“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| COVENANT CHRISTIAN | 62 | BEECH GROVE | 61 | |
| JIMTOWN | 58 | NEW PRAIRIE | 27 | |
| LALUMIERE REGIONAL | 64 | CAREER ACADEMY | 44 | |
| LAPORTE LALUMIERE | 65 | INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS | 52 | |
| NORTHWOOD | 67 | WESTVIEW | 50 | |
| SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH | 81 | LAKELAND | 60 | |
| TRINITY GREENLAWN | 43 | CLINTON CHRISTIAN | 20 | |
| WESTVILLE | 82 | CALUMET CHRISTIAN | 38 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
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| BARR-REEVE | 49 | NORTH DAVIESS | 40 | |
| BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE | 56 | SEYMOUR | 41 | |
| BLOOMINGTON SOUTH | 45 | CENTER GROVE | 30 | |
| BORDEN | 30 | LANESVILLE | 29 | |
| CASTLE | 54 | EVANSVILLE MATER DEI | 47 | |
| CHARLESTOWN | 49 | HENRYVILLE | 37 | |
| CLINTON CENTRAL | 50 | TIPTON | 27 | |
| COLUMBUS NORTH | 56 | EAST CENTRAL | 41 | |
| CONNERSVILLE | 46 | BATESVILLE | 38 | |
| CRAWFORD COUNTY | 58 | MITCHELL | 13 | |
| EASTERN GREENE | 44 | BLOOMFIELD | 37 | |
| ELKHART CHRISTIAN | 59 | TRITON | 36 | |
| EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN | 50 | SHAKAMAK | 30 | |
| EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL | 52 | EVANSVILLE BOSSE | 17 | |
| FLOYD CENTRAL | 40 | SILVER CREEK | 38 | |
| FOUNTAIN CENTRAL | 41 | NORTH VERMILLION | 28 | |
| FRANKLIN COUNTY | 43 | NORTH DECATUR | 41 | |
| FREMONT | 68 | FAIRVIEW (OHIO) | 40 | |
| GREENSBURG | 90 | SOUTH DEARBORN | 22 | |
| HAMMOND MORTON | 69 | GARY WEST | 28 | |
| HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE) | 48 | TWIN LAKES | 13 | |
| HERITAGE HILLS | 54 | FOREST PARK | 39 | |
| HIGHLAND | 52 | WHITING | 32 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL | 45 | GUERIN CATHOLIC | 25 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS HERRON | 58 | INDIANAPOLIS RIVERSIDE | 9 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA | 64 | INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON | 13 | |
| JASPER | 47 | VINCENNES LINCOLN | 40 | |
| KNIGHTSTOWN | 68 | BLUE RIVER | 25 | |
| KOUTS | 52 | DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN | 41 | |
| LAFAYETTE JEFF | 68 | CLINTON PRAIRIE | 27 | |
| LAKEWOOD PARK | 53 | BLACKFORD | 22 | |
| LEWIS CASS | 47 | PERU | 37 | |
| LINTON | 73 | CLAY CITY | 23 | |
| LOOGOOTEE | 54 | WASHINGTON CATHOLIC | 12 | |
| LOUISVILLE COLLEGIATE (KY.) | 41 | ROCK CREEK ACADEMY | 20 | |
| MACONAQUAH | 43 | TRI-CENTRAL | 33 | |
| MOORESVILLE | 70 | CASCADE | 47 | |
| NOBLESVILLE | 52 | FISHERS | 51 | |
| NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) | 75 | WHITE RIVER VALLEY | 42 | |
| NORTH JUDSON | 51 | CASTON | 28 | |
| NORTH NEWTON | 28 | SOUTH NEWTON | 24 | |
| NORTHEAST DUBOIS | 53 | TELL CITY | 51 | OT |
| ORLEANS | 49 | PAOLI | 29 | |
| PARKE HERITAGE | 66 | NORTH PUTNAM | 31 | |
| PENDLETON HEIGHTS | 76 | DELTA | 48 | |
| PERRY CENTRAL | 48 | TECUMSEH | 40 | |
| PIONEER | 35 | NORTH WHITE | 28 | |
| PRINCETON | 57 | BOONVILLE | 34 | |
| PROVIDENCE | 57 | NORTH HARRISON | 45 | |
| RENSSELAER CENTRAL | 70 | DELPHI | 24 | |
| SCOTTSBURG | 67 | NEW ALBANY | 53 | |
| SEEGER | 60 | RIVERTON PARKE | 28 | |
| SHAWE MEMORIAL | 64 | SOUTH RIPLEY | 51 | |
| SHERIDAN | 66 | ROSSVILLE | 42 | |
| SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) | 66 | CROTHERSVILLE | 8 | |
| SOUTH DECATUR | 49 | HAUSER | 36 | |
| SOUTH KNOX | 79 | VINCENNES RIVET | 29 | |
| SOUTHRIDGE | 41 | PIKE CENTRAL | 9 | |
| SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) | 59 | NEW WASHINGTON | 27 | |
| TERRE HAUTE SOUTH | 65 | COVINGTON | 28 | |
| TRI-COUNTY | 64 | FRONTIER | 28 | |
| TRINITY LUTHERAN | 56 | CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | 45 | |
| WAPAHANI | 56 | WINCHESTER | 20 | |
| WASHINGTON TWP. | 47 | SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | 31 | |
| WASHINGTON | 62 | NORTH POSEY | 45 | |
| WEST WASHINGTON | 46 | EASTERN (PEKIN) | 39 | |
| WOOD MEMORIAL | 52 | SOUTH SPENCER | 42 | |
| MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT | ||||
| LAWRENCE CENTRAL | 52 | LAWRENCE NORTH | 51 | |
| WARREN CENTRAL | 47 | PARK TUDOR | 31 | |
| BEN DAVIS | 40 | INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI | 38 | |
| FRANKLIN CENTRAL | 69 | BEECH GROVE | 33 | |
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING RESULTS
DUAL RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/
TOURNEY RESULTS: https://indianamat.com/index.php?/curtournamentresults.html/
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
IDAHO AT MONTANA STATE (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 14
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE VS. JACKSON STATE (CELEBRATION BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ABC
INCARNATE WORD AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
MINNESOTA STATE AT VALDOSTA STATE (DII SEMIFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
BETHEL (MN) AT SUSQUEHANNA (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
SPRINGFIELD AT NORTH CENTRAL (ILL.) (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
MOUNT UNION AT SALISBURY (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
NAVY AT NO. 22 ARMY (NORTHWEST STADIUM IN LANDOVER, MD) | 3 P.M. | CBS
UC DAVIS AT SOUTH DAKOTA (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCER AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
SLIPPERY ROCK AT FERRIS STATE (DII SEMIFINALS) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTH ALABAMA VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN (SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 17
NO. 25 MEMPHIS VS. WEST VIRGINIA (FRISCO BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
JAMES MADISON VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY (BOCA RATON BOWL) | 5:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 24 UNLV VS. CAL (LA BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
SAM HOUSTON VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (NEW ORLEANS BOWL) | 7 P.M. | ESPN2
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
OHIO VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE (CURE BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
FLORIDA VS. TULANE (GASPARILLA BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 8 INDIANA AT NO. 5 NOTRE DAME (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 8 P.M. | ABC/ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
NO. 10 SMU AT NO. 4 PENN STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 12 P.M. | TNT/MAX
UC DAVIS/SOUTH DAKOTA VS. IDAHO/MONTANA STATE (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 12 OR 3:30 P.M. | ABC
UIW/SOUTH DAKOTA STATE VS. MERCER/NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 12 OR 3:30 P.M. | ABC
TBD VS. TBD (DII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN MCKINNEY, TX) | 2 P.M. | ESPN2
NO. 16 CLEMSON AT NO. 3 TEXAS (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 4 P.M. | TNT/MAX
NO. 7 TENNESSEE AT NO. 6 OHIO STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 8 P.M. | ABC/ESPN
TBD VS. TBD (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
TBD VS. TBD (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
MONDAY, DEC. 23
COASTAL CAROLINA VS. UTSA (MYRTLE BEACH BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS VS. FRESNO STATE (FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 24
SOUTH FLORIDA VS. SAN JOSE STATE (HAWAI’I BOWL) | 8 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
PITT VS. TOLEDO (GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL) | 2 P.M. | ESPN
RUTGERS VS. KANSAS STATE (RATE BOWL) | 5:30 P.M. | ESPN
ARKANSAS STATE VS. BOWLING GREEN (68 VENTURES BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
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. MARSHALL (INDEPENCE 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. 9 BOISE STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — FIESTA BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 12 ARIZONA STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — PEACH BOWL) | 1 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 1 OREGON VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — ROSE BOWL) | 5 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 2 GEORGIA VS. TBD (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
TBD VS. TBD (DIII STAGG BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN HOUSTON, TX) | TBA | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 6
TBD VS. TBD (FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TX) | 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
NFL WEEK 15 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
LA RAMS 12 SAN FRANCISCO 6
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
DALLAS COWBOYS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1:00P CBS)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
NEW YORK JETS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P FOX)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P CBS)
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:25P CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:25P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT DETROIT LIONS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:25P FOX)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 16
CHICAGO BEARS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8:00P ABC)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (8:30P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 16 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
DENVER BRONCOS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
HOUSTON TEXANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1:00P NBC)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4:30P FOX)
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P FOX)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:05P FOX)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 23
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8:15P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 17 SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 (CHRISTMAS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P NETFLIX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (4:30P NETFLIX)
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CHICAGO BEARS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
TBD TBD (1:00P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (4:30P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (8:00P NFL NETWORK)
SATURDAY GAME POOL:
DENVER BRONCOS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS
ATLANTA FALCONS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
SUNDAY, DEC. 29
NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 30
DETROIT LIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 18 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JAN. 4 OR SUNDAY, JAN. 5
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT DENVER BRONCOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
TOP 25:
#3 IOWA STATE 89 IOWA 89
ELSEWHERE:
CHATTANOOGA 75 EVANSVILLE 67
WOMEN’S COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
TOP 25:
#8 NOTRE DAME 79 #3 UCONN 68
ELSEWHERE:
ILLINOIS 70 BRADLEY 52
NBA SCOREBOARD
BOSTON 123 DETROIT 99
MIAMI 114 TORONTO 104
SACRAMENTO 111 NEW ORLEANS 109
NHL SCOREBOARD
NEW JERSEY 2 LOS ANGELES 1
PITTSBURGH 9 MONTREAL 2
TORONTO 3 ANAHEIM 2
WASHINGTON 2 COLUMBUS 1 OT
PHILADELPHIA 4 DETORIT 1
NY ISLANDERS 5 CHICAGO 4
VEGAS 3 WINNIPEG 2 OT
NASHVILLE 4 DALLAS 1
SAN JOSE 4 ST. LOUIS 3
EDMONTON 7 MINNESOTA 1
UTAH 4 COLORADO 1
TAMPA BAY 8 CALGARY 3
VANCOUVER 4 FLORIDA 0
SEATTLE 5 BOSTON 1
TOP NATIONAL RELEASES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
TRAVIS HUNTER, THE 2-WAY STANDOUT FOR COLORADO, IS THE AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Travis Hunter is a throwback-type player — an elite receiver one moment, a lockdown cornerback the next — who rarely leaves the field and has a knack for making big plays all over it.
The Colorado Buffaloes’ two-way standout ( see: unicorn ) even celebrates at an elite level, unveiling imaginative dance moves following touchdowns and interceptions, some of which include the Heisman Trophy pose. It’s one of the many awards he’s in line to win.
Hunter is the The Associated Press college football player of the year, receiving 26 of 43 votes Thursday from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes and Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo received one vote.
“Couldn’t do what I do without my team,” Hunter said in an email on a trip to Las Vegas for an awards ceremony. “So I view being up for these awards as team awards.”
A player with his particular set of skills doesn’t come around that often. He’s a flashback to the days of Charles Woodson at Michigan or Champ Bailey at Georgia. Or even his coach, Deion Sanders, a two-way star in the NFL.
The prospect of significant playing time on both sides of the ball is what led Hunter to join Sanders at Jackson State and why he followed Sanders to Boulder.
“Coach Prime was the only coach who would consider allowing me to do what I’m doing,” said Hunter, who’s expected to be a top-five pick next spring in the NFL draft, possibly even the No. 1 overall selection. “He did it and knows what it takes — how much you have to be ready on both sides of the ball.”
Want to fuel Hunter? Simply tell him he can’t.
“I’m motivated when people tell me I can’t do something,” Hunter said. “That I can’t dominate on both sides of the ball. I want to be an example for others that anything is possible. Keep pursuing your dreams.”
Hunter helped the 20th-ranked Buffaloes to a 9-3 record this season and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU (10-2) on Dec. 28. He played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the lone Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research.
Hunter has already won a second straight Paul Hornung award as the game’s most versatile player. He’s up for the Walter Camp (player of the year), Maxwell (most outstanding player), the Biletnikoff (best receiver) and Bednarik (top defensive player) awards.
And, of course, the Heisman, where he’s the odds-on favorite to win over Jeanty this weekend. Hunter can join the late Rashaan Salaam as the only Colorado players to capture the Heisman. Salaam won it in 1994 after rushing for 2,055 yards.
Hunter wasn’t a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive back. That drew the wrath of Sanders, who earned the award with Florida State in 1988 and vowed to give his trophy to Hunter.
Hunter’s high school coach, Lenny Gregory, knew he had a special player the summer of Hunter’s freshman year. Gregory, then the coach at Collins Hill in Georgia, had a conditioning test for his players — run six 200-yard dashes with a minute rest in between. Defensive backs had to complete each in under 32 seconds.
Hunter never even got winded. He played safety/cornerback and receiver as a freshman and helped Collins Hill to a state title his senior season.
“I remember just talking to colleges the spring of his ninth-grade year and telling coaches that this kid’s going to be the No. 1 player in the country,” recounted Gregory, who’s now the coach at Gordon Central High in Calhoun, Georgia. “They’d look at him and laugh at me, ‘What are you talking about? This scrawny kid? He’s not big enough.’ I was like, ‘Just watch. Just watch.’”
Hunter finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced one crucial fumble, which secured an OT win over Baylor.
Overall, Hunter had 92 receptions and allowed 22. He hauled in 14 receiving TDs and allowed just one. He was responsible for 53 first downs and gave up just six. He was targeted 119 times by Shedeur Sanders & Co. but only 39 times by opposing QBs.
Hunter’s likely final game in Boulder, a rout of Oklahoma State, was a three-touchdown, one-interception performance.
“I’m used to seeing him do all this spectacular stuff,” Shedeur Sanders said. “I’m used to all this stuff — you all are just now seeing it on national stage.”
HEISMAN FINALIST TRAVIS HUNTER IS AP BIG 12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR AND 1ST-TEAM PICK AS RECEIVER
Heisman Trophy finalist and two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter was named The Associated Press Big 12 defensive player of the year while also being a first-team selection at wide receiver on Thursday. Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the league’s top offensive player.
Kenny Dillingham, the 34-year-old in his second season at Arizona State, was the unanimous choice as Big 12 coach of the year after leading his alma mater to a championship and a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Sun Devils (11-2) went into their league debut as the preseason pick to finish last among the 16 teams.
At cornerback, Hunter had 31 tackles, tied for the Big 12 lead with 11 pass breakups and was tied for second with four interceptions. On offense, he leads the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns, and is second with 1,152 yards receiving. His 21 catches of at least 20 yards are the most nationally. He is also the AP’s player of the year.
Sanders is the Big 12 passing leader, completing 337 of 454 passes (74.2%) for 3,926 yards and a school-record 35 touchdowns with eight interceptions for the Buffaloes (10-2)
Arizona State freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt, who is 11-1 as a starter, is the league’s top newcomer. The Michigan State transfer has 2,663 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and only five picks in 304 attempts.
The 2024 AP All-Big 12 team, as determined by the votes from a panel of 18 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the league. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, class, height, weight and hometown; “u-” denotes unanimous selections:
First team Offense
WR — Travis Hunter, Colorado, Jr., 6-1, 185, Suwanee, Georgia.
WR — Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, Jr., 6-5, 212, Waimanalo, Hawaii.
OT — Spencer Fano, Utah, So, 6-5, 304, Spanish Fork, Utah.
OT — Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, So., 6-6, 317, Allen, Texas.
OG — Michael Ford Jr., Kansas, Jr., 6-3, 305, Homewood, Illinois.
OG — Luke Kandra, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-4, 320, Cincinnati, Ohio
Center — Leif Fautanu, Arizona State, Sr., 6-2, 315, Honolulu, Hawaii.
TE — Brant Kuithe, Utah, Sr., 6-2, 236, Katy, Texas.
QB — u-Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, Sr., 6-2, 215, Dallas.
RB — RJ Harvey, UCF, Sr. 5-9, 208, Orlando, Florida.
RB — Cam Skattebo, Arizona State, Sr, 5-11, 215, Rio Linda, Texas.
PK — Will Ferrin, BYU, Jr., 6-3, 175, Kaysville, Utah.
All-purpose — Jaylin Noel, Iowa State, Sr., 5-11, 200, Kansas City, Missouri.
First-team defense
DE — BJ Green II, Colorado, Sr., 6-1, 270, Atlanta.
DE — Brendan Mott, Kansas State, Sr. ,6-5, 244, Iowa City, Iowa.
DT — Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-1, 320, Cincinnati.
DT — TJ Jackson II, West Virginia, Sr., 6-1, 282, Millbrook, Alabama.
LB — Matt Jones, Baylor, Sr., 6-4, 246, Odessa, Texas.
LB — Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, Jr., 6-1, 230, Wichita Falls, Texas.
LB — Keaton Thomas, Baylor, So., 6-2, 224, Jacksonville, Florida.
CB — Mello Dotson, Kansas, Jr., 6-1, 190, Daytona Beach, Florida.
CB — Travis Hunter, Colorado Jr., 6-1, 185, Suwanee, Georgia.
S — Xavion Alford, Arizona State, Jr., 6-0, 200, Pearland, Texas.
S — AJ Haulcy, Houston, Jr., 6-0, 215, Houston.
Punter — Palmer Williams, Baylor, So., 6-2, 201, Advance, North Carolina.
Second team offense
WR — Jayden Higgins, Iowa State, Sr., 6-4, 215, South Miami, Florida.
WR — Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, So., 6-1, 195, Allen, Texas.
OT —Logan Brown, Kansas, Sr., 6-6, 315, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
OT — Caleb Etienne, BYU, Sr., 6-8, 320, New Orleans.
OG — Omar Aigbedion, Baylor, Jr., 6-3, 310, Katy, Texas.
OG — Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech, Sr., 6-5, 310, Mansfield, Texas.
Center — Bryce Foster, Kansas, Jr., 6-5, 330, Katy, Texas.
TE — Joe Royer, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-5, 255, Cincinnati.
QB — Sam Leavitt, Arizona State, Fr., 6-2, 200, West Linn, Oregon.
RB — Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, Sr, 5-10, 230, Manor, Texas.
RB — Devin Neal, Kansas, Sr., 5-11, 215, Lawrence, Kansas.
PK — Gino Garcia, Texas Tech, Sr., 6-2, 215, Richardson, Texas.
All-purpose — Keelan Marion, BYU, Jr., 6-0, 195, Atlanta.
Second team defense
DE — Tyler Batty, BYU, Sr., 6-5, 275, Payson, Utah.
DE —Van Fillinger, Utah, Sr., 6-4, 255, Draper, Utah.
DT — CJ Fite, Arizona State, So., 6-1, 295, Tatum, Texas.
DT —Lee Hunter, UCF, Jr., 6-4, 320, Mobile, Alabama.
LB — Jared Bartlett, Cincinnati, Sr., 6-3, 235, Miami.
LB — Nikhai Hill-Green, Colorado, Gr., 6-2, 230, Pittsburgh.
LB — Austin Romaine, Kansas State, So, 6-2, 242, Hillsboro, Missouri.
CB — Cobee Bryant, Kansas, Sr., 6-0, 175, Evergreen, Alabama.
CB — Jontez Williams, Iowa State, So., 5-11, 200, Starke, Florida.
