“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA SRN BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 FISHERS 4-0
2 GREENFIELD CENTRAL 2-0
3 CARMEL 3-0
4 JEFFERSONVILLE 2-1
5 WARSAW 3-0
6 LAWRENCE NORTH 1-1
7 NOBLESVILLE 2-1
8 NORTHRIDGE 4-0
9 CROWN POINT 1-0
10 FT. WAYNE WAYNE 1-1
3A
1 CRISPUS ATTUCKS 5-0
2 SB ST. JOSEPH 2-0
3 GUERIN CATHOLIC 4-0
4 NEW PALESTINE 2-0
5 SOUTHRIDGE 2-0
6 BREBEUF 2-0
7 CATHEDRAL 2-2
8 DANVILLE 4-0
9 PRINCETON 4-0
10 FW BLACKHAWK 3-1
2A
1 WAPAHANI 3-0
2 PARKE HERITAGE 4-0
3 FW LUERS 1-0
4 GARY 21ST CENTURY 3-0
5 TIPTON 2-0
6 FOREST PARK 3-0
7 JIMTOWN 3-0
8 LAPEL 2-1
9 SHENANDOAH 4-0
10 MANCHESTER 2-1
1A
1 ORLEANS 3-0
2 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 3-0
3 CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 3-0
4 LIBERTY CHRISTIAN 2-2
5 INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN 0-0
6 INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 2-1
7 NORTH DAVIESS 3-1
8 FW CANTEBURY 2-1
9 ROSSVILLE 4-0
10 SOUTHWOOD 3-0/TRI 4-0
IBCA GIRLS COACHES’ POLL
1. LAWRENCE CENTRAL (8-0)
2. HOMESTEAD (9-0)
3. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN (10-0)
4. CENTER GROVE (8-0)
5. WARSAW (9-0)
6. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (8-1)
7. NORTHRIDGE (8-1)
8. GREENSBURG (10-0)
9. MCCUTCHEON (9-1)
10. PLAINFIELD (7-1)
11. SOUTH KNOX (11-0)
12. SILVER CREEK (7-1)
13. BROWNSBURG (7-2)
14. NOBLESVILLE (5-3)
15. COLUMBIA CITY (7-2)
16. FLOYD CENTRAL (7-0)
17. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH (8-1)
18. FISHERS (8-3)
19. PIKE (6-1)
20. LAWRENCE NORTH (4-3)
INDIANA SRN GIRLS BASKETBALL POLLS
4A
1 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 8-0
2 HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 10-0
3 HOMESTEAD 9-0
4 CENTER GROVE 8-0
5 WARSAW 9-0
6 SB WASHINGTON 8-1
7 NORTHRIDGE 8-1
8 PLAINFIELD 7-1
9 MCCUTCHEON 9-1
10 BROWNSBURG 7-2
3A
1 GREENSBURG 10-0
2 WASHINGTON 7-2
3 COLUMBIA CITY 7-2
4 SILVER CREEK 7-1
5 BELLMONT 8-1
6 NORWELL 7-3
7 LOWELL 8-1
8 RONCALLI 6-2
9 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 7-3
10 CORYDON CENTRAL 5-2
2A
1 SOUTH KNOX 11-0
2 AUSTIN 8-0
3 NORTHEASTERN 10-0
4 ALEXANDRIA 10-0
5 EASTERN HANCOCK 8-0
6 BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL 8-0
7 PARKE HERITAGE 7-0
8 EASTSIDE 8-0
9 NORTH KNOX 7-2
10 LANESVILLE 7-1
1A
1 NORTH CENTRAL 9-0
2 BORDEN 8-2
3 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 6-2
4 WESTVILLE 7-0
5 ORLEANS 6-1
6 TRI 7-2
7 TRI-COUNTY 7-1
8 CARROLL FLORA 8-1
9 MORGAN TOWNSHIP 7-3
10 NORTHEAST DUBOIS 6-3
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
IDAHO AT MONTANA STATE (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 14
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE VS. JACKSON STATE (CELEBRATION BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ABC
INCARNATE WORD AT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
MINNESOTA STATE AT VALDOSTA STATE (DII SEMIFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
BETHEL (MN) AT SUSQUEHANNA (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
MARY-HARDIN BAYLOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ESPN+
SPRINGFIELD AT NORTH CENTRAL (ILL.) (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
MOUNT UNION AT SALISBURY (DIII QUARTERFINALS) | 1 P.M. | ESPN+
NAVY AT NO. 22 ARMY (NORTHWEST STADIUM IN LANDOVER, MD) | 3 P.M. | CBS
UC DAVIS AT SOUTH DAKOTA (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 3 P.M. | ESPN+
MERCER AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS QUARTERFINALS) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
SLIPPERY ROCK AT FERRIS STATE (DII SEMIFINALS) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN+
SOUTH ALABAMA VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN (SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 17
NO. 25 MEMPHIS VS. WEST VIRGINIA (FRISCO BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
JAMES MADISON VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY (BOCA RATON BOWL) | 5:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 24 UNLV VS. CAL (LA BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
SAM HOUSTON VS. GEORGIA SOUTHERN (NEW ORLEANS BOWL) | 7 P.M. | ESPN2
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
OHIO VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE (CURE BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
FLORIDA VS. TULANE (GASPARILLA BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 8 INDIANA AT NO. 5 NOTRE DAME (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 8 P.M. | ABC/ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
NO. 10 SMU AT NO. 4 PENN STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 12 P.M. | TNT/MAX
UC DAVIS/SOUTH DAKOTA VS. IDAHO/MONTANA STATE (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 12 OR 3:30 P.M. | ABC
UIW/SOUTH DAKOTA STATE VS. MERCER/NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 12 OR 3:30 P.M. | ABC
TBD VS. TBD (DII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN MCKINNEY, TX) | 2 P.M. | ESPN2
NO. 16 CLEMSON AT NO. 3 TEXAS (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 4 P.M. | TNT/MAX
NO. 7 TENNESSEE AT NO. 6 OHIO STATE (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND) | 8 P.M. | ABC/ESPN
TBD VS. TBD (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
TBD VS. TBD (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
MONDAY, DEC. 23
COASTAL CAROLINA VS. UTSA (MYRTLE BEACH BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS VS. FRESNO STATE (FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 24
SOUTH FLORIDA VS. SAN JOSE STATE (HAWAI’I BOWL) | 8 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
PITT VS. TOLEDO (GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL) | 2 P.M. | ESPN
RUTGERS VS. KANSAS STATE (RATE BOWL) | 5:30 P.M. | ESPN
ARKANSAS STATE VS. BOWLING GREEN (68 VENTURES BOWL) | 9 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, DEC. 27
NAVY VS. OKLAHOMA (ARMED FORCES BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
GEORGIA TECH VS. VANDERBILT (BIRMINGHAM BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
ARKANSAS VS. TEXAS TECH (LIBERTY BOWL) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 21 SYRACUSE VS. WASHINGTON STATE (HOLIDAY BOWL) | 8 P.M. | FOX
USC VS. TEXAS A&M (LAS VEGAS BOWL) | 10:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
UCONN VS. NORTH CAROLINA (FENWAY BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN
BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NEBRASKA (PINSTRIPE BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ABC
TCU VS. LOUISIANA (NEW MEXICO BOWL) | 2:15 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 13 MIAMI (FLA.) VS. NO. 18 IOWA STATE (POP-TARTS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
COLORADO STATE VS. MIAMI (OHIO) (ARIZONA BOWL) | 4:30 P.M. | CW NETWORK
NC STATE VS. EAST CAROLINA (MILITARY BOWL) | 5:45 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 17 BYU VS. NO. 23 COLORADO (ALAMO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ABC
NO. 22 ARMY VS. MARSHALL (INDEPENCE BOWL) | 9:15 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, DEC. 30
NO. 19 MISSOURI VS. IOWA (MUSIC CITY BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 31
NO. 11 ALABAMA VS. MICHIGAN (RELIAQUEST BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
LOUISVILLE VS. WASHINGTON (SUN BOWL) | 2 P.M. | CBS
NO. 15 SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NO. 20 ILLINOIS (CITRUS BOWL) | 3 P.M. | ABC
LSU VS. BAYLOR (TEXAS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 9 BOISE STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — FIESTA BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 12 ARIZONA STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — PEACH BOWL) | 1 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 1 OREGON VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — ROSE BOWL) | 5 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 2 GEORGIA VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — SUGAR BOWL) | 8:45 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 2
NO. 14 OLE MISS VS. DUKE (GATOR BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 3
NORTH TEXAS VS. TEXAS STATE (FIRST RESPONDER BOWL) | 4 P.M. | ESPN
MINNESOTA VS. VIRGINIA TECH (DUKE’S MAYO BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
SATURDAY, JAN. 4
LIBERTY VS. BUFFALO (BAHAMAS BOWL) | 11 A.M. | ESPN2
SUNDAY, JAN. 5
TBD VS. TBD (DIII STAGG BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN HOUSTON, TX) | TBA | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 6
TBD VS. TBD (FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TX) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — ORANGE BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — COTTON BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 20
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NFL SCOREBOARD
MIAMI 32 NY JETS 26 OT
PHILADELPHIA 22 CAROLINA 16
PITTSBURGH 27 CLEVELAND 14
TAMPA BAY 28 LAS VEGAS 13
JACKSONVILLE 10 TENNESSEE 6
NEW ORLEANS 14 NY GIANTS 11
MINNESOTA 42 ATLANTA 21
SAN FRANCISCO 38 CHICAGO 13
SEATTLE 30 ARIZONA 18
LA RAMS 44 BUFFALO 42
KANSAS CITY 19 LA CHARGERS 17
MONDAY
CINCINNATI AT DALLAS 8:15
NFL WEEK 15 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 12
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
DALLAS COWBOYS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1:00P CBS)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (1:00P CBS)
NEW YORK JETS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P FOX)
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1:00P CBS)
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4:25P CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT DENVER BRONCOS (4:25P CBS)
BUFFALO BILLS AT DETROIT LIONS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4:25P FOX)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 16
CHICAGO BEARS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8:00P ABC)
ATLANTA FALCONS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (8:30P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 16 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
DENVER BRONCOS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
HOUSTON TEXANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1:00P NBC)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (4:30P FOX)
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P FOX)
NEW YORK GIANTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS (1:00P FOX)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1:00P FOX)
DETROIT LIONS AT CHICAGO BEARS (1:00P FOX)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1:00P CBS)
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW YORK JETS (1:00P CBS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1:00P FOX)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4:05P FOX)
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4:25P CBS)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (4:25P CBS)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 23
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8:15P ESPN)
NFL WEEK 17 SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 (CHRISTMAS)
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1:00P NETFLIX)
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT HOUSTON TEXANS (4:30P NETFLIX)
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CHICAGO BEARS (8:15P PRIME VIDEO)
SATURDAY, DEC. 28
TBD TBD (1:00P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (4:30P NFL NETWORK)
TBD TBD (8:00P NFL NETWORK)
SATURDAY GAME POOL:
DENVER BRONCOS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW YORK GIANTS
ATLANTA FALCONS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
SUNDAY, DEC. 29
NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO BILLS (1:00P CBS)
TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1:00P CBS)
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1:00P FOX)
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1:00P FOX)
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1:00P CBS)
DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4:25P FOX)
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (8:20P NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 30
DETROIT LIONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8:15P ESPN/ABC)
NFL WEEK 18 SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JAN. 4 OR SUNDAY, JAN. 5
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT DENVER BRONCOS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS
NEW YORK GIANTS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
TOP 25
#2 AUBURN 98 RICHMOND 54
#8 PURDUE 83 MARYLAND 78
MISSOURI 76 #1 KANSAS 67
#14 CINCINNATI 84 HOWARD 67
#22 TEXAS A&M 72 TEXAS TECH 67
ARKANSAS STATE 85 #16 MEMPHIS 72
#25 UCONN 76 TEXAS 65
#6 IOWA STATE 100 JACKSON STATE 58
UCLA 73 #12 OREGON 71
#9 DUKE 76 LOUISVILLE 65
ELSEWHERE:
PURDUE FT. WAYNE 82 ROBERT MORRIS 77
SIU EDWARDSVILLE 82 BALL STATE 69
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
TOP 25
#10 NOTRE DAME 93 SYRACUSE 62
#20 IOWA STATE 82 CENTRAL MICHIGAN 56
#16 NORTH CAROLINA 72 COPPIN STATE 46
#23 MICHIGAN 60 NORTHWESTERN 54
#4 TEXAS 93 JAMES MADISON 62
#25 NEBRASKA 84 MINNESOTA 65
#18 OLE MISS 85 TENNEESSEE STATE 38
#24 MICHIGAN STATE 89 DEPAUL 61
#11 OKLAHOMA 110 ALABAMA STATE 46
#5 LSU 100 GRAMBLING STATE 54
#13 KANSAS STATE 89 TEXAS A&M 50
#8 DUKE 81 VIRGINIA TECH 69
#12 OHIO STATE 83 #21ILLINOIS 74
#1 UCLA 73 WASHINGTON 62
#3 SOUTH CAROLINA 85 #9TCU 52
ELSEWHERE:
BUTLER 69 OHIO 60
EVANSVILLE 87 SIU EDWARDSVILLE 74
WISCONSIN 66 RUTGERS 64
NBA SCOREBOARD
PHILADELPHIA 108 CHICAGO 100
MILWAUKEE 118 BROOKLYN 113
CHARLOTTE 113 INDIANA 109
MIAMI 122 CLEVELAND 113
DENVER 141 ATLANTA 111
ORLANDO 115 PHOENIX 110
MEMPHIS 140 WASHINGTON 112
SAN ANTONIO 121 NEW ORLEANS 116
GOLDEN STATE 114 MINNESOTA 106
HOUSTON 117 LA CLIPPERS 106
SACRAMENTO 141 UTAH 97
LA LAKERS 107 PORTLAND 98
NHL SCOREBOARD
SEATTLE 7 NY RANGERS 5
TAMPA BAY 4 VANCOUVER 2
NY ISLANDERS 4 OTTAWA 2
COLUMBUS 4 WINNIPEG 1
COLORADO 4 NEW JERSEY 0
UTAH 4 PHILADELPHIA 2
DALLAS 6 CALGARY 2
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/RELEASES
CFP COMMITTEE SETS FIELD, PICKS SMU OVER ALABAMA
Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Arizona State are officially the first-round byes in the inaugural edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The Ducks and Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the final list. The Broncos, meanwhile, came in at No. 9 and the Sun Devils slotted in at No. 12. However, because the top four conference champions receive byes, Boise State and Arizona State will rest for the opening round.
