“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STATE FINALS
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
11 AM ET | CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
ADAMS CENTRAL (13-1) VS LINTON-STOCKTON (12-2)
3 PM ET | CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
EAST NOBLE (13-1) VS NEW PALESTINE (13-0)
7 PM ET | CLASS 6A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
WESTFIELD (12-1) VS BROWNSBURG (12-1)
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
11 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE (14-0) VS PROVIDENCE (13-0)
3 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (10-4) VS HERITAGE HILLS (13-1)
7 PM ET | CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
WARSAW COMMUNITY (10-3) VS DECATUR CENTRAL (10-2)
STATE FINALS PREVIEW: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-25%20Football%20Preview.pdf
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, NOV. 28
2 P.M. | TUSKEGEE AT ALABAMA STATE | ESPNU
7:30 P.M. | MEMPHIS AT TULANE | ESPN
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
12 P.M. | OREGON STATE AT BOISE STATE | FOX
12 P.M. | OKLAHOMA STATE AT COLORADO | ABC/ESPN+
12 P.M. | MINNESOTA AT WISCONSIN | CBS
12 P.M. | MIAMI (OHIO) AT BOWLING GREEN | ESPNU
12 P.M. | NAVY AT EAST CAROLINA | ESPN
12 P.M. | BALL STATE AT OHIO | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | MISSISSIPPI STATE AT OLE MISS | ABC/ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | LIBERTY AT SAM HOUSTON | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | UTAH STATE AT COLORADO STATE | FS1
3:30 P.M. | TEXAS STATE AT SOUTH ALABAMA | ESPN+
4 P.M. | STANFORD AT SAN JOSE STATE | CBS
4 P.M. | ALABAMA A&M AT FLORIDA A&M | ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | GEORGIA TECH AT GEORGIA | ABC/ESPN+
7:30 P.M. | NEBRASKA AT IOWA | NBC
8 P.M. | UTAH AT UCF | FOX
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
12 P.M. | MICHIGAN AT OHIO STATE | FOX
12 P.M. | TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT | ABC/ESPN+
12 P.M. | SOUTH CAROLINA AT CLEMSON | ESPN
12 P.M. | KANSAS AT BAYLOR | ESPN2
12 P.M. | WEST VIRGINIA AT TEXAS TECH | FS1
12 P.M. | UTSA AT ARMY | CBSSN
12 P.M. | LOUISVILLE AT KENTUCKY | SEC NETWORK
12 P.M. | ILLINOIS AT NORTHWESTERN | BIG TEN NETWORK
12 P.M. | UCONN AT UMASS | ESPN+
12 P.M. | DUKE AT WAKE FOREST | ACC NETWORK
12 P.M. | LOUISIANA AT UL MONROE | ESPNU
12 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT TEMPLE | ESPN+
12 P.M. | SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE AT ILLINOIS STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE AT RHODE ISLAND (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | SLIPPERY ROCK AT KUTZTOWN (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AT FERRIS STATE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | HOBART AT SUSQUEHANNA (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | GROVE CITY AT JOHNS HOPKINS (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | MARYVILLE (TN) AT DEPAUW (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | ENDICOTT AT CORTLAND (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | KING’S (PA) AT SALISBURY (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | UMASS DARTMOUTH AT SPRINGFIELD (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON AT RANDOLPH-MACON (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | AURORA AT HOPE (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRE AT CARNEGIE MELLON (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | JOHN CARROLL AT MOUNT UNION (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | UT MARTIN AT NEW HAMPSHIRE (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | ASHLAND AT CAL (PA) (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | HARDING AT GRAND VALLEY STATE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | MILES AT VALDOSTA STATE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | VIRGINIA UNION AT LENOIR-RHYNE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE AT SAINT JOHN’S (MN) (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR AT HARDIN-SIMMONS (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE AT WARTBURG (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | BETHEL (MN) AT LAKE FOREST (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | WHITWORTH AT NORTH CENTRAL (IL) (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1:30 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT WESTERN MICHIGAN | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN VS. GRAMBLING (NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA) | NBC
2 P.M. | MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | ESPN+
2 P.M. | COASTAL CAROLINA AT GEORGIA STATE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN MISS AT TROY | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SOUTH FLORIDA AT RICE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | LEHIGH AT RICHMOND (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | EASTERN KENTUCKY AT VILLANOVA (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | PITT AT BOSTON COLLEGE | CW NETWORK
3 P.M. | OLD DOMINION AT ARKANSAS STATE | ESPN+
3 P.M. | NORTHERN ARIZONA AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | DRAKE AT TARLETON STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | MINNESOTA STATE AT CSU PUEBLO (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | BEMIDJI STATE AT WESTERN COLORADO (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | TEXAS LUTHERAN AT LINFIELD (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MARYLAND AT PENN STATE | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | AUBURN AT ALABAMA | ABC/ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MIAMI (FLA.) AT SYRACUSE | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | CAL AT SMU | ESPN2
3:30 P.M. | NOTRE DAME AT USC | CBS
3:30 P.M. | ARIZONA STATE AT ARIZONA | FOX
3:30 P.M. | ARKANSAS AT MISSOURI | SEC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | RUTGERS AT MICHIGAN STATE | FS1
3:30 P.M. | NC STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA | ACC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | FRESNO STATE AT UCLA | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | UAB AT CHARLOTTE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT TULSA | ESPN+
4 P.M. | JACKSONVILLE STATE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY | ESPNU
4 P.M. | KENNESAW STATE AT LOUISIANA TECH | ESPN+
4 P.M. | UTEP AT NEW MEXICO STATE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | TCU AT CINCINNATI | ESPN+
6 P.M. | APPALACHIAN STATE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | ESPN+
6:30 P.M. | WYOMING AT WASHINGTON STATE | CW NETWORK
7 P.M. | OKLAHOMA AT LSU | ESPN
7 P.M. | FLORIDA AT FLORIDA STATE | ESPN2
7 P.M. | PURDUE AT INDIANA | FS1
7:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON AT OREGON | NBC
7:30 P.M. | TEXAS AT TEXAS A&M | ABC/SEC NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT IOWA STATE | FOX
8 P.M. | NEVADA AT UNLV | CBSSN
8 P.M. | VIRGINIA AT VIRGINIA TECH | ACC NETWORK
8 P.M. | MARSHALL AT JAMES MADISON | ESPNU
10:15 P.M. | HOUSTON AT BYU | ESPN
10:15 P.M. | TENNESSEE STATE AT MONTANA (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
10:30 P.M. | AIR FORCE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | FS1
11 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT HAWAI’I | SPECTRUM SPORTS PPV
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
DAYTON 85 #2 CONNECTICUT 67
#6 HOUSTON 65 NOTRE DAME 54
#18 FLORIDA 75 WAKE FOREST 58
#3 GONZAGA 89 #14 INDIANA 73
#13 PURDUE 71 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 61
ILLINOIS 90 #19 ARKANSAS 77
OKLAHOMA 82 #24 ARIZONA 77
#23 OLE MISS 96 BYU 85 OT
#25 MISSISSIPPI STATE 80 UNLV 58
ELSEWHERE:
WICHITA STATE 68 MINNESOTA 66 OT
WASHINGTON 73 COLORADO STATE 67
BUTLER 71 NORTHWESTERN 69
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#11 OHIO STATE 70 OLD DOMINION 47
#4 SOUTH CAROLINA 76 #15 IOWA STATE 36
#22 IOWA 69 RHODE ISLAND 62
ELSEWHERE:
SAN DIEGO STATE 73 WISCONSIN 67
FURMAN 88 PURDUE FORT WAYNE 84 OT
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 54 PURDUE 49
WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
QUARTERFINALS
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
NO. 1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VS. NO. 2 WAKE FOREST, 5 P.M.
NO. 2 NORTH CAROLINA VS. NO. 4 PENN ST., 6 P.M.
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
NO. 3 STANFORD VS. NO. 4 NOTRE DAME, 5 P.M.
NO. 1 DUKE VS. NO. 7 VIRGINIA TECH, 6 P.M.
SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
QUARTERFINAL WINNERS, TBA
CHAMPIONSHIP
MONDAY, DEC. 9
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, 7 P.M.
MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
THIRD ROUND
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
NO. 13 MARSHALL VS. NC STATE, 2 P.M.
NO. 3 DENVER VS. NO. 14 INDIANA, 4 P.M.
NO. 11 VIRGINIA VS. UMASS, 5 P.M.
NO. 5 DAYTON VS. NO. 12 SMU, 7 P.M.
SUNDAY, DEC. 1
NO. 1 OHIO ST. VS. NO. 16 STANFORD, 5 P.M.
KANSAS CITY VS. NO. 2 PITTSBURGH, 5 P.M.
NO. 9 CLEMSON VS. NO. 8 WAKE FOREST, 6 P.M.
VERMONT VS. SAN DIEGO, 8 P.M.
NFL SCHEDULE
WEEK 13
THURSDAY
DETROIT 23 CHICAGO 20
DALLAS 27 NEW YORK GIANTS 20
GREEN BAY 30 MIAMI 17
FRIDAY
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (FRI) 2:00P (CT) 3:00P PRIME VIDEO
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P FOX
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT NEW YORK JETS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TENNESSEE TITANS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS 4:05P (ET) 4:05P FOX
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 3:05P (CT) 4:05P FOX
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 4:25P (ET) 4:25P CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT BUFFALO BILLS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC*
MONDAY
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT DENVER BRONCOS (MON) 6:15P (MT) 8:15P ESPN*
NBA SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NHL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
LIONS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 10 GAMES, HOLD OFF BEARS FOR 23-20 VICTORY
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions have been dominant for much of the season, leading the league in point differential after routinely routing opponents.
Against Chicago, the Lions were good enough to extend their winning streak to 10 games.
Barely.
Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Sam LaPorta, Jake Bates made three field goals in the first half and Detroit held off the Bears 23-20 on Thursday.
“It was a crazy ending, right?” Goff asked.
Indeed.
The Bears had the ball in Lions territory late in the game with a chance to drive for a game-tying field goal or go-ahead touchdown, but they blew the opportunity.
Caleb Williams threw an incomplete pass as time expired from the Detroit 41 after being sacked with about 30 seconds left, allowing time to run off the clock even though Chicago had one more timeout.
“I’m focused on getting everyone back and getting everyone lined up,” Williams said. “I don’t have a microphone, so there is no communication with coach there. We could have taken a timeout, but if we hit that play, no one would be worried about it.”
The NFC-leading Lions (11-1) have their best record after 12 games in team history and their 10-game winning streak ties a franchise record with the 1934 squad.
The Bears (4-8) have lost six straight, including four by a total of 10 points.
Chicago coach Matt Eberflus dropped to 5-17 in games decided by seven or fewer points, winning 22.7% of those games to rank 221st and last among coaches with at least 20 games that close.
“We’re right there,” he said.
Detroit led 16-0 at halftime and 23-7 after three quarters and Williams led a comeback that came up short for the second straight week. Williams helped the Bears rally from an 11-point deficit in the final 22 seconds of regulation against Minnesota before losing in overtime.
Detroit opened the game with four straight scoring drives, going ahead 16-0 on Goff’s 3-yard touchdown pass to LaPorta in the second quarter and Bates’ field goals.
Chicago, meanwhile, failed to pick up a first down on its first four drives and gained a total of 32 yards on those possessions.
“We started off pretty hot offensively and defensively,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.
Goff’s second touchdown pass to LaPorta, a 1-yard toss, gave Detroit a 23-7 lead late in the third quarter. The score was set up by Jameson Williams’ 15-yard reverse, which included him hurdling Kevin Byard to gain several extra yards.
Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick overall in the draft, was 20 of 39 for 256 yards with two touchdown passes to Keenan Allen and one to DJ Moore.
Williams seemed to make his first rookie mistake of the game in the third quarter on a run, pulling up instead of going out of bounds and took a low hit from linebacker Jack Campbell.
“Knee is fine, but that play was kind of funky,” Williams said. “I didn’t appreciate him diving right at my knee, but it is good.”
The former USC star shook it off and on the next snap, threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Allen. William connected with Allen for another score, throwing a 9-yarder to him with 5:36 remaining.
Detroit had a chance to add to its cushion, but Bates missed a 45-yard kick after starting his NFL career 19 of 19 on field goals on a drive that was stunted by Jameson Williams’ 15-yard penalty for tossing the football at a Bears player on the sideline.
Jameson Williams, unsolicited, apologized to the team after the game.
“I’m proud of him, the way he handled it,” Goff said.
Finally, feeling festive
The Lions snapped a seven-game losing streak on Thanksgiving.
“We’re going to enjoy this,” Campbell said.
Injuries
Bears: RB Roschon Johnson left the game with a concussion. … Bears G Ryan Bates (concussion) and DB Elijah Hicks (ankle) were inactive.
Lions: LB Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) left the game and Campbell said he fears the injury may be serious. … DE Josh Paschal (knee), DL Levi Onwuzurike (hamstring) and DL Mekhi Wingo (knee) where hurt during the game, potentially more blows to a position hit hard by injuries, including Aidan Hutchinson’s broken leg.
Up next
Bears: Play at San Francisco on Dec. 8.
Lions: Host Green Bay next Thursday night.
JORDAN LOVE TOSSES 2 TDS AS PACKERS TAKE DOWN DOLPHINS
Jordan Love threw for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Jayden Reed and Quay Walker made a key goal-line stop in the fourth quarter to help the host Green Bay Packers defeat the Miami Dolphins 30-17 on Thursday.
Green Bay (9-3) won for the third time in 11 days to remain two games behind the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions and pull even with the Minnesota Vikings in the win column.
The Dolphins (5-7) saw a three-game winning streak snapped. Miami fell two games behind Denver for the final AFC playoff spot.
A 14-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to De’Von Achane and a two-point conversion drew the Dolphins within 27-11 late in the third quarter. Miami trailed by the same score when it reached the Green Bay 1-yard line early in the fourth, but Walker sacked Tagovailoa on fourth down.
Green Bay responded with a 33-yard Brandon McManus field goal, his third make of the night, to seal the win with 5:02 to go.
Miami is 0-8 in games started by Tagovailoa in games in which the temperature is 40 degrees or colder.
Thursday’s cold, snowy weather impacted Miami’s initial opportunity to handle the ball. After the defense forced a Packers punt on the first possession of the game, Malik Washington mishandled the return. Green Bay’s Robert Rochell recovered at the Dolphins’ 9-yard line and the Packers scored three plays later on a 3-yard connection from Love to Reed.
Green Bay took a 24-3 lead into halftime.
Jacobs punctuated a 12-play, 76-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
Miami responded with a 33-yard Jason Sanders field goal midway through the second quarter but yielded the next 10 points before intermission. Love hit Reed for a 12-yard TD pass with 1:36 to go in the second quarter, then added McManus’ 46-yarder following a Dolphins turnover on downs.
The Dolphins drew within the final margin on a 12-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill with 3:04 left.
Tagovailoa passed for 365 yards and two touchdowns. Jonnu Smith had 10 receptions for 113 yards and Hill had six catches for 83 yards.
Tucker Kraft led the Packers with six catches for 78 yards. Jacobs ran for 43 yards and caught four passes for 74 yards.
Dolphins cornerback Cam Smith left the game with a shoulder injury.
COWBOYS FINALLY WIN AT HOME, HAND GIANTS SEVENTH STRAIGHT LOSS
Rico Dowdle ran for 112 yards and a touchdown while the Dallas Cowboys’ defense came up with six sacks and a pick-6 Thursday in a 27-20 win over the visiting New York Giants in Arlington, Texas.
Cooper Rush completed 21 of 36 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown as Dallas (5-7) became the last franchise in the four major sports to win a home game in this calendar year. It was the team’s second win in five days, keeping alive its long-shot hopes for an NFC playoff berth.
Drew Lock hit 21 of 32 passes for 178 yards and an interception for New York, which dropped to 2-10 with its seventh straight loss. Lock pulled the Giants within a touchdown on an 8-yard run with 2:18 left in the game.
However, Dallas was able to seal the outcome via Rush’s 3-yard pass to Brandin Cooks to gain a first down on the first play after the two-minute warning.
The Cowboys took control with two third-quarter touchdowns, giving them a 27-10 advantage. Rush threw to Cooks for a 2-yard strike at the 11:37 mark and Dowdle added a 4-yard touchdown run just more than seven minutes later.
Dallas finished with a 317-247 advantage in total yards as it completed a season sweep of New York.
The pregame storyline concerned how New York would perform offensively while adjusting to its third different starting quarterback in as many weeks. Daniel Jones started during a Nov. 10 loss to Carolina, while Tommy DeVito got the call last Sunday against Tampa Bay but was injured.
With Lock calling signals, the Giants took a 7-3 lead with 3:06 left in the first quarter as Tyrone Tracy Jr. capped a drive of nearly seven minutes on a 1-yard touchdown run. But that lead would not last.
Dallas moved in front with two scores in 15 seconds — Brandon Aubrey’s 33-yard field goal and a 23-yard interception return by DeMarvion Overshown with 11:29 remaining in the second quarter. Graham Gano bombed a 46-yard field goal 3:21 before the half, making it 13-10 at intermission.
NFL CAPSULE FRIDAY: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-9) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-1)
Friday, November 29, 2024 | 3:00 PM ET | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Referee: Clay Martin
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: KC leads series, 72-54-2 (won 7 of past 8)
Postseason: KC leads series, 2-1 (won past 2)
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 10/27/24: KC 27 at LV 20
Postseason: AFC-WC 12/28/91: OAK 6 at KC 10
RAIDERS NOTES:
QB AIDAN O’CONNELL can make 3rd start of season. Has 0 INTs in each of his past 3 road starts. Is 1-1 in 2 career starts vs. KC. Is 3-0 with 6 TDs vs. 0 INTs in his past 3 starts vs. division. • QB DESMOND RIDDER can make 1st start of season. Is 8-9 in 17 career starts. • RB AMEER ABDULLAH had season-high 65 scrimmage yards (37 rec., 28 rush) & TD catch last week. Aims for 3rd in row with rec. TD. • RB ALEXANDER MATTISON has 60+ scrimmage yards in 3 of past 4 on road. • RB ZAMIR WHITE had career-high 145 rush yards in last road meeting. • TE BROCK BOWERS has 5+ catches in 6 of past 7 overall & in each of his 6 road games this season. Has rec. TD in 3 of past 4 on road. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 74 catches this season, most-ever by Raider rookie & tied with Jeremy Shockey (2002) for 3rd-most by rookie TE in NFL history. Leads all TEs with 744 rec. yards in 2024. • WR JAKOBI MEYERS set season highs in catches (10) & rec. yards (121) last week. Has 5+ catches in 6 of his past 7 & 100+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Has 50+ rec. yards & TD catch in 2 of his past 3 vs. KC, incl. in Week 8 meeting. • WR TRE TUCKER had 7 catches for 82 yards in Week 12. • DE MAXX CROSBY had 3 TFL last week, 4th game this season with 2+ TFL, tied 3rd-most in NFL. Has TFL in 5 of 6 road games this season. Has 8 TFL in 5 career games at KC. Ranks tied-2nd in NFL with 14 TFL in 2024. Has 102 TFL in 93 career games, tied 3rd-fastest player since 2000 to reach 100 TFL. • DE TYREE WILSON had season-high 2 TFL & sack last week. Has sack in 3 of past 4, incl. each of past 2. Had sack in Week 8 meeting. • CB DECAMERION RICHARDSON (rookie) led team with career-high 8 tackles & had PD in Week 12. Aims for 3rd in row with 5+ tackles. Has PD in 2 of past 3. • S TRE’VON MOEHRIG has PD in 4 of past 5, incl. each of past 2.