S — Bud Clark, TCU, Jr., 6-2, 185, Alexandria, Louisiana.
S — Cam’ron Silmon-Craig, Colorado, Sr., 5-10, 185, Birmingham, Alabama.
Punter — Jack Bouwmeester, Utah, Jr, 6-3, 197, Bendigo, Australia.
Individual honors
Offensive player of the year — Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado.
Defensive player of the year — Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado.
Coach of the year — u-Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State.
Newcomer of the year — Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State.
BILL BELICHICK ‘ALWAYS WANTED’ TO GIVE COLLEGE COACHING A TRY. NOW HE WILL AT NORTH CAROLINA
Bill Belichick had just been introduced Thursday as North Carolina’s next football coach when chancellor Lee Roberts came armed with a gift: a short-sleeved gray hoodie — a bit of a trademark from Belichick’s NFL coaching days — bearing a blue interlocking “NC” logo.
It was the visual confirmation, which will take some getting used to, that the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach whose name became synonymous with NFL success has taken an unexpected first dive into college coaching. He now leads a program at a school with a national name brand but one that has been unable to sustain fleeting pockets of high-level success when it comes to football.
“I’ve always wanted to coach in college football,” Belichick said during his introductory campus news conference. “It just never really worked out. Had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really kind of a dream come true.”
Belichick, who met with his new team before the media, certainly seemed at ease Thursday. He bypassed the terse and grumpy responses he became known for during his time with the Patriots — something he joked about as his news conference “aura” during Monday’s appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” Instead, he came with a grin and quips, starting when he walked into the room and scanned the large crowd of reporters, former players and others with university ties.
“Big crowd,” he said lowly to Roberts, then scanned the room with a smile before taking his seat.
And it was, along with the magnitude of a hire that had seized a national spotlight that typically falls on UNC more for its tradition-rich blueblood basketball program.
The school’s trustees approved terms of the five-year deal earlier Thursday, followed by the governors of the state’s public university system after the news conference. The deal pays Belichick $10 million in base and supplemental salary per year — though it is guaranteed only for the first three years, including for buyout purposes — and there is also up to $3.5 million in annual bonuses.
As for the buyout if Belichick leaves, there’s a $10 million fee if done before June 2025, which would discourage an unexpected jump to an NFL opening before next season, and then $1 million after that date.
There are also estimates for the school to allocate $10 million for assistant coaching salaries, $1 million for strength-and-conditioning staff, $5.3 million for support staff such as general manager, and $13 million in eventual revenue sharing to athletes.
“I do think football is the economic driver in college sports, and we need to be really good in football to continue to remain relevant on a national basis,” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said after the news conference. “We’re there in basketball, we’re there in a lot of our Olympic sports. But we need to make sure our football program is elite.
“I think this demonstrates our commitment to it. Now the performance is going to demonstrate whether or not we can do it.”
Belichick arrived wearing a dark suit, a light blue dress shirt and a tie bearing a white-and-light-blue pattern. He sat between Roberts and Cunningham, who paid his own tribute by donning a suit jacket with the sleeves cut off to mimic Belichick’s cut-off sideline look.
“I’m here to, as Bubba said, teach, develop and build a program in the way that I believe in,” Belichick said.
Moving on from the 73-year-old Mack Brown to hire the 72-year-old Belichick means UNC is turning to a coach who has never worked at the college level, yet had incredible success in the NFL alongside quarterback Tom Brady throughout most of his 24-year tenure with the Patriots, which ended last season.
Belichick holds 333 career regular-season and postseason wins in the NFL, trailing only Don Shula’s 347 for the NFL record, while his 31 playoff wins are the most in league history.
He had been linked to NFL jobs in the time since his departure from the Patriots, notably the Atlanta Falcons in January. And he had seemingly settled into the media world, including appearances on former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning’s “Manningcast” broadcasts during Monday Night Football as well as appearances on McAfee’s show.
That’s why word of Belichick’s conversations with UNC — first reported by Inside Carolina and confirmed by the AP last week — stirred such surprise as an unexpected and unconventional candidate.
There’s also at least a small family tie to the UNC program for Belichick; his late father, Steve, was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels from 1953-55. Belichick offered a nod to that by pulling out a white school sweatshirt of his father’s during the news conference.
When asked about fan concerns that he might leave quickly for the next NFL job, Belichick said: “I didn’t come here to leave.”
And when asked how long he might want to keep coaching, he was quick with a quip.
“It beats working,” Belichick said, drawing chuckles. My dad told me this: when you love what you do, it’s not work. I love what I do. I love coaching.”
He’s arriving on campus at a time of rapid changes in college athletics, from free player movement through the transfer portal and athletes’ ability to cash in on endorsements to the looming arrival of revenue sharing. And he’s taking over a program that for a school with a national name-brand that has never sustained elite football success in its long history.
Belichick said his staff, both in coaching and support, would certainly have a “strong presence of NFL people.” Interim Tar Heels coach Freddie Kitchens is an example; Belichick said he intends to retain the former Cleveland Browns head coach on his staff.
Another is Michael Lombardi, a former NFL general manager and executive who is leaving a media job to become UNC’s GM. Lombardi attended Thursday’s news conference.
“To work again with Belichick is probably another dream come true,” Lombardi said. “We had success in Cleveland, we had success together in New England, and it feels right to work that way. And I love building football teams.”
DAN MULLEN TO BECOME UNLV’S NEXT FOOTBALL COACH, AP SOURCES SAY
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has agreed to lead UNLV’s 24th-ranked football program, two people with knowledge of the hire said Wednesday.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made.
The 52-year-old Mullen replaces Barry Odom, who left for Purdue on Sunday after going 19-8 and helping the Rebels receive back-to-back bowl invitations for the first time in program history. UNLV will play California in the LA Bowl on Wednesday.
UNLV athletic director Erick Harper wasted little time in finding Odom’s replacement.
Mullen, most recently an ESPN college football analyst, went 103-61 at Florida and Mississippi State.
That includes a 34-15 record with the Gators from 2018-21. Florida went 4-7 the season before Mullen took over and then went 21-5 over his first two seasons at Florida. His record over the following two seasons was 13-10 before Florida fired Mullen.
He was 69-46 at Mississippi State from 2009-17 and made eight consecutive bowl appearances. The Bulldogs were 29-65 over the previous eight years.
Instead of taking over a program coming off a losing season, this time Mullen inherits a team that is 10-3 and was in contention for a College Football Playoff spot before losing to now-No. 8 Boise State 21-7 on Friday in the Mountain West championship. It was UNLV’s second appearance in a row in the conference title game.
But the Rebels will be losing some key players, including quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, wide receiver Ricky White III, linebacker Jackson Woodard and defensive back Jalen Catalon. Woodard was named the Mountain West defensive player of the year, and White the conference’s top special teams player after he blocked four punts.
NO. 19 ARMY AND NAVY HAVE COMBINED FOR 19 VICTORIES, THEIR MOST EVER ENTERING THEIR ANNUAL MATCHUP
Navy (8-3) vs. No. 19 Army (11-1) at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, Saturday, 3 p.m. EST (CBS)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Army by 6 1/2.
Series record: Navy leads 62-55-7.
What’s at stake?
It’s the game of the year for both programs — that’s always the case — and this season there’s a bit more national significance. Army is coming off a victory in the American Athletic Conference title game and is in the AP Top 25. Navy was ranked as well earlier in the year. Army and Navy have combined for 19 victories, their most ever entering this matchup.
Key matchup
In the last 12 meetings, the losing team has failed to score more than 17 points. These are two teams that will be familiar with each other and well prepared, meaning the game could be decided by a few high-leverage plays — fourth downs and red zone efficiency in particular may be crucial.
Players to watch
Navy: S Rayuan Lane III has forced three fumbles this season and was picked as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. In Navy’s eight wins, the Midshipmen outscored opponents 94-7 in points off turnovers. In the three losses, they were outscored 48-0 off turnovers.
Army: QB Bryson Daily has 29 rushing touchdowns this season. The FBS record for a QB is held by a Navy player — Keenan Reynolds ran for 31 TDs in 2013.
Facts & figures
For the first time since 2017, both teams enter this game with a chance to secure the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy with a victory. … Army has a two-game winning streak in the series. … The Midshipmen haven’t had a game this season decided by fewer than 12 points. … Army has been in the Top 25 for nine consecutive weeks, its longest stretch since the team was ranked each week of the 1958 season.
PENN STATE S KEVIN WINSTON JR. DECLARES FOR DRAFT
Penn State captain and All-Big Ten safety Kevin Winston Jr. declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday.
Winston’s 2024 junior season ended in early September due to an undisclosed injury.
ESPN reported Thursday that Winston sustained a partially torn ACL in practice. His surgery was performed by Dallas Cowboys team physician Dr. Dan Cooper and he is on pace to be cleared for on-field drills by March 1, per the report.
“After much thought and prayer, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft,” he posted on social media. “This has been my dream for as long as I can remember, and I’m ready to embrace this next challenge with the same dedication and heart that got me to this point.”
The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Winston recorded 12 tackles and a forced fumble in Penn State’s season-opening 34-12 win at West Virginia on Aug. 31.
Over three seasons with the Nittany Lions, he tallied 90 tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries in 28 games. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2023.
NFL NEWS
FOUR FIELD GOALS PROVE ENOUGH FOR RAMS TO TOP 49ERS
Joshua Karty kicked a go-ahead 27-yard field goal with 9:28 remaining and Darious Williams came down with a crucial interception to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a 12-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night in Santa Clara, Calif.
Heavy rain before halftime prevented both teams from finding an offensive rhythm, but Los Angeles (8-6) did just enough to earn its seventh win in nine games.
With the game tied at 6, it looked as if the Rams were headed for the end zone after Puka Nacua got behind San Francisco’s secondary and hauled in a 51-yard pass from Matthew Stafford early in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers’ defense soon got a stop on third-and-2, though, forcing Los Angeles to bring out Karty for his 27-yarder.
San Francisco (6-8) quickly worked down to the Los Angeles 33 on its ensuing drive. Brock Purdy proceeded to throw a deep ball near the near-side pylon that Williams picked off, and Karty later made good on a 29-yard field goal with 18 seconds to go.
Although a horse-collar tackle on the following kickoff set the Niners up at the 50-yard line, they couldn’t generate a miracle in the final seconds.
Stafford completed 16 of 27 passes for 160 yards, with Nacua (seven catches, 97 yards) serving as his favorite target. Kyren Williams was a workhorse on the ground, going for 108 yards on 29 carries.
Star receiver Cooper Kupp didn’t have a single reception for the Rams.
Purdy finished 14 of 31 for 142 yards and the interception. Isaac Guerendo had 16 carries for 57 yards as San Francisco got outgained 302-191 in total yards.
Jake Moody and Karty exchanged second-half field goals within a span of just under 10 minutes to forge the 6-6 tie.
Amid the rain, San Francisco punted on six of its seven first-half drives.
The 49ers’ only successful drive before the break ended with Moody’s 53-yard field goal with 10:01 left in the first quarter. A 33-yard completion to George Kittle over the middle helped set up the kick.
After punting on its five first drives of the game, Los Angeles finally tied the contest with 65 seconds remaining in the first half on a 48-yard field goal from Karty.
The Rams climbed within a half-game of the first-place Seattle Seahawks (8-5) in the NFC West. The defending conference champion 49ers are last in the division, a half-game behind the Arizona Cardinals (6-7).
49ERS SAY LB DE’VONDRE CAMPBELL REFUSED TO ENTER GAME
The San Francisco 49ers have endured the absence of numerous players due to injury all season.
On Thursday, they were down a player who merely didn’t want to participate.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said linebacker De’Vondre Campbell wouldn’t go in the game in the second half as the 49ers fell 12-6 to the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara, Calif.
Campbell, 31, had made 12 starts in 13 games this season prior to Thursday, when Dre Greenlaw took his position after recovering from an Achilles tear he sustained during the Super Bowl in January.
With Greenlaw experiencing foot soreness, Shanahan asked Campbell to take over in the third quarter.
“He said he didn’t want to play today,” Shanahan said, adding that Campbell gave no reason.
Shanahan said, “When someone says that, you move on. You don’t deal with that anymore. That’s somebody who doesn’t want to play football, that’s pretty simple. I think our team and myself, we know how we feel about that. I don’t think we need to talk about him anymore.”
Niners tight end George Kittle said, “I don’t like distractions on the sideline. I think it’s ignorant and I think it’s just dumb. It’s just stupid. It’s very immature. I just don’t see how you can do something like that to your team.”
San Francisco cornerback Charvarius “Mooney” Ward said of Campbell, “He’s a professional, he’s been playing for a long time. If he didn’t want to play, he shouldn’t have dressed out. He could have told them that before the game. … It definitely hurt the team because (Greenlaw) went down and we needed a linebacker, you know? … So for him to do that, that’s some selfishness.
“He’s probably going to be cut soon, so it is what it is with that.”
Campbell, in his first season with the 49ers, has 79 tackles and two passes defensed. He previously played for the Atlanta Falcons (2016-19), the Arizona Cardinals (2020) and the Green Bay Packers (2021-23). He made first-team All-Pro in 2021 when he had 146 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, five passes defensed and two sacks.
In 128 career NFL games (122 starts), Campbell has 858 tackles, seven interceptions, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 30 passes defensed and 9.5 sacks.
GREEN BAY LOOKS TO REBOUND ON THE ROAD AGAINST SEATTLE ON SUNDAY NIGHT
Green Bay (9-4) at Seattle (8-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Packers by 3
Against the spread: Green Bay 7-6, Seattle 6-6-1
Series record: Green Bay leads 15-9
Last meeting: Nov. 14, 2021, Packers win 17-0 at Lambeau Field.
Last week: Packers lost 34-31 to the Detroit Lions. Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals 30-18.
Packers offense: overall (6), rush (5), pass (11), scoring (7)
Packers defense: overall (13), rush (9), pass (21), scoring (9)
Seahawks offense: overall (13), rush (27), pass (3), scoring (15)
Seahawks defense: overall (18), rush (21), pass (10), scoring (11)
Turnover differential: Seattle -0.3 (22)
Packers player to watch
Josh Jacobs, who signed a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers in the offseason, looks to be matching his 2022 All-Pro form. That year he rushed for 1,653 yards with 12 TDs for the Raiders. This season he’s run for 1,053 yards and 11 scores. He’s on a roll, with three-touchdown games in two of his past three and he’s scored eight times total over four games.
Seahawks player to watch
Zach Charbonnet had a career-high 134 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the victory over the Cardinals last week. Carbonnet was pressed into starting duty with Kenneth Walker sidelined by ankle and calf issues. Charbonnet needs 63 yards rushing to surpass his total last year (462) as a rookie. He needs three more rushing scores to become the first Seahawks player with at least 10 since Marshawn Lynch in 2014.
Key matchup
The Packers offense overall appears to have the upper hand with the steady leadership of quarterback Jordan Love, so Seattle’s chances may hinge on how Green Bay’s pass defense holds up against Geno Smith and the Seahawks passing offense, ranked third in the league. Smith has thrown for 3,474 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, but he’s also got 12 interceptions.
Key injuries
Packers tight end Luke Musgrave participated in individual drills this week. CB Jaire Alexander (knee), who has missed the past three games, and WR Romeo Doubs (concussion), who has missed the past two, practiced this week and appear close to returning. LB Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring), who missed the past three games, also returned to practice this week.
Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III missed the game against the Cardinals because of an ankle/calf injury. He’s run for a team-best 542 yards and seven TDs this season. He was listed as questionable for the game. Cornerback Tre Brown, who was inactive against the Cardinals because of a hamstring injury, is also questionable.
Series notes
The Seahawks have won the past three at home, but the Packers have won four of the past five since 2015. Three of those victories came at Lambeau Field, including the latest one on Nov. 14, 2021. Green Bay blanked Seattle 17-0. The Packers have not visited Seattle since 2018.
Stats and stuff
The Seahawks, coming off a 30-18 road win over Arizona, have won four straight and are atop the tight NFC West. … The Packers can technically clinch a playoff berth this weekend but it involves two unlikely scenarios. According to the NFL, the Packers can clinch with a win in Seattle, a loss or tie by the Atlanta Falcons and a tie between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. … The Packers’ most recent win in the series against the Seahawks was 17-0 at Lambeau Field in 2021. That’s the only shutout during coach Matt LaFleur’s six-year tenure. … LaFleur has won 10 in a row against the NFC West. … Over the course of a four-game winning streak heading into Sunday night’s game, the Seahawks have allowed an average of just 15.5 points a game. … The Packers are No. 1 with 97 points off turnovers while Seattle has the eighth-most giveaways. … Green Bay’s 34-31 loss to Detroit last Thursday night averaged 17.29 million viewers, making it the most-streamed NFL regular-season game in history and Amazon Prime Video’s most-watched game since exclusively taking over the prime-time package in 2022. … Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba needs 89 yards for his first career 1,000-yard season. … The Packers have won 10 consecutive regular-season games against NFC West foes. … The Packers have won seven of their past nine games. … Seattle QB Geno Smith needs one 300-yard game to tie Russell Wilson for single-season franchise record with five. … Green Bay has two wins against teams with winning records: the Texans (8-5) and Rams (7-6), both of which were reeling from injuries, while losses have come against Detroit (12-1; twice), Minnesota (11-2) and Philadelphia (11-2).
Fantasy tip
Seattle receiver Tyler Lockett didn’t have a reception against the Cardinals — his first game without a catch since Dec. 2, 2019, against Minnesota. Lockett could be fueled by the end of his streak. He remains two touchdowns away from passing Marshawn Lynch for third place on Seattle’s touchdowns list with 67.
CARDINALS’ KYLER MURRAY FACES PATRIOTS FOR 1ST TIME SINCE HIS ACL INJURY AGAINST THEM 2 YEARS AGO
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray was driving to the Arizona Cardinals’ practice facility Wednesday when he realized that it had been almost exactly two years since he tore the ACL in his right knee in a game against the New England Patriots.
Then another thought crossed his mind: It was the Patriots who were coming to town this Sunday for the first time since the injury.
“Yeah, it’s a little weird,” Murray said with a wry grin. “I will try not to have that happen again.”
The injury on Dec. 12, 2022, cost Murray roughly 11 months of his career, but he has been healthy this season. And now the Cardinals (6-7) are clinging to playoff hopes when they host the Patriots (3-10) on Sunday.
Both teams have lost three straight games. The Patriots are coming off their bye week and haven’t played since a 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 1. The Cardinals are trying to move past a brutal 30-18 loss to NFC West rival Seattle which knocked them into a tie for last place in the tightly packed division.
Murray is coming off one of his worst games since the injury, throwing two interceptions that each eventually lead to touchdowns for Seattle. It was a rare blemish on an otherwise solid season — he has thrown for 2,862 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Now the Cardinals are pretty much in must-win territory.
“For us, all we can do is control what we can control and that’s this weekend,” Murray said. “Today, tomorrow, go out there on Sunday and play good football.”
Defending Drake
The Cardinals’ defense needs a better performance after giving up 409 total yards to Seattle last week, including 176 yards on the ground.
Tightening against the run game is particularly important against New England’s rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who’s averaging 9.1 yards per rush on 38 attempts. The highest rushing average for an NFL quarterback in a single season is 8.5 by Michael Vick in 2006, when he had 123 rushing attempts for 1,039 yards with Atlanta.
Maye’s far from one-dimensional. He has thrown for at least 220 yards in each of the past three games, improving rapidly. The Patriots took Maye with the No. 3 overall pick out of North Carolina.
“Yeah, I think he’s grown since he’s been playing,” coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I think he’s playing probably his best ball right now, probably just because of the experience. So definitely his skillset jumps out. You can see why he was taken so high. He’s a good player and he is ascending.”
Strange development
New England offensive lineman Cole Strange has a new haircut and could make his season debut, possibly at a new position.
Strange, who usually sports curly locks, returned from the Patriots’ bye week with a buzz cut. It could coincide with a possible switch to center after he was activated this week, making him eligible to see his first game action since suffering a season-ending knee injury in 2023.
A 2022 first-round pick, Strange started 10 games at left guard last season before being placed on injured reserve.