The biggest drama of the release show came at the bottom: With SMU and Alabama battling for the final at-large spot, the committee chose the Mustangs despite their loss to 12th-seeded Clemson in the ACC title game.
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS
GAME 1: NO. 10 INDIANA AT NO. 7 NOTRE DAME (DEC. 20, 8:00 P.M. ET)
The battle of Indiana takes center stage for the first CFP quarterfinal with the Hoosiers traveling three hours to face Notre Dame. Curt Cignetti has completely turned his club around in his first season in Bloomington, registering the first 11-win campaign in Indiana’s history. But it’ll be a tall task to take down arguably the hottest team in the country, the Fighting Irish. Marcus Freeman’s program has run through the entire schedule after a stunning Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, ripping off 10 straight wins and outscoring the competition 441-134 over that span.
GAME 2: NO. 11 SMU AT NO. 6 PENN STATE (DEC. 21, 12:00 P.M. ET)
It was probably a nerve-racking 12 hours for SMU after the ACC title game loss, but the committee still deemed the Mustangs worthy of a CFP slot on Sunday. The joy will likely be short-lived, though – Rhett Lashlee’s program is staring down a daunting road trip to Penn State. SMU’s explosive offense will be in tough against Happy Valley, one of the top defensive units in the country. The bracket sets up well for Penn State should it beat SMU with Boise State on deck in the Fiesta Bowl.
GAME 3: NO. 12 CLEMSON AT NO. 5 TEXAS (DEC. 21, 4:00 P.M. ET)
Clemson’s dramatic last-second field goal to beat SMU secured the former a playoff spot, but the committee didn’t move the Tigers past the 12-seed on Sunday. That forces Dabo Swinney to head west for a matchup with Texas in Austin. The Longhorns posted 11 wins on the campaign but lost twice to Georgia – the only two top-25 games on their schedule. Clemson has lost both its matchups with SEC opponents this season, including a 34-3 beatdown by Georgia in the opening week.
GAME 4: NO. 9 TENNESSEE AT NO. 8 OHIO STATE (DEC. 21, 8:00 P.M. ET)
The blockbuster matchup of the opening round is undoubtedly a big-brand contest between Tennessee and Ohio State. While Volunteers fans will be disappointed they aren’t hosting, they should feel good about the fact the Buckeyes lost to Michigan the last time they played at home. Both teams field top-10 defensive units and offensive attacks that have underwhelmed at times despite rostering significant talent.
WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM THE 12-TEAM CFP FIELD
The 12 teams are set, and the expanded College Football Playoff is slated to begin on Dec. 20 when Notre Dame hosts Indiana in South Bend.
While there was plenty of late drama on Saturday in the SEC, ACC and Big Ten title games, the only question entering the final rankings was whether SMU or Alabama would get the final at-large place.
The committee opted for the ACC finalist, making the Mustangs clear winners and the Crimson Tide losers.
Here’s the full list from Sunday’s announcement show.
Winner: Texas
Texas is a winner even though the Longhorns haven’t beaten a current top-25 opponent this season. Steve Sarkisian’s outfit has clearly put some sort of trance on the committee – it was deemed the No. 5 seed despite being 0-2 against currently ranked teams this year, with both losses coming against Georgia. The Bulldogs won by 15 in Texas in October and claimed an overtime defeat despite playing the entire second half without Carson Beck.
Regardless, Texas is the highest seed playing in the opening round and hosts a Clemson team that lost both its games to SEC opponents this year by a combined 51-17 margin. Should the Longhorns win, they’d advance to face the Big 12 champion Arizona State, a team the committee didn’t deem worthy of a top 10 ranking even though it won a power conference title.
Let’s just say the Longhorns’ path to the CFP semi is more than “alright, alright, alright.”
Loser: Alabama
Forgive Alabama fans if they were clearing their Dec. 21 schedule for a road trip for a large portion of Saturday night. The Crimson Tide looked set to steal an at-large bid from SMU as Clemson raced out to a 17-point lead on the Mustangs in the ACC title game. However, SMU rallied in the second half and tied it in the final minute before losing on a dramatic walk-off 56-yard field goal. Even in defeat, the comeback was enough to make the committee deem the Mustangs worthy of a playoff spot over the three-loss Crimson Tide.
Alabama’s schedule is significantly tougher than SMU’s, and the Crimson Tide have that sparkling win over Georgia earlier in the campaign. The program’s playoff bid was firmly in its own hands heading to Oklahoma in the second-last week of the season, but the Tide laid an all-time egg with a 21-point loss to one of the worst Sooner teams in the last 25 years.
Nick Saban took the Crimson Tide to eight of the ten editions of the four-team playoff – remarkable consistency for the nation’s best program of that era. Even though the field added eight more teams in Kalen DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa, the Tide will be on the outside looking in this time.
Winner: Penn State
Penn State fell to 1-14 under James Franklin against top-five opposition on Saturday, but the loss to Oregon left us feeling significantly better about this version of the Nittany Lions. The offense piled up over 500 total yards and hung 37 points on the only undefeated team in the country. That should prove their ability to compete for the national title with anybody in the 12-team field. Their chances improved when the bracket was revealed on Sunday as Penn State faces a potential combo of SMU and Boise State to make the semifinal.
SMU holds an impressive 11-2 record, but that’s largely been filled with the empty calories of beating unranked teams. While the Nittany Lions boast just one top-25 victory on the campaign, two one-score losses to Oregon and Ohio State show they belong among the nation’s top programs.
Nobody has been able to stop Ashton Jeanty, but Penn State’s run defense will be the best the Boise State star has faced all season should they meet in the quarterfinal.
Loser: Oregon
Somehow the winner of the Big Ten title game on Saturday is a loser on Sunday, and the loser of that matchup is a winner. Oregon capped an undefeated campaign – the only one in the country – with a thrilling 45-37 win over Penn State in Indianapolis. The result secured the program the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff, but the bracket reveal poses the question: would the Ducks have been better off losing to the Nittany Lions?
Sure, Oregon gets a bye in the opening round thanks to the conference title, but a rematch with Ohio State or a blockbuster contest with Tennessee awaits in the quarterfinal. Meanwhile, Penn State hosts an SMU team with zero ranked wins on the season and a possible quarterfinal contest with No. 9 Boise State. While the Buckeyes and Volunteers are seeded behind the Broncos, both SMU and Boise are ranked behind either of the Ducks’ quarterfinal opponents.
Dan Lanning, to his credit, downplayed the hard draw afterwards when interviewed on ESPN.
“What an opportunity, right,” Lanning said, according to Matt Prehm of 247 Sports. “In our world, we always talk about red light, green light. Focus on the things you can control. That’s where we’re going to focus on. Winning a national championship isn’t supposed to be easy. So if our path is a little bit tougher, kudos to us if we go through it and take care of business.”
However, Oregon can’t be thrilled with the difficult path that awaits.
Winner: ACC
The ACC went from having an undefeated conference champion left out of the four-team playoff in 2023 to an 11-2 conference finalist with zero wins over ranked opponents included in the postseason this time around. The move to expand the playoffs paid off immediately for the third-best conference in college football.
Things didn’t always look good for the ACC the past week, with 10-2 Miami behind 9-3 Alabama in the rankings on Tuesday. That meant the ACC would be a one-bid league should SMU win the conference title game on Saturday. But Clemson had other ideas, pulling off the thrilling upset over the Mustangs to steal the auto-bid.
That left SMU’s fate to the committee – a precarious place given the clear respect it’s previously shown for the Crimson Tide. Thankfully, it made the right call putting the Mustangs in the field and giving the proper respect to the ACC in the process.
Loser: First-round bye protocol
Overall, the increase to a 12-team field has been incredible for college football, but there needs to be one significant change for the second year of the format: the elimination of first-round byes for conference champions. With three-loss Clemson stealing the ACC auto-bid, two teams in the bottom of the 12-team field – No. 9 Boise State and No. 12 Arizona State – grabbed first-round byes this year.
The Sun Devils’ strength of schedule sits 62nd in the country while the Broncos’ is even worse at No. 81. Meanwhile, No. 7 Tennessee has to travel to Ohio State in Round 1 despite a strength of schedule that ranks 30th in the nation.
The conference champions should absolutely get an auto-bid to the 12-team field. That provides extra incentive to go all-out in an attempt to win a title game. However, the field must be seeded by strength once the 12 teams are set, with the first-round byes going to the best four teams – regardless of conference affiliation.
NFL NEWS
SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 14
A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, December 8, the 14th week of the 2024 season.
With two games remaining in Week 14, six games were decided by six-or-fewer points. Two teams – Detroit and Miami – recorded the game-winning score on the final play of the game.
There have been 98 games this season decided by six-or fewer points, the most such games through Week 14 in NFL history, and 112 games decided by seven-or-fewer games, tied with the 2016 season for the most such games through Week 14 in NFL history.
There have been 119 games decided by eight-or-fewer points this season, the third-most such games through Week 14 in NFL history, trailing only 2016 (122 games) and 2022 (121).
The Los Angeles Rams defeated Buffalo, 44-42, in the highest scoring game of the 2024 season, It marked the second game in NFL history featuring five combined touchdown passes, five combined rushing touchdowns and no turnovers (Kansas City vs. Denver on Dec. 19, 1965).
The Philadelphia Eagles extended their winning streak to nine games today, while the Detroit Lions won their franchise-record 11th consecutive game on Thursday. This marks the first time since 2009 (Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers in the AFC) in which two teams from a single conference have active winning streaks of nine-or-more games at the same time.
With a victory today, along with losses by Atlanta and Arizona, the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a postseason berth for the fourth-consecutive season, their longest streak since securing five straight playoff appearances from 2000-04.
With a victory on Thursday Night Football, the Detroit Lions clinched a postseason berth in consecutive seasons for the first time since securing three straight playoff appearances from 1993-95.
With a victory tonight on Sunday Night Football, the Kansas City Chiefs can clinch their ninth-consecutive AFC West division title.
Los Angels Rams running back Kyren Williams recorded two rushing touchdowns and wide receiver Puka Nacua totaled 12 receptions for 162 yards with two touchdowns (one receiving, one rushing) in the Rams’ 44-42 victory over Buffalo.
Nacua, playing in his 25th career game today, has 159 receptions, surpassing Michael Thomas (157 receptions) for the second-most by a player in his first 25 career games in NFL history. Only Odell Beckham Jr. (176 receptions) has more.
Nacua has 2,194 receiving yards, surpassing Justin Jefferson (2,175 receiving yards) for the fourth-most ever by a player in his first 25 career games. Only Odell Beckham Jr. (2,625 receiving yards), Charlie Hennigan (2,468) and Bill Groman (2,453) have more.
Nacua has 11 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, surpassing Justin Jefferson (10 games) for the second-most such games by a player in his first 25 career games in the Super Bowl era. Only Odell Beckham Jr. (15 games) has more.
Nacua is the fifth player ever with at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in three games within his first 25 career games, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (four games), Lionel Taylor (four), Gary Clark (three) and Marques Colston (three).
Williams has 1,013 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns this season and totaled 1,144 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns last season. He is the fifth player since 2000 with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in two of his first three career seasons, joining Shaun Alexander (2001-02), Adrian Peterson (2007, 2009), Clinton Portis (2002-03) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (2002-03).
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen totaled 424 yards (342 passing, 82 rushing) and six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) in Week 14.
Allen is the first player in NFL history to record three touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Allen joined Kordell Stewart as the only players in NFL history with at least three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in multiple career games.
Allen has five career games with at least two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (four games) for the most in NFL history.
Allen has 11 career games with at least two rushing touchdowns, surpassing Cam Newton (10 games) for the second-most by a quarterback in NFL history. Only Jalen Hurts (15 games) has more.
Allen has nine rushing touchdowns this season, his fifth-career season with at least eight rushing touchdowns, the most by a quarterback in NFL history.
The Philadelphia Eagles totaled 209 rushing yards in their 22-16 victory over Carolina, as quarterback Jalen Hurts recorded three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and running back Saquon Barkley had 124 rushing yards.
Philadelphia is the first team since Washington in 1983 with at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in 12 of their first 13 games of a season.
Hurts has 36 career games with a rushing touchdown, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (36 games) for the third-most by a quarterback in NFL history. Only Cam Newton (64) and Josh Allen (50) have more.
Hurts has 13 rushing touchdowns in 2024, his third-consecutive season with at least 13 rushing touchdowns. He becomes the fourth player since 2000 to record at least 13 rushing touchdowns in three-or-more consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (six straight seasons from 2002-07), Shaun Alexander (five straight from 2001-05) and Priest Holmes (three straight from 2002-04).
Barkley has a Philadelphia franchise-record 1,623 rushing yards this season, the second-most by a player in his first 13 games of a season since 2000, trailing only Chris Johnson (1,626 in 2009).
Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold completed 22 of 28 pass attempts (78.6 percent) for 347 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 157.9 passer rating in the Vikings’ 42-21 victory over Atlanta.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison recorded eight receptions for 133 and three touchdowns – including a 49-yard touchdown reception – and wide receiver Justin Jefferson totaled seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
Darnold is the ninth quarterback in NFL history and first since Aaron Rodgers on Oct. 20, 2019 with at least 325 passing yards, five touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 75-or-higher and a passer rating of 155-or-higher with no interceptions in a game.
Jefferson has 7,069 career receiving yards in 73 games, surpassing Torry Holt (82 games) as the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 7,000 receiving yards. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (72 games) and Julio Jones (72) reached the mark in fewer games.
