“THE SCOREBOARD
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
| CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN | 57 | INDIANA DEAF | 19 | |
| CENTRAL NOBLE | 46 | BREMEN | 29 | |
| GARRETT | 59 | BELLMONT | 45 | |
| INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD | 72 | INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON | 47 | |
| NORTHRIDGE | 77 | SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON | 58 | |
| PRAIRIE HEIGHTS | 53 | CAREER ACADEMY | 41 | |
| SOUTH RIPLEY | 84 | SHAWE MEMORIAL | 42 |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
| ANDREAN | 47 | HANOVER CENTRAL | 39 | |
| ANGOLA | 47 | CONCORD | 43 | |
| CLINTON PRAIRIE | 45 | WESTERN | 35 | |
| CROWN POINT | 67 | HAMMOND MORTON | 49 | |
| EVANSVILLE BOSSE | 51 | MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) | 35 | |
| EVANSVILLE CENTRAL | 60 | EVANSVILLE REITZ | 32 | |
| GUERIN CATHOLIC | 50 | NEW PALESTINE | 43 | |
| HUNTINGTON NORTH | 53 | FORT WAYNE DWENGER | 48 | |
| JENNINGS COUNTY | 52 | LAWRENCEBURG | 37 | |
| KNIGHTSTOWN | 64 | LIBERTY CHRISTIAN | 37 | |
| LEO | 52 | FORT WAYNE NORTH | 31 | |
| MARQUETTE CATHOLIC | 72 | NEW PRAIRIE | 24 | |
| NEW HAVEN | 44 | FORT WAYNE SOUTH | 31 | |
| OAK HILL | 40 | WABASH | 29 | |
| PARK TUDOR | 58 | GREENWOOD | 39 | |
| PURDUE POLY ENGLEWOOD | 84 | INDIANAPOLIS TECH | 17 | |
| RANDOLPH SOUTHERN | 57 | CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN | 35 | |
| SHERIDAN | 55 | TIPTON | 18 | |
| SOUTH BEND RILEY | 42 | LAVILLE | 37 | |
| SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) | 41 | WHEELER | 34 | |
| TRI | 56 | UNION COUNTY | 25 | |
| UNION (MODOC) | 51 | WES-DEL | 23 | |
| VINCENNES RIVET | 56 | NORTH DAVIESS | 31 | |
| WARREN CENTRAL | 65 | INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS | 40 | |
| WHITING | 63 | CALUMET | 22 | |
| YORKTOWN | 59 | MISSISSINEWA | 41 |
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING RESULTS
DUAL RESULTS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/DUALRESULTS.HTML/BOYS-DUAL-RESULTS/
TOURNAMENT RESULTS: HTTPS://INDIANAMAT.COM/INDEX.PHP?/CURTOURNAMENTRESULTS.HTML/
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25:
#21 MEMPHIS 64 VIRGINIA 62
#11 CONNECTICUT 94 XAVIER 89 OT
#15 HOUSTON 78 TOLEDO 49
#6 ALABAMA 97 NORTH DAKOTA 60
#9 MARQUETTE 80 BUTLER 70
#14 OKLAHOMA 87 #24 MICHIGAN 86
#13 GONZAGA 102 NICHOLLS 72
ELSEWHERE:
INDIANA STATE 84 MURRAY STATE 74
TEXAS ARLINGTON 80 EVANSVILLE 54
USC 90 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE 69
WASHINGTON 89 WASHINGTON STATE 73
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25:
#17 GEORGIA TECH 88 RICE 57
#19 NORTH CAROLINA 77 FLORIDA 57
#9 DUKE 93 WOFFORD 58
#13 KANSAS STATE 83 NEW MEXICO STATE 39
#18 TENNESSEE 90 MEMPHIS 75
ELSEWHERE:
NORTHWESTERN 79 UNLV 76 OT
WASHINGTON 64 NORTH DAKOTA STATE 51
ST. LOUIS 69 VALPARAISO 59
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
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
#24 UNLV 24 CALIFORNIA 13
JAMES MADISON 27 WESTERN KENTUCKY 17
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
NORTH DAKOTA STATE VS. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 12 P.M. | ABC
VALDOSTA STATE VS. FERRIS STATE (DII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN MCKINNEY, TEXAS) | 2 P.M. | ESPN2
MONTANA STATE VS. SOUTH DAKOTA (FCS SEMIFINALS) | 3:30 P.M. | ABC
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
NORTH CENTRAL (IL) VS. SUSQUEHANNA (DIII SEMIFINALS) | TBA | ESPN+
MOUNT UNION VS. JOHNS HOPKINS (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. LOUISIANA TECH (INDEPENDENCE BOWL) | 9:15 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, DEC. 30
NO. 19 MISSOURI VS. IOWA (MUSIC CITY BOWL) | 2:30 P.M. | ESPN
TUESDAY, DEC. 31
NO. 11 ALABAMA VS. MICHIGAN (RELIAQUEST BOWL) | 12 P.M. | ESPN
LOUISVILLE VS. WASHINGTON (SUN BOWL) | 2 P.M. | CBS
NO. 15 SOUTH CAROLINA VS. NO. 20 ILLINOIS (CITRUS BOWL) | 3 P.M. | ABC
LSU VS. BAYLOR (TEXAS BOWL) | 3:30 P.M. | ESPN
NO. 9 BOISE STATE VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF QUARTERFINALS — FIESTA BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 1
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, TEXAS) | TBA | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 6
TBD VS. TBD (FCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN FRISCO, TEXAS) | 7 P.M. | ESPN
THURSDAY, JAN. 9
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — ORANGE BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL GAME — COTTON BOWL) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
MONDAY, JAN. 20
TBD VS. TBD (COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — IN ATLANTA) | 7:30 P.M. | ESPN
NBA
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NHL
DETROIT 6 PHILADELPHIA 4
TORONTO 5 DALLAS 3
FLORDIA 6 MINNESOTA 1
ANAHEIM 3 WINNIPEG 2
UTAH 3 VANCOUVER 2 OT
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS
DECEMBER 19
PITTSBURGH VS. LOUISVILLE 6:30ET
PENN STATE VS. NEBRASKA 9:00ET
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/RELEASES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
BRR! WINTER ADDS AN OLD-SCHOOL CHALLENGE TO THE CFP. VISITING TEAMS INSIST IT’S ‘SNOW’ PROBLEM
Asked if playing in near-freezing weather at Ohio State might pose a challenge for his team, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel quickly noted that it wouldn’t be the Volunteers’ first rodeo with the cold.
Kicker Max Gilbert even posted a photo last week standing with teammates as light snow fell before a morning practice. And, Tennessee beat cross-state rival Vanderbilt last month on a tundra of sorts with a kickoff temperature of 41 degrees before dropping to the 30s in the fading daylight. A combination of heated benches, portable heaters and extra layers helped take the chill off, along with a 36-23 comeback victory.
The Saturday night forecast calls for temperatures in the high teens and low 20s with a slight chance of snow for the first-round College Football Playoff matchup in Columbus, Ohio. But with few degrees of separation between climates in the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, it won’t feel much different when the Vols venture 350 miles north to face the Buckeyes.
“Yeah, it’s a June day in South Dakota,” Heupel joked this week. “It’s going to be great football weather. A couple of weeks ago we played in 30 degree weather. We practice in the morning, still a chill, as cold as it will be around this area. And at the end of the day, you get between the white lines, weather doesn’t matter. The temperature doesn’t. And we’ll be ready to go play. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
The playoff this year for the first time is holding first-round games on campus and that opens things up in terms of potential weather. Whether his weekend’s official start of winter has a chilling effect on the outcome in the expanded 12-team playoff remains to be seen, but it’s a definite departure from warm climates Power Four teams are used to for postseason games.
The prospect of spending the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays preparing for a bowl in a sunny locale is considered an incentivizing finish to a long season.
Warmer destinations and indoor stadiums await the first-round winners in the quarterfinals, but no one’s complaining about the chance to play in “ideal” football weather that many players grew up with. This additional postseason layer may require, well, layering for players, but cold comes with the territory and is worth the sacrifice of playing for a national championship.
“Whether there’s snow or not snow, whether it’s really cold or just kind of cold, it is what it is,” said SMU coach Rhett Lashlee, who noted his players’ aspirations of an NFL career certainly can should include the likelihood of wintry weather.
“They aspire to play championship football, which we’re getting to do right now,” said Lashlee, who played his high school and college football in Arkansas. “The weather is only going to be an issue if we allow it, so we know it’s going to be really cold. It’s going to be really cold for them as well. So it’s our 11 versus their 11.”
Ditto for fans who willingly accept cold hands, feet and noses if it means rooting on their teams.
“They get a little bit more snow but as far as temperature, we’ve been mostly in the 30s for the last couple of weeks and been in the 20s for two nights,” said longtime Tennessee season ticket holder Earl Brown, 75, who will be in The Horseshoe with wife Judy and three others. “Plus, the game’s up there and it will be my 355th consecutive game. So, I don’t think it really matters if it’s snow, rain and sleet or 85 degrees. I will be in the stadium.”
“We’ll put on six, seven layers, probably,” Judy Brown said.
The State College forecast calls for low 20s dropping into the low teens when Penn State hosts SMU on Saturday night. Lashlee jokingly lamented pleasant 70-degree temperatures in Dallas for workouts but doesn’t expect a huge adjustment for his team after playing last month’s Atlantic Coast Championship in the 30s in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The coach added that non-bowl December football is also new territory for Penn State, which means it will also be cold on the Nittany Lions’ bench.
Temperature-wise (low to mid-20s), Indiana players and fans won’t notice much change between Bloomington and what the Hoosiers will face 200 miles upstate in South Bend for Friday night’s matchup at Notre Dame. The daytime forecast includes a 63% chance of snow, conditions the Fighting Irish embrace in a hype video featuring clips of the white stuff.
Having won at Purdue in the snow and seeing it elsewhere while playing at Ohio, Indiana quarterback Curtis Rourke looks forward to whatever awaits in Notre Dame Stadium — including noise to wake up the echoes.
“Having snow fall in the stadium, that was pretty cool,” Rourke said. “Snow games are pretty fun, so I’m looking forward to it if that’s the case.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PICKS: SMU, CLEMSON, VOLS, HOOSIERS BEWARE AS CFP OPENS ON CAMPUS
Welcome to the new-look postseason, where the path to the national championship begins at campus sites for eight of the 12 teams in the College Football Playoff.
Bundle up, buttercup.
Snow showers are forecast to give way to cloudy skies and temperatures in the 20s in South Bend, Indiana, for Friday night’s Indiana-Notre Dame game.
A 10- to 15-mph northwest wind will make temperatures in the 20s feel like it’s in the mid teens in State College, Pennsylvania, on Saturday for SMU-Penn State.
Temperatures in the low 20s with a light breeze is forecast for Columbus, Ohio, for Tennessee-Ohio State on Saturday night. Austin, Texas, will feel like the tropics, by comparison, with sun and low 60s temperatures expected for Clemson-Texas.
The conditions will be less of a factor for Indiana, Notre Dame and Ohio State — all are accustomed to raw afternoons and evenings late in the season — and Tennessee plays its share of games in chilly weather.
For SMU, its game could be the coldest in program history. The lowest temperature at kickoff for the Mustangs was 24 degrees — Dec. 7, 2013, against UCF in Dallas and Dec. 24, 1983, against Alabama in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee has minimized the weather factor, noting his team holds morning practices when it’s in the 30s and 40s. It looks like State College will be much colder than that, making it notable that only four of the 44 players on SMU’s two-deep chart are from places outside the Sun Belt.
The picks, with seedings and lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:
No. 10 seed Indiana at No. 7 seed Notre Dame (minus 7 1/2)
An idyllic setting for the start of the 12-team playoff era: Notre Dame Stadium for a matchup of two Hoosier State teams that traditionally have lived on opposite ends of the college football world.
The upstart Hoosiers didn’t fare so well on the their biggest stage of the regular season, losing by 23 points at Ohio State. The spotlight will be even brighter in South Bend. Indiana can win if the Notre Dame defense that allowed 35 points and 577 yards to Southern California shows up and if the Hoosiers’ top-ranked run defense keeps Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price under control. Hard to see both of those things happening.
Pick: Notre Dame 28-17.
No. 11 seed SMU at No. 6 seed Penn State (minus 8 1/2)
Penn State is more battle-tested, having been in two top-five matchups (losses to Ohio State and Oregon), and the Nittany Lions have a huge home-field advantage. Of course, the fans in Happy Valley always are anxious when it comes to James Franklin and big games, and there’s no proven backup to Drew Allar in the wake of Beau Pribula’s untimely entry into the transfer portal.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings has been really good, and occasionally great, while getting the Mustangs to this point. This will be too tall a task.
Pick: Penn State 24-14.
No. 12 seed Clemson (plus 11 1/2) at No. 5 seed Texas
Oh, the things that had to happen for Clemson to reach this game. First, it took Syracuse’s upset of Miami to get the Tigers through the back door into the ACC championship game. Then the Tigers, who lost a 17-point halftime lead, needed Adam Randall’s 41-yard kick return to set up Nolan Hauser’s career-long 56-yard field goal as time ran out to beat SMU.
Now Clemson’s Cade Klubnik returns home to Austin for a quarterback duel against his high school rival Quinn Ewers. Tempting as it would be to keep the great Clemson storyline going, it ends here because the Longhorns are just too talented.
Pick: Texas 27-17.
No. 9 seed Tennessee (plus 7 1/2) at No. 8 Ohio State
Ohio State has had three weeks to stew on its fourth straight loss to Michigan — this time as a 21-point favorite at home — and deal with the cloud that has hovered over Ryan Day since. Now, in spite of his athletic director’s vote of confidence, there’s chatter about whether Day will be fired if he loses to the Volunteers as a touchdown favorite at home. Talk about pressure.
Tennessee, by comparison, can play freely. Josh Heupel had to knock down a “just-happy-to-be-there” question after the matchup was announced. The Volunteers have what it takes to pull an upset with 1,400-yard rusher Dylan Sampson and an elite defensive front. This one could be as close as an 8-9 matchup suggests.
Pick: Ohio State 24-23.
NOTRE DAME AND INDIANA GET 1ST TASTE OF PLAYOFF FOOTBALL UNDER THE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Marcus Freeman spent his first two seasons as the Notre Dame coach chasing the playoff dream.
This year, he’s living it — at home.
After closing the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and getting two weeks to prepare for the most meaningful postseason game of his career, Freeman is finally ready to lead the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish against 10th-seeded Indiana on Friday.
“We’ve been in the playoffs since Week 3,” Freeman said, alluding to their postseason hopes following the stunning loss to Northern Illinois. “Every game we play is a version of a playoff game in our minds. We have to continue to understand that you don’t have any more added pressure than you’ve had the previous 10.”
Except the Irish (11-1) know this one is different.
Notre Dame hasn’t made a national championship run since 1988, its longest title drought since winning the school’s first in 1924. And unlike previous playoffs, the Irish will be playing the first game on campus in College Football Playoff history.
Just how unusual will this environment be?
It’s the first time Notre Dame has hosted a postseason game, the first time Notre Dame Stadium has hosted a Friday night game and the first time since 1990 that a Notre Dame home game has not been telecast by NBC.
Still, the Irish are doing what they can to make this seem like just another football week.
“The hardest thing throughout this whole process has probably been finals here at Notre Dame because that’s no joke,” quarterback Riley Leonard said. “Otherwise, it’s like a couple of bye weeks for us. We handle it the same way. Practice has been the same, the same recipe for success.”
But the stakes are significantly higher in this matchup between the two Indiana schools that have met just once since 1959. Notre Dame won 49-27 in 1991.
No. 9 Indiana (11-1) is the most improbable playoff entrant.
Associated Press Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti engineered an eight-game turnaround in his first season with the Hoosiers, setting a new single-season school record for victories while falling just a tiebreaker short of playing for its first Big Ten title since 1967.
The Hoosiers are scoring 43.3 points, the most of any playoff team, and have one of the FBS’ stingiest defenses, too. And even though Indiana failed its only test against a ranked foe, the Hoosiers believe that loss will help them do what most still believe impossible — reaching the Sugar Bowl for a quarterfinal game against No. 2 seed Georgia.
“It was a tough loss, but I think it was really important for us to have a game like that, to be tested and know what it takes to win these games,” quarterback Kurtis Rourke said, referring to the 38-15 loss at then-No. 2 Ohio State last month. “This is a win or go home kind of setup, so we’re going to have to make sure that we come with our best effort.”
They also may have one key advantage — postseason experience.
Cignetti and many of his assistant coaches were together for FCS and Division II playoff teams, and Cignetti also has that national championship ring from his days as Alabama coach Nick Saban’s recruiting coordinator.
“Well, I am kind of used to this routine,” Cignetti said. “But I don’t think it’s a major change for any of the coaches, to be quite honest with you, that are in the playoff.”
Cross talk
Notre Dame’s defense has been one of the best all season despite a rash of injuries, including two that took out preseason All-Americans.
But one of those, defensive tackled Howard Cross III, is expected to return Friday after missing the final three regular season games. There’s little doubt Cross will be fresh, nearly six weeks after suffering the high ankle sprain. The question is will he be rested or rusty?
“I feel physically, fine,” Cross said. “So I’m just happy, blessed to be able to get on the field.”
Staying ahead
Indiana didn’t just win games this season. It dominated opponents.
Ten of the Hoosiers 11 wins were by 14 or more points and they faced deficits in only three games and only once in the second half. But even if that’s not the same story underneath the Friday night lights, the Hoosiers insist they’re ready for any challenge.
“We know we’re supposed to be here, we know we belong, but we’re always going to have that chip (on our shoulder),” Indiana receiver Elijah Sarratt said. “We remember what everyone was saying during the season and remember what everyone is saying now. We’re going to go down there, focus on us and try to handle business.”
Running down a dream
The most telling matchup Friday will be Notre Dame’s ground game against Indiana’s defense.
The Irish offense has centered primarily around a three-pronged running attack that features Leonard, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
Indiana, meanwhile, leads the nation in fewest yards rushing per game allowed (70.8) and the 2.46 yards per carry allowed is second best in FBS. Even in their loss, Ohio State rushed 29 times for just 115 yards. So the Hoosiers know where they must begin if they hope to advance.
“We’ve got to stop the run,” all-Big Ten linebacker Aiden Fisher said. “That’s something we’re very prideful in here as a defense and something that they are really good on offense. It’s going to be a really good matchup.”
NFL NEWS
NFL HAS A RECORD NUMBER OF PLAYOFF CLINCHES AND BOTTOM DWELLERS WITH 3 WEEKS TO GO
There might by more intrigue in the race for the No. 1 pick than in the race to make the playoffs in the final three weeks.
There’s already a record number of teams that have clinched a playoff spot with three weeks to play in the NFL season and a record number of teams with three or fewer wins after Week 15 as a league built on parity has become one of haves and have-nots.
Seven playoff spots have been clinched at this point in the season for the first time ever and the 50% of playoff berths filled are the most with three weeks remaining, according to Sportradar. The previous high since the 1970 merger was 42.9% in 2022 when six spots were clinched with three weeks to play.
The entire AFC field could be determined by the end of the games on Sunday afternoon. Baltimore and Denver can clinch spots with wins, while the Chargers need a win and losses by Indianapolis and Miami.
The NFC could have five of the seven playoff spots clinched by the end of this week if Washington beats Philadelphia on Sunday and Green Bay beats New Orleans on Monday night.
But the competition for the No. 1 pick is fierce with a record seven teams having three wins or fewer. There have been three seasons of at least 16 games with six teams with three or fewer wins after 15 weeks with it also happening in 2014, 2008 and 1991.
Las Vegas and the New York Giants have the inside track with 2-12 records and the top pick could come down to strength of schedule if both teams lose out.
