a career-high 243 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Oakland. Tomlinson also becomes the first halfback in NFL history to catch 100 passes.
2008 — The Detroit Lions lose to the Green Bay Packers 31-21, making them the first team to go winless through a 16-game season.
2008 — The New England Patriots become the NFL’s first team with an 11-5 record to miss the playoffs since Denver in 1985 and the first since the NFL expanded to six playoff teams per conference in 1990.
2008 — The Cleveland Browns lose to Pittsburgh 31-0, setting an NFL record by failing to score a touchdown for six straight games.
2015 — Keenan Reynolds wraps up his record-setting college career at Navy in spectacular fashion, running for three touchdowns and throwing for another to lead the Midshipmen past Pittsburgh 44-28 in the Military Bowl. Navy (11-2) sets a record for wins in a season and Reynolds finishes as the NCAA career leader with 88 touchdowns and 530 points. His 4,559 yards rushing are the most by a quarterback in NCAA history.
2018 – UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes of Brazil moves up in weight and KOs dominant featherweight Cris “Cyborg” Justino just 51 seconds into the opening round at the Forum, Inglewood, CA; first female to win UFC titles in multiple weight classes
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Dec. 29
1926 — Merlyn Phillips of the Montreal Maroons scores five seconds into the game at Chicago for an NHL record for the fastest goal from the start of a game. The Black Hawks win the game in overtime, 5-4. It would be matched three times.
1934 — The first college basketball doubleheader is played at New York’s Madison Square Garden. NYU beats Notre Dame 25-18 and Westminster defeats St. John’s 37-33.
1957 — Tobin Rote passes for four touchdowns and scores another to give the Detroit Lions a 59-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game.
1961 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 60 points against the Los Angeles Lakers at Hershey, Pa., the future site of his 100-point game.
1963 — Chuck McKinley and Dennis Ralston give the United States a 3-2 victory over Australia for the Davis Cup title.
1968 — The Baltimore Colts shut out the Browns 34-0 to win the NFL championship at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
1968 — The New York Jets beat the Oakland Raiders 27-23 in the AFL championship game.
1979 — Safety Vernon Perry sets an NFL playoff record with four interceptions to lead the Houston Oilers to a 17-14 victory over the San Diego Chargers.
1982 — Alabama’s Jeremiah Castille intercepts three passes to help beat Illinois 21-15 in the Liberty Bowl and send coach Paul “Bear” Bryant out as a winner. Bryant finishes his coaching career with 323-85-17 record.
1984 — Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers scores his 100th point in the 35th game of the season, a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
2006 — Texas Tech spots Minnesota a 31-point, third-quarter lead, then rallies for a stunning 44-41 overtime victory in the Insight Bowl, the largest comeback in Division I-A bowl history. The previous record for a bowl comeback was 30 points, set by Marshall against East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
2007 — The New England Patriots complete a perfect regular season, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants. New England is the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule, and that one was only 14-0.
2011 — Baylor pulls out an incredible Alamo Bowl victory in the highest-scoring regulation bowl game in history, beating Washington 67-56 in the wildest shootout of this bowl season. Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III isn’t dazzling, but Terrance Ganaway rushes for 200 yards and five touchdowns. The previous bowl record for a regulation game was 102 total points set in the 2001 GMAC Bowl between Marshall and East Carolina. That game went to double overtime and ended with a combined 125 points — which still stands as the overall bowl record.
2012 — Second-ranked Connecticut plays spoiler and streak-buster this time, snapping No. 1 Stanford’s nation-leading 82-game home unbeaten run with a surprisingly easy 61-35 rout. It’s the Huskies who saw the end of their NCAA record 90-game winning streak at Maples Pavilion with a 71-59 loss two years ago, almost to the day on Dec. 30. Stanford loses at Maples Pavilion for the first time since March 2007.
2013 — Peyton Manning is 25 for 28 for 266 yards and four touchdowns before sitting out the second half of Denver’s 34-14 win over Oakland. He finishes the season with NFL records of 5,477 yards and 55 touchdown passes.
2014 — Teenager Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the most successful U.S. skier in the slalom at Kuehtai, Austria. The 19-year-old racks up her 10th career slalom win, beating the records set in the 1980s by Tamara McKinney and on the men’s side by Phil Mahre, who both had nine wins in ski racing’s most technically demanding event.
2016 — Olympic slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin uses a spectacular final run to win a night race for her third World Cup triumph in three days. Shiffrin is 0.33 seconds off the lead at the final split time before accelerating to win the race by 0.64 ahead of Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia. After winning two giant slaloms the previous days, Shiffrin continues her dominance in slalom by landing her 23th career win in the discipline.
2020 – Milwaukee Bucks break NBA record for most 3-pointers made by a team in a single game with 29 in a dominant 144-97 victory over the Heat in Miami.
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Dec. 30
1956 — The New York Giants win the NFL title with a 47-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.
1962 — The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 16-7 to win the NFL title for the second straight year.
1973 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 to win the NFC championship.
1973 — The Miami Dolphins, behind 266 yards rushing, beat the Oakland Raiders 27-10 for an unprecedented third straight AFC title.
1981 — In the 39th game of the season, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, including his 50th into an empty net, to lead the Oilers to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzy betters the mark of 50 goals in 50 games held by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy.
1990 — Orlando point guard Scott Skiles dishes out an NBA-record 30 assists in a 155-116 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Skiles breaks the record of 29 assists set by the Nets’ Kevin Porter in 1978.
2000 — Nebraska ends a disappointing season by setting a bowl record for points in a 66-17 victory over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl.
2002 — TCU sets an NCAA record for fewest points allowed when the Lady Frogs beat Texas Southern 76-16. The 16 points allowed breaks the Division I record for fewest points. Prairie View scored 19 points against Jackson State in 1983.
2007 — Drew Brees sets an NFL record with 443 completions, passing the previous mark of 418 set by Rich Gannon in 2002. Brees completes 35 of 60 passes for 320 yards with three TD passes in New Orleans’ 33-25 loss to Chicago.
2008 — NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos.
2010 — Top-ranked Connecticut’s record 90-game winning streak in women’s basketball ends when No. 9 Stanford outplays the Huskies from the start in a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion — where the Cardinal have their own streak going. Stanford hasn’t lost in 52 games at home. The Cardinal took an early 13-point lead, never trailed and didn’t let the mighty Huskies back in it.
2016 — Isaiah Thomas scores 29 of his career-high 52 points in the fourth quarter, setting a club record for points in a period and leading Boston to a 117-114 victory over the Miami Heat.
2017 — Alex Hornibrook throws four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin caps off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl. Jonathan Taylor finishes his record-setting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1). Taylor finishes the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards.
2018 — Patrick Mahomes becomes only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson.2020 – San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon becomes first female to coach an NBA team after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is ejected in a 121-107 loss to the LA Lakers