Today marked Jefferson’s 33rd career game with at least 100 receiving yards and 22nd career game with at least 125 receiving yards, both the most-ever by a player in his first five seasons.
Jefferson has 18 career games with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception, surpassing Charley Hennigan (18 games) for the fourth-most ever by a player in his first five seasons. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Lance Alworth (24), Randy Moss (24) and Jerry Rice (21) have more.
Addison has five career touchdown receptions of at least 40 yards, becoming the first player with at least five touchdown receptions of at least 40 yards in his first two seasons since Ja’Marr Chase (eight touchdowns from 2021-22).
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 33 of 47 pass attempts (70.2 percent) for 331 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and a 104.1 passer rating, while wide receiver Tyreek Hill recorded 10 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins’ 32-26 victory over the New York Jets in overtime.
Tagovailoa – who completed 29 of 40 passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 12 and completed 37 of 46 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 13 – is the first player in NFL history with at least 40 pass attempts, multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in three consecutive games within a single season.
Hill has 11 career games with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception, tied with Antonio Brown (11 games) and Michael Thomas (11) for the second-most such games by a player in his first nine seasons in NFL history. Only Davante Adams (14 games) has more.
Hill has five touchdown receptions in 2024, becoming the fifth player ever with at least five touchdown receptions in each of his first nine seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison and Don Hutson as well as Marques Colston and Amari Cooper.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy completed 20 of 25 pass attempts (80 percent) for 325 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and a 145.4 passer rating, while tight end George Kittle recorded six receptions for 151 yards in the 49ers’ 38-13 victory over Chicago.
Purdy has six career games with a passer rating of 140-or-higher, surpassing Ed Brown (five games from 1954-56) and Frank Filchock (five games from 1939-40) for the most such games by a quarterback in his first three seasons in NFL history
Purdy has 13 career games with a passer rating of 120-or-higher, surpassing Russell Wilson (12 games) for the most such games by a quarterback in his first three seasons in NFL history
Kittle has 7,074 receiving yards in 109 career games, surpassing Antonio Gates (119 games) as the third-fastest tight end to reach 7,000 receiving yards in NFL history. Only Rob Gronkowski (100 games) and Travis Kelce (104) reached the mark in fewer games.
Kittle has 19 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, surpassing Antonio Gates (18 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Smith (18) for the fourth-most by a tight end in his first eight seasons in NFL history. Only Rob Gronkowski (26 games), Travis Kelce (25) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. (24) have more.
Kittle has five career games with at least 150 receiving yards, becoming the third tight end in NFL history with five such career games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe (six games) and Travis Kelce (five, heading into Sunday Night Football).
Additional notes from Week 14:
Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson recorded two touchdown passes with no interceptions as the Steelers improved to 10-3 with a 27-14 victory over Cleveland.
Wilson has 73 career games with at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (73 games) for the fifth-most such games in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (122 games), Aaron Rodgers (108), Drew Brees (88) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (74) have more.
The New York Jets’ Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams connected for a touchdown in Week 14, their 79th touchdown connection, including the postseason, and third this season.
Rodgers and Adams surpassed Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown (78 touchdowns) for the fourth-most touchdown connections between a quarterback-wide receiver duo in NFL history, including the postseason. Only the Pro Football Hall of Fame duos of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (114 touchdowns) and Steve Young and Jerry Rice (92), as well as Hall of Famer Dan Marino and Mark Clayton (82) have more.
Carolina wide receiver Adam Thielen recorded nine receptions for 102 yards in Week 14.
Thielen has 8,063 career receiving yards, becoming the fourth undrafted player in the common-draft era with at least 8,000 career receiving yards, joining Antonio Gates (11,841 receiving yards), Rod Smith (11,389) and Wes Welker (9,924).
Thielen has 25 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, joining Rod Smith (30 games) and Wes Welker (28) as the only undrafted players since 1967 with 25 career games with 100-or-more receiving yards.
Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers recorded three receptions for 49 yards in Week 14.
Bowers has 87 receptions this season, surpassing Sam LaPorta (86 receptions in 2023) for the most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
Bowers has 933 receiving yards, surpassing Jeremy Shockey (894 receiving yards in 2002) for the third-most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) have more.
NFL ROUNDUP: RAMS HOLD ON TO EDGE BILLS IN HIGH-SCORING CONTEST
Puka Nacua finished with 178 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Rams held on for a 44-42 win over the visiting Buffalo Bills on Sunday despite Josh Allen’s record-setting six-touchdown performance.
Nacua caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed for 16 yards and another score for Los Angeles (7-6). Kyren Williams added 87 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and Cooper Kupp finished with five catches for 92 yards and a score.
Allen became the first player in NFL history to pass for three touchdowns and rush for three touchdowns in a single game for Buffalo (10-3). Allen completed 22 of 37 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns, and he carried the ball 10 times for 82 yards and three touchdowns.
Matthew Stafford completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams, who have won two games in a row and three of their past four.
Eagles 22, Panthers 16
Jalen Hurts threw 4 yards to Grant Calcaterra for Philadelphia’s only second-half scoring drive as the Eagles held off visiting Carolina.
Hurts threw for two touchdowns and finished with 108 yards on 14-for-21 passing. He also ran for a score. Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards as the Eagles (11-2) won their ninth game in a row.
Bryce Young was 19-for-34 for 191 yards, a touchdown pass and an interception for Carolina. The Panthers (3-10), who outgained the Eagles 302-292, lost their third game in a row, including their previous two losses on game-ending field goals at home to Kansas City and Tampa Bay.
Chiefs 19, Chargers 17
Patrick Mahomes threw for 210 yards and a touchdown, Matthew Wright made a 31-yard field goal off the left upright as time expired and Kansas City clinched another AFC West title with a victory over visiting Los Angeles.
Mahomes guided a 14-play, 47-yard drive, which was capped by Wright’s game-winning kick, as the Chiefs extended their NFL record to 15 consecutive one-score victories going back to last season, counting playoff games. Isiah Pacheco had 55 yards rushing and Travis Kelce finished with five receptions for 45 yards. Kansas City won its ninth consecutive division title.
Justin Herbert had 213 yards passing with a touchdown, and Joshua Palmer had six receptions for 78 yards for the Chargers. Quentin Johnston had five receptions for 48 yards and a TD for Los Angeles, which lost for just the second time in its past seven games.
Steelers 27, Browns 14
Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes to help Pittsburgh cruise to a victory over visiting Cleveland.
Najee Harris rushed for a touchdown and Van Jefferson and Pat Freiermuth caught scoring passes for Pittsburgh (10-3), which has won seven of its last eight games. Cameron Heyward had two sacks and Keeanu Benton and James Pierre had interceptions for the Steelers. Wilson completed 15 of 26 passes for 158 yards.
Jameis Winston completed 24 of 41 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Browns. Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku caught touchdown passes for Cleveland (3-10), which has lost two straight games and nine of its last 11. Myles Garrett recovered a fumble and registered a sack to raise his career total to 99.5.
Dolphins 32, Jets 26 (overtime)
Tua Tagovailoa tossed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith on the first possession of overtime as Miami defeated visiting New York. Tagovailoa passed for 331 yards and two touchdowns as Miami (6-7) kept its playoff hopes alive.
The game featured six lead changes, and it was the ninth straight year that the Dolphins beat the Jets at home. Tyreek Hill caught 10 passes for 115 yards and one TD. Jaylen Waddle caught nine passes for 99 yards and a two-point conversion.
Aaron Rodgers passed for 339 yards and one touchdown, but New York (3-10) still lost its fourth straight game.
Vikings 42, Falcons 21
Sam Darnold completed 22 of 28 passes for 347 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, and Minnesota pulled away to beat Atlanta in Minneapolis.
Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and a career-high three touchdowns for the Vikings (11-2), who won their sixth consecutive game. Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Tyler Allgeier (nine carries for 63 yards) and Bijan Robinson (22 attempts for 92 yards) rushed for one touchdown apiece for the Falcons (6-7).
49ers 38, Bears 13
Brock Purdy passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns, Isaac Guerendo ran for two scores and Leonard Floyd registered two sacks against his former team as host San Francisco routed skidding Chicago. San Francisco (6-7) stopped a three-game losing streak while remaining in the hunt in the NFC wild-card race.
Chicago lost its seventh in a row, stumbling through its first game under interim coach Thomas Brown, who took the reins after the organization fired third-year coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29. The Bears (4-9) were outgained 452-162.
The 49ers reached the end zone on three of their first four possessions and scored on four of their five first-half drives overall, excluding their kneel-down on the final play.
Saints 14, Giants 11
Derek Carr passed for 219 yards and a touchdown before being injured and New Orleans defeated reeling New York in East Rutherford, N.J. Carr completed 20 of 31 passes, but left the game late in the fourth quarter after injuring his left arm while being tackled.
The Saints (5-8) secured the victory when Bryan Bresee blocked Graham Gano’s 35-yard field-goal attempt with eight seconds left.
Drew Lock completed 21 of 49 passes for 227 yards for the NFC-worst Giants (2-11), who lost their eighth consecutive game. New York was penalized 12 times for 112 yards and penalties negated a touchdown and a field goal.
Seahawks 30, Cardinals 18
Zach Charbonnet rushed for a career-high 134 yards and scored two touchdowns as Seattle remained atop the NFC West with a win over Arizona in Glendale, Ariz.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught a 19-yard scoring strike from Geno Smith and Jason Myers kicked three field goals for the Seahawks (8-5), who have won four consecutive games since their bye week — including two against Arizona.
Arizona’s Kyler Murray was 25-of-38 passing for 259 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. James Conner rushed for 90 yards on 18 carries and Trey McBride made seven receptions for 70 yards for the Cardinals (6-7), who lost their third in a row.
Jaguars 10, Titans 6
Tank Bigsby ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 6:46 left and visiting Jacksonville held off Tennessee in Nashville.
Jones completed 23 of 31 passes for 220 yards and two interceptions in his first start since quarterback Trevor Lawrence went on injured reserve Wednesday with a concussion. The Jaguars (3-10) ended a five-game losing streak.
Will Levis went 19-of-32 passing for 168 yards for Tennessee (3-10), which dropped its second game in a row. The Titans made it to the Jacksonville 9 but Levis’ fourth-down pass for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine rattled in and out of his hands in the back of the end zone with 1:11 remaining.
Buccaneers 28, Raiders 13
Rachaad White and Jalen McMillan each produced two touchdowns in host Tampa Bay’s win, extending Las Vegas’ losing streak to nine.
Tampa Bay (7-6), which has won three in a row, took over first place in the NFC South. Shut down for the second and third quarters, the Bucs got a 3-yard scoring run from White and a 29-yard touchdown catch from McMillan in the fourth to finish it. Mayfield finished 18-for-29 passing for 295 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O’Connell was carted to the locker room with an air cast on his right leg in the third. O’Connell, who was 11-for-19 passing for 104 yards and an interception, was replaced by Desmond Ridder, who completed 12 of 18 passes for 101 yards.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: MISSOURI HANDS NO. 1 KANSAS SECOND STRAIGHT SETBACK
Tamar Bates scored a season-high 29 points for Missouri to spark a 76-67 upset of visiting No. 1 Kansas on Sunday in Columbia, Mo.
Mark Mitchell added 17 points for the Tigers (8-1), while Anthony Robinson II scored 11 as Missouri beat its “Border War” rival for the first time since February 2012. Robinson and Bates both tallied five steals, as the Tigers forced 22 Kansas turnovers.
Josh Gray added seven points and 10 rebounds for Missouri, which saw its 24-point lead reduced to two before pulling away late. Missouri’s eight wins matched its total from all of last season.
Hunter Dickinson’s 19 points and 14 rebounds led Kansas (7-2), which will tumble in the AP Top 25 after losing its second in a row. David Coit scored 14 for the Jayhawks, followed by Dajuan Harris Jr.’s 13 and KJ Adams Jr.’s 11.
No. 2 Auburn 98, Richmond 54
Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford scored 15 points apiece and the Tigers never trailed in cruising to a rout of the visiting Spiders.
The Tigers (8-1) bounced back from a disappointing showing at ninth-ranked Duke on Wednesday by placing six players in double-figure scoring and rolling to their third win by at least 30 points ahead of nonconference games later this month against Ohio State and Purdue. Kelly and Pettiford combined to shoot 8 of 15, and each made four 3s for the Tigers, who led by double digits most of the game.
Mikkel Tyne scored 16 to lead Richmond (4-5), which fell to 0-27 all-time against top-five opponents. Dusan Neskovic added 12 and Delonnie Hunt contributed 10, but the duo shot a combined 5 of 24 as Richmond shot 27.1 percent (16 of 59) in its first game since Nov. 27 and was unable to get its seventh win in school history over a top-10 opponent.
No. 6 Iowa State 100, Jackson State 58
Curtis Jones came off the bench to score 19 points and drain a handful of 3-pointers and the Cyclones marched to a win over the Tigers in Ames, Iowa.
Jones made 6 of 12 shots from the field and 5 of 10 shots from beyond the arc for the Cyclones (7-1). Milan Momcilovic finished with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including a 4-for-6 mark from 3-point range.
Dorian McMillian scored 20 points to lead Jackson State (0-10). Juan Reyna III finished with 15 points and a team-high six assists.
No. 8 Purdue 83, Maryland 78
Braden Smith had 24 points and 10 assists to help the Boilermakers fend off the visiting Terrapins in Big Ten play in West Lafayette, Ind.
Smith led the Boilermakers with five 3-pointers and made 4 of 5 in the second half to help Purdue (8-2, 1-1) pick up its first conference win after losing 81-70 at Penn State on Thursday.
Derik Queen finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds — both game-highs — and Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 18 points for the Terrapins (8-2, 1-1). Maryland had won five straight, including an 83-59 home rout of Ohio State on Wednesday.
No. 9 Duke 76, Louisville 65
Cooper Flagg scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Blue Devils, but visiting Duke did not need its freshman phenom in the game as it rallied to beat the host Cardinals.