CHIEFS NOTES:
QB PATRICK MAHOMES completed 27 of 37 atts. (73 pct.) for 269 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 120.2 rating & had season-high 60 rush yards last week, 24th-career game with 3+ TD passes & 0 INTs, tied with Russell Wilson for most such games ever by QB in 1st 8 seasons. Aims for 6th in row with 90+ rating. Has 2+ TD passes in 4 of past 5. Is 11-2 with 34 TDs (32 pass, 2 rush) vs. 5 INTs & 108.5 rating in 13 career starts vs. Raiders. • RB KAREEM HUNT led team with 87 scrimmage yards (68 rush, 19 rec.) last week. Has 85+ scrimmage yards in 3 of past 4. Has 100+ scrimmage yards in each of his 3 home games this season. Had rush TD in Week 8 meeting. • RB ISIAH PACHECO can make 1st appearance since Week 2. Has 75+ scrimmage yards in each of his 2 games this season. Aims for his 4th in row vs. LV with rush TD. • TE TRAVIS KELCE has 6+ catches & 60+ rec. yards in 4 of past 5. Aims for 4th in row at home with 8+ catches. Had 10 catches for 90 yards & TD in Week 8 meeting, 5th-straight game vs. LV with 5+ catches. • TE NOAH GRAY aims for 3rd in row with 2 rec. rec. TDs. • WR DEANDRE HOPKINS had 4th TD catch of season last week. • WR XAVIER WORTHY (rookie) had rec. TD in Week 8 meeting. • DT CHRIS JONES aims for 3rd in row vs. LV with TFL. Had sack in last home meeting. • DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS had sack & PD in Week 8 meeting & has 0.5+ sacks in 4 of 5 career games vs. LV. • DE MIKE DANNA had sack & 1st FF of season last week. Had PD in last home meeting. • LB NICK BOLTON has 0.5+ sacks in 2 of past 3. Had 9 tackles in Week 8 meeting. • S NAZEEH JOHNSON had 8 tackles & PD last week. Aims for 4th in row with 8+ tackles. • CB TRENT MCDUFFIE had PD & half sack in Week 12. • DB CHAMARRI CONNER aims for 3rd in row with TFL.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: OKLAHOMA EDGES NO. 24 ARIZONA IN ATLANTIS SEMIS
Jeremiah Fears had 26 points and made two free throws with eight seconds left to seal Oklahoma’s 82-77 win Thursday over No. 24 Arizona in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Fears sank two free throws with 20 seconds left after gathering a rebound following a missed 3-pointer by Jaden Bradley (16 points) that could have tied the game. Bradley was fouled driving to the basket and made two free throws with 14 seconds left to cut it to 80-77. Fears was fouled after getting the ball past midcourt and made the game-securing free throws.
Jalon Moore finished with 24 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma, Duke Miles added 11 points and Luke Northweather had 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Caleb Love led Arizona with 17 points, Motiejus Krivas finished with 14 points and six rebounds and Trey Townsend had 10 points.
Oklahoma (6-0) will play Louisville in the championship game Friday. Arizona (3-3) will face fellow Big 12 member West Virginia in the third-place game.
No. 3 Gonzaga 89, No. 14 Indiana 73
Khalif Battle scored 16 points to lead the Bulldogs over the Hoosiers in the consolation bracket of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Gonzaga’s Nolan Hickman scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half, finishing with three 3-pointers. Michael Ajayi also scored 15 points, Graham Ike added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and Ben Gregg contributed 13 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Ryan Nembhard tallied 13 assists and five steals in addition to his 11 points. The Bulldogs (6-1) will oppose Davidson in the fifth-place game on Friday.
Indiana (4-2) was led by 25 points from Oumar Ballo, including 19 in the first half. He sank 11 of his 13 field-goal attempts and added four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Mackenzie Mgbako added 13 points for the Hoosiers, but no other Indiana player scored more than six points. The Hoosiers will face Providence in the seventh-place game on Friday.
No. 13 Purdue 71, North Carolina State 61
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 22 points and the Boilermakers led most of the way to defeat the Wolfpack in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.
Camden Heide poured in 15 points, aided by three 3-pointers, while Braden Smith had 11 points and Fletcher Loyer added 10 points for the Boilermakers (6-1) in a rematch of Purdue’s victory last spring in the Final Four.
Jayden Taylor posted 15 points and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield provided 13 points and eight rebounds for NC State (5-1), which played its first game away from home. Purdue will meet No. 23 Ole Miss in Friday’s title game, while NC State faces BYU.
No. 18 Florida 75, Wake Forest 58
Walter Clayton Jr. totaled 21 points despite 6-of-18 shooting, including 4-for-13 from 3-point range, to lead the Gators over the Demon Deacons in the semifinals of the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Clayton was one of four players who scored in double figures for the Gators (7-0) as they advanced to the championship game of the tournament, where they will face Wichita State on Friday afternoon.
Tre’Von Spillers recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead Wake Forest while Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth each scored 15 points. The Demon Deacons (6-2) had a brief two-game winning streak snapped.
Illinois 90, No. 19 Arkansas 77
Tomislav Ivisic posted 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Fighting Illini scorched the Razorbacks in Kansas City, Mo.
Matched up against 7-foot-2 twin brother Zvonimir Ivisic, Illinois’ 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic sank 6 of 9 shots from deep and added three blocks before fouling out in the final minute. Kasparas Jakucionis had a team-high 23 points to go with six rebounds and four assists for Illinois (6-1).
For Arkansas (5-2), Adou Thiero notched a game-high 26 points and had six rebounds but missed nine of his 21 free throws. Zvonimir Ivisic had 13 points and six rebounds, while Billy Richmond III added 12 points.
No. 23 Ole Miss 96, BYU 85 (OT)
Jaylen Murray scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Rebels to an overtime victory over the Cougars in the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.
Murray, who hit 10 of 14 shots, forced overtime with a tough game-tying bucket late in regulation and then tallied nine points in the extra session — outscoring the Cougars on his own — as Ole Miss (6-0) put the game away. Dre Davis and Matthew Murrell each scored 18 points to help preserve the undefeated start.
Kanon Catchings led BYU (5-1) with 17 points. Richie Saunders, Egor Demin and Fousseyni Traore each scored 16.
No. 25 Mississippi State 80, UNLV 58
KeShawn Murphy scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and the Bulldogs dominated the Rebels inside in a victory in the Arizona Tip-Off in Tempe, Ariz.
Josh Hubbard added 11 points before being sidelined by an apparent ankle injury midway through the second half, and the Bulldogs (6-0) had a 46-29 advantage in rebounds, including 19-4 in offensive rebounds, and a 30-3 edge in second-chance points.
Jailen Bedford scored 13 points, Jalen Hill added 11 and Dedan Thomas Jr. had 10 to lead the Runnin’ Rebels (4-2), who had won three games in a row and were playing their first game away from home this season.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 7 LSU CRUISES PAST NO. 20 NC STATE FOR TITLE IN BAHAMAS
Mikaylah Williams poured in 24 points and Aneesah Morrow racked up 20 points as No. 7 LSU strolled to an 82-65 victory over No. 20 North Carolina State on Wednesday in the title game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship at Nassau, Bahamas.
Flau’Jae Johnson added 16 points and Morrow also grabbed 15 rebounds. LSU (8-0), which led 42-29 at halftime, shot 52.7 percent (29 of 55) from the field. The Tigers held a 22-6 edge in bench scoring, led by Kailyn Gilbert’s 12 points.
Saniya Rivers had 21 points to lead NC State (4-3), which shot 35.9 percent (23 of 64) from the field and was unable to take full advantage of LSU’s 21 turnovers. The Tigers held a 44-24 rebounding advantage.
NC State was within 63-53 with seven minutes left in regulation. It was the fourth meeting since 2012, with LSU winning for the third time.
No. 9 Kansas State 92, DePaul 66
Ayoka Lee scored 23 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Wildcats cruised in the third-place game of the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev.
Serena Sundell provided 15 points and 11 assists and Zyanna Walker had 13 points for Kansas State (6-1). Temira Poindexter and reserve Taryn Sides both added 11 points. The Wildcats, who were coming off a loss to No. 13 Duke on Monday, rolled up a 53-32 halftime lead on the strength of 31 second-quarter points.
Jorie Allen and Taylor Johnson-Matthews each scored 17 points for DePaul (2-5), which shot 33.3 percent (24 of 72) from the field.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
INDIANA FOOTBALL DIGEST INSIDER 2024 – SEMI-STATE FINALS
NEWS AND NUGGETS
Linton-Stockton snapped Indianapolis Lutheran 21-game post-season winning streak with a 40-28 victory over the three-time defending Class 1A state champion Saints.
Warsaw picked up its first semistate title with a 31-14 win over Merrillville.
Brownsburg celebrated its first semistate championship since 1985 with a 31-27 win over Center Grove.
North Judson secured its first semistate trophy since 1986 with a 46-0 blanking of South Adams.
Providence earned its first semistate crown since 1993 with a 35-30 triumph over South Putnam.
Making return trips to the state finals are Adams Central, Decatur Central, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, and Heritage Hills.
Kevin Wright returns to Carmel where he posted a 54-11 record between 2010 and 2014 and guided the Greyhounds to the 2011 Class 5A state title and Class 6A state runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014.
Austin Colby has been hired as the new boss at Western. Over his seven-year run, he has compiled a 54-23 recorded with stops at Maconaquah (2018 and 2019) and Kokomo (2020 to 2024).
Mike Kirschner ended his four-year stint at his alma mater Warren Central with a 26-19 record. He led the Warriors to three Class 6A straight sectional crowns in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Lowell’s Keith Kilmer finished his 15-year with a 115-60 record with the Red Devils. This included six sectional crowns, two regional titles, and a 2017 Class 4A state runner-up finish.
Tim Herrin retired after 12 seasons at Terre Haute South in which he went 42-82 and led the Braves to a Class 5A sectional title in 2014.
Jay County will have a new boss on the sidelines in 2025 after Grant Zgunda announced his retirement after going 12-29 over four seasons with the Patriots. He finished with a 217-89 mark over his 27-year career.
Southport is in pursuit with the departure of Alex Bettag after he posted a 2-39 record in his four seasons with the Cardinals.
Tecumseh’s Bret Szabo announced his retirement after posting a 17-31 mark in five campaigns with the Braves and a 91-114 record over 20 seasons overall.
North Harrison’s Mark Williamson stepped down after going 82-57 over 13 years and leading the Cougars to their first (Class 3A) sectional championship this past fall.
Jovan McCray ended his six-year stint at Indianapolis Shortridge with a 12-38 mark.
DeKalb’s Seth Wilcox resigned after going 18-33 in his five-year stint with the Barons.
Eric Schnur stepped down at Princeton after posting a 2-28 record over three years with the Tigers.
Here is the last time these teams were unbeaten.
New Palestine (13-0-2019), North Judson (14-0-first time), Providence (13-0-first time).
LONGEST CURRENT WINNING STREAKS
North Judson has claimed 14 straight victories.
Adams Central, New Palestine, and Providence are on a 13-game winning streak.
East Noble and Heritage Hills have claimed 12 straight wins.
Decatur Central and Linton-Stockton are on a nine-game winning streak.
Warsaw and Westfield have claimed seven consecutive wins.
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers has earned five wins in a row.
Brownsburg is on a four-game winning streak.
POST-SEASON SUCCESS
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers has won 11 consecutive games.
Adams Central, East Noble, Heritage Hills, Linton-Stockton, New Palestine, North Judson, and Providence have five straight victories.
Brownsburg, Decatur Central. Warsaw, and Westfield are on a four-game winning streak.
SEMISTATE SCORES
CLASS 6A
Westfield 30, Crown Point 7
Brownsburg 31, Center Grove 27
CLASS 5A
Warsaw 31, Merrillville 14
Decatur Central 27, Bloomington South 13
CLASS 4A
East Noble 18, Mishawaka 13
New Palestine 43, Martinsville 7
CLASS 3A
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 28, Garrett 14
Heritage Hills 42, Batesville 0
CLASS 2A
Adams Central 20, Andrean 13
Linton-Stockton 40, Indianapolis Lutheran 28
CLASS 1A
North Judson 46, South Adams 0
Providence 35, South Putnam 30
Prior to 2024, here is the last time these teams earned a semistate crown
CLASS 6A: Westfield (2021) and Brownsburg (1985).
CLASS 5A: Warsaw (none) and Decatur Central (2023).
CLASS 4A: East Noble (2019) and New Palestine (2019).
CLASS 3A: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (2023) and Heritage Hills (2023).
CLASS 2A: Andrean (2022), Adams Central (2023), Linton-Stockton (2016).
CLASS 1A: North Judson (1986) and Providence (1993).
ALL-TIME SEMISTATE CHAMPIONS: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 18, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 18, Indianapolis Cathedral 15, Carmel 13, Indianapolis Roncalli 13, Penn 12, Ben Davis 12, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter 10, Sheridan 10, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 10, Hobart 10, Warren Central 9, Andrean 8, Center Grove 8, Fort Wayne Snider 8, Evansville Mater Dei 7, Lafayette Central Catholic 7, NorthWood 7, Franklin Central 6, Jimtown 6, New Palestine 6, Tri-West 6, East Central 6, Westfield 6, Evansville Memorial 5, Zionsville 5, Pioneer 5, Heritage Hills 5, West Lafayette 5, Western Boone 5, Adams Central 5, Bremen 4, Indianapolis Lutheran 4, Indianapolis Scecina 4, Lowell 4, South Bend Saint Joseph 4, Eastbrook 4, East Noble 4, Southridge 4, Valparaiso 4, Bloomington South 3, Brebeuf Jesuit 3, Brownsburg 3, Columbus East 3, Concord 3, Decatur Central 3, Fountain Central 3, Goshen 3, Hamilton Southeastern 3, Jasper 3, Lawrenceburg 3, Linton-Stockton 3, North Judson 3, Tipton 3.
STATE FINALS SCHEDULE (Designated home team listed second)
FRIDAY
CLASS 2A: Adams Central (13-1) vs. Linton-Stockton (12-2), 11 a.m.
CLASS 4A: New Palestine (13-0) vs. East Noble (13-1), 3 p.m.
CLASS 6A: Brownsburg (12-1) vs. Westfield (12-1), 7 p.m.
SATURDAY
CLASS 1A: Providence (13-0) vs. North Judson (14-0), 11 a.m.
CLASS 3A: Heritage Hills (13-1) vs. Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (10-4), 3 p.m.
CLASS 5A: Decatur Central (10-2) vs. Warsaw (10-3), 7 p.m.
Here is the last time these teams won a state championship
CLASS 6A: Westfield (2016) and Brownsburg (1985).
CLASS 5A: Warsaw (none) and Decatur Central (none).
CLASS 4A: East Noble (2000) and New Palestine (2019).
CLASS 3A: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (2023) and Heritage Hills (2000).
CLASS 2A: Adams Central (2000) and Linton-Stockton (2016).
CLASS 1A: North Judson (none) and Providence (none).
ALL-TIME STATE CHAMPIONS: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 17, Indianapolis Cathedral 14, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 12, Indianapolis Roncalli 10, Indianapolis Ben Davis 10, Sheridan 9, Warren Central 9, Carmel 9, Lafayette Central Catholic 8, Center Grove 5. Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 5, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter 5, Penn 5, East Central 4, Franklin Central 4, Hobart 4, Tri-West 4, Jimtown 4, Western Boone 4, New Palestine 3, Columbus East 3, Fort Wayne Snider 3, Indianapolis Lutheran 3, Mishawaka Marian 3, Lawrenceburg 3, Pioneer 3, Andrean 3, Blackford 2, Bloomington South 2, Bremen 2, Brownsburg 2, Castle 2, Evansville Mater Dei 2, Evansville Memorial 2, Evansville Reitz 2, Goshen 2, Indianapolis Scecina 2, North Montgomery 2, Valparaiso 2, West Lafayette 2, Zionsville 2.
ALL-TIME LEADERS IN PLAYOFF WINS: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard – 155-28 (.847), Fort Wayne Bishop Luers – 154-29 (.842), Indianapolis Cathedral – 138-29 (.826), Carmel – 133-39 (.773), Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger – 126-39 (.764), Indianapolis Roncalli – 125-34 (.786), Penn – 124-41 (.752), Ben Davis – 120-31 (.795), Fort Wayne Snider – 116-40 (.744), Evansville Mater Dei – 115-40 (.742), Jimtown – 111-39 (.740), Adams Central 110-40 (.733), Hobart – 109-42 (.722), Sheridan – 109-36 (.752), NorthWood – 106-42 (.716), East Central 103-37 (.736), Andrean 102-37 (.734), Warren Central – 100-32 (.758), Lafayette Central Catholic 98-33 (.748), Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter 93-36 (.721).
WINNINGEST ACTIVE COACHES (Bolded are still active in playoffs)
Larry “Bud” Wright (Sheridan) 464, Russ Radtke (Knox) 413, Mike Gillin (Mooresville) 368, John Hart (Brownsburg) 348, Jeff Adamson (Eastbrook) 319, Reed May (Brownstown Central) 312, Eric Moore (Center Grove) 303.
CLOSING IN ON 300 WINS
Mike Goebel (Evansville Mater Dei) 270, Mike Johnson (Logansport) 259, Bart Curtis (Warsaw) 259, Craig Buzea (Crown Point) 256.
CLOSING IN ON 250 WINS
Kevin O’Shea (Twin Lakes) 249, Tim Able (Triton Central) 235, Dave Pasch (Indianapolis Lutheran) 228, Sherwood Haydock (Fort Wayne Wayne) 212, Kirk Kennedy (Kankakee Valley) 206, Herb King (Fountain Central) 203, Darrin Fisher (Whiteland) 202.
CLOSING IN ON 200 WINS
Chris Meeks (Rensselaer Central) 195, John Hochstetler (Monroe Central) 184.
CLOSING IN ON 175 WINS
Steve Stirn (North Decatur) 171, Phil Mason (Griffith) 170, Chad Zolman (Homestead) 167, Bud Ozmun (Oak Hill) 165, Mike Kirschner (Warren Central) 165, Steve Cooley (New Albany) 158, Andy Dorrel John Hurley (Evansville Memorial) 148, Roy Richards (Portage) 145, Aaron Tolle (Tipton) 143, Doug Hurt (Castle) 143, (Culver Academy) 158. Kurt Tippmann (Fort Wayne Snider) 158, Chris DePew (Garrett) 157, Michael Mosser (Adams Central) 154, Andy Thomas (Angola) 151, Ton Dilley (Guerin Catholic) 150.
CLOSING IN ON 150 WINS
Bill Peebles (Indianapolis Cathedral) 140, Jayson West (Franklin Central) 140, Kyle Ralph (New Palestine) 140, Nick Hart (Gibson Southern) 133, Nate Andrews (NorthWood) 131, Ryan Knigga (Lawrenceburg) 130, Darin Ward (Boonville) 129, Brian Glesing (Salem) 128, ,Monte Mawhorter (West Noble) 127, Brian Oliver (Linton-Stockton) 126, Jason Hawkins (Charlestown) 126.
CLOSING IN ON 125 WINS
Shane Fry (West Lafayette) 124, Scott Buening (Southridge) 123, Doug Dinan (Carroll Fort Wayne) 119, Ryan Langferman (Milan) 119, Chris Coll (Franklin) 113, Mike Wilhelm (Yorktown) 112, Josh Edwards (Eastern Greentown) 112, Brandon Baker (Northfield) 110, Greg Barrett (South Vermillion) 110, Todd Wilkerson (Heritage Hills) 109, Justin Pelley (Western Boone) 108, Curt Funk (Fishers) 107, Mark Raetz (Northview) 105.
CLOSING IN ON 100 WINS
Travis Nolting (Greenfield-Central) 96, Brad Seiss (Merrillville) 96, Kyle Lindsay (Fort Wayne Bishop Luers) 95, Mark Peterson (Chesterton) 93, Bret Szabo (Tecumseh) 91
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS VS PISTONS
A Gold Friday victory would go a long way for the Indiana Pacers.
If the Pacers (9-10) can top the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Blue & Gold would earn a critical Emirates NBA Cup win, finish their current homestand a perfect 4-0, and get the team back to a .500 record for the first time since Nov. 10.
To advance to the Knockout Rounds of this year’s NBA Cup, the Pacers must beat the Pistons, and also get help elsewhere. The Pacers and Toronto Raptors are currently 0-2 in East Group B play, while the Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks are 2-0.