There are five other teams — Carolina, Jacksonville, New England, Cleveland and Tennessee — tied at 3-11 and in position to get the No. 1 pick if the Giants and Raiders both win.
Up and down
The back-and-forth shootout between Detroit and Buffalo put Lions quarterback Jared Goff and the Bills in select company.
Goff became the first player in NFL history to lose a game after throwing for at least 400 yards and five TDs with no interceptions in Detroit’s 48-42 loss.
Five weeks after becoming the first quarterback in 12 years to win a game after throwing five interceptions, Goff ended up on the losing side of a five-touchdown game. He’s the fourth quarterback ever to do both and the only one who did it in the same season.
Matt Ryan and Tony Romo pulled off the feat once, while George Blanda won three games with five interceptions, including the 1961 AFL title game, and lost twice after throwing at least five TD passes.
Since 1950, quarterbacks are now 200-23 when throwing at least five TD passes and 19-191-5 when throwing five or more interceptions.
The Bills have been on a roller coaster of their own, having lost a game in Week 14 to the Rams when they scored 42 points and then won a game against Detroit when they allowed 42.
Buffalo joined the 1966 Giants as the only teams with back-to-back games when both teams scored at least 40 points in the game. New York lost both of those games and the Bills joined the 1983 Packers as the only teams in NFL history to win a game when allowing at least 40 points and lose a game scoring at least 40 in the same season.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen also became the second quarterback with back-to-back games with at least 400 yards rushing and passing, at least four total TDs and no turnovers. Joe Burrow did it in 2021.
Bye-bye bye advantage?
Week 15 was the final one of the regular season that featured teams coming off byes with six teams playing on extra rest on Sunday.
Those teams went 4-2 with Baltimore, Denver, Houston and Washington getting wins, while Indianapolis and New England lost.
For the season, coming off the bye proved to be of little benefit with teams playing after a week off going 15-17 with the extra rest. That marked the second time in the last 10 seasons that teams coming off the bye had a losing record, with teams going 11-21 in 2019.
The advantage of the bye has lessened since the 2011 CBA limited the amount of practice time teams could have during the week off. From 2002-10, teams had a .557 win percentage following the bye week compared to .523 since 2011.
Slop fest
On the NFL’s most turnover-happy day in eight years, the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals took the sloppy play to new lows.
The Titans gave the ball away six times and the Bengals committed four turnovers in Cincinnati’s 37-27 win for the first 10-giveaway game in the NFL since Week 2 of the 2007 season when Detroit and Minnesota each had five in a 20-17 overtime win for the Lions.
The game included one of two fumbles this week by a player just before he crossed the goal line and contributed to the 51 turnovers overall on Sunday for the most on any day since there were also 51 on Dec. 11, 2016.
The sloppy play at Tennessee was about more than turnovers with the Bengals getting penalized 14 times and the Titans 12. That made the game the first since the 1970 merger with at least 10 turnovers and 25 penalties.
Caleb Williams’ struggles
Caleb WIlliams entered the league with the fanfare of being the answer to Chicago’s long search for a franchise quarterback. It hasn’t worked out that way so far for the No. 1 overall pick.
Williams lost his eighth straight start for the Bears on Monday night against Minnesota to tie Trevor Lawrence (2021) for the second longest losing streak for a rookie QB picked first overall since the start of the common draft era in 1967. Troy Aikman lost all 11 starts he made as a rookie for Dallas in 1989 before going on to win three Super Bowls.
Williams has lost those games despite not throwing an interception in any of the games for an NFL rookie record 286 straight passes without a pick. That’s the most consecutive losses for any QB since the merger without throwing an interception, topping the previous high of five by Jeff George (1993-94) and Cody Kessler (2016).
The Bears were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15, leaving Andrew Luck as the only quarterback picked first in the common draft era to start a playoff game as a rookie.
DETROIT LIONS DE AIDAN HUTCHINSON SAYS HE’S ON TRACK TO REACH GOAL OF RETURNING FOR THE SUPER BOWL
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is aiming to return from a gruesome injury and help the franchise play for the NFL championship.
“I’m on track for my goal of returning for the Super Bowl,” Hutchinson said on “The Squeeze” podcast that was published Wednesday. “I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility, I’m like, `You guys just got to get there. I promise you, I’m going to be back.’”
Hutchinson had surgery to repair a broken tibia and fibula two months ago after he was injured in a win at Dallas.
He was leading the league with 7 1/2 sacks through five games when he was hurt and the total more than doubles the number of sacks any other Lions player has this season.
When Hutchinson broke his left leg in two places in mid-October, he was expected to be out for four to six months.
The Super Bowl is in New Orleans on Feb. 9, just less than four months after Hutchinson’s surgery.
Detroit and Buffalo are the favorites to win the Super Bowl, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook. The Lions’ franchise-record, 11-game winning streak was snapped in a 48-42 setback Sunday at home against the Bills.
Detroit (12-2) visits Chicago (4-10) on Sunday clinging to a first-place tie with Minnesota in the NFC North, along with a tie with the Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles for the top seed in the conference.
COMMANDERS’ JONATHAN ALLEN COULD BE BACK THIS SEASON AFTER TEARING PECTORAL MUSCLE IN OCTOBER
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen returned to practice Wednesday and could be back this season after all, two months after having surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.
The team opened Allen’s 21-day practice window to pave the way for him to play after he was expected to be out for the rest of the season. He left Washington’s game on Oct. 13 at Baltimore and had surgery later that month.
Allen, who turns 30 in January, took part in individual drills during the portion of practice open to reporters. He was wearing a black noncontact jersey.
Coach Dan Quinn said Allen’s tear was not as bad as initially feared and the team figured out not long after surgery that a return was possible. Allen went to New York for a checkup and satisfied all the requirements to get back on the field.
“Maybe just a few weeks ago, we said this could be a realistic thing,” Quinn said before practice. “He’s built different, for sure.”
The Commanders have three weeks to activate Allen or put him back on injured reserve. That could mean he plays as soon as Sunday against NFC East-leading Philadelphia or get back for one of their final two games: on Dec. 29 against Atlanta or Jan. 4 or 5 at Dallas.
“It’s a remarkable part of the rehab for him to go through it,” Quinn said. “There’s a lengthy protocol in the return to make sure we don’t miss a step along the way. He’s really worked hard to get ready into this space.”
Allen made 15 tackles and had two sacks in five-plus games before going down. A first-round pick in 2017 out of Alabama, he was picked for the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022 and is Washington’s second-longest tenured player after punter Tress Way.
LAMAR JACKSON HAS HAD PROBLEMS AGAINST THE STEELERS. NOW HE’LL FINALLY HAVE A BIG HOME CROWD TO HELP
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Lamar Jackson’s struggles against Pittsburgh have been well documented.
Now he’ll finally have help he’s never enjoyed before in this rivalry — from a packed stadium that’s actually cheering for him.
This weekend’s showdown between the Steelers and Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens is only the second time the star quarterback has faced Pittsburgh at home. And the other was in 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic limiting the announced crowd to 4,345.
Expect a lot more than that Saturday, when the Steelers can clinch the AFC North with a win and the Ravens will do their best to prevent that.
“Just being in front of our crowd, Flock Nation, just being in the building, knowing it’s a rival game, knowing what’s at stake for us,” Jackson said. “I feel like the momentum, the momentum from our crowd, will just give us what we need — that extra boost.”
Jackson is 1-4 as a starter against Pittsburgh, a remarkably small number of games against a divisional opponent for a quarterback in his seventh season in the league. He beat the Steelers in his first start against them in 2019, although even in that game he was sacked five times and threw three interceptions.
Jackson has never had a passer rating higher than 80.1 in a full game against Pittsburgh. He’s thrown five touchdown passes and eight interceptions against the Steelers.
But almost all of that has come on the road in a pretty difficult environment. In his first MVP season of 2019, Jackson sat out the home game against the Steelers after Baltimore had already wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The same thing happened last season. In 2021 and 2022, Jackson was injured when Pittsburgh came to Baltimore.
Now the Ravens (9-5) have few excuses left if they can’t take care of business at home. BetMGM had them favored by six points around midday Wednesday. Jackson is having a sensational season, with a passer rating of 120.7 that ranks among some of the best all time. He’s thrown 34 touchdowns and three interceptions.
“I think anytime he can make a play, he’s going to try to make that play. I don’t think he tries to hold anything back, especially at the end of the season,” said Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen, who played for the Ravens before this season. “Everything’s on the line at that point. There’s no holding back on him. You definitely see that now, him lowering his shoulder, him stiff-arming a guy out of bounds — which is crazy — just him pushing the ball downfield is just a whole lot more plays he’s trying to make.”
Pittsburgh (10-4) arrives with a one-game lead in the division, a result of an 18-16 victory over the Ravens in Week 11. That game unfolded like so many others when Jackson has faced the Steelers: In front of a raucous crowd in Pittsburgh, everything seemed to go wrong.
Baltimore missed two field goals and lost two fumbles. Jackson threw an interception when Payton Wilson basically snatched the ball away after running back Justice Hill appeared to have the pass secured in his arms.
The Ravens had a chance to tie the game late, but missed a 2-point conversion. That’s happened multiple times in the recent history of this rivalry. In 2021 in Pittsburgh, Baltimore went for 2 and the win with 12 seconds left. The Ravens didn’t convert and lost 20-19.
Baltimore has lost eight of its past nine to Pittsburgh. It doesn’t feel quite that lopsided to the Ravens. They did rest starters for a couple of those games and didn’t have Jackson for some others. But this season the head-to-head matchups could well decide the division.
“It’ll get talked about. I think some people got a taste of it. There were a couple of skirmishes in the last game, but this is big,” Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “This means a lot to a lot of people. It means a lot to me being here for a long time, and if you don’t understand, the message will be very clear as the week goes on.”
BROWNS RUNNING BACK NICK CHUBB GOES ON INJURED RESERVE AFTER 4-TIME PRO BOWLER BREAKS HIS FOOT
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, officially ending a comeback season after he suffered a severe knee injury last year.
Chubb broke his foot early in the second half of Sunday’s 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The four-time Pro Bowler finished the season with 332 yards rushing and four touchdowns in eight games.
It’s the second straight season Chubb has ended on IR. He suffered a left knee injury in Week 2 at Pittsburgh in 2023 but worked his way back and made his debut this season on Oct. 20 against Cincinnati.
Chubb didn’t speak to reporters on Sunday, leaving on crutches and in a walking boot.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said he doesn’t believe Chubb will need surgery and that he is expected to make a full recovery.
The Browns (3-11) restructured Chubb’s contract heading into this season. He is eligible for free agency following the season, but he has expressed an interest in playing his entire career in Cleveland, where he is arguably the team’s most popular player.
Chubb has rushed for 6,843 yards since the Browns selected him in the second round in the 2018 NFL draft. He is third on the team’s career list behind Hall of Famers Jim Brown (12,312) and Leroy Kelly (7,274).
Chubb rushed for 1,525 yards and 12 TDs in 2022. He has averaged 5.1 yards per carry during his seven seasons.
RAIDERS PLACE DE MAXX CROSBY, RB MCCORMICK ON IR
The Las Vegas Raiders placed three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby and rookie running back Sincere McCormick on injured reserve Wednesday.
The move was expected for Crosby, who underwent ankle surgery this week and could be looking at a second operation, according to a recent report.
McCormick was injured in the second quarter of Monday night’s 15-9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
In corresponding moves, the Raiders signed RB Chris Collier and DE Andre Carter II to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
The 27-year-old Crosby first injured the ankle in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens and missed the first game of his career in Week 4. He aggravated the ankle in Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading to the decision to go under the knife.
Crosby finishes the season with 7.5 sacks, five passes defensed and 45 tackles in 12 games. He has 59.5 career sacks in 95 games (89 starts) since the Raiders selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
McCormick rushed for 183 yards in five games (two starts) for the Raiders as an undrafted free agent. He began the season on the team’s practice squad.
Also, the Raiders signed DE Ovie Oghoufo and RB Isaiah Spiller to the practice squad.
DOLPHINS WR GRANT DUBOSE TO RETURN HOME AFTER HOSPITAL STAY
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose is expected to return home Wednesday after spending three days in a Houston hospital, head coach Mike McDaniel said.
DuBose was hospitalized after taking a blow to the head from safety Calen Bullock of the Texans with 9:34 left in the third quarter of Sunday’s game, won 20-12 by Houston.
Medical personnel working on DuBose cut his uniform top off and placed the 23-year-old on a board before putting him on a stretcher. He was wheeled off the field and taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
“Expecting him to travel home today,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “Haven’t seen him, talked to him, and we’re all just very, very excited to get to see him. He’s been on the constant mind of a lot of people. And, yeah, he’s doing well, taking it a day at a time.”
DuBose was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
He was just activated off injured reserve due to a shoulder injury and Sunday marked his third game of the season. He had one catch for minus-2 yards against the Texans. It was his second career catch.
DuBose was a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2023. He was released shortly before this season and claimed by Miami.
BROWNS NAME DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON STARTING QB
The Cleveland Browns made it official Wednesday, naming Dorian Thompson-Robinson their starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Thompson-Robinson supplants Jameis Winston as QB1 for this week, but Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was noncommittal about the starter for the final two games.
Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round draft pick in 2023 out of UCLA, has come off the bench in four games this season, completing 15 of 34 passes for 100 yards and three interceptions.
The 25-year-old made starts in three of his eight appearances as a rookie last season, completing 53.6 percent of his passes for 440 yards, one touchdown and four picks. A concussion led to Joe Flacco taking over in Week 14.
In addition to the concussion, Thompson-Robinson dealt with shoulder and hip injuries in 2023.
Known for his mobility, Thompson-Robinson has 125 yards rushing in 20 attempts the past two seasons.
Taking over for an injured Deshaun Watson in Week 8, Winston went 2-5 as Cleveland’s starter. He has completed 61.1 percent of his passes this season for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Eight of those picks have come in the past three weeks as the Browns (3-11) went 0-3.
EAGLES OPEN PRACTICE WINDOW FOR DE BRYCE HUFF (WRIST)
The Philadelphia Eagles opened the practice window for defensive end Bryce Huff on Wednesday.
Huff, 26, landed on injured reserve on Nov. 22 following surgery on his left wrist.
He sustained the injury during warmups before the Eagles’ Week 9 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Huff has recorded 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 10 games (five starts) in his first season with Philadelphia.
He tallied 17.5 sacks, 65 tackles and 43 QB hits in 54 games (seven starts) with the New York Jets (2020-23).
The Eagles (12-2) have won 10 straight games entering Sunday’s contest at the Washington Commanders (9-5).
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL CAPSULE: DENVER BRONCOS (9-5) AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (8-6)
Thursday, December 19, 2024 | 8:15 PM ET | SoFi Stadium | Referee: Clay Martin
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: DEN leads series, 72-56-1 (won 3 of past 4)
Postseason: DEN leads series, 1-0
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 10/13/24: LAC 23 at DEN 16
Postseason: AFC-D: SD 17 at DEN 24
BRONCOS NOTES:
QB BO NIX completed 20 of 33 atts. (60.6 pct.) with 3 TD passes last week, 7th game this season with 2+ TD passes, most among rookies. Has 2+ TD passes in 4 of past 5. Has 0 INTs in 5 of past 6 on road. Totaled 277 yards (216 pass, 61 rush) in Week 6 meeting. Has 2 TD passes in each of 4 starts vs. division. Leads rookies with 20 TD passes & ranks 2nd with 2,972 pass yards. • RB JAVONTE WILLIAMS has 55+ scrimmage yards in 2 of his past 3 vs. LAC. Needs 22 scrimmage yards for 3rd-career 750-yard season. • RB JALEEL MCLAUGHLIN has 40+ rush yards in 2 of past 3. Needs 52 scrimmage yards for 2nd-straight 500-yard season. • WR COURTLAND SUTTON had 6th TD catch of season last week. Has 6+ catches & 70+ rec. yards in 6 of past 7. Aims for 3rd in row on road with rec. TD. Had TD catch in Week 6 meeting & aims for 4th in row vs. LAC with rec. TD. • WR MARVIN MIMS has 40+ rec. yards in 3 of past 4. • TEs NATE ADKINS & ADAM TRAUTMAN each had TD catches in Week 15. • LB NIK BONITTO had 5 tackles, half sack, FF & 50-yard FR-TD last week, 1st LB ever with 50-yard defensive TD in consecutive games. Is 4th player since 2000 with TFL in 11 straight games within season & can join Terrell Suggs (2010) as only players with TFL in 12 straight. Aims for 6th in row with 0.5+ sacks. Had sack in Week 6 meeting. Ranks tied-3rd in NFL with 11.5 sacks in 2024. • LB JUSTIN STRNAD had 9 tackles & TFL last week. Has PD in 2 of past 3. • LB DONDREA TILLMAN had 3rd sack of season in Week 15. • CB PAT SURTAIN II had 2 PD & 4th INT of season last week. Aims for 5th in row with PD. Has 7 PD in 7 career games vs. LAC. • S BRANDON JONES had 9 tackles, career-high 3 PD & INT in Week 15. Has 6 PD & 2 INTs in his past 3. Had 12 tackles & PD in Week 6 meeting.
CHARGERS NOTES:
QB JUSTIN HERBERT had 2 TDs vs. INT last week, ending streak of 357 straight atts. without INT, 5th-longest streak in NFL history. Passed for 237 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs in Week 6 meeting. Has 884 pass yards (294.7 per game) & 9 TDs (7 pass, 2 rush) in 3 career starts on Thursday, with 2+ TD passes in each game. Is 1 of 2 QBs (Lamar Jackson) with 15+ TD passes (15) & 3-or-fewer INTs (2) in 2024. • RB GUS EDWARDS has rush TD in 2 of past 4. • RB KIMANI VIDAL (rookie) had only career TD in Week 6 meeting. • WR LADD MCCONKEY (rookie) had 5 catches for 58 yards & 5th TD of season last week, 7th-straight game with 50+ rec. yards, tied-longest active streak in NFL. Has TD catch in 2 of his 3 games vs. division. Ranks 4th among rookies with 873 rec. yards this season, 3rd-most ever by Chargers rookie. • WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON aims for 3rd in row with 5+ catches & rec. TD. Has TD catch in 3 of past 4 at home. Had 91 rec. yards in last home meeting. Had TD catch in only career game on TNF (12/14/23 at LV). • WR JOSHUA PALMER aims for his 3rd in row on Thursday with rec. TD. • TE STONE SMARTT aims for 3rd in row with 50+ rec. yards. • DL POONA FORD had TFL last week & has TFL in 4 of past 5 at home. • LB JOEY BOSA had 2nd FF of season in Week 15. Had sack in his last game vs. Den. (1/8/23) & has sack in 2 of his past 3 vs. Den. • LB DAIYAN HENLEY aims for 9th in row with 8+ tackles & 3rd in row with PD. • LB KHALIL MACK has PD in 2 of past 3. Had FF & PD in Week 6 meeting. Has sack in 3 of his past 4 on Thursday. • LB TROY DYE had 9 tackles & 1st full sack of season in Week 15. • CB TARHEEB STILL had 4th INT last week, tied 2nd-most among rookies. • S DERWIN JAMES aims 4th in row with TFL. Has 6 PD in his past 4 vs. Den.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 16
NEW YORK — Dec. 18, 2024 — Below are players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season, including:
- QB Josh Allen
- QB Jalen Hurts
- RB Saquon Barkley
- WR A.J. Brown
- QB Lamar Jackson
- QB Joe Burrow
- WR Ja’Marr Chase
- RB Derrick Henry
- TE Brock Bowers
- WR Malik Nabers
- RB Tyrone Tracy
JOSH ALLEN
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, over the past three weeks, has become…
- The first quarterback ever with a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same game (Week 13).
- The first player all-time with at least three touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns in a regular-season game (Week 14).
- The first player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in consecutive games (Week 14-15).