Duke (7-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) trailed by as much as 30-16 midway through the first half thanks to the Cardinals’ making 10 of their first 14 shots, including seven of their first nine 3-pointers. Flagg, who fouled out in the final minute, led four Blue Devils in double figures. Tyrese Proctor went for 13 points, Kon Knueppel added 12 and James finished with 11.
Terrence Edwards Jr. led Louisville (5-4, 0-1) with 21 points. Reyne Smith added 13, and freshman Khani Rooths posted a season-high 10 points and six rebounds. Just seven players saw court time for Louisville as the team is dealing with several season-ending injuries that have cut short its bench.
UCLA 73, No. 12 Oregon 71
Dylan Andrews banked in a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left giving the Bruins a victory over the Ducks at Eugene, Ore.
Jackson Shelstad’s 3-pointer, his first basket in the second half, with 10.7 seconds left had put Oregon (9-1, 1-1 Big Ten) ahead 71-70. Nate Bittle led Oregon with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Keeshawn Barthelemy added 13 points, Shelstad had 11 and Jadrian Tracey 10.
UCLA (8-1, 2-0) is on a seven-game winning streak and is unbeaten after its first two games in the conference after leaving the Pac-12 Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr. led the Bruins with a season-high 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Kobe Johnson finished with 11 points and Andrews and Sebastian Mack each had 10 points.
No. 14 Cincinnati 84, Howard 67
Simas Lukosius scored 18 points for the Bearcats, who used a second-half surge to beat the visiting Bison.
Aziz Bandaogo scored 17 points for the Bearcats (7-1), who also got 14 points from Dillon Mitchell. Cincinnati’s top three scorers combined to go 20 of 26 from the field.
Howard (3-6) lost its fourth straight. Freshman guard Blake Harper got his first double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Marcus Dockery added 14 points.
Arkansas State 85, No. 16 Memphis 72
Joseph Pinion scored 22 points, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 and the Red Wolves upset the Tigers.
Taryn Todd scored 17 and Kobe Julien had 12 for the Red Wolves (7-3), who made 12-of-36 3-pointers compared to 7-of-22 for the Tigers (7-2).
PJ Haggerty scored 29 points, Dain Dainja added 16 points and 12 rebounds off the bench and Colby Rogers scored 11 to lead Memphis, which trailed for all but two minutes.
No. 22 Texas A&M 72, Texas Tech 67
Wade Taylor IV racked up 19 points that included eight in the final 3:22 of the game as the Aggies outlasted the Red Raiders in the USLBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
Texas A&M (8-2) led by as many as 11 points in the first half and by three at halftime before the Red Raiders surged to the front early in the second half. Down 52-49, the Aggies produced an 11-0 surge capped by a jumper by Zhuric Phelps to take a 60-52 advantage with 5:02 to play. Jace Carter added 16 points and Phelps had 12 for the Aggies, who have won four straight games.
Chance McMillian’s 23 points were a game high, while Kevin Overton added 17 and Darrion Williams had 11 for Texas Tech (7-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
No. 25 UConn 76, Texas 65
Alex Karaban returned from a head injury to score 21 points and grab 11 rebounds as the Huskies beat the Longhorns in Austin, Texas.
Karaban sustained a head injury during UConn’s final game in the Maui Invitational. He did not play in UConn’s next two games while he was in concussion protocol. Solo Ball added 16 points for the Huskies (7-3), who received 12 points from both Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. Liam McNeeley finished the game with seven points and nine rebounds, and Hassan Diarra had a career-high 11 assists.
Freshman Tre Johnson scored a game-high 24 points for the Longhorns (7-2), who entered the contest on a seven-game winning streak. He scored 18 points in the second half. Arthur Kaluma had 20 points and nine rebounds, but no other Texas player scored more than six points.
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WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 23 MICHIGAN FENDS OFF NORTHWESTERN
Olivia Olson scored 18 points, including eight straight to open the fourth quarter, as the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines survived a 60-54 scare from the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten opener for each team in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Northwestern (4-4, 0-1 Big Ten) led throughout the third quarter and took a four-point lead into the fourth, but Olson capped her 8-0 burst with a 3-pointer, and Syla Swords also nailed a trey to put the Wolverines (8-1, 1-0) ahead 50-44. Michigan has won eight straight games since opening the season with a six-point loss to then-No. 1 South Carolina.
Caileigh Walsh’s 3-pointer put the Wildcats back in front 53-52 with 3:36 to go. Michigan responded by scoring eight of the game’s last nine points, six by Jordan Hobbs. Hobbs finished with 16 points and teammate Mila Holloway had 10.
Kyla Jones led Northwestern with 14 points and Walsh notched 10 before fouling out.
No. 4 Texas 93, James Madison 62
Madison Booker, Jordan Lee and Rori Harmon dominated the first half as the Longhorns clobbered the host Dukes in Harrisonburg, Va.
Booker scored 21 points, Lee added 20 and Harmon 19 by combining on 25-of-33 shooting. They had 49 of their points in the first half as Texas (7-1) piled up a 58-29 halftime lead.
The Longhorns, who entered seventh in the nation in scoring at 90 points per game, shot 54 percent for the game to 40 percent for the Dukes.
Roshala Scott led James Madison (7-3) with 22 points and Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes had 12 apiece. McDaniel added eight rebounds for the Dukes, who had 24 turnovers.
No. 10 Notre Dame 93, Syracuse 62
The Fighting Irish pulled away from a seven-point halftime lead to demolish the host Orange in the ACC opener for both schools.
The trio of Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led Notre Dame’s win with double-doubles. Citron had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Hidalgo racked up 24 and 10, respectively, and Miles shone with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Hidalgo, third in Division I in scoring (24.6 ppg), netted nine points and Citron had eight in the third quarter, as Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0 ACC) outscored Syracuse (4-6, 0-1) 29-13 to pull away.
Keira Scott posted 16 points and Sophie Burrows tacked on 13 for the Orange, who shot only 32.5 percent. The Irish shot 50 percent and thrived despite 20 turnovers.
No. 16 North Carolina 72, Coppin State 46
The Tar Heels built a comfortable halftime lead and used its bench players freely in devouring the Eagles in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina (9-1) entered second-best in the nation in scoring defense at 49.1 points per game and excelled again, holding Coppin State to 27.3 percent shooting.
Meanwhile, the Tar Heels shot 44.4 percent while having 12 players enter the scoring column, led by Maria Gakdeng’s 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Reniya Kelly scored six of her eight points in the first quarter as North Carolina took a 23-13 lead. The Tar Heels grew the lead to 46-27 by intermission.
Tiffany Hammond and Angel Jones scored 12 points apiece for Coppin State (6-5), and Laila Lawrence added 10 points with 10 rebounds.
No. 18 Ole Miss 85, Tennessee State 38
The Rebels had more points by halftime than the Lady Tigers scored in the game after jumping out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and 44-19 by intermission.
Kennedy Todd-Williams led Ole Miss (6-3) with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Sira Thienou added 12 and six, respectively. The Rebels shot 46 percent for the game.
Ole Miss began the day seventh in the nation in scoring defense at 49.8 points allowed per game, and it punished Tennessee State to the tune of 23.6 percent shooting and 22 forced turnovers.
XaiOnna Whitfield led the Lady Tigers (4-6) with 10 points.
No. 20 Iowa State 82, Central Michigan 56
Audi Crooks scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added 10 rebounds as the Cyclones slammed the Chippewas in Ames, Iowa.
Emily Ryan netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter and Crooks scored nine in the period as Iowa State (8-2) jumped out to a 31-13 lead and enjoyed a cushion of at least 18 points the rest of the way. Addy Brown added 18 points for the Cyclones, who shot 52.5 percent and rolled despite having 20 turnovers.
Jayda Mosley led Central Michigan (3-6) with 11 points and Madi Morson and Ayanna-Sarai Darrington added 10 apiece. The Chippewas shot only 33.3 percent from the floor and had 26 turnovers.
No. 24 Michigan State 89, DePaul 61
The unbeaten Spartans put four scorers in double figures as they systematically disposed of the Blue Demons in East Lansing, Mich.
Jaddan Simmons finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Julia Ayrault stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals for Michigan State (9-0). Emma Shumate and Jocelyn Tate had 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Jorie Allen put up 15 points, 11 boards, seven assists and three steals and Grace Carstensen also notched 15 points for DePaul (3-7), which shot just 28.8 percent despite hitting 9 of 18 of its 3-point attempts.
The Spartans led by seven after one quarter and 17 at halftime before coasting through the second half.
No. 25 Nebraska 84, Minnesota 65
Strong first quarters by Callin Hake and Amiah Hargrove sent the Cornhuskers on their way to pinning the first loss on the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference opener for each team.
Hake scored eight of her 11 points in the first period and Hargrove eight of her 10 as Nebraska (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) seized a 27-11 lead and never looked back. Hargrove scored eight of the Cornhuskers’ 10 straight points to end the quarter.
Alberte Rimdal led the winners with 12 points and Alexis Markowski added 11 with nine rebounds.
Mallory Heyer collected 12 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota (10-1, 0-1). Tori McKinney scored 11 points and Grace Crocholski and Alexsia Rose 10 apiece, but the Golden Gophers hit just 35.2 percent of their shots.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: JOEL EMBIID COMES BACK TO PUSH 76ERS PAST BULLS
Joel Embiid returned from a seven-game absence to provide 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers held off the host Chicago Bulls for a 108-100 win on Sunday afternoon.
Embiid carried Philadelphia to its fourth win in five games after sitting out to manage a left knee injury. Tyrese Maxey backed the big man with his first career triple-double, collecting 25 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
Zach LaVine racked up 30 points and the Bulls sank 19 threes, but they still couldn’t avoid their second straight loss. Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 13 points, with Vucevic also snatching eight boards.
After facing a 19-point deficit just over four minutes into the second half, the Bulls came to life at the end of the third quarter. They closed the frame on an 8-0 run, with Jalen Smith canning a 3-pointer at the buzzer to get Chicago within 88-79 heading into the fourth.
The Bulls trailed by only four after LaVine connected on a trey with 5:24 left in the game to make it 96-92, but that was the closest the hosts would get.
Nuggets 141, Hawks 111
Nikola Jokic scored 48 points to guide visiting Denver to a win over Atlanta, ending the Hawks’ six-game winning streak.
Jokic went 17-for-29 from the field and added 14 rebounds and eight assists. After scoring a career-high 56 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Jokic set the pace by scoring 13 points in the first quarter on Sunday, and he had 25 at halftime. The Nuggets also got 26 points and seven rebounds from Michael Porter Jr.
Atlanta’s top scorers were De’Andre Hunter (20 points) and Dyson Daniels (18), with Daniels also grabbing five steals.
Spurs 121, Pelicans 116
Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points, including the last seven for San Antonio over the final 36.9 seconds of the game, as the Spurs defeated visiting New Orleans.
Chris Paul had 10 assists for the Spurs to pass Jason Kidd for second on the all-time assists list. Paul’s 12,099 helpers trail only John Stockton (15,806) in that category.
Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 25 points, with CJ McCollum adding 19, Dejounte Murray racking up 18 points and 11 assists and Yves Missi amassing 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Pelicans have dropped two straight games and 11 of their past 12.
Bucks 118, Nets 113
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and Milwaukee rallied to beat Brooklyn in New York.
Bobby Portis added 12 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, canning an open 3 from the left side that gave the Bucks a 109-108 lead with 2:08 left. The reserve made 9 of 10 shots overall and was 5-for-5 from behind the arc.
Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 34 points and added 11 assists, but the Nets lost for the fourth time in five games and blew a 12-point lead that they held late in the third quarter.
Hornets 113, Pacers 109
Brandon Miller scored 26 points as Charlotte snapped an eight-game skid by beating Indiana in Indianapolis.
Vasilije Micic had 18 points and nine assists, Cody Martin scored 14 points and Nick Richards finished with nine points and 14 rebounds for the Hornets.
T.J. McConnell came off the bench to post a career-best 30 points for the Pacers, while fellow reserve Jarace Walker had 15 points.
Heat 122, Cavaliers 113
Tyler Herro scored 19 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter as host Miami beat Cleveland.
Duncan Robinson had 23 points, Jimmy Butler finished with 18 and Bam Adebayo added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Heat. Herro tallied a game-high seven assists in the win.
Darius Garland led Cleveland with 23 points. Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell — who entered the game ranked among the top 20 in the league in scoring at 24.2 points per game — managed just 12 on 5-for-16 shooting.
Magic 115, Suns 110
Jalen Suggs had a game-high 26 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and helped short-handed Orlando finish with a flourish to beat visiting Phoenix.
Orlando earned the win despite not having star forwards Paolo Banchero, who has been out over a month, and Franz Wagner, who suffered a torn oblique in the Magic’s loss to the 76ers on Friday.
Orlando leaned on its balanced attack to make up for the absences, as four Magic players scored in double figures to help the Magic remain the NBA’s only unbeaten team at home at 10-0. Devin Booker led the Suns with 25 points.
Grizzlies 140, Wizards 112
Jaren Jackson Jr. led seven Memphis scorers in double figures with 21 points, and his four blocked shots contributed to a stifling defensive effort as the Grizzlies cruised to their ninth win in 10 games with a rout of host Washington.
Santi Aldama headlined a 76-point effort from the Memphis bench with 19 points. The second unit also got 17 points from Jay Huff and 14 from Cam Spencer.
Jonas Valanciunas led the Wizards with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Bilal Coulibaly finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Justin Champagnie swiped a career-best five steals to go along with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Warriors 114, Timberwolves 106
Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga combined for 77 points, Gary Payton II made two big defensive plays and Golden State held Minnesota scoreless over the final 4:46 to pull out a win in San Francisco.
Curry finished with a game-high 30 points, Hield went for 27 and Kuminga added 20 for the Warriors, who avenged a 107-90 loss to the Timberwolves on Friday with just the second win in their past eight games.
After a 3-pointer from Anthony Edwards put Minnesota up 106-105 with 4:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves didn’t score again. With the Warriors up 109-106, Payton blocked a Nickeil Alexander-Walker layup before stealing an Edwards pass to keep Minnesota at bay.