Strange has been working at both left guard and center since he returned to practice Nov. 20 and could see his first NFL snaps at the latter position. Longtime Patriots center David Andrews had season-ending shoulder surgery in October. Ben Brown has started the last eight games at center.
Playing spoiler
Murray said the Cardinals can’t take the Patriots lightly despite their mediocre record. He compared New England to where Arizona was at last season, when the team was out of the playoff race but playing some good football down the stretch.
Murray was particularly complimentary of Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, saying he was a “big fan.”
Both players are Texas natives.
“We were kind of in a similar situation as them, then went on the road to Pittsburgh, Philly and (won),” Murray said. “They’re going to come in here and play hard. We understand that and we have to be ready to go.”
Future glimpse
The Patriots have already been eliminated from playoff contention, but it didn’t stop Maye from spending part of his bye week watching matchups between teams that are still jockeying for postseason position.
The reason? He wanted to get a glimpse — even if from afar — of the common traits of the teams still playing meaningful games at this time of the season.
“Especially when you haven’t felt it,” Maye said. “I haven’t really experienced a playoff game. You always hear about what it’s been in the past here at the playoff games and the environment here in Gillette … and watching Tom (Brady) and those guys duke it out. Those runs they had were special. I think you want that feeling and those guys in the locker room, some of them had it. A lot of us young guys haven’t.”
Maye hopes it serves as motivation going forward.
“I think we’re striving for that and can use these last four games as a challenge and as a step to, ‘Hey, what we have and what we got here on this team and who can help us and who can make some plays?’” he said.
TEXANS NEED WIN OVER DOLPHINS AND LOSS BY COLTS SUNDAY TO CLINCH 2ND STRAIGHT AFC SOUTH TITLE
Miami (6-7) at Houston (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM Odds: Texans by 3.
Against the spread: Dolphins 5-8; Texans 5-6-2.
Series record: Texans lead 8-3.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Texans 30-15, on Nov. 27, 2022, in Miami.
Last week: Dolphins beat Jets 32-26 in OT; Texans were off, beat Jaguars 23-20 on Dec. 1.
Dolphins offense: overall (19), rush (24), pass (14), scoring (23).
Dolphins defense: overall (9), rush (7), pass (11), scoring (T14).
Texans offense: overall (18), rush (16), pass (17), scoring (11).
Texans defense: overall (5), rush (10), pass (7), scoring (T12).
Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-2; Texans plus-10.
Dolphins player to watch
QB Tua Tagovailoa, who has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at throwing with anticipation and accuracy since he returned from a concussion in Week 8. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion rate and threw for 300 yards for the third straight game last week vs. the Jets. Tagovailoa is the first player in NFL history to have at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud has thrown for at least 225 yards in each of his six home games this season and is 11-4 in 15 starts in Houston, including the playoffs. He has thrown for 3,117 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. Miami’s run defense. Mixon ran for 101 yards in Houston’s previous game for his seventh 100-yard game this season. He ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game. This week he’ll face a run defense that ranks seventh in the NFL by holding teams to 105.6 yards a game.
Key injuries
Miami LT Terron Armstead is dealing with a knee injury that limited him to just five snaps last week. He did not practice Wednesday… LBs Bradley Chubb (knee) and Cameron Goode (knee) could make their season debut, depending on how this week of practice goes, coach Mike McDaniel said. … WRs Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (hamstring), RB Raheem Mostert (hip), and LB Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) were among those limited in practice Wednesday. … Houston S Jalen Pitre is expected to miss a second straight game with a shoulder injury. … DE Denico Autry was limited in practice Wednesday because of a knee injury.
Series notes
Houston won the first seven meetings in this series. … Miami didn’t get its first win against the Texans until a 44-26 victory in 2015. … The Dolphins have won the past two meetings. … These teams first met in the season opener in 2003 when Houston got a 21-20 win on a late field goal.
Stats and stuff
Three of Miami’s final four games of the season are on the road. … K Jason Sanders needs 13 points Sunday to reach 800. He also needs one field goal to reach 177, which would give him the second-most field goals made in franchise history. … TE Jonnu Smith needs 100 yards receiving to reach 792 and set a franchise record for most yards receiving by a tight end in a single season. Smith had three catches for 44 yards, including the game-winning TD vs. the Jets last week after having no receptions during regulation. … Tagovailoa needs a completion rate of 70% or better on Sunday to reach eight consecutive games completing at least 70% of his passes. That would tie him with Joe Montana (1989) and Drew Brees (2017-18) for the longest streak in NFL history. … The Dolphins gave up a season-high 402 yards to the Jets last week. Aaron Rodgers burned Miami’s pass defense for 319 yards, and Miami’s secondary allowed a combined 223 yards by Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. … Houston can clinch the AFC South title for the second straight year with a win and a loss by Indianapolis Sunday. … The Texans rank second in the NFL with 84 tackles for loss. … Their 42 sacks also rank second. … WR Nico Collins had eight receptions for 119 yards for his fourth 100-yard game this season in Houston’s previous game. He has had at least 75 yards receiving and a TD reception in each of his four home games this season. … TE Dalton Schultz had five receptions for 61 yards and a score in Week 13. He has had at least five catches in two of his past three games. … LB Azeez Al-Shaai will serve the first game of a three-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of QB Trevor Lawrence Sunday. … DE Danielle Hunter is one of two players in the NFL this season with at least 15 tackles for loss (15) and 10 sacks (10 1/2). It’s his sixth career season with at least 10 sacks. He has eight tackles for loss and five sacks combined in his past three games. … DE Will Anderson has had a sack in his past two home games. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has had at least five tackles in four straight games. … CB Derek Stingley had his third interception of the season in his previous game. … CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high eight tackles, including a tackle for loss in Week 13. … S Jimmie Ward has had an interception in his past two home games. He also had an interception in his previous game against Miami in 2022 while with San Francisco.
Fantasy tip
Collins has 456 yards receiving and four touchdown receptions in four home games this season.
BENGALS AND COACH ZAC TAYLOR VISIT THE TITANS AND BRIAN CALLAHAN NEEDING TO WIN
Cincinnati (5-8) at Tennessee (3-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 5.
Against the spread: Bengals 7-6; Titans 2-11.
Series record: Tennessee leads 41-37-1.
Last meeting: Titans beat the Bengals 27-3 on Oct. 1, 2023.
Last week: Bengals beat the Cowboys 27-20; Titans lost to the Jaguars 10-6.
Bengals offense: overall (9), rush (29), pass (1), scoring (6)
Bengals defense: overall (26), rush (23), pass (27), scoring (31)
Titans offense: overall (29), rush (18), pass (29), scoring (30)
Titans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (1), scoring (27)
Turnover differential: Bengals 0; Titans plus-11
Bengals player
to watch
QB Joe Burrow. He leads the NFL with 3,706 yards passing and 33 touchdown passes. He also has six games passing for at least 300 yards and seven with at least three TD passes. He can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young as the only quarterbacks to do that in five straight games Sunday. Burrow has thrown at least two TD passes in six of seven road games this season, and he has three TD passes with no interceptions against the Titans.
Titans player to watch
Will Levis. The second-year quarterback is trying to blossom under first-year coach Brian Callahan much as Burrow did in Cincinnati where Callahan was his offensive coordinator the past five seasons. Levis aggravated the AC sprain in his right, throwing shoulder when sacked just before halftime of last week’s loss. But he has not been intercepted in the past two games. He also has thrown for a career-high 1,827 yards and 12 TDs this season.
Key matchup
The Bengals bring the NFL’s best passing offense and most potent duo in Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase to face off against the league’s best defense against the pass. The Titans are holding opponents to just 175.5 yards passing a game, and they rank second against the run. Cincinnati is averaging an NFL-best 271.6 yards passing. That’s why the Bengals have scored on 41 straight trips inside an opponent’s 20 going back to the third quarter of Week 1. It’s the longest active streak in the NFL, and their TD rate on such drives is 69%. Only Baltimore is better.
Key injuries
Bengals: Burrow hurt his left knee and finished Monday night’s game wearing a compression sleeve. … DT Sheldon Rankins is dealing with an illness.
Titans: Rookie LT JC Latham was added to the injury report with a hip issue after being limited Thursday. … K Nick Folk is dealing with a sore groin, which caused the Titans to sign Brayden Narveson to the practice squad as insurance. LB Kenneth Murray missed last week’s game with an injured hamstring. LB Otis Reese has been limited by an ankle and had crutches at his locker Thursday. CB Roger McCreary returned to practice after missing the previous game with an injured shoulder.
Series notes
As former AFC Central rivals, the Titans are the Bengals’ third-most played opponent in franchise history with Cincinnati playing only Pittsburgh and Cleveland more. … The Titans are 7-5 in Tennessee since the old Oilers relocated from Houston in 1997. … The Bengals have won seven of the past 10 overall, including going 4-3 in Nashville since the NFL realigned and split the division rivals in 2002. … This is the fifth game between these teams have played in a five-year span. The Bengals beat the Titans in a divisional playoff game in Tennessee in January 2022. This is the third straight season these teams have met — all in Tennessee. They’ve split each of the past two games. … The home team has won four of the past five in this series.
Stats and stuff
The Bengals are a win away from the franchise’s 400th in the regular season. … The Bengals need to win out to extend the franchise’s streak of winning seasons to four straight. … The Bengals snapped a three-game losing streak with Monday night’s win. … Burrow hooked up WR Ja’Marr Chase for a 40-yard TD with 1:01 left to seal the win. … Chase leads the NFL in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,319) and a career-high TD catches (15). … Chase can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 catches, 1,400 yards receiving and 15 TD catches in a season joining Marvin Harrison (2001), Randy Moss (2003), Jerry Rice (1995) and Cooper Kupp (2021). … Trey Hendrickson leads the NFL with 12 1/2 sacks. … K Cade York, picked up by the Bengals after Evan McPherson went on the injured list, hit both of his field-goal tries and made all three PATs. … RB Chase Brown has compiled 735 yards and six touchdowns. Against the Cowboys he rushed for 58 yards and caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. … Bengals S Geno Stone got his second interception of the season against the Cowboys. CB Cam Taylor-Britt also has two…. LB Germaine Pratt leads the Bengals in tackles with 117. … Seven of the Titans’ losses have been by more than one score. … RB Tony Pollard had his sixth game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, including 102 yards rushing last week. He needs 63 yards rushing for his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season. … WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is tied for fourth in the NFL with a career-high eight TD catches. … WR Calvin Ridley had a team-high seven catches for 59 yards last week. … LB Harold Landry has a team-high seven sacks, giving him at least seven for a third straight season and fourth in his career. … LB Arden Key has two TFLs and a sack in two of the past three home games. … LB Luke Gifford had a career-high 11 tackles last week. … Reese had his first career interception last week. … CB Chidobe Awuzie, who spent the past three seasons in Cincinnati, had his first interception of the season last week.
Fantasy tip
Chase. He is coming off a 14-catch, 177-yard performance with two TDs. That was his sixth career game with at least 175 yards receiving, tying him for second most by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
TEXANS NOT LOOKING PAST DOLPHINS WITH CHANCE TO CLINCH AFC SOUTH TITLE WITH WIN AND LOSS BY COLTS
HOUSTON (AP) — With three games in a span of 11 days against Miami, Kansas City and Baltimore approaching, it would be easy for the Houston Texans to look past the Dolphins and ahead to their tougher upcoming opponents.
But they insist they’re only worried about Miami this week, especially with a chance to clinch their second straight AFC South title Sunday with a win and a loss by the Colts.
“You have to take care of them one at a time (and) now we are just focused on Miami,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “Trying to ace that and look past that right when the game is over.”
But while Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes complained this week about his team facing three games in the same time frame as the Texans are, Stroud is embracing the challenge.
“I am actually excited about it,” Stroud said. “Anything worth it in life isn’t easy. It is not going to be easy, but I think that difficulty of it will help us in the long run.”
Miami is the only team in that stretch with a losing record, but the Dolphins have played much better of late. They’ve won four of their past five games after a 2-6 start to move within one game of .500.
They’re coming off a 32-26 overtime victory against the Jets that wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said meant a lot.
“It was a hard-fought game; it was a game we really needed to win,” he said. “It just showed what this team could do. It definitely gave us a lot of confidence.”
Miami’s recent success has come as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has played his best games of the season. He leads the NFL with a 73.8% completion rate and threw for 300 yards for the third straight game last week.
“Watching the Dolphins, the first thing that jumps out is just how efficient and accurate Tua is with the football,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He gets the ball out very quickly, but it’s accurate and he’s getting it to the hands of some dynamic playmakers … and Tua’s done a great job since he’s been back just making really smart decisions with the football.”
Tagovailoa is the first player in NFL history to have at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season. But he said he isn’t worried about making history, but just trying to keep the offense moving.
“Basically what it entails … is just find a completion wherever it may be,” he said. “But with all the statistics and what not, all we’re trying to do is stay on the field, find ways to elongate our drive so that we can find ways to go down and put the ball in the end zone.”
Where’s the run?
The Dolphins have struggled to run the ball for four straight weeks, failing to top 85 yards rushing in each outing. Miami rushed for just 44 yards against the Jets in Week 14 after a season-low 39 yards rushing the previous week against Green Bay.
That has come as Miami has prioritized short and intermediate throws, which coach Mike McDaniel has said sometimes supplement the run game.
“There’s a lot of times, with the consistency of the decision making and accuracy of Tua that I’m exchanging tone-setting run plays for tone-setting pass plays,” McDaniel said.
But it is a balance that the team is working toward, McDaniel added.
“I think the numbers do represent something that we absolutely need to improve,” he said. “However, I think it’s magnified given the circumstances, adjusting to 75% completion percentage and giving guys (opportunities) that are very good players on our team.”
Hunter’s season
Defensive end Danielle Hunter has been great in his first year in Houston after spending his first eight seasons in Minnesota. His 81 quarterback pressures lead the NFL, according to NextGenStats, and he ranks third in the league with 15 tackles for loss and fourth with 10½ sacks.
The 30-year-old Hunter has 98 sacks, making him one of seven active players with at least 90 sacks, and this is his sixth season with at least 10 sacks.
“He’s been everything we can ask for and more,” Ryans said. “Just the production that he’s had, how much pressure he’s able to apply on a quarterback … his play speaks very loud and the opposing offenses understand they have to account for him because he’s such a force when he’s out there.”
Sack Sieler
Defensive tackle Zack Sieler was selected as the AFC Player of the Week on Wednesday for the first time in his career after haivng four tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits and two tackles for loss against the Jets.
Sieler leads the Dolphins with six sacks and is one of two players in the league this season with at least six sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery (San Francisco’s Nick Bosa is the other).
McDaniel believes that Sieler should make the Pro Bowl this year, and the defensive tackle said that would mean everything.
“Just to be able to come from where I came from,” Sieler said. “Just from walk on D-II, cut twice in the NFL, to even have a chance of making it is just an incredible journey and makes me emotional because coming from where I came from in high school, I was always told: ‘You’ll never play in college, let alone in the NFL.’”
JETS AND JAGUARS, TWO OF THE NFL’S MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAMS, MEET AMID UNCERTAIN FUTURES
New York Jets (3-10) at Jacksonville (3-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Jets by 3½.
Against the spread: New York Jets 4-9; Jacksonville 7-5-1.
Series record: Jaguars lead 9-8.
Last meeting: Jaguars beat the Jets 19-3 in New Jersey on Dec. 22, 2022.
Last week: Jets lost 32-26 in OT at Miami; Jaguars won 10-6 at Tennessee.
Jets offense: overall (27), rush (31), pass (19T), scoring (25).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (16), pass (4), scoring (19).
Jaguars offense: overall (28), rush (26), pass (24), scoring (26).
Jaguars defense: overall (32), rush (24), pass (31), scoring (28).
Turnover differential: Jets minus-3; Jaguars minus-11.
Jets player to watch
QB Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old four-time MVP is coming off his best game with the Jets, throwing for 339 yards and ending a drought of 34 regular-season games without reaching 300 yards. Rodgers will be looking for his first consecutive 300-yard passing games since he did three straight weeks in 2021 with Green Bay.
Jaguars player to watch
DE Josh Hines-Allen needs 3 1/2 sacks to break the franchise record (55) held by Tony Brackens. Hines-Allen has seven sacks this season, becoming the second in team history with at least seven in four consecutive years. Yannick Ngakoue is the other.
Key matchup
Jaguars rookie WR Brian Thomas Jr. versus Jets CB Sauce Gardner. Thomas had eight catches for 86 yards last week and is 15 yards shy of breaking Justin Blackmon’s franchise record (865) for receiving yards by a rookie. Gardner (hamstring) was inactive a week ago, but said he’ll play this week and is looking for his first interception of the season.
Key injuries
Jets RB Breece Hall could miss his second game in a row because of an MCL injury and hyperextension in his left knee. … Special teams ace Irvin Charles was placed on injured reserve this week with a torn ACL. … KR Kene Nwangwu sat out early in the week with a hand injury. … The Jaguars are relatively healthy for Week 15, at least defensively. They have starters QB Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis on IR. TE Evan Engram (shoulder) missed practice Wednesday.
Series notes
The Jaguars have won three of the past four meetings, including two straight in Jacksonville. … The Jets are one of just six NFL teams with a losing record against the Jags.
Stats and stuff
The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention last week, extending their postseason drought to 14 consecutive years. It’s the longest active skid in the NFL. … New York has lost four in a row and nine of 10 but is 2-1 against the AFC South, with victories over Houston and Tennessee. … Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich is 1-7 since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. … The Jets have lost a franchise-worst five games in which they held a fourth-quarter lead, and they’ve done it in three straight games. … Rodgers and Davante Adams have connected 79 times for touchdowns, including the playoffs, for the fourth most by a QB-WR duo in NFL history. Next on the list is Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton, who had 82 TDs together. … WR Garrett Wilson needs 123 yards receiving to become the fifth player in NFL history with 80 or more catches and 1,000 or more yards receiving in each of his first three seasons. … Adams has 40 catches on 69 targets for 453 yards and three TDs in seven games since being acquired from Las Vegas. … LB Jamien Sherwood had 18 tackles, including 13 solo, last week to become the first NFL player this season with multiple games of 17 or more tackles. … The Jets failed to register a quarterback hit against Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, who passed 47 times last week. … The Jaguars are 2-7 in one-score games this season and 1-4 at EverBank Stadium. … QB Mac Jones is 5-0 against the Jets, throwing for 1,134 yards and four TDs in those starts. … Engram, one of three tight ends in NFL history with at least 40 receptions in their first eight seasons, has four or more catches in eight consecutive games. … DE Travon Walker has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four home games. … Rookie CB Jarrian Jones is coming off his best game. He has two pass breakups and a sack last week at Tennessee.
Fantasy tip
Jets TE Tyler Conklin has at least one catch in 23 consecutive games and could be in for a big day against a defense that has struggled to cover tight ends all season.
MAHOMES, CLUTCH CHIEFS LOOK FOR 13TH WIN WITH ROAD GAME AGAINST BROWNS TEAM STAGGERING TO FINISH
Kansas City (12-1) at Cleveland (3-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Chiefs by 4.
Against the spread: Chiefs 5-8; Browns 4-9.
Series record: Chiefs lead 14-11-2.
Last meeting: Chiefs beat Browns 33-29 on Sept. 12, 2021, in Arrowhead Stadium.
Last week: Chiefs beat Chargers 19-17; Browns lost to Steelers 27-14.
Chiefs offense: overall (16), rush (21), pass (13), scoring (7)
Chiefs defense: overall (6), rush (3), pass (20), scoring (7)
Browns offense: overall (22), rush (30), pass (15), scoring (29)
Browns defense: overall (21), rush (22), pass (13), scoring (26)
Turnover differential: Chiefs minus-4; Browns minus-10.
Chiefs player to watch
WR DeAndre Hopkins has been exactly what the Chiefs hoped he would be when they acquired him from Tennessee. He has excelled at getting open at the line of scrimmage, which has allowed Patrick Mahomes to pick apart defenses with quick strikes, and his ability to catch jump balls has been a key in the red zone. Hopkins has 30 catches for 357 yards and four TDs in his first seven games with the team.