On Sunday against New England (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), Allen can become the fifth player all-time with at least four offensive touchdowns (passing, rushing and receiving combined) in four consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (five consecutive games in 2004) and Dan Marino (four in 1984) as well as Tom Brady (four in 2020-21) and Drew Brees (four in 2018).
The players with at least four offensive touchdowns (passing, rushing and receiving combined) in the most consecutive games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON(S) | GAMES |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 2004 | 5 |
| Tom Brady | Tampa Bay | 2020-21 | 4 |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 2018 | 4 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 1984 | 4 |
| Josh Allen | Buffalo | 2024 | 3* |
| *active streak | |||
In Week 16, Allen can join Justin Fields (2022) and Kyler Murray (2020) as the only players with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games.
Additionally, Allen can also join Justin Fields (2022) and Johnny Lujack (1950) as the only quarterbacks all-time with a rushing touchdown in six consecutive games.
This season, Allen has 36 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (25 passing, 11 rushing) and can join Aaron Rodgers (six seasons) as the only players in NFL history with five career seasons with at least 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns.
Allen has 30,193 combined passing and rushing yards (26,098 passing, 4,095 rushing) in his career and can surpass Patrick Mahomes (30,360) for the most combined passing and rushing yards by a player in his first seven seasons in NFL history.
Allen as 63 career games with at least two touchdown passes and with his next such performance, can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (64 games) for the third-most games with multiple touchdown passes in a player’s first seven seasons in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (67 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (65) have more.
The players with the most games with at least two touchdown passes in their first seven seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 67 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 65 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 64 |
| Josh Allen | Buffalo | 63* |
| *in seventh season | ||
JALEN HURTS, SAQUON BARKLEY & A.J. BROWN
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts has 18 touchdown passes and 14 rushing touchdowns this season, including nine games with both a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown. With another such performance against Washington (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Hurts can join Josh Allen (11 games in 2023) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in 10 games within a season.
With a rushing touchdown, Hurts can tie the single-season record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, a mark that he and Josh Allen set last season (15 rushing touchdowns each).
The quarterbacks with the most rushing touchdowns in a season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | RUSH TDs |
| Josh Allen | Buffalo | 2023 | 15 |
| Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia | 2023 | 15 |
| Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia | 2024 | 14* |
| Cam Newton | Carolina | 2011 | 14 |
| *entering Week 16 | |||
Hurts has 55 career regular-season rushing touchdowns – the third-most by a quarterback in NFL history – and with a rushing touchdown on Sunday, can surpass Derrick Henry (55 rushing touchdowns) for the fifth-most by a player in his first five seasons since 2000.
The players with the most rushing touchdowns in their first five seasons since 2000:
| PLAYER | TEAM | RUSH TDs |
| LaDainian Tomlinson HOF | San Diego Chargers | 72 |
| Adrian Peterson | Minnesota | 64 |
| Shaun Alexander | Seattle | 62 |
| Todd Gurley | St. Louis/L.A. Rams | 58 |
| Derrick Henry | Tennessee | 55 |
| Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia | 55* |
| *in fifth season | ||
Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley leads the league with 1,964 scrimmage yards in 2024 and can become the fourth non-rookie in NFL history to record 2,000 scrimmage yards in his first season with a team, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (2,429 scrimmage yards in 1999 with the St. Louis Rams), Priest Holmes (2,169 in 2001 with Kansas City) and Ricky Williams (2,216 in 2002 with Miami).
Barkley, who had 2,028 scrimmage yards as a rookie with the New York Giants in 2018, can become the fourth player in NFL history to record 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season with two franchises, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson (L.A. Rams and Indianapolis Colts) and Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts) as well as Christian McCaffrey (Carolina and San Francisco).
Last week, Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown recorded his 20th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. With another such performance, Brown can tie Pro Football Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison (21 games) and Calvin Johnson (21) for the fourth-most games with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception by player in his first six seasons.
The players with the most games with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in their first six seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 31 |
| Lance Alworth HOF | San Diego Chargers | 28 |
| Jerry Rice HOF | San Francisco | 27 |
| Marvin Harrison HOF | Indianapolis | 21 |
| Calvin Johnson HOF | Detroit | 21 |
| A.J. Brown | Tennessee, Philadelphia | 20* |
| *in sixth season | ||
LAMAR JACKSON
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson has 3,580 passing yards with 34 touchdown passes and only three interceptions for a league-leading 120.7 passer rating along with 743 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns this season.
On Saturday against Pittsburgh (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX), he can become the first player in NFL history with at least 35 touchdown passes and three-or-fewer interceptions in his first 15 games of a season and the first player ever with at least 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns and three-or-fewer interceptions in his first 15 games of a season.
Jackson has 11 games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher this season, including seven games with a 125-or-better rating. With a passer rating of 125-or-higher on Saturday, he can join Aaron Rodgers (nine games in 2020) as the only players with eight games with a passer rating of 125-or-higher in a season in NFL history.
Jackson has nine games with at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions this season and can become the third player in NFL history with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions in 10-or-more games in a season, joining Tom Brady (11 games in 2010) and Aaron Rodgers (13 games in 2021, 11 in both 2020 and 2014 and 10 games in 2016).
Jackson has 6,001 career rushing yards and with 109 rushing yards, can surpass Michael Vick (6,109 rushing yards) for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.
JOE BURROW
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow leads the NFL with 3,977 passing yards and 36 touchdown passes this season and has passed for at least three touchdowns in each of his past six games.
This week, Burrow can become the fourth player in NFL history with 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes in three of his first five seasons, joining Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino.
On Sunday against Cleveland (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Burrow can become the fifth player all-time with at least three touchdown passes in seven consecutive games, joining Tom Brady (10 consecutive games in 2007) and Andrew Luck (eight in 2018) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (eight in 2004) and Dan Marino (seven from 1986-87).
The players with at least three touchdown passes in the most consecutive games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON(S) | GAMES |
| Tom Brady | New England | 2007 | 10 |
| Andrew Luck | Indianapolis | 2018 | 8 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 2004 | 8 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 1986-87 | 7 |
| Joe Burrow | Cincinnati | 2024 | 6* |
| *active streak | |||
Burrow has 43 career games with at least two touchdown passes and can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (43 games) for the fifth-most games with at least two touchdown passes by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
The players with the most games with at least two touchdown passes in their first five seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 50 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 46 |
| Josh Allen | Buffalo | 45 |
| Andrew Luck | Indianapolis | 45 |
| Joe Burrow | Cincinnati | 43* |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 43 |
| *in fifth season | ||
JA’MARR CHASE
Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase leads the NFL with 102 receptions, 1,413 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions this season and leads all players with 44 touchdown receptions since he entered the NFL in 2021.
On Sunday against Cleveland (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Chase can become the third player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions, 1,500 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions in his first 15 games in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (2003) and Jerry Rice (1995).
Chase has 5,130 career receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2021 and with 16 receiving yards, can surpass CeeDee Lamb (5,145 receiving yards) for the fourth-most by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
The players with the most receiving yards in their first four seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | REC. YARDS |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 5,899 |
| Michael Thomas | New Orleans | 5,512 |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 5,396 |
| CeeDee Lamb | Dallas | 5,145 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati | 5,130* |
| *in fourth season | ||
On Sunday, Chase can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Hayes (45 touchdown receptions) for the third-most touchdown receptions by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (53 touchdown receptions) and Jerry Rice (49) have more.
The players with the most touchdown receptions in their first four seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | REC. TDs |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 53 |
| Jerry Rice HOF | San Francisco | 49 |
| Bob Hayes HOF | Dallas | 45 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati | 44* |
| Rob Gronkowski | New England | 42 |
| *in fourth season | ||
JARED GOFF & AMON-RA ST. BROWN
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff passed for 494 yards and five touchdowns last week, his 40th career game with at least 300 passing yards.
On Sunday at Chicago, Goff can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (41 games) and Matt Ryan (41) for the second-most games with at least 300 passing yards by a player in his first nine seasons in NFL history.
The players with the most games with at least 300 passing yards in their first nine seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Patrick Mahomes # | Kansas City | 47 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 41 |
| Matt Ryan | Atlanta | 41 |
| Jared Goff * | L.A. Rams, Detroit | 40 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 40 |
| *in ninth season | ||
| #in eighth season | ||
Goff enters Week 16 with 2,971 career completions and can become the fifth player all-time with at least 3,000 completions in his first nine seasons, joining Matt Ryan (3,288 completions), Derek Carr (3,201), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (3,131) and Matthew Stafford (3,005).
Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown set career highs in receptions (14) and receiving yards (193) in Week 15 and has 95 receptions for 1,056 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
With five receptions in Week 16, St. Brown can become the third player in NFL history with 100 receptions in three of his first four seasons, joining Brandon Marshall and Michael Thomas.
St. Brown has 19 career games with at least 100 receiving yards and with another such performance in Week 16, can become the fourth player in NFL history with 20 such games in his first four career seasons, joining Justin Jefferson (29 games), Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (23) and A.J. Green (20).
The players with the most games with at least 100 receiving yards in their first four seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 29 |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 23 |
| A.J. Green | Cincinnati | 20 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit | 19* |
| *in fourth season | ||
BROCK BOWERS, MALIK NABERS AND TYRONE TRACY
Las Vegas rookie tight end Brock Bowers and New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers rank tied for fourth in the NFL with 90 receptions this season.
In Week 16, Bowers (against Jacksonville on Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) and Nabers (at Atlanta, 1 p.m. ET, FOX) can surpass Michael Thomas (92 receptions in 2016) for the fourth-most receptions by a rookie in NFL history.
The rookies with the most receptions in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | RECEPTIONS |
| Puka Nacua | L.A. Rams | 2023 | 105 |
| Jaylen Waddle | Miami | 2021 | 104 |
| Anquan Boldin | Arizona | 2003 | 101 |
| Michael Thomas | New Orleans | 2016 | 92 |
| Three tied | 91 | ||
| Brock Bowers | Las Vegas | 2024 | 90* |
| Malik Nabers | N.Y. Giants | 2024 | 90* |
| *entering Week 16 | |||
Bowers leads all tight ends with 968 receiving yards this season and in Week 16, can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) as the only rookie tight ends all-time with 1,000 receiving yards.
The rookie tight ends with the most receiving yards in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | REC. YARDS |
| Mike Ditka HOF | Chicago | 1961 | 1,076 |
| Kyle Pitts | Atlanta | 2021 | 1,026 |
| Brock Bowers | Las Vegas | 2024 | 968* |
| *entering Week 16 | |||
Nabers (903 scrimmage yards in 2024) and New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy (915 scrimmage yards this season) can become the third pair of rookie teammates each with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season, joining New Orleans’ Reggie Bush and Marques Colston (2006) and the Dallas Texans’ Abner Haynes and Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Robinson (1960).
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 14 OKLAHOMA NIPS NO. 24 MICHIGAN WITH 4-POINT PLAY
Jeremiah Fears converted a four-point play with 11.5 seconds remaining to lift No. 14 Oklahoma over No. 24 Michigan 87-86 at the Jumpman Invitational on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C.
Fears, the Sooners’ freshman sensation, finished with a career-high 30 points — 20 in the second half. With Oklahoma (11-0) trailing by three, he came off a screen to drain the game-tying 3-pointer as a foul knocked him off his feet. Fears tacked on the free throw.
Michigan (8-3) tried to get the ball inside but had to settle for a Tre Donaldson 3-point try with three seconds left. But Donaldson’s shot hit off the back of the rim, and while Michigan’s Danny Wolf grabbed the rebound, he didn’t have time to get a shot off before time expired.
Vladislav Goldin led Michigan with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field.
No. 6 Alabama 97, North Dakota 90
Grant Nelson recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in his homecoming and Mark Sears also scored 23 points as the Crimson Tide held off the Fighting Hawks at Grand Forks, N.D.
Labaron Philon added 16 points for Alabama (9-2), which trailed for nearly 21 minutes against inspired North Dakota. Nelson scored the tiebreaking basket with 1:47 left, and Alabama put the game away at the free-throw line.
Treysen Eaglestaff established career highs of 40 points and eight 3-pointers for the Fighting Hawks (4-9), who have lost four straight games and seven of their past eight. The contest was played in North Dakota due to Nelson, who grew up in tiny Devils Lake, N.D., located 90 miles west of Grand Forks.
No. 9 Marquette 80, Butler 70
Kam Jones scored 23 points and added seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Golden Eagles to a win over the Bulldogs in Milwaukee.
Marquette (10-2, 1-0 Big East) also got 15 points from both Stevie Mitchell, who also led the team with nine rebounds, and David Joplin.
Jahmyl Telfort and Kolby King each had 16 points for Butler (7-5, 0-1), and Telfort added 10 boards. The Bulldogs took their fourth consecutive loss.
No. 11 UConn 94, Xavier 89 (OT)
Tarris Reed Jr. had 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Huskies opened Big East play with an overtime victory against the Musketeers in Hartford, Conn.
UConn (9-3, 1-0 Big East) received 22 points from Solo Ball. Alex Karaban added 20 points for the Huskies, who have won five in a row since going 0-3 in the Maui Invitational.
Xavier’s Ryan Conwell led all scorers with 23 points. The Musketeers (8-4, 0-1) also got 22 points from Dante Maddox Jr.
No. 13 Gonzaga 102, Nicholls 72
Braden Huff scored 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting to help the Bulldogs cruise to a victory over the Colonels at Spokane, Wash.
Graham Ike added 20 points and Ryan Nembhard had 18 points and 10 assists as the Bulldogs (8-3) broke a two-game slide — the program’s first back-to-back losses since December 2018.
Byron Ireland recorded 16 points and four steals and Michael Gray Jr. added 14 points for Nicholls (7-5), which had a five-game winning streak snapped.
No. 15 Houston 78, Toledo 49
Terrance Arceneaux scored a career-high 16 points while Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler combined for 26 points as the Cougars rolled to a victory over the visiting Rockets.
The Cougars (7-3) extended their home winning streak to 28 games. Sharp overcame an ankle injury that sent him to the locker room in the opening minute to pair 13 points with five rebounds, while Tugler added 13 points and three blocks.
Toledo (6-5) has dropped four of five games following a five-game winning streak. Sam Lewis led the Rockets with 14 points.
No. 21 Memphis 64, Virginia 62
PJ Haggerty scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half and the Tigers rallied from an 11-point deficit for a win against the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va.
Haggerty made 8 of 15 field-goal attempts and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line and the Tigers (9-2) improved to 6-0 against ACC foes under seventh-year coach Penny Hardaway. Dain Dainja added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyrese Hunter chipped in 12 points.
The Cavaliers (6-5) lost for the first time in six home games this season and fell to 0-4 against ranked opponents. Elijah Saunders scored 15 points and Taine Murray matched his career high with 14.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 19 NORTH CAROLINA STARTS FAST, DOWNS FLORIDA
Maria Gakdeng scored 14 points and Lanie Grant added 13 as No. 19 North Carolina used 3-pointers to build an early lead and cruised past Florida 77-57 in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C.
Alyssa Ustby added 11 points and Gakdeng chipped in eight rebounds as the Tar Heels (11-2) bounced back from a six-point loss to then-No. 25 Georgia Tech on Sunday.
Alexia Mobley’s layup trimmed North Carolina’s lead to five with 3:18 left in the first quarter, but the Tar Heels responded with the final 11 points of the period: Gakdeng’s layup, two consecutive 3-pointers from Grant and another trey from Trayanna Crisp. The cushion grew to 21 at halftime and never dropped below 13 the rest of the way.
Liv McGill led Florida (7-4) with 15 points but went only 5 of 21 from the floor. Laila Reynolds added 10 points and Ra Shaya Kyle collected eight points and 11 rebounds. The Gators managed just 31.6 percent shooting from the floor, including 2 of 13 on 3-pointers.
No. 17 Georgia Tech 88, Rice 57
Rusne Augustinaite exploded for 23 points on 7 of 11 shooting from long range as the unbeaten Yellow Jackets warmed up in the second quarter and put away the Owls in the nonconference matchup in Atlanta.
Augustinaite, a sophomore, came off the bench to nail four treys in the first four-plus minutes of the second quarter, and Georgia Tech (12-0) went on to outscore Rice 21-7 in the period and lead 37-18 at halftime. She began the day averaging just 5.6 points after posting 10.8 per game as a freshman.
Kara Dunn scored 17 points, Zoesha Smith notched 11 points and 11 rebounds and Tonie Morgan chipped in 10 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 49.3 percent for the game, including 44.8 percent (13 of 29) from long range.
Hailey Adams led Rice (7-5) with 12 points and Dominique Ennis added 10. Both players chipped in five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Georgia Tech outrebounded the Owls 48-31. Rice shot 36.9 percent from the field, including a disastrous 12.5 percent (2 of 16) in the second quarter.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: UTAH CAPS RALLY WITH OT WIN VS. CANUCKS
Mikhail Sergachev scored with 11.4 seconds left in overtime for the Utah Hockey Club, who scored three unanswered goals to rally for a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
Sergachev backhanded a crossing pass from Logan Cooley under the pads of Thatcher Demko at the end of a two-on-one break for his second overtime winner of the season.
Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist and Dylan Guenther also scored for Utah, which won its third straight game. Cooley added a pair of assists and Karel Vejmelka finished with 24 saves as Utah extended its point streak to a season-best six games (5-0-1).
Danton Heinen and Dakota Joshua scored goals, Quinn Hughes had two assists and Demko made 28 saves for Vancouver. It was the ninth multi-assist game of the season for Hughes, the reigning Norris Trophy winner who leads all NHL defensemen with 30 assists.
Maple Leafs 5, Stars 3
William Nylander scored two goals and Joseph Woll made 36 saves to fuel Toronto’s victory over host Dallas for its fourth win in five games.
Toronto’s Nicholas Robertson, who collected a goal and an assist, was playing against his brother Jason with their parents in attendance. Max Domi and Bobby McMann also tallied for the Maple Leafs, who prevailed despite being outshot by a 39-19 margin.
Evgenii Dadonov logged a goal and an assist and Sam Steel and Colin Blackwell also scored for the Stars, who have lost seven straight decisions to Toronto. Jake Oettinger yielded four goals on 12 shots before being relieved after the second period by Casey DeSmith, who made six saves.
Panthers 6, Wild 1
Matthew Tkachuk scored a pair of goals, and Florida pulled away for a win over Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minn.
Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists for the Panthers, who won back-to-back games to complete a 3-2 road trip. Mackie Samoskevich finished with a goal and an assist. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 of 27 shots to improve to 15-6-1.
Marco Rossi scored the lone goal for Minnesota, which lost for the fourth time in the past six games. Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury gave up six goals on 33 shots and fell to 6-2-1.
Ducks 3, Jets 2
Troy Terry scored with 26 seconds left in regulation to give Anaheim a victory over visiting Winnipeg.
With the puck deep in Winnipeg’s zone, defenseman Neal Pionk tried a clearance attempt, but Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano deflected it. The loose puck went to Terry, who was open in front of the net, for the game-winning goal. Vatrano had two goals and an assist, and Radko Gudas had two assists. Lukas Dostal stopped 21 of 23 shots.
Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the Jets, and Kyle Connor had two assists. Winnipeg goaltender Eric Comrie stopped 28 of 31 shots. Comrie had to be very sharp early, as Anaheim outshot Winnipeg 12-4 during a scoreless first period.
Red Wings 6, Flyers 4
Patrick Kane scored the go-ahead goal at 7:22 of the third period and host Detroit held on to defeat Philadelphia.
J.T. Compher and Lucas Raymond each added a goal and an assist, while Alex DeBrincat, Michael Rasmussen and Joe Veleno supplied the other goals. Dylan Larkin notched two assists for Detroit, which has won three of its last four games. Alex Lyon, playing in his first game since Nov. 25, stopped 15 shots.
Travis Konecny, Noah Cates, Ryan Poehling and Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers, who are 2-4-1 in their last seven. Samuel Ersson made 18 saves.