Rockets 117, Clippers 106
Jalen Green scored 31 points and Amen Thompson added 22 as Houston rebounded from consecutive defeats to upend Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.
Dillon Brooks added 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Rockets went 1-2 on a three-game California road trip after losing to the Sacramento Kings and the Warriors.
Ivica Zubac scored 21 points to go along with 12 rebounds and Norman Powell added 17 points for the Clippers, who were without James Harden because of right groin soreness.
Kings 141, Jazz 97
Kevin Huerter scored 26 points off the bench and De’Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists as host Sacramento blew out Utah.
Huerter made 10 of his 14 attempts from the field and was 6-for-9 from 3-point range. He had 23 points through three quarters, including five of the Kings’ last eight in the third as Sacramento opened up a 31-point lead.
Domantas Sabonis tallied 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to help the Kings’ cause. The Jazz were led by Keyonte George, who scored 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Lakers 107, Trail Blazers 98
Anthony Davis recorded 30 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to help Los Angeles cruise to a victory over visiting Portland.
D’Angelo Russell achieved season bests of 28 points and 14 assists for the Lakers, who played without LeBron James (foot). Rui Hachimura added 23 points and four steals for Los Angeles, which halted a three-game losing streak.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 19 points and Deandre Ayton had 14 points and a season-high 19 rebounds before fouling out for the Trail Blazers, who lost their fourth straight game.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: STARS BLITZ FLAMES WITH 4 GOALS IN THIRD
Roope Hintz broke a third-period tie while Thomas Harley scored twice as the host Dallas Stars scored four unanswered goals in the third to claim a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday.
Jason Robertson scored once and goaltender Jake Oettinger made 29 saves for the Stars, who snapped a two-game losing skid. Dallas boasts a 11-2-0 home record, the league’s best home-ice winning percentage.
Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary scored for the Flames, who have one victory in seven outings. Goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 22 shots.
With the score tied at 2-2, Hintz sped away on a two-on-one rush and finished a give-and-go with Esa Lindell at 5:13 of the final frame for his fifth goal in his last nine games, giving Dallas the lead for good.
Avalanche 4, Devils 0
Scott Wedgewood made 25 saves and Colorado shut out host New Jersey in Newark.
Ross Colton and Logan O’Connor scored first-period goals for the Avalanche, who are 3-1 on their five-game road trip. Casey Mittelstadt and Calvin de Haan each had two assists.
Wedgewood, who was drafted by the Devils and spent parts of three seasons with the club, improved to 4-0 against New Jersey. It was Wedgewood’s first shutout of the season and the seventh of his career.
Kraken 7, Rangers 5
Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied two goals and two assists as Seattle rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat host New York.
Eeli Tolvanen had a goal and two assists and Shane Wright added one of each for Seattle, which wrapped up a 3-1-0 trip and defeated the Rangers for just the second time in franchise history (2-6-0).
K’Andre Miller and Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist apiece, while Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin each added two helpers for the Rangers, who have lost seven of their past nine (2-7-0).
Lightning 4, Canucks 2
Jake Guentzel scored a tiebreaking power-play goal late in the third period and Tampa Bay opened a four-game Western road trip with a victory in Vancouver.
Guentzel scored when Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen (28 saves) deflected a shot that bounced up into the Lightning winger. It then hit Vancouver’s Noah Juulsen and went in. It was originally waved off as a hand pass, but a quick review confirmed the go-ahead goal.
Brayden Point sealed it with an empty-net goal to give Tampa Bay its 11th win in the past 13 games (11-2-0) against Vancouver. Point had two goals and two assists, including his 300th career helper.
Blue Jackets 4, Jets 1
Kent Johnson scored a pair of third-period goals for Columbus, which ended a three-game losing streak and a five-game road trip with a victory over host Winnipeg.
With the game tied at 1-1 entering the third, Johnson scored his goals less than 2 1/2 minutes apart for his second two-goal game of the season. James van Riemsdyk assisted on both of the goals.
Johnson’s goals rewarded a solid defensive effort against one of the top teams in the league. Winnipeg, which put 44 shots on goal when the two teams met in Columbus on Nov. 1, managed just 25 on Sunday.
Utah 4, Flyers 2
Logan Cooley scored the go-ahead goal during a wild second period as the Utah Hockey Club won at Philadelphia to begin a rare winning streak.
Michael Carcone, Juuso Valimaki and Kevin Stenlund also scored for Utah, which has won two in a row for the first time since starting the season 3-0-0. Jaxson Stauber made 22 saves in the win.
Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers, who dropped their third straight game. Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson made his return to the ice after missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury and finished with 21 saves.
Islanders 4, Senators 2
Kyle Palmieri scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:14 left for as New York won a second straight game for only the second time this season, doubling up host Ottawa.
Anders Lee and Kyle MacLean scored in the first and Bo Horvat added an empty-netter with 51 seconds left for the Islanders, who beat the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on Saturday.
Adam Gaudette scored in the first and Josh Norris had a goal in the second for the Senators, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. Goaltender Anton Forsberg recorded nine saves in the loss.
BASEBALL NEWS
REPORTS: JUAN SOTO LANDS RECORD 15-YEAR, $765M DEAL WITH METS
Superstar Juan Soto made professional sports history on Sunday night, agreeing to a 15-year, $765 million contract — the largest deal in professional sports history — with the New York Mets, according to multiple media reports.
None of the money in the deal is deferred, and the contract could end up being worth over $800 million, per ESPN.
Soto, 26, joins the Mets after spending one season with the crosstown rival Yankees, who offered the outfielder a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer that was turned down back on Nov. 19.
The New York Post reported that the Yankees were willing to fork out $760 million over 16 years to bring back Soto, but the Mets ended up outbidding them.
Soto helped the Yankees reach the World Series in 2024 after hitting .288 with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBIs in 157 regular-season games. In the Fall Classic, Soto posted a .313 average and blasted a solo shot to account for his only RBI of the series, a five-game set that the Los Angeles Dodgers took 4-1.
In 936 career games across seven major league seasons with the Washington Nationals (2018-22), San Diego Padres (2022-23) and Yankees (2024), Soto has clubbed 201 homers, racked up 592 RBIs and is a .285 hitter.
Since finishing second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, Soto has gone on to earn four All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger Awards. He was also a World Series champion with Washington in 2019.
The Mets came up just short of the World Series this year, falling to the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series in six games.
METS SEE JUMP IN WORLD SERIES ODDS AFTER WINNING JUAN SOTO SWEEPSTAKES
The Mets made history on Sunday night by reportedly signing superstar Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million pact — the largest deal ever in professional sports — leading oddsmakers to tab New York as a serious contender to go all the way next season.
Shortly after the Dodgers secured their second championship in five years by defeating the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series back in October, the books immediately installed Los Angeles as the favorite to win it all again in 2025.
While the Dodgers still have the shortest odds, there’s been some serious line movement for the Mets, who are now at +800 on both DraftKings and FanDuel. New York was at +1400 at DraftKings and +1200 over at FanDuel when the companies first started fielding futures bets for next year’s Fall Classic.
Once the owners of the second-best odds to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of next season (+700 at DraftKings, +750 at FanDuel), the Yankees dropped to +900 and +950, respectively, after watching Soto walk in free agency.
Soto, 26, joins the Mets after spending one season with the crosstown rival Yankees. The New York Post reported that the Yankees were willing to fork out $760 million over 16 years to bring back Soto, but the Mets ended up outbidding them.
Soto helped the Yankees reach the World Series in 2024 after hitting .288 with a career-high 41 home runs and 109 RBIs in 157 regular-season games.
In 936 career games across seven major league seasons with the Washington Nationals (2018-22), San Diego Padres (2022-23) and Yankees (2024), Soto has clubbed 201 homers, racked up 592 RBIs and is a .285 hitter.
The Atlanta Braves are also expected to be in the mix for a title next year and are listed at +700 at DraftKings and FanDuel, the second-shortest odds offered at both books.
DAVE PARKER, DICK ALLEN ELECTED TO HALL OF FAME
Sluggers Dave Parker and Dick Allen will be enshrined in Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer after both were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday by the Classic Era Committee.
Needing a vote of at least 75 percent, Parker received 14 of 16 votes and Allen, who died in 2020 at the age of 78, got 13 votes.
Tommy John finished third with seven votes, while Steve Garvey, Luis Tiant, Ken Boyer, Vic Harris and John Donaldson all received less than five votes.
Parker and Allen will be inducted on July 27 along with players voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Those ballots will be revealed on Jan. 21.
“I’m looking forward to being there,” Parker said of the induction ceremonies on the MLB Network. “I’ve been holding this speech in for 15 years.”
Parker, 73, starred in the 1970s for the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the 1978 National League MVP award and back-to-back NL batting titles in 1977-78. In 1979, when the Pirates won the World Series, the seven-time All-Star hit .310 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs.
Over 19 seasons with the Pirates (1973-83), Cincinnati Reds (1984-87), Oakland Athletics (1988-89), Milwaukee Brewers (1990), California Angels (1991) and Toronto Blue Jays (1991), Parker hit .290 with 339 home runs and 1,493 RBIs in 2,466 games. The right fielder had a strong throwing arm and was a three-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger.
“The 70s were tough,” Parker said. “You had to be a heck of a player to play in the 70s. I enjoyed that. I loved the competition. I just enjoyed playing.”
Parker, who is battling Parkinson’s disease, touched on his long wait for this night to arrive and something about the modern game he would like.
“It was a long time waiting. So it was exciting,” Parker said of the call coming in. “I wish I could play in today’s market with the salaries that they are giving away. I think that would be ideal.”
Parker earned $200,000 in his MVP season of 1978.
Allen was also a former MVP and a seven-time All-Star, winning the AL MVP award with the Chicago White Sox in 1972. He was also named the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year with the Philadelphia Phillies.
In 15 seasons with the Phillies (1963-69, 1975-76), St. Louis Cardinals (1970), Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), White Sox (1972-74) and Athletics (1977), Allen hit .292 with 351 home runs and 1,119 RBIs in 1,749 games.
“What a tremendous, well-deserved honor for my friend Dick who has always been a Hall of Famer to me,” said shortstop Larry Bowa, a Philadelphia teammate of Allen’s during the 1975-76 seasons. “He meant so much to the Phillies organization throughout the years. His experience and leadership were instrumental in the development of players like (Hall of Famer Mike) Schmidt, Bob Boone, Greg Luzinski, Garry Maddox and myself. He taught me how to play the game the right way. I am elated that he is finally going into the Hall of Fame.”
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 109, HORNETS 113
The Pacers hosted the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference clash on Sunday as they attempted to build a wave of momentum after defeating the Bulls in Chicago on Friday. Charlotte’s bench was depleted as eight of its players were featured on a lengthy injury report, and fell to the Hornets, 113-109.
The Blue and Gold got off to a slow start as they missed all of their first six shots, allowing the Hornets to capitalize by tallying a 9-0 run early in the first quarter. Veteran forward Cody Martin knocked down two triples in the opening frame as Indiana struggled to find the bottom of the net.
T.J. McConnell made an immediate impact as he dropped in a reverse layup to tie the game at 12 and force a Charlotte timeout with just over five minutes remaining in the first quarter. McConnell would continue to shoot with lethal precision around the basket as he knocked down three of his characteristic fadeaway jump shots to give the Pacers the lift they needed on the offensive end. He notched 14 points, four assists, a rebound, two blocks, and a steal in his 10 minutes before the halftime break.
The Pacers forced Charlotte into 25 turnovers leading to 29 points, but surrendered 10 offensive rebounds. Despite their work on the glass to limit second chance points in the first half, it didn’t carry into the second half as they allowed eight offensive boards down the stretch of the game.
“We’re struggling in the margins of the game,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Putting two hands on the ball, avoiding avoidable turnovers, you know, simple things within our defensive system that we control.”
Both teams eclipsed the 30-point mark in the second quarter, but scored just 40 points combined in the third quarter. McConnell combined with Tyrese Haliburton to score 10 of Indiana’s 20 third quarter points, and went into the fourth quarter trailing by one point courtesy of a last-second Jarace Walker slam to wrap up the third.
Walker’s impactful play carried over to the fourth quarter as he opened the frame with a stop-and-pop 3-pointer over Brandon Miller. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting off Indiana’s bench, including 75% from 3-point range.
McConnell resumed control of the offense in the fourth quarter as he connected on two more of his patented fadeaway jumpers in the paint early in the frame. He dropped a pass to a cutting Bennedict Mathurin for a layup that would cut Charlotte’s lead to just two points with just under five minutes to play, 100-98.
Miller punished the rim with a dunk late in the fourth quarter, but McConnell responded with a layup on the other end. He set a new career high with a spin layup that cut the Hornets’ lead to four with under a minute to play in the contest. McConnell’s late game execution led to 12 fourth quarter points as the Pacers fell to the Hornets, 113-109.
McConnell’s 30-point night led the Pacers as he outscored all five starters and contributed half of Indiana’s 60 bench points. None of Indiana’s starting five notched more than 11 points in the loss.
Miller led Charlotte with 26 points on 9-for-18 shooting, six rebounds, and five assists.
Indiana will return to action on Friday as they travel to Philadelphia for a matchup with the 76ers and a chance to bounce back from a disappointing result on Sunday.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana’s starters notched 49 combined points on Sunday – just 19 more than T.J. McConnell scored individually.
Both teams shot 51 percent from the field, but Charlotte’s 48 percent success rate from long range out performed the Pacers’ 33 percent.
Every Pacer that logged minutes scored at least two points in the matchup.
You Can Quote Me on That
“We’re struggling in the margins of the game. Putting two hands on the ball, avoiding avoidable turnovers, you know, simple things within our defensive system that we control.” – Carlisle on defensive struggles
“He played great…It’s a career high. That’s a big deal, scoring 30 points in an NBA game.” — Carlisle on McConnell’s career night
“Continuing to pick each other up, give positive energy, applaud each other when good things happen, and just move on to the next play when bad things happen…It’s a collective effort and a collective group. And when a brother’s down somebody else has to pick him up.” — Jarace Walker on supporting teammates
“He’s a dog, man. I really don’t know how he does it night in and night out. Just super talented, super efficient, gets to his spots, does all the little things on top of that. It’s just phenomenal what he’s able to do.” — Jarace Walker on T.J. McConnell
“Focusing on the little things, really getting guys healthy…I just think focusing on the small details, especially on the defensive end, we just have to be better.” — McConnell on Pacers’ next steps
Stat of the Night
T.J. McConnell recorded the first 30-point game of his career in the 651st NBA game he played on Sunday.
Noteworthy
After Sunday’s matchup, the Hornets lead the season series with the Pacers, 2-0.
McConnell’s 30 points scored against Charlotte are a new career high.
Andrew Nembhard logged over 30 minutes for the first time since his 12-game absence due to injury.
Up Next
The Pacers travel to Philadelphia on Friday to face off with the 76ers at 7:00 PM ET.
INDIANA FOOTBALL
HOOSIERS HEADED TO NOTRE DAME FOR CFP FIRST ROUND
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The College Football Playoff committee has released its final rankings, and the No. 9 Indiana football program will travel to No. 5 Notre Dame for its first-round matchup on Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. The game will air on ESPN/ABC.
The Hoosiers (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) make its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in head coach Curt Cignetti’s first season at the helm. The 11 overall victories and eight Big Ten wins each set program bests and the 28.7 scoring margin leads the FBS. Against Power 4 programs only, Indiana owns the nation’s No. 2 scoring margin at 23.1 points per game.
The meeting with Notre Dame (11-1) will be the 29th all-time meeting and first since 1991 when the two teams met in South Bend. A victory would send the Hoosiers to the Sugar Bowl against No. 2 Georgia on Jan. 1 at Caesars Superdome Stadium.
INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
STRIPLIN’S 27 POINTS LEADS IU IN BIG TEN OPENER OVER PENN STATE
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Senior guard Karoline Striplin scored a season-high 27 points and tied IU’s single game field goal percentage record by going 12-for-12 to lift Indiana past Penn State, 75-60.
KEY MOMENTS
Three pointers kept the Hoosiers (7-3, 1-0 B1G) afloat in the first, after facing an early eight-point deficit. It accounted for nine of the teams’ first 13 points in the opening quarter, as it found itself down by one, 14-13. Junior guard Yarden Garzon, graduate student guard Chloe Moore-McNeil and junior guard Shay Ciezki each knocked one down from long range in the opener.
Indiana took its first lead of the game on three-straight buckets from Striplin while Garzon piled on with a baseline 3-pointer to make it a 26-22 edge with 3:59 before the break.
The lead grew to as many as six with just over two minutes left in the half, but the Hoosiers didn’t score for the remainder of the frame as Penn State (8-2, 0-1 B1G) tied things up at the buzzer, 30-30.
Penn State began the third with a five-point lead before Striplin helped take over. She scored 13 of IU’s 19 points in the quarter and helped it go up six, 49-43.
Its best shooting performance came in the fourth quarter where Indiana went 61.5 percent from the floor and connected on 5-for-7 from the 3-point line in a 26-point effort in the fourth quarter.
NOTABLE
Striplin set her new IU career-high 27 points by going a perfect 12-for-12 from the field. She ties Mackenzie Holmes’ all-time single game record of shooting 100% in a game, as Holmes wen 13-for-13 and 11-for-11 in two games during her IU career.
The Hartford, Ala. native finished two points shy of a career-high and also added two rebounds, two steals and a block.
Garzon finished the afternoon with 22 points, connecting a career-high six times beyond-the-arc. She also contributed five assists and four boards.
Moore-McNeil added five assists and is just five assists away from moving into 6th place all-time in career assists.
The Hoosiers assisted on 21 of its 29 made field goals led by six from Ciezki while also winning the glass, 30-25.
Indiana’s win streak in series with the Lady Lions extends to eight games, dating back to the 2018-19 season.
IU improved to 22-21 all-time to in Big Ten openers and won its seventh-consecutive league opener.
UP NEXT
The Hoosiers resume action on Sunday, December 15 when they entertain Bellarmine. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. ET in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
PURDUE FOOTBALL
BARRY ODOM NAMED HEAD COACH OF THE PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
WEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue Football has its leader for the 2025 season and beyond. Guiding one of the greatest resurgences in college football over the past two seasons, Barry Odom has been named the new head football coach of the Purdue Boilermakers, as announced by executive vice president and director of athletics Mike Bobinski on Sunday.
Fresh off steering UNLV Football to its winningest season in 40 years, Odom has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments throughout his coaching career, which includes stints as a head coach in both the Southeastern Conference with Missouri (2016-19) and the Mountain West Conference with the Rebels (2023-24). UNLV has totaled 19 wins during Odom’s time guiding the Rebels, making it the winningest two-year stretch in the school’s history as a Division I program. As a head coach, he has secured four postseason appearances in six seasons, including two (2017 Texas Bowl, 2018 Liberty Bowl) bowl bids at Missouri.
“This is an exciting day as we announce head coach Barry Odom as the new leader of the Purdue Boilermakers,” said Bobinski. “As both a leader and person, Coach Odom personifies the qualities that our football program and university value. During our interactions with Coach Odom, it became clear that he possesses the belief, tenacity and competitive drive necessary to return Purdue Football to the standard of excellence we all expect. He is a proven and experienced leader who has brought success to two different football programs and has made an impact on the lives of countless student-athletes and staff throughout his football career, including during his time as a standout defensive coordinator and position coach at Missouri, Memphis and Arkansas.
“We are thrilled to welcome Barry, his wife Tia, and children JT, Garyt and Anna, to the Boilermaker family. Our entire department is prepared to fully support Coach Odom in the transition to Purdue, as he meets with our current student-athletes, assembles his coaching staff and begins the process of building a successful football program.”
Odom, 48, becomes the 38th head coach in the history of Purdue Football, coming to West Lafayette following what could be considered the most impressive gridiron campaign in UNLV’s school history. The Rebels reached double-digit wins for only the third time in program history (1974, 1984), with both previous seasons predating the program’s move up to Division I competition and the Mountain West Conference, respectively. National recognition has followed, as the Rebels have achieved a program-best No. 19 ranking in both the AP and Coaches polls, as well as their first-ever CFP ranking.
“It is with tremendous honor and gratitude that I accept this opportunity to serve as the head football coach at Purdue University,” said Odom. “To coach at an institution like Purdue, in a community like Greater Lafayette and for a proud, tradition-rich and hungry football program like the Boilermakers is a dream come true for me and my family. I would like to thank Mike Bobinski for choosing me to lead Purdue Football, as well as extend my heartful thanks to University President Mung Chiang and Board Chair Mike Berghoff for their support. Their trust will be rewarded with a football program that will reflect the personality and excellence that Purdue is widely known for; character, intensity and a no-excuses winning attitude will be the foundation of what we will build at Purdue, and I can assure you it will be built to last. Most of all, my family cannot wait to become Boilermakers. We will get started in West Lafayette immediately.”
For his head coaching career, Odom possesses a 44-32 overall record. His 19-8 mark with the Rebels bears significance in that the five seasons prior to his arrival (2017-22), UNLV won just 20 games. Impressively, his UNLV teams posted a 10-2 mark in true road games after the program only won eight total road games in the previous six seasons (8-25).
In just two seasons, Odom dramatically changed expectations in Las Vegas, with UNLV twice advancing to the MWC Championship Game after the program had not made a single appearance in the event prior to his arrival. Following Odom’s first campaign in Las Vegas (9-5, 6-2 MWC), he was named the 2023 Mountain West Coach of the Year. He also earned distinction as the program’s first-ever Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award finalist. The 2023 season culminated in an appearance in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona.
Odom’s adept tutelage saw three Rebels earn All-America status, and the program christened its first-ever First Team Academic All-American after the 2023 season. Back-to-back seasons of six First Team All-MWC honorees for the Rebels have occurred, including a school-record 12 combined recognitions between the conference’s first and second teams in 2024. Incoming Rebels have seen a boost in notoriety, as well, with Odom’s 2025 signees ranking as the top class in the Mountain West.
Odom has also spent impactful tenures as a highly regarded defensive coordinator at Memphis (2012-14), Missouri (2015) and Arkansas (2020-22). For the Razorbacks, Odom served as associate head coach, defensive coordinator and safeties coach. His 2021 defense turned heads, as it allowed just 22.9 points per game – 12 points fewer per game than in 2020 and the fewest for an Arkansas defense since 2014. Focusing on the run defense, the unit evolved to allow just 153.9 yards per game, the fewest for Arkansas since 2015. Under Odom’s watch, Arkansas’ 18 takeaways during the 2020 campaign ranked 25th nationally. The Razorbacks’ 13 interceptions were second most in the SEC and 13th most in the FBS.
During his first defensive coordinator job at Memphis in 2012, he transformed the Tigers into a defensive power. In 2014, his defense ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense (17.1 points per game) and 22nd nationally in total defense (343.3 yards per game) to help the Tigers go 10-3. That marked an incredible turnaround for a Memphis team that ranked 117th in total defense prior to his arrival. The program improved defensively each year under Odom, rising from 50th nationally in total defense in 2012 to 39th in 2013 to 22nd in his final year.
Before moving to Fayetteville, Odom spent four seasons as Missouri’s head coach, taking two of his teams to bowl games and finishing at .500 or better three times en route to building an overall record of 25-25 from 2016-19. His 2018 Missouri squad finished the regular season ranked 23rd in the College Football Playoff poll.
Regarded among the coaching fraternity for his steadfast pathway to the top, Odom was promoted to the head coaching role at Missouri following the retirement of Gary Pinkel, whom he worked for in numerous capacities while on staff at Missouri in two separate stints. From 2003-2011, Odom served as graduate assistant, director of recruiting, director of football operations and safeties coach for the Tigers. Upon returning from his three seasons at Memphis, Odom served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2015 before his promotion ahead of the 2016 season.
Odom was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and raised in Maysville, Oklahoma. He was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for Missouri from 1996-99, helping the school make two bowl trips and serving as team captain during his senior season. He ended his MU career ranked in the program’s all-time top 10 with 362 tackles.
Odom graduated from Missouri in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in education and earned his master’s in education from the school in 2004. He and his wife, Tia, have two sons, JT and Garyt, and a daughter, Anna.
Odom will be introduced at a welcome event on Tuesday morning (Dec. 10) at Mackey Arena. The event will be open to the public with doors opening at 8:30 a.m. ET before the introduction begins at 9 a.m. ET. Parking will be open around the arena and Ross-Ade Stadium.
Boilermaker fans – get ready for the Odom Era at Ross-Ade Stadium! Season ticket renewals and new sales will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. ET.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#8 PURDUE BOUNCES BACK WITH BIG WIN OVER MARYLAND
No. 8 Purdue 83, Maryland 78 (Postgame Notes)
No. 8-ranked Purdue rallied for an 83-78 win over Maryland in the Boilermakers’ Big Ten home opener on Sunday afternoon. The win moves Purdue’s overall record to 8-2 and to 1-1 in the Big Ten Conference.
The win moves Purdue’s record against Maryland to 10-6 overall and the Boilermakers have won seven straight home games against the Terrapins (lone loss: Jan. 10, 2015). Purdue has won those seven games by a combined 26 points. The last five wins have each come by fewer than four points.
The Boilermakers are 8-2 overall, playing the 14th most-difficult schedule in the country.
One game after having 24 turnovers, Purdue had just eight turnovers against the team that ranked No. 9 nationally in defensive turnover percentage entering the contest. In Purdue’s eight wins, it is averaging just 10.1 turnovers. In its two losses, it is averaging 19.5 turnovers.
Purdue won its 23rd straight home game, good for the fifth-longest streak in America. The Boilermakers have won 12 straight home games against Big Ten foes.
Purdue is now 98-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
Purdue has won 16 straight games when having fewer turnovers than its opponent.
Purdue has won 26 straight games when having a run of 10-0 or larger.
Purdue is now 100-21 since the start of the 2021-22 season, the second team nationally to reach 100 wins in that span (Houston – 102). The class consisting of Caleb Furst becomes the seventh Purdue class with 100 career victories.
Braden Smith recorded his 14th career double-double with 24 points, 10 assists and 4 rebounds against just one turnover while playing all 40 minutes. He becomes the first Purdue player with a 20-point, 10-assist double-double since Troy Lewis had 22 points and 14 assists against Indiana in Feb. 1988. He also made a career-high five 3-pointers.
Smith also becomes the first big Ten player since Minnesota’s Nate Mason (Jan. 1, 2017 vs. Purdue) to have at least 24 points and 10 assists with one or fewer turnovers.
Purdue improved to 25-1 during their careers when Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combine to score 25 points (Smith 24, Loyer 12).
Trey Kaufman-Renn tallied 21 points, eight rebounds and two assists – his fourth 20-point game of the season. He scored 15 points (7-10 FGs) in the second half. He has scored at least 14 points in all 10 games this season.
Camden Heide tied a season high with 15 points, going 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. He added three rebounds and two blocked shots and is now shooting 54.3 percent (19-of-35) and 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the free throw line.
Fletcher Loyer scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Braden Smith had 24 points and 10 assists, and No. 8 Purdue held off Maryland for an 83-78 win on Sunday.
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 21 points for the Boilermakers (8-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who bounced back after a loss to Penn State on Thursday. Camden Heide added 15 points and Fletcher Loyer finished with 12.
Derik Queen led the Terrapins (8-2, 1-1) with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 18 points and Selton Miguel and Rodney Rice each had 13. Julian Reese fouled out with five points and seven rebounds.
Purdue used an 8-0 run to take a 77-67 lead with 2:00 left. Smith sparked the run with a 3-pointer.
Heide made four late foul shots to help close it out.
The Terrapins led 36-31 at halftime. Both teams made 13 of 35 shots in the first half, but the Terrapins had three more 3-pointers
Takeaways
Maryland: The Terrapins held its own for most of the game in a road battle. Maryland held a 37-34 rebounding advantage, but that narrowed from a 25-16 edge in the opening half.