Browns player to watch
DE Myles Garrett. The NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year is making a late push in an attempt to defend his title. Garrett has a pair of three-sack performances in his past five games despite facing double-teams, chips and game plans designed around him. He’s at 99 1/2 sacks and can make hitting 100 even more memorable if he were to do it by tackling down Mahomes.
Key matchup
Browns LBs and DBs vs. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce. Cleveland’s defense will be stressed everywhere, but especially over the middle as that’s where Mahomes usually finds Kelce. He’s a matchup nightmare for many reasons, including the connection he has with Mahomes and their ability to make off-schedule completions. Kelce grew up in Cleveland and would relish the chance to shine at home.
Key injuries
Chiefs: LT D.J. Humphries has been dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained in his debut last week against the Chargers.
Browns: TE David Njoku (hamstring) missed practice time this week. He led the club with seven catches while being targeted 15 times in last week’s loss. … WR Cedric Tillman could be back after missing the past two games with a concussion.
Series notes
The Chiefs have won the past four regular-season matchups and five in a row, including the divisional playoff game in the 2020 postseason against the Browns. … Kansas City coach Andy Reid is 5-0 against Cleveland since taking over the Chiefs in 2013. He’s 8-0 overall against the Browns. … Mahomes is 3-0 vs. the Browns. … Cleveland is 8-4-1 at home against Kansas City.
Stats and stuff
The Chiefs clinched their ninth consecutive AFC West title last week. … Kansas City begins a stretch of three games in 11 days. The Chiefs host Houston on Dec. 21 and play in Pittsburgh on Christmas Day. … Kansas City’s past two wins were by identical 19-17 scores. … Mahomes has thrown for 31,613 yards in his first eight seasons, encompassing 109 games. He needs 88 to pass Derek Carr (31,700 in 127 games) for third among QBs in their first eight seasons. … Mahomes passed for 337 yards and three TDs the previous time the teams met. … Kelce has 80 catches this season, reaching that mark for an NFL-record ninth straight time. … Kelce needs one TD catch to pass Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (76) for the most receiving scores in team history. … Hopkins has caught a pass in an NFL-leading 175 consecutive games. Kelce has the next-longest streak at 171. … Chiefs C Creed Humphrey can pass Brandon Carr for the second-longest streak to begin a career in franchise history with his 65th game on Sunday. … The Chiefs have a flair for the dramatic. They’ve tied the NFL record for the most wins by seven points or fewer in one season, sharing the mark with the 1978 Houston Oilers. … Kansas City has won six times on the final play of the game with three different kickers — Harrison Butker, Spencer Shrader and Matthew Wright —- making the game-winning field goal. … Including the playoffs, the Chiefs have won their past 15 games decided by one possession. … The Chiefs lead the league in third down conversion (52%). … The Browns are playing for pride after being eliminated from the playoffs last week. … Cleveland has lost at least 10 games in 18 seasons since 1999. … Browns QB Jameis Winston has thrown six TD passes the past two weeks, but also five INTs. … In six games since taking over the starting job, Winston has averaged 315.3 yards per game — second most in the league over that span. … WR Jerry Jeudy has 26 catches for 526 yards and three TDs in his past four games. Jeudy has 29 catches and four TDs in eight games against K.C. … K Dustin Hopkins has missed six of his past nine field goals, including two in last week’s loss. Hopkins is just 16 of 25 (64%) this season, the worst of his 10-year career. The Browns signed K Riley Patterson to the practice squad this week, a sign Hopkins could sit a week.
Fantasy tip
Jeudy has been one of the league’s hottest receivers, filling the vacant No. 1 receiver spot created when the Browns traded Amari Cooper to Bufalo. Jeudy has 678 yards since Week 8 and will have to have a big game for the Browns to have any chance at winning. He’s 56 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season.
PANTHERS IN RARE SITUATION AGAINST COWBOYS: THEY’RE FAVORED TO WIN FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 2 YEARS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers find themselves in an unfamiliar position entering Sunday’s home game against the Dallas Cowboys.
For the first time in nearly two years, they’re favored to win.
Yes, the 3-10 Panthers.
Oddsmakers at the BetMGM Sportsbook have dubbed Carolina a 3-point favorite over the Cowboys (5-8), marking an end to a 33-game streak of being the underdog — the sixth-longest streak since the 1970 merger.
Panthers coach Dave Canales was aware of the streak, but joked that he purposely hasn’t paid much attention to his team’s odds.
“Vegas is really good with the odds, you know,” Canales said with a laugh.
“I really don’t like to see what the spread is and all that stuff,” Carolina’s first-year head coach added. “And I just try to make the focus about us, about what is our next step, and those things don’t help us. I try not to use external things to motivate our guys.”
After losing its first two games by a combined of 60 points, Carolina has been much more competitive since Bryce Young’s return to the starting lineup, covering the spread in each of its past five games.
Of course, being the favorite doesn’t guarantee a victory.
The previous time the Panthers were favored to win on Dec. 18, 2022, they lost 24-16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It doesn’t mean anything for Sunday,” Young said of being the favorite for the first time in his NFL career. “The score is going to start 0-0.”
Botched punt block
Amani Oruwariye stands by what he said was a reactionary decision to try to secure a bouncing ball after it appeared Nick Vigil’s blocked punt would give the Cowboys a chance to beat Cincinnati in the final two minutes of Monday night’s 27-20 loss.
Oruwariye touched ball when leaving it alone would have given Dallas possession around the Bengals 40-yard line with the score tied 20-20. Instead, Cincinnati got the ball because Oruwariye touched it beyond the line of scrimmage. The Bengals scored the go-ahead touchdown three plays later.
“I turned around to react just like any athlete would and saw the ball there,” Oruwariye said. “Made the decision to go try to secure the ball. It was something that I felt in that moment was the reactionary thing to do. I’m standing by it.”
Oruwariye said it wasn’t until after the play that the sixth-year pro with plenty of special teams experience realized the magnitude of the moment in a loss that effectively ended Dallas’ hopes of a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs.
“The ball kind of got up on me real quick,” he said. “Wish I could have secured it. Wish I could have just not touched it. Either way, it kind of unfolded how it did. That’s part of the game. That’s part of life. You’ve got to take and learn from it and move on.”
Legette looks to rebound
On the Carolina side, it was a drop by Xavier Legette that cost the team a potential win Sunday at Philadelphia.
Trailing 22-16, Young led the Panthers down the field and appeared to connect with Legette on a 32-yard touchdown strike, but the ball briefly touched the ground and the rookie wide receiver couldn’t haul it in. Carolina wound up turning the ball over on downs.
Legette said afterward he needs to come up with that catch.
Canales chalked it up to a learning experience, adding that he has “full confidence” in Legette moving forward.
“These are all things that we take, and we learn, and we grow,” Canales said. “I truly believe we’ll be in high-stakes games someday, playing against great players and great teams. We’re going to have to make those plays to become the team we want to become.”
Gaining ground
Rico Dowdle is gaining momentum as the lead back for the Cowboys, resetting his career high in consecutive games with his first two 100-yard outings. The surge comes despite upheaval in the offensive line, including the absence of seven-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin because of an ankle injury.
Before the 27-20 loss to Cincinnati on Monday night, Martin opted for season-ending surgery after missing two games. His replacement, Brock Hoffman, had to slide over to center when rookie Cooper Beebe sustained a concussion against the Bengals. T.J. Bass took Hoffman’s place at right guard.
Through it all, Dowdle has thrived. His career-best 131 yards against the Bengals included a 7.3-yard average on 18 carries. That was the best per-carry showing for a Dallas back with at least 15 carries in a game since Ezekiel Elliott in 2018.
“I think he fits the way we’re running the football, particularly the last three games,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I think there’s a number of variables, but it definitely starts with the runner. And more importantly, I think the guys up front are getting it done.”
Surging Thielen
Over the past two games, 34-year-old Adam Thielen has been the focal point of the Caroliona passing game, hauling in 17 of his 21 targets for 201 yards and a touchdown. Thielen missed a portion of the season on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, but is now back to being Young’s favorite option.
Thielen has seen more action with Jalen Coker out the past three games with a quad injury, but the rookie is expected to return Sunday.
Another Cowboys takeover?
When Dallas played in Charlotte last season it amounted to a Cowboys home game. At least 75% of the crowd was pro-Cowboys, and they were loud when the Panthers had the ball and stuck around after the game to celebrate a Dallas victory. Canales was made aware of what happened, and said the Panthers have turned up the crowd noise at practice this week in case a similar situation arises.
VIKINGS TAKE 6-GAME WINNING STREAK INTO MONDAY NIGHT MATCHUP VS. BACKSLIDING BEARS
Chicago (4-9) at Minnesota (11-2)
Monday, 8 p.m. EST, ABC
BetMGM NFL odds: Vikings by 7.
Against the spread: Bears 5-7; Vikings 8-5.
Series record: Vikings lead 67-58-2.
Last meeting: Vikings beat Bears 30-27 in Chicago in OT on Nov. 24.
Last week: Bears lost to 49ers 38-13; Vikings beat Falcons 42-21.
Bears offense: overall (32), rush (23), pass (30), scoring (24).
Bears defense: overall (24), rush (26), pass (16), scoring (10).
Vikings offense: overall (11), rush (17), pass (8), scoring (9).
Vikings defense: overall (17), rush (2), pass (29), scoring (6).
Turnover differential: Bears plus-10; Vikings plus-8.
Bears player to watch
QB Caleb Williams. The first overall draft pick had one of his best performances to date against Minnesota, passing for 340 yards and two touchdowns to help the Bears erase an 11-point deficit in the final 22 seconds of regulation. Now he’s seeking a rebound. Last week, Williams threw for just 134 yards with two late TDs to rookie Rome Odunze and was sacked seven times with one lost fumble. He stretched his NFL rookie record of passes not picked off to 255 in a row in his seventh straight interception-free game, but the production was a sharp drop-off from the previous three games with now-interim coach Thomas Brown calling plays after the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Williams was 75 of 117 for 827 yards with five TDs, no interceptions and a passer rating of 99.2 in that stretch.
Vikings player to watch
QB Sam Darnold. The third overall pick in the 2018 draft continued his career-altering season last week against Atlanta by becoming the ninth quarterback in NFL history and first since Aaron Rodgers in 2019 with at least 325 passing yards, five TD passes, a completion rate of 75-plus percent and a passer rating of 155-plus with no interceptions. He became the first Vikings player with five passing TDs in a game since Daunte Culpepper in 2004 and had his 11th game this season with a 100-plus passer rating to set the franchise record and was later selected as NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Key matchup
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson. Johnson, a Pro Bowl pick last season, had a big hand in holding Jefferson to a season-low two catches for 27 yards in the previous meeting in Chicago, though he was called twice for pass interference penalties. The Bears went all out with heavy safety help to limit Jefferson in that game, which opened up the field for major gains by WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson and RB Aaron Jones.
Key injuries
Bears backup RB Roschon Johnson (concussion) missed the previous game, and G Ryan Bates (concussion) and S Elijah Hicks (ankle) have each missed the past three games. … Vikings CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) and backup OLB Patrick Jones (knee) were sidelined last week and were not present on Wednesday when the team’s padded practice was open to reporters.
Series notes
The Vikings have won six of the past seven matchups. Their lone loss in that span was last season at home on a Monday night, a 12-10 decision in Week 12. … This is the sixth time in nine years that a Bears-Vikings game will be played on a Monday night. The first four were in Chicago in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021. This is two in a row in Minnesota.
Stats and stuff
The Bears have lost seven straight games, coming off their most lopsided loss since a 41-10 defeat at Kansas City in Week 3 last season. They are 2-6 in one-possession games, with four of those losses during this skid. … The Bears play their second game under Brown, who started the season as offensive passing game coordinator and has been promoted twice following the dismissal of Waldron on Nov. 12 and head coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. … Last week, the Bears allowed a season high in points and the second-most yards (452) of the season. … Rookie Tory Taylor’s 48.7-yard gross punting average is the highest single-season average in franchise history. … Cairo Santos has seven field goals of 50-plus yards this season, tying his franchise record. … Bears WR Keenan Allen needs three receptions and 29 yards for his 11th straight season with at least 50 catches and 500 yards receiving. … Odunze, the ninth overall draft pick, had his first multi-TD game last week. … The Vikings put themselves in position to clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win, or a loss or tie by either the Rams on Thursday against the 49ers or the Cardinals against the Patriots on Sunday. … The Vikings last week had their highest point total since a 42-30 win at Detroit in Week 7 in 2019. … The Vikings have at least one takeaway in each of their first 13 games for the first time since 2001. … Jefferson has 7,069 receiving yards in 73 games. His 33 career 100-yard games are the most in NFL history by a player in his first five seasons. … Addison has five TDs of at least 40-plus yards in two seasons. He tied a career high with eight receptions last week against the Falcons, matching his total against the Bears in Week 12. … The Vikings have seven players with multiple interceptions, their most since 1988 when they had nine. Byron Murphy has six, third most in the league. … The Vikings have trailed for a total of 2:39:48 in 13 games, the least amount of total game time in the league. The Commanders (2:48:26) and Lions (2:50:52) are next.
Fantasy tip
Bears WR D.J. Moore has four straight games of six-plus receptions, including a seven-catch, 106-yard, one-TD game against Minnesota last month. The Vikings have allowed an average of 293 passing yards over their past four games.
EX-LSU STAR JAYDEN DANIELS LEADS THE HIGH-SCORING COMMANDERS AGAINST THE SAINTS 30TH-RANKED DEFENSE
Washington (8-5) at New Orleans (5-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
BetMGM NFL odds: Commanders by 7 1/2.
Against the spread: Commanders 8-5; Saints 5-8.
Series record: Commanders lead 17-11.
Last meeting: Saints beat Commanders 33-22, on Oct. 10, 2021.
Last week: Commanders had a bye, beat Titans 42-19 on Dec. 1; Saints beat the Giants 14-11.
Commanders offense: overall (5), rush (3), pass (18), scoring (4).
Commanders defense: overall (12), rush (27), pass (5), scoring (17).
Saints offense: overall (14), rush (10), pass (19t), scoring (17).
Saints defense: overall (30), rush (25), pass (28), scoring (14t).
Turnover differential: Commanders plus-4; Saints plus-2.
Commanders player to watch
RB Brian Robinson Jr. is the key to Washington’s balance on offense, and some extra rest off the bye should help. Robinson is averaging 4.6 yards a carry and has already set a career high with eight touchdowns rushing. If he gets going, everything opens up for rookie QB Jayden Daniels and everyone else.
Saints player to watch
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been among New Orleans’ most productive receivers since the Saints signed him on Oct. 22. He has 12 catches for 288 yards and four TDs.
Key matchup
The Saints running game, featuring veteran Alvin Kamara and 2023 third-round draft choice Kendre Miller, against the Commanders defensive front. New Orleans’ offense under first-year coordinator Klint Kubiak is built around the running game, which could become even more prominent because of QB Derek Carr’s left, non-throwing hand injury. Washington, meanwhile, ranks near the bottom of the NFL — at 27th — against the run.
Key injuries
Commanders: CB Marshon Lattimore, acquired from New Orleans at the trade deadline, still has not played for his new team because of a hamstring injury. RB Austin Ekeler (concussion) and K Austin Seibert (groin) remain on injured reserve. … WR Noah Brown injured a kidney against the Titans and is expected to be out long term, according to coach Dan Quinn, who called it a “significant internal injury.”
Saints: Carr began the week in the concussion protocol and also has an injured left, non-throwing hand. Kamara was dealing with an illness early in the week. LB DeMarco Jackson (ankle) missed practice time this week. WR Bub Means practiced on a limited basis as he tried to return from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for five games.
Series notes
The Saints have won the past three meetings. Washington hasn’t defeated New Orleans in 2015. … This is Washington’s first game at New Orleans since 2018. … A Commanders victory would give the franchise its best record through 14 games since also being 9-5 in 1992. … Entering Week 15, the Commanders hold the third and final wild-card spot in the NFC, one game back of Green Bay for the sixth seed.
Stats and stuff
Daniels has completed 69.6% of his passes, fourth in the NFL among QBs with at least 300 attempts. … Daniels made his LSU debut in the Superdome — the home of the Saints — in a 2022 neutral site season opener against Florida State. The Seminoles won that game on a missed LSU extra point. … WR Terry McLaurin had two TD catches against Tennessee. He’s 104 yards away from a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. … Zach Ertz is 65 yards away from becoming the ninth tight end to reach 8,000. Ertz has a TD in each of the Commanders’ past three games. … LB Bobby Wagner is tied for 17th in the league with 104 tackles. … LB Dante Fowler leads the team with 8 1/2 sacks. … Only the New York Giants and Jets have fewer interceptions than Washington’s four. … K Zane Gonzalez kept his job despite missing two field-goal attempts in the Titans game. … If Carr is unable to play, Jake Haener, a 2023 fourth-round draft choice out of Fresno State, could be called upon to make his first start for the Saints. Haener has passed for 177 yards and one TD without an interception in seven career appearances. … Saints rookie QB Spencer Rattler, a fifth-round draft choice out of South Carolina, has 571 yards and a TD passing with two interceptions in three career starts. … Kamara leads all RBs with 64 catches in 2024 and ranks third in the NFL with 1,423 scrimmage yards (938 rushing, and 485 receiving). Now in his eighth pro season, Kamara needs 62 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career and needs 15 yards receiving to reach 500 for the fifth time. … TE Juwan Johnson had a season-high 50 yards receiving and his third TD catch of the season last week. … DL Bryan Bresee had a sack, two passes defensed and blocked a field goal last week. Bresee also has a sack in each of his past three games. … Saints DL Chase Young, drafted second overall in 2020 by Washington, has a tackle for loss in two of his past three home games. Young was traded from Washington to San Francisco during last season and came to New Orleans as a fee agent in 2024. … DT Khalen Saunders had his second sack of season last week. … LB Demario Davis had his fourth career interception last week. He has four passes defensed in his past four games. … CB Alontae Taylor had his 13th pass defensed of the season last week.
Fantasy tip
Defensively, New Orleans has struggled against quarterbacks who escape pressure and run well. So, there’s potential for Daniels to have a big day running and throwing.
BRONCOS, LEFT TACKLE GARETT BOLLES AGREE ON 4-YEAR EXTENSION TO PROTECT ROOKIE QUARTERBACK BO NIX
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos signed left tackle Garett Bolles to a four-year extension on Thursday, locking up a big piece to protect rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
Bolles has spent his entire career with the organization after being drafted out of Utah with the 20th overall pick in 2017. He has a chance this season to help the Broncos into the postseason for the first time since they won Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season.
The Broncos (8-5) are currently in the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. They can put some distance between them and Indianapolis on Sunday (6-7) with a win over the Colts.
After an up-and-down start in Denver, Bolles has developed into a dependable pass protector. He’s allowed one sack and 24 quarterback pressures over 13 starts this season. What’s more, his 4.9 percent quarterback pressure rate is the second-lowest mark among tackles with at least 200 pass blocking snaps this season, according to NextGen Stats.
With time to scan the field, Nix leads all rookies in completions (277), yards passing (2,842), offensive touchdowns (22) and passing touchdowns (17).
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NO. 3 IOWA STATE SURVIVES IOWA’S HOT START FOR 89-80 WIN
Curtis Jones scored a game-high 23 points and Joshua Jefferson had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as No. 3 Iowa State rallied to defeat host Iowa 89-80 on Thursday in Iowa City.
Four more players scored in double figures for the Cyclones (8-1), who hounded the Hawkeyes into a 2-for-12 finish from the floor after a torrid start.
Iowa (7-3) led by as many as 13 with just over four minutes left in the first half but lost steam despite producing six double-figures scorers of its own.
Owen Freeman led the Hawkeyes with 16 points, followed by Josh Dix (14) and Payton Sandfort (13).
The Hawkeyes hit their first 11 free throws but an empty trip to the line provided an opening for the Cyclones to take their first lead of the night. A Nate Heise layup off a Tamin Lipsey steal put Iowa State ahead 76-74 with 3:05 left.
The Cyclones got a stop on the other end, then took control with an acrobatic driving layup from Jones.