BASEBALL
REPORTS: CARDS 3B NOLAN ARENADO REJECTS TRADE TO ASTROS
A week after the St. Louis Cardinals announced their intention to trade Nolan Arenado, the All-Star third baseman invoked his no-trade clause to veto a potential deal with the Houston Astros, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.
Arenado is owed a guaranteed $74 million over the upcoming three seasons, and the Cardinals were willing to give the Astros $15 million-$20 million of that amount, according to MLB.com. That report indicated the two sides were still in talks, though the chances of a deal being completed were viewed as minimal.
Houston could have a hole to fill at third base as All-Star Alex Bregman is a free agent. The Astros lost another key player last week when they dealt right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and minor league third baseman Cam Smith.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on Dec. 9 that trading Arenado “would be a big help. It’s financial, but it also creates a runway for someone else. …
“These decisions are not something we ever take lightly. (Arenado) is not demanding a trade. He’s not telling me I have to do it, but I think in the best interest of both sides, I’d like to try to find him someplace to land.”
Arenado, 33, is an eight-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glove winner. He landed in the top eight in NL Most Valuable Player voting six times.
He owns a career .285 batting average with .342 on-base percentage, a .515 slugging percentage, 341 homers and 1,132 RBIs in 1,680 games.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES/SPORTS NEWS
INDIANA HS FOOTBALL
ZACKERY NAMED INDIANA MR. FOOTBALL
Ben Davis CB/WR Mark Zackery IV was named the 2024 IndyStar Mr. Football, presented by the Indianapolis Colts. Zachery picked up 34% of the vote. Fishers wide receiver JonAnthony Hall was the runner-up with 19% and Concord running back Jaron Thomas third with 16% of the 1,850 eligible voters. Zackery caught 58 passes for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns to finish his career with 119 catches for 1,924 yards and 21 TD receptions.
COLTS NEWS
COLTS CLAIM CB AMBRY THOMAS OFF WAIVERS
Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts today claimed cornerback Ambry Thomas off waivers (from San Francisco).
Thomas, 6-0, 190 pounds, played in 42 career games (11 starts) in four seasons (2021-24) with the 49ers and compiled 65 tackles (53 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, 12 passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and 14 special teams stops. He also tallied four kickoff returns for 70 yards (17.5 avg.). Thomas saw action in five postseason contests (four starts) and registered 27 tackles (21 solo) and one pass defensed. He was originally selected by San Francisco in the third round (102nd overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Michigan. In 2024, Thomas spent Weeks 1-15 on the 49ers’ Injured Reserve list. His first name is pronounced AM-bree.
INDIANA PACERS
GAME PREVIEW: PACERS AT SUNS
The Pacers (12-15) and Suns (14-11) will clash in Phoenix each looking to extend a winning streak.
Both teams are the victors of two straight, and Phoenix looks to protect a winning streak of three consecutive wins at home. The Suns are 9-4 inside Footprint Center, and Indiana will seek to slow down the offensive star tandem of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in order to continue their own winning streak.
Both Booker and Durant average better than 25 points per game, and without the physicality of Aaron Nesmith’s perimeter defense, Indiana will look to Andrew Nembhard and others to fill the need on the defensive end.
The intensity on defense is vital for the Pacers’ offense – Phoenix allows the NBA’s sixth-most points off turnovers. Focus on the defensive side of the ball will lead to scoring opportunities on the offensive side.
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton is stepping into a stride that Indiana will ride in order to get its offense clicking. Over his last ten games, Haliburton is averaging 22 points and nearly nine assists.
The matchup with the Suns is the Pacers’ first of three road games out west. After Phoenix, they’ll make stops in Sacramento and San Francisco to play the Kings and Warriors before returning home on Dec. 26 for a clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Suns: G – Tyus Jones, G – Devin Booker, F – Royce O’Neale, F – Kevin Durant, C – Jusuf Nurkic
Injury Report
Pacers: Ben Sheppard – questionable (left oblique strain), Isaiah Jackson – out (torn right Achilles tendon), Aaron Nesmith – out (left ankle sprain), James Wiseman – out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Suns: Bradley Beal – questionable (knee), Collin Gillespie – questionable (right ankle fracture)
Last Meeting
Jan. 26, 2024: The Pacers weathered an offensive storm from Devin Booker to outlast the Suns, 133-131.
Indiana hosted Phoenix for the second matchup of two in the 2023-24 season. The Suns came out hot, posting two 40-point quarters in the first half and eclipsing 30 points in the third quarter, but the Pacers held them to just 17 fourth quarter points as they surged ahead to take the win.
Booker led Phoenix with 62 points on 59 percent shooting, but was the Suns’ only positive starter with a plus/minus of +1. Kevin Durant was a game-low -9 despite scoring 20 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out six assists.
Indiana boasted six double-figure scorers in Tyrese Haliburton’s absence due to injury. They were led by Pascal Siakam’s 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, with Obi Toppin contributing a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double off the bench.
Noteworthy
The Pacers will travel to Tucson on Wednesday ahead of their matchup with the Suns, to celebrate T.J. McConnell’s induction into the University of Arizona Basketball Ring of Honor.
Suns center Mason Plumlee is an Indiana native and played one year at Warsaw Community High School before transferring to Christ School in North Carolina.
The Pacers split the season series with Phoenix last season, 1-1.
Both teams are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
FanDuel Sports Network – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
INDY FUEL
FUEL FALL TO BISON 3-1 ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
FISHERS- The Fuel hosted the Bloomington Bison for the first time in franchise history. In their first Wednesday night home game of the season, the Fuel fell 3-1 to the Bloomington Bison.
1ST PERIOD
The first period went by quickly with just one penalty to Blake McLaughlin that the Bison killed off.
At 15:31, Joe Vrbetic became the franchise leader in consecutive minutes without letting up a goal after back-to-back shutout games in his last two appearances.
At the end of the first frame, shots were tied 5-5.
2ND PERIOD
Thomas Stewart scored the first goal of the game at 4:02 to give Bloomington a 1-0 lead.
At 15:30, Bryce Montgomery took a holding call but the Bison were able to kill it off.
The next penalty went to Indy’s Ryan Gagnier for slashing at 18:48. The Bison capitalized on the power play with a goal by McLaughlin to make it 2-0.
After two periods, the Fuel were outshooting Bloomington 16-12.
3RD PERIOD
Just 45 seconds into the third period, Darby Llewellyn scored to make it 2-1. Kevin Lombardi and Jordan Martin both claimed assists on that goal.
At 11:55, Adam McCormick took a tripping penalty, giving Bloomington a chance on the power play but the Fuel killed it off.
With just over two minutes to go, the Fuel pulled Vrbetic from the goal in favor of the extra skater.
After a tough battle, Bloomington captain Eddie Matsushima collected his second point of the night with an empty net goal to make it 3-1 in favor of the Bison at 19:37.
Less than a minute later, time expired and despite outshooting Bloomington 27-16, the Fuel fell 3-1.
INDIANA FEVER
IOWA TO RETIRE CAITLIN CLARK’S NO. 22 ON FEB. 2
Iowa announced Wednesday it will retire women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 jersey — appropriately enough on Feb. 2.
The Hawkeyes will face Southern California that day at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City and Clark will be in attendance.
Clark, 22, set the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record for men and women with 3,951 points at Iowa (2020-24) before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
“I’m forever proud to be a Hawkeye, and Iowa holds a special place in my heart that is bigger than just basketball,” Clark said in a statement. “It means the world to me to receive this honor and to celebrate it with my family, friends and alumni. It will be a great feeling to look up in the rafters and see my jersey alongside those that I’ve admired for so long.”
Clark guided the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten tournament titles and back-to-back national championship games, earning consensus national player of the year honors in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
“Caitlin Clark has not only redefined excellence on the court but has also inspired countless young athletes to pursue their dreams with passion and determination,” Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz said. “Her remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on the University of Iowa and the world of women’s basketball.
“Retiring her number is a testament to her extraordinary contributions and a celebration of her legacy that will continue to inspire future generations. Hawkeye fans are eager to say thank you for so many incredible moments.”
Clark earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 and helped the Indiana Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The guard also earned All-Star and All-WNBA first-team honors and led the league with a record 337 assists.
INDIANA/NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
NO. 3 NOTRE DAME, NO. 9 INDIANA TAKE ONE LAST SPIN WITH 1-YEAR QBS KURTIS ROURKE AND RILEY LEONARD
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti pored through the transfer portal last December, looking for a proven quarterback with a winning resume who could quickly become the cornerstone in another rebuilding project.
He landed on 23-year-old Kurtis Rourke, the 2022 Mid-American Conference MVP.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman had a far simpler pitch to former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard — win a national championship and go down in Fighting Irish lore.
Both coaches took big swings on their respective one-year hired guns and on Friday, they’ll reap the reward when Rourke leads the 10th-seeded Hoosiers against the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish in what looked like an impossible first-round College Football Playoff matchup all those months ago.
“We’ve had to prove, a lot of us have had to prove we belong wherever we are,” Rourke said. “It just fuels us, knowing that we’re counted out and we’re the underdog and we always will be — at least for this year — so we can go in and play freely and that we’re capable of competing with anybody.”
For Rourke, Leonard, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, there won’t be a next year. Each transferred to their playoff-bound schools with one college season left, so whatever happens over the next month must suffice.
If any of the four bring home a national championship, they could cement this model for years or decades given what all four have achieved.
Rourke’s ninth-ranked Hoosiers (11-1, No. 8 CFP) already have left quite a legacy.
They broke the school records for single-season wins, scuttled preseason projections of a 17th-place finish in the 18-team Big Ten by tying for second — ahead of perennial powers Michigan and Ohio State, came within a tiebreaker of playing for their first conference crown since 1967 and earned one of the precious 12 playoff bids.
Cignetti left nothing to chance. He brought most of his staff and 13 players from James Madison to Indiana, and the continuity helped speed up the transition.
He also brought more than a dozen other transfers including Rourke, who looked like a perfect fit — mature, 33 starts and 21 wins in his career, a high completion percentage and low interception rate and a brother, Nathan, who also played at Ohio before going pro.
“He’s played a lot of football, and you learn by doing,” said Cignetti, who was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year on Tuesday. “He’s gotten a lot of reps playing quarterback, a lot of successful reps. He’s a quick thinker, and he processes quickly. He’s extremely accurate, and he’s good in the pocket. He doesn’t panic. He has certainly taken his game to another level.”
Rourke, who got married in February, wanted to play another year and was intrigued by Cignetti’s confidence, system and history of cultivating conference player-of-the-year quarterbacks at previous schools.
The results were impeccable despite Rourke suffering a late-season thumb injury on his throwing hand, which required surgery. Despite missing one game, Rourke heads into the final month of this season as the most efficient passer in the FBS (181.38) and ranked near the top nationally in completion percentage (70.4%) and touchdown passes (27) on the highest scoring team (43.3 points) in the playoff.
He was named second-team all-Big Ten, behind Gabriel and ahead of Howard. Freeman has already seen enough on tape to know what Notre Dame’s stout defense is up against.
“Every great offense is led by a great quarterback and this is no different,” Freeman said. “He’s been in big games, he’s played a lot of football games, and he makes really good decisions. He knows where he’s going with his throws, he knows what he’s looking for and he executes at a high level.”
Leonard poses different problems for the Hoosiers.
One of the nation’s top rushing quarterbacks chose Notre Dame because of its tradition and the lure of leading one of college football’s blueblood programs to end a 36-year title drought, the longest since Notre Dame claimed its first title in 1924.
Freeman took this journey last year when Sam Hartman left Wake Forest and spent his final college season in South Bend. But Freeman isn’t necessarily married to the concept of recruiting a new starting quarterback every year.
“There’s a process it takes to make sure your quarterback and your offense are performing at the highest levels they can,” he said. “But there are also ways to expedite the process as I think Riley and coach (Mike) Denbrock and coach (Gino) Guidugli have been doing. As far as moving forward, it’s not something on worrying about in the future.”
That’s why the Irish (11-1, No. 3 AP) have made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2021 — and the first time with Freeman running the show.
A year ago, with Hartman, Notre Dame’s title hopes were derailed by two early season losses. This year, Leonard helped the Irish rebound from their stunning September loss to Northern Illinois by leading them to 10 straight wins while joining five Power 4 quarterbacks to top 1,900 yards passing and 650 yards rushing.
And with the Irish just four wins away from their ultimate goal, Leonard is ready for one last ride.
“I’ve been in every situation, played in a lot of big-time games, too. So I’ve been in this situation, I know what it’s like,” said Leonard, who has rushed for 33 career TDs. “To make it where we are now is kind of why I came to Notre Dame. I came here to compete, to make the playoff and to compete for a national championship.”
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
FREEMAN, JACKSON JOIN HISTORIC RECRUITING CLASS
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Head coach Steve Aird and the Indiana volleyball program added the final two pieces to the highest-ranked prep recruiting class (No. 14 by Prep Dig, TBD by Prep Volleyball) in school history on Wednesday (Dec. 18) evening. All five players will join the team this summer.
The Hoosiers signed a pair of back row pieces – both ranked inside the top-150 of Prep Dig’s Class of 2025 rankings – that will provide instant impact in service reception and defense. The two players join previously signed outside hitters Charlotte Vinson and Jaidyn Jager and middle blocker Victoria Gray as part of IU’s five-player freshman class.
“Our 2025 class has been considered one of the nation’s best for some time and we are incredibly proud to welcome them to IU,” Aird said. “They each bring unique skills to the table, but they are all fantastic human beings and great teammates. We want to keep building the program with selfless athletes that care deeply about this university and each other. Our staff has worked incredibly hard to recruit amazing young people and we can’t wait until this group arrives in Bloomington.”
Avery Freeman, a 5-4 defensive specialist from Bloomington, Indiana is the first homegrown player (Bloomington North) to sign with the Hoosiers since All-American Ashley Benson (Bloomington North) in 2007. Freeman is considered one of the best defensive specialists in the entire class and will provide depth in the back row alongside All-Big Ten libero Ramsey Gary. Freeman was ranked No. 73 overall in the class of 2025 by Prep Dig.
As a high school player, Freeman was a three-time All-Conference Indiana selection and was named an IHSVCA Second Team All-State selection in 2024. She was teammates with Vinson (Yorktown) in the 2024 IHSVCA 3A/4A All-Star team. Freeman racked up over 1,200 digs during her varsity career and also tacked on over 200 service aces.
Audrey Jackson, a 5-11 outside hitter and defensive specialist from Flower Mound, Texas, was a late addition to the signing class but provides versatility with a big arm and great ball-handling skills. A decorated beach player, Jackson made the late switch to play indoor volleyball in college. She can score points from all over the court but also has the ability to serve as a three-row defensive specialist for the Hoosiers.
Jackson was the 5-6A District MVP at Flower Mound High School in Texas after racking up over 300 kills as a senior. She helped lead her prep program to over 57 wins in the last two seasons including 34 in 2023. Jackson spent time with the USA National Team Development Program on both the indoor and beach side. She played her club volleyball at Texas Advantage (TAV) – the same illustrious program that produced former Hoosiers Isa Lopez and Savannah Kjolhede.
Avery Freeman • 5-4 • Defensive Specialist • Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North (Circle City)
• No. 73 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig, No. 11 Defensive Specialist
• Career Stats: 1,230 Digs, 213 Service Aces, 190 Assists
• Three-time All-Conference Selection
• 2024 IHSVCA Second Team All-State
• 2024 Indiana 3A/4A All-Star Team
• USA Volleyball National Development Program Selection
• First Bloomington native to sign with IU since Ashley Benson (2007)
• One of five top-150 recruits by Prep Dig to sign with Indiana (No. 14 Overall Recruiting Class)
Freeman – Why IU: “I chose IU because I’ve grown up around the program since I was little and it’s been my dream to play in my hometown at IU.”
Aird on Freeman: “We have watched Avery for years and have always appreciated her for so many reasons. First, she is a fantastic volleyball player. Her ball control and footspeed are elite. We feel she will make an impact on the program immediately. Second, she is a tough competitor. She is not afraid of a challenge and will compete every day of her career. Finally, she loves Indiana. She had many options to continue her career but always loved IU and truly wanted to be here. Finding people who believe in your vision is crucial. Her heart has been at IU for as long as she can remember, and in many ways, she was destined to wear the cream and crimson.
Audrey Jackson • 5-11 • Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist • Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound (TAV)
• No. 142 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig
• Career Stats: 510 Kills, 382 Digs
• Helped lead Flower Mound High School to 57 wins over the last two seasons
• 2024 District 5-6A MVP and 1st Team All-District Selection in Texas
• USA Volleyball National Development Program Selection in Indoor and Beach
• Accomplished Beach Volleyball Player
• 2022 and 2023 Under Armour All-American
• One of five top-150 recruits by Prep Dig to sign with Indiana (No. 14 Overall Recruiting Class)
Jackson – Why IU: “When I saw the team culture and the level of play, I immediately wanted to be a part of it. The coaching staff is amazing and I like how they develop their players. I feel like IU will bring out the best in me as a player and a person.”
Aird on Jackson: “Audrey is a fantastic young volleyball player that has taken an untraditional path IU. She was on our radar early in her club volleyball career but chose to pursue beach in college, so that was the end of our recruitment. When she reopened her options, we were excited to connect with her again and thrilled she chose to continue her career here. She is a dynamic athlete that has a great feel for the game and exceptional ball control. She is competitive and has plenty of tools that can our program in a variety of ways. Audrey is excited about the opportunity and she will do great things at IU.”
PURDUE WRESTLING
PURDUE RUMBLES TO ROAD WIN AT CLEVELAND STATE
CLEVELAND – Purdue Wrestling wrapped up the calendar year on a good note, beating Cleveland State 35-9 on Wednesday at Woodling Gymnasium.
The Boilermakers (5-1) outscored the Vikings (0-2) 109-26 in total points, highlighted by Isaac Ruble’s third career pin and five technical falls, tying the team’s most in a dual this season.
No. 1 Matt Ramos, Greyson Clark, No. 28 Stoney Buell, No. 26 Brody Baumann and Ben Vanadia were Purdue’s winners by tech fall.
Dustin Norris recorded a major decision, giving the Boilers bonus points in all seven of their match victories.
Ruble took down Cleveland State’s Connor Saylor a little over a minute into his bout before notching another one in the second period. He turned it into his first fall of the season at the 4:46 mark, good for Purdue’s lone pin of the evening.
The national leader in technical falls, Ramos added another to his belt with a commanding 17-1 final score at the 6:12 mark. The top-ranked 125-pounder in the nation registered his 10th tech of the season to improve to 15-0.
To put his hot start in perspective, the two-time NCAA qualifier never had more than four technical falls in a season prior to 2024-25. With 10 on the year, he has two more than the next closest wrestler in the country.
Fresh off a pair of wins at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Clark matched his season high with 18 points, finishing Ethan Mitchell off in 3:45.
Also matching a season best, Buell put up 17 points in a dominant 17-2 finish (4:37) with four takedowns and a four-point nearfall.
Baumann moved at a lightning-fast pace to secure a 19-3 win in just 2:06, good for the Boilermakers’ fastest technical fall by any wrestler all season. Now 11-3 this season, the redshirt sophomore carries the highest ranking of his young career (26th) into the new year.
Wrestling near his hometown, Vanadia logged a tech fall for the first time since Nov. 17 at Buffalo, beating Joey Lyons 17-1 in 5:38. At 10-5 through 15 matches, the Brecksville, Ohio, native is well on his way to his best record in his three seasons at Purdue.
Norris returned to action for the first time since Nov. 23 at Chattanooga and punctuated his night in Cleveland with an 11-0 victory. Thanks to a pair of takedowns, a three-point nearfall, an escape and nearly two minutes of riding time, he posted the sixth shutout of his collegiate career.