Purdue: After shooting 37% in the first half, the Boilermakers made 53% of their shots in the second half. Despite Maryland’s size advantage, Purdue had a 42-32 edge in points in the paint.
Key moment
Kaufman-Renn’s layup put Purdue up for good at 63-62 with 7:01 left.
Key stat
The Boilermakers went 7 for 16 from 3-point range in the second half after going 2 for 10 from deep in the first half.
Up next
Maryland hosts St. Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 17, and Purdue plays No. 22 Texas A&M on Saturday in Indianapolis.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
NOTRE DAME TO FACE INDIANA IN FIRST ROUND OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
The University of Notre Dame football team (11-1) has earned the No. 7 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff, and will host No. 10 Indiana (11-1) in the first-ever playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN/ABC.
The game will be the first-ever College Football Playoff game to take place on an institution’s home campus.
Notre Dame and Indiana are meeting for the 30th time, with Notre Dame owning a 23-5-1 record overall: 13-1-1 at home, 6-3 away and 4-1 at neutral sites. The Irish have not met Indiana in the postseason.
The last meeting between the two teams came on Sept. 7, 1991, a 49-27 Irish win at Notre Dame Stadium.
The Irish finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll. Indiana finished the season ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.
2024 marks the third time Notre Dame has earned a spot in the College Football Playoff (2018, 2020). With the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff, Notre Dame is one of four programs to host the first-ever College Football Playoff games at home.
The winner of the matchup will move on to the Allstate Sugar Bowl and take on No. 2 Georgia on Jan. 1, 2025 in New Orleans, La.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
HIDALGO REACHES 1000 POINTS IN RECORD TIME, IRISH BEAT CUSE, 93-62
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It was a tale of two halves on Sunday for No. 10 Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0), as the Irish downed Syracuse (4-6, 0-1) on the road, 93-62. Notre Dame was up by just 7 points at the break but outscored the Orange 57-33 in the second half.
“This was a statement win in the ACC,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said after the game. “This is a tough place to play. I thought our second half response was a lot better after we started slow.
“I think we’ve learned a lot this season, and I’ve learned what this group needs, so I’ve tried to make sure practice and our preparation is preparing us for short turnarounds like today.”
It was an extremely balanced effort from the whole group with multiple milestones, including Hannah Hidalgo notching her 1,000th career point just 44 games into her career. That torched the previous record of 60 games held by Beth Morgan in the mid-1990s.
“It’s truly a blessing to be able to reach that goal considering all of the guards like Arike [Ogunbowale], Skylar [Diggins-Smith], Jewell [Loyd] that have come through this program,” Hidalgo said. “I’m honored to have this accolade.”
Additionally, for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Notre Dame had three players with at least 20 points: Sonia Citron (25), Hidalgo (24) and Olivia Miles (20). For the first time since 2017, three players had double-digit rebounds: Liatu King (12), Citron (11), Miles (10) and Hidalgo, and it was the first time since the 2019 Final Four that three players had double-doubles: Citron, Miles and Hidalgo.
As far as game flows go, outside of Citron’s early defense — 3 boards and 2 blocks — Notre Dame had a sleepy start with 7 turnovers before the media break. The Irish struggled with turnovers for the remainder of the quarter, finishing with 9 in a back-and-forth first 10 minutes that had four ties and seven lead changes.
Notre Dame led 21-20 after a quarter after Hidalgo put up a diving layup off the glass at the buzzer, her second consecutive game with a made bucket at the final moment. Miles led Notre Dame at the quarter break with 8 points.
Syracuse went scoreless in Q2 from 9:01 to 3:53 while Notre Dame went on an 8-0 run before Syracuse’s Sophie Burrows drained a deep shot to make it 31-27 in favor of the visitors. Despite shooting just 30 percent in the second quarter, Notre Dame ended the half on a 13-5 run, taking a 36-29 lead into the locker room.
Miles led all scorers with 13 points, and Citron had 7 boards including a pair on the offensive end of the floor.
An early layup from Hidalgo and deep shot from Citron opened the second half, and Notre Dame put together a 20-4 run to take a 65-42 advantage into the final quarter after outscoring the Orange 29-13 in Q3.
Notre Dame added 28 additional points in the final frame going 10-20 from the floor and 6-6 from the free throw line. Citron finished as the leading scorer with a season-high 25 points, while King had a career-high 6 steals. Three different players — Citron, King and Kate Koval — had a pair of blocks.
Notre Dame takes the floor next on Thursday, as the Irish host No. 2 UConn for a marquee matchup on ESPN. The game begins at 7 p.m.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FOURTH QUARTER FUELS 69-60 WIN AT OHIO
The Butler women’s basketball team outscored Ohio 21-9 in the fourth quarter to collect their ninth win of the season. Kilyn McGuff was the player of the game for the Bulldogs, posting a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Butler dominated the boards (45-28) and forced 21 Ohio turnovers to find the win column.
First quarter action featured back and forth scoring by the two evenly matched teams. Butler broke a 4-4 tie by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. Riley Makalusky hit the first triple of the game just moments before Kilyn McGuff, but the Bobcats came back with an 11-0 run to grab a 15-10 advantage. At the end of one, Ohio led Butler 17-16.
Ohio opened the second quarter on a 5-0 run which led to a Bulldog timeout (22-16). The ‘Dawgs responded and outscored the Bobcats 10-4 after the stoppage to tie the game at 26-26. The Bulldogs played some of their best basketball of the first half over the final minutes of the second quarter. They outscored Ohio 12-4 to take a 38-33 lead into the half.
Strande’s second 3-pointer of the game combined with a Makalusky layup moved Butler’s lead to 10 with six to play in the third. The largest lead of the game would not last long with Ohio cutting the deficit in half before the media timeout.
The Bobcats continued to shoot the ball well and would use a 12-0 scoring run to regain the lead at 47-45. Ari Wiggins would add a corner three to Butler’s point total, but Ohio would outscore BU 18-10 in the third to own a 51-48 lead heading to the fourth.
The Bulldogs used second chance points to outscore Ohio 8-3 over the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter. McGuff and Cristen Carter hit the offensive glass to put BU back in front by two with 6:01 left.
Three minutes later, Ohio’s leading scorer would foul out and free throws moved BU in front 66-60. Ohio didn’t score after Watkins left the court and the final horn would sound with Butler in front 69-60.
Inside the Box Score
– Kilyn McGuff led Butler with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and three steals
– Cristen Carter came up with eight points and 10 rebounds
– McGuff and Carter combined to grab 13 offensive rebounds
– Caroline Strande posted 12 points four rebounds and two assists
– Riley Makalusky was in double figures with 10 points, four boards and two assists
– BU scored 23 points of Ohio turnovers
– 21 offensive rebounds helped Butler score 15 second chance points
Up Next
Butler will host Wisconsin on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Their final non-conference game will follow on Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. Saint Francis.
BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
HOT FIRST HALF SHOOTING NOT ENOUGH FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL AT SIUE
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Ball State men’s basketball team couldn’t ride a hot shooting first half to victory Sunday afternoon at SIUE, as the Cougars won 82-69 at First Community Arena.
The Cardinals (3-6) led 41-39 at halftime thanks to 50 percent shooting (15-30) from the field while making 7 of 15 3-pointers. Juanse Gorosito made five of those triples including one at the 6:15 mark of the opening period that punctuated a 16-2 Ball State run and put the visitors ahead 35-23.
Payton Sparks scored five of his eight points in a 9-0 rally that brought Ball State back from a 54-48 deficit and gave the Cardinals a 57-54 edge with 13:21 to play. A Ben Hendriks dunk extended the advantage to 61-57, and the two teams went back-and-forth for the middle part of the second half before SIUE (6-4) closed out the game scoring 15 of the contest’s final 18 points.
Gorosito led Ball State with 17 points and three assists, while Hendriks scored a career-high 13 points and collected six rebounds. Sparks (eight points, three assists), Mason Jones (eight points, four rebounds), Mickey Pearson Jr. (seven points, three rebounds), TJ Burch (six points, two assists) and Jermahri Hill (five points, four rebounds, two assists) each had five or more points for the Cardinals.
Ball State had more points from its bench (29-6), off turnovers (11-4) and in the paint (36-32) then the Cougars, but the production of Ray’Sean Taylor (27 points) and Ring Malith (24 and 10 rebounds) allowed the hosts to secure a win. The game was a rematch of last season’s 83-71 Ball State win at Worthen Arena.
Ball State had fewer turnovers than SIUE (8-10) but trailed in rebounding (42-27). The Cardinals shot 42.9 percent (27-63) for the game, 34.8 percent (8-23) from distance and 70 percent (7-10) on free throws. The Cougars made 49.1 percent (28-57) of their field goal attempts, 45.8 percent (11-24) of 3-pointers and 71.4 percent (15-21) of foul shots.
Next up for the Cardinals is a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Bellarmine.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘DONS DEFEAT RMU FOR LEAGUE WIN
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Mastodon men’s basketball team made 20+ free throws for the third time this season en route to an 82-77 Horizon League win over Robert Morris on Sunday (Dec. 8).
Jalen Jackson highlighted the Mastodons’ day at the charity stripe with an 11-of-12 performance. Jackson scored a team-high 23 points with five assists, three rebounds and two steals. He helped the Mastodons make 26-of-30 free throw attempts on Sunday.
Balanced scoring saw five Mastodons reach double-digits. Corey Hadnot II added 13 points, Rasheed Bello had 12, Maximus Nelson recorded 10 as did Eric Mulder.
Bello and Mulder each collected four fouls creating some chances for the Mastodon bench. Chandler Cuthrell scored seven points with five rebounds including a poster dunk in the second half. Chris Morgan had three points in four minutes but finished +12 in those minutes.
The game featured 10 lead changes and five ties but the ‘Dons never trailed in the final nine minutes after RMU went up 56-55. A 13-4 run followed for the ‘Dons, punctuated with Cuthrell’s fast break dunk.
The ‘Dons didn’t make a 3-pointer in the second half but shot 50 percent from the floor and made 17-of-18 free throws.
Robert Morris was led by Alvaro Folgueiras’s 25 points. RMU is now 6-5 (0-2 Horizon League). The ‘Dons improve to 6-4 (1-1 Horizon League). The ‘Dons host IU Indianapolis on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at 7 p.m.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
THREE PLAYERS SCORE 20+IN UE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WIN OVER SIUE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The University of Evansville women’s basketball team had its highest scoring performance in an 87-74 win over SIUE.
In their return to Meeks Family Fieldhouse after 23 days away the Purple Aces had an explosive offensive performance. Senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) put up a career performance with 26 points on 78.9% shooting. UE had two other 20+ point scorers against the SIUE Cougars in sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) and freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS).
“It’s always good to get back on a winning track and get a good home win,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr after the game. “Of course, every coach has things they want to clean up. But I was really really proud of it and how we played overall. Júlia Palomo had a big night. She’s our senior steady guard. She’s having such a good season. A lot of times it doesn’t show up in a wow way on the stat line. But I was excited for her that it was a fairly big wow game for her in only missing two shots.”
Evansville took the lead in the first minute and a half and only trailed two other times over 40 minutes. In the first quarter, the Aces began with a six-point run while ending the quarter with seven points back-to-back. Two made free throws in the final seconds for Runner had UE in front by two after 10 minutes of play on 77.8% shooting.
Both teams struggled offensively in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. Only 10 points were scored in the first five minutes between either team as they traded made baskets. But Evansville broke out on an 11-5 run to end the half leading 38-30.
The second half of the game started with a back-and-forth pace in the first four minutes. The Aces led by as many as 11 in the third quarter but saw their lead shrink to six with under five minutes. UE was able to respond in the final four minutes of the frame with three made three-pointers and two trips to the free-throw line. Palomo made two treys in the third to get Evansville’s lead up to 15. SIUE made a three to end the quarter as the Aces headed into the fourth leading 59-47.
UE’s double-digit lead was cut into to start the final quarter as the Cougars made back-to-back shots. Evansville countered by getting into the lane, growing the lead to 14 in three and a half minutes. The teams traded shots until SIUE had a three-pointer and a free throw. The game’s final three minutes were spent mostly at the charity stripe as the Aces made 10 free throws. Palomo had the statement play to end the game with two straight fast-break layups with 48 seconds left on the clock. UE beat the Cougars 87-74 after 40 minutes in Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Along with a career-high offensive performance, Palomo led the team in steals with three. Runner led Evansville on defense, grabbing seven rebounds along with a 21-point performance with 16 made free throws. Hartwig had 24 points for the Aces on offense with six rebounds and drawing eight fouls from SIUE. Freshman guard/forward Elle Synder (Latrobe, Penn. / Greater Latrobe HS) made her collegiate debut against the Cougars for UE while adding six points, five rebounds, and an assist.
Evansville will play its only Power 4 opponent for its next game on Saturday, December 14th. The Aces head to Nashville for the second time this season to play the Vanderbilt Commodores. UE returns to Memorial Gymnasium for the first time in 30 years next weekend with tip-off set for 2 p.m.
VALPO MEN’S GOLF
VANARRAGON ADVANCES TO FINAL STAGE OF KORN FERRY TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL
Former Valparaiso University men’s golf standout Caleb VanArragon advanced past the second stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School this week. The Blaine, Minn. native posted a 72-hole score of 283 (-5) over four days of competition at the Conservatory at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast, Fla.
VanArragon, a two-time First Team Academic All-American and two-time NCAA Regional qualifier during his record-setting five-year career at Valpo that concluded last spring, turned in a 69 in Friday’s fourth and final round to complete the second stage of Q-School tied for 14th in a remarkably competitive 69-player field. He carded a round-by-round line of 74-68-72-69 on the par-72 course.
VanArragon advances to the final stage of Q-School, which begins on Thursday, Dec. 12 and runs through Sunday, Dec. 15 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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
99 – 48 – 72 – 54 – 25 – 29 – 33 – 24 – 27 – 10 – 89 – 6 – 12 – 29
December 9, 1931 – Baseball cuts squad from 25 to 23 players & NL continues to prohibit uniform numbers
December 9, 1935 – 1st Heisman Trophy Award was won by Chicago Maroons Quarterback, Number 99, Jay Berwanger
December 9, 1938 – 1939 NFL Draft: Ki Aldrich, Number 48 from TCU first pick by Chicago Cardinals
December 9, 1939 – 1940 NFL Draft: George Cafego, Number 72 from University of Tennessee first pick by Chicago Cardinals
December 9, 1941 – 7th Heisman Trophy Award Minnesota half back, Number 54, Bruce Smith
December 9, 1949 – NFL merged with AAFC; Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers & Baltimore Colts join league intact, other teams in New York and Los Angeles are merged with existing units
December 9, 1973 – NFL St. Louis Cardinal, Number 25, Jim Bakken kicks 6 field goals vs Atlanta Falcons
December 9, 1984 – LA Ram Number 29, Eric Dickerson rushed 215 yards for season record 2,105 yards
December 9, 1987 – Boston Celtic’s legend, Number 33, Larry Bird’s streak of 59 consecutive free throws ended
December 9, 1990 – NFL NY Giant Number 24, Otis Anderson became the 8th NFO player to rush for 10,000 yards or more
December 9, 1992 – NHL’s New Jersey Devils organization announced that it would change its colors to black, red, & white for the 1992-93 season
December 9, 1995 – 61st Heisman Trophy Award was won by Ohio State running back Number 27, Eddie George
December 9, 2006 – 72nd Heisman Trophy Award was won by Ohio State Quarterback Number 10, Troy Smith
December 9, 2013 – Mike Ditka’s Number 89 jersey is retired by the Chicago Bears
December 9, 2017 – 83rd Heisman Trophy Award was won by Oklahoma Quarterback Number 6, Baker Mayfield
December 9, 2018 – New England Patriots quarterback Number 12 Tom Brady breaks Peyton Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in NFL history; moves to 582 with 3 TD passes during 34-33 defeat by Miami Dolphins; record includes TDs thrown in regular season & post-season
December 9, 2018 – Green Bay quarterback, Number 12, Aaron Rogers breaks Tom Brady’s NFL record with his 359th straight pass without an interception during Packers 34-20 win over Atlanta Falcons; finishes game with streak intact at 368
December 9, 2021 – Chicago Black Hawks Number 29, Marc-Andre Fleury became just the 3rd NHL goaltender to reach 500 career wins in 2-0 shut-out over the Canadiens at Montreal
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 9, 1933 – Athletic Park, Sarnia – According to thegreycup.com, the Toronto Argonauts edged out the Sarnia Imperials by the score of 4-3 in the 1933 Grey Cup. It was the 3rd Championship that the Argos had won since the Cup’s inception.
December 9, 1934 – Polo Grounds, New York City – “The Sneakers game” is what this National Football League Championship game has been fondly referred to on profootballhof.com. This was a rematch of the two teams that played in the 1933 League Championship contest, the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants. The Bears entered the game as the favorites, after all they had not lost a game all season and had beaten the Giants twice earlier in the season. Weather, the great equalizer set in and John Mara, the Giants treasurer noticed that the turf of the Polo Grounds was practically a sheet of ice just hours before kick off. Mara let the coaching staff know including team Captain Ray Flaherty about the field. Flaherty’s thoughts went back to a game he remembered that he and his team at Gonzaga College had played with similar icy conditions where they took off their cleats and put on basketball shoes to try and gain better traction. Equipment personnel of the Giants raced over to Manhattan College to borrow their basketball teams’ footwear. Both teams struggled with traction at the onset of the game but right about then is when Head Coach Steve Owen deployed his secret strategy and had his receivers and backs to put the limited amount of sneakers that they had on loan. The G-men had gained a definite advantage and scored 4 touchdowns in the final stanza to surprise the Chicago Bears with a 30-13 Giants victory.
December 9, 1935 – The first Heisman Trophy Award was issued but it actually was called the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy for this issuance. The Heisman Trophy label came about in 1936 per Heisman.com. Anyway Jay Berwanger a half back from the University of Chicago won the Trophy for being college football’s top player in 1935. The details of Jay’s stats are a little sketchy bu we do know that per the Heisman website Berwanger received a telegram from Manhattan’s Downtown Athletic Club, informing him that he had won a trophy for being the “most valuable football player east of the Mississippi,” as well as a trip for two to New York.
December 9, 1939 – UCLA ties rival USC. This was a watershed moment for the Bruins that brought their program to the same level as the dominant Southern Cal football per the Southern branch website.. Both teams were undefeated coming into the game and late in the game it was a scoreless tie but USC missed out on a great scoring opportunity when Trojan Grenny Lansdell coughed up the football as he was appearing to be ready to cross the goal line after a tremendous hit and strip by USC’s Ned Matthews and Jackie Robinson. Yes that Jackie Robinson, the famous brave #42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team that broke racial barriers in professional sports in the United States. The Bruins recovered the loose ball for a touchback but more importantly preserved the tie which helped put UCLA football on the map! Enjoy the highlight video, Jackie Robinson is number 28 on the gridiron and you can see what a great football player he was, including the fumble he helped create with his tackle.
December 9, 1938 – The 1939 NFL Draft took place. Ki Aldrich from TCU was the first pick by the Chicago Cardinals. This was the first year that the draft had been expanded to 20 rounds. The first League draft took place in 1936 and according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s website prior to that players were free to sign with any team that they wanted to. Philadelphia Eagles owner, Bert Bell, who would later be the NFL commissioner, proposed the plan to have teams pick in the order reversed on how they finished.
December 9, 1939 – Lansdowne Park, Ottawa – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers took home their second Grey Cup title when they outlasted the Ottawa Rough Riders by the score of 8-7 per the CFL.ca website. The story on the CFL web page is a pretty good one that I suggest you take a look at. In it they also mention that weather played a factor in the score as it was a snow covered field and temperatures were minus five degrees Celsius.
December 9, 1939 – Once again the Chicago Cardinals held the first pick in the NFL Draft. George Cafego from University of Tennessee was first picked by the Cards in the 1940 NFL Draft.
December 9, 1941 – The 7th Heisman Trophy Award is given to halfback Bruce Smith from the University of Minnesota. Smith helped the Gophers earn consecutive National Titles on undefeated seasons per the Heisman.com website. Bruce was over 200 pounds and was one of the fastest players in football so this proved to be a deadly combination to go with his great athleticism in the single wing offense he was in.
December 9, 1949 – The NFL absorbs the franchises of the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers & Baltimore Colts as rival league, the AAFC dissolves due to poor finances. A great story on Sporting Chance Press tells the detail of the merger as NFL Commissioner Bert Bell reached an agreement for the NFL to merge the Colts , Browns and Niners into their league while the other AAFC teams would disband.
December 9, 1973 – St Louis Cardinal place kicker, Jim Bakken boots six successful field goals against the Atlanta Falcons. Pro-football-history.com gives us the final score 32 to 10 for the Red Bird win.
December 9, 1984 – Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams breaks the NFL single season record by running 2,105 yards on the year. Dickerson did it in style as he rushed for 215 yards against the Houston Oilers per the Rams.com. The dominant performance helped the Rams secure the 27-17 win.
December 9, 1990 – New York Giants running back Otis Anderson becomes the eighth player to rush for at least 10,000 yards in a career per OnthisDay.com.
December 9, 1995 – Ohio State Running Back Eddie George wins the 61st Heisman Trophy Award. Heisman.com describes how George averaged 152.2 yards per game for a total of 1826 yards on the ground in his senior season to help the legendary Buckeye rusher gain the coveted hardware. His 22 touchdowns and 11 straight games of rushing for at least 100 yards catapulted Eddie over the competition in the voting. December 9, 2006 – Troy Smith the quarterback from Ohio State won the 72nd Heisman Trophy Award.
December 9, 2013 – The Chicago Bears retired Mike Ditka’s #89 jersey from further use by players in the Bears franchise.
December 9, 2017 – The 83rd Heisman Trophy Award went to Quarterback Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for December 9
December 9, 1892 – Forest Geyer a full back from the University of Oklahoma was selected into the College Football Hall of Fame by NFF voters in 1973.
December 9, 1898 – Duke Slater the legendary tackle from Iowa was born. Slater was an All-American as a two way tackle with the Hawkeyes. Duke Slater was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. He had a great career in the NFL playing on both sides of the line with the Rock Island Independents and the Chicago Cardinals. He broke through racial barriers in the early NFL as an African -American player and performed as one of the top athletes in the game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame selected Duke Slater to join their legends in 2020.
December 9, 1938 – Eatonville, Florida – David “Deacon” Jones the defensive end from Mississippi Vocational School was born. Deacon Jones was what the Pro Football Hall of Fame called an obscure pick by the LA Rams. The Rams scouts were looking to see if they could find a hidden gem at running back or receiver when they went to watch Mississippi Vocational when they noticed that a 6’-4” 270 pound defensive tackle was out running the backs and wide outs in drills, so they took a sixth round flier on him. Boy did that pay off for the Rams as Deacon played for 14 seasons in the League, and was voted as the Defensive Player of the year twice. Jones was All-NFL in six straight seasons and played in 8 Pro Bowls. Deacon Jones was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 1980 enshrinement class.
December 9, 1942 – The Dick Butkus the great linebacker from the University of Illinois. Butkus was a unanimous All-America in 1963 and 1964 according to the NFF. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of College in 1983. Dick played for 9 seasons with the Chicago Bears, the team that drafted him in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draft. Butkus was ALL-NFL in six seasons and had 22 interceptions and 25 fumbles recovered as he dominated in the middle of the Bears defense. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined him in 1979.
December 9, 1947 – Gore, Oklahoma – Steve Owens the Running Back from Oklahoma came to this life. The National Football Foundation selected Steve Owens to enter into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
December 9, 1955 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Jim Haslett the linebacker from Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania was born. Jim was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. He may be most famous for his coaching career in the NFL as both a coordinator and a Head Coach.
TODAY IN SPORTS
Dec. 9
1934 — The New York Giants wins the NFL championship by beating the Chicago Bears 30-13 in the famous “Sneakers Game.” With the temperature at 9 degrees and the Polo Grounds field a sheet of ice, the Giants open the second half wearing basketball shoes and score 27 points in the final period to overcome a 13-3 Chicago lead.
1938 — The Chicago Cardinals select TCU center Ki Aldrich with the first pick of the NFL Draft.
1939 — The Chicago Cardinals select Tennessee half back George Cafego with the first pick of the NFL Draft.
1949 — The All-America Conference merges with the National Football League. Three teams from the AAFC — the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts — join the 10-team NFL. The league is called the National-American Football League, but months later the National Football League name is restored.
1973 — Jim Bakken of the St. Louis Cardinals kicks six field goals in a 32-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
1977 — Moses Malone scores 20 points and grabs nine rebounds in the second half to lead the Houston Rockets to a 116-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The game s marred by a one-punch knockout of Rockets’ forward Rudy Tomjanovich by Los Angeles forward Kermit Washington.
1984 — Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams rushes for 215 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Oilers, breaking O.J. Simpson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,003 yards. Dickerson ends the season with 2,105 yards.
1993 — Kevin Johnson of Phoenix becomes the 13th player to record 10 steals in an NBA game, during the Suns’ 114-95 win over Washington.
2000 — Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith rushes for a season-high 150 yards, putting him over 1,000 for a record-tying 10th straight season and joins Walter Payton and Barry Sanders as the only players in NFL history with 15,000 career yards.
2001 — Bode Miller becomes the first American since 1983 to win a World Cup giant slalom race. Miller, third after the opening leg, has an excellent second run to win in a combined time of 2 minutes, 36.02 seconds in Val D’Isere, France.
2007 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis becomes the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 300 touchdown passes, getting four and going 13-for-17 for 249 yards in a 44-20 win over Baltimore.
2009 — Cassidy Schaub rolls consecutive 300 games and sets a Professional Bowlers Association 16-game scoring record, averaging 257.25 to retain the second-round lead in the Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open. Schaub had a 16-game total of 4,116 pins to erase the PBA record of 4,095 set by John Mazza in Las Vegas in 1996.
2016 — Russia’s sports reputation is ripped apart again when a new report into systematic doping details a vast “institutional conspiracy” that covers more than 1,000 athletes in over 30 sports and a corrupted drug-testing system at the 2012 and 2014 Olympics. This second and final report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren says the conspiracy involves the Russian Sports Ministry, national anti-doping agency and the FSB intelligence service, providing further details of state involvement in a massive program of cheating and cover-ups that operated on an “unprecedented scale” from 2011-15.
2017 — Jozy Altidore opens the scoring in the 67th minute and Toronto FC beats the Seattle Sounders 2-0 in the MLS Cup to become the first Canadian champion in league history.
2018 – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady breaks Peyton Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in NFL history.
2018 — Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers breaks Tom Brady’s NFL record with his 359th straight pass without an interception during Packers 34-20 win over Atlanta Falcons; finishes game with streak intact at 368.
2021 – Chicago Black Hawks Marc-Andre Fleury becomes 3rd NHL goaltender to reach 500 career wins.
2023 — Japanese baseball two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani signs a North American pro-sports record 10-year $700m deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
TV SPORTS MONDAY
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
6:30 P.M.
BTN — MINNESOTA AT INDIANA
8 P.M.
CBSSN — ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT BAYLOR
COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
7 P.M.
ESPNU — NCAA TOURNAMENT: WAKE FOREST VS. NORTH CAROLINA, CHAMPIONSHIP
NBA BASKETBALL
7:30 P.M.
NBATV — NEW YORK AT TORONTO
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 P.M.
ABC — CINCINNATI AT DALLAS
ESPN — CINCINNATI AT DALLAS
ESPN2 — CINCINNATI AT DALLAS (MNF WITH PEYTON AND ELI)
NHL HOCKEY
7 P.M.
NHLN — CHICAGO AT N.Y. RANGERS
SOCCER (MEN’S)
3 P.M.USA — PREMIER LEAGUE: WOLVERHAMPTON AT WEST HAM UNITED