2024 NBA Cup Central: Schedule, Standings, and More at Pacers.com/Cup >>
The Pacers have won three straight games this week, including a 121-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Myles Turner have shined during the season-high Pacers winning streak, picking up the short-handed roster as it navigates several significant injuries.
Over the last three games, Haliburton is averaging 27.7 points and 10.7 assists per game; Pascal Siakam is registering 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists; Mathurin is putting up 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds; and Turner is averaging 14 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks.
Against Portland, Siakam matched a season-best 29 points, Haliburton logged 28 points and 10 assists, Mathurin had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Turner finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks.
Detroit enters Friday’s matchup having lost four of its last five games, including a 131-111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
In the loss, Marcus Sasser led the Pistons with 22 points off the bench, Simone Fontecchio had 18, and former Purdue star Jaden Ivey recorded 17.
Detroit’s top two offensive threats, Cade Cunningham (23.5 PPG) and forward Tobias Harris (13.8 PPG), didn’t play in Memphis due to injuries. Their status for Friday is still questionable.
Indiana has won five straight games against Detroit, including 115-109 the season opener in Indianapolis.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Quenton Jackson, F – Bennedict Mathuin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Pistons: G – Jaden Ivey, G – Malik Beasley, F – Tim Hardaway Jr., F – Tobias Harris, C – Jalen Duren
Injury Report
Pacers: Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), Andrew Nembhard – out (left knee patellofemoral inflammation), Aaron Nesmith – out (left ankle sprain), Ben Sheppard – out (left oblique strain), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon).
Pistons: Cade Cunningham – questionable (left sacroiliac joint sprain),Tobias Harris – questionable (left hip impingement), Bobi Klinman – out (right calf contusion)
Last Meeting
Oct. 23, 2024: The Pacers opened their 2024-2025 campaign with a 115-109 comeback win over the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
After trailing at the end of each of the first three quarters, the Pacers overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter, outscoring the visitors 33-19 in the final frame, to pull out the victory.
Indiana outshot 50.6 to 43.2 percent, but both teams made just nine 3-pointers in the game.
Myles Turner topped the Pacers with 20 points, Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin each scored 19, and Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 15.
Six players scored in double figures for the Pistons. Detroit point guard Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 28 points on 10-for-23 shooting and Jaden Ivey added 17 points.
Noteworthy
The Pacers are 7-2 at home this season.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is an Indiana native. He went to Marian High School in Mishawaka and La Lumiere School in La Porte before playing at Purdue from 2020 to 2022.
The Pacers own the all-time regular season record against the Pistons 112-102.
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)
Tickets
The Pacers wrap up a four-game homestand when they host Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons for an Emirates NBA Cup game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, Nov. 27 at 8:00 PM ET.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
NO. 3 GONZAGA BOUNCES BACK FROM LOSS, SWAMPS NO. 14 INDIANA 89-73 BEHIND NEMBHARD DOUBLE-DOUBLE
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Khalif Battle led a balanced attack with 16 points, Ryan Nembhard had a double-double and No. 3 Gonzaga used a first-half blitz to beat No. 14 Indiana 89-73 in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday.
The Bulldogs led 33-31 with under eight minutes to go in the first half when five players scored in a 16-0 run in less than 4 1/2 minutes and the Hoosiers never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way.
Nembhard had 11 points and a career-high 13 assists for the Bulldogs (6-1). Michael Ajayi and Nolan Hickman added 15 points and Ben Gregg 13. Ajayi had nine rebounds as Gonzaga outrebounded Indiana 42-27.
Omar Ballo had 25 points for Indiana (4-2), which lost its second straight. Mackenzie Mgbako scored 13.
Takeaways
Gonzaga was locked in for its second blowout win over a top-15 opponent and rebounded from a loss to West Virginia.
Indiana struggled to get its offense going.
Key moment
Indiana was within two when Bello scored inside at the 8:11 mark of the first half, giving him 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting against his first college team. His next basket came at 2:58 and cut Gonzaga’s lead to 49-33. The Hoosiers missed eight shots with three turnovers between baskets.
Key stats
Gonzaga led 57-39 at half with a 17-3 advantage in second-chance points. … Bello was 11-of-13 shooting, his teammates were 16 of 46. … Gonzaga had six players in double figures before Indiana got its second with 1:20 left in the game.
Up next
Gonzaga will play the winner of Providence and Davidson for fifth place, and Indiana plays the loser for seventh on Friday.
INDIANA BASKETBALL GAME NOTES – GAME 7 VS. PROVIDENCE
Opening Tip
• Indiana University continues its 125th season of competition in men’s basketball in the seventh-place game against Providence in the Battle 4 Atlantis at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 28, at the Imperial Ballroom. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Beth Mowins (pxp) and Debbie Antonelli (analyst) on the call.
• The Friars enter the game with a record of 5-2 under second-year head coach head coach Kim English. Senior Joseph Bensley (12.5 points per game) leads a balanced scoring attack. Junior guard Jayden Pierre (11.5), senior guard Wesley Cardet (10.3), and redshirt junior guard Corey Floyd Jr. (10.0) all produce double figure scoring averages.
Game Information
Friday Nov. 29, 2024 • 11 a.m. ET
Imperial Ballroom • Paradise Islands, Bahamas
TV: ESPN2 (Dave O’Brien, Jimmy Dykes)
Radio: IU Radio Network (Austin Render, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
Series History: Indiana leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: IU 79, PC 58 on Nov. 30, 2020, in Asheville
Series History
• Indiana has won both meetings between the two programs. The Hoosiers defeated the Friars by a score of 97-79 in the third-place game of the 1973 NCAA Tournament. IU Hall of Fame inductee Steve Downing paced the Hoosiers with 21 points and 14 rebounds in the game.
• IU also earned a 79-58 victory over PC in the opening round of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 30, 2020, in Asheville, N.C. Race Thompson had a career day with 22 points and 13 rebounds in the contest. Aljami Durham added 19 points, six boards, and three assists.
Last Time Out
• No. 14/15 Indiana (4-2) dropped an 89-73 contest against No. 3/4 Gonzaga in the consolation bracket of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday, Nov. 28, at the Imperial Ballroom.
• Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo scored a game-high 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the floor against his former team. His point total marked the second highest of his career (30 points vs. Creighton on Nov. 23, 2022). Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako added 13 points and four boards.
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 153 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 is one of three players (Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; Danny Wolf, Michigan) this season 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).
Twenty Piece (CAREER)
Oumar Ballo: 9; last vs. Gonzaga, 11/28/24
Myles Rice: 8; last vs. UNC Greensboro, 11/21/24
Malik Reneau: 8; last vs. Louisville, 11/27/24
Mackenzie Mgbako: 4; last vs. SIUE, 11/6/24
Kanaan Carlyle: 3; last vs. Washington State, 1/18/24
Trey Galloway: 3; last at Ohio State, 2/6/24
Langdon Hatton: 2; last at Kennesaw State, 2/1/24
Inside Indiana Basketball with Mike Woodson
Inside Indiana Basketball Radio Show with Mike Woodson Presented by CommunityCars.com will air at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 2. The show can be heard statewide on the CareSource Radio Network from Learfield and will be broadcast live from Hoosier Hanks East in Bloomington.
Inside Indiana Basketball Broadcast Dates
December 2, 16
January 6, 27
February 17, 24
March 10
INDIANA VS. PURDUE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES
HOOSIERS NOTES:
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Old Oaken Bucket will shine under the lights of Memorial Stadium as No. 10/10 Indiana hosts rival Purdue in a battle for in-state bragging rights on Saturday (Nov. 30) at 7 p.m. on FS1.
No. 10/10 INDIANA (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) hosts PURDUE (1-10, 0-8 Big Ten)
Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, Ind.)
Saturday, Nov. 30 | 7 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | RADIO: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network
Setting the Scene
• Indiana will host Purdue for the annual Old Oaken Bucket game on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. ET in Memorial Stadium on FS1. This is the first-ever night edition of the annual rivalry.
• It will be the 126th meeting between the two programs and 99th meeting since the inception of the Old Oaken Bucket. The first game against the two teams dates back to 1891 and the first Bucket Game was in 1925.
• Purdue leads the all-time series, 77-42-6. Indiana is seeking its first win in the series since 2019 when it defeated Purdue, 44-41 in double overtime, in West Lafayette.
By The Numbers
7 – Indiana has already set a program record for most conference wins in a single season in program history with seven.
59 – Indiana’s 59 offensive touchdowns on the season are its most since 2013 (61) and are second in the FBS.
34 – Indiana’s 34 rushing touchdowns are the most in a season since 2000 which also had 34 rushing scores. This mark only trails a program-best 37 in 1988.
10 – The 10-game winning streak was the longest streak in program history. The previous record was eight consecutive games in the 1945 and 1967 seasons.
4 – With four sellouts in 2024, Indiana has the second-most sold-out crowds in program history. MORE ON PAGE 5
News & Notes
• Indiana enters the game with a 10-1 record after taking its first loss at Ohio State (11/23), 38-15, in Week 13. Prior to the loss, Indiana had its first 10-0 start in program history and reached a program-record for wins in a season.
• Curt Cignetti is the only Indiana head coach to start his head coaching tenure with a 10-0 record. He is the first-ever Division I head coach to start 10-0 in consecutive seasons at different schools (James Madison, 10-0, 2023; Indiana, 10-0, 2024). MORE ON PAGE 5 & 19
• Indiana has multiple rushing touchdowns in 10 of 11 games in 2024 and has 34 rushing scores on the season, just three shy of the program record (37; 1988).
• Indiana owns a 7-0 record at Memorial Stadium this season and has sold out the final four games of the home slate for the second-most sellouts in a single season at IU. MORE ON PAGE 5
• The Hoosiers picked up 27 transfers in the 2024 offseason with 21 of them having three-or-more years of college experience prior to coming to Indiana. Thirteen of the transfers followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison.
• Senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke moved his season passing yardage total to 2,478 to move into No. 11 on the IU single-season charts. Passed Peyton Ramsey (2,454; 2019) and Babe Laufenberg (2,468; 1982) in the game. Trails Nate Sudfeld (2,523; 2013) for a spot in the top 10. MORE ON PAGE 8
• Senior running back Ty Son Lawton had his eighth career multi-rushing touchdown game with his two scores at Ohio State. Lawton has scored a touchdown in eight of 11 games this season. MORE ON PAGE 10
• Junior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt moved his consecutive games with a catch streak to 36-straight games with a 19-yard touchdown in the first quarter. MORE ON PAGE 11
• Senior linebacker Jailin Walker had his fourth-career interception and first as a Hoosier when he picked off Will Howard at the Indiana 11-yard line in the second quarter. He also led the Hoosiers in tackle in the game with eight. MORE ON PAGE 13
• Junior linebacker Aiden Fisher has 102 tackles on the season, good for third in the Big Ten. He has notched double-digit tackles eight times this season. MORE ON PAGE 13
• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara owns at least one tackle in all 34 career appearances and at least a half tackle for loss in 29 of 34 career games. MORE ON PAGE 14
• Sophomore kicker Nicolas Radicic extended his single-season record for extra points made with 60 on the year with his 1-for-1 effort against the Buckeyes. He also is in a tie for No. 8 on the program’s consecutive field goals made list at nine-straight tries to open his career. MORE ON PAGE 18
FULL GAME NOTES: https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/11/25/football-game-notes-purdue
BOILERMAKERS NOTES:
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football closes out the 2024 campaign with the annual Old Oaken Bucket Game. The Boilermakers travel south to Bloomington for a Saturday night matchup against No. 10 Indiana. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
QUICK HITS
• While Purdue leads the all-time series 77-42-6, the Boilermakers also hold a 63-32-3 advantage when the Old Oaken Bucket is on the line. Saturday will mark the 99th time that the Bucket is up for grabs.
• The Boilermakers have won the past three matchups in the rivalry, their longest streak since rattling off five straight from 2002-06, including a 35-31 victory last season that was Purdue’s 300th victory at Ross-Ade Stadium.
• Saturday’s contest marks the fourth time in the final six games of the season that Purdue faces a Top 10 team. The Boilermakers will play their fifth Top 10 team this season and are the only program in the country to have had to face four of the nation’s current Top 5.
• Purdue has only faced a ranked Indiana team four times throughout history.
• The Boilermakers held Michigan State scoreless in the second half last week, one possession away from pulling off the biggest comeback in program history. Purdue trailed 24-3 at halftime before limiting the Spartans to zero points and 73 yards of total offense in the second half, including 0-for-7 on third down after the break.
• Hudson Card threw for a career-high 342 yards at Michigan State last week.
• One of the nation’s leading tacklers as an All-American a season ago, sophomore Dillon Thieneman ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in solo tackles (5.7 per game) this year. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has recorded 63 solo tackles, the most by any defensive back in the country.
• Thieneman’s 94 total tackles are 21 more than the next Big Ten defensive back.
• Thieneman is two solo tackles away from being just the third defensive back over the past 20 seasons to record at least 65 solo tackles as a freshman and sophomore (Andrew Wingard – 2015-16 – Wyoming, Davonte Shannon – 2007-08 – Buffalo).
• Starting center Gus Hartwig has a 84.9 pass blocking grade from PFF, second best in the Big Ten and 13th nationally among centers, while not giving up a sack and allowing only one hit on the quarterback.
• Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkins is the conference leader in sacks wearing a Big Ten uniform, recording 23.0 throughout his career to also rank sixth in Purdue history.
• Tight end Max Klare leads the Boilermakers in receptions (46), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4), ranking second among Big Ten tight ends and seventh nationally in receiving yards.
• Klare is on pace to become the first Purdue tight end to lead the team in receptions since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz hauled in 41 receptions (240 yards, four touchdowns) during the 2013 season.
• Running back Devin Mockobee is 55 yards away from being the eighth Boilermaker in program history to eclipse 2,500 career rushing yards. Mockobee ranks 10th all-time with 2,445 yards on the ground.
• Purdue is the only team in the country to have played at least four of the nation’s current Top 5 teams (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame).
OLD OAKEN BUCKET HISTORY
• While Saturday’s game will be the 126th meeting between the Boilermakers and Hoosiers, this year’s matchup will be just the 99th edition of the Old Oaken Bucket Game.
• Since 1925, Purdue and Indiana have played annually for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Boilermakers lead the Bucket portion of the all-time series 63-32-3, including 18 wins in the last 26 showdowns that started at the beginning of the Joe Tiller era.
• Purdue has won five of the past six matchups (game was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19).
• The Chicago alumni groups of both schools came up with the idea for a traveling trophy, and Russell Gray of Purdue and Clarence Jones of Indiana were given the task of finding an appropriate object. They recommended that “an old oaken bucket would be a most typical trophy from this state and should be taken from a well somewhere in Indiana.” Purdue’s Fritz Ernst and Whiley J. Huddle of Indiana found the fabled bucket, in a bad state of repair, covered with moss and mold, on the Bruner farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana.
• The Bruner farm was settled in the 1840s, and family lore suggests the bucket might have been used by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his soldiers during their incursion into Indiana in 1863 during the Civil War.
• George Ade, distinguished humorist from Purdue, and Harry Kurrie, president of the Monon Railroad, representing Indiana, formally introduced the Old Oaken Bucket in 1925. The Boilermakers and Hoosiers subsequently battled to a 0-0 tie Nov. 21 at Ross-Ade Stadium, resulting in an “I-P” link being attached to the bucket.
• Throughout its history, the bucket has been kidnapped by partisans from both schools – a couple of times missing so long that it was given up as lost, only to turn up mysteriously just before or after the annual game.
KEEPING THE BUCKET
• Purdue has won five of the past six matchups in the rivalry game, while keeping the Old Oaken Bucket for the past three seasons.
• The Boilermakers are looking to beat the Hoosiers for a fourth year in a row. The current three-game winning streak is Purdue’s longest in the rivalry since rattling off five straight from 2002-06.
• Purdue has averaged 36.3 points per game over the last three matchups against Indiana, while holding the Hoosiers to 18.0 points per game.
• The Boilermakers won last year’s season finale 35-31. Hudson Card led Purdue to the victory, recording 360 yards of offense (275 passing, 85 rushing) and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) to become the first quarterback since Drew Brees (2000) to pass for at least 275 yards and rush for at least 85 yards in the same game. Dillon Thieneman picked off a pair of passes to set a new Purdue single-season record for INTs by a freshman (6).
THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL
• Purdue entered the 2024 season as one of only two teams (Florida) in the country to have four preseason Top 10 teams on its schedule. Turns out, the slate proved to be even harder, perhaps one of the most difficult in college football history.
• The Boilermakers are the only team in the country to have four of the nation’s Top 5 on their schedule (No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Notre Dame).
• Saturday’s contest will be Purdue’s sixth against a ranked team, including the fifth ranked in the current Top 10.
• Four of the Boilermakers’ final six games on the schedule feature Top 10 teams. Three during the second half of the season were against Top 5 opponents.
SECOND HALF SHUTOUT
• Trailing 24-3 at the half against Michigan State last week, the Boilermakers did not give up and nearly pulled off the biggest comeback in program history before falling just short 24-17.
• The Purdue defense shut out the Spartans in the second half, limiting them to only 73 yards of total offense that included punts on five of six drives and an 0-for-7 rate on third down.
• It marked the fourth time that the Boilermakers have kept an opponent scoreless in a half this season (complete game shutout vs. Indiana State, first half vs. Nebraska).
• The defense held the Spartans to 293 yards of total offense throughout the game, the fewest surrendered since the season-opening win over Indiana State. That included only 159 yards, the lowest by a Big Ten opponent this season.
LEADING THE O-LINE
• Center Gus Hartwig and right tackle Marcus Mbow have been the leaders on Purdue’s offensive line this season.
• Both Boilermakers have started all 11 games this season, bringing a total of 78 starts between the duo (Hartwig – 47, Mbow – 31).
• Hartwig has earned an 84.9 pass blocking grade from PFF, not allowing a sack and only surrendering one hit on the quarterback. His pass blocking grade ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally among centers. Hartwig’s 74.7 offensive grade ranks second in the conference and 16th nationally.
• Going up against No. 2 Oregon, Mbow earned a spot on the PFF National Team of the Week for battling the Ducks’ difficult defensive line.
• Mbow has a 76.9 run blocking grade by PFF, ranking sixth among Big Ten tackles.
MAD MAX
• Max Klare has not missed a beat this season after his 2023 campaign was cut short due to injury.
• The sophomore tight end leads Purdue in receptions (46), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4), on pace to become the first tight end to lead the Boilermakers in receiving since current tight ends coach Justin Sinz paced Purdue in 2013 (41 receptions).
• Klare ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in receiving yards by a tight end.
• Klare has led Purdue in receiving in eight of the team’s 11 games this season.
• His 649 receiving yards rank seventh in a single season by a Purdue tight end and are the most since Brycen Hopkins’ 830-yard season in 2019.
• He had his best game as a Boilermaker at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), hauling in six receptions for a career-high 133 yards. It marked the most receiving yards by a Purdue tight end since Payne Durham’s 150-yard night in the 2021 season opener and the sixth most by a Boilermaker tight end since 1996. Klare added 76 yards after catch as part of his receiving total.
• Klare has made multiple catches in 16 straight games he has appeared in, having only played in 17 throughout his collegiate career.
• He already ranks 11th all-time in receiving yards by a Purdue tight end with 845 over two seasons.
• Klare was also tabbed to the Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List ahead of the year.
HERE COMES THE MOCK TRAIN
• From walk-on to phenom, Devin Mockobee has certainly made a name for himself in his time in West Lafayette.
• For the third straight season, Mockobee leads the Purdue rushing attack. The junior has recorded 666 yards with four rushing touchdowns to pace the Boilermakers in both categories.
• Mockobee sits ninth on Purdue’s all-time rushing list (2,445), passing legendary College Football Hall of Fame running back Leroy Keyes (2,094) against Nebraska (Sept. 28). He also sits 10th with 19 career rushing touchdowns, passing another College Football Hall of Famer (Otis Armstrong) by finding the end zone against Northwestern (Nov. 2).
• The junior is 55 yards away from becoming just the eighth Boilermaker in history to rack up 2,500 career rushing yards.
• With 11 carries for 102 yards at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12), Mockobee became the seventh Boilermaker to produce at least eight 100-yard rushing games over a career and the first since Kory Sheets (2005-08) recorded nine over his career.
• He rushed for a season-high 168 rushing yards at Oregon State (Sept. 21), becoming the sixth Boilermaker since 1996 to record a 100-yard rushing game in three separate seasons.
• He started his career by setting a new Purdue freshman record with 968 rushing yards while also adding nine touchdowns.
• After being put on scholarship in the first official act of the Walters era, he led the team in rushing once again with 807 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
• In doing so, Mockobee became the first Boilermaker to lead the team in rushing in back-to-back seasons since Markell Jones, who did it three years running (2015-17).
• The Boonville, Ind., native is one of only four Big Ten players to rush for more than 800 yards in each of the past two seasons.
DT THE TACKLING MACHINE
• After pacing Purdue and becoming one of the nation’s leading tacklers as a freshman, Dillon Thieneman is back atop the Boilermakers’ chart for tackles in 2024.
• The sophomore defensive back leads Purdue in total tackles (94) and solo tackles (63), besting all Big Ten defensive backs in both categories.
• Thieneman’s 5.7 solo tackles per game rank second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.
• His 63 solo tackles rank are the most by any defensive back in the country, and he is two solo stops away from becoming just the third DB over the past 20 years to record 65 solo tackles as a freshman and as a sophomore (Andrew Wingard – 2015-16 – Wyoming, Davonte Shannon – 2007-08 – Buffalo).
• Six tackles against Indiana would make Thieneman just the second Big Ten defensive back (since 2005) to make 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons as well as the fifth nationally to do it as a freshman and sophomore.
• Thieneman is one of only 26 Big Ten defensive backs over the past 20 seasons to record at least 50 solo tackles in two different seasons, including just the third to do it during both freshman and sophomore campaigns (Ricardo Allen – Purdue, Ibraheim Campbell – Northwestern).
• A season ago, Thieneman led the team with 106 tackles, ranking fifth in the Big Ten among all players and the most by any freshman in the country
• His 74 solo tackles in 2023 led all freshmen nationwide and set a new Purdue freshman record.
HIGHWAY TO HELDT
• After recording only 12 tackles throughout his freshman season, sophomore rush end Will Heldt has made 54 tackles this season. He ranks second on the team in sacks (5.0) and tackles-for-loss (9.0).
• Heldt recorded his first career touchdown with a 16-yard scoop-and-score at No. 23 Illinois (Oct. 12).
• At Wisconsin (Oct. 5), Heldt recorded a career-high eight tackles to pace Purdue.
• Heldt started the season with a team-high seven tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in the win over Indiana State.
• Prior to the season opener, Heldt’s career high in tackles were two.
TACKLES-4-LOSS
• One of the major anchors of the defense is senior Kydran Jenkins (KAY-dran), who ranks sixth in Purdue history with 23.0 career sacks and 10th with 43.5 tackles-for-loss.
• The senior linebacker leads the Boilermakers in TFLs (12.0) and sacks (6.5), while ranking second in tackles (78).
• Jenkins sacks per game (0.59) ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
• Jenkins had a huge game against Oregon State (Sept. 21), recording a career-high 16 tackles to go along with 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks. With his second sack of the contest, he became the eighth Boilermaker in program history to make 20 career sacks.
• As a junior, Jenkins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles-for-loss with 15.5 on the year, ranking 18th in the country and the most by a Boilermaker since George Karlaftis in 2019 (17.0).
• He garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the second straight year in 2023.
• A versatile player, Jenkins moved from RUSH END to middle linebacker ahead of the 2024 campaign, a position he played in high school and a spot the coaching staff believed would do more to impress NFL scouts.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
KAUFMAN-RENN TAKES OVER IN SECOND HALF AS NO. 13 PURDUE BEATS NC STATE 71-61
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 15 of his 22 points points in the second half and Camden Heide added 15 for No. 13 Purdue, which beat N.C. State 71-61 on Thursday in the opening game of the Rady Children’s Invitational.
It was a rematch of last season’s Final Four game, which Purdue won 63-50 before losing to UConn in the championship game.
Braden Smith had 11 points and and Fletcher Loyer 10 for Purdue (6-1).
Jayden Taylor scored 15 and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield 13 for N.C. State (5-1).
Purdue’s biggest lead was 71-56 after Heider made a corner 3-pointer with 1:48 left.
Takeaways
N.C. State: The Wolfpack stayed close through the first half, trailing 33-32 at the break, but couldn’t slow down Kaufman-Renn’s inside game in the second half.
Purdue: Purdue is trying for its fourth straight Thanksgiving week tournament title. This is the third straight year the Boilermakers have headed west for the holiday weekend. Last year it won the Maui Invitational and two years ago it won the Phil Knight Legacy in Portland. The Boilermakers beat Gonzaga in both tournaments.
Key moment
Kaufman-Renn scored Purdue’s first six points of the second half as the Boilermakers expanded their 33-32 halftime lead to 39-34. The 6-foot-9 big man made a layup, hit two free throws and added another layup, all in the first 2:05.
Key stat
The Boilermakers outrebounded the Wolfpack 38-28, with Kaufman-Renn grabbing eight.
Up next
Purdue advances to Sunday’s championship game against the winner of the second game between No. 23 Mississippi and BYU.
#13 PURDUE BATTLES #23 OLE MISS FOR RADY CHILDREN’S INVITATIONAL TITLE
GAMEDAY INFORMATION — GAME 08
[13] Purdue (6-1) vs. [23] Ole Miss (6-0)
6 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. PT | San Diego, California
LionTree Arena (4,000)
TELEVISION: FOX (Cory Provus, Robbie Hummel)
RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• The No. 13-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team looks for its fourth straight “Feast Week” championship when it battles No. 23-ranked Ole Miss in the title game of the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego on Friday afternoon in San Diego.
• Purdue is playing its first games in the state of California since Dec. 2001, when it played Arizona in the Wooden Classic in Anaheim.
• Purdue has won nine games in a row in “Feast Week” Tournaments, winning five of the games by at least 10 points. Ole Miss will be the eighth ranked team that Purdue will face during this current 10-game stretch (9-0 record).
• Purdue and Ole Miss will face each other for the first time since Jan. 4, 1934 — a 61-25 Purdue victory in West Lafayette.
• Purdue will see some familiar faces on the other sideline on Friday. Purdue lost to Chris Beard-coached teams in the 2016 NCAA Tournament (Little Rock) and the 2018 NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech). The Boilermakers did defeat Beard and his Texas Longhorns in the 2022 NCAA Tournament second round. However, in the next game, Purdue lost to current Ole Miss senior Jaylen Murray and the Saint Peter’s Peacocks.
• This will be the second game this season against an SEC team as Purdue knocked off No. 2-ranked Alabama on Nov. 15, in Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers will now be guaranteed to play four SEC teams this year — all of them likely ranked (Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Auburn). Purdue has won five straight games against current members of the SEC (Alabama twice, Tennessee twice, Texas).
• In the win over NC State, Purdue recorded its fourth run of 10-0 or larger in the victory over the Wolfpack. Purdue has won 24 straight games when having a run of 10-0 or larger, and has won 55 of its last 56 games when having a 10-0 run.
• In the last two games, Purdue is 46-of-59 (.780) from the free throw line. In the first five games, Purdue was just 79-of-116 (.681).
• Purdue is just 17-of-50 (.340) from 3-point range in the last three games. In the first four games, Purdue went 40-of-87 (.460) from deep.
• Purdue has won 24 straight games when holding its opponent under 70 points. The last loss came to Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
• Purdue has won 15 straight games when having fewer turnovers than its opponent. Purdue had six turnovers against the Wolfpack, who was forcing 17.4 turnovers per game.
• Purdue also outrebounded the Wolfpack, 38-28. The Boilermakers have won 23 straight games and is 156-15 under Painter when having fewer turnovers and more rebounds than its opponent.
• Purdue is now 98-20 since the start of the 2021-22 season, the second-most wins in the country (Houston – 101). The senior class of Caleb Furst (only senior) needs just 12 wins to tie the school record for wins in a career.
• The starting backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are 69-12 since their arrival at Purdue, starting every game of their tenure. The duo has combined for 1,775 points, 555 rebounds and 681 assists during their careers.
• The trio of Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined for 43 of Purdue’s 71 points in the win over NC State. The trio is averaging a combined 44.1 points per game (56.2 percent of Purdue’s scoring).
• Camden Heide scored 15 points with six rebounds, going 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from long range. He is averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 14-of-21 (.667) from the field and 11-of-16 (.688) from 3-point range over the last five games.
• Over the last two games (off the bench), Gicarri Harris has 14 points with six rebounds and four assists in 46 minutes. In his first five games, he scored 15 points with nine rebounds and five assists in 97 minutes.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL GAME NOTES VS. USC
FIGHTING IRISH NOTES:
WEEKEND AT A GLANCE • Saturday will mark the 95th meeting between Notre Dame and Southern Cal. • Notre Dame is 51-38-5 all-time against Southern Cal, with a 29-14-1 home record, 20-24-4 away record, and 2-0 record at neutral sites. • Notre Dame is 313-169-22 all-time against the Big Ten, and 1-0 against the Big Ten in 2024. • Saturday marks the ninth-consecutive time ND and SC will meet with at least one team ranked in the AP top 25 (dating back to 2015) – Notre Dame is 6-2 in those contests. • Notre Dame leads the nation in turnovers gained (26). The Irish have earned 127 points off of turnovers this season, compared to their opponents’ 27 total (+100 point differential). • Notre Dame has held seven opponents to 125 or fewer passing yards this season, the most instances among all FBS programs this season. • Notre Dame is the only FBS team to have held each opponent to under 24 points in every game this season. In addition, Notre Dame has held opponents to 250 or fewer yards of offense in six games this season, tied for the most in FBS. • Jeremiyah Love’s performance vs. Army was noteworthy, rushing seven times for 130 yards. He is one of just three Power 4 running backs this season to achieve 130 rushing yards on fewer than 10 carries, and one of just seven Irish running backs to achieve 100 or more yards on fewer than 10 carries since 1950. • Love is the only FBS running back to have rushed for 850 yards, achieve 7.0 yards per cary, score 10 rushing touchdowns and note 150 receiving yards this season. • The victory over Army was the 11th ranked win of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure.
IRISH ITEMS – BY THE NUMBERS 1 The Irish defense is one of the most complete defenses in the country, ranking among the FBS’ top teams. Notre Dame is first in passing defense (139.5), first in team passing efficiency defense (88.27), first in turnovers gained (26), second in scoring defense (11.6), second in defensive touchdowns (4), third in fumbles recovered (11), fourth in total defense (273.1), fourth in first downs allowed (168), fifth in red zone defense (0.708), eighth in third down conversion defense (0.297) and ninth in passes intercepted (15). 1 Senior quarterback Riley Leonard owns 32 rushing touchdowns for his career, including three in the first half at Purdue, and two vs. Miami (OH) and Georgia Tech. He tied for first among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (Dillon Gabriel – 32). 2 Xavier Watts has made a case as the best defensive player in college football. Watts has totaled 11 interceptions on his career. He is tied for the most career interceptions by an Irish player since 1996. He is the 19th Notre Dame player to intercept 10 or more passes in a career and is tied for ninth (with four other players) on the all-time list for career interceptions in program history. Watts is responsible for five of Notre Dame’s 26 turnovers gained this season (four interceptions, one fumble recovery). 2 Notre Dame is one of just two FBS programs (Auburn) that have three or more receivers who were the leading receiver (either in yards or receptions) on an FBS roster in 2023: Tight end Mitchell Evans (led Notre Dame with 29 receptions); wide receiver Jayden Harrison (led Marshall with 410 receiving yards); and wide receiver Kris Mitchell (led FIU in both receptions and yards – 64 receptions for 1,118 yards). 3-24 Notre Dame held two-straight opponents to 3-24 on third down (Miami 2-12, Purdue 1-12), the best back-to-back two-game total since 2021 (Cincinnati 2-12, Wisconsin 1-14). Those are the two best back-to-back two-game stretches since data is available starting in 1996. 4 Notre Dame is one of just four programs in the Power 4 with eight or more wins over each of the last five seasons (2020-24), joined by Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. 6 Riley Leonard is one of six FBS quarterbacks (and two Power 4 quarterbacks) this season to have passed for 1,900 yards and rushed for 650 yards. 7 Notre Dame has held seven opponents to 125 or fewer passing yards this season, the most instances among all FBS programs this season. 10 Jeremiyah Love’s performance vs. Army was noteworthy, rushing seven times for 130 yards. He is one of just three Power 4 running backs this season to achieve 130 rushing yards on fewer than 10 carries, and one of just seven Irish running backs to achieve 100 or more yards on fewer than 10 carries since 1950. 11 Notre Dame is the only FBS team to have held each opponent to under 24 points in every game this season. In addition, Notre Dame has held opponents to 250 or fewer yards of offense in six games this season, tied for the most in FBS. 11 Jeremiyah Love has scored a rushing touchdown in each game this season, making 11-straight games with a rushing touchdown. This ties the Notre Dame record for most consecutive game with a rushing TD, and sets a new record for most consecutive games with a rushing TD to start a season. He is one of just three FBS players to have scored a rushing touchdown in each game this season, joining Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. All three players have 11- game rushing touchdown streaks. Love is the only FBS running back to have rushed for 850 yards, achieve 7.0 yards per carry, score 10 rushing touchdowns and note 150 receiving yards this season. 11 The victory over Army was the 11th ranked win of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame, more than any other Irish head coach in the first three years of his tenure. In 2023, the 40-8 Sun Bowl victory over No. 21 Oregon State not only earned Freeman his first campaign with 10 victories, it also was his team’s seventh victory over an Associated Press-ranked team in his first two years leading the program – breaking Terry Brennan’s previous program record of six in 1954 and 55. 301 Notre Dame leads FBS with a +301 point differential this season. Since Oct. 1, Notre Dame leads all FBS programs in points per game (44.5). Notre Dame also ranks first since Oct. 1 in opponent points per game (10.8).
TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – OFFENSE • Jayden Thomas entered 2023 season as Notre Dame’s leading returning receiver and served in that role in the first four games of the 2023 season, catching 12 passes for over 180 yards and a touchdown. • Beaux Collins is Notre Dame’s leading receiver in 2024, with 34 receptions for 427 yards. He recorded 91 receptions for 1,290 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1,578 offensive snaps over 32 games (27 starts) at Clemson from 2021-23. He broke out late in his true freshman season with 31 catches for 407 yards and three touchdowns. • Jaden Greathouse was the first Irish true freshman wideout to catch two touchdown passes in his first-career game (against Navy in 2023). His five touchdown catches during a rookie campaign are the most for a Notre Dame true freshman since 2016. • Jayden Harrison was a first-team All-American as a kick returner at Marshall last season, tying for the FBS lead with two kick return touchdowns in 2023. He recorded his first touchdown catch for the Irish in the 35-14 win over Virginia. In 2023, Harrison played in all 13 games for Marshall (started four), totaling 28 receptions for 410 yards (14.6 yards per reception) and a touchdown. • Kris Mitchell, a transfer from FIU, led CUSA and ranked in the Top 20 nationally in receiving yards in 2023 (1,118 – 18th nationally) and receiving yads per game (93.2 – 13th nationally). Mitchell owns 100 career receptions for 1,663 yards and 11 touchdowns. • Jordan Faison joined the Notre Dame football team as a walk on and made his collegiate athletics debut at No. 25 Louisville in 2023, and was put on football scholarship. He would end the season with 19 catches for 322 yards and four touchdowns, capping the year by earning Sun Bowl MVP honors with five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. • Notre Dame’s offensive line presents some new faces in 2024 with the departures of NFL Draftees Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Pat Coogan, Ashton Craig, Billy Schrauth, Tosh Baker, Rocco Spindler and Charles Jagusah own starting experience. Irish linemen Aamil Wagner, Sam Pendleton and Anthonie Knapp all made their first-career starts at No. 20 Texas A&M. Even with injuries and young talent, the line has been named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. • Mitchell Evans had a breakout season in 2023 before being sidelined with an injury. A 2024 semifinalist for the Mackey Award, he played in eight games as a junior in 2023, starting seven, and ended the season as the team’s top receiving target, averaging 52.8 yards per game. Through those eight games, Evans totaled 29 receptions for 422 yards and a touchdown during the season, averaging 14.6 yards per catch. • With Evans’ injury in 2023, Cooper Flanagan and Eli Raridon saw action in 2023, each scoring a touchdown, and will look to have an increased role in 2024. • Riley Leonard owns 32 rushing touchdowns for his career, ranking first among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (tied with Dillon Gabriel and Bryson Daily – 32). He enters his senior season and first with Notre Dame coming off a Duke career as one of the ACC’s premier quarterbacks. See page 21 for more on Leonard. • Steve Angeli made the most of his first-career start in the 2023 Sun Bowl completing 15 of 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to that game, he went 19-for-25 passing with four touchdowns in seven relief appearances. • With the departure of NFL Draft pick Audric Estimé, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price are poised to lead the Irish running backs in 2024. Love has posted 11-straight games with a rushing touchdown.
TWO-DEEP TIDBITS – DEFENSE • Joshua Burnham finished the 2023 season with 18 tackles, four tackles-for loss and a sack. Junior Tuihalamaka appeared in all 13 games in 2023 while posting 10 tackles. • Rylie Mills was named a 2024 team captain and is a disruptive force on the Irish defensive line. He posted 3.0 sacks in the win over Florida State, as the Irish totaled 8.0 on the night. See page 18 for more information on Mills. • Donovan Hinish appeared in nine games in 2023 and posting a career-best four stops in the win over Central Michigan. Howard Cross III, questionable for this week, established himself as one of the top playmaking interior defensive lineman in the country during the 2023 season. See page 18 for more information on Cross. • RJ Oben transferred from Duke in the offseason with 34 career starts and 50 games played. Entering Notre Dame, he had posted 67 tackles on his career, with 14.5 sacks (loss of 91 yards), five forced fumbles, two passes defended and an interception. Bryce Young is now seeing time in the regular defensive line rotation and has made a significant mark on special teams, ranking second in the nation in individual blocked kicks (3). He is four-star true freshman and was an Adidas All-American as a high school senior. See page 20 for more on Young. • Jack Kiser leads a linebacker room with young talent. A team captain and 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist, Kiser has broken the Notre Dame career games played record. See page 19 for more information on Kiser. Jaiden Ausberry appeared in four regular-season games in 2023, preserving his eligibility. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is a highly-touted five-star linebacker who was a finalist for the high school Butkus Award in 2023. He posted a career high seven tackles vs. Northern Illinois. Drayk Bowen has posted 51 tackles this season, second behind Kiser’s 56. He appeared in 12 games in 2023 (missing one contest with an injury) and recorded 14 stops and a forced fumble. See page 20 for more on Bowen. Jaylen Sneed appeared in all 13 games in 2023, totaling 14 tackles, five QB hurries and two PBU. • Jordan Clark joined the Irish from Arizona State with 22 career starts and 39 games played entering 2024. Throughout his college career, he has snagged four interceptions (one for a touchdown) and 158 tackles (114 solo) with 7.5 TFL and 24 passes defended. • Adon Shuler has posted three interceptions this season, one each against Texas A&M, Georgia Tech and Virginia. Starting each game in 2024, he showed his playmaking ability late in the 2023 season, posting all six career tackles in the final three games of the year. See page 19 for more on Shuler. Luke Talich quickly established himself as a special teams mainstay during his freshman season in 2023, and posted his first-career pick six vs. Florida State. • True freshmen Karson Hobbs, Leonard Moore and Kennedy Urlacher have impressed in preseason camp. Moore and Urlacher both garnered one four-star ranking through recruitment. Moore made his college football debut at No. 20 Texas A&M, and his first-career start vs. No. 15 Louisville, leading the team with seven tackles. He also posted seven tackles in his second start, at Georgia Tech. See page 19 for more on Moore. Tae Johnson made his debut on the depth chart for Florida State week, and saw his first game action after coming back from injury. • Christian Gray started his first-career game in the 23-13 win at No. 20 Texas A&M. He saw action in 12 games and made 11 tackles in 2023. He intercepted his first career pass against Pittsburgh and finished the year with a career-best three tackles in the Sun Bowl victory over Oregon State. • Xavier Watts was a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Bednarik Award, Lott Trophy and Thorpe Award. Watts won the Nagurski Trophy in 2023 and was a unanimous All-American. See page 17 for more on Watts. Rod Heard II spent his prior career at Northwestern, where he amassed 31 starts and 46 games played with 182 tackles, 11 for loss, two sacks and two interceptions, as well as 10 passes defended, five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
USC NOTES:
THE GREATEST INTERSECTIONAL RIVALRY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL • USC and Notre Dame…two renowned brands…two iconic football programs…it doesn’t get any better. • USC hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 95th meeting of the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. It will be shown live nationally on CBS. • The game is a battle between schools with glorious gridiron heritages. The winner gets year-long possession of the jeweled Shillelagh. • In its last 12 games against the Irish, USC is 4-8. • Notre Dame is ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll, while USC is unranked. • A Trojan win would shake up the College Football Playoff bracket. WINNING TRADITIONS • USC and Notre Dame have 2 of the top gridiron heritages in the country. • The schools have both won 11 national titles (USC in 1928-31-32-39-62-67-72-74-78-2003-04 and Notre Dame in 1924-29-30-43-46-47-49-66-73-77-88). • Notre Dame is fourth in all-time victories among Division I-A schools (958, not including 21 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty) and USC is eighth (881, not including 14 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty). • USC has played in 55 bowls (with 35 wins, not including 1 win and 2 appearances vacated due to NCAA penalty), while Notre Dame has been in 42 bowls (with 21 wins). • Both schools have produced Heisman Trophy winners (USC has 8 [the most of any college football program], Notre Dame 7). USC’s Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Caleb Williams and Notre Dame’s Angelo Bertelli, John Lujack, Leon Hart, John Lattner, Paul Hornung, John Huarte, Tim Brown. • Notre Dame has had 203 All-American first teamers, while USC claims 176. • USC holds the record for most players (6) selected as the top pick of the NFL Draft, while Notre Dame has had 5 players drafted at the No. 1 spot. • Both schools are well-represented in the various halls of fame: USC has 46 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame (including 35 players) and Notre Dame has 55 (including 49 players), and in the Pro Football Hall of Fame USC holds 18 members (including a record 14 players) and 14 from Notre Dame (13 players). • Both programs have had legendary coaches (USC’s Gloomy Gus Henderson, Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, and Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian).
MAKING HIS MARK • Redshirt senior RB Woody Marks continues to prove why he is one of the best and most versatile backs in the nation. • In USC’s 19-13 win over crosstown rival UCLA, Marks tallied 18 carries for 76 yards. • He currently ranks No. 25 in USC’s all-time single-season rushing leaders with 1,100 rushing yards this season. • Marks is USC’s first 1,000 yard rusher since Ronald Jones II rushed for 1,550 yards in 2017. • Since Reggie Bush and LenDale White were 1,000-yard rushers in 2005, just five USC RBs have been 1,000-yard season rushers: Joe McKnight (2009), Curtis McNeal (2011), Javorius Allen (2014), Ronald Jones II (2016 & 2017) and now Woody Marks. • Marks, the ultimate playmaker, had 4 catches for 25 yards to extend his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch to 56, which is the longest active streak in the nation. • He is the first Trojan RB with 40+ catches in a single season since Javorius Allen recorded 41 in 2014. Marks has collected 47 receptions with at least 2 games remaining. • He is No. 2 in the Power 4 among all positions with 31 explosive runs over the last 10 weeks. • Marks is averaging 129.18 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks 16th in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten. His 1,100 rushing yards are 19th in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten, and his rushing yards per game (100.0) ranks 20th in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT MARKS • “He’s been consistent, steady, just a tough, physical runner. It’s not a shock that the guy plays the way he does every week because he works every day. He’s the same guy every day. He comes to compete and so game day is really no different. It’s something you just come to expect out of him and he’s answered the bell for us all year long.”- USC head coach Lincoln Riley. POWERFUL PUNTING • P Eddie Czaplicki, a Ray Guy Award semifinalist, is the best punter in the nation. • Czaplicki averaged 47.0 yards per punt with a long of 52 in USC’s 19-16 victory over crosstown rival UCLA. • Not only were all 3 of his punts inside the 20, they were all inside the 10 — backing UCLA up to its own 7, 9 and 1-yard line. • USC ranks first in the nation in net punting (46.24). • He is first in the nation in percentage of punts inside the 20 for punters with a minimum of 30 attempts. • 9 of his punts have been inside the 10. • 22 of his punts have been inside the 20. • He has recorded zero touchbacks the entire season. • He has averaged over 50-yards in 4 games this season (55.3 vs. LSU, 53.1 vs. Michigan, 56.0 vs. Minnesota and 51.8 vs. Nebraska). • He has been named a Ray’s 8 Award recipient three times this season. • Nineteen of Czaplicki’s 36 punts have been over 50 yards (.528), including a season-long of 62 yards against Minnesota. • He also recorded a career-high single game punting average of 53.1 yards against Michigan, and 22 of his punts have pinned opponents inside the 20. • He ranks No. 3 in the nation with a 48.8-yard punting average. • Czaplicki has been instrumental in flipping the field and giving the Trojan defense great field position all season long. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT CZAPLICKI • “Eddie Czaplicki’s punt goes down at the 1-yard line. The best individual season for a USC specialist as far back as I can remember – maybe Tom Malone?” – Antonio Morales, The Athletic • “Eddie Czaplicki having a great night for his Heisman campaign, pins a 44-yard punt at the UCLA 1. He may be the best college punter I’ve ever seen.” – Ryan Young, TrojanSports.com • “Eddie Czaplicki might run away with team MVP honors this season. It’s not every day that the punter gets a shoutout in the head coach’s opening statement, but that’s how important Czaplicki has become to USC’s whole operation. Each of his four punts resulted in Nebraska starting its drive inside of at least its own 13-yard line. Twice, he pushed Nebraska inside the five. Those four Nebraska drives yielded exactly two (!!!) first downs and 57 yards. Give this kid the Ray Guy Award already.” – Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times • “This dude has been a dawg for us all year and has continued to produce. You talk about a guy whose performance is consistent in and out. This dude is the best in the country at his position. And that’s Eddie Czaplicki!” – USC head coach Lincoln Riley.
MAIAVA MANIA • Redshirt sophomore QB Jayden Maiava went 19-for-35 (.543) for 221 yards with 1 TD in USC’s victory over UCLA. • He displayed his elusiveness and his ability to extend plays with his feet after escaping 2 Bruin defenders and launching a dart to WR Ja’Kobi Lane in the end zone to score. • Per PFF, Maiava recorded 2 Big Time Throws versus UCLA, which ranked second-most among Big Ten QBs in Week 13. • He is 2-0 at USC’s starting QB. • He is the first Polynesian quarterback to start for USC. • As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Maiava led UNLV to its most wins since 1984 and a first-ever appearance in the Mountain West Championship. • He completed 224-of-353 passes (63.5%) for 3,085 yards and 17 TDs with 10 INTs, plus he rushed for 277 yards on 73 carries (3.8 avg.) and scored 3 TDs while seeing action and starting in all 14 games. • He also recorded 2 tackles. Maiava was named the 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year and the 2023 College Football Network Freshman Quarterback of the Year. • He earned placement on the 2023 All-Mountain West Second Team and the 2023 Phil Steele AllMountain West Second Team. • He set the Mountain West record for Freshman of the Week honors with 5. • Maiava redshirted the 2022 season and did not see any action at quarterback. • He is majoring in Communication at USC. • While at UNLV, Maiava earned placement on the Fall 2023 Academic All-Mountain West Team. • His uncle is former Trojan linebacker, Kaluka Maiava (2005-08).
DEFENSIVE TURNAROUND • The USC defense is holding opponents to an average of just 21.2 points per game. In 2023, the USC defense allowed an average of 34.4 points per game. • USC currently ranks No. 18 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in third-down conversation percentage defense (0.322), compared to ranking No. 106 in the nation in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.436) in 2023. • At the end of the 2023 season, USC ranked 116 in total defense (432.8). USC has made a significant improvement and now ranks No. 65 in total defense (365.7). • USC was No. 116 in rushing defense (186.5), compared to ranking No. 43 (130.1) in 2024. • The Trojans were No. 118 in scoring defense in 2023 (34.4), and now are No. 32 (21.2). OLINE PRODUCTION • Per PFF, OL Emmanuel Pregnon’s offensive grade of 83.9 and his run block grade of 88.2 were the best grades of all Power Four guards in week 13, and the fifth-best grades among all Power Four offensive linemen. His run block grade was the best in the Big Ten in week 13. • Per PFF, OL Alani Noa’s run block grade of 84.7 was the seventh-best grade among all Power Four offensive linemen and second-best in the Big Ten (behind Pregnon). • Per PFF, OL Jonah Monheim’s 78.4 run block grade was the best of all Power Four centers in week 13. • Per PFF, OL Elijah Paige’s 91.6 pass block grade ranked No. 1 among all Power Four offensive linemen in week 13. UCLA GAME RECAP • It was USC’s version of the Michael Jordan “flu game” as the Trojans, overcoming a program-wide flu outbreak, defeated crosstown UCLA 19-13 in the Rose Bowl to bring the Victory Bell home to Troy. • It was the fifth straight year the road team has won in the series. • After UCLA scored a FG on its opening possession, the Trojans ended up in the red zone 3 times in the first half, scoring a field goal each time. • After an on-field scuffle at the end of the first half, UCLA was charged with 3 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties giving USC an opportunity for a short field to open the second half, but the Trojans turned the ball over on downs. UCLA then scored as QB Ethan Garbers hit WR Titus Mokiao-Atimalala on a 10-yard TD pass. • USC then completely took control of the game in the fourth quarter. • P Eddie Czaplicki, the nation’s best punter, put the Trojan defense in great field position with a perfect 44-yard punt downed at the UCLA 1-yard line. His other 2 punts in the game were also inside the 10, backing UCLA up to its own 7 and 9 yard lines. • After and 3-and-out by the Bruins, the Trojan offense found a spark. QB Jayden Maiava tossed WR Makai Lemon a lateral, and Lemon threw a perfect 39-yard rope to WR Kyron Hudson who ran out of bounds at the UCLA 4. USC scored on the next play as Maiava dodged one Bruin defender and outran another to launch a perfect throw to WR Ja’Kobi Lane in the back corner of the end zone for USC’s only TD of the night to push USC ahead 16-13. • With 5 minutes left in the game, UCLA needed to convert a fourthand-1 to extend its drive, and the USC front came up with a crucial stop to force a turnover on downs at the UCLA 34. USC scored a field goal on the following drive to extend its lead to 19-13. • UCLA had another opportunity with 2 minutes left, and USC didn’t allow the Bruins to earn a single yard which forced a turnover on downs at fourth-and-10 to seal the victory. RANKINGS • USC is not ranked in either poll, but Notre Dame is No. 5 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll. SERIES • Notre Dame leads the series with USC, which began in 1926, 51-37- 5 (not including Troy’s 2005 victory that was later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 51-38-5). • Including that 2005 vacated game, USC has won 12 of the last 21 meetings and 15 of the last 27 (including 8 in a row from 2002 to 2009), but ND has won 8 of the last 12. • Since 1967, USC has gone 26-26-3 (not including the 2005 vacated game; original record: 27-26-3). • In Los Angeles games, USC leads 23-20-4 and the Trojans have won 3 out of the last 4 Coliseum matchups.
RIVALRY DOMINATION • USC has defeated both UCLA and Notre Dame in the same season 21 times, with 11 of those occasions occurring in back-to-back Bruin/Irish games (1938-56-62-64-72-74-76-78-2002-16-22), twice on consecutive Irish/Bruin games (2004-08) and the other 8 times (1967-79- 81-2003- 05-07-09-11) coming when the Irish game was in October and the Bruin contest in November/December (2 of those UCLA wins–2004, 2005– were later vacated due to NCAA penalty). SHILLELAGH • The winner of the USC-Notre Dame game gets year-long possession of the jeweled Shillelagh. •The foot-long shillelagh—a Gaelic war club made of oak or blackthorn saplings from Ireland—has ruby-adorned Trojan heads with the year and game score representing USC victories, while emerald studded shamrocks stand for Notre Dame wins. For tie games, a combined Trojan head/shamrock medallion was used. •The first Shillelagh was retired after the 1989 game when it ran out of space for the medallions and a second one is now in use. •There are now 51 shamrocks, 38 Trojan heads and 5 combined medallions on the shillelaghs (1 USC win was later vacated due to NCAA penalty).
USC-NOTRE DAME CONNECTIONS • USC DE Anthony Lucas and Notre Dame OL Tosh Baker are both from Scottsdale, Ariz. • USC WR Duce Robinson, USC OL Elijah Paige and Notre Dame OL Tosh Baker prepped at Pinnacle HS. • USC OL Gino Quinones and Notre Dame DL Jordan Botelho prepped at Saint Louis HS. • USC DE DJ Peevy and Notre Dame WR Tyler Buchner are from San Diego, Calif. • USC P Eddie Czaplicki and Notre Dame S Jordan Clark were teammates at Arizona State in 2022. • USC QB Miller Moss, USC WR Xavier Jordan, USC QB Dylan Gebbia, USC LB Ryan Quintanar and Notre Dame WR Beaux Collins are from Los Angeles, Calif. • USC CB Marcelles Williams, USC DT Kobe Pepe, Notre Dame LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Notre Dame WR Beaux Collins prepped at St. John Bosco HS. • USC P Eddie Czaplicki, Notre Dame TE Jack Larsen, Notre Dame DL Bryce Young and Notre Dame WR Micah Gilbert are from Charlotte, N.C. • USC TE Lake McRee and Notre Dame WR Jaden Greathouse are from Austin, Texas. • USC LB Elijah Newby and Notre Dame WR Matt Jeffery are from Cheshire, Conn. • USC WR Duce Robinson, USC OL Elijah Paige and Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison are from Phoenix, Ariz. • USC OL Kilian O’Connor and Notre Dame DL Grant Ristoff are from Ladera Ranch, Calif. • USC OL Mason Murphy and Notre Dame DL Grant Ristoff prepped at JSerra Catholic HS. • USC S Jarvis Boatwright Jr. and Notre Dame DL Sean Sevillano Jr. are both from Clearwater, Fla. and prepped at Clearwater Academy. • USC LB Desman Stephens II and Notre Dame OL Rocco Spindler are from Clarkston, Mich. and prepped at Clarkston HS. • USC CB Jaylin Smith, USC QB Miller Moss, USC QB Dylan Gebbia, and Notre Dame DL Junior Tuihalamaka prepped at Bishop Alemany HS. • USC CB Jacobe Covington, USC SNP Hank Pepper and Notre Dame S Kennedy Urlacher are from Chandler, Ariz. Pepper and Urlacher prepped at Chandler HS. • Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough previously served as USC’s run game coordinator / running backs coach in 2017. • USC Director of Football Communications Katie Ryan and Notre Dame Senior Defensive Analyst Mike Moon attended high school together at Tesoro HS in Las Flores, Calif. • USC Assistant Director of Clinical and Sport Psychological Service Dr. Niki Sims served in a similar role at Notre Dame from 2017-20. • USC Senior Associate Athletic Director Lindsay Jaffe served as assistant athletic director for sport services at Cincinnati while Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman served as defensive coordinator / linebackers coach at Cincinnati from 2019-20. • USC Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communication and Brand Advancement Cody Worsham served as associate athletic director / chief brand officer at LSU while Offensive Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach Mike Denbrock served in a similar position at LSU from 2022-23. • USC Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communication and Brand Advancement Cody Worsham served as associate athletic director / chief brand officer at LSU while Associate Athletic Director, Revenue Generation & Fan Experience Kevin Cassidy served as senior director of digital marketing at LSU from 2019-2023. • Notre Dame rowing Assistant Coach Dori Bene rowed at USC from 2014-19. After her collegiate career, Bene became an assistant coach at USC from 2019-2024.
NOTRE DAME SCOUTING REPORT • The Fighting Irish beat the undefeated Black Knights 49-14 in Yankee Stadium on Saturday (Nov. 23). • This marked Notre Dame’s nineth straight win after falling to Northern Illinois in September. • RB Jeremiyah Love ended the day with 130 rushing yards and 2 TDs on just 7 carries (18.6 yards per carry). Love also tallied a 6-yard TD reception. • Love ranks No. 5 in the nation in rush yards per carry (7.02). • Notre Dame is ranked No. 11 nationally in rushing offense (221.8) and No. 6 in scoring offense (39.0).• QB Riley Leonard went 10-of-13 (.769) for 148 yards and 2 TDs and added another 30 yards on the ground before being taken out for backup QB Steve Angeli in the third quarter with the Irish ahead 35-7. •Notre Dame’s top receiver, Beaux Collins, recorded 4 receptions for 37 yards against Army. • Notre Dame rushed 28 times for 275 yards against Army. • During its nine-game win streak, the Irish have outscored opponents by a combined score of 392-92. • The Fighting Irish defense is one of the best in the nation. • Against Army, 18 different Notre Dame players made at least 2 tackles, with S Adon Shuler (8) and LB Jaiden Ausberry (7) leading the team. • Notre Dame hasn’t given up more than 14 points in a game since a 31-24 win over Louisville at the end of September. • Notre Dame held Army to just 233 total yards, marking the sixth opponent the defense has held to 250 or less of total offense. • The Fighting Irish rank No. 1 in team passing efficiency defense (88.27) No. 1 in passing yards allowed (139.5), No. 2 in scoring defense (11.6), No. 4 nationally in total defense (273.1), No. 4 in first downs defense (168) and No. 5 in red zone defense (.708). • Notre Dame is also No. 1 in the nation in turnovers gained (26), No. 2 in turnover margin (1.45), No 2 in the nation in defensive TDs (4) and No. 3 in fumbles recovered (11).
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
IRISH COMPETE FOR A SPOT IN COLLEGE CUP ON FRIDAY
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Pull out the Thanksgiving leftovers, cozy up on the couch and get ready for some high-stakes Notre Dame women’s soccer. The fourth-seeded Fighting Irish will be competing for a spot in the 2024 College Cup on Friday. In order to book their first ticket to the Final Four since 2010 they’ll have to take down Stanford on the Cardinal’s pitch. That match will kick off at 5 p.m. ET on Nov. 29 on ESPN+.
REMATCH WITH STANFORD
Both groups on Friday are different teams than what they were on Oct. 20; but on that faithful day, the Irish came out flying against the Cardinal and shut them out 3-0 in South Bend.
Izzy Engle drew a penalty kick in the 50th minute in which Leah Klenke converted. Then Engle scored off a cross from Morgan Roy in the 66th minute. Just 2.5 minutes later, Ellie Hodsden put the exclamation mark on the game. Lily Joseph and Ellie Ospeck connected on a great passing combo on the left side, as the latter crossed into Hodsden who tucked it away from the six-yard box.
With that win, the Irish took an 8-7-3 lead in the series. However, Notre Dame has never won at Stanford – 0-4-2 to be exact.
This will mark the fourth time the two have squared off in the NCAA Tournament. 2010 was also the last time Notre Dame faced Stanford in the NCAA Tournament and it was a 1-0 Irish victory to win the national title.
BY THE NUMBERS – IRISH NCAA HISTORY
For the 30th time over the last 32 years, Notre Dame women’s soccer qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame’s overall postseason record sits at 77-25-4. Their 77 victories passed UCLA (75) for the third most and rank only behind Florida State (78) and UNC (148).
Notre Dame is a seeded team for the fourth consecutive year, earning the four-seed in the bottom-right quadrant. The past four seasons under Doug & Lisa Jones Head Coach Nate Norman: Sweet 16 in 2021, Elite Eight in 2022, 2nd Round in 2023 and now at least an Elite Eight in 2024.
The Irish will be making their 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. They are an impressive 12-4 in that round.
Thus, they’ve qualified for 12 College Cups with their last being in 2010. They are 8-4 in the Semifinal round.
The Irish boast three NCAA championships, which is tied for second most – 1995, 2004, 2010 – and five runner-up finishes (1994, 1996, 1999, 2006, 2008).
COMING IN HOT
What a strong showing by the Irish in Starkville. Notre Dame first dispatched five-seed Kentucky 3-1, then two days later they knocked off 1-seed Mississippi State 2-0.
The Irish became the first team to score on the Bulldogs’ (19-3-0) home pitch all season and the first to earn a win there as well.
This also marked the first time Notre Dame toppled a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since the 2010 season, which coincidentally was the last time the Irish won a national championship.
Izzy Engle continues to expand upon her incredible freshman year campaign by going into this Elite Eight weekend on an absolute heater. The Minnesota native has scored nine goals over the last eight games and has scored in all three NCAA Tournament games including the game-winner against Mississippi State.
Both Lily Joseph and Grace Restovich follow right behind with five points (two goals, one assist) each in the NCAA Tournament.
NOTRE DAME’S RESUME
At the time of NCAA selection, Notre Dame’s RPI was 12th in the country. They went 3-2-1 against the RPI Top-25.
Irish competed in the No. 1 RPI league, the ACC, and went 5-2-4. Before the ACC Tournament, Notre Dame was the only ACC school to earn a point against the Duke Blue Devils.
With the Mississippi State victory, the Irish improved to 5-3-1 against ranked opposition this season. They defeated No. 2 Miss State, No. 6 Stanford, No. 13 TCU and No. 14 Virginia, No. 25 Cal, while tying at No. 1 Duke.
All three of ND’s losses were to ranked teams. They dropped the season opener against then No. 13 Michigan State and then later against then No. 19 Virginia Tech at No. 6 Florida State.
Notre Dame has been excellent on the road this year. They’ve only dropped one road match (top-seed Florida State), owning a 7-1-3 record. ND is outscoring opponents 24-8 on the road. The top-three point getters on the road are Izzy Engle (19), Grace Restovich (12) and Lily Joseph (10).
NOTRE DAME NOTABLES
Notre Dame’s scoring offense of 2.62 ranks sixth in the country. It’s also Notre Dame’s highest-scoring offense since 2008 (3.07).
The Irish rank top-10 nationally in both shots per game (19.8) and SOG/game (8.9).
Keys to the game — Irish are 14-0 when scoring first this season. ND is 13-0-1 when leading at the half. They are 12-0-2 when allowing just one goal or less.
44 of the team’s 55 goals have been scored by freshmen.
Right now the top-4 point getters on the team are freshmen: Izzy Engle (39 points), Lily Joseph (22 points), Grace Restovich (21 points) and Ellie Hodsden (18 points).
ELECTRIC ENGLE
Izzy Engle scored 10 goals during the non-con portion of the schedule and was the nation’s leader in Goals Per Game entering ACC play. The freshman hit a little dry spy but finally got the monkey off her back against No. 6 Stanford on October 20. Since, she’s been on an absolute tear again and what a perfect time.
She’s recorded nine goals over the last eight games with a goal in every NCAA Tournament game. Her 19 goals are tied for the Division I lead for most in the country. Engle’s 19 goals also move her up the program’s all-time list for goals by a freshman, taking over sixth place. Irish great Kerri Hanks holds the record with 28.
Engle leads the Irish with 39 points, which ranks fifth nationally and leads all ACC players.
THESE FRESHMEN ARE GOOD
Lily Joseph brings flashy play and swag to the Irish. Last weekend she recorded a brace against 5-seed Kentucky in the second round, then had the game-winning assist to Izzy Engle in the win over Miss State. A dynamic force in the midfield all season long, Joseph boasts the second most points on the team with 22 on eight goals and six assists.
Then there’s Grace Restovich, who leads the Irish in assists with 11 – which ranks 10th in the country. Restovich was the highest rated recruit in the signing class, ranking No. 8 nationally. She was the 2022 ECNL National Player of the Year and a two-time ECNL National Champion with her club team Scott Gallagher in St. Louis.
Defensively speaking … Abby Mills took over the starting center back position from an all-time great, Eva Gaetino. Then right behind her in the GK position is Sonoma Kasica. The Florida native has posted a 10-3-3 record with a 1.06 GAA, a .757 save percentage, plus seven shutouts.
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
HOCKEY SET FOR FRIENDSHIP FOUR
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame hockey team is set to make their international debut as they participate in the 2024 Friendship Four. The Irish face off against the Harvard Crimson on night one of the two-day tournament and will face either Boston University or Merrimack on day two.
The annual tournament is held inside SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland and features four teams, historically from Hockey East and ECAC. The 2024 tournament marks the first time a Big Ten Conference team has participated.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Friendship Four | Nov. 29-30
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland | SSE Arena
Schedule: Fri. 7pm GMT/2pm ET | Sat. TBD
TV: NESN/ESPN+ (USA) | TSN+ (Canada)
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com
Radio: fightingirish.com/radioaffiliates/
Game Notes: Notre Dame
QUICK HITS
Notre Dame is headed overseas for the first time in program history as they are set to take part in the 2024 Friendship Four alongside Boston University, Harvard, and Merrimack.
The team has spent the past week outside of North America, exploring Dublin and Belfast, learning the history of both cities, and enjoying some time as a team bonding over the experience.
Notre Dame unveiled a speciality jersey to be worn for both games, paying homage to the land they’ve traveled to and the history of both Ireland and Northern Ireland. The navy jersey with gold detailing reflects the University’s colors while the numbers and letters took inspiration from the centuries old Book of Kells.
A unique celtic knot adorns both shoulders of the sweater. Celebrating the location of the game, “Notre Dame in Belfast” sits atop the knot. The knot is twisted into the shape of hockey sticks and faceoff circles, representing the face-off of two opponents.
The historically Hockey East/ECAC tournament will feature its first Big Ten Conference team when Notre Dame competes.
ND is set to face Harvard on night one of the tournament with puck drop set for 7pm with the winner advancing to play the winner of BU/Merrimack the following night. The loser of both games will face off in a matinee consolation game Saturday afternoon.
In just eight all-time meetings between Notre Dame and Harvard, the Irish own two wins. The two teams are set for just their second meeting of this millennia, with the other coming at home during the 2015-16 season. Friday’s game will mark their third meeting at a neutral site.
The Irish and Terriers have met 18 times in program history prior to this tournament, including a split a season ago. All-time, Notre Dame leads 9-7-2. If the teams were to meet on day two of the tournament, it would mark the third meeting at a neutral site venue.
Notre Dame and Merrimack have met 14 times in program history, with their most recent meeting coming in a two-game series in North Andover, Massachusetts, where they split 1-1. Notre Dame won game one of that series, 2-1, and are 8-5-1 all-time against the Warriors.
In their most recent outing, Blake Biondi recorded a goal and two assists for his career-best point total in an Irish sweater. The graduate forward now owns seven points on the season off three goals and four assists. The three points from the Hermantown, Minnesota native tied his previous best set twice at UMD.
NOTRE DAME vs. HARVARD
The two teams have met eight times since the inception of Notre Dame hockey. The first-ever meeting between Harvard and Notre Dame came in 1926-27 at Boston Arena (now Matthews Arena), the oldest arena still in use for ice hockey, and the original home of the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins.
Notre Dame and Harvard last met in 2015-16 for their lone game inside Compton Family Ice Arena.
Friday’s meeting will mark just the second between the two squads in the 2000’s.
In series history, the Irish average 4.50 goals per game.
NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL
IRISH GO TOE-TO-TOE WITH #6/7 HOUSTON BUT FALL LATE, 54-65
LAS VEGAS – It was already Thanksgiving morning back home in South Bend when Notre Dame men’s basketball tipped off against No. 6/7 Houston (10:11 pm PT tip). The Fighting Irish (4-3) held the Cougars (4-2) to a season low in points; however, when the game was up for grabs in the second half, Notre Dame only mustered 10 points in the final 10 minutes.
Junior forward Tae Davis led the Irish in scoring with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting. It marked his second 20+ point peformance of the seaosn. He also tallied a team-high eight rebounds and a team-high four assists.
Sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry was the lone other Irish in double-figures with 16 points behind four made triples.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half featured hot shooting spurts from Houston mixed in with great defensive stretches from the Irish. Notre Dame shot 10-of-20 (.500) in the first half but Houston shot a hot 17-of-29 (.586). Despite that, Notre Dame stayed within single digits at the half only down eight at 31-39.
Houston jumped out to a 6-0 start until Shrewsberry, Davis and Njie got the offense going to tie the game at 10-all at 14:02. The Cougars then fired off a 5-0, countered by a Davis three-pointer which capped a 5-for-6 ND shooting stretch.
The first-half difference-maker was a 5.5-minute stretch in which the Irish didn’t score due to five turnovers. Houston went on to build a 15-21 lead. With around five minutes left until the break, Shrewsberry and Allocco each drained a triple to keep it close at 21-27.
Tae Davis continued to go to work down low finishing the half with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. The Cougars countered by ending the half making eight of their last 11.
Now let’s fast forward a little bit into the second half. Back-to-back buckets from Shrewsberry, including a corner triple at 14:43, gave the Irish some momentum; a possession later, Logan Imes had a great pass down low to Davis who put it away for the score to cap an Irish 7-0 run. Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson then called a timeout with the Irish within one at 44-45.
Unfortunately, the timeout worked in Houston’s favor and the Cougars punched back with five straight points.
The next stretch was a down-in-the-mud defensive grind. Houston’s aforementioned bucket which gave them a 50-45 lead was their only made shot in their last 10 attempts. However, the Irish offense couldn’t capitalize for they went 0-for-8 during the same stretch.
The Irish scoring drought went nearly four minutes allowing Houston to build their lead back up to nine. Imes ended the drought at 5:35 when he drove the lane and converted the layup.
From here on, the two sides traded buckets until Houston’s Emanuel Sharp threw up a long prayer at 1:43 with the shot clock low and banked it in. Matt Allocco countered immediately with a three of his own but the clock was the enemy now. Thus, Houston settled in for the 65-54 victory.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish will get the Thanksgiving holiday off and then conclude Players Era play on Saturday, Nov. 30. Notre Dame will challenge No. 21/19 Creighton at 1 p.m. ET on truTV.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER HANGS ON FOR 71-69 WIN OVER NORTHWESTERN IN ARIZONA TIP-OFF
Butler survived a late flurry from Northwestern that saw the Wildcats have two attempts from inside the lane that could have tied the contest as Butler took a 71-69 win on Thanksgiving as part of the Arizona Tip-Off in Tempe.
Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 23 points and five assists.
With the win, Butler improves to 5-1, while Northwestern falls to 5-2.
Butler advances to the Arizona Tip-Off title game and will play the winner of the match-up between No. 25 Mississippi State and UNLV that will be played later tonight.
HOW IT TRANSPIRED:
A 17-2 run by the Bulldogs, spanning nearly six minutes, gave Butler a 21-8 lead with 8:05 remaining in the opening half. Andre Screen had eight points during that spurt.
Northwestern would turn the tables, closing the first half on a 13-2 run to erase Butler’s largest lead of the first half (14) and turn it into a 31-28 Butler edge after the first 20 minutes.
Butler was only able to build a six-point lead in the second half before Northwestern eventually took their only lead of the second half at 53-52 with 6:31 remaining.
The Bulldogs responded by scoring eight of the next 10 points to take a 60-55 lead.
Two Telfort free throws with 22 seconds remaining gave Butler a 68-63 lead. Butler would foul several times to prevent Northwestern from taking three-pointers.
Northwestern would draw within one utilizing those free throws, but a Boden Kapke free throw gave Butler a 71-69 advantage with five seconds left on the clock. That is when the Wildcats got two looks in the lane with the game-tying attempt rimming out.
NOTEWORTHY:
Telfort went 7-for-12 from the field (including two three-pointers) and made all seven of his free throw attempts.
Screen scored 15 points and added nine rebounds. The 15 points were the most he has scored in a Butler uniform and Thursday was the third consecutive game he has pulled down nine rebounds.
Butler was able to overcome 15 turnovers, while Northwestern committed only five.
Finley Bizjack (12) and Patrick McCaffery (10) also found double figures.
Brooks Barnhizer led Northwestern with 24 points.
Nick Martelli, Northwestern’s leading scorer averaging more than 23 points per game, was limited to only seven on 3-for-15 shooting.
Butler held Northwestern to 36-percent shooting.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will play either Mississippi State or UNLV in Friday night’s championship game at 9:30 p.m. (Eastern, 7:30 p.m. in Tempe). The game will air on CBS Sports Network, while the audio broadcast featuring Mark Minner and Nick Garder will stream on The Varsity Network.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA STATE TIPS OFF AT THE BAHA MAR HOOPS EVENT IN THE BAHAMAS
NASSAU, Bahamas – Indiana State men’s basketball begins the three-day event on Friday, playing three games in three days.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, November 29 – vs Arkansas State – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 30 – vs Iona – 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 1 – vs Tarleton State – 7 p.m.
How to Watch
This event will be streamed on FloCollege; a subscription must be purchased to watch the games. The games will still be aired on 105.5 The Legend.
Arkansas State
In the Sun Belt Conference with schools like Coastal Carolina and South Alabama
Heading into the tournament, they are currently 4-1
Lost earlier this season at #2/2 Alabama, 88-79
Ranked 7th in the mid-major rankings, above other SBC teams (Bradley #4, Drake #7)
Iona
In the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with schools like Niagara and Saint Peter’s
Heading into the tournament, they are currently 1-5
Lost at West Virginia 86-43, and the lone win was vs Vermont 62-59
Only have one player averaging double figures but four above 9.0 PPG. Three players are averaging 5.0 RPG
Tarleton State
In the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with schools like Utah Valley and Grand Canyon
Heading into the tournament, they are currently 1-5
Lost at SMU 96-62 and at Florida State 72-52. The lone win was vs Tabor College 88-57
One player is averaging 15.0 PPG and the next closest is 8.8. Only two players are averaging 4.0+ RPG
As a team, they are only grabbing 28.3 RPG
After returning from the Bahamas, Indiana State begins the early slate of Missouri Valley play on the road at Missouri State on Saturday, December 7 at 8 p.m.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS HEAD TO EAST TEXAS A&M ON SATURDAY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodons (4-3) travel to Texas on Saturday to play at East Texas A&M in a non-league contest. The university recently changed their name from Texas A&M-Commerce to East Texas A&M. The ‘Dons split their two games in Daytona Beach earlier this week. Jalen Jackson was named to the All-Tournament Team for his play in the Sunshine Slam.
Game Day Information
Who: East Texas A&M (1-6)
When: Saturday, November 30 | 2 PM ET
Where: Commerce, Texas | The Field House
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 1380 AM
Series History: ‘Dons lead 2-0
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | East Texas A&M
// The Mastodons are 30th in the nation in turnover margin at 5.0.
// Eric Mulder is 7th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.43).
// The Mastodons are 5th in the nation in free throw percentage (81.8 percent).
// Maximus Nelson has opened the season shooting 43.2 percent (16-of-37) from three.
// Rasheed Bello earned his second career Horizon League Player of the Week accolade on Nov. 18, averaging 24.5 points, 2.5 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.0 rebounds in wins over Bethune-Cookman and Southern Indiana. He had a career-high 31 points vs. Bethune-Cookman.
// The ‘Dons have won 23 straight regular season home games against non-league opponents, a streak that started on Nov. 16, 2019 vs. Stetson.
// Jalen Jackson is averaging 7.0 fouls drawn per game, 57th in the nation per Ken Pom.
// Another Ken Pom stat, the ‘Dons lead the nation in minutes continuity at 76.8 percent. Ken Pom describes the stat as “determining what percentage of a team’s minutes are played by the same player from last season to this season.” The current national average is 34.0 percent.
// Eric Mulder has recorded just one turnover in 181 minutes.
// Corey Hadnot II has three double-digit scoring games this season after five his entire freshman season last year. This year includes a career-high 20 points with five 3-pointers at Penn State.
// A few ‘Dons are nearing career scoring marks:
– Rasheed Bello has 1,440 points, needing 60 to reach 1,500 for his career (Purdue Fort Wayne and UW-Parkside combined).
– Jalen Jackson owns 920 career points, needing 80 to reach 1,000 (Purdue Fort Wayne and UIC combined)
– Quinton Morton-Robertson has 915 career points, needing 85 to reach 1,000 (Purdue Fort Wayne and Radford combined).
– Maximus Nelson has scored 421 career points, needing 79 to reach 500 for his career (Purdue Fort Wayne and Valparaiso combined).
PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MASTODON WBB DROPS HEARTBREAKER TO FURMAN IN OVERTIME
ATLANTA – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team fell to Furman 88-84 in overtime on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) in the final matchup of the GSU Thanksgiving Classic.
The Mastodons led by three on the final possession of regulation after Lauren Ross hit a pair of free throws, but Furman’s Chantelle Stuart buried a 3-pointer from the corner as time expired to send it to overtime.
In overtime, the Mastodons played the same five for all five minutes. Jazzlyn Linbo scored the only bucket for the ‘Dons in OT. Amellia Bromenschenkel and Ross had two free throws each, but Furman hit three field goals and four free throws to hold off the Mastodons’ comeback.
Furman led by as many as 14 in regulation, but the Mastodons mounted a long-term comeback. They had a 7-0 run in the early portion of the second quarter to cut it to four. Ross hit a pair of triples and Sydney Freeman scored a layup in the final 95 seconds of the third quarter to bring it within two at 61-59.
A 10-4 run to start the fourth quarter put the ‘Dons up 69-67, but Furman’s 3-point heave at the end of regulation spoiled the ‘Dons’ chances of a victory.
Ross finished with a season-high 27 points with 13 free throws. She scored six points from the charity stripe before attempting her first shot. Linbo had 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, two shy of her career-high. Bromenschenkel had 10 points.
Furman’s Niveya Henley scored a team-high 22 points.
Purdue Fort Wayne fell to 3-5 and Furman improved to 6-3. The Mastodons will host Robert Morris for the opening week of Horizon League action on December 4 at 7 p.m.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
UE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEADS TO THE BIG EASY NEW ORLEANS CLASSIC
NEW ORLEANS — The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will play during Feast Week for the first time in nine years.
The Purple Aces are still looking for their first road win of the season after another close loss at Lipscomb. UE led the first half of the game, but a slow third quarter and early fourth quarter stalled Evansville’s chance for its first win away from Meeks Family Fieldhouse. Despite not getting a win at Allen Arena, the Aces had their best performance from the floor so far this season. UE shot over 50% against Lipscomb going 32 of 60 from the floor. Evansville’s 53.3% shooting percentage on Saturday was the team’s best shooting performance since February 15th when the Aces beat Southern Illinois at home.
UE will check off a list of firsts in its appearance in the Big Easy New Orleans Classic over the holiday weekend. It will be Evansville’s first time playing in New Orleans as a program. The Aces will
also face two teams they have never played in the program’s 49 seasons in Nicholls and Delaware. The Big Easy New Orleans Classic is UE’s first MTE appearance in almost a decade. Evansville
last participated in a holiday MTE in 2015 at the Cal Poly/ ShareSLO Holiday Tournament in San Luis Obispo, California.
The Aces first opponent of the event is the Nicholls Colonels who are 3-2 on the year. The Colonels have wins over Tulane, Grambling, and Alcorn which was a three-game stretch of victories. Nicholls is led by junior guard Tanita Swift who averages 18 points a game. UE’s second Big Easy game is against the Delaware Blue Hens. Delaware continues its 18-day stretch away from home at the MTE and is looking to get back into the win column after a loss to Providence. The Blue Hens are led by graduate guard Tara Cousins with an average of 10.8 points per game, followed closely by fifth-year guard/forward Rebecca Demeke at 10.5 points per game.
Freshman guard Camryn Runner earned her second MVC Freshman of the Week honor in only three weeks of play. Runner had the Aces best performance by a freshman in a decade with 30 points at Lindenwood to surpass Sara Dickey’s 30-point outing at Southern Illinois in 2014. Runner also had her 5th straight double-digit performance to lead UE in points per game on the season to average 20.6 points in 35 minutes a game.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SET TO PLAY IN PUERTO RICO CLASICO
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball visits San Juan, Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving break to compete in the 2024 Puerto Rico Clasico, organized by Puerto Rico College Sports Tours.
Puerto Rico College Sports Tours brings college sports teams to Puerto Rico for exciting tournament and game competitions, providing unique opportunities for collegiate teams and fans to enjoy the thrill of competition in Puerto Rico along with the tropical splendor and enchantments of a beautiful Caribbean destination.
Southern Indiana (5-1) will take on Youngstown State University (4-2) Friday at 10 a.m. CT from Juan Cruz Abrea Coliseum in Manati, Puerto Rico. On Saturday, USI will square off against Le Moyne College (0-5) at 9:30 a.m. CT from Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. USI will be meeting both teams for the first time ever. Both games can be heard through The Spin 95.7 FM and are available for purchase to watch via livestream at puertoricocollegesportstours.com.
The Screaming Eagles are making their first trip outside the continental U.S. since jumping to Division I, but USI is familiar with playing in overseas MTE competitions. Southern Indiana is returning to Puerto Rico for the first time since 2016-17 when the Eagles came away with two victories. USI has also previously traveled to Nassau, Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. USI is 7-1 in its previous overseas MTE contests.
Southern Indiana enters the Puerto Rico Clasico on a four-game winning streak, including three consecutive home wins at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, last week. USI is off to its best start in a season since making the jump to Division I in 2022.
Last time out, Southern Indiana won a thriller against former Great Lakes Valley Conference rival Northern Kentucky University, 75-73. The Screaming Eagles led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter before the Norse chipped away and stormed back to make it a one-possession game in the final two minutes. USI held on down to the final seconds, not allowing Northern Kentucky to tie or take the lead in the final stretch of the game.
Against Northern Kentucky, senior guard Vanessa Shafford led all scorers with 24 points, two off her career high. The effort was Shafford’s fourth double-digit performance of the season, and the senior was the first Screaming Eagles to drop 20-plus points in a game this season. Junior guard Ali Saunders posted 15 points and graduate forward Meredith Raley tallied 10 points.
On the season, Raley paces USI with 13.3 points per game. Raley has scored 10-plus in each game this season. Saunders is second on the team in scoring at 13 points per outing. Saunders leads the team with 4.7 assists, 3.7 steals, and over 32 minutes played per contest.
The Screaming Eagles have been pesky against their opponents defensively this season. Across Division I, USI ranks top 20 in the nation with 14 steals per game and top 35 with over 23 forced turnovers per contest. The Eagles are holding opponents to just over 60 points per outing and below 28 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Youngstown State began the season with four consecutive wins before dropping its last two contests against Bucknell University and Xavier University. The Penguins fell 61-43 at Xavier on Tuesday before catching their flight to Puerto Rico.
Senior guard Jewel Watkins and graduate guard Malia Magestro top Youngstown State in scoring with 14.8 and 14.2 points per game, respectively. Watkins was right at her average with 14 points against the Musketeers on Tuesday. The Penguins average 61.2 points per outing on just over 37 percent shooting.
Le Moyne, who is also in the reclassification process to Division I, is still searching for its first victory through five games played. The Dolphins have a difficult road so far with matchups against Stanford University, Illinois State University, and at ranked University of Illinois. Le Moyne fell 94-25 on November 18 in that last game out against Illinois, who USI will visit on December 15.
Graduate forward Haedyn Roberts is the leading scorer for the Dolphins at nearly 10 and a half points per contest. Le Moyne averages 43.4 points per game on 29 percent shooting this season.
The Puerto Rico Clasico is part of a three-game stretch away from home for Southern Indiana. Coverage information and links can be found on the USI Women’s Basketball page at usiscreamingeagles.com.
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
27 – 44 – 4 – 16 – 33 – 20 -15 – 30 -11
November 29, 1957 – With the exodus of the Giant and Dodgers from the New York area to California, NY Mayor Robert Wagner forms a committee to replace the teams. Eventually an National League franchise was obtained for the City in the New York Mets
November 29, 1960 – 26th Heisman Trophy Award: Navy Quarterback, Number 27, Joe Bellino.
November 29, 1976 – New York Yankees signed free agent Reggie Jackson to 5-year contract, Mr. October would wear Number 44 with the Yankees
November 29, 1987 – 75th CFL Grey Cup, BC Place, Vancouver: Edmonton Eskimos 10th Championship; defeat Toronto Argonauts, 38-36 on Number 4, Jerry Kauric’s last second field-goal
November 29, 1987 – Joe Montana, Number 16, of SF 49ers completes NFL record of 22 consecutive passes
November 29, 1987 – New York Ranger’s Number 33, Bob Froese becomes 2nd goalie to score a goal (vs NY Islanders). It is later ruled that he should not be credited with goal.
November 29, 1992 – CFL Grey Cup, SkyDome, Toronto: Calgary Stampeders beat Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 24-10. The game’s MVP was none other than Calgary QB Number 20, Doug Flutie, 33 of 49 for 480 yards, 2 TDs
November 29, 2009 – CFL Grey Cup, McMahon Stadium, Calgary: Montreal Alouettes come from behind to beat Saskatchewan Roughriders, 28–27 on a 33-yard Number 15, Damon Duval field goal as time runs out
November 29, 2021 – FIFA Ballon d’Or: Argentina and PSG forward Number 30, Lionel Messi won his record 7th award from Robert Lewandowski; FC Barcelona attacking midfielder Number 11, Alexia Putellas is Women’s World Player of the Year
FOOTBALL HISTORY
November 29, 1894 – Montgomery, Alabama – The 3rd Iron Bowl ever played took place as Alabama whitewashed Auburn 18-0.
November 29, 1913 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton -The 5th Grey Cup game was played and had the Hamilton Tigers thwarting the Toronto Parkdale team 44-2 in what is the second-largest margin of victory in a Grey Cup final per the Onthisday.com webpage story.
November 29, 1924 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – Queen’s University wins 3rd straight Grey Cup Championship by defeating the Toronto Balmy Beach squad in just their first season by the tune of 11-3 per the cflapedia.com website of the 16th Grey Cup.
November 29, 1934 – In what was a game of firsts the Bears traveled to the Motor City for this memorable contest. According to the worthpoint.com story it was the first time that an NFL game was played in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day as well as the First National Broadcast of an NFL game as NBC Radio put it in every living room in the country. The game itself was a dandy between these two rivals as the Chicago Bears squeaked by the Detroit Lions 19-16 with the legend Bronko Nagurski scoring the winning TD for the Bears in a thriller.
November 29, 1941 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers edged out the Ottawa Rough Riders, 18-16 for their 3rd Championship in the 29th Grey Cup. The Riders missed on a crucial field goal attempt with just 4 minutes remaining that may have changed the outcome per the Blue Bombers web page.
November 29, 1947 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The Toronto Argonauts took home their 3rd straight and 8th overall title as they escaped the stadium with a close 10-9 victory over the Calgary Stampeders per the cflhof.ca site for the 35th Grey Cup title.
November 29, 1952 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – It was the Toronto Argonauts who showed their metal with their record 10th Championship as they squashed the Edmonton Eskimos, 21-11 in the playing of the 40th Grey Cup according to the star.com.
November 29, 1952 – Legion Field, Birmingham – The 17th Iron Bowl held saw Alabama crushing the hopes of the Auburn Tigers with a 21-0 victory per onthisday.com.
November 29, 1958 – Empire Stadium, Vancouver – The playing of the 46th Grey Cup final was played and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took home their 4th title as they beat Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 35-28 for the CFL Championship. You can find more details about the matchup of these teams at ninety-nine yards.com.
November 29, 1958 – Legion Field, Birmingham – The 23rd meeting of the Auburn Tigers and the Crimson Tide of Alabama took place in the Iron Bowl. Auburn held off the Alabama eleven in a tight one 14-8 per AL.com’s story.
November 29, 1960 – Navy Halfback Joe Bellino takes home the hardware as he is awarded the 26th Heisman Trophy. Heisman.com informs us that Joe was the first winner of the prestigious trophy as he ran for 834 yards and 15 touchdowns. Bellino crossed the goal line stripe 3 additional times by catching the ball. All in all an outstanding season for the Midshipman running back.
November 29, 1969 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Auburn beats Alabama 49-26 in the 34th iron Bowl game.
November 29, 1974 – Legion Field – The 39th playing of the Iron Bowl had the Crimson Tide come out on top 17-13 over the Tigers.
November 29, 1975 – The 40th Iron Bowl had Alabama dominating in the game as they blanked Auburn 28-0 in Birmingham.
November 29, 1980 – Legion Field – The Crimson Tide outmatched the Tigers of Auburn once again in a 34-18 final score in this edition of the Iron Bowl Game.
November 29, 1986 – Legion Field – The 51st Iron Bowl proved the better team in that season was the Auburn Tigers as they knocked off their SEC rivals the Alabama Crimson Tide by the score of 21-17.
November 29, 1986 – Notre Dame kicker John Carney’s walk off field goal propelled the Irish to a 38-37 win over USC per the Irish Legends website.
November 29, 1987 – BC Place, Vancouver – In the playing of the CFL 75th Grey Cup it was the Edmonton Eskimos who hung up their 10th Championship banner as they got past the tough Toronto Argonauts team for a 38-36 as kicker Jerry Kauric’s last second field-goal in this white knuckle contest.
November 29, 1987 – San Francisco Quarterback Joe Montana ended the game with a streak of completing 5 consecutive passes to start an NFL record of 22. On Dec 6, he would set the record against the Green Bay Packers by starting that game with 17 straight completions. The previous record had been 20, set by Ken Anderson of the Bengals. In this Nov 29 contest, Montana did it against a tough Cleveland Browns defense, number 1 in the League, too, making it all the more remarkable, though the West Coast offense he ran operated on the dink and dunk throws underneath the coverage. Cool Joe threw four TDs against the Brownies, who had only given up 9 scoring throws in the first ten games. The LA Times covers all the action in their day after the game article where the Niners defeated the Browns 38-24.
November 29, 1987 – The New Orleans Saints 20-14 victory over the Steelers in Pittsburgh assured the long suffering their 1st winning NFL season. The game came down to a goal line stand with less than four minutes to play that can be seen on this Youtube clip.
November 29, 1992 – SkyDome, Toronto – The Calgary Stampeders got past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 24-10 with the help of an impressive performance by MVP Quarterback Doug Flutie who went 33 of 49 for 480 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 80th Grey Cup final for the CFL Championship per amp.dater.pp.ua .
November 29, 2008 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – In the 73rd version of Iron Bowl the Crimson Tide of Alabama dominated those Tigers from Auburn 36-0. Per Onthisday.com it was Alabama’s first win in the series in seven years.
November 29, 2009 – McMahon Stadium, Calgary – The 97th Grey Cup saw the Montreal Alouettes come from behind to beat Saskatchewan Roughriders, 28–27 on a 33-yard Damon Duval field goal as time runs out. The full coverage of the story can be found by our friends at the Ninety-nine Yards website with Chris Lawton.
November 29, 2014 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – In a high scoring affair per onthisday.com at the 79th version of the Iron Bowl Alabama beat Auburn 55-44 in a game that had folks asking, Where is the defense?
November 29, 2015 – Investors Group Field, Winnipeg – Our friends at NinetynineYards.com once again have the game coverage for the playing of the CFL 103rd Grey Cup as it was the Edmonton Eskimos who outlasted the Ottawa Redblacks, 26-20 for their 14th Championship banner.
November 29, 2021 – Just two days after finishing up their regular season with one loss and possibly on the cusp of gaining entrance into the college football playoff, Notre Dame finds out that the winningest coach in the storied program’s history, Brian Kelly had accepted the position of head Coach at LSU, leaving the Irish without their coach for the Bowl season.
Birthday of Hall of Fame Players for November 29
November 29, 1907 – The Great Florida End Dale Van Sickel was born. Per the NFF’s bio, Dale Van Sickel was a swift and sure-handed receiver on offense and a gifted defensive player, as well. During his three seasons with the Gators, they won 23 of 29 games and Vansickel became Florida’s first All-America and first Hall of Fame inductee. The National Football Foundation invited Dale Van Sickel into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1975. After graduation Vansickel joined the staff at Florida, serving as an assistant in football and basketball for the 1930 and 1931 seasons.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Nov. 29
1890 — Navy beats Army 24-0 in the first matchup of this historic series.
1934 — The Detroit Lions play their first traditional Thanksgiving Day home game and lose to the Chicago Bears 19-16 in front of 26,000. CBS Radio does the first national broadcast of an NFL game.
1987 — The New Orleans Saints hold off the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-16 to assure themselves of their first winning season in their 20-year history.
1992 — New York Jets defensive end Dennis Byrd is paralyzed in his lower body after colliding with teammate Scott Mersereau and breaking his C-5 vertebra in a 23-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
1995 — Grant Fuhr becomes the 11th NHL goalie to win 300 games as the St. Louis Blues beat Winnipeg 4-1.
1998 — Miami’s Dan Marino becomes the first player to throw 400 career TD passes, passing for 255 yards and three TDs in the Dolphins’ 30-10 win against New Orleans.
2003 — LeBron James, 18, becomes youngest player in NBA history to score 30 or more points in a game with his 33-point effort in the Cavaliers’ 122-115 double-overtime loss to Memphis. Kobe Bryant was 19 when he reached 30 for the Lakers in 1997.
2003 — Maryland’s Bruce Perry rushes for 237 yards while Wake Forest’s Chris Barclay gains 243 yards, marking the first time in ACC history and only the fifth time in NCAA history that opposing backs have more than 200 rushing yards in the same game. Perry scores three touchdowns in the Terrapins’ 41-28 win.
2004 — Brett Favre celebrates his 200th straight regular-season start with three touchdown passes and yet another record in the Green Bay Packers’ 45-17 rout of the St. Louis Rams.
2008 — Chris Duhon passes out a franchise-record 22 assists in New York’s 138-125 victory over Golden State. Duhon breaks Richie Guerin’s team record of 21 assists set in 1958. New York scores 82 points in the first half to break the record for most first-half points at the present Madison Square Garden, set when Kansas City scored 81 on Dec. 8, 1979.
2009 — Francesco and Edoardo Molinari become the first brothers to win the World Cup of Golf, giving Italy its first title in the team event with a one-stroke victory over Sweden and Ireland.
2009 — The Indianapolis Colts earn their 20th straight regular-season victory with a 35-27 win over Houston. The Colts came back from fourth-quarter deficits in each of their past five games to become the first NFL team to win five in a row when trailing in the fourth quarter of each contest.
2012 — Drew Brees throws a career-high five interceptions and his record touchdown streak of 54 consecutive games ends in New Orleans’ 23-13 loss to Atlanta. Brees completed 28 of 50 passes for 341 yards.
2013 — David Fales throws for 543 yards and six touchdowns in an entertaining showdown with Derek Carr and San Jose State ends No. 16 Fresno State’s run toward a possible BCS bowl with a 62-52 victory. Carr passes for 519 yards and six touchdowns.
2015 — Andy Murray gives Britain its first Davis Cup title in 79 years when he beats Belgium’s David Goffin 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 in the first of reverse singles. The win gives Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
Nov. 30
1941 — The Chicago Bears score 49 points in the second half to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 49-13.
1948 — Baseball’s Negro National League disbands.
1956 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Archie Moore in the fifth round to win the world heavyweight title in Chicago.
1969 — Russ Jackson throws a record four touchdowns to lead the Ottawa Rough Riders to a 29-11 victory over Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Grey Cup championship.
1979 — Sugar Ray Leonard wins the WBC welterweight title with 15th-round knockout of Wilfred Benitez in Las Vegas.
1987 — Bo Jackson, also an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals, rushes for 221 yards to lead the Los Angeles Raiders to a 37-14 rout of the Seattle Seahawks. Jackson, playing in his fifth NFL game, scores on runs of 91 and 2 yards and has a 14-yard touchdown reception.
1990 — Boston’s Larry Bird scores his 20,000th career point in the Celtics’ 123-95 win over Washington at the Garden. Bird is the fifth player in league history (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West) to gather 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists in his playing career.
1991 — San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk becomes the first freshman to capture the national rushing and scoring titles after gaining 154 yards on 27 carries in a 39-12 loss to top-ranked Miami.
1996 — Michael Jordan becomes the 10th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points after scoring 35 in the Bulls 97-88 win at San Antonio. Jordan reaches 25,000 in 782 games, faster than any other player but Wilt Chamberlain (691).
2003 — Mark Philippoussis gives Australia its 28th Davis Cup title, fighting off a shoulder injury that nearly forces him to retire after the fourth set to beat Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 6-0.
2008 — Keith Tkachuk reaches 1,000 career points with the tying goal late in the second period in St. Louis’ 4-2 victory over Atlanta.
2008 — Oakland has only one catch by a wide receiver in its 20-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and that officially was for 0 yards by Ronald Curry on a hook-and-lateral play.
2012 — NBA Commissioner David Stern fines the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for “a disservice to the league and our fans” when they don’t bring Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili or Danny Green to Miami for the final game of a six-game trip.
2012 — Georgetown and Tennessee hold each other scoreless over the final four minutes, and the Hoyas beat the Volunteers 37-36 in a display of abysmal shooting in the SEC/Big East Challenge. The teams combine to make just 7 of 20 shots — from the free throw line. The field-goal shooting is just as horrid, with the Vols hitting 33 percent and the Hoyas 36 percent.
2013 — Chris Davis races 100-plus yards with a missed field-goal attempt for a touchdown on the final play to lift No. 4 Auburn to a 34-28 victory over No. 1 Alabama. Davis catches the ball about 9 yards deep in the end zone after freshman Adam Griffith’s 57-yard attempt falls short. He sprints down the left sideline and cuts back with nothing but teammates around him in a second straight hard-to-fathom finish for the Tigers.
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Dec. 1
1936 — End Larry Kelley of Yale is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1951 — Arnold “Showboat” Boykin of Mississippi scores seven touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Mississippi State.
1956 — The United States beats the Soviet Union 89-55 to win the gold medal in men’s basketball at the Melbourne Olympics. Bob Jeangerard (16), K.C. Jones (15), Jim Walsh (14) and Bill Russell (13) each score double-digits.
1959 — Louisiana State halfback Billy Cannon is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1961 — Paul Arizin of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 33 points in 138-177 win over the Los Angeles Lakers to become the third NBA player to reach the 15,000-point plateau.
1973 — Jack Nicklaus wins the Disney World Open to become the first professional golfer to surpass $2 million in career earnings.
1980 — South Carolina running back George Rogers is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1984 — Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie is named the 50th Heisman Trophy winner.
1990 — Ty Detmer of Brigham Young wins the Heisman Trophy. Detmer, who had set or tied 25 NCAA passing and total offense records, becomes the first BYU winner and third consecutive junior winner.
1996 — Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to reach the 3,000 point plateau.
2001 — North Texas (5-6) loses to Troy State 18-16 to become the third team to go to a bowl with a losing record. The Mean Green, bound for the inaugural New Orleans Bowl as the Sun Belt Conference champion, joins SMU (4-6 in 1963) and William & Mary (5-6 in 1970) as the only teams to play in a bowl game with losing records.
2003 — Sylvester Croom becomes the Southeastern Conference’s first black head football coach, accepting an offer to take over troubled Mississippi State.
2004 — McKendree College coach Harry Statham tops Dean Smith with his 880th career victory, an 83-72 win over Maryville. Smith, with 879 wins, still holds the NCAA record for career victories because all of Statham’s wins are at the NAIA level.
2012 — Landon Donovan scores the tiebreaking goal on a penalty kick in the 65th minute, and David Beckham leaves the MLS as a two-time champion with the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup.
2013 — Josh Gordon has 10 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland’s 32-20 loss to Jacksonville. He becomes the first player in NFL history to record 200 yards receiving in consecutive games.
2015 — The Philadelphia 76ers end the longest losing streak in the history of major professional sports in the United States, topping the Los Angeles Lakers 103-91 to snap a 28-game skid.
2018 — In a dramatic twist on last season’s national championship game, Jalen Hurts comes off the bench to pass for one touchdown and run for another in the fourth quarter, rallying No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 win over No. 4 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference title.
2018 — Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury fights to a split draw, with Wilder retaining his WBC heavyweight title after knocking down his British challenger twice at Staples Center.
Dec. 2
1907 — Tommy Burns defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Gunner Moir in the 10th round at London.
1944 — Ohio State quarterback Leslie Horvath wins the Heisman Trophy.
1947 — Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack wins the Heisman Trophy.
1952 — Oklahoma halfback Billy Vessels is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1958 — Army back Pete Dawkins is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1977 — Veterinarian Mark Gerard is indicted in a horse-switching scandal. Cinzano, a purportedly dead 4-year-old champion colt, won a race on Sept. 23 at Belmont Park, under the name of Lebon, a 57-1 long shot.
1984 — Dan Marino throws his 37th touchdown pass to break NFL single-season touchdown pass record.
1995 — Notre Dame advances to the NCAA women’s soccer championship by becoming the first team to beat 13-time champion North Carolina in the national semifinals. The lone score comes when Tar Heels forward Cindy Parlow accidentally heads a ball into her own net.
2002 — Oakland’s Tim Brown and Jerry Rice take turns rewriting the NFL record book in a 26-20 win over the New York Jets. Brown becomes the third player with 1,000 receptions and the third with 14,000 yards receiving. Rich Gannon ties an NFL record with his ninth 300-yard passing game of the season. On the very next play after Brown’s 1,000th catch, Rice scores on a 26-yard catch, giving Oakland a 13-10 lead. It’s Rice’s record 192nd TD catch and puts him over 1,000 yards receiving for a record 14th season.
2009 — The New Jersey Nets are pounded into NBA infamy, falling 117-101 to the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th straight loss to start the season. The Nets pass the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both dropped their first 17 games.
2018 — Dallas Dorosy of Florida State scores in the 60th minute to help the Seminoles beat North Carolina 1-0 for the NCAA Women’s College Cup championship. Florida State wins the NCAA women’s soccer title for the second time. North Carolina, a 21-time NCAA champion, is shut out for the second time this season.
Dec. 3
1943 — Notre Dame quarterback Angelo Bertelli wins the Heisman Trophy.
1946 — Army halfback Glenn Davis is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1950 — Tom Fears of the Los Angeles Rams has 18 receptions against Green Bay.
1950 — Cloyce Box of the Detroit Lions has 302 yards receiving and scores four touchdowns against the Baltimore Colts.
1956 — Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 points in his collegiate debut with Kansas.
1957 — Texas A&M halfback John David Crow is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1972 — Bobby Howfield of the New York Jets kicks six field goals against New Orleans.
1973 — Dick Anderson of the Miami Dolphins intercepts four passes, returning two for touchdowns, against Pittsburgh.
1979 — Southern California halfback Charles White is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1982 — Tommy Hearns wins the WBC welterweight title with a 15-round decision over Wilfred Benitez in New Orleans.
1994 — Sixth-ranked Florida beats undefeated and third-ranked Alabama 24-23 in the first SEC Championship game played in Atlanta.
1999 — Marshall beats Western Michigan 34-30 on the last play of the MAC Championship game. Down 30-27 with four seconds left in the game, Chad Pennington throws his 100th career touchdown pass to Eric Pinkerton as time expires to give the Thundedring Herd their third consecutive MAC title.
2000 — The 200-yard rushing games by Mike Anderson, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn and Curtis Martin mark the first time in NFL history that four runners have 200 yards on the same day. Its never happened three times in a single day. Anderson rushes for an NFL rookie record 251 yards and four touchdowns in Denver’s 38-23 victory over New Orleans.
2004 — Bode Miller wins his fourth race of the season in the downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo., and Daron Rahlves is second to give the United States its first 1-2 finish on the World Cup circuit. The last time U.S. men went 1-2 in any elite international race was 1984, when Phil Mahre won the Olympic slalom in Sarajevo and twin brother Steve took the silver medal.
2005 — Southern California wins its 34th consecutive game and 16th straight against a ranked opponent, beating No. 11 UCLA 66-19. The 16 victories against Associated Press ranked teams is one better than Oklahoma, which won 15 from 1973-76.
2014 — The Philadelphia 76ers avoid tying the record for the worst start to a season in NBA history, ending their 0-17 skid with an 85-77 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
2015 — Aaron Rodgers throws a 61-yard touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers with no time left to give the Green Bay Packers a 27-23 comeback victory over the Detroit Lions. Detroit went ahead 17-0 after its first three drives and capped the opening possession of the third quarter with a field goal to go ahead 20-0.
2017 — Tom Brady continues his career-long dominance of the Buffalo Bills completing 21 of 30 for 258 yards and an interception in New England’s 23-3 victory. He improves to 27-3 against Buffalo and breaks Brett Favre’s record for wins by a quarterback against any one opponent.
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Dec. 4
1945 — “Mr. Inside” Doc Blanchard of Army becomes the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Blanchard also becomes the only athlete to win both the Heisman and Sullivan Award.
1951 — Princeton triple-threat tailback Richard Kazmaier wins the Heisman Trophy. Kazmaier led the nation in total offense and the Tigers to an undefeated season.
1956 — Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung edges Tennessee’s Johnny Majors to win the Heisman Trophy.
1961 — Floyd Patterson defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Tom McNeeley in the fourth round in Toronto.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black to be taken No. 1 in the NFL draft after being selected by the Washington Redskins.
1977 — Tony Dorsett becomes the third rookie to rush for more than 200 yards in a game with 206 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
1982 — Georgia’s Hershel Walker wins the Heisman Trophy. The junior running back beats out Stanford quarterback John Elway and Southern Methodist running back Eric Dickerson.
1988 — Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders wins the Heisman Trophy then proves he’s worthy of the award with spectacular performance in a 45-42 win over Texas Tech in Tokyo. Sanders rushes 44 times for 332 yards and four touchdowns, setting the NCAA single-season rushing record with 2,628 yards in 11 games.
2004 — Louisville becomes the first football team in NCAA history to score at least 55 points in five straight games, beating Tulane 55-7.
2005 — Croatia wins its first Davis Cup title when Mario Ancic beats Michal Mertinak of Slovakia 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive fifth match.
2009 — The New Jersey Nets win for the first time this season, ending the worst start in NBA history at 18 losses by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91.
2010 — Cam Newton passes for a career-best 335 yards and four touchdowns, and runs for a couple of TDs to lead No. 2 Auburn past 18th-ranked South Carolina 56-17 for the Southeastern Conference title.
2013 — The NFL fines Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin $100,000 for interfering with a play against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. In the third quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 win, Jacoby Jones swerves to avoid colliding with Tomlin and is tackled after a 73-yard return that might have gone for a touchdown if not for the obstruction.
2016 — Tom Brady becomes the NFL’s career leader in victories by a quarterback, earning his 201st by throwing for 269 yards and a touchdown to lead New England past Los Angeles 26-10.
2016 — Detroit becomes the first team in 60 Saints home games to stop Drew Brees from throwing a touchdown pass, as the Lions pull away from New Orleans, 28-13. It’s also the Lions’ first victory in a road game following Thanksgiving since 1974, snapping a streak of 22 losses in such games.
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Dec. 5
1924 — Red Green of the Hamilton Tigers scores five goals in a 10-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1971 — Willie Ellison of the Los Angeles Rams sets an NFL record with 247 yards rushing in a 45-28 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Teammate Travis Williams also returns a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown.
1972 — Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska wins the Heisman Trophy beating out Oklahoma’s Gregg Pruitt and teammate Rich Glover. The all-purpose back gains 5,586 yards and scored 45 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
1974 — David Thompson scores an ACC-record 57 points to lead North Carolina State to a 144-88 rout of Buffalo State. Thompson surpasses the 56 points scored by South Carolina’s John Roche against Furman on Feb. 5, 1971.
1976 — O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills rushes for 203 yards and a touchdown in a 45-27 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
1981 — Southern California’s Marcus Allen, who set an NCAA record for yards rushing in a season with 2,342, wins the Heisman Trophy.
1987 — Tim Brown, wide receiver and kick returner from Notre Dame, is awarded the Heisman Trophy.
1992 — Second-ranked Alabama beats No. 15 Florida 28-21 in the first SEC championship game. Alabama’s Antonio Langham intercepts a Shane Matthews pass, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown with 3:16 left in the game.
1995 — Dan Marino completes 35 of 50 passes for 343 yards with two touchdowns and in leading Miami to a 21-20 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It was his 52nd 300-yard game of his career, breaking the league record he had shared with Dan Fouts.
2004 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis is 25-of-33 for 425 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 51-24 win over Tennessee. Manning notches his 13th straight multi-TD game, breaking the NFL record held by Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith and Brett Favre.
2008 — Former NFL star O.J. Simpson is sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.
2012 — Kobe Bryant scores 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers snap a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. The other players to score more than 30,000 are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
2016 — Klay Thompson has 60 points, an NBA season high and the most by a Golden State player in more than 42 years, as the Warriors whip the Indiana Pacers 142-106. Thompson scores 40 by halftime in just 18-plus minutes. He had a career-best 60 points through three quarters and called it a night, sitting down with 1:22 left in the period.
2017 — Russia is banned from the next Winter Olympics in South Korea over state-sponsored doping.
Dec. 6
1939 — Iowa’s Nile Kinnick wins the Heisman Trophy. The back passed for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.
1984 — Martina Navratilova loses to Helena Sukova, ending the longest winning streak in history of women’s singles tennis — 74 matches dating to Jan. 15, 1984.
1986 — Miami’s Vinny Testaverde wins the Heisman Trophy in a runaway. The quarterback, who led the nation in passing efficiency, won the by 1,541 points over Temple running back Paul Palmer, the country’s top rusher.
1990 — The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators receive approval to join the NHL in 1992-93.
1992 — Jerry Rice becomes the NFL’s career leader in touchdown receptions with his 101st scoring pass during the fourth quarter of the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-3 victory over Miami. Rice surpassed Steve Largent’s mark of 100.
1992 — Jim Courier rebounds from a slow start to beat Switzerland’s Jakob Hlasek in four sets as the United States recaptures the Davis Cup.
1998 — Denver with a 35-31 comeback win over Kansas City, becomes the third 13-0 team in NFL history. The Broncos join the 1934 Chicago Bears and 1972 Miami Dolphins.
2000 — Golden State’s Antawn Jamison and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant each scored 51 points, including trading six straight scores in the final two minutes of overtime. It’s Jamison’s second 51-point performance in four days, and Bryant’s career high. But Jamison earns extra satisfaction as the Warriors prevail 125-122 over Los Angeles. It’s the first time in 38 years two players score 50 in the same game.
2003 — Army becomes the first team to finish 0-13 in major college history after a 34-6 loss to Navy.
2005 — Philadelphia wins the first scoreless NHL game that is decided by a shootout, beating Calgary 1-0. Philadelphia’s Antero Niittymaki stops 28 shots in regulation and overtime and all three during the shootout.
2008 — Southern California beats UCLA 28-7 to win its record seventh straight Pac-10 championship. The Trojans (11-1) also have won 11 or more games in seven straight seasons — another record.
2009 — Switzerland’s Carlo Janka wins the giant slalom to become the first man in more than 2 1/2 years with three consecutive World Cup victories. Janka won the super combined event two days earlier and the downhill yesterday.
2009 — Drew Brees is 35 for 49 for 419 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as New Orleans stays undefeated with a 33-30 overtime win at Washington. New Orleans and Indianapolis both improve to 12-0, marking the first time in NFL history that two teams are unbeaten this late in the season.
2009 — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sets an NFL record by playing in his 283rd consecutive game, a 30-17 loss to Arizona. The 40-year-old Favre breaks the record of 282 held by longtime Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall.
2013 — Jennifer O’Neill scores a career-high 43 points, including the go-ahead basket in the fourth overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky beats No. 9 Baylor 133-130 in the highest-scoring Division I women’s game in history. The previous high for a Division I women’s game was 252 points in SMU’s 127-125 win over TCU, also in four overtimes, on Jan. 25, 1997.
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Dec. 7
1973 — Jerry West of Los Angeles sets an NBA record with 10 steals in the Lakers’ 115-111 loss to the Seattle Supersonics.
1985 — Auburn tailback Bo Jackson beats Iowa quarterback Chuck Long by 45 points in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, the closest vote in the 51-year history of the trophy.
1991 — AJ Kitt becomes the first American in seven years to win a men’s World Cup race, taking the first downhill of the season In Val D’Isere, France.
2002 — St. John’s (Minn.) coach John Gagliardi wins his 400th game with a 21-14 victory over Linfield in the Division III quarterfinals. Gagliardi is the second coach to reach the 400 mark, eight victories behind Eddie Robinson.
2003 — The computer rankings have Oklahoma as the country’s top team while the human poll voters pick USC. Despite getting walloped by Kansas State 35-7, No. 3 Oklahoma takes its 12-1 record to the Sugar Bowl against No. 2 LSU, which won the Southeastern Conference championship by beating Georgia 34-13.
2006 — Willie Parker breaks Pittsburgh’s single-game rushing record with 223 yards as the Steelers rough up the Cleveland Browns 27-7. Parker, the first player in Steelers history to have two 200-yard games in a season, betters John “Frenchy” Fuqua’s record of 218 yards against Philadelphia in 1970.
2008 — The Arizona Cardinals clinch their first division title in 33 years by beating the woeful St. Louis Rams 34-10. The Cardinals, long the league’s doormat franchise with just one winning season in the past 24 years, earn their first playoff berth since 1998 and first divisional title since they won the NFC East in 1975.
2013 — Aurelien Collin scores the equalizer in the second half of the MLS Cup, then drives home the deciding penalty kick to give Sporting Kansas City a dramatic victory over Real Salt Lake and its first league title since 2000. With the score 1-1 through regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, the teams engage in the longest penalty-kick shootout in championship history — one that both sides had chances to win before Collin’s shot and Jimmy Nielsen’s save left Sporting KC with the 7-6 victory.
2014 — The first College Football Playoff expands the national championship race and produces a final four with major star power. Nick Saban’s No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Urban Meyer’s No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl. Marcus Mariota and second-seeded Oregon vs. Jameis Winston, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, and defending national champion Florida State at the Rose Bowl.
2014 — Robbie Keane scores on a breakaway in the 111th minute, and Landon Donovan wins his record sixth MLS title in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup.
2016 — Napheesa Collier scores 20 points, Gabby Williams has 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and No. 1 Connecticut beats No. 2 Notre Dame 72-61 for its 83rd straight victory. UConn’s last loss was 88-86 in overtime to Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.
2017 — Larry Nassar, a former elite sports doctor whose sexual assault cases that rocked Michigan State University and the group that trains U.S. Olympic gymnasts, is sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography. Nassar, 54, will also be sentenced for 10 state counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in January. In November, he pled guilty to using his hands to molest girls at his campus office, his home and at a gymnastics club near Lansing, Michigan.
TV SPORTS FRIDAY
Friday, Nov. 29
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S)
3:25 a.m. (Saturday)
FS2 — AFL: North Melbourne vs. Brisbane, Grand Final, North Melbourne, Australia
AUTO RACING
8:25 a.m.
ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
12:25 p.m.
ESPNEWS — Formula 1: Sprint Qualifying, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
11 a.m.
ESPN2 — Battle 4 Atlantis: TBD, Seventh-Place Game, Nassau, Bahamas
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — ESPN Events Invitational: TBD, Third-Place Game, Orlando, Fla.
1:30 p.m.
FS1 — Valparaiso at DePaul
2 p.m.
TRUTV — Acrisure Invitational: TBD, Third-Place Game, Palm Springs, Calif.
2:30 p.m.
PEACOCK — Pittsburgh at Ohio St.
3 p.m.
ESPN2 — Battle 4 Atlantis: TBD, Third-Place Game, Nassau, Bahamas
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — ESPN Events Invitational: TBD, Championship, Orlando, Fla.
FOX — Rady Children’s Invitational: TBD, Third-Place Game, San Diego
4:30 p.m.
TRUTV — Acrisure Invitational: TBD, Championship, Palm Springs, Calif.
5:30 p.m.
ESPN — Battle 4 Atlantis: TBD, Championship, Nassau, Bahamas
6 p.m.
FOX — Rady Children’s Invitational: TBD, Championship, San Diego
6:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NIT Season Tip-Off: TBD, Championship, Orlando, Fla.
7 p.m.
ACCN — Seattle at Duke
CBSSN — Arizona Tip-Off: TBD, Third-Place Game, Tempe, Ariz.
SECN — Georgia St. at Kentucky
8:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — Battle 4 Atlantis: TBD, Fifth-Place Game, Nassau, Bahamas
9 p.m.
ESPNU — NIT Season Tip-Off: TBD, Third-Place Game, Orlando, Fla.
SECN — Delaware St. at Texas
9:30 p.m.
CBSSN — Arizona Tip-Off: TBD, Championship, Tempe, Ariz.
TRUTV — Acrisure Invitational: TBD, Championship, Palm Springs, Calif.
Midnight
TRUTV — Acrisure Invitational: TBD, Third-Place Game, Palm Springs, Calif.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
2 p.m.
BTN — Marquette at Rutgers
7 p.m.
TRUTV — Acrisure Holiday Invitational: Southern Cal vs. Saint Louis, Palm Springs, Calif.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — Oklahoma St. at Colorado
CBS — Minnesota at Wisconsin
CBSSN — Ball St. at Ohio
ESPN — Navy at East Carolina
ESPNU — Miami (Ohio) at Bowling Green
FOX — Oregon St. at Boise St.
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Mississippi St. at Mississippi
CBSSN — Liberty at Sam Houston St.
FS1 — Utah St. at Colorado St.
4 p.m.
CBS — Stanford at San Jose St.
7:30 p.m.
ABC — Georgia Tech at Georgia
NBC — Nebraska at Iowa
8 p.m.
FOX — Utah at UCF
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
5 p.m.
BTN — Nebraska at Penn St.
7 p.m.
FS1 — Ohio St. at Minnesota
7:30 p.m.
BTN — Purdue at Washington
GOLF
3:30 a.m.
GOLF — Asian Tour: The International Series Qatar, Third Round, Doha Golf Club, Doha, Qatar
8 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies European Tour: The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, Second Round, Real Club Guadalhorce Golf, Málaga, Spain
10 p.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Third Round, Kingston Heath Golf Club, Cheltenham, Australia
3:30 a.m. (Saturday)
GOLF — Asian Tour: The International Series Qatar, Final Round, Doha Golf Club, Doha, Qatar
HORSE RACING
Noon
FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
1:30 p.m.
FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
NBA BASKETBALL
Noon
NBATV — New York at Charlotte
2:20 p.m.
NBATV — Cleveland at Atlanta
5 p.m.
NBATV — New Orleans at Memphis
7:40 p.m.
ESPN — L.A. Clippers at Minnesota
10:05 p.m.
ESPN — Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers
NFL FOOTBALL
3 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Las Vegas at Kansas City
NHL HOCKEY
3 p.m.
NHLN — Tampa Bay at Nashville
6:30 p.m.
TNT — Pittsburgh at Boston
9 p.m.
TNT — Colorado at Dallas
RODEO
9 p.m.
FS1 — The American Rodeo: The Kimes Ranch Breakaway Championships – Day 2, Scottsdale, Ariz.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9:25 a.m.FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Damac FC at Al Nassr