UP NEXT
After the turn of the new year, the Boilermakers will take one more road trip to Kent State before beginning Big Ten Conference action. Purdue faces the Golden Flashes at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 3, on a streaming channel yet to be announced.
RESULTS
125 | #1 Matt Ramos (PUR) def. Ben Aranda (CSU) – TF 17-1 (6:12)
133 | Dustin Norris (PUR) def. Jake Manley (CSU) – MD 11-0
141 | Greyson Clark (PUR) def. Ethan Mitchell (CSU) – TF 18-3 (3:45)
149 | Isaac Ruble (PUR) def. Connor Saylor (CSU) – Fall 4:46
157 | Douglas Terry (CSU) def. Kade Law (PUR) – D 6-0
165 | #28 Stoney Buell (PUR) def. Tate Geiser (CSU) – TF 17-2 (4:37)
174 | #26 Brody Baumann (PUR) def. Gavin Ricketts (CSU) – TF 19-3 (2:06)
184 | JR Reed (CSU) def. Orlando Cruz (PUR) – D 4-3
197 | Ben Vanadia (PUR) def. Joey Lyons (CSU) – TF 17-1 (5:38)
285 | #18 Daniel Bucknavich (CSU) def. Hayden Filipovich (PUR) – D 6-1
PURDUE FOOTBALL
JOSH HENSON NAMED PURDUE FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Josh Henson, a college coach for 25 years who has spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator at USC, has been named as the new offensive coordinator for Purdue Football, head coach Barry Odom announced Wednesday (Dec. 18). Along with guiding the Purdue offense, Henson will also serve as the Boilermakers’ tight ends coach.
“I’ve known Josh for almost 30 years and have always had respect for his approach to the game,” said Odom. “His experience is elite, his ability to build a game plan and put players in a position to be successful is very impressive. He has shown a great ability to identify, recruit and develop players at all positions. He will be able to create an offense that is attacking in all aspects. I’m thrilled to have Josh here leading our offense!”
Henson has coached in the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12 over his career. He was also a coach on a national championship team, knowing what it takes to reach the mountaintop of college football. Henson has been a part of bowl-eligible teams every season since 2016, while only missing bowl eligibility twice since 2007. Throughout his career, Henson has coached 27 all-conference selections, 19 NFL Draft picks and three All-Americans.
Since 2016, Henson offenses have finished Top 10 nationally in passing offense six times (three in the Top 5), scoring offense five times (twice in the Top 5), passing efficiency four times (three in the top 5) and scoring offense three times (all in the Top 5).
During his time at USC, the Trojans ranked among the nation’s best over the past three seasons: second in passing yards (12,525), third in passing touchdowns (105) and fourth in points (1,480). His 2024 offense led the Big Ten in passing and ranked 10th nationally by averaging 291.7 yards per game through the air. USC averaged 440.4 yards of total offense per game this season, cracking the Top 3 in the Big Ten and Top 25 in the country.
Along with his duties as offensive coordinator, Henson coached the offensive line during his time with the Trojans. Emmanuel Pregnon (Second Team), Jonah Monheim (Third Team) and Elijah Paige (Honorable Mentioned) earned All-Big Ten honors this season. In 2023, Henson’s offensive line was part of an offense that was ranked No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (41.8) and No. 10 in the nation in total offense (467.6). The unit’s protection allowed quarterback Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, to rank Top 10 in the nation in eight different statistical categories. USC was victorious over No. 16 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl to end the season, as Henson helped prepare backup quarterback Miller Moss for the role of leading the Trojan offense in the bowl game.
Henson led one of the best offensive line units in the nation in 2022. The Trojan offensive line was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award and was instrumental in protecting Williams to allow him to have a record-breaking season. Linemen Andrew Vorehees and Brett Neilon were both named First Team All-Americans, while Vorhees was the offensive recipient of the Morris Trophy and was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team. USC earned a trip to the Cotton Bowl to conclude the 2022 season.
Before arriving at USC, Henson spent three seasons (2019-21) as the offensive line coach at Texas A&M. Guard Kenyon Green was a two-time First Team All-American (2020-2021), center Bryce Foster and offensive tackle Reuben Fatheree II earned First Team Freshman All-America accolades and A&M ranked 22nd nationally in tackles-for-loss allowed. In 2020, Henson’s offensive line was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, as the Aggies ranked in the Top 5 nationally in fewest sacks allowed and TFL allowed and were the first team in 10 years to lead the SEC in fewest sacks allowed, tackles-for-loss allowed and yards per carry. Texas A&M earned berths to the 2019 Texas Bowl, 2021 Orange Bowl and 2021 Gator Bowl during Henson’s tenure in College Station.
Before that, Henson returned to his alma mater, Oklahoma State, for three seasons (2016-18). He spent 2016 as an offensive analyst, then coached the offensive line in 2017 and 2018. The 2017 Cowboys led the nation in passing offense, ranked second in total offense and first downs, third in pass efficiency and fourth in scoring offense while becoming the first offense in Big 12 history with a 4,000-yard passer, a pair of 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher. In 2018, Oklahoma State ranked in the national Top 15 in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense and first downs. The Cowboys played in the 2016 Alamo Bowl, 2017 Camping World Bowl and 2018 Liberty Bowl during Henson’s return to Stillwater.
Henson spent seven years (2009-15) at Missouri, where he would coach alongside Odom for three seasons, the first four (2009-12) as the co-offensive line coach and the last three (2013-15) as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Four of his offensive linemen were NFL draftees. The Tigers won back-to-back SEC East titles in 2013 and 2014. Missouri appeared in five bowls during his time: the 2009 Texas Bowl, 2010 Insight Bowl, 2011 Independence Bowl, 2014 Cotton Bowl and 2015 Citrus Bowl.
Henson was LSU’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for four seasons (2005-08), including with the Tigers’ 2007 national championship squad. He helped assemble Top 10 recruiting classes in 2006 and 2007 when he was named one of college football’s Top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com. LSU played in the 2005 Peach Bowl, 2007 Sugar Bowl, 2008 BCS National Championship Game and 2008 Chick-Fil-A Bowl while Henson was down on the Bayou.
He served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State in 1999, then was the Cowboys’ tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for four years (2001-04).
Henson got his coaching start as an assistant at Kingfisher (Okla.) High in 1998, helping lead the team to the state semifinals.
As a player, Henson started 37 games on the Oklahoma State offensive line during his career (1993-97), earning All-Big 12 second team honors as a senior. He received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Oklahoma State in 1998.
TRUMP NAMED PURDUE DEFENSIVE ENDS COACH
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Football head coach Barry Odom has announced that Jake Trump will serve as the Boilermakers’ defensive ends coach as part of his new staff. Trump arrives in West Lafayette following a five-year stint at Arkansas.
“Jake’s experiences will be extremely valuable in the development of our program,” said Odom. “He has worked his way up in the coaching profession and continues to make an impact every step of the way. His ability to recruit, connect with players and coach his group will be huge for our team. Jake understands our defensive philosophy by helping build it over the years as a player and as a coach.”
Trump spent the past five seasons at Arkansas as defensive quality control, which included three seasons when Odom was the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator. The Arkansas defense had 12 All-SEC honorees during his time in Fayetteville.
Arkansas’ rush defense improved with Trump on staff, allowing just 121.8 yards per game this past season to rank seventh in the SEC and 32nd nationally. Last year, Trump helped a Razorback defensive unit that allowed only 357.2 yards per game, the team’s lowest since 2014. The 2023 Hogs also ranked fourth in the SEC in pass defense, surrendering just 202.8 yards per game through the air.
During the 2021 season, Trump helped Arkansas rank sixth in the SEC in points allowed per game (22.9) and passing yards allowed per game (214.2). In the defensive ends room, Tre Williams led the entire Razorback team with six sacks.
Prior to making the leap to Arkansas, Trump was a defensive graduate assistant at Nevada during the shortened 2020 campaign.
Trump played under Odom at Missouri (2015-18) before joining the staff after graduating to jump start his coaching career (2019). His playing career was highlighted by appearing in all 13 games during the 2018 season. Trump was a standout in the classroom, landing on the SEC Academic Honor Roll four consecutive years.
Trump graduated from Missouri in 2019 as a double major, earning bachelor degrees in agribusiness and agricultural systems management.
PURDUE FOOTBALL WELCOMES KELVIN GREEN AS DEFENSIVE LINE COACH
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Kelvin Green has been named the new defensive line coach for Purdue Football, head coach Barry Odom announced Wednesday (Dec. 18). Green reunites with Odom after spending the past three seasons at Arkansas.
“I had the opportunity to work with Kelvin at a previous stop and was so impressed with his knowledge of the game, ability to develop players and mentoring young men,” said Odom. “He will have an immediate impact on his position group and our program. He is a great addition to Purdue University!”
While working with the Razorbacks, Green served as senior defensive quality control for the past two seasons after beginning his time in Arkansas as defensive quality control during the 2022 campaign. Arkansas’ rush defense improved each season during Green’s tenure, rising from 93rd all the way to 32nd in the nation in 2024 (121.8 yards per game). Green worked with six Razorbacks that earned All-SEC accolades, including two-time honoree Landon Jackson, the team’s sack leader the past two seasons with 6.5 each year.
In 2023, Green helped an Arkansas defense that allowed only 357.2 yards per game, the program’s lowest since 2014. That unit ranked fourth in the SEC, surrendering just 202.8 yards per game through the air. During the 2022 season, Green’s first in Fayetteville and working under Odom, linebacker Drew Sanders was named an All-American by The Associated Press.
Prior to Arkansas, Green spent nine seasons at Delta State, including three years as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He also coached linebackers and defensive line during his time with the Statesmen.
In his first season as defensive coordinator in 2019, the Delta State defense led the GSC in total defense (309.2 ypg/29th NCAA), rush defense (122.0 ypg/36th NCAA) and sacks per game (2.70) while also ranking second in red zone defense (.714/38th NCAA).
Green’s defense produced five All-GSC performers, two All-Americans and five Gulf South Conference Players of the Week in 2019. Junior Faulk, and Vada King earned First Team All-GSC accolades, while Eric Sadler and Marvin Terry earned second team honors. Falk was named a finalist for the C-Spire Conerly Trophy, which is given each year to the top collegiate player in Mississippi, and also nabbed All-American and Academic All-GSC honors. In the classroom, 13 defensive players were named to the 2019 Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA or higher. The team’s overall team GPA was a 3.1 and the defensive GPA was a 3.0.
During the 2018 season, defensive lineman Tramond Lofton ranked third in sacks (6.0) and fourth in tackles-for-loss (10.0) in the GSC, while Ovenson Cledanord finished fourth in sacks (4.5) and fifth in tackles-for-loss (9.5). Lofton and fellow defensive lineman Eric Sadler were also named to the All-GSC Second Team.
In 2017, the Statesmen led the Gulf South Conference in rushing defense, sacks and tackles-for-loss. The 45 sacks were sixth in NCAA Division II, with Green’s charges accounting for 22. The Statesmen also ranked 14th in NCAA Division II in tackles-for-loss (110), with the defensive line accounting for 46. Green also coached Brandon Gaddy, who was named Second Team All-GSC and First Team All-Region.
Under Green’s guidance in 2016, the Statesmen defensive line amassed 19 of the defense’s 23 sacks and 46 of the team’s 83 tackles-for-loss. The 2015 defense led the GSC in TFLs (119), ninth nationally, and finished second in the GSC in sacks (33). More specifically, the defensive line was responsible for 46 tackles-for-loss and 16.5 sacks.
In 2014, the Statesmen finished sixth nationally in sacks (39), 24 tallied by the defensive line, and led the nation in tackles-for-loss (119), including 46.5 notched by the defensive front. Randall Boyd was named First Team All-GSC and All-South Region. Green was also responsible for recruiting Richard Nash, a First Team and Second Team All-South Region selection, and Romelo Wilson, who also earned Second Team All-GSC and All-South Region honors.
The Statesmen defensive front increased production when Green took over in 2013. DSU led the Gulf South Conference in run defense and ranked second in sacks. First Team All-GSC selection Diego Lubin finished third in sacks and second in tackles-for-loss in the GSC, while Second Team All-GSC selection Adrian Dinkins ranked sixth in the conference in tackles-for-loss and 12th in sacks.
Green came to the Delta from Columbia High School out of Atlanta, Georgia where he served as the offensive line coach from 2009-12 and defensive coordinator from 2010-11. Columbia recorded their first winning season in years and first playoff berth in 10 seasons while Green served as defensive coordinator.
Green lettered one year at Georgia Military College in 2004-05 before transferring to Clemson University to complete his degree in 2007. Green graduated from Clemson with a bachelor’s degree in park, recreation and tourism management in 2009 in addition to his associate’s degree in applied science in 2006.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
2 RECEIVE AVCA ALL-AMERICA ACCOLADES
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its All-America Teams, which included Raven Colvin and Eva Hudson as Second Team members.
It is the fourth consecutive year Purdue’s produced multiple members to the All-America list.
Colvin, one of the best blockers in program history, closes her collegiate chapter with the highest All-America honor of her career, after earning Honorable Mention a year ago. Purdue’s all-time block assists leader also finished with 642 career blocks and 1.39 blocks per set, both second-most of any Boilermaker to wear the Old Gold and Black. Not only that, Colvin reached her 1,000th career kill during postseason play.
The Indianapolis, Indiana product played her best volleyball as a senior, registering a Big Ten-leading 1.56 blocks per set, which also ranked No. 3 in the nation and helped earn her the All-Big Ten First Team and Midwest Region accolades. This season, Colvin hit .500 or better in 10 matches, including back-to-back showings to end the season (.500% vs. Loyola Chicago in the NCAA Second Round and .550% at No. 1 seed Louisville in the NCAA Regional Semifinal). The senior leader also posted 18 matches with at least six blocks, with three 10-block performances, including 11 blocks at No. 2 Nebraska.
Hudson received her second straight Second Team honor after leading the Big Ten in kills (567) and kills per set (4.81). The junior produced a .563 career-high attack % in the NCAA Second Round vs. Loyola Chicago (20-2-32) and produced just three attack errors over the First and Second Rounds, leading all players with 6.83 kills per set over the first weekend of postseason play. A tide-turner for Purdue, she reached 15 kills in 24 matches this season, with 10 matches hitting .350 or better.
The three-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree opened the year with an AVCA National Player of the Week honor. Over her time with Purdue, she became the program’s fastest player to reach 1,000 kills and has led the Big Ten every year in kills.
Purdue closes the chapter on one of its best seasons in the Dave Shondell era, posting a 27-7 (16-4 Big Ten) record, marking Purdue’s second 27-win season since the 1980’s. The Boilermakers finished fourth in the Big Ten standings following 10 program records either set or tied since the beginning of league action. As a team, Purdue hit .280% on the year, ranking No. 3 in Purdue single-season history. It was the second time this century that the Boilermakers have hit so efficiently. The team ranked in the nation’s top 10 in assists per set (No. 8), kills per set (No. 8) and blocks per set (No. 9).
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
SECOND HALF PUSH NO. 9 MARQUETTE BY BUTLER, 80-70
No. 9 Marquette’s second half outburst led to an 80-70 win over Butler Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
The Golden Eagles got 23 points from Kam Jones and utilized a 28-7 advantage in second-half points in the win. Down three points at the break, Marquette outscored Butler, 48-35, in the second half.
Marquette improves to 10-2, while Butler falls to 7-5. It was the BIG EAST opener for both teams.
HOW IT TRANSPIRED:
Butler led for 19:06 of the first half, ending the opening stanza with a 35-32 advantage.
Marquette’s only lead of the first half came after two David Joplin free throws gave the home team a 27-26 advantage with 4:29 remaining; Butler then responded with back-to-back three-pointers to retake the lead.
Marquette came out of the locker room strong to open the second half, forcing three Butler turnovers in the first four possessions, which led to an 8-0 run and a 40-35 Marquette lead with 17:41 remaining.
Another 8-0 Marquette run came after Butler had trimmed the lead the only six and resulted in a 68-54 advantage with 5:04 remaining, which was the largest lead of the contest.
Butler’s final push came with back-to-back three-pointers that cut the lead to six at 73-67, but Stevie Mitchell answered with an And-1 to return the lead to nine with 1:38 remaining in the contest.
NOTEWORTHY:
Marquette took 75 attempts from the field compared to only 47 by Butler thanks to 20 offensive rebounds; in all, Marquette had a 38-27 rebounding edge.
Butler committed 14 turnovers, while forcing Marquette into only two.
The Bulldogs shot 51 percent from the field, including 9-for-22 (41 percent from three-point range).
Jahmyl Telfort led Butler with 16 points and 10 rebounds, his second career double-double.
Kolby King (16) and Patrick McCaffery (13) saw all of their points come in the second half.
Mitchell made all six of his attempts from the field, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds.
In matching up with Marquette’s quick starting line-up, Landon Moore got his third career start for the Bulldogs.
Butler was 7-0 when leading at halftime prior to tonight’s loss.
The setback pushes Butler’s losing streak to four games.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five-game stretch that includes four Top 25 opponents (having played Houston, Wisconsin and Marquette with Connecticut upcoming).
The series between Butler and Marquette dates back to 1922 (Marquette now leads 27-25)
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Saturday to host two-time defending national champion Connecticut. A limited number of tickets remain for the contest. The Huskies are ranked No. 13 and No. 11, respectively, in this week’s national polls. The Noon tip will stream on Peacock. Fans can listen to the game as part of Butler Basketball Live with Mark Minner and Nick Gardner via the Varsity Network app.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BIG EAST OPENER SENDS BUTLER TO DEPAUL
The first BIG EAST game for the Butler women’s basketball team is coming up on Saturday afternoon. The DePaul Blue Demons will host the Bulldogs at 3 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Central. Action inside Wintrust Arena will stream on FloSports.com.
Game Day
Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM ET I 2:00 PM CT
Location: Chicago, Ill. – Wintrust Arena
Live Stats: DePaulBlueDemons.com
Watch: FloSports.com – BEDN
Bulldog Bits
– BU outscored Saint Francis 32-5 in the third quarter on Sunday.
– It was the second time BU has scored 30+ points in a quarter under the leadership of Coach Parkinson.
– Butler only had nine turnovers vs. Saint Francis matching their lowest total of the season.
– Lily Carmody led BU in scoring for the second time this season, scoring 18 in the win over SFU.
– Carmody set new career-high totals in rebounds (7), assists (6) and steals (4) in the victory.
– Carmody hit three 3-pointers in her last game, moving her career total to seven.
– Lily Zeinstra shined in her first start of the season scoring 17 points while shooting 4-6 from three.
– Karsyn Norman had six assists and just one turnover in her last game while adding three steals.
– Kilyn McGuff leads the BIG EAST and ranks 18th in the nation in double-doubles (5).
– McGuff leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds per game (7.7).
– McGuff needs five more steals to reach 100 in her career; she is eight free throws shy of 200.
– Ari Wiggins has been great from 3-point range this year making 75% of her attempts (9-12).
– Butler leads the BIG EAST in bench points per game (28.3).
– Cristen Carter ranks fifth in the league in blocked shots (15) and is eighth in blocks per game (1.1).
– Carter had seven rebounds in just 13 minutes of playing time in her last game.
– The Bulldogs lead the league in free throw attempts (20.9) and free throws made (14.2) per game.
– Jocelyn Land grabbed a career-high six rebounds in the win over Saint Franics.
– Land went 3-for-6 from 3-point range last week.
BIG EAST Standings
UConn 1-0, 10-1
Creighton 1-0, 9-2
St. John’s 0-0, 10-1
Marquette 0-0, 7-2
Butler 0-0, 10-3
Seton Hall 0-0, 8-3
Providence 0-0, 7-6
Villanova 0-0, 6-6
DePaul 0-0, 5-8
Georgetown 0-1, 6-5
Xavier 0-1, 4-6
Scouting DePaul
The Blue Demons are 5-8 overall with wins over Mercyhurst, Loyola, SIUE, UIC, and Southern. Four of their eight losses have come against nationally-ranked teams. DePaul played Texas before facing Oklahoma and Kansas State in Las Vegas. They also traveled up to East Lansing to play Michigan State when they were ranked #24. DePaul is a good offensive rebounding team that also likes to get to the free throw line. No BIG EAST player takes or makes more free throws than Jorie Allen. The 6-0 graduate forward averages 19 points and 3.7 assists per game, leading DePaul in each category.