Iowa finished minus-12 on the glass while allowing Iowa State to snag 18 offensive rebounds.
The Cyclones shot 44.3 percent compared to 44.4 percent for the Hawkeyes.
Dishon Jackson scored 12 points for Iowa State. Lipsey (11) and Heise (10) were next. Jefferson has notched a double-double in three straight games.
Ladji Dembele had 11 points for Iowa. Drew Thelwell and Brock Harding added 10 apiece, with Harding dishing a game-high eight assists.
The Hawkeyes connected on their first three attempts from the floor, including two from long range, to establish a tone for a hot first half. Iowa took a 44-37 lead into the locker room behind a 17-for-29 (58.6 percent) effort from the field.
Freeman led the way with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, while Dembele and Thelwell both drilled a pair of treys.
Jefferson scored 12 points for Iowa State, which started just 1-of-10 from long range.
Iowa State stopped a four-game road losing streak in the series and regrouped from a 25-point home loss last season.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: CELTICS DOWN PISTONS FOR 12TH STRAIGHT TIME
Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score a game-high 27 points and deliver 10 assists, leading the Boston Celtics to a 123-99 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
Pritchard shot 10 of 20 from the field, including 7 of 15 from 3-point range.
The Celtics received 23 points from Derrick White and 19 from Kristaps Porzingis while beating the Pistons for the 12th consecutive meeting.
Rookie Ronald Holland II scored a career-high 26 points for the Pistons, who shot 7 of 37 (18.9 percent) from 3-point territory. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Kings 111, Pelicans 109
Domantas Sabonis had 32 points and 20 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 16 of his 29 points in the third quarter and visiting Sacramento beat New Orleans.
DeAaron Fox and Keegan Murray scored 18 each for the Kings, who outscored the Pelicans 38-28 in the third quarter.
CJ McCollum scored a game-high 36 points, Trey Murphy III had 21 and Dejounte Murray added 20 to lead New Orleans.
Heat 114, Raptors 104
Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, leading host Miami over Toronto.
Miami, which won its season-best fourth straight game, also got a game-high 23 points from Tyler Herro. The Heat also received important bench contributions from Nikola Jovic (14 points) and Dru Smith (11 points).
Raptors star RJ Barrett made just 5 of 18 shots, but he had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Gradey Dick led Toronto with 22 points, including 12 in the first quarter. Jakob Poeltl added 16 points.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: FLYERS’ SCOTT LAUGHTON SCORES 4 IN WIN VS. WINGS
Scott Laughton tied a franchise record with a career-high four goals as the Philadelphia Flyers topped the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Thursday.
Aleksei Kolosov (25 saves) came within 3:53 of his first career shutout as Philadelphia won its second straight following a three-game skid. Ben Chiarot was the only player to beat Kolosov, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Red Wings from suffering their sixth loss in seven games (1-4-2).
Laughton handled the offense with his fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh goals of the season. He now has 13 career goals in 20 games against Detroit (0.65 goals per game) and 89 goals in 611 games (0.15 per game) against every other opponent.
He is the first player to score four times in a game for the Flyers since John LeClair on Oct. 15, 2002.
Sharks 4, Blues 3
Rookie Macklin Celebrini scored twice and earned an assist to lead visiting San Jose past St. Louis.
Jake Walman had a goal and an assist, Tyler Toffoli also scored and Nikolai Kovalenko notched three assists as the Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak. Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves to win his Sharks debut. He and Kovalenko arrived from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for Mackenzie Blackwood and Givani Smith on Monday.
Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who took just their second regulation loss in eight games (5-2-1) since Jim Montgomery took over as coach. Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou also scored for St. Louis, and Jordan Binnington made 27 saves.
Golden Knights 3, Jets 2 (OT)
Ivan Barbashev scored at 3:47 of overtime as Vegas continued its dominance of host Winnipeg.
Victor Olofsson and Keegan Kolesar also scored goals and Shea Theodore added two assists for Vegas, which won its eighth straight regular-season meeting against the Jets. Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Golden Knights to improve to 6-0-0 all-time against the Jets.
Josh Morrissey and Nikita Chibrikov scored for Winnipeg, while Connor Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves.
Canucks 4, Panthers 0
Kevin Lankinen recorded a 27-save shutout and J.T. Miller had two assists in his return to the ice as Vancouver beat visiting Florida.
Carson Soucy, Danton Heinen, Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver, which won for just the fifth time in 15 home games this season (5-6-4). Lankinen earned his 14th win and third shutout of the season in 21 starts. Teddy Blueger, Quinn Hughes and rookie Max Sasson each had two assists.
Miller missed the Canucks’ previous 10 games due to undisclosed personal reasons. Defenseman Derek Forbort was also back in Vancouver’s lineup after a 17-game absence caused by a knee injury.
Islanders 5, Blackhawks 4
Noah Dobson, Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov scored within a span of 2:19 as New York held off a late rally by Chicago in Elmont, N.Y.
Dennis Cholowski and Simon Holmstrom scored in the second period for the Islanders, who have won three of four. New York goalie Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves. Holmstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (three assists) each logged a three-point game, and Dobson finished with two points.
Connor Bedard scored in the first period and TJ Brodie tallied in the third before Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice in the final 1:10 third for the Blackhawks, who have lost six of seven. Bedard and Alex Vlasic each registered two assists. Arvid Soderblom stopped just 14 of 19 shots before being pulled for Drew Commesso, who saved both shots he faced in his NHL debut.
Penguins 9, Canadiens 2
The line of Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby dominated in Pittsburgh’s rout of host Montreal.
Rust had three goals and one assist for his sixth career hat trick, Rakell notched two goals and two assists and Crosby collected three assists. Kris Letang, Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Nieto and Noel Acciari also scored for the Penguins, who scored six times in the third period. Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots.
Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia got the goals for Montreal. Sam Montembeault allowed six goals on 26 shots before being replaced by Cayden Primeau, who let in three goals on seven shots.
Capitals 2, Blue Jackets 1 (OT)
Aliaksei Protas scored his second goal of the game at 2:23 of overtime and visiting Washington rallied past Columbus for a 10th consecutive road win, extending a franchise record.
Charlie Lindgren made 32 saves, including three in overtime, for the Capitals, who are 12-1-1 in their past 14 games vs. the Blue Jackets. Jacob Chychrun had two assists.
Zach Werenski scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost five of six (1-4-1). Jet Greaves made 35 saves in his first NHL game of the season.
Predators 4, Stars 1
Ryan O’Reilly scored twice and added an assist in his return from an injury as Nashville snapped its club-record eight-game losing streak with a victory at Dallas.
Tommy Novak and Zachary L’Heureux added goals and Justus Annunen made 35 saves for the Predators, who had been mired in an 0-5-3 skid. O’Reilly had missed the previous three games with a lower-body injury.
Lian Bichsel netted his first career goal for the Stars, who lost for the third time in four games. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves.
Lightning 8, Flames 3
Nikita Kucherov scored one goal in a six-point performance to match a career high and Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up a win in his 500th career game as visiting Tampa Bay routed Calgary.
Jake Guentzel collected a hat trick in the onslaught. Brayden Point netted one goal and three assists, Anthony Cirelli collected one goal and two assists, Brandon Hagel finished with one goal and one assist and Conor Geekie tallied once for the Lightning, who have won three of four games. Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.
Jonathan Huberdeau collected one goal and one assist for the Flames, who are 1-2-1 in their past four games. Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary also scored, and Dan Vladar stopped 18 shots.
Devils 3, Kings 1
Jack Hughes scored to snap a tie with 7:02 remaining in the third period to fuel New Jersey’s victory over Los Angeles in Newark, N.J.
Hughes also notched an assist on both Ondrej Palat’s second goal in as many games and defenseman Brett Pesce’s short-handed tally in the third period. Jacob Markstrom made 12 saves to propel the Devils to their 14th win in 21 games (14-6-1).
Defenseman Jordan Spence scored a goal and David Rittich turned aside 23 shots for the Kings, who fell short in their bid to record their first seven-game winning streak since 2021.
Oilers 7, Wild 1
Leon Draisaitl produced one goal and three assists as Edmonton cruised to a win in Saint Paul, Minn.
Six other players scored for Edmonton, which won its fourth consecutive game. Connor Brown had a goal and an assist. Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard and Vasily Podkolzin finished with two assists apiece, and Calvin Pickard stopped 29 shots.
Frederick Gaudreau scored the lone goal for Minnesota. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson gave up five goals on 26 shots. He was replaced in the third period by Marc-Andre Fleury, who turned aside seven of nine shots.
Maple Leafs 3, Ducks 2
Max Pacioretty had two goals and an assist as Toronto defeated visiting Anaheim for its second win in a row.
William Nylander also scored a goal and John Tavares added two assists for the Maple Leafs. Anthony Stolarz (lower-body injury) played only the first period for Toronto, making seven saves on eight shots. Joseph Woll replaced him to start the second period and made 19 saves.
Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who have lost five in a row (0-4-1). Frank Vatrano also scored, Ryan Strome added two assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 30 shots for the Ducks.
Utah 4, Avalanche 1
Dylan Guenther had two goals and an assist, Vladislav Kolyachonok and Kevin Stenlund also scored and the Utah Hockey Club beat Colorado in Denver.
Karel Vejmelka turned away 23 shots and Logan Cooley had two assists for Utah, which has won five straight road games.
Nathan MacKinnon scored and Scott Wedgewood made 19 saves in his first home start for the Avalanche. Wedgewood was acquired from the Nashville Predators on Nov. 30.
Kraken 5, Bruins 1
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves as Seattle defeated visiting Boston.
Jared McCann had a goal and an assist and Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn also tallied for the Kraken, who improved to 4-1-1 over their past six games. Shane Wright was credited with two assists.
Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot for the Bruins, who have lost the first two stops on their five-game Western trip by a combined margin of 13-2. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 16 of 20 shots.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
TO LURE JUAN SOTO, METS CREATED A VIDEO OF HIS STATUE OUTSIDE CITI FIELD NEXT TO TOM SEAVER’S
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know his future with them could be set in stone.
When the free agent outfielder traveled to owner Steve Cohen’s house in Beverly Hills, California, for a presentation last month, the team showed a video that included an image of a future Soto statue outside Citi Field, next to the one erected of franchise great Tom Seaver.
“Everything that they showed me, what they have, what they want to do, it was incredible,” Soto said. “But my favorite part was the video.”
Soto was introduced at Citi Field on Thursday, a day after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, he was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and agent Scott Boras. Security men in gray suits wearing earpieces were off to the side.
The slugger walked in led by Boras, wearing a dark suit, black turtle neck shirt and gold chain with his No. 22. Soto picked the Mets over the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
His deal includes a luxury suite and four premium tickets for home games, all for free, and personal team security for the four-time All-Star and his family at the team’s expense for all spring training and regular-season home and road games.
“My family is really important for me. Without them, I probably wouldn’t have been here,” Soto said. “It’s one of the biggest things.”
Boras had asked for those sweeteners.
“We included it at the beginning,” Cohen said. “He made a request and we were happy to provide.”
The crosstown Yankees, who reached the World Series for the first time since 2009 in part because of Soto, refused to consider the concept.
“Some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them,” general manager Brian Cashman said.
Cohen purchased the Mets ahead of the 2021 season and has boosted them to baseball’s highest payroll in search of the team’s first title since 1986 — when the World Series MVP, like Soto, wore No. 22 — Ray Knight. The owner thanked his son, Josh, for helping create the video and commended his 93-year-old father-in-law Ralph for attending the first get-together with Soto.
While other teams met Soto at the Pendry Newport Beach, a hotel just a five-minute drive from Boras Corp.’s office, Cohen asked to host the session at one of his homes.
“If we’re going to some restaurant, I didn’t know what the atmosphere would be,” Cohen said. “Food’s better at my house.”
Cohen and Soto met again Friday at another of the owner’s homes in Boca Raton, Florida. Soto wanted to know how many championships Cohen expects over the next decade?
“I said I’d like to win two to four,” the owner recalled.
The value of Soto’s contract eclipsed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. Its length topped Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year agreement with San Diego that runs through 2034. The 26-year-old Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks this year and has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven seasons with Washington, San Diego and the Yankees.
Boras wouldn’t discuss who finished second in the bidding in Soto’s mind.
“When you’re at a wedding, you don’t talk about the bridesmaids,” he said.
Soto made the decision Sunday while at home with his family. Boras referred to the group as the “Soto Supreme Court” defined as “mother, sister, father — he’s got a wide group. I think he may have eight or nine uncles.”
“My information requests and such were rather unique,” Boras said, detailing that his team asked for OPS by ballpark. Soto’s 1.175 at Citi Field is his highest at any stadium where he’s played 15 or more games.
Soto cited Cohen’s relationship with Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz as a factor in his mind.
“They are kind of like (a tight) family, a family that wants to win but they definitely want to take care of their players and their families,” Soto said.
Cohen had his wife Alex and father-in-law attend the initial meeting to emphasize kinship.
“My father-in-law is at every game, every home game,” Cohen said. “I wanted him to see how important baseball is to this family. And Alex grew up with one TV in an apartment and that Met game was on every night.”
Cohen relishes owning the Mets. He spoke earlier in the day to a town hall at his hedge fund.
“Whenever you meet somebody, they want to talk about the Mets before they talk about financial markets,” he said.
Soto’s success will be determined by World Series titles. The Yankees have 27, the Mets two.
“It’s such a big city, right? There’s plenty of room for both of us,” Cohen said.
Soto had a more direct definition.
“Championships is going to tell you if it’s a Yankees or Mets town at the end of the day,” he said.
NASCAR NEWS
DAYTONA 500 SCHEDULE TO INCLUDE EXTRA CUP SERIES PRACTICE
NASCAR Cup Series drivers will have a little more time to prepare for the 2025 Daytona 500, thanks to a 50-minute pre-qualifying practice being added to the schedule.
The extra session will take place on the morning of Feb. 12, kicking off the activities ahead of the 67th running of the “Great American Race” on Feb. 16.
Cup Series director Brad Moran said the additional practice period will give rookies and new team/driver combos more time for on-track orientation.
“With the Daytona 500 being the biggest race of the NASCAR season and our first race, we felt that the extra practice would be good,” Moran said in a news release Thursday. “We have new drivers coming up that are going to be running Cup full-time as well as some drivers who might just show up to run the Daytona 500. It’s a good opportunity to get out on the track, get some track time, shake the cars down prior to qualifying that night, a little more content for the fans and just to get us set up for a great week of racing with everything going on. It’s just going to set the tone for the entire week.”
The complete 2025 Daytona Speedweek schedule (all times ET):
Wednesday, Feb. 12:
10:05-10:55 a.m. — Cup Series opening practice
Noon-7 p.m. — Daytona 500 Media Day
8:15 p.m. — Cup Series pole qualifying
Thursday, Feb. 13:
4:05-4:55 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series practice
5:05-5:55 p.m. — Craftsman Truck Series practice
7 p.m. — Cup Series: Duel 1 qualifying race (60 laps, 150 miles)
8:45 p.m. (approx.) — Cup Series: Duel 2 qualifying race (60 laps, 150 miles)
Friday, Feb. 14:
1:30-2:15 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series qualifying
3 p.m. — Craftsman Truck Series qualifying
4:35-5:25 p.m. — Xfinity Series practice
5:35-6:25 p.m. — Cup Series second practice
7:30 p.m. — Craftsman Truck Series race: Fresh From Florida 250 (100 laps, 250 miles)
Saturday, Feb. 15:
10 a.m. — Xfinity Series qualifying
Noon — ARCA Menards Series race (80 laps, 200 miles)
3:05-3:55 p.m. — Cup Series final practice
5 p.m. — Xfinity Series race: United Rentals 300 (120 laps, 300 miles)
Sunday, Feb. 16:
2:30 p.m. — Cup Series race: 67th Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles)
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT 76ERS
After four days off to regroup and recharge, the Indiana Pacers return to game action Friday night with a visit to the City of Brotherly Love.
In a matchup recently added to the schedule, the Pacers (10-15) will face the Philadelphia 76ers (7-15) at Wells Fargo Center. Indiana’s game against the Sixers, like Sunday’s home contest against New Orleans, was added to the slate last week after the Pacers failed to advance from group play in the NBA Cup.
The Pacers hope they can put a tough stretch of games behind them when they return to the court, as the Blue & Gold have dropped five of their last six outings. During the six-game stretch, they have averaged just 111.5 points per game while giving up 120.5.
Alternatively, the Sixers want to build on their current momentum. Philadelphia has won four of their last five matchups after a 2-12 start to their 2024-2025 campaign.
The Sixers, averaging 105.2 points per game, have hung their hat on their defense thus far, currently boasting the third-best defensive rating in the league at 102.0.
Philadelphia is 1-0 against Indiana for 2024-2025, with the teams meeting four times this season.
In the Pacers’ home opener on Oct. 27, Philadelphia edged Indiana 118-114 in overtime despite not having ex-Pacers star Paul George or 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid due to injuries. Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey finished with a season-high 45 points in the win, including 10 points in the extra period to help seal it.
Maxey leads the Sixers in scoring this season, averaging 24.3 points per game while logging 5.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals nightly. In his first year with Philly, George has averaged 16.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Embiid – who has only played five games total due to injuries – puts up 22.0 points and 8.4 rebounds when he takes the floor this season.
The Pacers are coming off a 113-109 Sunday loss to the Charlotte Hornets where T.J. McConnell scored a career-best 30 points. The Sixers handed the Bulls a 108-100 on Sunday behind 31 points and 12 rebounds from Embiid.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Sixers: G – Tyrese Maxey, G – Kelly Oubre Jr., F – Paul George, F – Guerschon Yabusele, C – Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), Aaron Nesmith – out (left ankle sprain), Ben Sheppard – out (left oblique strain), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Sixers: Kelly Oubre Jr. – questionable (arm), Adem Bona – questionable (knee)
Last Meeting
Oct. 27, 2024: Tyrese Maxey scored a season-high 45 points to help the short-handed Sixers to a 118-114 overtime winover the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
After Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton netted an improbable, leaning 3-pointer with four seconds left to force extra time, Maxey scored 10 points in overtime to claim the road win.
Maxey finished 14-for-32 from the floor for his 45 points and had four rebounds and four assists. Caleb Martin was next with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and former Hoosier Eric Gordon added 15 points off the bench for the Sixers.
Seven Pacers players finished in double-digit scoring, including all five starters, led by 22 from Haliburton and 17 by Pascal Siakam.
The Pacers outshot the Sixers 46.4 to 42.9 from the floor, including making 13 3-pointers to their visitors’ 11 treys, but were outrebounded 54-30. Both teams finished with 19 turnovers in the game.
Noteworthy
Tyrese Haliburton and Joel Embiid won gold medals together for Team USA at the Paris Olympics this past summer.
Haliburton is four made 3-pointers away from passing George Hill (487) for seventh most made threes in Pacers franchise history.
Indiana waived center Moses Brown on Monday. The Pacers’ roster currently has 17 players.
Indiana drafted Paul George with the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. George played seven seasons for the Blue & Gold and still ranks highly in several statistical categories in franchise history.
Eric Gordon, Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2007, graduated from North Central High School and played one season at Indiana University before going pro.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – 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)
INDIANA FOOTBALL
CIGNETTI TABBED HOME DEPOT NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti was named the Home Depot National Coach of the Year on Thursday (Dec. 12) night during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show broadcast on ESPN. He is the fourth Indiana head coach to win a national coach of the year award after orchestrating one of the biggest turnarounds in FBS history.
Cignetti joins the likes of Bo McMillin (1945; AFCA), John Pont (1967; AFCA, FWAA, The Sporting News, Walter Camp Foundation) and Tom Allen (2020; AFCA) to win national coach of the year. He is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year and a part of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list.
He was named the Hayes-Schembechler Big Ten Coach of the Year from the conference coaches and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year from the media that covers the Big Ten earlier this month.
The honors from the Big Ten mark the fourth time in his career that he earned coach of the year accolades from a conference office, doing so once at each of his previous stops. He was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2012, the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 2017 and Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2023.