All-Time Series
DePaul is 25-2 all-time against Butler. Each Bulldog win over DePaul has been recorded at Wintrust Arena. The first was in 2020-21 when BU beat #25 DePaul in the regular season finale (86-81). The second was in the last meeting, again on DePaul’s Senior Day 73-70. These two programs first played in 1984-85 as members of the North Star Conference.
Last Game vs. DePaul
Five Bulldogs scored in double figures the last time Butler played DePaul allowing the Bulldogs to post a 73-70 win over the Blue Demons. BU shot 45 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range (10-20) to earn the win. Caroline Strande had 15 points and Riley Makalusky added 12. Both Ari Wiggins and Karsyn Norman had 10 points. Jorie Allen led DePaul with 30 points.
BIG EAST Openers
Butler has only won one BIG EAST opener since joining the conference in 2013-14. The Bulldogs went to Villanova to defeat the Wildcats 63-55 in 2018-19. This will be the third time that Butler opens the conference slate at DePaul. They also did in 2021-22 (L, 64-101) and in 2014-15 (L, 76-92).
10 Wins
The Bulldogs reached 10 non-conference wins before the start of BIG EAST play for just the second time since joining conference. This year’s team sits at 10-3 heading into their matchup vs. DePaul and the 2018-19 team went 10-1 before the start of league play.
18 3-Pointers
The Bulldogs set a single-game program record on Sunday by hitting 18 3-pointers in the victory over Saint Francis. Eight different players made at least one 3-pointer and no Bulldog made more than four. As a team, BU shot 56.3 percent from behind the arc, making 18 of their 32 attempts. The old record of 16 was reached two times previously. BU hit 16 3-pointers at Georgetown on Jan. 11, 2014 and the 2023-24 team matched that effort with 16 against St. Thomas in game two of the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off.
NET Rankings
NET rankings were updated this week and the Bulldogs moved up nearly 20 spots to 72nd. Georgetown slipped to 102 this week, giving the BIG EAST seven programs in the top 100. All three BU setbacks this season came against top-notch competition. Texas is second in the NET rankings, Vanderbilt is ninth, and Wisconsin is 79th.
Makalusky Making Shots
Riley Makalusky has scored in double figures eight times over her last nine games. Her recent streak includes 11 in the win over UT Martin, 10 at Ohio, 13 vs. Wisconsin, and 16 vs. Saint Francis.
Well Done Wiggins
Ari Wiggins has scored five points in each of her last four games, but more importantly has 11 assists and just one turnover in her last 50 minutes of basketball. She had a team-high five assists and just one turnover in 30 minutes of action vs. Wisconsin and didn’t turn the ball over once vs. Saint Francis while adding a team-high six assists. Wiggins also has hit a 3-pointer in four-straight games.
A Look at Last Week
Butler lost in double overtime to Wisconsin (71-64) on Wednesday, but came back to end the non-conference slate with a 95-38 win over Saint Francis. Riley Makalusky, Lily Carmody and Lily Zeinstra led the offense averaging 14.5, 12 and 11 points respectively. The ‘Dawgs shot 42 percent from the field and from 3-point range. The offense shared the ball resulting in 45 assists on 56 made field goals.
Strande Sidelined
Caroline Strande left the Wisconsin game with three minutes to play in the first half and was unable to return to action. There is no timetable for her return at this time.
Schedule Swap
Three of Butler’s first four BIG EAST games this year will be played on the road, but after their FS1 game at Marquette on Jan. 4, the Bulldogs will host four of their next five opponents at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The only road game during that stretch is a short drive over to Cincinnati to play Xavier.
1,000 Point Watch List
Three Bulldogs are closing in on 1,000 career points this year. Caroline Strande is the closest at 931. The graduate guard scored 484 points for BU last year just missing the program’s top ten list for most points scored in a single-season. Belmont transfer Kilyn McGuff has 862 career points and Sydney Jaynes is up to 779 points.
Up Next
Butler’s BIG EAST home opener will be played after Christmas on Dec. 29. The Seton Hall Pirates will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse for a 2 p.m. tip. Fans can stream the BEDN game on FloSports.com.
BUTLER BASEBALL
MOROKNEK NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAM
Butler standout Jack Moroknek was named to the 2025 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team on Wednesday morning. Moroknek was one of six outfielders to earn the honor. Major awards went to Maddix Dalena and Ian Cooke of UConn. The Huskies were also picked as preseason favorites to win the league.
Moroknek held a .327 batting average in 2024, collecting 69 hits in 54 starts. He ended the year with 14 doubles, one triple and a team-high 13 home runs. His 13 homers ranked fourth in the BIG EAST and helped him reach 124 total bases and 44 RBIs.
Moroknek tied Butler’s single-game home run record on April 16. He hit three homers at Eastern Michigan, ending the game 4-for-6 from the plate with five RBIs.
Moroknek had 23 multi-hit games for BU and put together a 10-game hitting streak in 2024. He hit a home run in three-straight games at Morehead State to open up the month of March. Moroknek ended that three-game series with eight RBIs.
Moroknek is the top returner on a Bulldog team that was picked eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll. UConn received seven first-place votes to take the top spot while Xavier and St. John’s rounded out the top three. The middle of the pack included Creighton at fourth, Georgetown at fifth and Seton Hall at sixth. Villanova edged BU for seventh.
2025 Preseason Baseball All-BIG EAST Team and Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Maddix Dalena, 1B, Jr., UConn
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Ian Cooke, RHP, Sr., UConn ^
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team*
C – Owen Carapellotti, Georgetown
1B – Maddix Dalena, UConn
2B – Kyle Hess, Creighton
3B – Tyler Minick, UConn
3B – Luke Hammond, Xavier
SS – Bryan Padilla, UConn
SS – Luke Orbon, St. John’s
DH – Connor Misch, Xavier
OF – Jack Moroknek, Butler
OF – Caleb Shpur, UConn
OF – Nolan Sailors, Creighton ^
OF – Kavi Caster, Georgetown
OF – Jackson Tucker, St. John’s
OF – Aedan Anderson, Xavier
SP – Ian Cooke, UConn ^
SP – Dominic Cancellieri, Creighton
SP – Andrew Williams, Georgetown
SP – Evan Chaffee, St. John’s
SP – Ryan Reich, Seton Hall ^
RP – Brady Afthim, UConn
RP – Louis Marinaro, St. John’s
^ – denotes unanimous selection
* due to a tie in voting, there are extra members on the preseason all-conference team
BIG EAST Baseball Preseason Poll
First place votes in ( )
1. UConn (7) – 49
2. Xavier – 38
3. St. John’s (1) – 37
4. Creighton – 30
5. Georgetown – 25
6. Seton Hall – 24
7. Villanova – 12
8. Butler – 9
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WBB WRAPS UP NON-CONFERENCE PLAY THURSDAY AT HOME AGAINST ANDERSON
Ball State (7-4) vs. Anderson University (5-5)
Dec. 19, 2024>>Worthen Arena>>6:30 pm ET>>Muncie, Ind.
Opening Tip:
– Our 7-4 Cardinals return to Worthen Arena one final time before the 2025 Mid-American Conference season begins on Jan. 1 at Miami. Ball State welcomes Anderson University (5-5) for a community night that will begin at 6:30 pm ET. Tickets are on sale now for a $1.00.
– This is the first-ever meeting between Anderson and Ball State. Anderson is located just 17.5 miles east of Muncie. The Ravens are a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and a member of NCAA Division III.
– Behind true freshman Grace Kingery’s 23-point performance, the Cardinals were able to bring home the 71-44 road victory Sunday afternoon at Northern Kentucky. It was Kingery’s first start as a true freshman, she scored 17 of her 23 points in the first half. She drained seven 3-pointers which ranks sixth in the Cardinals’ single-game record books.
– The Ravens are coming off of an 83-67 loss at Rose-Hulman Saturday. Anderson was led offensively by Izzy Davis who had 17 points while teammates Sarah Sewak tallied 15 points and Bella Larrison finished the night with 10.
– The NCAA Division I net rankings have been released (Dec. 8) with the Cardinals being ranked in the top 70 coming in at 68. Ball State has earned the highest net ranking out of all the schools in the Mid-American Conference.
– The month of December has been good to the Cardinals their last two seasons. Ball State owns a 13-4 ledger during the festive holiday month from 2022- present.
– The Ball State women’s basketball team opens its 2025 18-game MAC campaign which will include nine games at home and nine on the road over a 10-week span with a break in February for the second year of the Sun Belt Conference Challenge on Feb. 8. The Cardinals will start conference action at Miami (Jan. 1). Ball State’s home league opener is slated for Jan. 4 versus Central Michigan and then BSU will close out MAC play in Worthen Arena against Ohio (March 8).
It’s Hard Not to Look Ahead:
The Cardinals will play against longtime rival the Miami RedHawks in Millett Hall on Jan. 1 at 1 pm ET in their league opener. The Cardinals are 7-5 in their MAC openers under 13th year head coach Brady Sallee and 3-2 when opening league play on the road. – The last time Ball State opened Mid-American Conference play against Miami was on Jan. 2, 2000 in Oxford, Ohio. The Cardinals won that meeting over the RedHawks, 77-65. The last time these two teams met was on Jan. 24, 2024 resulting in a 91-56 victory for BSU in Muncie. The game against Miami will mark the 74th time in program history the two schools have met with the RedHawks leading the all-time series 40-33.
Sideline Notes:
– With the win over Texas A&M, Ball State head coach Brady Sallee has now defeated a Power 5 conference team eight times during his tenure with the Cardinals — Minnesota (54-51, 2012-13), Iowa (77-72, 2015-16), Vanderbilt (88-79, 2017-18), Purdue (66-60, 2017-18), Pitt (68-66, 2022-23), Pitt (73-62, 2023-24), Georgia (52-51, 2023-24) and Texas A&M (75-62).
– In the second quarter against Columbia University on Nov.25, senior Marie Kiefer became Ball State women’s basketball’s all-time blocks leader with 153 total blocks passing former Cardinal Tamara Bowie who owned the record of 152 since 2003.
– The Cardinals welcomed their first twin duo to the roster last season after welcoming Hailey and Olivia Smith. The twosome are from Fishers, Ind., and attended Fishers High School. Hailey was an Indiana Junior All-Star. Olivia helped the Tigers to the 2021-22 Hoosier Crossroads Conference Championship after scoring 10 points in a victory over Avon. She was also named to the First Team HCC All-Conference Team along with her twin sister Hailey.
– For the second consecutive season, the Ball State women’s basketball team will host a nationally televised regular season contest when Mid-American Conference rival Toledo visits Worthen Arena on Monday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. ET. This will also be the third season in a row the Cardinals will play on a national stage. Ball State has been chosen to display its past success on ESPN2, ESPNU and CBS Sports Network. Last year, Ball State won both of its nationally televised contests beating Toledo, 65-61, in Muncie on CBSN and Kent State on the road on ESPNU by a score of 75-71.
Lachelle Austin Nearing 1,000 Career Points:
The Cardinals welcomed transfer Lachelle Austin to its 2024-25 roster this season. Austin, a senior, is familiar with the Mid-American Conference, playing three years at Eastern Michigan. Austin was one of the Eagles top scorers and has scored in double figure in six of the Cardinals’ seven contests thus far this season. Austin for her career has 926 points and needs just 74 to reach 1,000.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA STATE WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT WITH VICTORY OVER MURRAY STATE
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball moved to 2-0 in the Missouri Valley and 7-4 overall behind Samage Teel’s season-high 26 points in a victory in front of the Hulman Center crowd, 84-74 against Murray State.
The game started beautifully, with a steal on the defensive end after the tip, ending with a cut through the paint and layup by K’mani Doughty off the dish by Markus Harding. The next three minutes saw five steals (six total turnovers) between both teams, leading to a 6-4 MSU lead.
The next five points out of the media for Indiana State was by Samage Teel. He drove the lane and finished with a tough left-handed layup followed by a smooth stepback triple from the left wing.
The Racers went on an 8-0 run in 70 seconds with all eight coming from their MVC Preseason All-Conference guard, JaCobi Wood, with two triples and a reverse layup. Murray State held a 16-11 advantage with 11:27 remaining in the game.
Indiana State stormed all the way back to go up five points, 22-17 with 9:09 to play. Harding made a reverse, second chance layup, followed up with a three-pointer by Camp Wagner. Harding then made a triple from the left wing, and Josiah Legree drained one of his own on the very next possession to force a quick 30 second timeout by the Racers. A right-corner three by Wagner, a Murray State dunk, and another Harding layup took the game into the under-eight media timeout with Indiana State in the lead 27-19 with 7:15 to play.
Another Sycamore unanswered run grew the lead closing in on halftime. Jaden Daughtry made layups on back-to-back possessions. Teel made the next five points on a stepback jumper from the left elbow and a pullup three-pointer.
The half could not have ended more predictably, as Teel made his third-straight three-pointer, this one from the right side, with just over 10 seconds to play. Indiana State took a 15-point, 41-26 advantage into the break. The Sycamores shot 50% from deep (7-for-14) in the half (51.6% from the field) versus the Racers capitalizing on 10-of-29 shot attempts (34.5%).
Indiana State jumped out to a 19-point lead just over three minutes into the half, making its first three baskets. Bruno Alocen got the scoring started with a three-pointer off the top of the key. Teel stayed hot went on another mini solo run, scoring five unanswered with a midrange jumper and draining his fourth-straight trey in the game.
The Sycamores through the under-12 media timeout made seven-of-10 throughout the second half. Doughty made a layup with 14:30 to play in the game, and Teel gave the Sycamores its first 20-point lead of the game on a driving layup with just about 14 minutes to play in the game to lead 55-34.
Murray State outscored the Sycamores in the next five minutes, but only by four points, 13-9. Indiana State still held control of the game, leading 64-47 with 9:17 left in the contest.
Murray State applied pressure to the Sycamore offense with a press midway through the half. The Racers used that to slowly close the deficit down to 10 points with a 7-0 run but outscored the Sycamores 22-11 from 11:53 to 6:03 (5 minutes 25 seconds). Indiana State led 68-58 with 6:50 remaining.
Murray State continued to race back into the game, trialing by only six, 71-65, with five minutes to play. LeGree scored four points off two free throws and a layup, with the layup putting Indiana State up eight points, 73-65.
Two free throws by Daughtry at the 4:30 mark were the last points scored before the under-four media timeout, then Teel broke the mini combined scoring drought from both teams with a driving layup to put Indiana State back to a double-digit, 77-66 lead with just under 2:30 remaining.
Back-to-back top of the key threes by Murray State’s Terence Harcum brought the Racers down to its closest lead since the four-minute marker in the first half, only down 78-74 with 1:37 on the clock. A Jayan Walker jumper in the paint as the shot clock expired with a minute to play put the game back to a two possession game, 80-74.
Two Sycamore freshmen closed out the last 45 seconds going 4-for-4 from the free throw line. LeGree made a pair with 43 seconds left, followed by Walker with just about 30 second left put the Sycamores up 10, and the Trees held on to the 84-74 lead to secure the double-digit victory.
Samage Teel led four Sycamores with double figures scoring 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting and 4-for-7 from deep. Markus Harding recorded 12 points, alongside fellow big man Jaden Daughtry. Harding made 5-of-9 and Daughtry made 4-of-7; Daughtry pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. Josiah LeGree scored 11 points with a team-high three assists.
News & Notes
Indiana Stated moved to 2-0 in MVC play and 7-4 overall. The Sycamores have won four-straight.
Indiana State has recorded five games in a row with at least 80 points.
The Sycamores shot 57.1% from the field, the third-highest percentage of the season. The Trees shot 45.0% from deep, the second-best on the year.
Indiana State recorded a season-low nine assists, the first time not reaching at least 13 assists in a game.
Samage Teel was hot this game, at one point being 9-for-10 from the field. He missed his first three-pointer but made his next four. His 10 total field goals ties his career high, recorded on January 21, 2024 versus Fayetteville St. With another 20-plus point performance, he has secured three-straight with at least that many and seven games of 11 total. Teel is also the only Sycamore to have started all 11 games this season.
The Sycamore defense held the Racers to the second-lowest field goal percentage of the year (41.4%) and the lowest three-point percentage (26.1%).
Up Next
Indiana State turns around quickly for a home matchup on Saturday afternoon against the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
INDIANA STATE FOOTBALL
OWENS GARNERS STATS PERFORM FCS FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
STATS PERFORM – Indiana State’s Elijah Owens added to his postseason accolades this week as the redshirt freshman quarterback was named to the 2024 STATS PERFORM FCS Freshman All-American Team.
It marks his second All-American nod of the postseason after previously being recognized on the FCS Football Central Freshman All-American team earlier in December.
In addition to his pair of All-American nods, the Jacksonville, Ill. native also finished ninth overall in the 2024 Jerry Rice Award voting honoring the FCS National Freshman Player of the Year. He posted the most votes and points overall by an Indiana State player in program history.
Owens earned MVFC All-Newcomer honors after leading Indiana State’s passing and rushing efforts over the course of the 2024 season. He set a Sycamore quarterback rushing record with 645 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns over the course of the season, while adding 1,717 passing pards and 12 more scores through the air. Owens finished fifth in the MVFC in total offense per game (222.88).
Owens posted three 100-yard rushing games and three 200-yard passing efforts over the course of 2024. He added three games with multiple passing touchdowns including a 30-for-37 game with 260 yards and three touchdowns against Eastern Illinois. Owens added a career-high 25 carries for 127 rushing yards and one touchdown against Youngstown State, while wrapping up the 2024 season with 168 passing yards, 107 rushing yards, and a touchdown at Northern Iowa.
Owens was runner-up for both the Missouri Valley Football’s Freshman and Newcomer of the Year awards. He finished behind North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown in both categories. Brown was honored as the Jerry Rice Award winner on Wednesday.
FCS national powers and awards finalists help fill the 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Team and Freshman All-America Team. Overall, 31 players from 27 schools comprise the Freshman All-America Team, including North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown, the Jerry Rice Award recipient. NDSU, Idaho, Missouri State and Wofford lead with two selections each.
PURDUE FT. WAYNE VOLLEYBALL
PANNA RATKAI NAMED AVCA ALL-AMERICA HONORABLE MENTION
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Purdue Fort Wayne star outside hitter Panna Ratkai was named an All-America Honorable Mention by the American Volleyball Coaches Association on Wednesday (Dec. 18).
Ratkai is the first All-America honoree for the Mastodons since Katie Crowe in 2021 and the fourth in the Mastodon women’s volleyball program’s history.
The 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year was named an AVCA All-Region selection earlier this month. She led Purdue Fort Wayne to a fifth-place finish in the Horizon League regular season with a 10-8 mark in league play and a 17-15 mark overall.
From the left side, Ratkai averaged 5.17 points, 4.57 kills and 2.63 digs per set in her redshirt-sophomore season. Her point and kill averages both ranked top-20 nationally and led the Horizon League. She racked up 17 double-doubles, including seven in a row to end the season. She had a season-high 30 kills against Oakland, the most by any Horizon League student-athlete this season. Her 27 against Western Illinois was also higher than any other HL player.
Ratkai was the only Horizon League player represented on the All-America list.
Ratkai is one of two sophomores in the country to have over 1,000 kills in her career, as she wrapped up her second year of play with 1,048 total kills.
EVANSVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL
UT ARLINGTON DEFEATS ACES IN TEXAS
ARLINGTON, Texas – After opening the game on a 12-2 run, UT Arlington pulled away to defeat the University of Evansville men’s basketball team by a final score of 80-54 on Wednesday evening inside the College Park Center.
“Our group fought and had some good possessions in the second half. I felt like we had a response in a game that could have gotten of hand, but we need to have that intensity from the very start,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland explained after the contest. “This is going to help us – the non-conference schedule we had this season tested us from start to finish. We need to get right back at it at Ball State on Saturday.”
Tayshawn Comer picked up his second 20-point game of the year, scoring 20 while adding four assists. Comer played the full 40 minutes. Michael Day set a new career scoring mark with nine points, passing his previous high of seven, which came at Ohio State in November. Four Mavericks registered double figures with Diante Smith leading the way with 18.
Trailing 2-0, Cam Haffner hit a jumper to tie the score before the Mavericks capped a 4-for-5 start from the field to take a 10-2 lead just over two minutes in. UE kept in close over the next stretch with Josh Hughes knocking down a hook shot to make it a 12-8 game.
At the 13:20 mark, UTA made its move. Posting eight in a row, they turned an 18-12 lead into a 26-12 advantage. Connecting on three consecutive triples, the Mavericks opened a 29-14 edge at the midway point of the half.
Evansville cut the deficit to 12 points on a Trent Hundley triple, but the Mavericks got back to work once again, leading by as many as 24 points (44-20) before the Aces posted the final four points of the half to trail by a margin of 44-24 at the break.
Looking to make their way back into the game, the Aces scored the first four points of the second half to get within 16 but unfortunately could not get any closer. The lead for UTA hovered around 20 points before they completed the night with the 80-54 victory.
UTA finished the game shooting 38.9% while holding UE to 30.9%. The Mavericks also had a major edge on the boards, outrebounding UE by a 56-26 tally.
On Saturday, the Aces look to pick up a road win when they face Ball State 1 p.m. CT in Muncie.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USI OPENS OVC SEASON AT HOME THIS WEEK AGAINST TENNESSEE STATE, UT MARTIN
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball opens the Ohio Valley Conference schedule this week at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, against Tennessee State University Thursday at 5 p.m. and the University of Tennessee at Martin Saturday at 1 p.m.
This week’s games can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and WREF 97.7 FM.
Thursday is Community Day at Liberty Arena with local community organizations in attendance. Plus, it is 812 Night with Hacienda West Evansville. Doubleheader tickets are $8.12 for upper-level seating. Along with discounted tickets, USI encourages fans to visit Hacienda West for their $8.12 small famous wet burrito that comes with a drink from 2-6 p.m. Customers can show their e-ticket from the game to receive the limited-time offer at Hacienda West.
Saturday is Education Day for all kindergarten through eighth-grade students receiving free student admission to the doubleheader. Adults and guests with students can attend the game for $5. The first 100 kids will receive a free book sponsored by Young and Established, along with a free hot dog from the concession stand.
This week’s slate of games is the first of three straight home games to begin the OVC slate for the Screaming Eagles between December 19 and 31. Southern Indiana heads into conference play with an 8-3 overall record, a program best since making the jump to Division I and joining the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022. USI is 5-0 at home this season and has won 15 straight regular-season home games going back to last December.
USI enters the conference slate ranked No. 20 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Women’s Mid-Major Top 25®. The Screaming Eagles have been top 20 in the rankings for five consecutive weeks. USI also checks into Thursday’s action in the mid 90s of the NCAA NET ratings and as the only OVC women’s team in the top 100.
Within the OVC, the Eagles rank atop the conference in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense, and three-point defense. USI is second in turnover defense, steals, and defensive rebounds per game. USI ranks top 20 in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (34.5). Offensively, USI ranks second in the OVC in scoring offense and first in overall shooting percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio, among other categories. However, USI’s collective three-point percentage (39.7) not only ranks first in the OVC but also top 10 in the nation.
The Screaming Eagles concluded its non-conference schedule on Sunday with a 73-50 setback at the University of Illinois. After USI’s defense set an early tone to allow the Eagles to take a 13-9 lead after the first quarter, offensive struggles swung the momentum to Illinois’ favor as the Fighting Illini went ahead and pulled away for the win in Champaign, Illinois. USI graduate forward Meredith Raley and senior guard Vanessa Shafford led the Eagles with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
On the season, Raley paces Southern Indiana with 13.2 points per contest. Junior guard Ali Saunders is second in scoring with 12.1 points per outing while Shafford is third at 11.5 points per game. Southern Indiana averages 71.9 points while limiting opponents to 57.5 points per game so far this season.
Tennessee State starts OVC play with a 4-6 mark under first-year head coach Candice Dupree. The Tigers finished its preseason schedule with consecutive losses, including an 85-38 loss last time out at the University of Mississippi on December 8.
Freshman guard Somah Kamara tops TSU in scoring at just over 14 points per outing. Returning senior guards Sanaa’ St. Andre and Saniah Parker are second and third in scoring, respectively, at 12.6 and 11.7 points per game. The Tigers average 65.5 points while allowing 75.5 points so far this year.
USI and Tennessee State have split their four all-time meetings over the last two seasons, 2-2, with each having a home and road win in the series. Tennessee State gave USI its only blemish in the 2023-24 OVC regular season down in Nashville, Tennessee.
UT Martin tips off OVC action Thursday at Morehead State University before venturing to Evansville on Saturday. The Skyhawks are 2-8 through the main portion of their non-conference schedule, which featured games against three power-conference teams. Last time out, UT Martin captured an 82-71 win against Arkansas State University.
Junior forward Anaya Brown is the Skyhawks’ leading scorer at 13.4 points per game. Sophomore guard Kenley McCarn and redshirt junior guard Shae Littleford are right behind at just above 11 points per contest. UT Martin has posted 60.2 points while allowing 75.5 points per game on the campaign.
Southern Indiana UT Martin has also split their four all-time meetings, 2-2. USI did not host UT Martin at Liberty Arena last season. However, the Screaming Eagles defeated the Skyhawks, 73-67, in Martin, Tennessee, and bested UT Martin, 81-53, in the OVC Tournament championship game last March.
Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.
SOUTHERN INDIANA BASEBALL
USI BASEBALL UNVEILS 2025 SCHEDULE
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Baseball has unveiled its 2025 schedule that includes 56 games consisting of six home series, six mid-week home games, and the Ohio Valley Conference Championship on May 21-24 in Marion, Illinois.
The Screaming Eagles open their season in Alabama for the second year in row, taking on a new opponent in Alabama State University for four games in three days (February 14-16). USI hosts their home opener two days later against Western Kentucky University in a mid-week battle (February 18). Next, another installment of the cross-town battle against University of Evansville takes place in unique weekend series alternating venues with Friday and Sunday’s games at Evansville, while Saturday’s battle will be hosted by USI (February 21-23).
Aside from the home opener against WKU, USI hosts five other non-conference mid-week games against Saint Louis University (February 26), Austin Peay State University (March 11), Northern Kentucky University (April 1), Bellarmine University (April 23), and Evansville (May 6). The Eagles play home/away mid-week series with multiple opponents above with road games against St. Louis (March 5), Bellarmine (March 12), APSU (March 19), Ball State University (March 25), WKU (April 8), NKU (April 15), and Illinois State University (April 30).
USI kicks off March with three difficult non-conference series showdowns before opening Ohio Valley Conference play. The Eagles host Kent State University (Feb 28-March 2) and Murray State University (March 14-16) on campus. USI makes also makes a trip to Oral Roberts University (March 7-9) in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a renewal of the 2023 match up as the Golden Eagles made the college world series that year.
The Eagles conference season debuts with a road series at Western Illinois University (March 21-23). USI’s OVC road schedule also includes Tennessee Tech University (April 11-13), Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (April 17-19), University of Tennessee at Martin (May 2-4), and Lindenwood University (May 15-17).
The home portion of the OVC slate starts with a battle against the 2024 regular season champions, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (March 28-30). The slate continues as the Eagles also host Morehead State University (April 4-6), Eastern Illinois University (April 25-27), and concludes with the 2024 OVC Tournament champions, Southeast Missouri State University (May 9-11). Nearly all USI home series game times are scheduled first pitches of 6 p.m. on Fridays, 3 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 p.m. on Sundays.
Last season, the Eagles posted a ten-game win improvement at 27-32 overall and 14-13 in conference. The season was highlighted by their OVC Tournament run as the four-seed knocking off Little Rock. USI came one game short of advancing to the tournament championship as SEMO took down Morehead State. This year’s OVC Championship will return to Marion, Illinois where the top eight teams make the postseason. The 2025 roster consists of seven returners and 35 newcomers.
VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FOURTH QUARTER SINKS BEACONS WEDNESDAY AT SLU
Sophomore Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) smashed her previous career high with a game-high 26 points and the Valpo women’s basketball team held the lead entering the fourth quarter Wednesday at Saint Louis, but the host Billikens outscored the Beacons by 13 in the final 10 minutes to claim a 69-59 win.
How It Happened
Valpo jumped out to a quick start, scoring the opening eight points in just over two minutes to force an early SLU timeout. 3-pointers from junior Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek [Radford]) and sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) sandwiched a fast-break layup from Jackson for the early scoring.
The Billikens rallied to within two points multiple times later in the opening period, but Valpo kept them at bay. A driving layup from grad student Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) with 10 seconds to play gave the Beacons a 20-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was tightly contested, featuring three ties and six lead changes as it was played almost entirely with no team holding more than a one-possession edge.
A 3-pointer by Jackson with 1:15 to play in the half capped a 17-point half for the sophomore and proved to be the difference at intermission, as the Beacons headed into the locker room with a 32-29 lead.
Saint Louis scored the first basket of the second half to briefly tie the game, but Valpo responded with 11 points in a row — a 3-pointer by Rhoades, a layup from Raye-Redmond and back-to-back Jackson triples — to earn its largest lead at 43-32 with 5:06 to play and force a SLU timeout.
Right out of the stoppage, the Billikens turned the tables with 11 points of their own in a row over the next four-plus minutes to tie the game with less than a minute to play in the quarter. Senior Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) hit from deep in the final seconds of the period to give Valpo the lead back with 10 minutes to play, 46-43.
After the teams traded baskets to open the fourth quarter, SLU scored nine points over four possessions while keeping the Beacons off the board to pull ahead, 54-48, and force a Valpo timeout with 7:03 to play.
Sophomore Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) drove and finished on Valpo’s first possession after the timeout to cut its deficit to four, but that was as close as the Beacons would get the rest of the way.
Inside the Game
Wednesday’s loss came against a Saint Louis program which won the 2024 WNIT and the 2023 A-10 Tournament, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in the latter year.
Jackson’s performance was the highlight of the evening for the Beacons. The sophomore, who entered the game with a career high of 20 points accomplished twice this season, nearly hit that mark in the first half alone before racing past it in the second half.
Jackson finished the game with a game-high 26 points, including a 6-of-11 mark from 3-point range to match her career best for triples made. Jackson also set a career best with nine field goals made.
Rhoades reached double figures in scoring for the fourth time this season as she scored 11 points, hitting 3-of-4 from 3-point range.
Earnest tallied 11 points as well, but had to work for them as she was held to 4-of-17 shooting. She did also finish with a team-high seven rebounds, led all players with three blocked shots and handed out four assists.
Raye-Redmond tied a career best with five rebounds and tied for game-high honors with three steals, while Gold posted a career-high six assists and did not commit a turnover.
The Beacons enjoyed their best shooting game of the year from the perimeter, finishing 12-of-25 from downtown, but were limited to 9-of-36 shooting from inside the arc. After dominating the points in the paint for the vast majority of its games this year, Valpo was outscored 40-16 in the paint by SLU.
The Beacons did continue to force turnovers at a high rate, as the Billikens coughed the ball up 19 times, but Valpo committed 16 turnovers as well and SLU actually held a slight 21-17 edge in points off turnovers.
Thoughts From Coach Evans
“I thought we played three good quarters of basketball to take the lead into the fourth. We need to be able to maintain our composure when things aren’t going our way and continue to play together as a unit on both ends of the court to put ourselves into a position to win these games.”
Next Up
Valpo (4-6) closes the nonconference schedule on Saturday afternoon at the ARC when it faces off against former Horizon League foe Detroit Mercy. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO TO VISIT WESTERN MICHIGAN FOR FINAL NONCONFERENCE ROAD TRIP
Valparaiso (5-5, 0-1 MVC)
at Western Michigan (3-7, 0-0 MAC)
Game No. 11 – Friday, Dec. 20, noon CT
University Arena (5,421) – Kalamazoo, Mich.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team will continue a busy stretch of four games in nine days by visiting Western Michigan for the squad’s second straight road game on Friday afternoon. The Beacons have experienced a busy travel week as the team returned from Columbus on Wednesday before hitting the road again on Thursday for the trip to Kalamazoo. This will mark the final road game of nonconference play and the penultimate nonleague tilt overall.
Last Time Out: Freshman All Wright scored 20 of his team-high 22 points after halftime, but Valpo fell 95-73 at Ohio State on Tuesday night in Columbus. The game was filled with connections as Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler is a Valpo alum and former player and assistant coach for the Brown & Gold, and Diebler and Powell coached alongside one another as assistants under Bryce Drew at both Valpo and Vanderbilt. In addition to Wright’s big showing, Cooper Schwieger and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro scored 16 points apiece for the Beacons.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Evan Stockton (play-by-play), Rob Murphy (analyst) and Lexi Ayala (sidelines)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Brandon Vickrey (analyst)
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (12-30) is in his second season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career.
Series Notes: These two nearby foes – located under two hours apart – have a long history against one another and will meet for the 70th time on Friday. The Broncos possess a 38-31 lead in the all-time series, but Valpo has won three straight. The Beacons prevailed 81-65 at the ARC on Nov. 13, 2022 in the most recent matchup after winning 71-60 on Dec. 5, 2021 in Kalamazoo.
More Than Just Alright
The play of freshman All Wright has been more than alright of late, as the rookie guard has poured in 20 points or more in each of his last two games, including 22 on Dec. 17 at Ohio State.
Wright went 8-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line against the Buckeyes.
Wright did the bulk of his damage over the final 20 minutes, scoring 20 of his 22 points after halftime.
The Durango, Mexico native poured in a personal-best 26 points to help Valpo beat Central Michigan 93-77 on Dec. 14. His point total doubled his previous career high of 13 that occurred on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois.
Wright went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line while draining four 3s against the Chippewas.
Over the last 16 seasons, Wright became just the fourth different Valpo freshman to score at least 26 points in a game, joining Cooper Schwieger (twice), Javon Freeman-Liberty, Alec Peters (three times) and Matt Kenney. Freeman-Liberty and Peters both went on to play in the NBA, while Schwieger and Wright are on Valpo’s current roster.
Wright’s 26 points were the most scored by a Missouri Valley Conference freshman in a game this season. The last freshman on any Valley team to score at least 26 points in a game was Cooper Schwieger on March 3, 2024 vs. Illinois State (28).
Wright’s performance was just the 13th time nationally that a freshman scored at least 26 points in a game this season and he became just the 10th different freshman in the nation with a 26-point performance this year.
The only mid-major rookies in the country who have scored 26 points or more in a game in 2024-25 are Wright and San Francisco’s Tyrone Riley IV (twice).
Wright, who was born in Durango, Mexico before moving to Carthage, Mo. at age 2, is the son of Joe Wright, who played at Kansas State from 1984-1986. His legal name is Andre All Wright Vargas but he goes by All Wright. His brother Always Wright is a member of the University of Rhode Island men’s basketball program.
Rookie Rewards
Wright was named the MVC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season on Dec. 16 following his 26-point effort vs. Central Michigan. That marked the second time he has earned that honor this season, the third time a Valpo player has won that award in 2024-25 and the ninth time that the program has boasted an MVC Freshman of the Week since head coach Roger Powell Jr. arrived at Valpo prior to the 2023-24 campaign.
Justus McNair was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week on Nov. 26 after averaging 9.5 points per game, going 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from the field and going 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from 3 as Valpo went 2-0 against Lindenwood (Nov. 21) and Eastern Illinois (Nov. 24).
His biggest showing came in the Nov. 24 game against the Panthers, as he poured in 16 points and made four 3s to help Valpo to a 28-point win.
The following week, Wright was named the MVC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 2 after tallying in double figures in both contests that week with 13 in a win over Northern Illinois and 10 at DePaul.
50/50/90 Club
Redshirt senior Tyler Schmidt is shooting 56.5 percent from the field (39-69), 51.9 percent from 3 (14-27) and 91.2 percent from the free-throw line (31-34).
Schmidt is one of three players nationally (minimum 10 3-point attempts, minimum 20 free-throw attempts) shooting 50 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3 and 90 percent from the free-throw line.
He joins Chance McMillan (Texas Tech) and Leon Bond III (UNI) as the only players in that elite club.
Freebie Frenzy
Entering Dec. 20 at Western Michigan, Valpo is shooting 82.5 percent at the free-throw line this season, ranked third nationally and first in the Missouri Valley Conference.
On Dec. 17 at Ohio State, both teams were stellar at the free-throw line, as Valpo went 20-of-23 (87 percent) and Ohio State went 23-of-27 (85.2 percent).
This was only the seventh game nationally in the NCAA this season where each team shot better than 85 percent from the free-throw line with a minimum of 20 attempts. This was the first such Valpo game since Nov. 29, 2013.
The game against Ohio State marked Valpo’s second straight shooting at least 87 percent at the stripe.
Valpo shot 79 percent or better at the free-throw line in the first six games this year and eight out of 10 games overall.
Valpo posted a better free-throw percentage than its opponent in each of the first six games this season and nine of 10 overall.
Valpo put together yet another stellar showing at the stripe on Dec. 14 vs. Central Michigan, going 28-of-31 (90.3 percent). That marked the first time Valpo shot 90 percent at the charity stripe with a minimum of 30 attempts since Nov. 29, 2013 vs. Mercer (29-32, 90.6 percent).
Valpo went 23-of-25 at the free-throw line on Nov. 24 vs. Eastern Illinois for a season-best 92 percent at the stripe, then made a season-high 35 free throws on 44 attempts on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois, hitting at a 79.5 percent clip.
There is a lot of season left to be played, but for reference, the modern program record for team single-season free-throw percentage is 77.5 percent in 2016-17 followed by 77.4 percent in 1992-93.
Tyler Schmidt made his first 20 free throws of the season before finally missing with 19 seconds left in the first half on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois. His free-throw percentage of 91.2 ranks 34th nationally.
Valpo’s 35 made free throws on Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois were the team’s most in a game since going 36-of-44 on Jan. 15, 2014 at Detroit Mercy. The 44 free-throw attempts were the team’s most since Jan. 10, 2017 vs. North Park (46).
The Beacons and Huskies combined for 57 made free throws and 74 free-throw attempts. This was the first Valpo game where both teams had at least 30 free-throw attempts since Jan. 3, 2018 at Bradley.
UINDY FOOTBALL
SCHULTE COLLECTS AFCA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM HONORS
WACO, Texas – UIndy football student-athlete Clay Schulte continued to garner postseason accolades following a stellar senior season. The Oak Harbor, Ohio native was voted All-America First Team by both the American Football Coaches Association and the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association. He is the first Greyhound to earn a first-team nod from the AFCA since 2017 (Ruben Holcomb), the first UIndy defender since 2010 (Craig Ray) and first Greyhound linebacker since 1999 (Josh Gentry).
Dubbed both the Super Region 3 and GLVC Defensive Player of the Year, Schulte finished the season with an even 100 tackles—including 14.5 tackles for loss and four sacks—while adding three interceptions and a forced fumble. The hard-hitting linebacker led UIndy to its fourth-ever 10-win regular season this fall, as well as a third consecutive playoff appearance and GLVC title. Statistically, the Greyhounds ranked sixth in Division II in rushing defense, 19th in scoring defense and 20th in total defense.