Cignetti has engineered an eight-game improvement from Indiana’s 2023 to 2024 seasons. That number currently sits tied for the second-best improvement by a first-year head coach since at least 1996. He was the first-ever Division I head coach to start 8-0 or better in consecutive seasons at different institutions. He led James Madison to a 10-0 mark to start the 2023 season and pushed Indiana to an identical mark to begin the 2024 slate.
The 11 victories in 2024 are the most in program history and mark the first double-digit win season in Hoosier history. Likewise, the eight wins in Big Ten play are the most by an IU team since joining the conference in 1900. He is the only Indiana head coach to start a season at least 4-0 and joined the select group of Big Ten coaches that started their Big Ten tenures with 10-0 overall records in the AP Poll Era (since 1936): Ryan Day (Ohio State, 2018-19), Urban Meyer (Ohio State, 2012), Earle Bruce (Ohio State, 1979), Bennie Oosterbaan (Michigan, 1948-49) and Carroll Widdoes (Ohio State, 1944-45).
Indiana has reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history and reaches the postseason for the 13th time. The Hoosiers will take on Notre Dame in the CFP First Round on Friday (Dec. 20) night inside Notre Dame Stadium at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on ABC/ESPN with a special Friday night College GameDay on site in South Bend starting at 3:30 p.m. and leading up to kickoff.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 11 AT NEBRASKA
Opening Tip
• Indiana University will continue Big Ten Conference play in its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball at Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 13, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. The game will be broadcast on FOX with Brandon Gaudin (pxp) and LaPhonso Ellis (analyst) on the call.
• The Cornhuskers enter the game with a record of 6-2 overall (0-1 Big Ten) and a 5-0 mark at home under sixth-year head coach Fred Hoiberg. Senior wing Brice Williams leads Nebraska in scoring at 17.5 points per night. Junior guard Connor Essegian adds 13.0 points per outing with a team-best 20 made 3-pointers. Senior forward Juwan Gary averages 10.6 points and 4.4 boards per game.
Game Information
Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 • 8 p.m. ET
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222) • Bloomington, Ind.
TV: FOX (Brandon Gaudin, LaPhonso Ellis)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 19-10
Last Meeting: NEB 93, IU 66 on March 15, 2024, in Minneapolis
Series History
• Indiana holds a 19-10 series advantage against Nebraska. The Hoosiers carried a seven-game winning streak into last season before the Huskers won all three matchups in 2024.
• Mackenzie Mgbako averaged 14.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game against Nebraska last season. Malik Reneau added 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per outing. Reneau shot 54.2% (13-of-24) from the field and 90.0% (9-of-10) from the free throw line.
• The Hoosiers last won in Lincoln on Jan. 17, 2022, by a score of 78-71. All-American forward Trayce Jackson-Davis tallied 23 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
Last Time Out
• Sixth-year senior Oumar Ballo posted 18 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor, seven rebounds, two assists, and one block in his Big Ten Conference debut to help Indiana to an 82-67 victory over Minnesota on Monday, Dec. 9 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
• The Hoosier bench, led by freshman wing Bryson Tucker (16 points) and sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle (14) outscored the Gophers by a final tally of 32-14.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau added 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako chipped in 13 points. IU improved to 4-0 in Big Ten home openers under head coach Mike Woodson.
Reneau for Two
• Junior forward Malik Reneau is averaging a team-best 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The Miami, Fla., native is shooting 60.0% (60-of-100) from the floor and 84.2% (32-of-38) from the free throw line in 28.0 minutes per game.
• He is one of five major conference players (Fousseyni Traore, BYU; Lynn Kidd, Miami (Fla.); Jase Richardson, Michigan State; Nick Kern Jr., Penn State) to average at least 10.0 points per game while shooting 60.0% from the floor and 80.0% from the free throw line.
• Reneau has tallied 15-plus points 26 times in his career, including seven games this season, and topped the 20-point threshold nine times. IU holds a record of 18-8 in games Reneau scores at least 15 points throughout his career.
Tucker’s Impact Off the Bench
• Freshman wing Bryson Tucker scored a season-best 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor in Indiana’s 82-67 win over Minnesota (Dec. 9). He also collected six rebounds and posted a team-best +15 in 20 minutes of run.
• The 2024 McDonald’s All-American leads the Hoosiers in points (6.4 per game) and rebounds (3.5) off the bench. He has scored 8+ points in four games this season, all resulting in Indiana wins.
• Tucker ranks among the top 10 in Big Ten rookies off the bench in rebounding (5.5 per game, 4th), scoring (6.4, 6th), and total steals (5, t-6th).
Big Fella Ballo
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo swatted a career-high-matching six shots against South Carolina (Nov. 16). The Koulikoro, Mali, native has blocked 160 shots in his career.
• Against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 10), Ballo recorded 17 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in 27 minutes. He shot 8-of-10 from the field in the Indiana victory. He was one of three players (Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; Danny Wolf, Michigan) in the month of November to post a line of 17-9-3 or better while shooting at least 80.0% from the floor.
• Ballo scored a season-best 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the floor against No. 3/4 Gonzaga on day two of the Battle 4 Atlantis. He is the first IU player to finish the game shooting at least 80% from the floor on 10-or-more made field goals since Kel’el Ware vs. Wisconsin on Feb. 27, 2024 (91.7%, 11-12).
• He became the third IU player in the last 30 years (Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jared Jeffries) to record 10+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single game after producing 14 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists against Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 6.
• The former Gonzaga Bulldog and Arizona Wildcat has played in 142 games in his career and earned 120 wins. He holds a career winning percentage of 84.5%.
Second-Year Leap for Mgbako
• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored a career-high 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 shots from behind the arc in Indiana’s victory over SIUE on Nov. 6 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
• The 31 points scored marked the most in a season debut for a Hoosier since 17-year NBA veteran Eric Gordon dropped 33 points in his debut against Chattanooga on Nov. 12, 2007.
• Mgbako is averaging 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.4% (54-of-105) from the field, 43.9% (18-of-41) from behind the arc, and 92.6% (25-of-27) from the charity stripe.
• The Gladstone, N.J., native is one of two Big Ten players (Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Maryland) to average at least 14.0 points per game while shooting above 50.0% from the floor, 40.0% from the 3-point line, and 90.0% from the free throw line this season.
Goode Shines in Win Over Sam Houston
• Indiana received 36 bench points, including a season-high 18 points from senior forward Luke Goode, to down Sam Houston by a score of 97-71 on Dec. 3, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Illinois transfer knocked down a career-best five 3-pointers in 17 minutes.
• Junior forward Malik Reneau secured his third career double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice scored a game-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor.
• Fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal posted four points, four rebounds, four assists, and two assists. He was a game-high +39 in 25 minutes of run off the bench.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
BOILERS FALL IN LOUISVILLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 4 seeded Purdue Boilermakers fell to host No. 1 seeded Louisville in the NCAA Regional Semifinals, 17-25, 18-25, 18-25, ending one of the program’s finest seasons in its history. Purdue finished the season with a 27-7 (16-4 Big Ten) record, the second 27-win season in Shondell’s 22-year reign.
As a team, 10 program records and one Big Ten record were either broken or matched since the start of Big Ten play, including Colvin’s career block assists record, Shondell becoming the all-time winningest head coach and setting a Big Ten regular-season attendance record. Additionally, the team’s .280 season hitting % finished as the third-highest mark in program history.
Senior Raven Colvin reached her 1,000th career kill with her first kill of the match and ended the night with a team-leading 13 kills. The Grand Rapids Rise pro team-destined athlete finished her career hitting .550% (13-2-20) alongside two blocks. Colvin will close her career as one of the best blockers Purdue has ever seen. In addition to holding the Purdue record for block assists (559), she ranks second in Purdue’s annals in total blocks (642) and blocks per game (1.39). Additionally on the single-season side, both Colvin’s 1.56 blocks per set and 155 block assists each rank as second-most in a single-season while her .356 season hitting % ties as the 10th-best mark.
Purdue’s middle blocker performance tonight was rounded out by Lourdes Myers’ team-leading .625% with an errorless five kills on eight attacks and a team-leading four blocks.
The Boilermakers out-blocked the blocks per set national leaders, 7-5, but were unable to contain its efficient offense as Louisville averaged a season-high .467 attack %. Meanwhile, Purdue hit .273 in the match, double Louisville’s opponent hitting %.
PURDUE TRACK
INDOOR HEADS TO CHICAGO FOR FIRST TEAM MEET
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Indoor Track & Field is set for its first full team meet of the 2024-25 season on Friday at the Blue Demon Holiday Invitational. The meet comes after Douglas Buckeridge kicked off the season individually in Boston last weekend.
The program is set to welcome back 10 men’s and nine women’s athletes that rank in the top 10 in Purdue history in their respective indoor events.
Purdue returns five men’s and three women’s athletes that finished top eight in an event at the Big Ten Championships. The men’s 4x400m, that finished seventh at the championship, returns all-four runners.
Men’s Notes
• Brett Otterbacher is the only athlete to appear in the program’s top 10 of three separate races with his No. 2 rank in the 400m (46.83), 500m (1:02.50) and 600m (1:17.52). He was eighth at last season’s Big Tens in the 400m.
• Praise Aniamaka, the lone All-American from last year’s team, returns after he finished ninth in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the triple jump with a season-best 15.98m (52-5.25). He was also the Big Ten runner-up last season.
• Cameron Miller returns his program-record 20.40 in the 200m last season. He also ran the second-fastest time by a Boilermaker with a 20.54 in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Miller earned bronze in the Big Team Indoor Championships with a 20.82.
• Other returners in the program’s top 10: Andreas Hantson No. 3 in the heptathlon (5,417 points), Kiefer Bell No. 4 in the mile (4:03.99), Jasiah Rogers tied No. 5 in the 60m (6.66), Logan Sandlin No. 6 in the heptathlon (5,169 points), Bode Gilkerson tied No. 9 in the high jump (7-00.25/2.15m), Nolan Maklin No. 10 in the 200m (21.17) and Nickens Lemba No. 10 in the 500m (1:04.36).
Women’s Notes
• Alexia Smith is the one of two women’s athlete to appear twice in top 10 program categories with her No. 3 rank in the 500m (1:12.06) and No. 8 ran in the 400m (1:12.06).
• Emma Squires also ranks twice in the top 10 of an event with her No. 4 rank in the 3000m (9:28.12) and No. 10 rank in the mile (4:47.29).
• Zoe Sullivan enters the season second in program history in the 60m hurdles (8.24). She is the highest-ranked active women’s athlete in her respective event. Sullivan finished eighth in the event at Big Tens last season.
• Nia Wilson is fourth in program history in the 60m (7.39) – a time she set in last season’s Big Ten Championship prelims. She finished ninth in the finals.
• Bryanna Craig led the women’s side at Big Tens last season with her runner-up finish in the pentathlon. She ranks fourth in program history with a 4,046-point personal-best in the event.
• Jalen Elrod joined Craig on the podium at last season’s Big Ten Championships with her sixth-place finish in the pentathlon. Her 3,815-point personal-best in seventh in program history.
• Cierra Williams returns this season after she missed the 2023-24 season. In 2023 indoor she finished seventh at Big Tens in the 400m (53.75). She is fifth in program history with a 53.33 personal best.
• Other returners in the program’s top 10: K’Ja Talley tied No. 4 in the 60m hurdles (8.26) and Payne Turney No. 9 in the mile (4:47.12).
Next Up
Friday’s race is the only one in the 2024 portion of the schedule. The team returns to action after the turn of the New Year for a two-day meet at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invite hosted by Kentucky.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 8 IRISH ROLL IN 79-68 WIN OVER NO. 2 UCONN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — That’s three straight for the Irish.
On Thursday, No. 8 Notre Dame (8-2) hosted No. 2 UConn (8-1) and defeated the Huskies for the third straight season, 79-68. Hannah Hidalgo led the charge with 29 points including a 6-11 showing from the 3-point line. She also had a near triple-double with 10 boards and 8 assists. Liatu King notched her fifth double-double of the year with 16 points and 12 boards, and Miles added 16 points with an efficient 6-9 showing on the night.
Notre Dame led nearly wire-to-wire. A Miles trey started the scoring before she briefly left the game with an ankle injury. She returned a few minutes later. Liza Karlen stepped in with a quick 4 points, her first in an Irish uniform after missing the first nine games of the year with a foot injury suffered in the exhibition.
Connecticut took a 10-9 lead with 2:00 left in the first frame before three consecutive Notre Dame 3-pointers, two by Hidalgo and one by Cassandre Prosper. The air attack continued for Hidalgo in Q2, as the sophomore All-American hit another pair of shots from beyond the arc and went into the locker room 4-6 from deep and 5-11 from the floor in the first half. She also hit three free throws.
Notre Dame had a 39-28 lead at the break. The Irish still have not trailed at the half this season. Hidalgo led all scorers with 17 points and King had 10 after going 5-10 from the floor.
UConn went on its run in the third quarter and cut the game to 43-39 before Sonia Citron knocked down a 3-pointer, and Hidalgo hit another buzzer beater, this time a trey. The Huskies shot 61.1 percent in Q3.
The Irish responded with a vengeance to close it out. Notre Dame hit seven of its last seven field goal attempts to ice the game and earn its third victory over a top-five team in as many games. The Irish are the only team in the country with more than one victory over a team ranked No. 5 or higher. They’ve also defeated No. 3 USC and No. 4 Texas.
Up next, Notre Dame hosts Eastern Michigan (1-5) on Sunday at Purcell Pavilion. The game tips off at ACCNX at 2 p.m.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
WATTS EARNS WALTER CAMP FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Graduate safety Xavier Watts has been named a Walter Camp First-Team All-American for the second-consecutive year, the only college player to do so in 2023 and 2024.
Watts, a Notre Dame team captain, is Notre Dame’s first two-time Walter Camp All-American since OL Aaron Taylor in 1992 and 1993.
The Walter Camp team is one of the five All-America teams that are utilized to determine both consensus and unanimous All-America honors. The Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and American Football Coaches Association teams are the other four that have yet to announce their teams.
Watts has already been named a First-Team All-American by The Athletic and Pro Football Focus. Watts was named a First-Team Midseason All-American by Associated Press, The Sporting News, PFF, Athlon Sports, The Athletic and CBS Sports.
Watts earned Notre Dame’s program Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024, and he was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award and the 2024 Lott IMPACT Trophy.
Watts has totaled 12-career interceptions, the most by a Notre Dame player since 1996. He is the 19th Notre Dame player to intercept 10 or more passes and is tied for eighth on the all-time list for career interceptions in program history.
Watts ranks third in the nation in total interceptions (5), fourth in the nation in interceptions per game (0.4), and 12th in the country in passes defended (1.2 per game).
Notre Dame has gained 28 turnovers this season (tied for first in the nation). Watts is responsible for six of them (five interceptions, one fumble recovery).
The Irish defense is one of the most complete defenses in the country, ranking among the FBS’ top teams. At the end of the regular season, Notre Dame was first in team passing efficiency defense (94.10), first in turnovers gained (28), first in defensive touchdowns (6), third in scoring defense (13.6), fourth in passing yards allowed (157.9), fourth in interceptions (17), seventh in fumbles recovered (11), ninth in red zone defense (0.733), 10th in total defense (296.8) and 10th in first downs defense (197).
BUTLER FOOTBALL
KEVIN LYNCH SELECTED TO LEAD BUTLER FOOTBALL PROGRAM AS HEAD COACH
Kevin Lynch, who has served on the Ball State coaching staff since 2016, has been hired as the head football coach at Butler. Vice President/Director of Athletics Grant Leiendecker made the announcement Thursday, Dec. 12.
Lynch will be introduced to the Butler community Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m. The event in the Hinkle Fieldhouse Wildman Room is open to the public.
Lynch, who served as Ball State’s offensive play caller, was the Assistant Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach during the 2024 season. He also served as the team’s Offensive Coordinator. His earlier roles at Ball State included the positions of Running Backs Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
“Kevin has a great appreciation for our university and The Butler Way,” said Leiendecker. “He stood out among a very talented and deep applicant pool. Kevin clearly articulated his passion and ability to build relationships, identify and develop talent, and continue to build a culture of excellence within our program. We are thrilled to welcome Kevin, Katelyn and the Lynch Family, and are excited for the future of our program.”
“My family and I are both grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead the Butler Football program,” said Lynch. “Butler is a special place, and I’ve seen that first-hand through the impact it has had on my family over the years. Young men in our program will have the ability to compete for championships in the Pioneer Football League while receiving a tremendous education. We are going to embrace The Butler Way and I’m excited to get to work.”
Lynch is the 26th head coach in program history and just the tenth since 1935 when Tony Hinkle first led the Bulldogs. The program started in 1887. Lynch replaces Mike Uremovich, who accepted the head coaching position at Ball State on Dec. 4 after spending three seasons at Butler.
Under Lynch’s guidance, Kadin Semonza earned 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year honors after leading the conference in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. Lynch also played a crucial role in helping develop former BSU quarterback Drew Plitt, who concluded his career by ranking second in Ball State history in completions, third in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns.
Offensive playmakers Justin Hall and Carson Steele achieved remarkable success in Lynch’s offense. Hall set Ball State program records for career all-purpose yards (5,359) and career receiving yards (3,385) while tying the NCAA record for consecutive games with a reception (54). Steele produced over 1,000 all-purpose yards at Ball State in 2021 before continuing his collegiate career at UCLA. Steele went undrafted in 2024, but signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent after a standout prep career that began at Center Grove High School.
In his inaugural season as offensive coordinator, Lynch played a key role in Ball State’s successful 2020 season, winning the MAC Championship along with the program’s first bowl victory (Arizona Bowl). During the campaign, Ball State had a notable presence in the AP and Coaches Polls.
Prior to Ball State, Lynch coached at the University of Indianapolis, where he served as an assistant coach from 2010-16. Being part of the most successful eras in UIndy history, Lynch helped the Greyhounds to 39 wins, four conference championships and three NCAA Division II playoff appearances in a four-year span. He mentored numerous UIndy receivers to all-conference accolades, including two-time GLVC Player of the Year and 2015 All-American Reece Horn.
His first coaching job was an assistant role at Indiana University. Lynch was the offensive quality control coach for the Hoosiers from 2009-10, assisting the offensive coordinator and helping with special teams.
Kevin Lynch is the son of former Butler football head coach Bill Lynch, who led the Bulldogs from 1985-89. Bill won 36 games over a five-year coaching stint and was a three-time All-American at quarterback for Butler from 1974-76. Bill later served as the head coach at Indiana, Ball State and DePauw.
Lynch earned a bachelor’s degree from Franklin College, where he was a standout all-conference wide receiver. He and his wife, Katelyn, have three sons; Will, Beau and Jack, and a daughter, Lucy.
IU INDY TRACK
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD TO HEAD TO BLOOMINGTON FOR IU EARLY BIRD
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The IU Indianapolis women’s track and field team will compete at the IU Early Bird on Friday evening (Dec. 13), giving an early look at the Jaguar squad. Last weekend, the duo of Morgan Hoard and Paige Laffoon competed at UIndy with Laffoon later being named #HLTF Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.
Laffoon broke her own school record in the pentathlon while Hoard broke her own school record in the shotput as part of her multis performance. This week, head coach Antonio McDaniel will have a full contingent of athletes in action, primarily in sprints and jumps.
Journey Howard leads the group competing in the 60m hurdles, having run 9.12 seconds while junior Modupe Awosanya is tops among the 60m dash entries, holding the school record at 7.62 seconds. Sophomore Paige Schulte is the team’s top entry in the 200m dash with a personal best time of 25.98 seconds and Julie Smith and Wini Barnett will run the mile earlier in the evening.
Hoard will take aim at her school record in the shotput, having thrown 10.80m (35′ 5.25”) last weekend. Laffoon is the team’s top entrant in the long jump at 5.54m (18′ 2.25”) and Jada-Marie Davis is the top entry in the high jump, holding the school record at 1.66m (5′ 5.25”).
Four Jaguars will make their collegiate debuts as Jahzara McAlister is slated for the 60m and 200m events and Pa’Shence Purnell will run the 60m hurdles and 200m dash. Ava Sullivan will compete in the shotput and Jade Wiese is scheduled for the 60m dash and long jump.
Full results and a recap of Friday’s events will be posted to IUIndyJags.com immediately afterwards.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
KOZIOL EARNS ALL-AMERICA HONORS
MUNCIE, Ind. – Junior tight end Tanner Koziol has been earned a pair of All-America honors as named by digital media outlets HERO Sports and College Football Network. Koziol was named a first team Group of Five All-American by HERO Sports, announced today among three All-America teams honoring student-athletes from Group of Five mid-major conferences. Earlier this week, he was honored as a third-team All-American by College Football Network.
Koziol was Ball State’s most highly touted star in 2024. He ranked fourth in the country with 7.8 receptions per game.
A second-team all-league pick in the Mid-American Conference behind first-teamer Harold Fannin of Bowling Green, Koziol shares the two-tight end Group of Five first team with Fannin who was also acknowledged by HERO Sports as the team’s offensive player of the year.
On All-America teams named this week by CFN, Koziol was a third-teamer behind Fannin and Penn State’s Tyler Warren.
Koziol, a national semifinalist for the Mackey Award honoring the country’s best tight end, broke Ball State’s single-season and career receptions records by a tight end last season. He finished the year with 94 catches for 839 yards. His 94 catches are fourth in Cardinals history by any receiver. Through three seasons, his 163 career receptions are ninth in Ball State history.
INDIANA STATE TRACK
TREES OPEN 2024-25 INDOOR SEASON IN WINDY CITY
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Defending Missouri Valley Conference Champion Indiana State begins its 2024-25 indoor track and field season Friday when the Sycamores travel north for the Blue Demon Holiday Invite in Chicago.
Friday’s first events start at 3 p.m. with the women’s weight throw and both the men’s and women’s high jump. The first events on the track will be the 60m hurdles prelims at 6 p.m.
The Champs Are Back
Indiana State has been the dominant program of the MVC for the last three seasons, winning nine of the 12 possible conference titles during that span. The Sycamores have swept the MVC Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships in each of the last three seasons, with Indiana State also winning two MVC Women’s Indoor Track and Field titles (2022, 2024) and one MVC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field title (2024) in that span.
The 2024-25 season was one for the history books for the Trees, as Indiana State swept the MVC Men’s and Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time in program history. Indiana State also set program records for points at both the men’s indoor and outdoor championships.
Preseason Feeling
Indiana State was selected to repeat as MVC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field favorites, as announced by the conference office. Indiana State received nine out of 10 first-place votes on the men’s side for 99 out of 100 possible points, while the women’s team earned 10 out of 12 first-place votes for 140 out of 144 possible points.
The Sycamores return a plethora of talent from their three-time defending indoor championship team, led by Second Team All-American Will Staggs (pole vault). Staggs, Casey Hood Jr. (60m) and Kevin Krutsch (high jump) headline the returning conference champions from indoor season. Indiana State earned 16 all-conference honors across 12 different events at last season’s MVC Men’s Indoor Championships, leading to a program-record 183.5 points. The Trees also earned their first-ever No. 1 Great Lakes Region ranking during the season and were ranked in the top 10 in the region, every week last season.
Indiana State’s women’s team returns both of its individual conference champions from last season in Rachel Mehringer (60m hurdles) and Niesha Anderson (weight throw), with Anderson being the highest-ranked field athlete in the MVC last season. The Sycamores had 10 different athletes earn all-conference accolades last season across 10 different events on the way to their second indoor conference title in the last three seasons. Indiana State reached as high as No. 8 in the Great Lakes Region ranking, while being ranked in the top 15 in the region every week last season.
Back For More
Indiana State features multiple standout athletes who are using their extra season of eligibility to return to the Sycamore program for another run at a conference title this season.
2024 Second Team Outdoor Track and Field All-American Elias Foor and 2024 MVC Indoor and Outdoor High Jump Champion Kevin Krutsch headline the fifth-year returners on the men’s side, with standout all-conference long sprinter Tahj Johnson also returning for the Sycamores. On the women’s side, 2023 MVC Heptathlon Champion Kamille Gaskin-Griffith and all-conference standouts Erica Barker and Dominique Wood all return for the Trees to give Indiana State a deep roster once again on both the men’s and women’s side.
Best In The Nation
Indiana State has a pair of returning All-Americans from its 2023-24 track and field roster, with Will Staggs and Elias Foor both ranking among the nation’s top athletes last season.
Staggs, Indiana State’s indoor and outdoor pole vault record holder and one of the top pole vaulters in MVC history, finished ninth last season at the 2024 NCAA Indoor National Championships and also earned a top-20 finish at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
Foor, the 2024 MVC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Most Valuable Athlete, earned a top-15 finish in the discus at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor National Championships. The 2024 outdoor season was one for the record books for Foor, who set top-10 program marks in the shot put, discus and hammer throw while also setting a Gibson Track and Field Complex record in the discus.
The Forest Runs Deep
Indiana State featured a 1-2 punch in the men’s 60m last season that ranked among the best in the nation, with Terrance O’Bannon and Casey Hood Jr. both ranking among the top 50 nationally last season.
Hood, the 2024 MVC 60m Champion and Indoor Freshman of the Year, and O’Bannon, a two-time MVC 60m runner up and 2024 MVC 100m Champion, both rank in the top three in program history in the 60m and were the top two athletes in the MVC in the event last season.
Record-Setting Start
Indiana State hurdler Rachel Mehringer had a freshman campaign to remember in the 2023-24 season, winning both the MVC 60m hurdles and 100m hurdles titles as part of the Sycamores’ championship sweep. Mehringer went wire-to-wire as the top-ranked 60m hurdles athlete in the MVC last season, and also ranked in the top 15 in the 60m.
Mehringer also set the school record in the 100m hurdles, while smashing Indiana State’s facility record in the 60m hurdles. Her indoor hurdles time already ranks second in program history.
Strength In Numbers
Indiana State’s depth has kept the Sycamores as the top team in the MVC in recent years, with Sycamore student-athletes combining to earn 26 all-conference honors at last season’s MVC Indoor Championships.
More than half of those all-conference performances came from returning athletes for the Sycamores, while nearly every athlete on the 2024 MVC Championship Roster for Indiana State placed in a scoring position.
Up Next
Indiana State’s next meet comes after the calendar flips to 2025, as the Sycamores face longtime rival Illinois State for the annual Coughlan-Malloy Cup January 17 in Normal, Illinois.
The Sycamores won the Coughlan-Malloy Cup last season by a 178-118 margin, marking the first time since 2017 that the cup resided in Terre Haute. The 60-point margin was also the largest in the dual meet since 2015.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S SOCCER
DIAZ BARRAGAN NAMED TO THE UNITED SOCCER COACHES ALL-WEST REGION TEAM
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team placed one student-athlete on the United Soccer Coaches all-region team, as announced in a release from the organization this week.
Senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain) was the only Purple Ace to make the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region honors. Diaz Barragan was named to the All-West Region second team after leading UE’s offense during the program’s historic 50th season. He also earned conference accolades for his performance in 2024 being named to the All-MVC Second Team.
With eight goals, two assists, 18 points, 43 shots, and 24 shots on goal, Diaz Barragan was the offensive leader for Evansville in 2024. Across 21 games started, Diaz Barragan was one of only two players in the MVC to score a brace in three games or more with the other player being the MVC Player of the Year Jesus Barea. At the end of the season Diaz Barragan was 22nd in the nation in shot accuracy at 55.8% and was in the Top 100 for goals scored.
Overall, the MVC took 11 of 22 possible spots on either the first or second team in the West Region. Of the Valley’s 11 student-athletes six were on the first team and five were on the second team.
TAYLOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
TAYLOR CAN’T SURVIVE BOUT WITH HOT-SHOOTING GRENADIERS
NEW ALBANY, Ind. – A back-and-forth game Thursday night between Taylor (4-7, 0-4 CL) and IU Southeast (3-5, 0-1 RSC) came down to the wire, when an 8-0 Grenadier run during the closing minutes handed TU a tough, 79-75 loss.
The final three stanzas saw the host-Grenadiers shoot 57.8 percent from the floor, including 10-of-16 from deep, to help them pull out the win.
The home team’s victory did not come smoothly, as Kacey Ott caught fire in the low post when the forward entered the game in the third quarter. Ott scored 19 points on 7-of-11 accuracy while making all five of her free throws, including four consecutive makes with just over two minutes to play that gave TU a 73-70 edge.
IUS scored in one fashion or another on each of its last four possessions, however, to prolong the Trojans’ skid.
Taylor built an 18-13 advantage through one quarter, but a combination of turnovers and defensive struggles in transition during the second quarter led to the Grenadiers holding a 38-33 halftime lead.
Kendall Wayne saw her shot fall all throughout the night, splashing home a trey in each of the first three quarters and tallying a career-high 16 points. The senior helped launch a second-half comeback with an early third-period triple, and she recorded a game- and career-high 10 rebounds.
Both teams played well offensively in that third quarter where IU Southeast’s lead grew to as many as 10, though its advantage was trimmed to five heading into the fourth.
Ava Henson, who tied for a game-high 20 points, gave Taylor its initial fourth-quarter lead with 5:15 remaining following a pair of technical foul shots and a bucket in the lane.
Emma Fohl notched nine points and five assists, the latter of which matched Henson for the team lead.
Defensively, the Purple and Grey collected 11 steals, including three from both Henson and Wayne, to help TU win the turnover battle, 18-13.
Taylor tips off the Trojan Classic inside Odle Arena on Tuesday, December 17, at 4 p.m. against IU Kokomo (4-5, 1-0 RSC).
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
10 – 9 – 6 – 21 – 2 – 33 – 18 – 7 – 8 – 41
December 13, 1936 – National Football League Championship, Polo Grounds, NYC: Green Bay Packers beat Boston Redskins, 21-6. For the Packers franchise it was their 4th NFL title. For the Redskins it signalled a move to Washington, D.C. for 1937 season
December 13, 1960 – Ballon d’Or: Barcelona midfielder Number 10, Luis Suárez was named best football player in Europe ahead of Real Madrid’s Hungarian forward Number 10, Ferenc Puskás and Hamburg striker Number 9, Uwe Seeler
December 13, 1989 – Denver Nuggets player, Number 6, Walter Davis had his NBA free throw streak of 53 games come to an end.
December 13, 1991 – Seattle Supersonics player, Number 21, Ricky Pierce had his NBA free throw streak of 75 games come to an end.
December 13, 1997 – 63rd Heisman Trophy Award was won by Michigan cornerback/ returner, Number 2, Charles Woodson.
December 13, 1999 – 65th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Wisconsin running back, Number 33, Ron Dayne,
December 13, 2003 – 69th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Oklahoma Quarterback, Number 18, Jason White
December 13, 2004 – Ballon d’Or: Milan’s Ukrainian striker Number 7, Andriy Shevchenko was named best football player in Europe ahead of Deco (Porto/FC Barcelona) and Barcelona midfielder Number 10, Ronaldinho
December 13, 2010 – 76th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Auburn Quarterback, Number 2, Cam Newton
December 13, 2014 – 80th Heisman Trophy Award was won by Oregon Quarterback, Number 8, Marcus Mariota
December 13, 2015 – 81st Heisman Trophy Award was won by Alabama running back, Number 2, Derrick Henry
December 13, 2018 – German basketball forward Dirk Nowitzki takes the court for his record 21st NBA season wearing the Number 41, with the Dallas Mavericks, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 20 seasons with the LA Lakers. Nowitzki had his number 41 jersey retired by Dallas Mavericks early in 2022.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 13, 1931 – This was the final game played in the NFL season of 1931 and it also marked the final year that the League Champion would be the team with the best record. Scorum.com has a great write up in the season of 1931 where the National Football League Champions were the Green Bay Packers who posted a 12-2-0 record which was good enough for them to earn their 3rd straight NFL title. In second that year were the Portsmouth Spartans who would later become the Detroit Lions, as they sported an 11-3 record on the season. There was some controversy over this though as the Packers refused to play a game against Portsmouth that was on the schedule. Had this game been played and Portsmouth won it, the Packers title would have either been shared or relinquished to the team that defeated them head to head, the Spartans in that scenario. Needless to say that Green Bay Packers are the 1931 NFL Champions.
December 13, 1936 – Polo Grounds, New York City – The Green Bay Packers win the franchise’s first NFL Championship Game against the Boston Redskins. It was the final game in Boston before the franchise moved to Washington D.C. The Packers big 21-6 victory was sparked by Arnie Herber’s aerial attack on the Redskins according to a story published the day after the game found on packersnews.com. Don Hutson hauled in one of Herber’s passes for a TD while another receiver, Milt Gantenbein scored on another. The third touchdown drive engineered by the Pack was set up by a couple more key pass plays. Each player on the Packers took home a nifty sum of $250 for their win as the Boston players placed an extra $180 in their wallets after the 1936 NFL Championship.
December 13, 1942 – Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. – The Redskins franchise appeared in another NFL Title tilt on the day of December 13. The 1942 NFL Championship game saw the Washington Redskins upset the Bears of Chicago by one score in a 14-6 final. Bob Carroll in a great write up in the Professional Football Researchers Association periodical “The Coffin Corner” Volume 18 in 1996 sets the scene. The Bears if you remember from an earlier edition of the Football History Headlines destroyed the Redskins in an embarrassing 73-0 drubbing in the 1940 NFL Title Game. Carroll goes on to remind us that the ‘42 Bears at 11-0 were probably even a stronger adversary for the 10-1 Washington squad to face than two years earlier. With memories of the 73 point humiliation on their minds the Redskins came into this contest literally loaded for “Bear.” After a scoreless first stanza the Bears changed the scoreboard with a 52 scoop and score of a Washington fumble. The Redskins responded with Sammy Baugh threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Wilt Moore and Washington took the lead into the half with the successful PAT. The Redskins continued to frustrate the Bears offense and used their own offensive weapon running back Andy Farkas pounded the heart of the Bears defense on ten carries of an 80 yard scoring drive. This was all the Redskins needed to go with their stifling defense to win the NFL Title!
December 13, 1969 – The Continental Football League plays its final game as it disbanded in 1970. The Continental according to the Fun While it Lasted website was started in 1965 and in its 5 seasons heralded 44 teams in its brief history as it combined teams from multiple second tier leagues such as the Texas Football League and others to make a very widespread diverse group.
December 13, 1973 – According to the historyofcollegefootball.com website Penn State Running Back John Cappelletti gave his moving Heisman Trophy acceptance speech. As we discussed earlier this week on the Football History Headlines Cappelletti dedicated the trophy to his ailing younger brother Joey who had leukemia.
December 13, 1997 – The 63rd Heisman Trophy was quite historic as it was the first time according to Heisman.com that since college football shifted to a two platoon of an offensive team and a defensive team that a two way player won the coveted Trophy. That player was Michigan’s cornerback, Charles Woodson. The Junior compiled some great stats in the 1997 season as he picked off 7 passes and registered 43 tackles on defense. On the offensive side of the ball he put up one touchdown on 11 receptions for 231 yards and his kick return yardage set up many more successful Wolverine drives. It was all around great play like this that Woodson earned the Heisman over a Tennessee quarterback named Peyton Manning who had some phenomenal numbers of his own.
December 13, 1999 – The Manhattan Downtown Athletic Club handed the 65th Heisman Trophy Award to Running Back Ron Dayne of Wisconsin. Dayne put up some gaudy numbers on the ground according to Heisman.com. Dayne capped off his Senior season with 1834 yards to enter the realm that only four other players have ever accomplished in having four seasons rushing over the single season 1000 yard mark. The “Dayne Train” also set an NCAA record that still stands today when you total in his bowl games to reach a career rushing total of an amazing 7125 yards on the ground in college.
December 13, 2003 – Jason White, Oklahoma’s Senior quarterback won the 69th Heisman Trophy. White had to overcome two different ACL injuries during his collegiate career to settle into a true pocket passer style of quarterbacking according to the Heisman Trophy’s official website. From the shotgun formation White threw for 3744 yards and 40 touchdowns on only 8 interceptions to lead the Sooners to an undefeated season. Jason White also was an unanimous All-American, won the AP’s Player of the Year, the consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Davey O’Brien Award winner and the Jim Thorpe Courage Awards.
December 13, 2010 – Auburn Tigers Quarterback Cam Newton took home the 76th Heisman Trophy Award. The Junior signal caller per the Heisman.com website took the SEC and all of NCAA football by storm as he used his legs and arm to slice through defenses. Newton registered 20 touchdowns and 1409 yards on the ground and added another 28 scores and 2589 yards through the air to take home the coveted hardware by a landslide. Cam was the 2010 AP Player of the Year and was a big reason the Tigers took home the BCS Title when they defeated Oregon in the Championship game to cap off an awesome season.
December 13, 2014 – The 80th Heisman Trophy Award went to Marcus Mariota, the nifty quarterback from the University of Oregon. Mariota set a bunch of ground breaking items according to Heisman.com as he became the first player of Polynesian descent, the first from the State of Hawaii and the very first Oregon Duck to take home the Trophy named for legendary Coach John Heisman. The Junior signal caller registered 3783 yards in passing with 38 TD and only having two tosses picked off. Mariota also used his legs as he put up another 669 yards on the ground with 14 additional TDs for the Ducks, oh and don’t forget he also hauled in a pass for a score on top of that!
December 13, 2015 – When you set an SEC record of 1986 yards rushing in a season in the age where the SEC was arguably the strongest conference in the nation you are going to take home the 81st Heisman Trophy Award. That is exactly what Derrick Henry, Alabama’s powerful running back did.Henry also tied the Conference’s touchdown mark with 23 scores according to Heisman.com. Derrick’s 339 rushing attempts along with his record yardage mentioned earlier both led the nation in collegiate football. He capped off the brilliant season by adding another bruising 158 yards against Clemson to help the Crimson Tide win the National Title.
Hall Of Fame Birthdays for December 13
December 13, 1911 – Louisville, Kentucky – Fred “Buzz” Borries the great Navy halfback was born. Borries according to the footballfoundation.org website scored the only TD in the 1933 Navy 7-0 victory over Notre Dame. During the 1934 Army-Navy game Buzz had 36 carries for the Midshipmen and helped set up a Slade Cutter field goal to knock off the Cadets 3-0. The National Football Foundation Selected Buzz Borries to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1960. Commander Fred Borries was a decorated war hero who helped the vessels in his command win some stunning victories at sea just like he did on the gridiron earlier in life.
December 13, 1955 – Logansport, Indiana – The pride of Franklin College football program, Brad Crawford who played cornerback was born. Crawford’s uncanny speed and quickness helped him make bad days for quarterbacks who opposed the Franklin Grizzlies secondary per the NFF’s website bio on him. In 1975 he registered 9 pass interceptions and had 25 in his college career to go with an outstanding kick return average of 25.9 yards. Brad Crawford was invited to have a place in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 to go along with his 1986 induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame.
December 13, 1960 – Richard Dent the tenured 15 year NFL defensive end of the Chicago Bears came into this life. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website bio the Tennessee State product was picked by the Bears in the 1983 NFL Draft in the eight round. What a bargain find Chicago had with that pick as Dent dominated with 137.5 career sacks. Richard was part of one of the NFL’s greatest defenses, the 1985 Bears under legendary coordinator Buddy Ryan. Dent was an All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl 4 times each as well as being named the Super Bowl XX Most Valuable Player as he and the Bears capped off the monster season by winning it all. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Richard Dent in 2011.
December 13, 1961- Fullerton, California – Gary Zimmerman the great tackle from the University of Oregon came into this life. Gary Z enjoyed a productive 12 year NFL career after being picked third in the 1984 Supplemental Draft by the New York Giants. Zimmerman was best known for anchoring the lines of the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos. He was so dominant that according to the profootballhof.com he earned spots on two All- Decade teams for both the 1980’s and the 1990’s. Gary also was durable for most of his career tallying 169 straight starts at one point. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Gary Zimmerman in 2008’s class.
TODAY IN SPORTS
Dec. 13
1942 — The Washington Redskins win the NFL Championship with a 14-6 victory over the Chicago Bears.
1958 — Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings scores his 400th NHL goal in a 2-2 tie against the Montreal Canadiens.
1981 — John McEnroe and Roscoe Tanner lead the United States to a 3-1 victory over Argentina in the Davis Cup final.
1983 — Detroit beats Denver 186-184 in triple overtime in the highest-scoring game in NBA history. Isiah Thomas scores 47 and John Long adds 41 for the Pistons. Denver’s Kiki Vandeweghe had 51 points.
1992 — Manon Rheaume becomes the first woman to play in a regular-season professional game when she appears in the Atlanta Knights’ 4-1 loss to Salt Lake City in the International Hockey League.
1995 — Detroit’s Paul Coffey becomes the first NHL defenseman to reach 1,000 career assists, setting up Igor Larionov’s first-period goal in the Red Wings’ 3-1 victory over Chicago.
1997 — Michigan’s Charles Woodson is named the first predominantly defensive player to receive the Heisman Trophy in the 63 years of the award. Woodson and the Wolverines go on to defeat Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl, claiming a perfect 12-0 season and a share of the National Championship.
1998 — Gary Anderson kicks six field goals, setting the NFL record with 34 straight without a miss, in Minnesota’s 38-28 victory over Baltimore.
2003 — Mount Union breaks its own NCAA record by winning its 55th consecutive game, beating Bridgewater 66-0 in the NCAA Division III semifinals.
2004 — In Sestriere, Italy, World Cup leader Bode Miller wins a slalom to join Marc Girardelli as the only men to win races in all four disciplines in a season. Miller has won slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill races in a span of 16 days.
Dec. 14
1920 — Jack Dempsey knocks out Bill Brennan in the 12th round at Madison Square Garden to retain his world heavyweight title.
1933 — Howie Morenz becomes the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer in the Montreal Canadiens’ 2-0 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Morenz scores the 247th goal of his career to move ahead of Cy Denneny. The milestone comes at the Forum. Montreal’s Lorne Chabot gets the shutout and the a game is played without a penalty being called.
1947 — The Cleveland Browns beat the New York Yankees 14-3 in the second AAFC championship game. It’s the second straight year the two team meet in the title game, with Browns coming out on top again.
1965 — Rookie Rick Barry of the San Francisco Warriors scores 57 points in a 141-137 loss to the New York Knicks.
1975 — Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grabs an NBA-record 29 defensive rebounds in a 110-100 victory over Detroit.
1982 — Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings scores his 500th goal in a 7-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. Dionne is the ninth player in NHL history to reach the milestone.
1985 — UCLA beats American University 1-0 in the eighth overtime period, in the longest soccer match held in the United States, to capture the NCAA soccer title.
1986 — Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins sets an NFL record with the seventh 400-yard game of his career as he passes for 403 yards and five touchdowns in a 37-31 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Marino hits Mark Duper with a 20-yard touchdown pass in overtime to win the game.
1991 — Desmond Howard, the nation’s second-leading scorer with 23 TDs, wins the Heisman Trophy by the second-biggest margin in history. The Michigan receiver beats runner-up Casey Weldon of Florida State by 1,574 points.
1995 — The first Division I-A overtime game takes place at the Las Vegas Bowl with Toledo beat Nevada 40-37.
1997 — The New York Jets equal the NFL mark for greatest turnaround in modern NFL history with their 31-0 victory over Tampa Bay. The Jets, 1-15 last season, post their ninth win of the season.
2002 — Marvin Harrison breaks Herman Moore’s 1995 mark of 123 catches. By making nine receptions in a 28-23 win at Cleveland, Harrison reaches 127 with two games remaining. He also gains 172 yards, giving Harrison 1,500 yards for the second straight season, the first player with consecutive 1,500-yard seasons.
2002 — Michael Jordan matches his career low with two points as the Washington Wizards beat the short-handed Toronto Raptors. The 39-year-old Jordan shoots 1-for-9 from the field, but has nine assists and eight rebounds as he matches his season high by playing 40 minutes.
2007 — Appalachian State, which kicked off the football season with the stunning upset of Michigan, ends the season with a historic victory. The Mountaineers are Division I-AA’s first three-peat national champion with a 49-21 win over Delaware.
2008 — Oakland becomes the first team to lose at least 11 games in six straight seasons after their 49-26 loss to New England. The Patriots’ 35 first-half points are the most scored against Oakland since the merger in 1970.
2008 — Pittsburgh holds another team under 300 yards in beating Baltimore 13-9. The Steelers tie the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for the longest streak — 14 games to start a season — since the NFL merger in 1970.
2021 — Steph Curry makes his 2,974th three-point shot to pass Ray Allen as the NBA’s greatest career 3-point shooter during Golden State Warriors’ 105-96 win over NY Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
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Dec. 15
1925 — The first NHL game is played at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Americans score first, but the Montreal Canadiens prevail 3-1, before 17,000 in attendance.
1929 — The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 in their first game at Chicago Stadium. Vic Ripley scores twice in 35 seconds during the second period to the delight of the 14,212 fans in attendance.
1935 — Detroit Lions win NFL championship with a 26-7 win over the New York Giants.
1946 — Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 24-14 at the Polo Grounds for the NFL championship. A record crowd of 58,326 attend the game. Sid Luckman’s 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth puts the Bears ahead 21-14. Before the game, New York’s star fulback Merles Hapes is declared ineligible by NFL commissioner Bert Bell for not reporting bribe attempt to throw the game. New York police phone taps produced coversations with gambler Alvin J. Paris and Hapes. The Bears were 10-point favorites.
1964 — San Francisco’s Wilt Chamberlain scores 58 points, including nine in overtime, to give the Warriors a 134-132 victory over the New York Knicks.
1970 — Glenn Hall of the St. Louis Blues becomes the second goaltender in NHL history to reach 400 victories. Hall makes 38 saves in a 2-1 win against the Minnesota North Stars. Hall joins Terry Sawchuk in the 400-win club.
1973 — Tennessee beats Temple 11-6 in the lowest scoring NCAA basketball game since 1938. With 11:44 left in the first half and Tennessee leading 7-5, Temple holds onto the ball without a shot. Tennessee doesn’t take a shot in the second half, but manages four free throws by John Snow.
1973 — Sandy Hawley becomes the first jockey in history to win 500 races in a single year, riding Charlie Jr. to victory in the third race at Laurel Race Course.
1974 — Oakland’s Jim “Catfish” Hunter is ruled a free agent by arbitrator Peter Seitz when A’s owner Charles O. Finley fails to live up to the terms of Hunter’s contract.
1984 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky has five goals and an assist to lead the Oilers to an 8-2 triumph over the St. Louis Blues.
1995 — The Vancouver Grizzlies avoid tying the NBA record for consecutive losses in a season by snapping a 19-game losing streak with a 104-100 overtime victory over Portland.
2000 — Georgia Southern beats Montana 27-25 for a second-straight Division I-AA championship and its a record sixth championship.
2012 — Matt Scott throws two touchdown passes in the final 46 seconds and college bowl season starts with a wild one when Arizona rallies to beat Nevada 49-48 in the New Mexico Bowl. Arizona trails 45-28 entering the final quarter. The teams combine for 1,237 total yards, the second most of any bowl game.
2013 — Jamaal Charles ties a franchise record with five touchdowns in a game as the Kansas City Chiefs beat Oakland 56-31. The Chiefs become the fourth team ever to make the playoffs a year after losing at least 14 games.
2016 — In the biggest Division I women’s basketball rout ever, No. 3 Baylor overwhelms Winthrop 140-32. The 108-point margin of victory surpasses the 102 set by Grambling when it beat Jarvis Christian College 139-37 in 1986.
2017 — Mount Union wins its 13th Division III football national championship with a 12-0 victory over defending champion Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Purple Raiders (15-0) limit Mary Hardin-Baylor to 144 yards. The Crusaders (14-1) had not trailed all season and had their 29-game winning streak snapped.
2019 — Raiders play their final NFL game in Oakland conceding 17 unanswered 2nd half points to go down 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars; team to play out of Las Vegas in 2020
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Dec. 16
1918 — Jack Dempsey knocks out Carl Morris in 14 seconds in a heavyweight bout in New Orleans.
1930 — Golfer Bobby Jones wins the first James E. Sullivan Award. The award is given to “the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.”
1940 — Joe Louis knocks out Al McCoy in the sixth round at the Boston Garden to retain the world heavyweight title.
1945 — The Cleveland Rams beat the Washington Redskins 15-14 for the NFL championship. The deciding play turns out to be a first-quarter automatic safety when the Redskins’ Sammy Baugh passes from his own end zone and the wind carries the ball into the goal post.
1967 — Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 68 points in a 143-123 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
1973 — O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills rushes for 200 yards in a 34-14 victory over the New York Jets and sets an NFL record with 2,003 yards rushing for the season. Simpson needed 61 yards to break Jim Brown’s NFL single season rushing record of 1,863 yards set in 1963.
1990 — Warren Moon passes for a 527 yards — the second-greatest passing day in NFL history — as the Houston Oilers beat Kansas City 27-10.
2003 — New Orleans Saints receiver Joe Horn is fined $30,000 by the NFL for making a choreographed cell-phone call in the end zone to celebrate a touchdown during the Saints’ 45-7 rout of the New York Giants on Dec. 14.
2006 — Morten Andersen becomes the greatest scorer in NFL history. The 46-year-old Andersen breaks Gary Anderson’s career scoring record of 2,434 points with the second of four extra points in the Atlanta Falcons’ 38-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
2007 — Brett Favre passes for 227 yards in Green Bay’s 33-14 win over St. Louis, eclipsing Dan Marino to become the NFL career leader in yards passing. Favre, in his 17th season, finishes the game with 61,405 yards. Marino had 61,361 in 17 seasons.
2007 — Kikkan Randall becomes the first U.S. woman and second American to win a World Cup cross country race when she defeats world sprint champion Astrid Jacobsen of Norway in the final meters of a 1.2-kilometer freestyle race. Randall is the first American to win a World Cup cross country race since Bill Koch in 1983.
2010 — American Ryan Lochte sets the first individual swimming world record since high-tech bodysuits were banned, winning the 400-meter individual medley at the short-course world championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
2012 — Ryan Lochte wins two more races at the short-course world championships in Istanbul, finishing the event with six golds and one silver. The result matches his medal total from the last championships, in Dubai in 2010.
2013 — Justin Tucker makes six field goals, including a 61-yarder in the final minute, to give the Baltimore Ravens an 18-16 win over the Detroit Lions.
2014 — Nick Bjugstad scores the game-winning goal in the longest shootout in NHL history to lift the Florida Panthers over the Washington Capitals 2-1. Bjugstad’s goal comes in the 20th round of a shootout — on the 40th shot — and beats Braden Holtby on the right side.
2016 — James Harden gets his sixth triple-double of the season and the Houston Rockets make an NBA-record 24 3-pointers in a 122-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
2019 — Drew Brees breaks Peyton Manning’s NFL record (539) for career touchdown passes as New Orleans Saints rout Indianapolis Colts, 34-7; Brees 29 of 30 for 307 yards & 4 TDs for record 96.7% pass completion.
2020 – US Major League Baseball announces it is elevating the Negro Leagues to Major League status
Dec. 17
1933 — The Chicago Bears win the first NFL championship with a 23-21 victory over the New York Giants. The Bears score the winning touchdown on a 36-yard play that starts with a short pass from Bronko Nagurski to Bill Hewitt, who then laterals to Bill Kerr for the score.
1944 — National Football League Championship, Polo Grounds, NYC: Green Bay Packers beat New York Giants, 14-7 for 6th and final league title under long-time coach Curly Lambeau.
1983 — In his 352nd NHL game, Wayne Gretzky scores a goal & 5 assists in 8-1 rout of Quebec Nordiques to record his 800th point and 500th assist; averages 2.27 points, 1.42 assists, 0.85 goals per game to start career.
1987 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan scores 52 points to lead the Bulls to a 111-100 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
1991 — The Cleveland Cavaliers turn a 20-point halftime lead over Miami into the most lopsided victory in NBA history, 148-80 over the Heat. The 68-point margin eclipses the mark of 63 set March 19, 1972, when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 162-99.
1993 — Julio Cesar Chavez secures his place in boxing history, retaining his WBC super lightweight title with a fifth-round victory over Britain’s Andy Holligan. It’s the 27th time Chavez fought for a title without a loss since 1984, breaking Joe Louis’ mark of 26.
1993 — Virgil Hill becomes the most successful light heavyweight in boxing history, winning a record 15th title defense with a unanimous decision over Guy Waters of Australia. Hill, the WBA champion for five of the last six years, had been tied with Bob Foster, who held light heavyweight titles from 1968 to 1974.
2000 — Terrell Owens catches an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 17-0 victory over Chicago. Jeff Garcia completes 36 of 44 passes for 402 yards and two touchdowns for the 49ers.
2005 — John Ruiz loses the WBA heavyweight title, dropping a disputed majority decision to 7-foot Nikolay Valuev of Russia in Berlin. Valuev, the first Russian heavyweight champion, also becomes the tallest and heaviest (323 pounds) champion of all-time.
2006 — LaDainian Tomlinson breaks Paul Hornung’s 46-year-old NFL single-season scoring record on a 15-yard run in the first quarter of San Diego’s game against Kansas City. The touchdown run gives him 180 points, breaking Hornung’s record of 176 set with the Green Bay Packers in 1960.
2006 — Gilbert Arenas sets a franchise record with 60 points, 16 of them in overtime, to lead Washington to a 147-141 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
2013 — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scores 21 points on a career-high seven 3-pointers and No. 1 Connecticut beat second-ranked Duke 83-61. Breanna Stewart has 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies as coach Geno Auriemma earns his 850th career win.
2016 — Donnel Pumphrey breaks the NCAA career rushing record in his college finale, running for 115 yards and a touchdown in San Diego State’s 34-10 victory over Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl. Pumphrey passes former Wisconsin star Ron Dayne’s mark of 6,397 yards on a 15-yard run early in the fourth quarter and wraps up his sensational career in his Nevada hometown with 6,405 yards. Pumphrey’s senior total of 2,133 yards rushing ranks in the top 10 for a FBS player.
2016 — Malik Monk scores a Kentucky freshman record 47 points and hits the go-ahead 3-pointer with 16.7 seconds left to lead the sixth-ranked Wildcats past No. 7 North Carolina 103-100 in a thrilling showdown of traditional powers.
2022 — Minnesota Vikings recover from 33-0 down at halftime to beat Indianapolis Colts, 39-36 in overtime at US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN; biggest comeback in NFL history.
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Dec. 18
1930 — Adolph Rupp coaches his first game at Kentucky, a 67-19 win over Georgetown College in Kentucky. Rupp retires in 1972 after winning 879 games and four national titles.
1949 — The Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL championship with a 14-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
1954 — Montreal’s Maurice Richard becomes the first player in NHL history to score 400 goals during the Canadiens’ 4-2 road victory against the Chicago Black Hawks.
1961 — Olympic track star Wilma Rudolph wins The Associated Press’ female athlete of year award for the second consecutive year.
1962 — Wilt Chamberlain of the San Francisco Warriors scores 61 points in a 130-110 over the St. Louis Hawks.
1964 — Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals scores 56 points, including 18 in the final quarter, in a 111-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1976 — Oakland quarterback Kenny Stabler scores with 14 seconds left to give the Raiders a 24-21 comeback victory over the New England Patriots in the in the AFC divisional playoffs.
1983 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his 100th point of the season the Edmonton Oilers’ 34th game, a 7-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Gretzky scores two goals and has two assists to get to 100 points faster than any player in NHL history. He finishes the season with 205 points.
1995 — Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers records the fifth-highest yardage total by a receiver in NFL history with 289 yards, and catches three touchdown passes in a 37-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
1997 — Germany’s Katja Seizinger wins her sixth straight race to tie former French star Jean-Claude Killy’s World Cup record for consecutive victories.
2005 — Indianapolis, which won its first 13 games, the fourth team in NFL history to do so, loses 26-17 at home to San Diego.
2006 — Tenth-ranked Arizona State beats Texas Tech 61-45 when the second outdoor game in women’s college basketball history is called on account of rain with 4:18 to play at Chase Field, home of baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks.
2007 — Edmonton sets an NHL record by competing in its fourth straight shootout, but loses to Dallas 2-1. The Oilers, who had won the first three, lose for the second time in their 12 shootout appearances.
2008 — Steve Asmussen is the first North American trainer to win 600 Thoroughbred races in a single year as Storm Trust captures the fifth race at Delta Downs.
2011 — The Green Bay Packers’ 19-game winning streak, second-longest in NFL history, is snapped with a 19-14 loss at Kansas City.
2011 — Brittney Griner scores 12 of her 25 points in the closing run that pushes the top-ranked Baylor Lady Bears past No. 2 UConn 66-61.
2016 — New England defeats Denver 16-3 to clinch the AFC East and earn a first-round bye. It marks the eighth consecutive division title for the Patriots, the longest streak in NFL history, breaking a tie with the 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams (seven). New England is the only team in NFL history to win 13 division titles in a 14-year span.
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Dec. 19
1913 — Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson fights to a 10-round draw with Battling Jim Johnson in Paris.
1917 — The NHL begins play. Joe Malone of the Montreal Canadiens scores five goals in a 9-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Harry Hyland of the Montreal Wanderers scores five goals in a 10-9 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1943 — Harry Lumley, at 17 years and 38 days old, becomes the youngest goaltender in NHL history when he plays for the Detroit Red Wings in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
1948 — The Cleveland Browns complete an undefeated season beating the Buffalo Bills 49-7 in AAFC championship game.
1948 — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 in a major snowstorm for the NFL title. Philadelphia’s Bucko Kilroy recovers a fumble on the 17-yard line in the fourth period, and Steve Van Buren later scores from the 5.
1976 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Colts 40-14 in an AFC playoff game. Ten minutes after the game, Donald Kroner, a former charter pilot, crashes a rented, low-wing, Piper Cherokee into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium. No one is seriously hurt as most of the capacity crowd of 60,020 left the one-sided contest early or were heading down the exit ramps.
1987 — Boston and St. Louis combine for the fastest two goals in NHL history. Ken Linseman puts the Bruins ahead 6-5 with 10 seconds left in the third period. Doug Gilmour of Boston wins the faceoff and shoots the puck into an empty net two seconds later to wrap up a 7-5 win over the Blues at Boston Garden.
1990 — Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson is named to the AFC team, as a reserve, becoming the first athlete chosen for All-Star games in two sports.
2001 — Marshall, led by Byron Leftwich, comes back from a 38-8 halftime deficit to beat East Carolina 64-61 in double-overtime in the GMAC Bowl for the highest scoring bowl game in history.
2007 — New York Islanders forward Chris Simon is banned for 30 games, drawing the longest suspension in NHL history again. Simon’s latest infraction was stepping on Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu with his skate during a Dec. 15 game. This is the seventh suspension of Simon’s career.
2009 — Michael Phelps helps his American team trounce a group of European all-stars in the Duel in the Pool, anchoring a relay to one of the eight world records the U.S. sets over the two-day meet in Manchester, England.
2010 — Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson returns a punt 65 yards for a touchdown as time expires in the Eagles’ 38-31 comeback win at the New York Giants. It’s the only game-winning punt-return touchdown in NFL history as the Eagles come back from a 31-10 fourth-quarter deficit. It marks the ninth time in NFL history in which a team trailed by at least 21 points in the fourth quarter and wins the game.
2010 — The Detroit Lions stop their record road skid at 26 games with a 23-20 overtime win at Tampa Bay. It’s the first road win since Oct. 28, 2007, when they beat the Bears 16-7 at Chicago.
2017 — Freshman Trae Young has 26 points and ties an NCAA Division I record with 22 assists as No. 17 Oklahoma rolls past Northwestern State 105-68.
2017 — North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell becomes the third women’s Division I coach to register her 1,000th career victory after the Tar Heels beat Grambling State 79-63.
2017 — Geno Auriemma wins his 1000th game as top-ranked UConn beat Oklahoma 88-64 in the Hall of Fame women’s Holiday Showcase. Auriemma becomes the fourth women’s coach to reach the 1,000-win mark, joining Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell, who earned her milestone victory earlier in the day.
2018 – Houston Rockets set NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers in 136-118 victory over Washington Wizards;