ROSE HULMAN MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL RETAINS JOHN MUTCHNER CUP FOR 12TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
RICHMOND, Ind. — The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology men’s basketball team picked up a 80-62 victory over Earlham on Tuesday night to bring the John Mutchner Court back to Terre Haute for the 12th consecutive season.
The Fightin’ Engineers came out of the gates on fire as they used an 18-4 run to stretch the lead to 15, just six minutes into the contest.
However, Rose-Hulman would hit a cold spell late in the half with just one made bucket to allow the Quakers to cut the lead to eight. Kobe Stoudemire would extend the lead back to double figures with a big and-one, and the Fightin’ Engineers would enter the locker room with a 37-26 lead.
In the second half, the Fightin’ Engineers used a 19-6 run to help stretch the lead out to the biggest of the night at 64-40, and they would close out the 80-62 victory.
Kobe Stoudemire led the Fightin’ Engineers with his second consecutive 20-point game with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of steals.
Miles McGowen and Joey Schmitz also finished in double figures with 13 and 12 each.
Cole Pride added a career-high 3 blocks with his 5 points and 5 rebounds, and James Stasey scored a career-high 6 points off the bench with a pair of monster dunks.
The win gives the Fightin’ Engineers a 4-0 start in HCAC play, their best such start since the 2012-13 season when the team started 7-0 and won the HCAC Regular Season and Tournament titles. The seven-game HCAC winning streak dating back to last season is also tied for the longest conference winning streak since the 2013-14 season.
With the win, Rose-Hulman improves to 6-3 on the season and 4-0 in the HCAC. The Fightin’ Engineers return to action on Friday, December 20, as they travel to Hope College for the Glenn Van Wieren Classic where they will play Hope on Friday and The University of Olivet on Saturday.
ANDERSON MEN’S BASKETBALL
RAVENS HOLD OFF PANTHERS
The Anderson University men’s basketball team (7-3, 3-1) secured a 77-71 victory over Hanover College (6-3, 2-2) in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) action on Wednesday at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
Hanover had possession of the ball down 73-71 with 27 seconds remaining following a steal. Kenney Troutman came up with a steal in crunch time to help put the game out of reach.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Anderson converted 28-of-61 (45.9 percent) shots from the floor, while Hanover connected on 26-of-64 (40.6 percent) attempts.
The Ravens hit 5-of-20 (25.0 percent) shots from 3-point range, while the Panthers made 5-of-23 (21.7 percent) attempts from beyond the arc.
At the free-throw line, Anderson drained 14-of-15 (93.3 percent) attempts, compared to Hanover’s 16-of-20 (80.0 percent) shots.
Anderson outrebounded Hanover 42-33.
The Ravens outscored the Panthers 15-7 off turnovers.
Raven of the Game – Rob Davidson – 17 Points, 9 Rebounds,
Tate Ivanyo – 17 Points, 8 Rebounds, 3 Assists
Kenney Troutman – 16 Points, 3 Rebounds
Bryce Williams – 14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 4 Steals
Nolan Swan – 13 Points
Cole Duncan – 5 Rebounds
COACH COLLINS’S COMMENTS
This was a really important game for us to get. We got beat up a bit last Saturday and needed to respond. The guys did a great job of that, and that’s something that we pride ourselves on within our program – we’ve gone more than two full calendar years now without losing back-to-back games. We head into Christmas break now on a high note, and we’ll have a lot of work to do when we get back.
UP NEXT
The Ravens will be back in action on Monday, Dec. 30 at 4:00 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium against the North Central College Cardinals (8-2).
WABASH FOOTBALL
GILLIN TAKES THE REINS AS LITTLE GIANTS’ OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Indiana — Former high school and University of Indianapolis assistant coach Casey Gillin joins the Wabash College football program as the team’s offensive coordinator, Little Giants head coach Jake Gilbert announced on Wednesday.
“Casey is renowned for his relationships with players and his ability to build quarterbacks and set them up for success,” Gilbert said. “He has seven years of experience as an offensive playcaller and has coached teams that score a lot of points. I’ve known him personally for a long time and think he’s a great mesh with our kids, our college, and our football staff.”
Gillin joins Wabash after one season as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Mooresville High School. He spent two seasons as the head coach at Indian Creek High School, where his team averaged 35 points per game and recorded 15 wins over two seasons. Gillin also served as the offensive coordinator at Mooresville for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, coaching the 2021 Mid-State Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Nick Patterson, who ranked second in the state in passing and posted a completion percentage of 70 percent with 37 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Mooresville won the 2020 Mid-State Conference title and the 2020 sectional and regional championships.
Gillin spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Indianapolis after serving seven seasons as the Greyhounds’ quarterbacks coach and two years as a graduate assistant. His 2019 offensive unit averaged 39 points a game and committed only six turnovers in 12 contests. The Greyhounds ranked second in the nation in efficiency in 2017, with quarterback Jake Purichia earning First Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference and GLVC Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The 2018 UIndy squad finished 18th in the nation with an average of 239 rushing yards per game and fifth with only ten turnovers under Gillin’s guidance. The Greyhound produced an average of 38.2 points and 203 rushing yards a contest in 2017.
Gillin was part of UIndy’s 2012 GLVC championship and first NCAA Division II playoff appearance and victory. The Greyhounds won GLVC titles in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Gillin was part of the 2017 coaching staff that led UIndy to its first undefeated regular season since 1953 and a record 38.2 points-per-game scoring average.
“I am excited to be part of the tradition of the school and the football program, as well as the outstanding educational opportunities available at Wabash,” Gillin said. I’m ready to recruit kids to be part of the Wabash experience and to follow a great leader like Coach Gilbert.”
Gillin played three seasons at the University of Indianapolis, earning Second Team All-GLVC honors in 2006 and honorable mention all-conference honors in 2005 and 2007.
Gillin earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of Indianapolis in 2008. He begins his duties immediately.
TAYLOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
TAYLOR DROPS TROJAN CLASSIC FINALE TO OCU
UPLAND, Ind. – Whitney Warfel scored 23 points Wednesday night and Quinn Kelly added 16 off the bench, but their efforts were not enough in a tight loss to Ohio Christian (6-7) in the Trojan Classic finale.
Taylor (5-8, 0-4 CL) rode the hot hand of Warfel early on as she tallied TU’s initial nine points of the game. A pair of buckets from Kelly sandwiched a three-pointer from Ava Henson as the Trojans raced out to a 16-4 lead.
Ohio Christian answered with a 17-2 run to close the first and open the second quarter to erase the deficit and go ahead, 21-18.
Both teams settled in offensively for the rest of the half, with Kacey Ott finding her shot and Kelly staying in rhythm as TU brought the halftime score to 37-all.
Taylor and OCU traded buckets through much of the third period, with the Purple and Grey again turning to Warfel early in the half for easy offense.
The Trojans trailed by three, 56-53, entering the fourth quarter, but Henson buried a triple on Taylor’s first possession to once again tie the game. Henson and Kelly each made a shot over the next few possessions that gave the hosts the lead by one point both times.
TU’s last lead came at the 7:19 mark of the final frame, however, as it kept the game within reach but could not get the defensive stops or offensive baskets it needed down the stretch as the contest’s physicality increased.
Henson joined Warfel and Kelly in double figures with 12 points, and she tied for the team high in assists with Fohl, as the backcourt partners recorded three dimes apiece.
Kendall Wayne grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, which helped the Trojans to 42-36 advantage on the glass.
Defensively, Kelly notched a career-high three blocks to lead all players on the night.
Taylor closes out the calendar year on the road versus No. 23 Indiana Tech (8-4, 5-1 WHAC) on Dec. 30 at 6 p.m.
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”
FOOTBALL HISTORY
December 19, 1926 – National Football League Championship Game of 1926: With an outstanding 14-1-2 record the Frankford Yellow Jackets claimed the title. The Best record at the end of the season determined the NFL Champs in the first dozen years of the fledgling League. The Frankford franchise dates back to 1899 where after a couple of decades the Jackets became one of the premier independent gridiron squads in the nation. Frankford officially joined the NFL in 1924 and went on to post a respectable 11-2-1 record that initial season according to a Penn State Research article. The 1926 season though was a tough one as Pennsylvania law prohibited games on Sundays so the Yellow Jackets would often play games on back to back days, home on Saturdays then away on Sunday. The signing of Guy Chamberlain, who was with the Canton Bulldogs, as the player coach in 1925 made a world of difference for the Jackets. Guy led the Frankford eleven to a 12-1-1 record heading into the most important game of the season versus the undefeated Chicago Bears and their star player Red Grange. Philadelphia’s press was calling this the game for the NFL Title even though each team would still have two other games remaining on their respective schedules. More than the first half of the game was a defensive stalemate. Chicago finally broke the scoreless tie with a touchdown in the third quarter, but Guy Chamberlain managed to block the Bear’s extra point. The Yellow Jackets drove the field with little time remaining but faced a critical fourth down and three deep in Bear territory. There was only one choice and that was to go for it! On this vital play, Houston Stockton completed a touchdown pass to “Two Bits” Homan to tie it up on the scoreboard. Frankford made the extra point kick and the Jacket victory put them alone atop the NFL standings. Frankford would win their last two while the Bears tied the Packers and beat Pottsville for second place. Unbelievably Frankford’s 14 victories in that 1926 season remained an NFL record for 58 years when finally broken by the 1984 San Francisco 49ers who achieved a 15 win season.
December 19, 1927 – The New York Giants with a stellar 11-1-1 record earned the 1927 NFL Championship. It was the third year in the League for the Giants and was the franchise’s very first NFL Title. According to the Bleacher Report the Giants shut out 10 of their opponents and allowed only three touchdowns being scored against them in a scoring delta of 197-20 for the sum total of their games in the season.
December 19, 1947 – Fort Pitt Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA – The Washington Redskins chose Harry Gilmer from University of Alabama with the first pick of the 1948 NFL Draft. Gilmer had a nice 9 year career with the Redskins and later with the Detroit Lions. Players picked later in the draft though that arguably had more productive careers were Bobby Layne picked third and Y.A. Tittle at pick number 6 per the American Football Database. The Redskins also had the fourth pick in this draft where they grabbed Gilmer’s Crimson Tide backfield mate Lowell Tew.
December 19, 1948 – Cleveland Municipal Stadium – Cleveland Browns demolished the Buffalo Bills 49-7 in 1948 AAFC championship game according to the Pro-Football-Reference.
December 19, 1948 – Shribe Park, Philadelphia – It is interesting that the AAFC decided to put their title game on the very same day as the NFL’s. Yes the 1948 NFL Championship Game also kicked off on this day as the Chicago Cardinals faced the Philadelphia Eagles. According to the PFRA ‘s Ken Crippen who put together a really nice article on the game the temperature at kick off was a frigid 27 degrees. Field maintenance workers had to remove almost 5 inches of snow off of the tarp that covered the field surface but strong winds and heavy snow kept falling throughout the contest forcing the stadium light to remain on during the whole contest of the day game. The snow was so bad, Crippen wrote that members of the officiating crew were assigned to guess where the goal line was and two others to guess where the sidelines were. Trust me as an official who worked on a grass field during a snowstorm it is not a pleasant experience to find white lines in the white snow! The game itself was pretty much dominated by the defenses as the only scoring came in the third quarter when Cardinal Ray Moulof fumbled the ball at his own 17 yard line and the Eagles pounced on it. A few plays later Philly’s Steve Van Buren carried the ball over the goal line. At the end it was the Philadelphia Eagles blanking the Chicago Cardinals, 7-0 in “the Philly Blizzard.”
We invite you to learn more and even join the awesome organization of the Pro Football Researchers Association. To find out all about it and how you can get their periodical on pro football history, “The Coffin Corner” click this link, PFRA.
December 19, 1976 – A Piper Cherokee airplane crashed into the Baltimore Memorial Stadium upper deck of the stands just minutes after the Colts and the Steelers got done playing an NFL game there. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt although Baltimore police officer Joe Sacco was hit by the aircraft according to the statter911.com website. In the game that was just completed by the way the Colts lost 40-14 to the Steelers.
Hall of Fame Birthdays for December 19
December 19, 1909 – Seattle, Washington – Notre Dame guard Frank “Nordy” Hoffman was born. His bio on the NFF website states that in 1931 the Associated Press and Liberty Magazine named him to their All-America teams. The National Football Foundation selected Nordy Hoffman to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
December 19, 1926 – Santa Anna, Texas – Bobby Layne the legendary University of Texas quarterback celebrated his birth. Bobby Layne found his way along inside the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968. Layne then went to the National Football League and continued a record- setting career with Detroit and Pittsburgh. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Bobby Layne in 1967.
December 19, 1961 – Chattanooga, Tennessee – The awesome University of Tennessee Defensive End, Reggie White shined into this world. The footballfoundation.org website states that many people called Reggie many things, “ The Minister of Defense” while some opponents called him “a nightmare.” As a member of the Vols defense he set records such as getting 4 sacks in one game, 15 on the season and 32 in his career. White was a unanimous All-America and held SEC Defensive MVP honors as well as being a finalist for the Lombardi Award. The National Football Foundation selected Reggie White to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 2002. After his collegiate career Reggie White signed with the USFL’s Memphis Showboats where he played for two seasons before joining the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. During his 13-year career with the Eagles and Packers, he was NFL Rookie of the Year, an 11-time Pro Bowl performer, and a member of a Super Bowl winning team. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Reggie White in 2006.
December 19, 1964 – Phoenix, Arizona – Arizona State’s great guard Randall McDaniel was born. Randall was a two time All-America on the Sun Devil’s offensive line and helped the team go to three bowl games while on the team including the school’s first appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1987. The NFF voted Randall McDaniel into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. McDaniel played for 15 seasons in the NFL both with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Bucs and earned 12 trips to the Pro Bowl. In 1996 Randall received the honor of being named the NFL/True Value Man of the Year for his charity work. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Randall McDaniel in 2009.
December 19,1972 – Orlando, Florida – Warren Sapp the University of Miami’s great Defensive Tackle. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used the 12th pick in the 1995 NFL Draft to choose Warren to play for their team. Sapp was the 1999 Defensive Player of the Years, made All-Pro four times and played in 7 Pro Bowls. With the Bucs he won Super Bowl XXXVII against the Raiders where he registered a sack, two tackles and two passes defensed. Warren played 13 seasons in the NFL and registered 96.5 sacks in his career. He played the last four seasons of his brilliant career as a member of the Raiders. Warren Sapp was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
December 19, 1974 – Boise, Idaho – The quarterback from Arizona State University, Jake Plummer celebrates his birth. The NFF says Jake was a first Team All-American in 1996, and that “Jake the Snake” finished third for the Heisman Trophy after leading Arizona State to an 11-1 season. Jake Plummer found his entry into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
December 19, 1978 – Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania – The great University of Miami Hurricane linebacker, Dan Morgan was born. The NFF voters inducted Dan Morgan into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
TODAY IN SPORTS
Dec. 19
1913 — Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson fights to a 10-round draw with Battling Jim Johnson in Paris.
1917 — The NHL begins play. Joe Malone of the Montreal Canadiens scores five goals in a 9-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Harry Hyland of the Montreal Wanderers scores five goals in a 10-9 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1943 — Harry Lumley, at 17 years and 38 days old, becomes the youngest goaltender in NHL history when he plays for the Detroit Red Wings in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
1948 — The Cleveland Browns complete an undefeated season beating the Buffalo Bills 49-7 in AAFC championship game.
1948 — The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Chicago Cardinals 7-0 in a major snowstorm for the NFL title. Philadelphia’s Bucko Kilroy recovers a fumble on the 17-yard line in the fourth period, and Steve Van Buren later scores from the 5.
1976 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Colts 40-14 in an AFC playoff game. Ten minutes after the game, Donald Kroner, a former charter pilot, crashes a rented, low-wing, Piper Cherokee into the upper deck of Memorial Stadium. No one is seriously hurt as most of the capacity crowd of 60,020 left the one-sided contest early or were heading down the exit ramps.
1987 — Boston and St. Louis combine for the fastest two goals in NHL history. Ken Linseman puts the Bruins ahead 6-5 with 10 seconds left in the third period. Doug Gilmour of Boston wins the faceoff and shoots the puck into an empty net two seconds later to wrap up a 7-5 win over the Blues at Boston Garden.
1990 — Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson is named to the AFC team, as a reserve, becoming the first athlete chosen for All-Star games in two sports.
2001 — Marshall, led by Byron Leftwich, comes back from a 38-8 halftime deficit to beat East Carolina 64-61 in double-overtime in the GMAC Bowl for the highest scoring bowl game in history.
2007 — New York Islanders forward Chris Simon is banned for 30 games, drawing the longest suspension in NHL history again. Simon’s latest infraction was stepping on Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu with his skate during a Dec. 15 game. This is the seventh suspension of Simon’s career.
2009 — Michael Phelps helps his American team trounce a group of European all-stars in the Duel in the Pool, anchoring a relay to one of the eight world records the U.S. sets over the two-day meet in Manchester, England.
2010 — Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson returns a punt 65 yards for a touchdown as time expires in the Eagles’ 38-31 comeback win at the New York Giants. It’s the only game-winning punt-return touchdown in NFL history as the Eagles come back from a 31-10 fourth-quarter deficit. It marks the ninth time in NFL history in which a team trailed by at least 21 points in the fourth quarter and wins the game.
2010 — The Detroit Lions stop their record road skid at 26 games with a 23-20 overtime win at Tampa Bay. It’s the first road win since Oct. 28, 2007, when they beat the Bears 16-7 at Chicago.
2017 — Freshman Trae Young has 26 points and ties an NCAA Division I record with 22 assists as No. 17 Oklahoma rolls past Northwestern State 105-68.
2017 — North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell becomes the third women’s Division I coach to register her 1,000th career victory after the Tar Heels beat Grambling State 79-63.
2017 — Geno Auriemma wins his 1000th game as top-ranked UConn beat Oklahoma 88-64 in the Hall of Fame women’s Holiday Showcase. Auriemma becomes the fourth women’s coach to reach the 1,000-win mark, joining Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell, who earned her milestone victory earlier in the day.2018 – Houston Rockets set NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers in 136-118 victory over Washington Wizards.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
5 p.m.
ESPNU — Chris Paul HBCU Challenge: Norfolk St. vs. Alabama St., Uncasville, Conn.
7:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Chris Paul HBCU Challenge: Delaware St. vs. Grambling St., Uncasville, Conn.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Georgia Southern vs. Sam Houston St., New Orleans
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6:30 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Louisville vs. Pittsburgh, Semifinal, Louisville, Ky.
9 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: Penn St. vs. Nebraska, Semifinal, Louisville, Ky.
GOLF
3:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, First Round, Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand-Baie, Mauritius
3:30 a.m. (Friday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Second Round, Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand-Baie, Mauritius
NBA BASKETBALL
7 p.m.
TNT — Oklahoma City at Orlando
TRUTV — Oklahoma City at Orlando (DataCast)
9:30 p.m.
TNT — New York at Minnesota
TRUTV — New York at Minnesota (DataCast)
NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL
Noon
ESPNU — Winter Showcase: Greensboro vs. South Bay, Orlando, Fla.
1 p.m.
NBATV — Winter Showcase: Stockton vs. Iowa, Orlando, Fla.
2:30 p.m.
ESPNU — Winter Showcase: Grand Rapids vs. Oklahoma City, Orlando, Fla.
3:30 p.m.
NBATV — Winter Showcase: Raptors 905 vs. Rio Grande Valley, Orlando, Fla.
5 p.m.
ESPNEWS — Winter Showcase: Capital City vs. Sioux Falls, Orlando, Fla.
7:30 p.m.
ESPNEWS — Winter Showcase: Valley vs. Memphis, Orlando, Fla.
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Denver at L.A. Chargers
SOCCER (MEN’S)
3 p.m.
CBSSN — UEFA Conference League: HJK Helsinki at Real Betis
TENNIS
6 a.m.
TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin
11 a.m.
TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin
6 a.m. (Friday)TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin