“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FINALS FRIDAY
2A
ADAMS CENTRAL 46 LINTON-STOCKTON 6
RECAP: https://www.ihsaa.org/media/news/adams-central-rolls-past-linton-stockton-2a
4A
NEW PALESTINE 56 EAST NOBLE 26
RECAP: https://www.ihsaa.org/media/news/new-palestine-dominates-east-noble-fourth-4a-crown
6A
BROWNSBURG 22 WESTFIELD 17
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
11 AM ET | CLASS 1A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
NORTH JUDSON-SAN PIERRE (14-0) VS PROVIDENCE (13-0)
3 PM ET | CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
FORT WAYNE BISHOP LUERS (10-4) VS HERITAGE HILLS (13-1)
7 PM ET | CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP | TICKETS
WARSAW COMMUNITY (10-3) VS DECATUR CENTRAL (10-2)
STATE FINALS PREVIEW: https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2024-25%20Football%20Preview.pdf
INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| Benet Academy (Ill.) | 67 | Gary West | 55 | |
| Corydon Central | 73 | Lanesville | 54 | |
| Elwood | 43 | Hamilton | 36 | |
| Fort Wayne Snider | 72 | Merrillville | 47 | |
| Hammond Noll | 59 | Hammond Morton | 45 | |
| Indianapolis Roncalli | 54 | Jennings County | 39 | |
| Indianapolis Tech | 70 | Phalen Academy | 62 | |
| Kouts | 79 | Hebron | 45 | |
| North Central (Farmersburg) | 100 | Cissna Park (Ill.) | 60 | |
| North Central (Farmersburg) | 71 | Grace Academy (Ill.) | 55 | |
| Rensselaer Central | 60 | Tri-County | 53 | |
| Washington | 70 | North Posey | 56 | |
| Chicago Heights Tournament | ||||
| Hammond Central | 67 | TF South (Ill.) | 64 | |
| Lawrenceville (Ill.) Tournament | ||||
| Vincennes Lincoln | 67 | Fairfield (Ill.) | 39 | |
| Vincennes Lincoln | 60 | Richland County (Ill.) | 30 | |
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL
HOMESTEAD.COM
| Batesville | 55 | Jac-Cen-Del | 19 | |
| Bluffton | 81 | South Adams | 19 | |
| Brownstown Central | 48 | Scottsburg | 32 | |
| Corydon Central | 67 | Providence | 17 | |
| Fort Wayne Northrop | 57 | DeKalb | 49 | |
| Fort Wayne Snider | 64 | Merrillville | 42 | |
| Fremont | 55 | West Noble | 34 | |
| Gary West | 67 | Hammond Noll | 63 | OT |
| Homestead | 67 | Bellmont | 32 | |
| Shenandoah | 37 | Frankton | 27 | |
| Tri-Township | 53 | Frontier | 22 | |
| Woodlan | 52 | Jay County | 46 |
INDIANA WRESTLING RESULTS
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/dualresults.html/
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
NO. 11 BOISE STATE 34, OREGON STATE 18
NO. 25 COLORADO 52, OKLAHOMA STATE 0
MINNESOTA 24, WISCONSIN 7
MIAMI (OHIO) 28, BOWLING GREEN 12
NAVY 34, EAST CAROLINA 20
OHIO 42, BALL STATE 21
NO. 14 OLE MISS 26, MISSISSIPPI STATE 14
SAM HOUSTON 20, LIBERTY 18
COLORADO STATE 42, UTAH STATE 37
TEXAS STATE 45, SOUTH ALABAMA 38
SAN JOSE STATE 34, STANFORD 31
FLORIDA A&M 28, ALABAMA A&M 20
IOWA 13, NEBRASKA 10
UTAH 28, UCF 14
NO. 7 GEORGIA 44, GEORGIA TECH 42 (F/8OT)
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
12 P.M. | MICHIGAN AT OHIO STATE | FOX
12 P.M. | TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT | ABC/ESPN+
12 P.M. | SOUTH CAROLINA AT CLEMSON | ESPN
12 P.M. | KANSAS AT BAYLOR | ESPN2
12 P.M. | WEST VIRGINIA AT TEXAS TECH | FS1
12 P.M. | UTSA AT ARMY | CBSSN
12 P.M. | LOUISVILLE AT KENTUCKY | SEC NETWORK
12 P.M. | ILLINOIS AT NORTHWESTERN | BIG TEN NETWORK
12 P.M. | UCONN AT UMASS | ESPN+
12 P.M. | DUKE AT WAKE FOREST | ACC NETWORK
12 P.M. | LOUISIANA AT UL MONROE | ESPNU
12 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT TEMPLE | ESPN+
12 P.M. | SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE AT ILLINOIS STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE AT RHODE ISLAND (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | SLIPPERY ROCK AT KUTZTOWN (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AT FERRIS STATE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | HOBART AT SUSQUEHANNA (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | GROVE CITY AT JOHNS HOPKINS (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | MARYVILLE (TN) AT DEPAUW (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | ENDICOTT AT CORTLAND (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | KING’S (PA) AT SALISBURY (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | UMASS DARTMOUTH AT SPRINGFIELD (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON AT RANDOLPH-MACON (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | AURORA AT HOPE (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | CENTRE AT CARNEGIE MELLON (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
12 P.M. | JOHN CARROLL AT MOUNT UNION (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | UT MARTIN AT NEW HAMPSHIRE (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | ASHLAND AT CAL (PA) (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | HARDING AT GRAND VALLEY STATE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | MILES AT VALDOSTA STATE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | VIRGINIA UNION AT LENOIR-RHYNE (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE AT SAINT JOHN’S (MN) (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR AT HARDIN-SIMMONS (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE AT WARTBURG (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | BETHEL (MN) AT LAKE FOREST (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1 P.M. | WHITWORTH AT NORTH CENTRAL (IL) (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
1:30 P.M. | EASTERN MICHIGAN AT WESTERN MICHIGAN | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN VS. GRAMBLING (NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA) | NBC
2 P.M. | MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL | ESPN+
2 P.M. | COASTAL CAROLINA AT GEORGIA STATE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SOUTHERN MISS AT TROY | ESPN+
2 P.M. | SOUTH FLORIDA AT RICE | ESPN+
2 P.M. | LEHIGH AT RICHMOND (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
2 P.M. | EASTERN KENTUCKY AT VILLANOVA (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | PITT AT BOSTON COLLEGE | CW NETWORK
3 P.M. | OLD DOMINION AT ARKANSAS STATE | ESPN+
3 P.M. | NORTHERN ARIZONA AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | DRAKE AT TARLETON STATE (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | MINNESOTA STATE AT CSU PUEBLO (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | BEMIDJI STATE AT WESTERN COLORADO (DII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3 P.M. | TEXAS LUTHERAN AT LINFIELD (DIII FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MARYLAND AT PENN STATE | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | AUBURN AT ALABAMA | ABC/ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | MIAMI (FLA.) AT SYRACUSE | ESPN
3:30 P.M. | CAL AT SMU | ESPN2
3:30 P.M. | NOTRE DAME AT USC | CBS
3:30 P.M. | ARIZONA STATE AT ARIZONA | FOX
3:30 P.M. | ARKANSAS AT MISSOURI | SEC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | RUTGERS AT MICHIGAN STATE | FS1
3:30 P.M. | NC STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA | ACC NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | FRESNO STATE AT UCLA | BIG TEN NETWORK
3:30 P.M. | CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS | CBSSN
3:30 P.M. | UAB AT CHARLOTTE | ESPN+
3:30 P.M. | FLORIDA ATLANTIC AT TULSA | ESPN+
4 P.M. | JACKSONVILLE STATE AT WESTERN KENTUCKY | ESPNU
4 P.M. | KENNESAW STATE AT LOUISIANA TECH | ESPN+
4 P.M. | UTEP AT NEW MEXICO STATE | ESPN+
6 P.M. | TCU AT CINCINNATI | ESPN+
6 P.M. | APPALACHIAN STATE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN | ESPN+
6:30 P.M. | WYOMING AT WASHINGTON STATE | CW NETWORK
7 P.M. | OKLAHOMA AT LSU | ESPN
7 P.M. | FLORIDA AT FLORIDA STATE | ESPN2
7 P.M. | PURDUE AT INDIANA | FS1
7:30 P.M. | WASHINGTON AT OREGON | NBC
7:30 P.M. | TEXAS AT TEXAS A&M | ABC/SEC NETWORK
7:30 P.M. | KANSAS STATE AT IOWA STATE | FOX
8 P.M. | NEVADA AT UNLV | CBSSN
8 P.M. | VIRGINIA AT VIRGINIA TECH | ACC NETWORK
8 P.M. | MARSHALL AT JAMES MADISON | ESPNU
10:15 P.M. | HOUSTON AT BYU | ESPN
10:15 P.M. | TENNESSEE STATE AT MONTANA (FCS PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND) | ESPN+
10:30 P.M. | AIR FORCE AT SAN DIEGO STATE | FS1
11 P.M. | NEW MEXICO AT HAWAI’I | SPECTRUM SPORTS PPV
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#14 INDIANA 89 PROVIDENCE 73
#13 PURDUE 80 #23 OLE MISS 78
WEST VIRGINIA 83 #24 ARIZONA 76 OT
#18 FLORIDA 88 WICHITA STATE 51
#8 KENTUCKY 105 GEORGIA STATE 76
#11 DUKE 70 SEATTLE 48
#3 GONZAGA 90 DAVIDSON 65
BUTLER 87 #25 MISSISSIPPI STATE 77
ELSEWHERE:
WAKE FOREST 57 MINNESOTA 51
DEPAUL 89 VALPARAISO 70
PITTSBURGH 91 OHIO STATE 90 OT
ARKANSAS STATE 86 INDIANA STATE 81
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
#12 WEST VIRGINIA 89 HIGH POINT 54
#16 NORTH CAROLINA 119 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL 43
#11 OHIO STATE 87 UTAH STATE 51
#1 UCLA 97 TENNESSEE MARTIN 37
#17 TCU 76 #3 NOTRE DAME 68
#6 USC 104 ST. LOUIS 65
#5 TEXAS 90 NEW MEXICO STATE 50
#22 IOWA 68 BYU 48
ELSEWHERE:
WISCONSIN 66 PROVIDENCE 57
SOUTHERN INDIANA 70 YOUNGSTOWN STATE 34
MICHIGAN 68 BELMONT 58
MARQUETTE 59 RUTGERS 57
MINNESOTA 61 HOUSTON 44
BUTLER 79 SANTA CLARA 50
NICHOLLS 63 EVANSVILLE 50
WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
QUARTERFINALS
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
#2 WAKE FOREST 2 #1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 1 (4-3 PK’S)
#3 STANFORD 2 #4 NOTRE DAME 0
#2 NORTH CAROLINA 2 #4 PENN STATE 1
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
NO. 1 DUKE VS. NO. 7 VIRGINIA TECH, 6 P.M.
SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
QUARTERFINAL WINNERS, TBA
CHAMPIONSHIP
MONDAY, DEC. 9
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, 7 P.M.
MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
THIRD ROUND
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
NO. 13 MARSHALL VS. NC STATE, 2 P.M.
NO. 3 DENVER VS. NO. 14 INDIANA, 4 P.M.
NO. 11 VIRGINIA VS. UMASS, 5 P.M.
NO. 5 DAYTON VS. NO. 12 SMU, 7 P.M.
SUNDAY, DEC. 1
NO. 1 OHIO ST. VS. NO. 16 STANFORD, 5 P.M.
KANSAS CITY VS. NO. 2 PITTSBURGH, 5 P.M.
NO. 9 CLEMSON VS. NO. 8 WAKE FOREST, 6 P.M.
VERMONT VS. SAN DIEGO, 8 P.M.
NFL SCHEDULE
WEEK 13
FRIDAY
KANSAS CITY 19 LAS VEGAS 17
SUNDAY
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
HOUSTON TEXANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
ARIZONA CARDINALS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 12:00P (CT) 1:00P FOX
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT NEW YORK JETS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P FOX
TENNESSEE TITANS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 1:00P (ET) 1:00P CBS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS 4:05P (ET) 4:05P FOX
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 3:05P (CT) 4:05P FOX
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 4:25P (ET) 4:25P CBS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT BUFFALO BILLS 8:20P (ET) 8:20P NBC*
MONDAY
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT DENVER BRONCOS (MON) 6:15P (MT) 8:15P ESPN*
NBA SCORES
NEW YORK 99 CHARLOTTE 98
ATLANTA 117 CLEVELAND 101
MEMPHIS 120 NEW ORLEANS 109
ORLANDO 123 BROOKLYN 100
MINNESOTA 93 LA CLIPPERS 92
BOSTON 138 CHICAGO 129
MIAMI 121 TORONTO 111
DETROIT 130 INDIANA 106
PORTLAND 115 SACRAMENTO 106
OKLAHOMA CITY 101 LA LAKERS 93
NHL SCORES
PHILADELPHIA 3 NY RANGERS 1
MINNESOTA 3 CHICAGO 2
FLORIDA 6 CAROLINA 3
VANCOUVER 4 BUFFALO 3 OT
NEW JERSEY 5 DETROIT 4
COLUMBUS 5 CALGARY 2
TAMPA BAY 3 NASHVILLE 2 OT
WASHINGTON 5 NY ISLANDERS 4 OT
LOS ANGELES 2 ANAHEIM 1
SAN JOSE 8 SEATTLE 5
PITTSBURGH 2 BOSTON 1
VEGAS 4 WINNIPEG 3
DALLAS 5 COLORADO 3
EDMONTON 4 UTAH 3 OT
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
SATURDAY
ORLANDO AT NEW YORK
LA GALAXY AT SEATTLE
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES
NFL NEWS
CHIEFS FIRST TO CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT AFTER EDGING RAIDERS
Patrick Mahomes passed for 306 yards and became Kansas City’s career leader in touchdown passes and the Chiefs clinched an AFC playoff spot with a 19-17 victory over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Friday.
Kansas City (11-1) has played in a slew of close games this season and wrapped up this win when Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson unexpectedly snapped the ball. It caromed off the upper right arm of quarterback Aidan O’Connell, and Nick Bolton of the Chiefs recovered it at the Kansas City 37-yard line with 11 seconds left.
Mahomes threw one scoring pass to become the franchise leader with 238, surpassing Hall of Famer Len Dawson (237). Fill-in kicker Matthew Wright matched his career high of four field goals for the Chiefs.
Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker caught touchdown passes for Las Vegas (2-10), which dropped its eighth straight game. Bowers had 10 receptions for a career-best 140 yards.
O’Connell completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns for the Raiders. It was his first appearance since he broke his right (throwing) thumb in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams.
O’Connell was pressed into duty after Gardner Minshew sustained a season-ending broken collarbone in last Sunday’s 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Wright kicked a 32-yard field goal with 9:53 left in the game to give Kansas City a 19-17 lead.
The Raiders had a chance to take the lead but Daniel Carlson was short on a 58-yard field goal attempt with 2:17 remaining. Carlson also missed attempts from 56 and 55 yards.
Carlson looked in line for one final chance before the errant snap on a play from the Kansas City 32.
The Raiders trailed by 13 before stunning the Chiefs with two touchdowns in a span of 1:48.
Las Vegas moved within six when O’Connell tossed a 33-yard scoring pass to Bowers with 1:40 remaining in the third. The score was set up by a 68-yard kickoff return by Ameer Abdullah.
Then on the first play of the fourth quarter, O’Donnell threw deep and connected with Tucker on a 58-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a 17-16 edge.
Mahomes passed the mark of Dawson, who retired after the 1975 season, with a 6-yard scoring pass to Watson to give the Chiefs a 10-3 lead with 2:14 left in the first half.
Wright kicked field goals of 42 and 35 yards in the third quarter to boost Kansas City’s lead to 16-3. Wright was signed this week to handle place-kicking duties with Harrison Butker and last week’s hero, Spencer Shrader, sidelined with injuries.
BEARS FIRE HEAD COACH MATT EBERFLUS
The Chicago Bears fired third-year head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday.
The news came less than 24 hours after Eberflus experienced a sixth straight defeat and third consecutive loss decided on the final play. The Bears fell to 4-8 on the season.
“This morning, after meeting with (chairman) George (H. McCaskey) and (President and CEO) Kevin (Warren), we informed Matt of our decision to move in a different direction with the leadership of our football team and the head-coaching position,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said. “I thank Matt for his hard work, professionalism and dedication to our organization. We extend our gratitude for his commitment to the Chicago Bears and wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
Warren said he supported the decision made by the organization on Friday.
“We understand how imperative the head-coaching role is for building and maintaining a championship-caliber team, leading our players and our organization,” Warren said. “Our fans have stood by us and persevered through every challenge, and they deserve better results. Our organizational and operational structure is strong, focused, aligned and energized for the future.”
Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will serve as interim head coach.
His dismissal came shortly after Eberflus conveyed plans to conduct business as usual during his Friday morning news conference with reporters. He was then scheduled to meet with Warren and Poles.
“The operation has been normal,” Eberflus said of his plans for Friday in the office, with players home for the long weekend before returning to practice Monday.
The Bears have never fired a coach in-season and Eberflus indicated he didn’t expect to be the first.
“I’m confident that I’ll be working on to San Francisco and getting ready for that game,” Eberflus said, pointing to the Week 14 matchup with the 49ers.
Eberflus, 54, won his coaching debut with the Bears, 19-10 over the 49ers in 2022, but is 13-32 since.
On Thursday, Chicago lost 23-20 at Detroit, rallying from a dormant first half and had the ball in field-goal range when quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked. In a sequence that began with 32 seconds on the game clock, the Bears had options. They could have spiked the ball to stop the clock, attempting what would have been around a 60-yard field goal, or going for a first down with plenty of time to “clock” the ball.
Another option Eberflus chose not to use was calling a timeout.
Instead, the ball was snapped 28 seconds later and Williams heaved an incompletion down the right sideline as time expired.
Media members repeatedly have questioned Eberflus in press conference settings about taking personal accountability. But on Friday he said the Bears handled the final sequence appropriately and “the operation wasn’t fast enough.”
Wide receiver Keenan Allen said Thursday afternoon that “we did enough as players to win the game.”
Williams said the timeout call wasn’t his to make.
“We can call a timeout there or we cannot,” he said. “I’m not going to say I was surprised. My job is just to go out there and make plays. I let the coaches and everybody make that decision — it is their call. Maybe in the later years of my career, it will be my call.”
Poles paid a personal visit to Williams in the locker room for a discussion, and Warren stood watch to take in the wide-lens scene of the locker room packing to return to Chicago with an 0-3 record in the NFC North. The Bears had chances to beat all three division opponents, but the Packers blocked a game-winning FG attempt by Cairo Santos, the Vikings escaped Chicago with a 30-27 overtime win and the Lions wriggled away Thanksgiving Day with Chicago threatening in the final minute.
WEEK 13 NFL CAPSULES
Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta Falcons (6-5), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Atlanta holds a one-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South but lost the last two games. The Falcons are seeking their first winning season and playoff appearance since 2017. Prior to the bye last week, Atlanta lost 38-6 on the road to the Denver Broncos. The offense managed just 226 total yards, while producing its lowest point total of the season. The Falcons’ defense didn’t fare much better, as the unit was gashed by rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who threw four touchdowns. QB Kirk Cousins has thrown for 2,807 yards — good for fifth in the NFL — and would become the first Falcons quarterback since Matt Ryan in 2008 to lead the team to the playoffs in his first year. Chargers first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh has his team in the second AFC wild-card spot, sandwiched between the 8-4 Baltimore Ravens and 7-5 Broncos and gained more breathing room with Miami’s loss at Green Bay on Thanksgiving night. After starting the year 3-3, the Chargers won four games in a row before dropping their home game Monday to the Ravens, 30-23. In a battle between Jim and his brother John, Los Angeles squandered a 10-0, second-quarter lead. Making matters worse, starting running back J.K. Dobbins suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee in the loss, and is expected to be out this week. He is considered week-to-week beyond that. Chargers backup running backs Gus Edwards and Hassan Haskins will try to account for the absence of Dobbins, who’s rushed for 766 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-7), 1 p.m., CBS
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin heaped praise upon Bengals QB Joe Burrow for his MVP-level play in 2024 and warned his troops this road trip isn’t one to take lightly. Pittsburgh isn’t panicked after a surprising Thursday night loss at Cleveland last week and with 10 days between games, Tomlin expects an effort representative of a division leader on Sunday. All three of the Steelers’ losses this season have come against teams that currently have a losing record. Pittsburgh also fell to the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals have been in a rut — with three losses in their past four games — and were on the wrong end of a 34-27 decision against the Chargers on Nov. 17. Like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati came back from a sizable deficit only to lose the last time out. Joe Burrow threw three second-half touchdown passes against Los Angeles as the Bengals climbed out of a 27-6 hole, but Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins found the end zone from 29 yards out with 18 seconds left in regulation to break a 27-27 tie. Burrow went 28-for-50 passing for 356 yards and the three TDs. Making things harder for the Steelers could be the absence of linebacker Alex Highsmith, who did not practice on Wednesday because of an ankle injury that has forced him to miss two games.
Houston Texans (7-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9), 1 p.m., FOX
A week after a demoralizing loss to the Tennessee Titans, the AFC South-leading Texans visit Jacksonville with the Jaguars rested following a bye week. The week prior, Jacksonville was overwhelmed in a humiliating 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. It marked the fourth straight setback for the Jaguars, who had dropped their previous three games by a combined 13 points. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson noted that changes are coming, although he opted not to show his cards. QB Trevor Lawrence, who has not played since Nov. 3 due to a left shoulder injury, is eager to play and compete against Texans QB C.J. Stroud, who has run into some struggles during his sophomore season. Stroud has thrown nine interceptions in 12 games (all starts) after throwing only five as a rookie. He was picked off twice in the 32-27 setback against Tennessee, also throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 20-for-33 passing. The Texans have lost three of their past four games and four of their past six as defenses continue to solve Stroud. The Texans topped Jacksonville 24-20 back on Sept. 29.
Arizona Cardinals (6-5) at Minnesota Vikings (9-2), 1 p.m., FOX
Add the Minnesota Vikings to the observers who were urging the Bears to use a time out in the final 25 seconds of their Thanksgiving Day loss to the Lions, who maintained a one-game lead in the NFC North by hanging on for a 23-20 win. With their focus back on the field, the Vikings are targeting a second five-game winning streak this season when the Cardinals come to town. Minnesota claimed a 30-27 overtime win on the road against the Bears last Sunday. The Vikings have won each of their past three games on the road, and they return home for the first time since beating the Indianapolis Colts 21-13 four weeks ago. Arizona is trying to return to winning after a 16-6 defeat on the road against the Seattle Seahawks last week. The defeat snapped a four-game winning streak for the Cardinals, who started the season 2-4 but have gone 4-1 since then. But Sunday’s game and a rematch against Seattle could prove pivotal for his team’s postseason hopes. Two wins would put Arizona at 8-5; two losses put the team below .500. Kyler Murray owns a 98.0 passer rating, throwing for 2,343 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has 380 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. James Conner is Arizona’s top backfield threat with 705 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Tight end Trey McBride has a team-high 61 catches for 685 yards.
Indianapolis Colts (5-7) at New England Patriots (3-9), 1 p.m., CBS
Penalties crippled the Colts’ offense and erased multiple big plays by QB Anthony Richardson in Week 12, a loss to the Lions that left the locker room frustrated. But all is not lost for the Colts as they hit the road for another AFC East opponent. Richardson and Co. collected only 11 first downs in a 24-6 loss to the Detroit Lions. Richardson completed 11 of 28 passes for 172 yards. He was also the Colts’ leading rusher (10 carries, 61 yards). Star running back Jonathan Taylor was held to 35 yards on 11 carries against Detroit, but Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen is hopeful that he will do more damage against the Patriots. Getting the run going could become even more important if wide receivers Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Ashton Dulin aren’t able to take the field. All three wouldn’t have practiced on Wednesday had the Colts not opted to simply do a walkthrough. Downs’ absence could end up hurting Indianapolis the most. The second-year man has a team-leading 53 catches for 594 yards and four TDs. Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye said he’s not worried about the so-called wall first-year players often encounter with the longer NFL season. Maye makes his ninth appearance (eighth start) of the campaign. He didn’t excel in the Patriots’ 34-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. He finished with 222 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 22-of-37 passing.
Seattle Seahawks (6-5) at New York Jets (3-8), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Most of the focus for the Jets, who have lost six of their past seven games, already points to next season. That’s part of the reason they might not risk a hobbled Breece Hall, who has 632 yards rushing along with 46 catches for 401 yards and six total touchdowns this season but began the week with a knee injury coming out of the bye week. QB Aaron Rodgers, who turns 41 Monday, wasn’t among those listed on the injury report for the first time since September. The streaky Seahawks are back to their winning ways and are tied with the Cardinals atop the NFC West. After opening the season by going 3-0, Seattle lost five of its next six games before winning its past two against division rivals. Coach Mike Macdonald’s defense has been much improved since a bye in Week 10, as the Seahawks defeated the host San Francisco 49ers 20-17 and visiting Arizona 16-6 over the past two weeks. Coby Bryant returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown and Leonard Williams had 2.5 sacks against the Cardinals.
Tennessee Titans (3-8) at Washington Commanders (7-5), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Trade deadline acquisition Marshon Lattimore, a physical cornerback picked up from the Saints, could debut for the Commanders. They could use a jolt. Having lost three straight after a 7-2 start, the Commanders last won Nov. 3 on Hail Mary touchdown from rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Tennessee is coming off a 33-27 upset of the Houston Texans that featured one of Will Levis’ best starts of the season. Washington has lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys the past three weeks and enters Week 13 two games behind the NFC East-leading Eagles. After sputtering for three quarters against Dallas, Washington scored 17 fourth-quarter points in a wild 34-26 loss last week. Daniels completed 25 of 38 passes for 274 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but 86 of those yards came on a late catch-and-run score by Terry McLaurin. In the three recent losses, Daniels has a 61.5 completion percentage, three touchdowns, three interceptions and a 77.7 passer rating while being sacked 10 times. Daniels did have his best rushing day since Week 1 when he gained 74 yards against Dallas. Improvement might not come easy. The Titans’ defense that ranks second in the NFL behind the Eagles, giving up just 276.4 yards per game. Levis returned from his right shoulder injury and the Titans have averaged 224.3 passing yards per game, with nine touchdown passes and six interceptions in the past six outings. RB Tony Pollard had his best game of the season against Houston, rushing 24 times for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) at Carolina Panthers (3-8), 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
Few introductions are needed on Sunday, as first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales came to Carolina after serving as Buccaneers offensive coordinator a season ago. Canales’ prized pupil last season, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield was with the Panthers for part of the 2022 campaign. The Buccaneers (5-6) playing a division opponent for the first time since an Oct. 27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The goal will be notching back-to-back wins for the first time since the first two weeks of the season. Four different ball-carriers, including Mayfield, found the end zone on the ground during a 30-7 drubbing of the New York Giants last Sunday. Mayfield also completed 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards. Star wideout Mike Evans was back in action for Tampa Bay following a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury. He finished with five receptions for 68 yards against the Giants and now gets a crack at a Carolina team allowing a league-high 30.9 points per game this season. However, the Panthers have tightened up their play as of late, winning two games in a row before hanging with the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in a 30-27 setback last Sunday. The outing against Kansas City may have been the most efficient performance of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young’s two-year career. Young completed 21 of 35 passes for 263 yards and one score without throwing a pick. Carolina and Tampa Bay might as well get used to each other, as the two teams will collide again in four weeks.
Los Angeles Rams (5-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-7), 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
The Saints won both games they have played since interim head coach Darren Rizzi was promoted from special teams coordinator to replace Dennis Allen, who was fired Nov. 4 after a seven-game losing streak. New Orleans comes out of its bye sitting in third place in the NFC South, two games behind the Falcons and one game behind the Buccaneers. The Rams’ visit will be the third straight home game for Rizzi as interim head coach. The Saints beat the Falcons 20-17 in his debut and followed that with a 35-14 victory over Cleveland in which they outscored the Browns 21-0 in the fourth quarter. A series of significant injuries contributed to the losing streak, but New Orleans has gotten progressively healthier in recent weeks. Quarterback Derek Carr improved in each of the last three contests after returning from a three-game absence caused by an oblique strain. The return of center Erik McCoy from groin surgery after a seven-game absence was a boost against the Browns. The Saints’ signing of veteran receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Oct. 22 with top receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed injured has given Carr a much-needed big-play threat. In the past two games, Valdes-Scantling has three touchdown receptions and has averaged 39.2 yards on five catches. The Rams are coming off a 37-20 home loss against the Eagles on Sunday night, their second defeat in three games after a three-game winning streak. They are tied with the San Francisco 49ers for last place in the NFC West, but they’re just one game behind the first-place Seahawks and Cardinals and have one game remaining against each of the three rivals. Coach Sean McVay called the loss to the Eagles “a humbling night” after his team struggled on both sides of the ball. The defense allowed Saquon Barkley to rush for a career-high and franchise-record 255 yards as well as two touchdowns, and Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked five times.
Philadelphia Eagles (9-2) at Baltimore Ravens (8-4), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
The Eagles have won seven in a row and play four of their final six games in Philadelphia, traveling only about 125 miles to visit the Ravens this weekend and the Commanders in Week 16. Sunday’s game features the NFL’s two leading rushers. Saquon Barkley (1,392 yards) and Derrick Henry (1,325) are far ahead of Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs (944) in third place. Henry leads the league with 13 rushing touchdowns. Barkley (10) is tied for fourth and Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts (11) tied for second. The matchup also features two of the top candidates for Most Valuable Player honors entering Week 13 in Barkley and Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won his second MVP award last season. Their competition includes quarterbacks Josh Allen of Buffalo and Jared Goff of Detroit, with Allen widely considered the favorite. The showdown at M&T Bank Stadium also pits Baltimore’s No. 1 offense (426.7 yards per game) and No. 2 scoring offense (30.3 points per game) against Philadelphia’s No. 1 defense (274.6) and No. 6 scoring defense (18.1). The Eagles have held seven consecutive opponents to under 300 total yards, while the Ravens have gained at least 329 yards of offense in all 11 games. Philadelphia is coming off a 37-20 road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in which Barkley smashed the franchise record with 255 rushing yards. Baltimore also earned a prime-time win in Los Angeles last week, defeating the Chargers 30-23 in the “Harbaugh Bowl” on Monday night behind Jackson’s three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Philadelphia is 5-1 away from home this season — 6-1 if you count their season-opening “home” victory against the Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Baltimore is 4-1 at home.
San Francisco 49ers (5-6) at Buffalo Bills (9-2), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Buffalo can clinch the AFC East before the calendar flips to December while the 49ers are staggered and stumble into New York bracing for snow with a good chance of backups in the forecast. QB Brock Purdy (shoulder) missed the Week 12 loss at Green Bay and San Francisco was also without All-Pro DE Nick Bosa (oblique, hip), with LT Trent Williams (ankle) motoring through the locker room this week on a knee scooter. Buffalo is not the ideal place to try to get healthy. The Bills dealt the Chiefs their only loss this season and Buffalo has scored at least 30 points in five consecutive games. QB Josh Allen has passed for 18 touchdowns against five interceptions this season after throwing a career-worst 18 picks last season. San Francisco got walloped last week without Purdy, falling 38-10 to the host Packers. Brandon Allen started at quarterback and completed 17 of 29 passes for 199 yards with one touchdown pass, one interception and one lost fumble. Allen is 2-8 as an NFL starter. He is again getting heavy work in practice in case Purdy’s shoulder doesn’t significantly improve. The 49ers could use a big performance from running back Christian McCaffrey, who had just 31 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 37 yards against Green Bay.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
TOP 25 FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: NO. 7 GEORGIA TOPS GEORGIA TECH IN 8 OTS
Nate Frazier’s two-point conversion in the eighth overtime gave No. 7 Georgia a 44-42 win over rival Georgia Tech in the second-longest game in FBS history in Athens, Ga., on Friday.
After the Bulldogs forced Haynes King’s incomplete pass to begin the eighth free period, Frazier’s scoring run staved off the massive upset for Georgia (10-2), which will play for the SEC Championship next week.
Carson Beck threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the win, while King threw for 303 yards and two scores, adding 110 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets (7-5), who led 17-0 at halftime and 27-13 with under four minutes left.
In the first overtime, Beck found London Humphreys for a 14-yard touchdown, before King’s game-tying 12-yard TD pass to Eric Singleton Jr. King’s 1-yard rush was answered with Beck’s 25-yard scoring pass to Cash Jones in the second overtime. Both teams’ two-point conversions were unsuccessful. Both teams scored in the fifth overtime but came up empty in the next two OTs to set the stage for the eighth OT.
No. 11 Boise State 34, Oregon State 18
Ashton Jeanty rushed for 226 yards and one touchdown on 37 carries and the Broncos moved closer to earning a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff with a victory over the Beavers in Boise, Idaho.
Jeanty topped 200 yards rushing for the fifth time this season and raised his season numbers to 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground as the Broncos (11-1) won their 10th consecutive game. Jeanty’s rushing yardage this season ranks fifth all-time in FBS history. Boise State will host No. 24 UNLV or Colorado State on Dec. 6 in the Mountain West title game.
Ben Gulbranson completed 21 of 37 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown for Oregon State (5-7), which lost six of its final seven games. Darrius Clemons caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Anthony Hankerson ran for 110 yards and a long touchdown on 11 carries to end the season with 1,082 rushing yards.
No. 14 Ole Miss 26, Mississippi State 14
Jaxson Dart broke Eli Manning’s school passing record and the Rebels beat the visiting Bulldogs in the 121st annual Egg Bowl in Oxford, Miss.
In eclipsing Manning’s mark of 10,119 yards set from 2000-03, Dart was 14-of-24 for 143 yards and a touchdown as the Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3) struggled through the air.
The Bulldogs’ Michael Van Buren rushed for a TD and was 17-of-32 passing for 280 yards and a touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman Jr. (six catches, 118 yards). Van Buren also threw two interceptions. Mississippi State (2-10, 0-8) went winless in conference play for the first time since 2002 and lost its 12th straight SEC game.
No. 25 Colorado 52, Oklahoma State 0
Travis Hunter made the most of his last impression on Heisman Trophy voters with three touchdown receptions, two pass breakups and an interception as the Buffaloes rolled past the Cowboys in Boulder, Colo.
The two-way star wasted little time making a splash. His interception was on the third play of the game and his first score was an 11-yard catch to give Colorado (9-3, 7-2 Big 12) a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
Maealiuaki Smith was 11-of-29 for 70 yards and two interceptions for Oklahoma State (3-9, 0-9). Colorado outgained Oklahoma State 471-147.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT GAME: OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN
BUCKEYES NOTES:
FIRST AND TEN Ohio State University, 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten Conference, hosts the University of Michigan, 6-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten, in the 120th edition of the greatest rivalry in sports. FOX will broadcast the game nationally. Kickoff is set for 12:14 p.m. Michigan leads the all-time series in wins, 61 to 51, and there have been six ties. (Note: Ohio State vacated its 37-7, 2010 victory.). Ohio State had won eight consecutive games over Michigan and 16 of 19 games in the first two decades of the 2000s before Michigan stopped the streak in 2021 and has since won three consecutive games. These two schools, situated 190 miles apart via Route 23 to Interstate 94, rank first in Big Ten Conference championships: Michigan has 45, Ohio State has 39. Ohio State leads in outright championships: 23-19. Ohio State and Michigan have played in the regular season finale every year since 1935 except twice: in 1942 Ohio State defeated Iowa Pre-Flight to cap a 9-1 season that featured the school’s first Associated Press national title, and in 2020 when the game was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
MORE OHIO STATE vs. MICHIGAN LORE Ohio State has a 27-28-2 record vs. Michigan in games played in Columbus and a 26-22-2 at Ohio Stadium vs. Michigan. When the 2020 game at Ohio Stadium was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it stopped a streak of 102 consecutive years – dating to 1918 – that these two rivals had played on the gridiron. Michigan snapped its longest losing streak to Ohio State – eight games from 2012-19 – in the 2021 game at Michigan Stadium. Michigan snapped an official eight-game losing streak in Ohio Stadium, dating to 2000, with its 45-23 win in 2022. Ohio State is 16-6 vs. Michigan in the 2000s. Prior to 2000, Michigan had won 13 of the previous 20 games between 1980 and 1999 with one tie. Since 1951, Woody Hayes’ first season as Ohio State’s head coach, the Buckeyes lead the series 39-30-2. The two teams have played 44 games decided by one score (seven points or less). Ohio State leads in these games, 20-18-6 with its last such win in 2016 (30-27 OT in Columbus). Michigan’s last one score win: last year, 30-24 in Ann Arbor.
2021-22-23 and 2017-18-19 Ohio State has been outscored by Michigan in the second half of the last three games by 28-14 in 2021, 28-3 in 2022 and 16-14 last year. Ohio State has also been outrushed by Michigan in all three games by a cumulative 705-314 yards for an average of 235.0 vs. 104.6 yards per game, respectively. And Ohio State has forced just one turnover in the three while Michigan has forced five Buckeye turnovers. In the three wins head coach Ryan Day has been a part of: Ohio State has won by 11, 23 and 29 points in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively, while scoring 31, 56 and 62 points. Ohio State outrushed Michigan in each of those games, and on average in the three rushed for 220.3 yards per game. Ohio State also forced six Michigan turnovers while committing just two.
OHIO STATE TODAY Ohio State has five consecutive victories since its one-point loss on the road to No. 1 (ever since) Oregon, including two Top 5 wins: 20-13 at No. 3 Penn State and 38-15 Saturday over No. 5 Indiana. The starting linebackers – Sonny Styles and Cody Simon – lead the team in tackles with 71 and 65, respectively. Simon has 8.0 TFLs and Styles 6.5, joining Caleb downs with that number. DE JT Tuimoloau leads the team in TFLs (11.0) and sacks (6.0). SAF Lathan Ransom – 48 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, one INT, PBU, QB hurry and FR plus three FFs – and DE Jack Sawyer – 42 tackles to lead all down linemen plus 4.5 QB sacks, five QB hurries, 2 FFs and 2 FRs – know how to fill a stats line as well.
OHIO STATE ON OFFENSE … QB Will Howard, 244.1 passing yards per game with 26 TDs and seven rushing TDs for 33 total TDs, powers and leads the Ohio State offense. Howard throws to a trio of talented receivers in Emeka Egbuka (56-692-9 TDs), Jeremiah Smith (52-899-17.3 avg.-9 TDs) and Carnell Tate (35-525-4 TDs). RBs Quinshon Judkins (759 yards and eight TDs) and TreVeyon Henderson (730 yards and five TDs) combine for 135.4 rushing yards per game. The offensive line has had four different starting lineups but is settling in after a couple of injuries and is a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. The offensive line, in fact, enters this week T4th nationally in fewest TFLs allowed with 37.0 and 16th in fewest quarterback sacks allowed with 12. SOME WILL HOWARD HYPE Will Howard extended his school
Single season and career records with his sixth game with a completion percentage of at least 80 pct. by completing 22 of 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the win over No. 5 Indiana. Howard, the Big Ten’s offensive player of the week, found Emeka Egbuka on an 11-yard TD score after Indiana had taken a 7-0 lead, and then he hit TE Jelani Thurman with a 1-yard TD pass to make the score 28-7. He did throw one interception that was first tipped by a Buckeye. Howard is No. 1 in the nation in completion percentage at 74.0 pct. and No. 2 in passing efficiency at 180.54. Howard’s efficiency rating tops or is right at the ratings of three recent Buckeye Heisman Trophy finalists: Justin Fields (181.4 in 2019), C.J. Stroud (177.7 in 2022) and Dwayne Haskins (174.1 in 2018). MORE ON THE RECEIVING END TreVeyon Henderson (17-110) and Judkins (15-109) are dangerous as receivers, and Brandon Inniss (12-151-1) is the seventh Buckeye with at least 10 receptions. The tight ends, led by Gee Scott Jr. (14-144- 2), have combined for 26 catches for 311 yards and four touchdowns. Ohio transfer Will Kaczmarek returned to action against Indiana after missing four games because of injury. Sophomore TE Jelani Thurman caught his first TD pass in the Indiana game.
FEET FEATS: TREVEYON & QUINSHON RBs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson have shared starts and are combining nicely for 135.4 rushing yards per game and a fine 6.46 yards per carry average with 14 touchdowns. The pair rank seventh and eighth among active Power 4 running backs with 3,484 career rushing yards (Judkins) and 3,475 (Henderson). The duo are in a tie for sixth among active players with 43 touchdowns scored apiece with 39 rushing and four receiving for Judkins and 38 rushing and five receiving for Henderson. EIGHT GAMES OF 1 TD OR LESS The Buckeyes have limited their opponents’ offenses to one touchdown or less in eight of 11 games this season. The defense has allowed just eight rushing TDs and only four passing TDs. Since the 32-31 loss at Oregon, the defense has allowed just four rushing TDs in five games and no passing touchdowns. EMEKA EGBUKA: 21 FROM No. 1 Emeka Egbuka, who leads the team with 56 receptions, is now just 21 receptions from the school career record of 201 set by K.J. Hill from 2016-19. Egbuka is in third-place at Ohio State with 180 career catches. David Boston is second with 191. Egbuka’s 2,549 receiving yards rank seventh at Ohio State and his 23 TD receptions are tied with Garrett Wilson for eighth. Egbuka needs 65 yards to pass Marvin Harrison Jr. (2,613) and 163 to pass Chris Olave (2,711) and move into the receiving yardage Top 5 at Ohio State.
1.75 COLUMN NOTES … Jeremiah Smith, who has set Ohio State freshman records for receptions, yards, TDs and 100-yard games, is second nationally among freshmen with 52 receptions and he and Emeka Egbuka are T11th nationally with nine TD catches. Smith caught a TD pass in his first seven games as a Buckeye, but has caught just one in the last four games. Denzel Ward will make his 46th consecutive start this week to tie William White for most starts among Ohio State defensive backs. Ohio State has won 47 consecutive games when it forces two-or-more opponent turnovers, including four times this year. WR Emeka Egbuka has caught a pass in 36 consecutive games. Ohio State has scored more than once in the first quarter only once in 11 games (three TDs vs. Western Michigan). The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents in the second and third quarters by a substantial 278 to 52. TE Christian Bennett joined TE Gee Scott in the starting lineup vs. Indiana, his first career start as a collegian. Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun lead the Buckeyes with six PBUs apiece. Four Buckeyes have at least four quarterback sacks: JT Tuimoloau (6.0), Cody Simon (5.0), Jack Sawyer (4.5) and Sonny Styles (4.). Styles is the team’s leading tackler with 71 and the leader with 31 solo stops, although Simon and Caleb Downs are right behind with 30 solos each. Ohio State is playing two home games to close out a regular season this year for the first time since 2014 (vs. Indiana and Michigan) … for only the third time since 1951 when Woody Hayes took over (1964 vs. Penn State, Northwestern and Michigan; 1962 vs. Indiana, Oregon and Michigan) … and for the eighth time since the team started playing home games in Ohio Stadium in 1922. Ohio State’s 211 punt return yards (109 for Brandon Inniss; 102 for Caleb Downs) are the most in nine years (392 in 2015). Will Howard is sixth nationally among active players with 101 TDs responsible for: 74 TD passes, 26 rushing TDs and 1 receiving TD. Howard’s seven rushing TDs are the most by a Buckeye QB in six seasons, or since Justin Fields had 10 in 2019. Cody Simon, 212 career tackles, and Lathan Ransom (200) lead all Buckeyes in tackles. The team’s leading disruptors: Lathan Ransom (12 takeaways/forced turnovers; 3 INT/6 FF/3 FR), Jack Sawyer (7; 5 FF/2 FR), Jordan Hancock (6; 2 INT/2 FF/2 FR), Denzel Burke (5; 4 INT/1 FF), JT Tuimoloau (5; 1 INT/2 FF/2FR). This will be Ryan Day’s 76th game coached as Ohio State head coach and the 66th game with his team being ranked in the Top 5 nationally. Day’s Buckeyes are 46-4 vs. Big Ten teams: 24-1 vs. the Big Ten in Columbus; 22-3 in road games. Day’s teams are 20-9 vs. nationally ranked teams, including records of 11-8 vs. Top 10 teams and 4-6 vs. Top 5 teams. Ohio State lost 25 scholarship players to the transfer portal while picking up seven. Ohio State football was one of just two programs nationwide with an Academic Progress Rate score of 1,000 (Harvard). The APR accounts for academic eligibility, retention and graduation. Ohio State’s total of 683 yards vs. Western Michigan was the 14th time in the Ryan Day era that the Buckeyes have eclipsed 600 yards of total offense. It took until his 28th season as analyst for the Ohio State flagship radio network before Jim Lachey missed (or will miss) a game … this week, after calling 357 consecutive games, including 18 wins over Michigan. He will be in Iowa City for his youngest son, Luke’s, senior day with the Hawkeyes, who host Nebraska Friday evening. Drive safe, Jim!
WOLVERINES NOTES:
What You Need to Know
• This will be the 120th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State.
• The Wolverines have won three straight games and hold a 61-52-6 lead in the all-time series.
• Donovan Edwards needs 16 receiving yards to set the Michigan career record for a running back.
• Already the reception leader, Colston Loveland needs 99 yards and three TDs to set U-M’s season records by a tight end.
• Kalel Mullings is pacing the rushing attack with 832 yards on 153 carries and has scored 11 TDs.
• Dominic Zvada is the Big Ten’s most accurate kicker with a 93.8%conversion rate (15-16 on FGs).
Eight Wolverines Hail from Ohio
• Michigan has eight (8) players that hail from the state of Ohio.
• Four players from the state have seen game action this fall: WR C.J. Charleston, LB Jason Hewlett, EDGE Breeon lshmail and RB Jordan Marshall.
• A returning starter, DB Rod Moore is a captain who has missed the 2024 season due to injury.
• The three other Ohio Wolverines are redshirting freshmen: OL Luke Hamilton, DL Ted Hammond and OL Ben Roebuck.
• Running backs coach Tony Alford was an assistant at Ohio State prior to joining the Michigan program this spring.
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Wolverines and Buckeyes
• This will be the 120th meeting between Michigan and Ohio State.
• The Wolverines have a 61-52-6 advantage in the all-time series.
• U-M ended an eight-game losing streak against OSU with wins in the last three meetings: 42-27 in 2021, 45-23 in 2022 and 30-24 in 2023.
• The all-time series between the Wolverines and Buckeyes in Columbus is tied, 28-28-2.
• Michigan holds a slight 25-24-1 all-time margin in games played at Ohio Stadium.
• The Buckeyes are the most common opponent for the Wolverines, trailed closely by Michigan State (117 games).
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The Game
• The Game was selected as the greatest rivalry in all of sport by ESPN.com in 1999.
• The Game ranks tied for the 14th most played rivalries in FBS (Division I-A) history.
• The two programs played every year from 1918 through 2019 (102 years), a streak that ranked eighth in Division I-A for the longest uninterrupted series; the 2020 game was canceled due to COVID issues within the Michigan program.
• The overall series dates back to 1897, when the Wolverines claimed a 34-0 victory over the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor.
• The Game was moved to the final Saturday of the Big Ten season in 1935; since that time, the match-up has had the potential for major impact in the Big Ten standing 50 times.
• There have been 24 occasions where the two schools decided the Big Ten Champion between themselves based on the outcome on that Saturday; for 10 years (1972-81 ), the outcome decided which of the two teams would represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl.
• Since the Ohio State dedication game in 1922, more than 9 million fans have attended the annual game played between the two schools, with 73 of those 101 games being sellouts.
• Since 1922, more people have attended this game than any other gridiron match-up in the country.
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Game Notes Nuggets
• Fourteen (14) players have made their first career starts this fall: wide receiver Kendrick Bell, center Greg Crippen, tackle Andrew Gentry, center Dominick Giudice, tight end Marlin Klein, right tackle Evan Link, wide receivers Fredrick Moore and Peyton O’Leary, quarterback Alex Orji, quarterback Davis Warren on offense; defensive back Zeke Berry, edge TJ Guy, defensive back Jyaire Hill, and edge Derrick Moore on defense.
• Another nine players have made their first career starts as Wolverines after earning starting assignments at their previous institutions: C.J. Charleston (wide receiver), Josh Priebe (offensive line), Jack Tuttle (quarterback), Jaishawn Barham (linebacker), Aamir Hall (cornerback) Ernest Hausmann (linebacker), Josaiah Stewart (edge), Wesley Walker (defensive back), and Dominic Zvada (kicker).
• Twenty-three (23) Wolverines have made collegiate debuts this season: Chibi Anwunah (edge), Manuel Beigel (defensive line), Mason Curtis (defensive back), Jadyn Davis (quarterback), Jo’Ziah Edmond (defensive back), Jake Guarnera (offensive line), Channing Goodwin (wide receiver), Hogan Hansen (tight end), Jason Hewlett (linebacker), Breeon Ishmail (edge), Ike Iwunnah (defensive line), Micah Ka’apana (running back), Bryson Kuzdzal (running back), Alexander Lidback (linebacker), Jack MacKinnon (linebacker), Jordan Marshall (running back), Dominic Nichols (edge), Jacob Oden (defensive back), Max Reyes (defensive back), Evan Link (offensive line), Peter Simmons (defensive line), Andrew Sprague (offensive line), and Cole Sullivan (linebacker).
• Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades U-M well in the following categories: overall (34th, 87.8), defense (ninth, 92.3), rushing defense (third, 93.6), tackling (24th, 80.1), pass rush (first, 90.7), and special teams (31st, 81.1).
• Now with six starts under his belt, quarterback Davis Warren is completing 64.1 percent of his passes with a 116.7 efficiency mark and six touchdown passes.
• U-M scored on its first possession in both halves against Northwestern en route to a season-high 50 points. U-M also set a season-high in first downs (25) with 24 pass attempts in the first half alone. Entering the game, the Wolverines averaged 24.2 pass attempts across a full game.
• Entering the season, Kalel Mullings had a career-long run of 23 yards (at Minnesota, 2023). So far this season he has six runs of at least 30 yards: 30 (touchdown), 30, 38, 47, 53 (touchdown), and 63 yards.
• Mullings has 11 rushing touchdowns this season. He is Pro Football Focus’ No. 33-graded rusher (86.6), averaging 3.62 yards after contact per attempt. He’s lost only 15 yards on 153 attempts this year.
• Both Mullings (5.4) and Donovan Edwards (4.7) have productive yards-per-carry numbers. Mullings ranks 47th overall with 832 rushing yards.
• Edwards is also just 16 yards shy of setting the career receiving yards record by a running back at Michigan, currently held by Anthony Thomas (810 yards). Edwards has 84 catches for 795 career yards (9.5 average).
• According to the Big Ten Network, Edwards is the only Big Ten running back this century with multiple touchdown rushes (18), receptions(four), and passes (two) in his career.
• Tight end Colston Loveland has been the leader or co-leader in receptions for U-M in every game he has finished this season (nine), with 56 total catches. Loveland’s 84 total targets are fifth in the nation among FBS tight ends.
• Loveland is now Michigan’s single-season record holder for catches by a tight end (56), having broken a tie with Bennie Jopru (53, 2002) against Northwestern.
• Loveland is 166 yards shy of the single-season receiving yards by a tight end record (748) set by Devin Funchess in 2013. For his career, he’s at 1,466 yards (record: Jake Butt, 1,646).
• Loveland remains highly efficient, averaging 2.67 yards per route run according to PFF. That figure is fifth in the country among FBS tight ends (minimum 35 targets) and second among Big Ten tight ends.
• Loveland is in a tie for second place all-time in touchdowns among U-M tight ends with 11 in his career (tied with Jake Butt). The record is held by Jerame Tuman (15).
• Among U-M tight ends, Loveland and Jake Butt (2013-16) are the only players to reach 12 games with at least 50 receiving yards.
• Tyler Morris caught a career-high seven passes against Northwestern, including a 28-yarder. Morris has at least one catch of 19-plus yards in four of the last five games, something he did not do across the first six contests.
• The Wolverine defense has had at least six TFL in seven of eight Big Ten games, totaling 56 tackles for loss (second in Big Ten) and 27 sacks (first) in league play. U-M’s six sacks against Northwestern are a high mark this season and the most since the Rose Bowl game against Alabama in 2023 (six).
• The Wolverines rank 19th nationally in sacks (2.82 per game); the Buckeyes (3.18 per game) are the only Big Ten team averaging more.
• U-M’s charge into the backfield is led by Josaiah Stewart‘s 6.5 sacks, all of which have come in Big Ten play (co-leaders: 7.0). Stewart ranks 10th in the country with 0.85 sacks per game and 14th with 1.3 tackles per game.
• TJ Guy (6.0 in Big Ten play) is sixth while Mason Graham (3.5, tied-19th) and Kenneth Grant (3.0, tied-22nd) are among the interior leaders.
• Stewart has at least a share of a sack in five of the last seven games (2.0 vs. USC, 1.0 vs. Washington, 0.5 vs. Illinois, 1.0 vs. Michigan State, 2.0 vs. Northwestern). His win rate of 24.9 percent is No. 2 in the nation (minimum 75 pass rush snaps). TJ Guy (11th, 20.3) and Derrick Moore (18.9, 19th) are also among the nation’s best in pass rush win rate.
• Zeke Berry (two interceptions, one fumble forced/recovered) leads the team in turnovers and is tied with Jyaire Hill for the team lead in pass breakups (nine). Berry has five breakups across the past three games.
• Eight different players are responsible for U-M’s 12 defensive turnovers (three fumble recoveries, nine interceptions).
• Seventeen (17) different players have broken up passes for the defense this year including six different defensive linemen/edge rushers. Kenneth Grant leads all defensive linemen with five.
• Grant has been active in this area throughout his career; he had six breakups in 2023, giving him 12 for his career (includes one interception), the highest total among any U-M defensive linemen in history. Across 2023 and 2024 combined, the defensive line has been responsible for almost a quarter (23.5 percent) of the team’s total pass breakups (11-of-54 in 2024; 18-of-69 in 2023).
• Among FBS interior defensive linemen, Mason Graham is credited with the second-most pressures (33; sacks, hits, hurries). He’s also graded as the nation’s top-graded run defender (91.9), with Kenneth Grant (85.0) rated 18th and Rayshaun Benny ranked 24th (83.2).
• The U-M run defense is one of eight in the nation giving up fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground (94.0, fourth, NCAA). Ohio State’s (90.0, third) is another, with five of the top-10 ranked rushing defenses overall belonging in the Big Ten.
• Ernest Hausmann leads the U-M defense with 74 tackles, 14 clear of the next-highest total. Hausmann set a Michigan career-high with 12 tackles at Washington, matching his best career total at Nebraska, and registered nine-plus tackles in four times this season.
• Tommy Doman is the 11th-highest-graded punter in the nation by PFF (78.6). The 21 fair catches he’s forced are eight behind the national lead and four off the Big Ten lead.
• Doman is also a weapon on kickoffs, with 35 touchbacks on 55 kickoffs (63.7 percent). U-M is 29th in the nation in kick return defense (17.3 yards per return, on average).
• Doman, whose pro-style approach meshes hangtime with distance to give U-M effective coverage units, ranks tied-ninth in the country and second in the Big Ten in average hangtime (4.21 seconds) among punters with 25-plus attempts.
• Dominic Zvada is 15-for-16 this year (one blocked). His eight conversions at 40-plus yards are two shy of matching the single-season record at U-M.
• Zvada’s first attempt against Northwestern was another 56-yard try, matching the longest kick in his career (once previously at U-M, once at Arkansas State). Zvada is now six-for-six from 50-plus yards this year, and continues to add to his Michigan career and single-season records.
• Zvada is one of just three kickers with six or more conversions at 50-plus yards (SMU’s Collin Rogers, Arizona’s Tyler Loop), but the only one who has gone six-for-six on such kicks. Rogers (10 attempts) and Loop (eight) have both missed multiple kicks from that distance.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT GAME: TEXAS VS. TEXAS A&M
TEXAS NOTES:
COTTON HOLDINGS LONE STAR SHOWDOWN • The No. 3/3/3 Texas Longhorns (10-1, 6-1 SEC) travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas, to clash with the No. 20/19/15 Texas A&M Aggies at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Kyle Field. The game will broadcast on ABC with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) on the call. • The Longhorns are alone atop the SEC standings and a spot in the conference championship game in year one comes down Texas at Texas A&M on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT/ABC) • Saturday will be the 119th meeting in series history between the Longhorns and Aggies and first since 2011 when Texas defeated Texas A&M, 27-25, • Last time out, Texas defeated Kentucky, 31-14, on Nov. 23 inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Horns finished 6-1 at home during the 2024 regular season. • Texas is the only team in the nation with eight wins vs. FBS opponents that are .500 or better. • Texas’ 10-consecutive true road wins (not including neutral site contests) is the longest streak for the Horns since winning 15-straight road games from 2003-06. It also doubles as the longest active streak in the FBS. • UT boasts the fourth-most wins (958) in NCAA history. Texas holds an all-time record of 958-393-33 (.705). The Longhorns’ 958 wins are the second most by an SEC program following Alabama’s 958 victories. • Texas notched its first 6-0 start to a season since 2009. It’s the fourth time since 2000 that the Longhorns have started the season 6-0 (2024, 2009, 2008 and 2005). • Following Texas’ 56-7 win over UTSA on Sept. 14, Texas moved to No. 1 in the AP Poll for the first time since Oct. 26, 2008. The Longhorns spent four weeks this season at No. 1 and have 49 overall appearances at No. 1 in the AP Poll.
SERIES HISTORY • In the regular-season finale, Texas and Texas A&M will renew their rivalry in College Station in this year’s edition of the Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown. where the Longhorns won the last meeting, 27-25, in 2011. • Texas leads the overall series, 76-37-5, including 25-22- 2 in College Station. • The Horns and Aggies will meet on the gridiron for the 119th time in history and first time in the last 13 years on Saturday. • They had been in the Southwest Conference together from 1915-95, followed by the Big 12 from 1996- 2011. • Texas and Texas A&M had played every year from 1915 to 2011 until Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference. • The Longhorns have also won nine of the last 12 overall contests since 2000. • Texas has won five of the last six matchups in College Station since 2000. • The series dates back to 1894 when UT captured a 38-0 victory in Austin. A TEXAS WIN WOULD • With a win, Texas will stretch its series lead vs. Texas A&M to 77-37-5. • Extend UT’s road winning streak to 11-consecutive games – its longest true road game winning streak since 2003-06 when the Horns won 15 in a row during that span. • Secure Texas’ 26th win against Texas A&M in College Station. • Be Texas’ 959th all-time victory, the fourth-winningest program in college football history. • Give Steve Sarkisian his 83rd victory as a head coach and 36th at Texas in his 132nd career game as a head coach. • Texas would finish the regular season 11-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play for the second-consecutive year. TEXAS AT NO. 3 IN CFP RANKINGS • Texas football is at No. 3 in this week’s College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings released on No. 19. It ties for the highest CFP ranking in program history. The Longhorns have nine-consecutive top-10 CFP rankings, dating back to Oct. 31, 2023. Texas debuted at No. 5 in the first CFP rankings on Nov. 5 -It was the program’s highest-ever spot in the first week of CFP rankings. Texas has been in the top-25 in each of the last 12 CFP rankings and has 25 overall appearances with its highest appearance at No. 3 in both 2023 and 2024. The Longhorns are currently ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press and US LBM Coaches Poll. UT made its first CFP appearance in 2023 after facing the No. 2/2/2 Washington Huskies in CFP semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns climbed from No. 7 in the penultimate 2023 CFP ranking to No. 3 on Selection Day. YEAR FOUR OF THE SARKISIAN ERA • Texas Football Head Coach Steve Sarkisian is in his fourth season at the helm of the Longhorns and his 11th season as a head coach overall. • Sarkisian was named to the Dodd Trophy Midseason watch list (Oct. 17) and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year watch list (Oct. 16). • Sarkisian and the Longhorns turned in a historic season in 2023 with a 12-2 record, a Big 12 Championship, No. 3 final ranking and College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. He has also compiled top-5 recruiting classes over the past three years. • Sarkisian was named a finalist for the Bear Bryant, George Munger and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year awards after leading Texas to its first Big 12 Championship since 2009, winning 12 games for the first time since that season and reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. • The 2023 Longhorns became just the fourth team in program history to amass 12 or more victories in a single season after going 12-2. • Last season, the Texas offense ranked 15th in the nation and third in the conference averaging 35.8 points per game, the fifth-straight top-25 scoring output for a Sarkisian-led offense. • The Longhorns were one of only five Power-5 programs that ranked among the top 15 in scoring offense (35.8 ppg) and scoring defense (18.9 ppg), finishing 15th nationally in both. • The offensive showing also marked the ninth top-25 scoring offense in Sarkisian’s career. • Last season marked the eighth time a Sarkisian offense averaged at least 34 points per game. • RB Jonathon Brooks rushed for 1,139 yards in 2023 marking the 12th consecutive year a Sarkisian offense has had a 1,000-yard rusher. TEXAS X ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY • It’ll be the eighth time in the last four seasons that Texas will be appearing on ESPN’s College GameDay as the pregame show airs live from Texas A&M’s campus on Saturday. • Saturday will be the seventh time College GameDay has aired with Texas being the visiting team on the road. It’s the second time this season College GameDay has been involved in a UT road contest. • It’s the third time this season that GameDay will broadcast live from a game the Longhorns are playing in. GameDay was in Ann Arbor for Texas’ road win at No. 10/9 Michigan on Sept. 7 before the show returned to the Forty Acres for Texas’ home contest with No. 5/4 Georgia on Oct. 19. • The show will air live from College Station for three hours from 8-11 a.m. CT, hosted by Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbsreit and other ESPN personalities. • It’s the third-straight year that GameDay has broadcast at least twice in a season live from a game UT is playing in. The only other times that has occurred for the Horns was 2005, 2008 and 2009 when UT made three GameDay appearances those years. • Including eight visits to the Red River Rivalry and four neutral site appearances, Saturday will be the 25th time the GameDay set and its show will be a prominent fixture at a Texas game. • Texas is 12-12 all-time when the Horns are one of the teams in College GameDay’s featured matchup.
HORNS STREAKS • Texas has forced at least one turnover in 19-consecutive games. UT has forced multiple turnovers in six-straight games entering Saturday at Texas A&M. • Texas has won 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008-09. The Horns had nine-consecutive 10-win seasons from 2001-09. • It’s the second-straight season Texas is going into its 12th game of the season possessing a 10-1 mark. • The Longhorns started the season 6-0 for the first time since 2009. • Texas’ point differential (+221) through six games was its best since 1915 (+288). • Texas’ 259 points through six games were its most since 2005 (274). • The Longhorns are 17-3 at home over the last three seasons with their only three losses being to No. 1 Alabama (20-19) in 2021, No. 4/4 TCU in 2022 and No. 5/4 Georgia on Oct. 12. • Texas has recorded 10 straight road wins – the most since 2003-2006. • The Horns have earned a Top-10 ranking for 28 weeks in a row.
AWARDS SEASON • The Longhorns have several finalists or semifinalists up for several awards this season: QB: Quinn Ewers – Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 Finalist, Davey O’Brien Quarterback Award semifinalist, Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist, Maxwell Award semifinalist OL: Kelvin Banks Jr. – Lombardi Award finalist, Outland Trophy finalist, Joe Moore Award semifinalist; Jake Majors – Campbell Trophy finalist, Joe Moore Award semifinalist, Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist TE: Gunnar Helm – John Mackey Award semifinalist LB: Anthony Hill Jr. – Butkus Award semifinalist, Bednarik Award semifinalist DB: Jahdae Barron – Nagurski Trophy finalist, Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, Bednarik Award semifinalist; Michael Taaffe – Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist EDGE: Colin Simmons – Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1 Texas, along with Miami (FL), leads the country in the number of players with multiple touchdown receptions this season. UT and Miami each have seven players who have recorded 2+ receiving touchdowns: Texas – 7, Miami – 7, Baylor – 6, Clemson – 6, JMU – 6, Western Kentucky – 6, Boston College – 5, Syracuse – 5, Indiana – 5, Mississippi State – 5, Pitt – 5, Texas Tech – 5, Utah State – 5, North Texas – 5, Texas State – 5, Georgia – 5, Tulane – 5, Marshall – 5, LSU – 5. 4 Quinn Ewers is the fourth SEC quarterback since 1996 with five touchdown passes of 20+ yards in a conference game, joining Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (Sept. 28, 2019), Georgia’s Joe Cox (Sept. 19, 2009) and Kentucky’s Jared Lorenzen (Nov. 10, 2001). Ewers had five touchdown passes vs. Florida on Nov. 9. 5 In five of 10 games, UT has had 10 or more players record at least one reception (10 vs. Florida, 8 vs. Vanderbilt, 7 vs. Georgia, 9 vs. OU, 10 vs. Mississippi State, 11 vs. ULM, 10 vs. UTSA, 5 vs. Michigan and 11 vs. Colorado State). 8 Texas is one of eight teams to have the same offensive line starters in every game this season (Indiana, Tulane, Wisconsin, Kansas, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas and Texas State). 17 UT’s 17 interceptions leads the Southeastern Conference this season. 22 Quinn Ewers sports a 22-game streak with at least one passing touchdown, dating back to the 2022 season. That streak is the longest by a Texas QB since Colt McCoy from 2007-09. It’s also the longest active streak in the FBS, shared with Colorado Sheduer Sanders.
TEXAS A&M NOTES:
WHAT TO WATCH FOR • The historic rivalry returns in the regular season finale as Texas A&M and Texas face off for the first time since 2011 … The two teams are once again conference foes and have split the last six meetings. • Dual-threat QB Marcel Reed has regained his role as the starter and recently connected on a career-high three touchdown strikes while racking up a season best 297 yards at Auburn … The freshman adds six rushing scores and 49.0 yards per game on the ground, good for third among SEC signal callers. • The rushing attack has been a strength for the Aggies all season as they rank 17th with 208.4 yards per game, while their 26 rushing touchdowns are good for 21st in the country. • Junior RB Amari Daniels has played a key role in the Aggies’ success in the run game throughout the year, ranking 13th in the SEC with 58.2 yards per game and eighth with eight rushing scores, including a 71-yard dash to the end zone against New Mexico State. • The offensive line has controlled the battle in the trenches while clearing the way for A&M’s top-20 rushing attack, as the unit ranks 17th nationally and second in the SEC allowing 44.0 tackles for loss. • Texas A&M has been efficient in the red zone as it ranks second in the country and leads the SEC with a 95.6 conversion rate … The Aggies have scored on 43 of 45 trips, including 33 touchdowns. • Sophomore LB Taurean York has led the team in tackles in four of the last five games, most recently registering his second double-digit tackles game this year with 10 takedowns at Auburn … York leads the team with 65 tackles, good for 19th in the SEC. • Junior DL Nic Scourton has been a force in league play, tallying 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks through seven SEC games and has helped lead a defense that ranks 17th in the country with 78.0 TFL … He ranks 14th in the nation and third in the SEC with 14.0 tackles for loss on the season, while his 5.0 sacks are good for 18th in the league.
QUICK HITS • Junior WR Noah Thomas is coming off his best performance in league play in his career after racking up a career-high 124 yards on five catches at Auburn … He scored on back-to-back drives, including a career-long 73-yard touchdown reception … His six touchdown catches this year are good for eighth among SEC receivers. • The Maroon & White have disrupted the opposition’s aerial attack all season, ranking fifth in the country with 50 pass breaks and 24th with 12 interceptions on the season. • Junior DL Cashius Howell and Albert Regis have been menaces for opponent’s passing games, ranking second and third on the team with six and five breakups, respectively … Howell has had at least one breakup and one hurry in a game five times this season, while his total pass breakups are good for 17th in the SEC … Regis ranks 20th in the league in breakups and has batted down three pass in the last two outings. • Senior DB BJ Mayes registered his third interception of the year, coming up with a deflected pass in the third quarter at Auburn … Mayes, along with sophomore DB Marcus Ratcliffe, ranks fifth in the SEC in the category. • Junior DB Will Lee III has brought veteran leadership to the secondary and ranks third in the SEC with nine breakups on the year while his 10 passes defended are the fifth-most in the SEC. • Graduate K Randy Bond ranks ninth nationally with 19 made field goals this season and his 98 total points are good for 15th … Bond recently notched the 12th game of his career with double-digit points, adding two field goals and five extra points at Auburn. • With the wins over No. 8 LSU and No. 9 Missouri, Texas A&M stands as one of four teams in the nation to take down two AP top-10 teams this season.
MILESTONES TO WATCH FOR • QB Marcel Reed is making his way through Texas A&M’s freshman records, needing two touchdown passes and 118 passing yards to join the top-three in each category as he enters the week with 12 scoring strikes and 1,426 passing yards … Reed is also 33 rushing yards away from the top-15 and one rushing score from the top-10 with 441 yards and six scores on the ground this year. • Sophomore QB Conner Weigman continues to climb the Texas A&M record books and is in need of three touchdown passes to crack the top-15 all-time, entering the game with 19 career scoring strikes. • Junior WR Noah Thomas is two touchdown catches away from entering the top-10 of A&M’s all-time record book as he enters the week with 13 scoring grabs. • Graduate WR Moose Muhammad III ranks 14th in career touchdown receptions at Texas A&M with 12 and his next scoring grab will move him into a tie with Albert Connell (1995-96) for 12th … Muhammad is also four catches and 38 receiving yards away from cracking the top-30 all-time at A&M. • Graduate K Randy Bond is three field goals away from taking sole possession of third on the Aggies’ all-time list and is four points away from securing sixth on A&M’s career overall scoring list, while he also chases Daniel LaCamera’s (2016-18) 119 career made extra points, needing just five to move into a tie for eighth. • Bond is currently tied with Josh Lambo (2014) and Randy Bullock (2010) for 21st on the Aggies’ single-season scoring list with 98 points on the year … His 19 made field goals put him in seventh on A&M’s single-season list, one behind Seth Small’s 2018 mark. QUARTERBACK ROOM • The Aggies boast proven depth in their quarterback room with three players that have made multiple starts in their A&M careers and each thrown for at least 290 yards and multiple touchdowns in a game. • Freshman Marcel Reed has made six starts under center this season, leading the Aggies to four victories including three of A&M’s record five wins to start league play … Reed has accounted for 18 touchdowns on the year, the eighth most in the nation and second most in the SEC among freshmen. • Reed connected on a career-best three touchdown passes at Auburn, including a 73-yard bomb to cap off a 21-0 scoring spree by the Aggies to tie things up in the third quarter, finishing with a season best 297 yards … In the win over New Mexico State, Reed passed for two touchdowns and added a rushing score of his own for the third time this season, marking the first time an Aggie QB has done so three times in a season since Kellen Mond (2017-20) in 2019. • Reed was named SEC Freshman of the Week after sparking a 31-6 scoring spree in the second half to lift the Aggies past No. 8 LSU with three unanswered rushing touchdowns of his own to become the first A&M QB to rush for three-plus scores since Trevor Knight in 2016 … He also garnered SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance at Florida after throwing for 178 yards and two scores to go along with 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown.
ELEVATING THE RUN GAME • Junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels made big improvements in the offseason and were a dynamic duo in the backfield to give the Maroon & White one of the best rushing offenses in the nation … With the loss of Moss after a season-ending injury at South Carolina, Daniels and freshman QB Marcel Reed have stepped up to maintain the rushing attack. • On the season, Daniels ranks 13th in the league with 58.2 yards per game while his eight touchdowns are good for eight in the SEC … In the win over New Mexico State, Daniels registered his second rushing score of 50-plus yards when he took off on a 71-yard sprint to the end zone. • Daniels racked up a career-high 91 yards on 12 carries in the win over LSU … He recorded his second multi touchdown game of the season and of his career with a pair of 1-yard scores in the first half against Missouri and joined the 1,000 career yards club with 68 yards on 13 carries in the win at Florida. • Reed has supplemented the Aggies’ solid rushing attack ranking third among all SEC QBs with six touchdowns on the season, while his 4.7 yards per carry lead league signal callers and his 49.0 yards per game are good for top-20 in the league … Reed came in midway through the third quarter against LSU and sparked the Aggies scoring three unanswered rushing TDs. • As a team, the Aggies are No. 17 in the country and second in the SEC with 208.4 yards on the ground per game, while their 26 rushing scores rank 21st nationally, and their 5.0 yards per carry average is second in the league. After eclipsing the 300-yard mark in Week 2, the Maroon & White tallied 310 yards on the ground in the win at Florida, marking the first time they have tallied 300-plus rushing yards in back-to-back games since the 2012 season. • In the win over McNeese, A&M racked up 333 yards on the ground and five rushing scores, marking the most rushing yards in a game for the Aggies since rushing for over 500 yards against Northwestern State to start the 2018 season and the most rushing scores since reaching the end zone five times on the ground in the Orange Bowl win over North Carolina to cap off the 2020 season. STEADY BACKER • Sophomore LB Taurean York immediately stepped into a leadership role as a true freshman in 2023, quarterbacking the defense at middle linebacker, and was selected as a team captain by his teammates ahead of the 2024 season. • At Auburn, York led the defense for the sixth time this season, notching the third double-digit tackles game of his career with 10 takedowns … York registered a new career high with 12 tackles in the win at Mississippi State. • York’s efforts against the Bulldogs also led an impressive outing from the entire linebacker unit, as junior Scooby Williams recorded his first career interception and returned it 32 yards to set up an A&M touchdown while also adding a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss and six tackles, and sophomore Daymion Sanford nearly doubled his previous career high with seven tackles, 1.0 TFL and two breakups. • He leads the Aggies with 65 tackles on the year, good for 19th in the SEC, and has recorded five-plus tackles in seven of the team’s 11 games this season. • York started all 13 games last season, finishing second on the team with 74 tackles, which ranked in the top-20 among SEC players and third among league freshman … His 8.5 tackles for loss were the most by an SEC freshman a year ago and ranked fourth on the team. NEW LOOK SECONDARY • The Texas A&M secondary has seen a number of new faces in 2024, adding eight defensive backs in the transfer portal while returning sophomores Jayvon Thomas and Dalton Brooks have also made starts this season. • Junior Will Lee III, who came to Aggieland from Kansas State, ranks third in the SEC with nine pass breakups on the year, breaking up a career-high four passes in the win over Arkansas and recording his first interception as an Aggie in the win over McNeese. • Brooks has been strong in SEC play, making at least five tackles in four of the last seven games and leading the team in two of those outings … Brooks tallied a career best nine tackles in the win at Mississippi State. • Sophomore Marcus Ratcliffe made an immediate impact for the Maroon & White after spending last season at San Diego State, starting all 11 games and ranking fifth the SEC with three interceptions on the year. • Senior BJ Mayes came up big in the third quarter against LSU, registering two of A&M’s three interceptions in the win that set up a pair of Aggie touchdowns … He struck again at Auburn, coming up with a broken up pass to set up an A&M field goal to tie Ratcliffe with three picks on the yea, good for fifth in SEC. • Lone returning veteran Bryce Anderson registered the first touchdown of his career when he came up with a tipped pass and returned it 45 yards to the house at Florida, becoming the third Aggie to have scored a defensive touchdown in their career. • As a team, the Aggies rank eight nationally and second in the SEC with 62 passes defended, sitting at 24th in the country and third in the SEC with 12 picks. DEPTH ON THE D-LINE • Texas A&M boasts one of the most talented and unpredictable defensive lines in the nation, led by the veteran experience and consistent production of senior Shemar Turner and junior transfer Nic Scourton. • Scourton has played with consistency in the SEC, registering at least 1.0 tackle for loss in eight of A&M’s 11 games … Against Arkansas he finished with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, including a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to help the Aggies seal the victory. • Scourton ranks 14th nationally and third in the SEC with 14.0 tackles for loss on the year … His total is tied for ninth with Cleveland Brown Myles Garrett on A&M’s single-season list since joining the SEC in 2012 … Scourton also adds 5.0 sacks on the season which are good for 18th in the league. • Turner filled out the stat sheet in the win at Mississippi State, finishing with six tackles, 2.0 for loss, and a solo sack for 9 yards lost, while also breaking up a pass a forcing a fumble … He started the 2024 season with a career-high seven takedowns against Notre Dame. • Junior Cashius Howell has been a key disruptor in league play and ranks 17th in the SEC with six pass breakups on the season … Howell is joined in the top-20 by junior Albert Regis, who has gotten a hand on five passes this year as the duo are two of just three defensive linemen to rank in the top 20 in the SEC … As a unit, the defensive line has tallied 18 of A&M’s 50 breakups this year. • Juniors Shemar Stewart and Regis have earned starting jobs on the line this season after being part of the Aggies’ consistent second rotation last year … Stewart has come on strong in the last three games, getting to the quarterback in back-to-back victories while matching his career high with five tackles at Florida. • As a defense, the Aggies have held their opponents to 100-or-fewer yards on the ground in five games, most recently limiting LSU to just 24 yards on 23 attempts, not allowing a rushing yard in the second half … A&M’s 78.0 tackles for loss rank among the top-20 nationally.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT GAME: SOUTH CAROLINA VS. CLEMSON
SOUTH CAROLINA NOTES:
QUICKLY: A point in the South Carolina Education Lottery Palmetto Series, remaining in the conversation for an at-large spot in the 12-team CFP playoffs and state bragging rights are on the line when the No. 16/14 South Carolina Gamecocks (8-3, 5-3 SEC) wrap up their 2024 regular season schedule by traveling to Memorial Stadium (81,500) to face the #12/12 Clemson Tigers (9-2, 7-1 ACC) out of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday, Nov. 30. The game is slated for a noon kick. OVER THE AIRWAVES: This week’s contest will be televised nationally on ESPN. Roy Philpott will handle the play-by-play with Sam Acho providing the color commentary. Taylor Davis will be the sideline reporter. The Gamecock Sports Radio Network features a pair of Gamecock Great quarterbacks in play-by-play voice Todd Ellis (33rd season) and analyst Tommy Suggs (52nd season). Chet Tucker is back for his second year as the sideline reporter. GETTING TO THE POINT: The Palmetto Series points chase was rekindled in 2022. This year’s competition between South Carolina and Clemson is presented by the South Carolina Education Lottery. When the rivals face off this season, each school will earn points for a win with the overall winner taking home the Palmetto Series trophy and bragging rights. Started in 2015, the Gamecocks lead the overall Palmetto Series by a comfortable 5-1 margin. South Carolina has captured the first two points in 2024-25 behind wins from volleyball and women’s basketball. Both the men’s and women’s soccer matches ended in a tie and the women’s cross-country teams split a pair of events. Next up is men’s basketball, scheduled for Dec. 17 in Columbia.
SEASON SNAPSHOT: The Gamecocks are 8-3 overall and finished with a 5-3 record in SEC play. All three of South Carolina’s losses came to ranked opponents with two of setbacks not decided until the game’s final play. They opened the campaign with a hard-fought 23-19 win over Old Dominion, then dominated Kentucky in the SEC opener, winning by a 31-6 count in Lexington. With quarterback LaNorris Sellers sidelined in the second half, the Gamecocks were unable to hold onto a 17-0 first half lead in a heartbreaking 36-33 setback to No. 16/17 LSU, then bounced back with a convincing 50-7 rout of Akron to improve to 3-1. The Gamecocks dropped their next two contests to highly-ranked opponents, coming up on the short end of a 27-3 decision to No. 12/11 Ole Miss in Columbia, then suffering another gut wrenching defeat in a 27-25 loss at No. 7/7 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. They have responded with five-straight wins, including four-straight conference victories – first a convincing 35-9 dismantling of Oklahoma in Norman then, after an off week, scoring the game’s final 27 points in a 44-20 win over No. 10/11 Texas A&M. They pounded No. 24/25 Vanderbilt 28-7 in Nashville to become bowl-eligible for the third time in four years under head coach Shane Beamer, then recorded their third-straight win over a ranked opponent in as many weeks with a heart-stopping 34-30 win over No. 24/21 Missouri. South Carolina extended its winning streak to five-straight with a 56-12 rout of FCS Wofford last Saturday in Columbia. Clemson will be the seventh ranked opponent South Carolina will face this season, and the fourth in the last five weeks.
CAROLINA VERSUS CLEMSON: This is the 121st meeting between these two Palmetto State schools in a rivalry that dates back to 1896. The teams met every year from 1909-2019, making the Carolina-Clemson series the second-longest running consecutively-played series in college football behind only Minnesota–Wisconsin before the series was interrupted in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Tigers hold a 73-43-4 lead in the all-time series, including a 19-11-1 mark in Clemson and a 54-32-3 advantage in Columbia. South Carolina snapped a Clemson seven-game winning streak by winning in their last visit to Tigertown by a 31-30 score in 2022. THE LAST TIME THEY MET: South Carolina scored the only offensive touchdown in the game, a one yard run by Luke Doty, but Clemson’s defense proved to be too much as the Tigers posted a 16-7 win in Columbia on Nov. 25, 2023. The Gamecocks could muster just 169 yards of total offense in the contest. Khalil Barnes returned a fumble 42 yards in the game’s first series and Jonathan Weitz added three field goals for Clemson.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: The Gamecocks overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat No. 7 Clemson, 31-30 in the final regular season game of the 2022 season on Nov. 26 in Clemson. Spencer Rattler completed 25-of-39 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns, Antwane Wells Jr. had nine catches for 131 yards and two scores and Mitch Jeter hit the go-ahead field goal with just under 11 minutes left in the contest. Marcellas Dial was the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after recording an interception and three pass breakups. He allowed just one catch for 11 yards while being targeted 11 times. But the star of the game may have been Carolina punter Kai Kroeger, who averaged 53.7 yards on seven punts, pinning the Tigers deep in their own territory several times. The Carolina defense held Clemson to just 336 yards of offense, including 99 through the air, and forced three turnovers. STREAK BUSTERS: South Carolina broke a number of Clemson streaks with its 31-30 victory over the Tigers in 2022, the last time they played at Memorial Stadium: Clemson had won 40 consecutive home games dating to the 2016 season, tied for the eighth longest home winning streak in FBS college history and the longest by since 1991-98 (Nebraska-47). It ended the fourth-longest home winning streak in college football history by one coach. Ended Clemson’s 34-game home winning streak against Power-5 Conference schools. Ended Clemson’s 26-game home non-conference winning streak. South Carolina has the victory at both ends of that streak, having beaten the Tigers at Death Valley in 2012. Ended Clemson’s streak of 72-consecutive wins when gaining at least 200 yards rushing. The streak dated to the 2009 season. Ended Clemson’s 67-game winning streak when leading going into the fourth quarter. Ended Clemson’s 63-game winning streak when recording more first downs.
TOP-25 MATCHUP: Using the Associated Press rankings, this is the seventh time that both South Carolina and Clemson come into the Palmetto Bowl ranked and the first time since the 2013 season. The Gamecocks have prevailed in five of the previous six contests when both teams were ranked, including a 31-17 win in that 2013 match. The higher-ranked team entering the game has won just two of the previous six matchups when both teams were ranked. Here are the results when both teams held A.P. national rankings. TROPHY HUNTING: The Gamecocks are looking to capture their third trophy of the season. They collected the Bonham Trophy with a 44-20 win over No. 10/11 Texas A&M, then defeated No. 24/21 Missouri, 34-30, to bring the Mayor’s Cup to South Carolina. The Palmetto Bowl trophy is on the line this week. South Carolina has never captured all three trophies in the same season. ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: South Carolina knocked off three ranked opponents in the consecutive weeks for the first time in school history, defeating No. 10 Texas A&M 44-20, No. 24 Vanderbilt 28-7 and No. 24 Missouri 34-30 to improve to 3-3 against ranked opponents this season. The Gamecocks are 6-12 against A.P. ranked opponents in the Shane Beamer Era, also logging wins against No. 13 Kentucky, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 Clemson, all in the 2022 season. The Gamecocks had lost eight-straight games to ranked opponents before going on the current three-game winning streak. The recent surge has propelled South Carolina to a No. 16 ranking in the AP poll this week, its highest ranking since September of 2014.
TO BE THE BEST YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BEST: The Gamecocks have tied the school record for wins over a ranked opponent in a season with three, knocking off the A.P.’s No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 24 Missouri over three consecutive weeks. It’s the seventh time they’ve won three games over ranked opponents in a season, most recently in 2022, but the first time it has happened in consecutive weeks. ROAD WARRIORS: The Gamecocks have logged a trio of impressive SEC road wins this season, all by at least three touchdowns, posting a 31-6 victory at Kentucky, winning in a 35-9 rout at Oklahoma and knocking off 24th-ranked Vanderbilt 28-7, holding all three of those opponents to under 10 points. They recorded three conference road wins for the first time since 2011 when they won at Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee en route to an 11-2 mark overall and a 6-2 SEC record. They have won four true road games just three times in school history – 1968, 1994 and 2006. IT JUST MEANS MORE: The Gamecocks recorded five SEC wins for the first time since 2017 and for just the ninth time since joining the league in 1992.
OFFENSE:
OFFENSE LOGS IN: Second-year offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has a much different offense to direct than he had a year ago. Gone are quarterback Spencer Rattler and wide receiver Xavier Legette, both of whom are now in the NFL, with Legette being a first-round pick by the Carolina Panthers and Rattler starting for the New Orleans Saints. Loggains handed the quarterback reins over to redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers. Sellers has an All-SEC running back behind him in Arkansas transfer Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. With a mostly new receiving corps, the Gamecocks have found their identity with a more balanced attack, featuring Sellers and Sanders on the ground and an improving passing game that features tight end Josh Simon. At 32.9 points per game, the Gamecocks are having their best offensive scoring output since 2013 (34.1 ppg). GROUND CONTROL: South Carolina is averaging 181.8 rushing yards per game this season, nearly 100 yards more per game than their 85.1-yard average from 2023. They have not averaged even 170 yards on the ground since 2013 (198.5). POUND THE ROCK: The Gamecocks have had some prolific games running the ball this season. Carolina rolled up 243 yards on 41 carries against LSU, (5.9 ypc), and followed that up with a 273- yard, four-touchdown effort on 53 carries against Akron (5.2 ypc). Carolina rushed 43 times for a season-best 286 yards against Texas A&M, averaging 6.7 yards per carry It was the third-highest total under Shane Beamer and the most against an SEC opponent in his regime. Both Raheim Sanders (144) and LaNorris Sellers (106) eclipsed the 100- yard plateau, the first time the Gamecocks had two players go over the 100-yard mark in a game since 2021. Carolina went for 214 at Vanderbilt with Sanders eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the second-straight game. They went for 265 against Wofford, averaging 5.8 ypc. Carolina is 21-6 when it rushes for 100 or more yards since 2021.
DEFENSE:
FLEX-NICKEL: Fourth-year defensive coordinator Clayton White uses a “Flex-Nickel” defense, which allows the Gamecocks to mix a four-man and a three-man front, with five defensive backs on the field. White brought back eight returning starters, led by all-SEC linebacker Debo Williams, a trio of defensive tackles in Alex Huntley, Tonka Hemingway and T.J. Sanders, and safety Nick Emmanwori. He added a pair of Edge rushers in Kyle Kennard, who is having an All-America season, and Dylan Stewart, who is a candidate for National Freshman of the Year. With depth at all three levels, White has built this defense into the best in Columbia in years. THE ALL-AMERICAN: Kyle Kennard leads the SEC with 11.5 sacks and with 15.5 tackles for loss. He ranks fifth in the country in sacks and is tied for sixth in tackles for loss. He ranks second on Carolina’s single-season top-10 sacks list, 1.5 sacks shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s school record of 13.0, and fourth in single-season tackles for loss.
THE ACCOLADES KEEP COMING: Kyle Kennard was named to the Sporting News midseason All America team and was named the nation’s 14thbest player by ESPN. He was a midseason third team All-American according to College Football Network. He is a Lombardi and Nagurski finalist, and a Bednarik and Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist. SACK ATTACK: With Kyle Kennard leading the way, the Gamecocks have recorded 39 sacks which ranks second in the SEC and third in the country. Kennard is ninth among active FBS players with 24.0 career sacks. HEY TURN ME OVER: The Carolina defense has been opportunistic under the Beamer/White regime. The Gamecocks have forced 20 turnovers this season, including a single-game high of four against both ODU and Oklahoma. The Gamecocks have forced 84 turnovers over the past four seasons, tops in the SEC during that span. HE’S JUST A FRESHMAN: Dylan Stewart has made an immediate impact. The true freshman is a two time Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Player of the Week recipient (ODU and Texas A&M) and was the SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his efforts versus Old Dominion. He has 9.5 tackles for loss including 6.5 sacks and four QB hurries. He has added three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. His 6.5 sacks rank second among all FBS freshmen. Jadeveon Clowney owns the South Carolina freshman records with 8.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss. THEY’RE PRETTY GOOD, TOO: The trio of defensive tackles in T.J. Sanders, Alex Huntley and Tonka Hemingway have put together excellent seasons. The threesome has combined for 12.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks and are a big reason why Carolina is allowing just 103.4 rushing yards per game, 12th in the nation, and 2.9 yards per rush, seventh in the country THE NEIGHBORHOOD BULLY: Linebacker Debo Williams earned first-team All-SEC honors and was tabbed the Joe Morrison MVP for the defense in 2023 after he tallied a team-leading 113 tackles, the third-highest total in the SEC and the most by a Gamecock since Jonathan Martin in 2002. He is tied for third on the squad with 58 tackles, including 36 solo stops and 4.5 tackles for loss. ONE-TWO PUNCH: Bam Martin-Scott and Demetrius Knight Jr. have been splitting time at the MIKE linebacker position. Knight Jr. is second on the team with 65 tackles, while Martin-Scott is tied for third with 58 stops. They have combined for 14.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery. NICK AT NIGHT: Nick Emmanwori is the leader in the secondary. The junior safety is tied for first in the SEC and tied for 12th in the country with four interceptions and is one of four players in the country with a pair of pick-sixes – at Kentucky and at Oklahoma. He is the Gamecocks’ leading tackler with 76 stops including 49 solo tackles. Emmanwori was named one of 16 quarterfinalists for the prestigious Lott IMPACT Award and one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award. He was the SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week and the Reese’s Senior Bowl co-Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts at Oklahoma when he logged 11 tackles and a pair of interceptions. MORE FROM KILGORE: Sophomore Nickel Jalon Kilgore is also tied for first in the SEC and tied for 12th in the country with four interceptions. A Freshman All-American a season ago, Kilgore has also been credited with four pass breakups.
CLEMSON NOTES:
TIGERS, GAMECOCKS TO SQUARE OFF IN RANKED RIVALRY SHOWDOWN The No. 12/12 Clemson Tigers and the No. 16/14 South Carolina Gamecocks will renew their annual instate rivalry on Saturday, Nov. 30. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Clemson is scheduled for noon ET. Saturday’s contest will mark the 121st meeting of the Palmetto State rivals, but with both teams harboring at-large hopes for the expanded College Football Playoff, the game will arguably be one of the series’ largest. With Clemson at 9-2 and South Carolina at 8-3, the teams’ 17 combined wins are tied for the fifth-most entering the rivalry game in series history. It will mark only the fourth time the teams will meet with both squads ranked among the top 16 of the AP Poll (1987, 2012 and 2013). Though Clemson’s focus on Saturday will be entirely on the rivalry contest in Upstate South Carolina, a piece of Clemson’s postseason destiny will run through Central New York. The Tigers finished 7-1 in ACC play on Nov. 16. Clemson can qualify for its record 10th ACC Championship Game if Miami (Fla.) were to lose at Syracuse in a game slated for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday. A win Saturday would be Clemson’s eighth against power conference opponents in 2024 and would give the Tigers a win over the team with the SEC’s longest active winning streak. Only three teams in the nation have more wins vs. power conferences than Clemson. See page 4 for more on Clemson’s 2024 body of work.
WHAT TO WATCH:
– Clemson attempting to produce its 20th 10-win season in program history. It would be Clemson’s 13th 10-win season under Head Coach Dabo Swinney. – Clemson attempting to win a 10th game this season to become the 13th program among current power conference programs to record at least 20 seasons alltime with 10 or more wins. Prior to the season, that list included Alabama (44), Oklahoma (42), Michigan (32), Ohio State (31), Georgia (28), USC (28), Nebraska (28), Florida State (26), Penn State (26), Texas (25), Notre Dame (23) and Tennessee (20). – Clemson’s senior class (39-12 since 2021) needing a win to become the 12th Clemson senior class to average at least 10 wins a year over a four-year span, joining the 1990, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 senior groups. – Clemson (9-2) and South Carolina (8-3) entering this year’s rivalry game with 17 combined victories, tied for the fifth-most wins entering the game in series history. – Clemson (No. 12) and South Carolina (No. 16) entering the game with the fourth-highest combined ranking in series history, trailing 2013 (No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 10 South Carolina), 1987 (No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 12 South Carolina) and 2012 (No. 12 Clemson vs. No. 13 South Carolina). – Clemson attempting to improve to 74-43-4 all-time against South Carolina. Clemson’s 73 all-time wins against South Carolina are the program’s most against any opponent. – By kickoff time against South Carolina, Clemson entering the game having led the all-time series with the Gamecocks for 46,034 consecutive days (126 years, 13 days). South Carolina won the series opener in 1896 before Clemson evened the series in 1897. Clemson won the third game in the series on Nov. 17, 1898 to take a 2-1 series lead, a lead Clemson hasn’t relinquished. – Clemson entering the game having won eight of the last nine games in the series. Clemson has outscored South Carolina by an average of 21.1 points per game in that span. – Clemson attempting to move its all-time home record against South Carolina to 20-11-1 since the first Clemson home game in the series in 1960. South Carolina would join Wake Forest (41), Presbyterian (32), NC State (28), Furman (26), Virginia (22) and Duke (20) as the seventh school to be defeated by Clemson in at least 20 Tiger home games all-time despite Clemson not hosting the Gamecocks at home until 1960. – Head Coach Dabo Swinney (179-45) attempting to become the seventh coach in FBS history to win 180 games within the first 20 seasons of a head coaching career. In only his 17th season (and 16th full season), Swinney (179) trails only Tom Osborne (195), Nick Saban (191), Bob Stoops (191), Joe Paterno (187), Urban Meyer (187) and LaVell Edwards (183) in that category. (Note: Stoops and Meyer are not credited on the NCAA’s official list of most wins through 20 seasons since they did not coach 20 years.) – Swinney attempting to improve to 10-6 all-time against South Carolina. – Swinney attempting to join Frank Howard (13) as the only Clemson coaches to defeat South Carolina 10 times. – Clemson and South Carolina meeting with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for the seventh time in series history. (Note: There were also two additional ranked games in which South Carolina was unranked in the AP Top 25 but ranked in another major poll.) – Clemson attempting to improve to 40-26 under Dabo Swinney against AP Top 25 teams. Swinney’s 39 career wins against AP Top 25 teams are the second-most of any active FBS coach (Mike Gundy, 40). – Clemson attempting to improve to 34-18 under Swinney in games in which both teams rank in the AP Top 25. – Clemson facing its second SEC opponent of the season. Including 2024, Clemson has faced multiple SEC teams in 18 of the last 19 years, dating to 2006. The lone exception came in 2020 when the SEC opted out of nonconference play amid the COVID-19 pandemic. – Clemson attempting to improve to 15-7 against SEC opponents since 2015. – Clemson attempting to improve to 13-3 in its last 16 regular season games against SEC opponents. – Clemson attempting to improve to 220-65-13 alltime against foes from the state of South Carolina. Clemson has a winning record against all 12 Palmetto State opponents it has faced all-time. – Clemson attempting to improve to 71-4 at Death Valley in the College Football Playoff era. Clemson’s current 70-4 home record is second-best in the country in that span. – Clemson (5-1) attempting to win at least six home games for the 14th straight season. Clemson’s active 13-year streak of winning at least six games at Memorial Stadium is the nation’s longest active streak. The next longest streak of six-plus home wins in the country entering 2024 was three years, shared by six teams. – Clemson attempting to improve to 40-34-1 alltime against AP Top 25 opponents since Death Valley opened in 1942. A win would also move Clemson to 17-6 at home against AP-ranked opponents under Dabo Swinney. – Clemson attempting to improve to 20-9 all-time in games at Death Valley in which both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25. – Clemson attempting to earn a home win against an AP Top 25 at Death Valley for the 10th consecutive season. Clemson’s nine-year streak with at least one home win against AP Top 25 teams entered the year as the nation’s longest active streak; Ohio State tied that streak with a home win against Indiana last week. – Clemson attempting to improve to 13-1 against ranked opponents in Death Valley since 2015. – Clemson attempting to improve to 45-8 in regular season non-conference games since 2011. – Clemson attempting to improve to 42-4 in nonconference home games under Dabo Swinney. Clemson is 31-1 against non-conference opponents in Death Valley since 2013. – Clemson attempting to improve to 104-14 in regular season play since the start of the 2015 season. – Clemson attempting to improve to 34-5 in November games since 2015. – Clemson entering the game ranked in the Top 11 nationally in both total offense (sixth, 469.9 yards per game) and scoring offense (11th, 37.6 points per game). – Clemson (5,169) needing 575 more yards this season to enter the Top 10 in school history for yards in a single season. – Clemson (3,021) needing 383 passing yards to enter the Top 10 in school history for passing yards in a single season. – Clemson attempting to score 50 points in backto-back games for the second time this season (vs. Appalachian State and NC State). – Clemson attempting to record a fourth 50-point performance in a season for the sixth time in school history (seven in 2019, five in 2013, four in 2016, four in 2006 and four in 2018). – Clemson attempting to produce a seventh 40-point game in a season for the eighth time in school history (10 in 2019, nine in 2018, eight in 2020, eight in 2013, eight in 2012, seven in 2015 and seven in 2016). – Clemson attempting to score 28 or more points in a quarter for the fourth time this season to match the school record set in 2012 (four). So far this season, Clemson has recorded a 35-point first quarter against Appalachian State, a 28-point first quarter against NC State and a 28-point second quarter against Wake Forest. – Clemson attempting to record a seventh 500-yard game in a single season for the first time since 2019 (10). – Clemson attempting to reach both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for the seventh time this season. Clemson (six) stands alone in the national lead in this category in 2024. – Clemson attempting to record both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in consecutive games for the third time this season. – Clemson attempting to record its first season with at least seven games with both 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards since 2019. It would be Clemson’s fourth such season in school history (10 in 2019, eight in 2015, seven in 2018). – Clemson attempting to rush for 300 yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2019 against Boston College and Wofford. – Clemson attempting to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games for the third time this season. – Clemson (six) attempting to post seven 200-yard rushing games in a single season for the first time since 2019 (10). – Clemson (two) attempting to produce a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in three games in a single season for the first time in school history. – Clemson entering the game having scored at least one rushing touchdown in a national-best 86 of its 93 games since the start of the 2018 season. Clemson has also rushed for multiple touchdowns in a national-best 71 games in that span. – Clemson entering the game having rushed for a touchdown in 59 consecutive home games, the nation’s longest active streak. The last team to hold Clemson without a rushing touchdown in Death Valley was Troy in 2016. – Clemson attempting to finish even or better in the turnover margin in an 11th straight game for the first time since the 2021-22 seasons. Dating to last season, Clemson has lost the turnover margin only once in its last 16 games. – Clemson entering the game with only seven giveaways on the season, tied for the fourth-fewest in the nation. – Clemson attempting to play a fifth game without a giveaway in a single season for the first time since 2019 (six). – Clemson attempting to play a 14th consecutive game (dating to last season) with one giveaway or fewer for the first time on record back to at least 1981. Dating to last season, Clemson has nine giveaways over its last 13 games and has not had a multi-giveaway game in that span. – Clemson (28) needing two more sacks to post 30 sacks for the 13th straight season. Clemson’s last season with fewer than 30 sacks was 2011. Clemson and Alabama entered the year as the only teams in the nation to have posted at least 30 sacks in every season since the inception of the College Football Playoff in 2014. – Clemson (99) needing one more interception to join Iowa (109) as the only teams in the nation to record 100 interceptions since 2018. – Clemson attempting to score a defensive touchdown in consecutive games for the first time since collecting pick-sixes against Notre Dame and Georgia Tech last November. – Tight end Jake Briningstool (116) entering the game as the Clemson record holder for career receptions by a tight end. – Briningstool (116) needing nine more receptions this season to become the eighth tight end in ACC history to record 125 career receptions. – Briningstool (1,253) needing three yards to pass John McMakin (1,255 from 1969-71) for second on Clemson’s all-time career receiving yardage leaderboard for tight ends. – Briningstool (403) needing 96 receiving yards to break his single-season career high of 498, set in 2023. – Briningstool (15) continuing to chase Jordan Leggett (18 from 2013-16) for the school record for career receiving touchdowns by a tight end. Briningstool presently stands alone in second place. – Briningstool (15) needing two touchdown receptions to tie NC State’s George Bryan (17 from 2008-11) and Florida State’s Nick O’Leary (17 from 2011-14) for the sixth-most touchdown receptions by a tight end in ACC history. He is three touchdowns shy of Clemson’s Jordan Leggett (18 from 2013-16) and Louisville’s Marshon Ford (2018-22) for fourth. – Briningstool (five) needing one more touchdown reception to surpass his previous single-season career high of five set in 2023. – Briningstool seeking to add to his school records for 100-yard receiving games by a tight end in a season (two) and career (three). – Briningstool (two touchdowns vs. App State) and Olsen Patt-Henry (two touchdowns vs. Virginia) each attempting to become the first Clemson tight end to catch multiple touchdown passes in multiple games in a single season since Brandon Ford in 2012 (two). – Linebacker Sammy Brown (9.0) entering the week ranked third nationally in tackles for loss by freshmen. – Brown (9.0) needing one more tackle for loss to become the seventh Clemson player to record doubledigit tackles for loss as a true freshman. He would join T.J. Parker (12.5 in 2023), Myles Murphy (12.0 in 2020), Anthony Simmons (11.0 in 1995), Xavier Thomas (10.5 in 2018), Tyler Davis (10.0 in 2019) and Shaq Lawson (10.0 in 2013). – Brown (4.0) needing one more sack to become the fourth Clemson player on record to record 5.0 or more sacks as a true freshman. He would join Dexter Lawrence (7.0 in 2016), Tyler Davis (6.5 in 2019) and T.J. Parker (5.5 in 2023). – Linebacker Barrett Carter playing his 50th career game. – Carter (9.5) entering the game one tackle for loss shy of his single-season career high (10.5 in 2022). – Cornerback Ashton Hampton (one) and defensive tackle Payton Page (one) each attempting to join Arlington Nunn (three in 1990) and Dorian O’Daniel (two in 2017) as the only Clemson players since 1950 to record multiple interception returns for touchdowns in a season. – Kicker Nolan Hauser (15-of-20) needing four more field goals to tie or five more field goals to break Chris Gardocki’s school record for field goals made by a true freshman (19 in 1988). – Hauser (95), who already owns the Clemson record for points by a true freshman, needing five more points to become the first Clemson player to score 100 points in a true freshman season. – Hauser (95) needing 12 points to enter the Top 10 in kicking points scored in a single season in Clemson history. He is also 16 points shy of entering the Top 10 in points scored by all means. – Quarterback Cade Klubnik (18-7) attempting to tie DeChane Cameron (19-4-1 from 1988-91) and Woodrow Dantzler (19-11 from 1998-2001) for the 11th-most wins by a starting quarterback since World War II. – Klubnik, who last year became the 24th Clemson quarterback since 1954 to win his first rivalry start against the Gamecocks, attempting to become the 11th Clemson quarterback since 1954 to go 2-0 against the Gamecocks in their first two starts in the series. He would join Charlie Bussey (1955-56), Jimmy Addison (1966- 67), Steve Fuller (1976-77), Homer Jordan (1980-81), DeChane Cameron (1990-91), Woodrow Dantzler (1999- 2000), Charlie Whitehurst (2002-03), Cullen Harper (2007-08), Deshaun Watson (2014-15) and Trevor Lawrence (2018-19). – Klubnik (29) entering the game ranked tied for third in the nation in passing touchdowns. – Klubnik (29) needing one more passing touchdown to record the eighth 30-touchdown passing season by a Clemson quarterback all-time and the first since Trevor Lawrence in 2019 (36). – Klubnik (29) chasing Trevor Lawrence (No. 7, 30 in 2018) and Tajh Boyd (No. 6, 33 in 2011; and No. 5, 34 in 2013) on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for touchdown passes in a single season. – Klubnik (2,761) needing 84 passing yards to break his single-season career high of 2,844 set in 2023. – Klubnik (2,761) needing 239 passing yards to post the 10th 3,000-yard passing season by an individual in school history. He sits 230 yards shy of Cullen Harper (2,991 in 2007) for 10th in passing yards in a single season in Clemson history. – Klubnik (585) needing 15 completions to become the fifth player in school history to reach 600 career completions. – Klubnik entering the game ranked tied for third in the nation in touchdowns responsible for (34 — 29 passing, five rushing). – Klubnik (34) chasing No. 6 Tajh Boyd (38 in 2011) on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for touchdown responsibility in a single season. – Klubnik (6,998) needing two combined rushing and passing yards to become the sixth player in Clemson history to reach 7,000 career yards of total offense. – Klubnik (3,136) needing 321 combined rushing and passing yards to enter the Top 10 in school history in yards of total offense in a single season. – Klubnik (five) attempting to add to his career high in rushing touchdowns. – Klubnik (11) needing one rushing touchdown to tie or two rushing touchdowns to pass Rodney Williams (12 from 1985-88) for eighth on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. – Klubnik (two) attempting to become the first Clemson player with three touchdown runs of 50 or more yards in a single season since Travis Etienne (four) in 2018. – Running back Phil Mafah (career-high 1,012) entering the game having posted the 24th 1,000-yard rushing season in Clemson history. He has already become the 18th player in Clemson annals to record at least one 1,000-yard rushing season, joining Travis Etienne, Wayne Gallman, Raymond Priester, James Davis, Andre Ellington, Woodrow Dantzler, Terrence Flagler, C.J. Spiller, Kenny Flowers, Terry Allen, Will Shipley, Deshaun Watson, Cliff Austin, Buddy Gore, Travis Zachery, Roderick McDowell and Lester Brown. – Mafah (six) attempting to add to his single-season career high in 100-yard rushing games. – Mafah (six) attempting to tie Kenny Flowers (seven in 1985) and Raymond Priester (seven in 1996) for the fourth-most 100-yard rushing games in a season in Clemson history. – Mafah (2,784) chasing No. 8 Kenny Flowers (2,914 from 1987-89) on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for career rushing yards. – Mafah (2,784) needing 216 more rushing yards this season to become the eighth player in school history to record 3,000 career rushing yards. – Mafah (28) chasing Fred Cone (29, ninth), Lester Brown and Will Shipley (31 each, tied for seventh), and C.J. Spiller (32, sixth) on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for career rushing touchdowns. – Mafah (28) needing two rushing touchdowns to become the ninth player in school history to score 30 career rushing touchdowns. – Mafah (eight) needing two more rushing touchdowns this season to join Travis Etienne (four straight from 2017-20), James Davis (three straight from 2006-08), Will Shipley (2021-22), Wayne Gallman (2015-16), Tajh Boyd (2012-13), Andre Ellington (2010-11), Woodrow Dantzler (2000-01), Travis Zachery (1999-2000) and Terry Allen (1988-89) as the 10th Clemson player since 1960 to post back-to-back seasons with double-digit rushing touchdowns. – Mafah (eight) needing two rushing touchdowns to extend Clemson’s streak of consecutive years with at least one player with 10 or more rushing touchdowns to 10 straight years. Clemson’s current nine-year streak is the longest active streak in the nation. – Defensive end T.J. Parker (9.0) needing one sack to become the first Clemson player to reach double digits in sacks in a season since Clelin Ferrell in 2018 (11.5). – Parker (9.0) needing 1.5 sacks to enter the Top 10 in sacks in a single season in Clemson history. – Parker (four) needing one forced fumble to match the school record for caused fumbles in a single season (five by Brandon Maye in 2009). – Parker (5.0 tackles for loss at Pitt) attempting to become the first Clemson player to record multiple games with 5.0 or more tackles for loss in a single season since Clelin Ferrell (two) in 2017. – Offensive lineman Walker Parks making his 40th career start. – Wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. (two) attempting to record his third 100-yard receiving game of his debut campaign to join Sammy Watkins (five in 2011), Artavis Scott (four in 2014), DeAndre Hopkins (three in 2010) and Justyn Ross (three in 2018) to become the fifth Clemson true freshman with three or more 100-yard receiving games since the NCAA instituted permanent freshman eligibility in 1972. – Wesco (468) and fellow freshman wideout T.J. Moore (438) entering this week having made Clemson one of only two teams in the country to have multiple freshmen with at least 400 receiving yards this season (Auburn). – Wide receiver Antonio Williams attempting to add to his single-season career highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (689) and touchdown receptions (10). – Williams (58) needing two receptions to post the first 60-reception season by a Clemson player since 2020 (77 by Amari Rodgers). – Williams (10) entering the game one touchdown reception shy of a current two-way tie for sixth and two touchdowns shy of a three-way tie for third on Clemson’s all-time leaderboard for receiving touchdowns in a single season. – Williams attempting to catch at least one touchdown in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. – Williams attempting to become the first Clemson player to catch multiple touchdown passes in three straight games since Tee Higgins caught multiple touchdowns in three straight games against Wake Forest, South Carolina and Virginia in 2019.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TUCKER DEVRIES SCORES 26, WEST VIRGINIA BEATS NO. 24 ARIZONA IN ANOTHER OT GAME AT BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Tucker DeVries scored 26 points, Javon Small made 7 of 8 free throws in overtime and West Virginia claimed third place at the Battle 4 Atlantis with an 83-76 victory over No. 24 Arizona on Friday.
DeVries made his eighth and final 3-pointer during West Virginia’s 7-2 run to open overtime and Toby Okani added his third 3-pointer nearly two minutes later for a six-point lead.
It was the third straight overtime game in three days for West Virginia (5-2), which also topped No. 3 Gonzaga on Wednesday to begin the event.
Okani finished with 20 points and Small added 14 points for West Virginia. Amani Hansberry had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Caleb Love scored 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting for Arizona (3-4). Trey Townsend added 19.
CLAYTON SCORES 19 AND NO. 18 FLORIDA USES 27-0 RUN TO PULL AWAY TO 88-51 VICTORY OVER WICHITA STATE
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Walter Clayton Jr scored 19 points and Alex Condon had 17 points and nine rebounds to help No. 18 Florida overwhelm Wichita State 88-51 Friday in the championship game of the ESPN Events Invitational at Disney World.
Rueben Chinyelu keyed a strong defensive performance and finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Gators (8-0), who led by as many as 48 after breaking it open with a 27-0 run that began over the last seven-plus minutes of the first half.
Matej Bosnjak came off the bench to lead Wichita State (6-1) with 11 points. Shockers top scorer Justin Hill, however, was limited to four on 2 for 12 shooting.
NO. 3 GONZAGA BEATS DAVIDSON FOR 5TH PLACE AT BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
NAASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Ben Gregg scored a career-high 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting, Graham Ike added 18 points and 10 rebounds and No. 3 Gonzaga beat Davidson 90-65 Friday night in the fifth-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Braden Huff scored 14 points and Dusty Stromer 10 for Gonzaga (7-1).
Huff scored six points and Gregg added four before Ryan Nembhard converted a three-point play to cap a 13-1 run and give Gonzaga a 33-19 lead with 7:08 left in the first half. Gregg added a 3-pointer that made it a 15-point game about 2 minutes later and the Bulldogs took a 42-31 lead into halftime.
Davidson (5-2) trailed by double figures throughout the second half.
Reed Bailey scored 19 points and Roberts Blums 11 for the Wildcats.
SEVEN PLAYERS SCORE IN DOUBLE FIGURES AS NO. 8 KENTUCKY TOPS GEORGIA STATE
No. 8 Kentucky had seven players in double figures and the Cats used a big second half to beat Georgia State 105-76 on Friday night at Rupp Arena.
Jaxson Robinson led Kentucky with 19 points, while Lamont Butler had 17 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Amari Williams scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Ansley Almonor and Otega Oweh each scored 12 points. Both Koby Brea and Andrew Carr scored 10 points for the Cats.
It was the first time since March 2 of last year that Kentucky placed seven players in double figures in scoring. UK coach Mark Pope liked how his team responded to tough times.
“I thought our guys responded great,” Pope said. “As things got a little more intense, I thought our guys pulled together.”
Georgia State scored the first three points of the game before a Butler layup got the Cats on the board. A pair of Jaxson Robinson runners in the lane gave UK a 6-3 lead.
The Panthers would cut into the UK lead, eventually getting within one, 11-10. But a layups by Robinson and Butler and an Ansley Almonor three gave the Cats an 18-10 lead with 12:30 left in the first half. A Kerr Kriisa basket capped the 9-0 run and gave Kentucky a 20-10 advantage.
Georgia State again fought back, this time with a 10-4 stretch that cut the UK lead to 24-20. An Andrew Carr three made it 27-20, but GSU scored nine of the next 13 points to get within two, 31-29.
An Almonor three, one that gave the Cats a 34-29 lead, seemed to spark UK. Carr made a basket in the lane and the subsequent free throw to make it 37-29 and an Otega Oweh fast break dunk made it 39-29 Cats with 3:51 left in the half.
The run continued with a pair of Oweh free throws and a Kriisa three. In total, it was a 13-0 stretch that gave Kentucky a 44-29 advantage. The Cats would lead 48-33 at the half. Butler led all scorers with 13 points in the first 20 minutes.
Georgia State came out hot in the second half, making four of its first five from three-point range. In the process, the Panthers were able to get within 10 points, 57-47.
Kentucky would get an Oweh layup to lead 59-47 before Georgia State scored six in a row, getting within 59-53 with 13:34 remaining. After a UK timeout, Oweh made a basket to stop the GSU run, and Amari Williams made four consecutive free throws to give UK a 65-53 lead. That was the start of a 12-3 run that extended the UK lead to 71-56 with 11:23 to play.
That run would be part of a larger UK run, a 26-11 stretch, that made it 85-64 with 7:07 remaining. The Cats would continue to extend the lead, going ahead by as many as 35 before settling for a 29-point win.
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday night, visiting Clemson for the SEC/ACC Challenge. Tipoff is set for 9:30 ET and the game can be seen on ESPN.
DEFENSE LEADS DUKE TO 70-48 WIN OVER SEATTLE
DURHAM, N.C. – A strong defensive effort by the Duke men’s basketball team helped secure a 70-48 victory over Seattle on Friday, Nov. 29. The Blue Devils held the visitors without a field goal for over 10 minutes to start the second half and received a balanced scoring effort on the offensive end, led by Tyrese Proctor’s 13 points and Kon Knueppel’s 11.
Cooper Flagg produced across the stat sheet, scoring nine points while also adding a game-high seven assists and a team-high nine rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Caleb Foster opened the scoring with a three-pointer on the Blue Devils’ first possession. Seattle also got points on the board early, knocking in two free throws. Another three-pointer, from Kon Knueppel, and a hook shot by Khaman Maluach put Duke ahead by four, 8-4, at the first media timeout.
Knueppel put in eight early points to help Duke to a six-point edge, 20-14, with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half. The Blue Devils opened up a double-digit lead as large as 12, 28-16, following a jumper by Sion James. At the final media timeout of the first half, Duke remained in front, 28-19.
A quick five-point burst, courtesy of a three-pointer by Isaiah Evans and a fast-break dunk from Cooper Flagg, forced a Seattle timeout with just over two minutes before the break. Duke headed into intermission ahead by 12, 37-25.
Duke scored four quick points, courtesy of two layups from Caleb Foster, forcing a Seattle timeout after just over a minute of second-half action. A 12-0 scoring run, spanning halftime, pushed the advantage over 20 points, 46-25, at the first media timeout of the second stanza.
The Blue Devils’ defense held Seattle scoreless for over eight minutes to start the second half, before two free throws by the visitors snapped the drought with Duke leading, 50-27. Seattle’s first field goal of the second half came at the 9:18 mark, a three-pointer, making it a 58-32 margin for Duke.
The Blue Devils’ defense again forced a a long stretch without a made shot by Seattle, this time spanning over six minutes, to close out the 70-48 victory.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 17 TCU HANDS NO. 3 NOTRE DAME FIRST LOSS
Sedona Prince posted a 20-point, 20-rebound double-double as No. 17 TCU dominated the fourth quarter to upset No. 3 Notre Dame 76-68 on Friday in the Cayman Islands Classic at George Town, Cayman Islands.
Prince’s rebound total was a career high, as were her eight blocked shots. The 6-foot-7 senior center added four assists and three steals while playing all 40 minutes.
LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith added 21 points and seven assists for the Horned Frogs (7-0), who outscored the Fighting Irish 31-12 in the fourth quarter after trailing 56-45 through three quarters.
Hannah Hidalgo scored 27 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Notre Dame (5-1), which made only 25 of 72 attempts from the field. Olivia Miles added 16 points and Sonia Citron scored 14 for the Fighting Irish.
No. 1 UCLA 97, UT-Martin 37
Playing their first game as the top-ranked team after upsetting then-No. 1 South Carolina last Sunday, the Bruins established a 24-point halftime lead and cruised past the Skyhawks in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown at Honolulu.
Lauren Betts scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for UCLA (6-0), which put five players in double figures and canned nearly 53 percent of its shots from the field, including 44.4 percent from 3-point range.
UT-Martin (1-5) made just 12 of 50 shots from the field and committed 28 turnovers. Anaya Brown led the Skyhawks with seven points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
No. 11 Ohio State 87, Utah State 51
Ajae Petty and Chance Gray each scored 17 points as the Buckeyes dumped the Aggies in the Daytona Beach (Fla.) Classic.
Jaloni Cambridge added 13 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists for Ohio State (7-0), which forced 36 turnovers and earned a 51-27 rebounding advantage to compensate for 43 percent field-goal shooting.
Mia Tarver scored 12 points to pace Utah State (1-6), which was limited to five points in the second quarter and hit just 33.3 percent of their shots from the field for the game.
No. 12 West Virginia 89, High Point 54
JJ Quinerly pumped in a game-high 22 points as the Mountaineers routed the Panthers in the Gulf Coast Classic at Estero, Fla.
Jordan Thomas came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 10 rebounds for West Virginia (7-0), which sank 53.2 percent of its field-goal attempts and earned a 46-22 rebounding advantage.
Aaliyah Collins scored 11 points for High Point, which made just 10 of 35 3-point attempts and trailed 40-16 at the half.
No. 16 North Carolina 119, North Carolina Central 43
Alyssa Ustby scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Tar Heels cruised past their overmatched in-state rivals in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Five other players scored in double figures for North Carolina (7-1), including reserve Trayanna Crisp with 13. The Tar Heels canned nearly 57 percent of their shots from the field and hit 11 3-pointers.
Shakiria Foster scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds to pace the Eagles (0-9), who shot just 28.3 percent from the field and were down 65-25 at the break.
NBA NEWS
NBA ROUNDUP: ANTHONY EDWARDS, WOLVES EDGE CLIPPERS
Anthony Edwards made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 93-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night in Minneapolis in West Group A action of the NBA Cup.
Minnesota got two offensive rebounds in the final seconds to run out the clock.
Edwards finished with 21 points for the Timberwolves, who finished group play 2-2.
James Harden (20 points, 11 assists) and Zubac (16 points, 13 rebounds) each recorded a double-double as Los Angeles fell to 1-2 in West Group A with one more game to play. Kevin Porter Jr. added 17 points but sustained an apparent ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.
Hawks 117, Cavaliers 101
De’Andre Hunter scored a team-high 23 points off the bench, helping lead Atlanta over visiting Cleveland to clinch the NBA Cup’s East Group C title.
Trae Young added 21 points and 11 assists for Atlanta, which beat Cleveland for the second straight game. Jalen Johnson chipped in 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks.
Darius Garland paced Cleveland with 29 points while Evan Mobley had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell chipped in 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists but shot just 5-for-23 from the field. The Cavaliers have dropped three of five since starting 15-0.
Knicks 99, Hornets 98
Jalen Brunson scored 11 of his 31 points in the final five minutes of regulation to push New York past host Charlotte in NBA Cup Group A play.
The Knicks improved to 3-0 in group play with double-doubles from both Karl-Anthony Towns (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Josh Hart (13 points, 12 rebounds). Brunson went 3-of-4 from the line in the closing 14 seconds to get the Knicks a win after they trailed by as much as 10 in the first half.
Brandon Miller led the way for the Hornets (0-3 in the Cup) with 20 points as top scorer LaMelo Ball missed the game due to a left calf injury.
Magic 123, Nets 100
Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 29 points in the first half as red-hot Orlando seized control late in the second quarter and pulled away in the third for an NBA Cup victory over Brooklyn in New York.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sank four 3-pointers and added 19 points for the Magic. Orlando, which improved to 3-0 in Group A, shot 53 percent and matched a season best by hitting 18 treys.
Shake Milton scored 22 and Keon Johnson added 15 as Brooklyn’s bench accounted for 58 points. The Nets finished 1-3 in NBA Cup games and were eliminated.
Grizzlies 120, Pelicans 107
Ja Morant scored 27 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 23 and reserve Santi Aldama had 20 points to lead Memphis to its first NBA Cup victory over visiting New Orleans.
The Pelicans, playing without Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Brandon Ingram (calf), lost their seventh straight. Memphis, which entered with an 0-6 record in NBA Cup play over two seasons, won its fifth straight and its ninth in 12 games.
CJ McCollum paced New Orleans, 1-3 in Cup games, with a season-high 30 points. Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III added 21 points apiece while Yves Missi contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Pistons 130, Pacers 106
Cade Cunningham returned from an injury to put up 24 points and Detroit remained unbeaten in the NBA Cup while also formally eliminating the defending runner-up with a win over Indiana in Indianapolis.
Malik Beasley paced Detroit with 25 points, while Jaden Ivey chipped in with 23 and Tobias Harris 16 for the Pistons, who will host the Milwaukee Bucks in a duel of 3-0 teams on Tuesday with the East Group B title on the line.
Pascal Siakam had 21 points and Tyrese Haliburton 19 for the Pacers, who fell behind by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and never caught the visitors en route to a third straight NBA Cup defeat.
Celtics 138, Bulls 129
Jayson Tatum had 35 points and 14 rebounds and Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score 29 points as visiting Boston beat Chicago.
Pritchard made 7 of 11 3-point attempts and scored 19 in the fourth quarter. Boston received 21 points from both Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown. The Celtics improved to 3-1 in the NBA Cup, and they could move on as a wild card.
Nikola Vucevic scored 32 points and had 11 rebounds for Chicago, which fell to 2-2 in the NBA Cup and was eliminated. Zach LaVine added 29 points, hitting four 3-pointers. With his third 3-pointer, LaVine passed Kirk Hinrich for most made treys in franchise history.
Heat 121, Raptors 111
Jimmy Butler scored a game-high 26 points as host Miami defeated Toronto. The Heat (2-2) and Raptors (0-3) are out of contention for the NBA Cup.
Bam Adebayo finished with a triple-double (14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) and Tyler Herro contributed 23 points for the Heat.
South Florida native Scottie Barnes posted 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 rebounds for the Raptors. RJ Barrett had 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl delivered 24 points and 10 rebounds.
NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: BIRTHDAY BOY JARED SPURGEON LIFTS WILD OVER BLACKHAWKS
Jared Spurgeon celebrated his 35th birthday in style, scoring twice to help the Minnesota Wild rally past the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Friday in Saint Paul, Minn.
The Wild captain, who played just 16 games last season due to back and hip injuries, scored for the first time since April 2023 and notched the eighth multi-goal game in his 15-year career.
Marco Rossi also scored and Joel Eriksson Ek had two assists for the Wild, who trailed 2-0 near the game’s midpoint. Marc-Andre Fleury, who turned 40 on Thursday, made 20 saves to win for the fifth time in six starts.
Former Wild center Ryan Donato scored both goals for the Blackhawks, his second multi-goal game of the season. Petr Mrazek stopped 26 shots.
Capitals 5, Islanders 4 (OT)
Jakob Chychrun scored in overtime to give Washington a comeback win over visiting New York. Down 4-2 through two periods, the Capitals equalized on third-period goals from Dylan Strome at 1:20 and Tom Wilson at 7:24.
Wilson scored twice, Connor McMichael had three assists and Strome collected a goal and two assists for Washington. Nic Dowd scored the Capitals’ other goal while Logan Thompson made 20 saves for Washington, which has won three in a row.
Anders Lee had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, Simon Holmstrom scored twice and Bo Horvat had two assists. Kyle MacLean also scored and Semyon Varlamov stopped 21 of 26 shots.
Canucks 4, Sabres 3 (OT)
Conor Garland capped a two-goal performance by scoring 3:59 into overtime to fuel visiting Vancouver to a victory over Buffalo.
Garland, who extended his point streak to a career-high seven games, ended the game after cleaning up a loose puck in the crease following a shot by defenseman Quinn Hughes. It was his eighth goal of the season, giving Vancouver wins in three of its past four.
Buffalo’s Dylan Cozens and Alex Touch scored 99 seconds apart in the third period to forge a 3-3 tie. Defenseman Bowen Byram also tallied, Zach Benson had two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 18 shots for the Sabres, who have lost two in a row.
Blue Jackets 5, Flames 2
Kirill Marchenko had a goal and two assists while Adam Fantilli registered his first multi-goal game of the season to lead Columbus past visiting Calgary. It was the teams’ first matchup since the deaths of former Blue Jackets and Flames star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew over the summer.
Zach Werenski (one goal, one assist) and Kent Johnson also scored and Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves for the Blue Jackets, whose five-game point streak (4-0-1) is their longest since 2021. Dmitri Voronkov added a pair of assists.
Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri scored for the Flames, who are 0-2-1 since a four-game win streak. Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots.
Panthers 6, Hurricanes 3
A.J. Greer put Florida ahead in the third period as the Panthers withstood a Carolina comeback to win 6-3 in Raleigh, N.C.
Sam Reinhart scored his NHL-leading 18th goal and Jesper Boqvist, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers, who’ve followed a four-game skid with two wins in three days. Aaron Ekblad and Eetu Luostraien supplied two assists apiece and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots.
Seth Jarvis, Sean Walker and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes, whose nine-game home winning streak was halted. Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists and Spencer Martin made 24 saves.
Lightning 3, Predators 2 (OT)
Brayden Point’s 16th goal just 1:01 into overtime lifted Tampa Bay to a win over host Nashville.
Point scored his NHL-leading ninth power-play goal off a slick feed from Nikita Kucherov to give the Lightning their fifth win in eight games (5-2-1).
Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning. Victor Hedman assisted on Hagel’s tally, giving him 588 career helpers and tying him with Martin St. Louis for the most in Tampa Bay history. Roman Josi scored both of Nashville’s goals and Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots as the club fell to 2-2-2 in its past six contests.
Oilers 4, Utah 3 (OT)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored at 1:18 of overtime as Edmonton edged the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist and Vasily Podkolzin also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 6-2-1 over their past nine games. Evan Bouchard logged two assists and Calvin Pickard made 28 saves in the win.
Alexander Kerfoot, Logan Cooley and Lawson Crouse tallied for Utah, which has lost five of its last seven (2-4-1). Karel Vejmelka stopped 28 shots.
Flyers 3, Rangers 1
Travis Konecny scored twice as Philadelphia nipped visiting New York.
Bobby Brink also scored and Ivan Fedotov made 22 saves for the Flyers, who improved to 3-0-1 over their past four games. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen recorded an assist in a fourth straight game.
The Rangers dropped their fifth straight contest despite 32 saves from Igor Shesterkin. Vincent Trocheck scored the lone goal for New York.
Devils 5, Red Wings 4
Stefan Noesen scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period as visiting New Jersey held on for a victory over Detroit.
Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes each had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who won for the ninth time in 12 games. Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Lucas Raymond, Tyler Motte and Justin Holl had the goals for the Red Wings, who had won three of their previous four games. Tarasenko and J.T. Compher (two assists) each had a two-point performance. Cam Talbot, playing in his 500th career game, made 24 saves.
Sharks 8, Kraken 5
Jake Walman scored twice and Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist as San Jose defeated visiting Seattle.
Will Smith, Mikael Granlund and Klim Kostin also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who play Saturday at Seattle. Timothy Liljegren and Ethan Cardwell also scored, William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund added two assists apiece and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves.
Shane Wright scored twice and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two helpers for the Kraken, who lost for the sixth time in their past seven road games. Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist, Yanni Gourde also tallied and Ryker Evans added two assists. Philipp Grubauer stopped 19 shots and dropped to 1-7-0 this season.
Golden Knights 4, Jets 3
Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev each scored twice as Vegas defeated Winnipeg in Las Vegas.
Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev each had two assists and Adin Hill made 22 stops for the Golden Knights, who have won four of their past five games (4-0-1).
Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets, both assisted by Josh Morrissey. Neal Pionk also scored in the loss. Eric Comrie turned aside 26 shots for Winnipeg, which has dropped three of four.
Penguins 2, Bruins 1
Philip Tomasino scored his first goal of the season in the third period to propel visiting Pittsburgh to a comeback win over Boston.
A 23-year-old former first-round pick who was acquired from the Nashville Predators in a deal on Monday, Tomasino netted the go-ahead goal with 12:34 left. Tristan Jarry stopped 31 of Boston’s 32 shots and Rickard Rakell scored the Penguins’ first goal en route to their second straight win.
Charlie Coyle scored and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves for Boston, which is now 3-2-0 under interim head coach Joe Sacco.
Kings 2, Ducks 1
Erik Portillo made 28 saves to pick up the win in his NHL debut as Los Angeles rallied to edge host Anaheim.
Alex Laferriere had a goal and an assist and Alex Turcotte also scored for the Kings, who won for the second straight game and for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings with Anaheim in their Freeway Face-Off rivalry series.
Ryan Strome scored a goal and John Gibson made 16 saves for Anaheim. The Ducks took just their second regulation loss (4-2-1) in their past seven games.
Stars 5, Avalanche 3
Mason Marchment had two goals and an assist and Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist each as host Dallas beat Colorado.
Roope Hintz also scored, Jake Oettinger stopped 29 shots and Miro Heiskanen had two assists for the Stars, who snapped a two-game skid.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, Cale Makar had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves for the Avalanche.
TOP INDIANA RELEASES
COLTS NEWS
COLTS RULE OUT C TANOR BORTOLINI, T BRADEN SMITH, WRS JOSH DOWNS AND ASHTON DULIN FOR WEEK 13 GAME VS. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The Colts on Friday ruled out center Tanor Bortolini (concussion), right tackle Braden Smith (personal matter) and wide receivers Josh Downs (shoulder) and Ashton Dulin (ankle) for their Week 13 game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, head coach Shane Steichen said.
Downs sustained a shoulder injury during the Colts’ Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions, but did not exit the game. Dulin exited the Colts’ game against the Lions with an ankle injury and did not return. Neither participated in practice this week. Smith (personal matter) also did not participate in practice this week.
Bortolini developed concussion symptoms following the Colts’ loss to the Lions and entered the NFL concussion protocol on Monday and did not participate in practice this week. In Bortolini’s place, the Colts will likely turn to five-year veteran Danny Pinter.
Wide receiver Alec Pierce (foot) returned to practice Friday after not practicing Wednesday or Thursday and is questionable to play Sunday. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann, after missing two consecutive games, participated in all three practices this week and will be “good to go,” per Steichen.
INDIANA PACERS
GAME REWIND: PACERS 106, PISTONS 130 (NBA CUP)
On Gold Friday, the Indiana Pacers’ three-game winning streak came to a halt.
Shooting 57.8 percent as a team and draining 18 3-pointers, the Detroit Pistons (9-12) posted a 130-106 Emirates NBA Cup win over the Pacers (9-11) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana trailed by 10 points at halftime before the Pistons outscored the Blue & Gold 29-20 in the third quarter to take a 19-point lead into the final frame. While Indiana fought hard to start the fourth quarter, the deficit proved too large for a Pacers comeback.
Despite the game counting towards the East Group B standings, the final result of Friday’s game wouldn’t have impacted Indiana’s odds of advancing to the Knockout Rounds of this year’s NBA Cup. Earlier on Friday, the Atlanta Hawks picked up a win that mathematically eliminated the Blue & Gold from contending for the final wild-card spot in the East.
Detroit is now 3-0 in East Group B play, tying them with the Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot. The Pistons and Bucks will play on Tuesday night for the East Group B title, with the winner earning an automatic bid into the single-elimination tournament bracket.
“They were more physical and played with more attitude from the very beginning of the game,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “…Give them credit. They played extremely well. It’s a Cup game so they’re running the score up at the end. I get it. We were doing the same thing last year. It’s no fun.”
The Pacers shot 48.2 percent as a team, including 12-for-33 from 3-point range. Detroit won the rebounding margin 44-32 and points in the paint differential 52-44.
Pascal Siakam topped the Pacers with 21 points and nine rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton logged 19 points, and Bennedict Mathurin posted 16 points. Off the bench, T.J. McConnell added 12 points and Jarace Walker recorded 10 points, five steals, and four assists for the Blue & Gold.
Malik Beasley led six Pistons double-digit scorers with 25 points off the bench, point guard Cade Cunningham logged 24 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds, and ex-Purdue star Jaden Ivey logged 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Center Jalen Duren also recorded a double-double for Detroit with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Outshooting the Pacers 55.8 to 47.6 percent at halftime, the Pistons held a 63-53 lead over the Pacers at the break. Haliburton and McConnell each had 10 points in the first half while Beasley led four Detroit double-digit scorers with 12 points.
Indiana shot the ball well following the tip, but a 22-8 Pistons run in the later half of the opening frame gave the visitors a 33-24 lead.
The Pacers started 6-of-8 shooting from the field, with Haliburton and Mathurin scoring five points each, before a 10-0 Pistons run gave the Pistons a 21-16 lead with 4:22 left in the first quarter.
A layup by McConnell out of a timeout temporarily stopped the bleeding for the Blue & Gold, but the Pistons outscored the Pacers 12-6 in the final 3:35 – with Ivey accounting for a trio of baskets – to lead by nine at the first-quarter buzzer.
McConnell made his first four shot attempts of the second quarter and Walker added a pair of free throws to narrow the Pacers deficit to 37-34 with 8:57 left in the half.
Indiana’s momentum didn’t last long, however, as the Pistons responded with a 15-4 run, with Hardaway adding five points and Ivey scoring four during the streak, to push ahead 52-38.
While Haliburton scored five points, Siakam added four points, and Myles Turner drained a 3-pointer in the final 3:48 of the half, the Pistons never led by less than nine points before the halftime buzzer.
Detroit held Indiana to 20 points in the third quarter to boost its lead to 92-73 going into the final frame.
Siakam made three of his first four shot attempts to start the third quarter, narrowing the score to 71-61, before an 11-0 spree by the Pistons featuring five points by Tobias Harris, a 3-pointer by Cunningham and and-one by Duren, extended the lead to 85-64 with 4:47 left in the third quarter.
Haliburton went on a self-imposed 7-0 run to give the Pacers a spark later in the period, but the Pistons finished the quarter on a 7-2 run in the final 2:51 of the frame to lead by 19 points going into the fourth quarter.
In a fiery start to the final frame, the Pacers used a 15-5 run, where they forced multiple Pistons turnovers and Mathurin scored seven points, to narrow the score to 100-88 with 8:46 left in the game.
A 3-pointer by Cunningham regained some momentum for the Pistons, and the teams went virtually basket-for-basket for much of the remainder of the game before the Pacers emptied the bench with 3:14 remaining.
Detroit kept their starters in to close the game since the point differential acts as a tiebreaker should there be a tie in the NBA Cup standings.
The Pacers finish their four-game homestand 3-1 and will open a four-game road trip on Sunday at the Memphis Grizzlies.
Inside the Numbers
Indiana’s Jarace Walker recorded a career-best five steals in the loss.
The Pacers finished with 16 turnovers and the Pistons had 18 giveaways in the game.
The Pistons are 3-0 when at least three players score 20 points each.
At the free-throw line, the Pacers shot 12-for-13 while the Pistons finished 16-for-20.
Detroit’s biggest lead was 26 points.
Indiana won the fast-break points margin 16-13.
The Pistons scored at least 29 points in each quarter.
You Can Quote Me on That
“We were not physical enough, obviously not tied together well enough defensively. We’ve got to do better.” — Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the loss
“I thought tonight was his best game of the season. His ability to defend, he has the capabilities of being an elite defender in this league. And he proved that tonight. And we’ve seen that from him. It’s about stringing multiple games like that together, and he will.” — T.J. McConnell on Jarace Walker’s performance
“Just looked a step slow. I don’t know what it was, but that’s what it looked like to me. Just on both ends of the ball, they were more physical than us. That’s a tough pill to swallow.” — McConnell on the loss
“They did a great job keeping us in rotation. They had a lot of different guys step up and make shots early…Kudos to them. They played a hell of a game from start to finish. We’ve just got to be better on that end of the ball.” — Tyrese Haliburton on the loss
Stat of the Night
The 57.8 percent shooting and 130 total points were both season-bests for the Pistons.
Noteworthy
Ben Sheppard (oblique strain), Aaron Nesmith (left ankle sprain) and Andrew Nembard (left patellofemoral inflammation) were all out again for the Pacers on Friday.
The Pacers played their final game on the “Boom Baby!” court on Friday. The court, used during Indiana’s 2024 NBA Cup home games, paid tribute to legendary Pacers coach and broadcaster Bobby “Slick” Leonard, as his signature slogan “Boom Baby!” is printed the length of the court.
The Blue & Gold had won five straight games against the Pistons before Friday.
Indiana will conclude NBA Cup play at the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 3.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is an Indiana native. He went to Marian High School in Mishawaka and La Lumiere School in La Porte before playing at Purdue from 2020 to 2022.
Up Next
The Pacers open a four-game road trip in Memphis with a matinee against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 3:30 PM ET.
Tickets
After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5:00 PM ET.
INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA CLOSES OUT BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS WITH WIN OVER PROVIDENCE
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Smiles finally returned for the Indiana Hoosiers. A Battle 4 Atlantis game was won; offensive order restored; and a sense that this could ignite future success was re-invigorated.
Friday’s 89-73 victory over Providence (5-3) earned the No. 14 Hoosiers (5-2) a seven-place finish, and a much-needed boost after consecutive losses to Louisville and No. 3 Gonzaga.
“This shows how good we are when we move the ball, when we play defense, and do things the right way,” swingman Mackenzie Mgbako said.
Or, as coach Mike Woodson put it, “When you get your butts beat for two games, you’d better be connected.”
Those opening Battle 4 Atlantis losses had rocked a previously unbeaten team with Big Ten title aspirations. But the Hoosiers regrouped, in part from a don’t-panic mindset. Holiday tournaments offer quality competition without guarantees.
Indiana avoided an empty week by attacking Providence early and often with full-throttle play, a major point of pregame emphasis that Woodson wants part of his team’s DNA the rest of the way.
“We have to play harder, and get better,” Woodson said. “We’ll practice and work hard. I have to keep pushing them. There’s a reason why Gonzaga is a good team, why Louisville is a good team. They play hard. We have to play at the level. If we do that, we can put ourselves in position to beat really good teams.”
Indiana’s must-win reality included early full-court pressure against a fatigued Providence team playing basically 12 hours after its Thursday night loss to Davidson.
“That was a big emphasis,” Woodson said. “They didn’t leave the gym until 10:30 or 11 last night. We knew that. We tried to capitalize on that in terms of pushing the pace.”
Hoosier runs of 9-0 in the first half and 8-0 in the second half provided a cushion they never lost thanks to contributions from the entire roster.
Mgbako set the first-half offensive tone with 13 points. He hit two 3-pointers and all three of his free throws, part of a 10-for-10 Hoosier effort in the first 20 minutes. He finished with 25 points and four 3-pointers.
Guard Trey Galloway, still recovering from off-season knee surgery, started for the first time this season due to a lower body injury to Kanaan Carlyle. He made instant impact with a basket, a rebound, and an assist. He totaled 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and made three 3-point baskets.
“He played great today,” Woodson said. “I’ve limited his minutes based on how he’s felt. This morning, I was holding my breath that he would tell me he felt fine. He said it was the best he’s felt in a long time
That was good news. It’s easy to slide him into the starting lineup. He did a lot of good things to help us win.”
As for Carlyle, Woodson said it’s “Day to day. He couldn’t move today, so we shut him down.”
For the second straight game, forward Malik Reneau got into early foul trouble and played limited first-half minutes. He came back to finish with 21 points in 21 minutes.
Starting center Oumar Ballo had eight points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks to follow up the 25 points and four rebounds he had against Gonzaga, which followed his 11-point, six-rebound effort against Louisville. Reserve center Langdon Hatton again provided off-the-bench impact with four points, one rebound, and solid defense. Forward Luke Goode added nine points and three rebounds.
Guard Myles Price again struggled. He was 1-for-8 from the field for two points. He did have six assists against two turnovers. In three tournament games, he was 4-for-25 from the field for 11 total points.
“I’m not concerned,” Woodson said. “He’s a tough kid. We’ll regroup and get him back going. He’s a major piece to the puzzle, as is everyone. I’ve got to get our guys on the same page doing what’s asked of them.
“Myles might be a little gun-shy (in his shooting), but I can fix that. We haven’t told anybody not to shoot. Our guys know when they have a good and bad shot.
“I’ve got to get them to understand team — share the ball, set the screen, and sacrifice the pass for the sake of the team. It’s my job to get them to do that.”
IU shredded Providence’s zone defense with an early 6-for-10 3-point-shooting barrage. Mgbako and Galloway combined for five of them. The Hoosiers finished 8-for-15 from beyond the arc. They shot 53.3% from the field with 20 assists against 10 turnovers
Woodson credited the strong offense to ball movement.
“We set a lot of staggered screens for Luke and Mack,” he said. “I changed it up and they delivered. The ball moved. It didn’t get stuck. We did a good job with the pick and roll.
“We made some shots. Everything looks good when you make shots. It makes everything a lot easier,”
IU’s revamped starting lineup produced offensive balance — six Hoosiers scored in the first eight minutes. IU started with a 4-0 lead. It lasted less than three minutes before Providence scored five straight points.
The Hoosiers pushed ahead 13-10 on a power inside basket from Ballo and a Galloway 3-pointer. Mgbako, Rice and Hatton scored for an 22-13 advantage after eight minutes. A Goode 3-pointer made it 25-14.
A three-point Ballo play and a Mgbako 3-pointer made it 33-21 with seven minutes left in the half. Mgbako’s closing scoring surge, and a pair of Goode free throws, gave the Hoosiers a 44-33 halftime lead.
They were 10-for-10 on free throws while making four of eight 3-point attempts. Eight Hoosiers scored at least two points.
Galloway scored the Hoosiers first four points of the second half. Reneau took over as IU surged to a 54-37 lead in less than three minutes and then 57-38 20 seconds later. Providence rallied to within nine points, before Ballo, Reneau and Mgbako combined to deliver the knockout.
The Hoosiers play again on Tuesday when they host Sam Houston.
“We have to clean up things defensively and rebound better,” Woodson said. “On defense, I still think we’re behind.
“Rebounding is a major concern. It dates back to last year when we had a big team and gave up a bunch of rebounds. We have to get that fixed. It comes down to heart and guts and making sure we secure the ball.”
INDIANA MEN’S SOCCER
INDIANA DANCES WITH DENVER IN NCAA TOURNAMENT THIRD ROUND
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — No. 14 national seed Indiana men’s soccer (11-4-5, 7-1-2 B1G) travels west to take on No. 3 Denver (13-3-4, 7-1-0 Summit) Saturday (Nov. 30) in the NCAA Tournament Third Round.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. local time, at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Fans unable to attend can watch the match on the ESPN+ digital platform.
KICKING OFF
• Indiana appears in the NCAA Tournament Third Round for the 10th consecutive season, extending the nation’s longest streak. IU’s 43 appearances in the round of 16 improves its NCAA record.
• The Hoosiers have a chance to advance to a third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals – No. 30 all-time.
• Indiana is 4-1-2 on the road this season, its only loss coming all the way back on Aug. 23 – the season opener at Saint Louis. The Hoosiers have won their last three on the road, all conference matches. Indiana has had recent away success in postseason play, too, not suffering an outright NCAA Tournament road loss since 2021. In 2023, the Hoosiers defeated No. 10 Wake Forest and No. 7 Virginia as the visiting team before falling in a penalty shootout at No. 2 Notre Dame.
• Saturday’s matchup features two of the nation’s five active players that have eclipsed both 20 goals and 20 assists in their careers: Indiana’s Samuel Sarver and Denver’s Sam Bassett.
ABOUT THE PIONEERS
• Denver captured its 10th Summit League regular season title with a 7-1-0 conference record. the Pioneers fell to Kansas City, 2-1, in the tournament final.
• The Pios are led by 10th-year head coach Jamie Franks, who has earned a 122-39-32 record during his time in Denver.
• Denver defeated Gardner-Webb 3-0 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
SERIES HISTORY
• Indiana and Denver have met twice, both meetings resulting in 2-1 Hoosier victories. Notre Dame hosted both matches in the 2011 and 2019 editions of the Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament.
• First-half goals from Chris Estridge and Alec Purdie were enough to earn the victory in 2011.
• The Hoosiers won the 2019 match from a 98th-minute Ian Black golden goal. Black had equalized in the 28th-minute from the penalty spot.
INDIANA VOLLEYBALL
HOOSIERS TAKE FULL CONTROL ON SENIOR NIGHT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Volleyball team (15-15, 8-12 B1G) put together one of its best performances of the season, sweeping aside visiting Illinois (25-21, 25-19, 25-18) on senior night (Nov. 29) at Wilkinson Hall. The Hoosiers finish the season at .500 or better for the third-straight season.
IU had a complete offensive performance from start to finish, hitting .340 (48-12-106) across the three-set win. Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles and junior opposite hitter Avry Tatum had 18 and 14 kills respectively while senior outside hitter Mady Saris chipped in eight kills in her final career game.
Senior setter Camryn Haworth ended her illustrious career with 41 assists in three sets. She added eight digs and three aces in her final game for the Hoosiers. She ends her time in Bloomington fourth in all-time assists (3,923) and first in all-time aces (213).
Sophomore libero Ramsey Gary led a stout defensive effort with 19 digs in three games (6.33 p/s). Across the weekend, Gary averaged 5.28 digs per set in a pair of wins. The Hoosiers had a 46-32 advantage in digs and held Illinois to just a .151 team hitting percentage. Illinois’ star outside hitter – Raina Terry – had 10 kills but hit just .129.
IU avenged its earlier season loss to Illinois in the regular season finale. It marks the third-straight year that IU has beaten Illinois on its home court. The Hoosiers have now won at least eight Big Ten games in three-straight seasons for the first time since 1998-2000. IU’s four-year senior class – Haworth, Saris, Kenzie Daffinee and Carly Mills – finished their careers with 32 Big Ten wins, the most since 2002.
Set Breakdown
Set 1: Indiana 25, Illinois 21
IU came to play on senior night, providing 14 kills in the opening set. Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles had five kills while senior setter Camryn Haworth dished out 13 assists. Junior middle blocker Madi Sell and junior opposite hitter Avry Tatum each had a hand in two blocks as IU won 25-21. The Hoosiers racked up four aces, including two from Haworth, to put the opening game away.
• IU trailed briefly at 8-9 following back-to-back attacking errors from Alonso-Corcelles. After the Spaniard quickly terminated, Haworth went to the service line and took IU on a 4-0 run. She had an ace during the serving stretch and also helped Sell and Tatum set up for a big block of Illinois outside hitter Raina Terry.
• The Hoosiers’ lead got to as big as six on a service ace from Maple. Her top-spin jump serve split the Illinois back line and landed in for the ace. Senior outside hitter Mady Saris had a big kill in the point proceeding that as the Hoosiers went up 21-15.
• Illinois fended off a pair of set points but missed on the third attempt with a service error from defensive specialist Lily Barry. IU won the set 25-21 and took control early in the match.
Set 2: Indiana 25, Illinois 19
The Hoosiers played a phenomenal second set to take a massive lead in the contest. IU hit .375 (15-3-32) in game two while holding the Fighting Illini to a .143 team clip. In the second set, Illinois committed seven attacking errors – all unforced. Alonso-Corcelles had six kills to lead things for the Hoosiers. Saris and Tatum each contributed three to give IU all the momentum at Wilkinson Hall.
• Senior outside hitter Kenzie Daffinee recorded the final ace of her career to give IU a 10-9 lead early in game two. Illinois responded with a timeout but the Hoosiers answered on a 7-3 run out of the break before the visitors had to burn their second timeout. Terry and Illinois outside hitter Averie Hernandez had back-to-back attacking errors as the set began to slip away.
• Alonso-Corcelles took over late in set two. She had four kills in the red zone but it was Saris that put the finishing touches on the second set. Head coach Steve Aird took a brief timeout to draw up a play. Haworth answered accordingly by feeding Saris on a go ball to finish off game two.
Set 3: Indiana 25, Illinois 18
Illinois put up a fight but a blistering offensive effort from the Hoosiers was enough to close out the match. Haworth ran a brilliant set three with 15 assists as the team swung .395 (19-4-38) to finish off the Fighting Illini. Tatum had eight kills in game three while Alonso-Corcelles followed with three. Sophomore libero Ramsey Gary added eight digs to help see out the win.
• With set three tied at 8-all, IU flexed its muscles to open up a big advantage. Tatum had three kills as part of a 5-2 run to hand the Hoosiers a three-point lead. Illinois tied the match at 15-all but wouldn’t lead the rest of the way after that.
• Alonso-Corcelles terminated on a pair of big rallies on either side of an Illinois timeout to go up 19-15. Senior defensive specialist Carly Mills had a big dig of Terry to bring the crowd to its feet before Alonso-Corcelles finished it off.
• The Madrid native had the play of the night on a massive block of Terry to put the match to bed at 22-16. Tatum did her part to close out the match, terminating on match point at 25-18. She had eight kills in game three to hand the Hoosiers a victory.
Top Hoosier Performers
#10 Haworth, Camryn
41 assists, 8 digs, 3 aces, 1 kill
#3 Alonso-Corcelles, Candela
18 kills, 5 digs, 1 block
#13 Tatum, Avry
14 kills, 2 blocks, .600 hitting percentage
#32 Gary, Ramsey
19 digs, 3 assists
Notes to Know
• Senior setter Camryn Haworth dished out 41 assists in just three games on Friday evening. It was the first time in her career she’s finished a three-set Big Ten match with 41 assists. She’s the first IU setter with 41 helpers in a three-set Big Ten contest since Whitney Granado against Iowa on Nov. 10, 2012.
• Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles racked up 18 digs in the win and closed out the season with four-straight matches of at least 18 kills. She had 43 kills in the two wins this year and ends the season with 409, the highest season output of her career.
• The Hoosiers finished off the match in a sweep on Friday night. It was IU’s first sweep of Illinois since 1994. It marked the third-straight home win over the Fighting Illini.
• Junior opposite hitter Avry Tatum was outstanding offensively, recording 14 kills on a .600 hitting percentage. It was the second time in the Big Ten season she had at least 14 kills with an offensive clip of .500 or better (vs. Northwestern, .545, 14-2-22).
• For the first time since 1998-2000, the Hoosiers have finished three-consecutive seasons with eight Big Ten wins. It’s the first occasion since 2008-10 that IU has gone three-straight campaigns finishing .500 or better. IU’s four-year senior class (Saris, Haworth, Mills and Daffinee) finished their careers with 32 Big Ten wins, the most by a senior group since 2002.
• IU has recorded 28 Big Ten wins over the past three seasons, the most in a three-year stretch since 1998-2000 (29). The Hoosiers’ four-year senior class finished their outstanding careers with 62 wins all-time since arriving on campus in the fall of 2021.
PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL
#13 PURDUE RALLIES TO TOP #23 OLE MISS IS RADY CHILDREN’S INVITATIONAL THRILLER
[13] Purdue 80, [23] Ole Miss 78 (Postgame Notes)
No. 13-ranked Purdue improved to 7-1 overall with an 80-78 victory over No. 23-ranked Ole Miss in the championship game of the Rady Children’s Invitational.
Purdue has now won 10 straight “Feast Week” games, winning the championship in its last four appearances (2021 – Hall of Fame Tipoff; 2022 – Phil Knight Legacy; 2023 – Maui Invitational; 2024 – Rady Children’s Invitational).
Of the 10 straight wins, eight of the victories have come against nationally-ranked teams (#18 North Carolina, #5 Villanova, West Virginia, #6 Gonzaga, #8 Duke, #11 Gonzaga, #7 Tennessee, #4 Marquette, North Carolina State, #23 Ole Miss).
With the win over Ole Miss, Purdue is now 1-of-7 teams nationally with two wins over top-25 teams (Auburn, Baylor, Alabama, Texas A&M, Kansas, Gonzaga, Purdue). Purdue is one 1-of-6 teams to have played three nationally-ranked teams.
Purdue has 40 wins over nationally-ranked teams since the start of the 2017-18 season, the second most nationally.
Purdue owns the best record against nationally-ranked teams since the start of the 2021-22 season, now with a 21-7 overall record (.750). Connecticut is next with a 21-11 record (.656).
The win was the 75th victory over a ranked team during the Matt Painter era, now with a 75-95 record. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Purdue is 12-2 against top-25 teams.
The win snapped Ole Miss’ 19-game, non-conference winning streak, which had been the nation’s longest streak. Purdue’s 39-game non-conference winning streak was ended on Nov. 15 by Marquette, enabling Ole Miss to have the longest streak.
Purdue improved to 13-4 against the SEC during the Matt Painter era, including 9-1 in the last 10 seasons. Purdue has won six straight games against current members of the SEC (Alabama twice, Tennessee twice, Texas, Ole Miss).
Purdue now owns a 99-20 record since the start of the 2021-22 season, the second-most wins nationally (Houston – 101).
Purdue shot 54.2 percent from the field and has now won 31 straight games when shooting 48.0 percent or better from the field.
Purdue has won 25 straight games when having a run of 10-0 or larger, going on an 11-0 run against the Rebels.
Purdue is 97-3 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring at least 80 points.
Purdue is 71-6 since the start of the 2017-18 season when making 10 or more 3-pointers in a game. Purdue went 10-of-22 from deep.
Trey Kaufman-Renn was named Tournament MVP after recording his first career double-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. In two games, Kaufman-Renn averaged 23.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 16-of-26 (.615) from the field.
Kaufman-Renn is averaging 21.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in his last five games.
Myles Colvin scored a career-high 20 points, including the game-winning offensive rebound putback with 0.5 seconds left. Colvin added four rebounds and two steals, while going 8-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Purdue was down seven points (75-68) with just over five minutes to play, scoring seven of Purdue’s last 12 points.
Braden Smith recorded his third double-double of the season and 12th of his career with an 18-point, 11-assist, 6-rebound effort, making 4-of-6 from long range.
Smith moved into 40th place on the Big Ten’s all-time assists list, now with 518 career assists in just 82 games.
Smith recorded his 13th career 10-assist game, now the third-most, 10-assist games in the Big Ten in the last 20 years (18 – Cassius Winston, 16 – Zavier Simpson).
Fletcher Loyer added 13 points and combined with Braden Smith tallied 31 points in the victory. Purdue is now 24-1 in their careers when they combine for 25 points in a game.
SAN DIEGO — Myles Colvin rebounded Braden Smith’s missed fadeaway jumper and scored with 0.5 seconds left to give No. 13 Purdue an 80-78 win over No. 23 Ole Miss in the championship game of the Rady Children’s Invitational on Friday.
Trey Kaufman-Renn had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Purdue (7-1), which blew a 17-point first-half lead before rallying to end the Rebels’ nation-leading, 19-game non-conference winning streak.
Ole Miss tied it at 78 on Matthew Murrell’s layup with 14.7 seconds left. After two timeouts by Ole Miss and one by Purdue, the Boilermakers went down the floor for the winning sequence, with Smith shooting from the right baseline and Colvin swooping in for the rebound and the putback.
Colvin had 20 points and Smith 18 for Purdue, which won its fourth straight Thanksgiving week tournament.
Jaemyn Brakefield scored 18 for Ole Miss (6-1), which had a 75-68 lead with 5:16 left after Jaylen Murray hit a 3-pointer. Murrell scored 14 and Murray 13.
Takeaways
Ole Miss: The Rebels fell behind by 17 points with 9:40 to go before halftime after a barrage of 3-pointers by Purdue before getting hot from 3 themselves to trail 42-34 at halftime. The Rebels took a 59-58 lead on Dre Davis’ two free throws with 12:10 to go.
Purdue: Despite the Rebels taking the lead and the momentum, the Boilermakers got big shots and clutch rebounding from Kaufman-Renn and Colvin down the stretch.
Key moment
Ole Miss didn’t box out on Smith’s missed shot, and Colvin swung in from the left side to grab the rebound and make the winning shot.
Key stat
The Boilermakers outrebounded the Rebels 37-26.
PURDUE VOLLEYBALL
PURDUE SECURES 16TH BIG TEN VICTORY
SEATTLE – The No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers (25-6, 16-4 Big Ten) stifled the Washington Huskies (19-11, 9-11 Big Ten), stealing Set 3 in comeback-style to sweep the Huskies, 25-14, 25-23, 29-27 on Senior Night.
Purdue closes the regular season with the most wins since 2011 (27-4 record, including 16-4 Big Ten). It marks the second-most regular-season wins since the 1980’s. Meanwhile, Purdue’s 16 Big Ten wins tie as the second-most wins in program history (most: 17-1in 1985, second-most 16-4 in 2011).
Meanwhile, Purdue’s sweep was the 16th of the season, the most since 2017.
After controlling Set 1, Purdue continued its dominance through the first half of Set 2, holding an 18-10 lead, but let the Huskies back in after six straight points. Washington tied it up 23-all, but back-to-back kills by Hudson and Colvin sealed the 2-0 set lead.
Despite trailing 14-22 in Set 3, Purdue stormed back to win the match, a feat which included a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 19-22, which included a block solo and kill by Raven Colvin and two forced Huskies attack errors. The Boilermakers erased four set points in the stretch before Raven Colvin set up Purdue for its first attempt at match point (27-26). Eva Hudson hammered down the match-winner at 29-27.
Hudson led the team with a double-double 13 kills and 13 digs with two aces, followed by Colvin’s 12 on a .408 efficiency. and a team-leading four blocks and two aces. Lourdes Myers went errorless in the match with eight kills on 16 attacks (.500%).
Taylor Anderson recorded 37 assists, six digs and two blocks in the effort. Freshman Allie Shondell entered in the third set to help turn the tides, totaling three assists one dig.
Ali Hornung totaled 21 digs.
With the result, Purdue closed the book on the toughest end to the regular-season in program history with a 3-1 record over the final two weeks, a which saw all four teams ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA poll, a reverse sweep at No. 13 Oregon and a thrilling sweep vs. No. 21 USC on Purdue’s senior night.
With the regular-season officially wrapped-up for the Boilermakers, Purdue will turn its sights to postseason with the chance to host the NCAA First & Second Rounds. The team will find out its fate on the NCAA selection show, which is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE TAKES ON #4 SOUTH CAROLINA IN FORT MYERS ON SATURDAY
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will square off with No. 4 South Carolina on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in the Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-Off.
Ryan Urquhart and Chloe Marotta will have the call on the Women’s Sports Network. WSN can be found on LG Channels channel 468, Roku, XUMO channel 737, Vizio WatchFree+, FuboTV, tubi, plex and freevee.
Brian Jennings will be on the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM and Purdue Stretch Internet.
The Boilermakers will debut their new black script uniforms.
GAME INFORMATION
Purdue (4-2) vs. No. 4 South Carolina (6-1)
Saturday, Nov. 30
Time: 11 AM
TV/Stream: Women’s Sports Network
Radio: 95.3 BOB FM
Audio: Purdue Stretch Internet
Live Stats: Purduestats.com
LAST TIME OUT
The Boilermakers lost a defensive slugfest 54-49 against Middle Tennessee on Thanksgiving. Purdue held the Blue Raiders to 28% shooting from the field, but Middle Tennessee took advantage of seven 3-pointers and 22 free throw attempts to the Boilermakers two to pull away for the win. Destini Lombard and Sophie Swanson led Purdue with 11 points each. Lana McCarthy grabbed nine rebounds as the Boilermakers won the glass battle 47-38.
NOTES
• South Carolina leads the all-time series 3-2 with the last matchup coming in 2019-20.
• Purdue is averaging 5.2 blocks per game, ranking 31st in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten.
• Destini Lombard has finished in double figures in five of the six games this season.
• Lana McCarthy is tied for 14th nationally among freshmen with 7.3 rebounds per game and second in the Big Ten.
• Sophie Swanson connected on a trio of 3-pointers against the Blue Raiders, giving her 51 triples through 33 career games.
• Swanson has connected on 10 3-pointers over the last four games, while finishing in double figures three times.
• Freshman Lana McCarthy grabbed nine boards against Middle Tennessee State. She is one of 11 rookies nationally averaging over nine points and seven rebounds per game this season and one of two in the Big Ten.
• McCarthy was tabbed the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the first time after averaging 15 points and 7.5 rebounds over wins against Bellarmine and UT Arlington.
• Destini Lombard leads the team with 16 steals on the year to rank seventh in the Big Ten. Her 2.7 swipes per game are second in the league to USC’s JuJu Watkins.
• The Boilermakers have stepped up their play on the defensive end over the last four games, holding opponents to 60 points per game 32% shooting from the field and 27% from behind the arc.
• Purdue’s newcomers carried the load this season with 74% of the scoring, 85% of the rebounding and 65% of assists.
• Purdue will play nine games scheduled against teams in the preseason AP Top-25 rankings and is the only team in the nation that will face four teams in the top six of the preseason Top-25. Eleven of Purdue’s opponents were in this week’s AP Top-25 with four more garnering votes.
• The Boilermakers will square off with the reigning national champions for the first time since defeating 2011 champs Texas A&M 60-51 at Mackey Arena during the 2011-12 season.
• Reagan Bass has a team-high nine blocks on the year. The senior has turned away two shots in each of the last four games. Bass leads the team in scoring with 13.7 points per game.
• Bass leads Purdue in free throws and attempts, going 24-of-30 for a career-best 80% at the line. She was one of 10 players to make 135 or more free throws each of the last two seasons.
• Alaina Harper and McKenna Layden made their 2024-25 debuts against Middle Tennessee after missing the start of the season.
• The Boilermakers have recorded five double-doubles on the year with two from Bass and McCarthy and one by Lombard.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
TCU OUTLASTS NOTRE DAME, 76-68
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — No. 3 Notre Dame (5-1) took a lead into the fourth quarter on Friday against No. 17 TCU (7-0) but could not hold on, falling 76-68 in the first of two games they will play in the Cayman Islands Classic.
The Irish got off to a hot start with an 11-point run and took a 13-5 lead before a TCU timeout with 6:03 to go in the first frame. The group then went cold from there and finished the quarter 8-21 from the floor with just one shot knocked down from deep.
Notre Dame took a 35-29 advantage into halftime after the Horned Frogs won Q2, 18-14. Hidalgo led all players with 16 at the break, and King led the Irish with 7 rebounds. Miles’ game inside of the lane was taken away, but she had a pair of triples after 20 minutes.
Notre Dame extended the lead in the second half as high as 14 with 3:03 left in the third quarter and ended Q3 with a 56-45 advantage. The Horned Frogs battled back with a dominant final quarter and tied the game at 61 with 5:01 left. They ultimately outscored the Irish 31-12 and hit four shots from beyond the arc. Notre Dame went 5-20 from the floor to finish the game.
Hidalgo led all players with 27 points. King posted another double-digit rebounding performance, finishing with 8 points and 13 boards.
Notre Dame finishes its trip to the Cayman Islands with a Saturday evening game against Utah. The game tips off on FloCollege.com at 5 p.m. The Irish are 3-0 all-time against the Utes.
NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
IRISH’S SEASON ENDS IN NCAA QUARTERFINAL ROUND
STANFORD, CA. – The quest for Notre Dame women’s soccer’s 13th College Cup appearance and first since 2010 will have to wait for at least one more year. The fourth-seeded Fighting Irish (14-4-4) fell 2-0 to the Stanford Cardinal (16-4-2) in the NCAA Quarterfinal round on Friday afternoon, ending their 2024 season.
The scoreboard certainly didn’t reflect how the game went. The Irish outshot the Cardinal 17-13 and owned 52 percent of the possession. Notre Dame might have owned better chances overall on the day but Stanford made the few they had count. The Cardinal scored in both the 25th and 50th minute.
Despite the disappointing outcome on Friday, there’s a lot to look forward to if you are an Irish fan. Five of the top six point-getters on the team were freshmen, plus another two who started at center back and in goal. 44 of the 55 goals Notre Dame scored were by freshmen. 19 of said goals were from ACC Rookie of the Year Izzy Engle. The Minnesota native scored the sixth most goals all-time by a Notre Dame freshman.
The Irish will only lose a total of five seniors/grads, returning their core nucleus. A nucleus that also includes First Team All-ACC selection Leah Klenke and fellow junior and team captain Laney Matriano. A nucleus that includes three more starters we haven’t even mentioned yet in Charlie Codd, Clare Logan and Morgan Roy. The future is certainly bright in South Bend.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame came out strong and nearly scored within the first 15 minutes, Lily Joseph had two good cracks from just outside the box that went a few feet wide. The best chance then came in the 16th minute courtesy of Izzy Engle.
A brilliant first touch set her up for a left-footed strike in the left side of Stanford’s box. Her shot beat the keeper heading to the far post, but a Cardinal defender was in the right place at the right time and cleared it away.
All in all, the Irish outshot the Cardinal 12-4 in the first half but trailed at the break. Stanford got on the board in the 25th minute when Shae Harvey flicked backward from about 8-10 yards out, pushing the ball into the right corner of the net.
Stanford quickly added to their lead in the second half, scoring directly off of a corner kick in the 50th minute.
Both Joseph (who had one of the best individual dribbling plays to set up a shot) and Engle nearly scored around the time of Stanford’s second goal.
From there on out, the Irish pushed numbers forward and created several good looks but just had no luck finding the back of the net. Passing wasn’t as crisp today but Stanford never scored in transition, only on two crosses (one a set piece).
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
HOCKEY ADVANCES TO FRIENDSHIP FOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH WIN OVER HARVARD
BELFAST, Northern Ireland — In a clash of specialty sweaters, the University of Notre Dame hockey team came out victorious with a 5-2 win over Harvard University Friday night. The Irish made their international debut Friday, competing outside the United States for the first time in program history as Blake Biondi recorded his second three-point night in as many weeks to help the Irish clinch the win in Belfast.
Harvard was whistled for the first infraction of the night when Cole Knuble got tripped up at the blue line and was down momentarily just under eight minutes into the opening period.
Blake Biondi would find twine during the man-advantage for the team’s third straight successful powerplay opportunity, giving the Irish the 1-0 lead at 8:25 of the first.
The Irish extended their lead with a shot from deep off the stick of Jaedon Kerr to make it a 2-0 game at 16:30 of the first.
Just 38 seconds after Kerr’s first career tally, Biondi net his second of the game to make it a 3-0 score heading into the first intermission.
The second period was all Harvard as they closed the gap and came within one with a pair of early tallies that beat Owen Say in net.
Nearly halfway through the second period and with Harvard dominating possession, Axel Kumlin was sent to the box for a trip and the Irish faced their first penalty kill of the night. Notre Dame successfully killed off the man-disadvantage with Nelson generating the team’s best chance of the period to that point with a shot on the breakaway that sailed wide.
The Irish continued to hold off the Crimson’s pressure throughout the second period with Say recording numerous saves to keep the one-goal lead intact. Despite the strong defense throughout the latter stages of the second, at the final media break of the frame the Irish were still looking for their first shot on goal of the period.
Harvard took an interference penalty with 2:20 to play in the second and Nelson fired a quick shot on goal. Biondi nearly had the hat trick with under two minutes to play but his shot ricocheted off the crossbar and the Irish continued to just lead by one.
Nelson had three shots on goal during the man-up opportunity but the Irish could not capitalize and they skated to the second intermission clinging to the one-goal lead.
The Irish would score twice in the final period of regulation for the 5-2 final, with the second line combining for a pair of tallies in the second half of the frame as Justin Janicke and Cole Knuble each found twine.
Janicke’s goal came at 14:18 of the third on the powerplay to give the Irish the 66-percent success rate Friday night, lighting the lamp on two of their three powerplay opportunities.
The Irish closed out the scoring when Knuble picked off a puck in the defensive end and faced a gapping net at the other end of the ice. The sophomore centered a shot into the empty net to seal the deal and send the Irish to the Friendship Four championship game Saturday night against Boston University.
GOALS
Blake Biondi opened the scoring Friday night, sparking a three-goal first period against the Crimson. His shot beat the Harvard netminder blocker-side to make it a 1-0 game at 8:25 of the opening period. His goal was assisted by Cole Knuble and Justin Janicke.
Jaedon Kerr net his first collegiate goal with a shot from the point to make it 2-0, Irish, Friday night. Jayden Davis won the draw, allowing Tyler Carpenter to chip the puck back to Kerr for the faceoff tally.
Biondi deflected the puck in front of the net off a shot by Michael Mastrodomenico for the eventual game-winner at 17:08 of the opening period. Paul Fischer, who fed the puck along the blueline to Mastrodomenico, was credited with the second assist.
On the powerplay, Justin Janicke picked up the rebound on the doorstep for the 4-2 tally. The Irish top powerplay unit capitalized on their second goal of the game to boast a 66-percent success rate. Biondi and Danny Nelson each tallied an assist on the play.
Cole Knuble rounded out the scoring Friday night with an unassisted empty net tally in the final 90 seconds of regulation for the 5-2 final. The sophomore picked off a Harvard attacker at the blue line before beating a defender and firing a shot into the open net.
KEY STATS
The Irish scored five goals for the third time this season, including the exhibition, led by Blake Biondi with two goals for the Irish.
With his first period goal, Jaedon Kerr scored his first career goal and will travel back from Belfast with a memorable keepsake puck marking the occasion. The defenseman previously recorded an assist at Michigan (Nov. 9) and now boasts two career points.
Notre Dame’s two powerplay goals Friday night improve the special teams unit to a 30.4-percent success rate. In their last two outings, the Irish have scored on five of six chances.
Biondi’s powerplay goal to open the scoring in game one of the weekend tournament make him tied with Danny Nelson for a team-best three on the man-advantage.
Cole Knuble’s late third period goal was his seventh of the season as the sophomore leads the team in the category and boasts 16 points on the season. His assist on the first goal of the night moves him into a tie with Justin Janicke for a team-best in the category as the linemates each posted a goal and an assist Friday evening.
The Irish, led by Nelson’s five shots on goal, peppered the Crimson net with 27 shots in the 5-2 win.
UP NEXT
The Irish will face off against the Terriers of Boston University Saturday night in the Friendship Four championship with puck drop set for 7pm local, 2pm ET.
NOTRE DAME VOLLEYBALL
PREVIEW: IRISH TRAVEL TO CAL FOR FINAL REGULAR SEASON MATCH
BERKELEY, Calif. — The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-16, 5-14) are traveling to take on Cal (14-17, 6-13) on Saturday, Nov. 30 in the final regular season match of the year. This will be the second time this season that the two squads will face each other. The Irish hosted the Golden Bears earlier this season, defeating Cal in four sets (25-20, 13-25, 25-16, 25-15) on Sunday, Sept. 29 in their first conference win of the season.
NOTRE DAME VS. CAL – Sunday, Nov. 30 at 4 PM (1 PM PT)
Location: Berkeley, CA | Haas Pavilion
ACCNX | LIVE STATS | SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
HISTORY VS. CAL
This will only be the 6th time Notre Dame and Cal have played one another. The Golden Bears lead the overall series 3-2.
The Irish were led by Phyona Schrader, who recorded her sixth triple-double of the season, tallying 12 kills, 13 digs, 18 assists, and a .429 hitting percentage. Sydney Palazzolo also recorded 12 kills and a team-best 4 service aces.
Prior to this season, the Irish last faced Cal on Sept. 13, 2008 in the Diet Coke Classic (Minneapolis, Minn.) where the Golden Bears won it in a close five-set battle (17-25, 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 14-16).
The last Notre Dame win came on Dec. 6, 1991 where the Irish won in five (10-15, 14-16, 15-13,15-13, 16-14) at the Northern Intercollegiate Championship (Fairborn, Ohio).
PHYONA SCHRADER
Phyona Schrader was named ACC Setter of the Week on Monday, Sept. 16 after guiding the Irish to a perfect 3-0 week, with two wins over Northwestern and the program’s first-ever win over Colorado State.
She is now second in the nation for triple-doubles this season (12).
FRESH FACES
Notre Dame’s incoming freshman class ranked 13th in the nation according to Prep Dig.
The Irish welcome six freshman to the team, bringing the Irish to a roster size of 22 – Rockwell’s largest roster since starting in 2022.
The freshman class consists of Grace Langer (MB), Anna Bjork (MB), Kailyn Greene- Gordon (OPP), Mia Radeff (OH), Morgan Gaerte (OH), and Mallory Bohl (MB).
Gaerte was the number one recruit coming out of Indiana, hailing from Angola High School, just a little over an hour from South Bend.
Notre Dame also welcomes setter Ella Sandt to the 2024 squad, a graduate transfer from Saint Mary’s.
KEY RETURNERS
The Irish return five rising sophomores, six rising juniors, a pair of rising seniors, and a pair of graduate students.
Notre Dame’s two graduate students, Hattie Monson and Lauren Tarnoff, are each using their fifth and final seasons to finish their careers at ND. Monson led the Irish with 397 digs last season, while Tarnoff was second on the team last season in blocks (84).
Senior Phyona Schrader is also back for another season with the Irish. Schrader led the conference last season with the only triple double recorded in the ACC. She tallied 14 kills, 22 assists, and 13 digs in the win over Wake Forest at home on November 17, 2023.
Outside hitter Lucy Trump returns for her junior season as she tallied 135 kills and was second on the team with 22 aces. She led the Irish offensively her freshman year with 252 kills.
SALIMA ROCKWELL
Salima Rockwell heads into her third year at the helm of the program after finishing her first two seasons with a record of 21-33
Rockwell spent this past summer prepping for the 2024 Olympic games as she was selected to be an analyst for NBC for both the men’s and women’s matches.
Rockwell, a four-time national champion coach and three-time All-American, is the seventh head coach in Notre Dame volleyball history.
For the past three years, Rockwell has served as a color commentator for ESPN, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network and CBS Sports.
Rockwell spent nine years coaching at her alma mater, Penn State University, holding titles of associate head coach, assistant coach and director of operations over two different stints in Happy Valley (2006-2009 and 2015-17).
As a student-athlete, Rockwell was a three-time All-American setter, was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team, helped guide the Nittany Lions to an NCAA Championship runner-up finish, was four-time All-Big Ten honoree, and led Penn State to Big Ten championships in 1992 and 1993.
Rockwell’s name is peppered throughout the legendary Penn State record books – ranking sixth all-time on the program’s career assists list (5,455) and eighth on the career digs chart (1,278). She is an inductee into the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Between her two coaching tours at Penn State, Rockwell also spent five seasons (2009-2013) at the University of Texas. While in Austin, she helped lead the Longhorns to the 2012 National Championship title, its first in almost 25 years.
YEAR THREE WITH THE STAFF
Sara Matthews and Craig Dyer return as associate head coaches for the Irish for their third year with the program.
Matthews, a standout player at James Madison and Kansas, came to South Bend after spending the past five seasons as the head coach at the University of Delaware.
Dyer joined the program after spending the past four seasons at Creighton, with previous stops at Penn State, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Seton Hall and Rutgers. He’s worked with several All-Americans during his time at Creighton and was part of the 2019 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Paul Koncir joined as a video and data analytics technical coordinator for his first season with the Irish in 2022 and was promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2023 season.
Koncir joins the Notre Dame Volleyball family after spending the past two seasons with the Michigan State Spartans as an associate head coach. Prior to MSU, Koncir had spent eight seasons with Indiana.
Mackenzie Keenan is in her third year as the operations specialist for the Irish. Keenan joined the program after spending nearly the past seven seasons at Texas Christian University. She worked as the TCU volleyball director of volleyball operations after having spent time as the volleyball graduate assistant.
BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL
BUTLER WINS 2024 ARIZONA TIP-OFF TITLE; TELFORT NAMED TOURNAMENT MVP
Butler claimed the 2024 Arizona Tip-Off title Friday night, taking down No. 25/rv Mississippi State, 87-77, in Tempe.
Jahmyl Telfort earned Tournament MVP honors with a 24-point performance in the championship game. Pierre Brooks II joined him on the All-Tournament Team behind 22 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulldogs are now 6-1 on the season, while Mississippi State suffers their first loss and is now also 6-1 on the season.
For Butler, it marks the first championship in an in-season, multi-team event since capturing the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
HOW IT TRANSPIRED:
The first half saw neither team lead by more than six points with Butler’s 40-34 halftime lead being the largest of the opening 20 minutes. Twenty of Butler’s points came from the bench in the first half.
A 8-0 Mississippi State run cut Butler’s lead to 70-68 with 6:22 remaining in the game. Butler responded by scoring 11 of the next 13 points to take an 81-70 lead and essentially put the game out of reach.
NOTEWORTHY:
Butler shot 53 percent from the field, and went 12-for-22 from the three-point line (55 percent).
Landon Moore was the third Bulldog in double figures with 13 points, a season-high. He led a 31-8 bench scoring advantage for Butler.
Andre Screen pulled down nine rebounds for the fourth consecutive game, tying Brooks for the team lead Friday night.
Entering Friday’s game, Screen had handed out a total of 14 assists in his 39 games as a Bulldog; he had four assists Friday, the most of any player on the court.
Butler held a 44-33 rebounding advantage over Mississippi State.
Kolby King had nine points and seven rebounds for Butler.
Butler was able to overcome 14 turnovers while only forcing six by MSU.
Josh Hubbard and Riley Kugel led Mississippi State with 22 points apiece.
Butler advanced to the Arizona Tip-Off title game with a 71-69 win over Northwestern Thursday; the Wildcats would take third in the event by defeating UNLV in Friday action. Telfort had 23 points in that semifinal.
Butler and Mississippi State had only met once prior to Friday night’s contest, a 47-46 Butler victory in the opening round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs return to Indianapolis and will host Eastern Illinois Tuesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tickets are still available for the 6:30 p.m. tip, which will also air on FS2.
BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS ADVANCE IN GULF COAST SHOWCASE WITH 79-50 WIN OVER SANTA CLARA
The Butler women’s basketball team dominated first round action against Santa Clara in the 2024 Gulf Coast Classic to claim a 79-50 win at Hertz Arena. Sydney Jaynes scored a season-high 16 points and was one of three Bulldogs to score in double figures against the Broncos. Butler never trailed on Friday night and improved to 6-1 on the season with the victory.
Jaynes was able to score inside and out to net her game-high 16 points. She went 3-for-3 from 3-point range while adding four rebounds and two steals. All 16 of her points came in the first half on 5-of-11 shooting.
Riley Makalusky was also a spark for the Bulldogs at the start of the game. She had 10 points over the first six minutes of the contest and would end the game with 13 total. Makalusky has now scored in double figures in three-straight games. She went 2-for-3 from 3-point land on Friday helping BU reach a season-high 10 3-pointers.
Lily Zeinstra and Ari Wiggins were also 3-point threats for BU on Friday. Zeinstra went 3-for-5 from behind the arc to score a career-high nine points and Ari Wiggins was 2-for-2 from deep to add 10. Each Bulldog logged a new season-high in minutes played.
Inside the Box Score
– Butler dominated the action in the second quarter to win that frame 20-6
– BU shot 60 percent from the field in the opening quarter helping them shoot 44 percent in the game
– Butler went 10-for-24 from 3-point range (41.7%)
– BU ended the first quarter on a 16-4 run and ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run
– The Bulldogs had 44 bench points on Friday
– BU had 20 second chance points and limited Santa Clara to just three
– Kilyn McGuff and Caroline Strande each had eight points
– Lily Carmody had nine points
– Santa Clara was led by Olivia Pollerd and her team-high 14 points
Up Next
Butler will play the winner of the contest between #5 Texas and New Mexico State. Second round action will tip at 7:30 p.m.
BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
MID-MAJOR POWERHOUSES COLLIDE AS WBB WELCOMES SOUTH DAKOTA STATE TO WORTHEN ARENA SUNDAY
Ball State (5-2) vs. South Dakota State (4-2)
Dec. 1, 2024 >>Worthen Arena >>Muncie, Ind.>>1:00 p.m. ET
Opening Tip:
– Ball State recently competed at the Battle 4 Atlantis falling to No, 16 North Carolina by a score of 63-52. The Cardinals then turned around the very next day to earn at 75-62 defeat over Texas A&M. Unfortunately, BSU would fall in the consolation title game to Columbia University, 69-62.
– 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, senior Marie Kiefer became Ball State women’s basketball’s all-time blocks leader with 153 total blocks passing former Carinal Tamara Bowie who owned the record of 152 since 2003.
– Ball State guard Madelyn Bischoff made her return to the court in a big way last weekend, making her season debut and earning honors as the Mid-American Conference Co-Player of the Week. The senior from Indianapolis and Roncalli High School averaged 18.0 points per contest while also pulling down 4.0 rebounds per game. She totaled 10 3-pointers while shooting 50 percent from the 3-point line. Bischoff opened the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with a 19-point performance against No. 16 North Carolina. Bischoff helped the Cardinals stay in the contest the entire 40 minutes of action against the Tar Heels. Bischoff closed the weekend on Sunday night scoring 17 points in a victory over Texas A&M. Bischoff shot over 62 percent (5-11) from behind the arc against the Aggies and added two steals.
– This will be the first-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Jack Rabbits. The South Dakota State women’s basketball team was ranked No. 25 on Nov 12 in USA Today Coaches Poll but have since dropped off the list. The Cardinals received two votes this week in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll.
Ally Buckets:
Ally Becki has picked up where she left off last season. The senior guard recently recorded her first triple double on Nov 13 against Memphis. For the game, Becki scored 22 points, pulled down 10 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists. Becki’s triple double also marked the first from a Ball State women’s basketball player since at least 2010 when the NCAA started keeping the triple double stat. It also remains the first NCAA women’s basketball Division I triple double of the season.
Getting Noticed:
The Ball State women’s basketball team received two votes in the latest USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll which was released Tuesday afternoon. The Cardinals own a 5-2 overall record. This is the second-straight season the Cardinals have been receiving votes in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.
Home Sweet Home:
John E. Worthen Arena has been very good to the Cardinals for the past decade. Ball State has a record of 191-86 (.654) at Worthen Arena from 2004-present. In 13 seasons Brady Sallee has compiled a 125-55 (.691) record in Worthen Arena. His best season at home was in 2022-23 when the Cardinals went 15-1 in Worthen.
Forcing Miscues:
Ball State has caused its opponents to commit 133 turnovers in seven games. The Cardinals have been able to turn those turnovers into a total of 140 points so far this season: Old Dominion (21 pts), IU Indy (25 pts), Memphis (22 pts) and Northern Iowa (21 pts), No. 16 Northern Carolina (14 pts), Texas A&M (29 pts) and Columbia (eight).
Top 10 in the Country:
Ally Becki ranks first in the nation in triple doubles (1), sixth in assists (47) and 10th in assists per game (6.7).
Scouting South Dakota:
– South Dakota State women’s basketball knocked off its second top-25 opponent of the season Tuesday with a 75-70 victory over No. 21 Oregon in the final game of the North Shore Showcase.
– SDSU comes to Ball State with a 4-2 record with wins over Rice (65-63), No. 21/20 Creighton (76-71), Wisconsin (79-57) and No. 21 Oregon (75-70). The Jack Rabbits two losses came against No. 16 Duke (71-75) and Georgia Tech (57-71).
– Entering his 25th full season (2024-25) at the helm of the Jackrabbits’ program, Johnston has created a mid-major powerhouse. Johnston has guided SDSU to 17 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA Tournament berths, since the program made the jump to Division I in 2004-05. The eight-time Summit League Coach of the Year (2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) has guided the Jackrabbits to a winning record in all 24 years at South Dakota State, and has led SDSU to 21 20-plus win seasons, including 17 of the last 18 years.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
BALL STATE FALLS AT OHIO IN FINAL GAME OF 100TH SEASON
ATHENS, Ohio — Tanner Koziol broke a Ball State career receiving record and Cam Pickett recorded career highs in catches and receiving yards, but a depleted Cardinals roster in snow and freezing Ohio temperatures spelled a 42-21 road defeat at Ohio University in the final game of Ball State’s 100th season.
Koziol caught his sixth pass of the game and 159th of his career with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Already the owner of Ball State’s single-season mark for catches by a tight end, Koziol got past the Cardinals’ career record of 158 by Darius Hill (2005-08) in just his third college season.
Koziol finished the day with 10 catches for 88 yards. His 94 catches for the season are fourth in Ball State history by any receiver.
Pickett, meanwhile, didn’t break any records with his nine catches and 119 receiving yards, but he registered the best receiving game of his career while amassing 276 all-purpose yards including 27 on one carry and 130 on five kickoff returns. Returning kickoffs for the first time in his career, he posted Ball State’s best all-purpose mark of the season, and joined Koziol and Justin Bowick as Ball State’s only receivers this year with 100-plus yards in a game.
Ball State (3-9, 2-6 MAC) closed the 2024 campaign with a fourth straight defeat while Ohio (9-3, 6-2 MAC) won its fifth straight game to advance into next week’s Mid-American Conference Championship Game.
Trailing at intermission, the Cardinals received the second-half kickoff but Kadin Semonza’s QB scramble and fumble on Ball State’s first play set up a quick Ohio touchdown and a three-TD deficit. The Bobcats scored on their next possession, too, and led 35-7 with 6:40 to play in the third.
Koziol’s TD catch moments later was his eighth of the year, just one catch following his record-breaker, and capped a seven-play scoring drive. Ohio made it 42-14 on its ensuing possession. Ball State’s only other score came on a 27-yard connection from Semonza to sophomore receiver Jamarion McDougle, just 2:42 from the final horn.
Semonza, a redshirt freshman ordained the Ball State starter prior to the Cardinals’ opener, completed his first full season with 29-of-47 passing against the Bobcats for 333 yards. It was his third 300-yard passing game of the season and his 25 touchdown throws this season were the most by a Cardinals’ QB since Keith Wenning in 2013.
Entering the game tied atop the MAC standings with Bowling Green and Miami, Ohio scored on its first two first-half possessions, too, for an early 14-0 advantage. The Cardinals staved off a third consecutive touchdown drive when cornerback Thailand Baldwin intercepted the first pass of his career just inches from the Ball State goal line. Ohio tacked on another score in the second period before Ball State reached the end zone on a 33-yard pass play from Semonza to Dayha Patel.
Trailing by two touchdowns and playing with nothing to lose, kicker Carson Holmer dribbled an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and a Cardinals’ recovery by Caden Johnson energized the Ball State sideline, looking for momentum. It was Ball State’s first onside kick recovery since 2019, but the Cardinals turned the ball over on downs at the Ohio 21, then forced a Bobcats’ punt as the first half drew to a close.
On a day marked by Koziol’s veteran receiving mark, emerging stars also took center stage. Besides Pickett’s first venture as a kick returner, a pair of freshman found themselves in the mix as starters at offensive tackle – true freshman Arkel Anugwom at left tackle and redshirt freshman Cody Smith on the right. Receiving mates Patel and McDougle also reflected the Cardinals’ abbreviated roster which was depleted in recent weeks by injuries, transfers and a redshirt. Patel entered the game with just three career catches, but recorded the first TD of his career among two more catches. McDougle played only a handful of snaps all season but also logged his first TD among three catches for 47 yards, all in the fourth quarter.
INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
INDIANA STATE FALLS TO ARKANSAS STATE IN BAHAMAS; PLAYS IONA SATURDAY AT 2 P.M.
NASSAU, Bahamas – Indiana State men’s basketball fell in the opening game of the Baha Mar Hoops event, 86-81, to Arkansas State.
Neither team could pull away to open the game, as the lead grew no larger than five points by either team. At the 10:19 mark, the score was knotted at 20 from five-straight points by K’mani Doughty off a one-handed dunk followed by a couple possessions later.
A pair of free throws by the Red Wovles and a hookshot by Markus Harding kept the score tied, then ASU went on a quick 7-0 run with baskets in three-straight trips down the floor. Two more free throws and a layup made the run 11-0 before Jaden Daughtry made a layup to end the scoring drought.
Bruno Alocen knocked down three free throws and Aaron Gray made two to get the lead inside 10 points, but the Red Wolves managed to take an 11-point lead into the halftime break.
The phrase “competitive character” that head coach Matthew Graves has used to describe the team was on display in the second half. Arkansas State grew its lead up to 20 points with 12:30 left in the game.
The Sycamores clawed slowly back into the game, outscoring ASU 20-10 through the next six minutes and change to narrow the score 74-67 with 6:10 to play.
Daughtry (9) and Gray (7) combined for 16 of the 20 points in that stretch, with Josiah LeGree making his first three-pointer of the season.
Doughty answered in the clutch in the final minutes of the game. He made a three as the clock passed the 5-minute remaining mark, converted two free throws with 3:23 remaining, then received a pitch-back pass on a fastbreak from Samage Teel on the left wing to bring the Trees within three points with 44 seconds to play.
Kobe Julian made a tough finish with 12 seconds to play that gave Arkansas State the five-point lead that the team would hold to end the game.
Jaden Daughtry in just over 19 minutes on the court scored a game-high 21 points on a near-perfect day, finishing 10-for-11 from the field and 0-for-1 from the charity stripe. Aaron Gray and K’mani Doughty each scored 13 points. Gray finished 3-for-8 from the field but 6-8 from the line and pulled down nine rebounds, while Doughty shot 4-for-9 and 3-for-6 from three. Markus Harding scored nine points with five rebounds, and Samage Teel recorded eight points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Josiah LeGree chipped in three points, four rebounds, and six assists with two steals.
News & Notes
Indiana State recorded a season-low nine turnovers in the game, beating the previous number of 13.
For the first time since February 9, 2023, against Southern Indiana, all players who appeared in the game scored at least one point (nine players).
This is the fourth-straight game Indiana State outscored its opponent in the second half.
Indiana State has scored 38+ points in the paint for three-straight games.
The Sycamores now have recorded 40+ rebounds as a team in three of the last four games.
The Sycamores shot 54.3% from inside the arc (19-for-35) while shooting 28.1% (9-for-32) from deep.
Jaden Daughtry set a new career high of 21 points. He scored 15 of them in the second half on a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor. This helps tie the season-high for bench points for Indiana State.
Aaron Gray’s 13 points are a new high in a Sycamore uniform. Five of his nine rebounds came on the offensive glass. Nine of his points and five of his rebounds came in the second half.
Josiah Legree logged new highs in rebounds (4), assists (6), steals (2), blocks (1), and minutes played (19:04). Five of his assists and both steals came in the second half.
Up Next
Indiana State takes on Iona in the first game of the Baha Mar Hoops event, tipping off at 2 p.m. ET.
INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SYCAMORES CONTINUE ROAD SWING SATURDAY NIGHT AT SEMO
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State continues its lengthy road stretch when it squares off with Southeast Missouri State Saturday evening inside the Show Me Center.
Tipoff is slated for 6:15 p.m., with the game being carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Indiana State had four players score in double-figures for the third straight game Wednesday night, but Butler used a strong third-quarter to down the Sycamores by an 80-55 margin inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Deja Jones led the Sycamores with 13 points and dished out a team-high four assists. Keslyn Secrist added 11 points and a career-high three assists, scoring in double-figures for the fifth straight game. Queen Ruffin and Saige Stahl each had 10, with the latter coming off the bench to score in double-figures. Savannah White pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Indiana State rode the hot hand of Jones early, with the senior floor general scoring six points in the opening quarter to help the Trees go in front. The Sycamores kept pace with the Bulldogs in a low-scoring second quarter before the home side took off in the third. Butler came out of the intermission and outscored the Sycamores 26-9 in the third quarter to break the game open. Despite Indiana State outscoring the Bulldogs in the final frame, largely in part to Jones, Secrist and Stahl combining for 18 in the last 10 minutes, Butler protected its home court in a double-digit loss for the Trees.
On The Road Again
Indiana State is in the midst of a 45-day span between home games, with the Sycamores not returning home until their Dec. 29 conference opener against Northern Iowa. The 45 days between home games is the second-longest stretch between home games in all of Division I.
Despite the long stretch on the road, the Sycamores have performed better away from Terre Haute in recent years. Indiana State’s lone win this season came on the road, while the Trees have a 17-28 record in away games since the start of the 2021-22 season, compared to a 14-31 mark at home during that stretch.
Spread The Wealth
Indiana State had four players in double-figures in its win over Wright State, marking the first time since its Feb. 25, 2024 win at Bradley that four Sycamores scored 10-plus points in a game.
Keslyn Secrist led all players with 18 in the win, while Chloe Williams and Saige Stahl set career-highs in scoring with 16 and 14, respectively. Deja Jones matched her career high of 12, marking her second straight game in double-figures.
The Sycamores repeated that feat against Austin Peay, with Secrist (12), Williams (11), Stahl (10) and Queen Ruffin (10) all hitting double-figures in the Trees’ final non-conference home game. Indiana State repeated that feat for a third straight game against Butler, with Jones (13), Secrist (11), Ruffin (10) and Stahl (10) spearheading a balanced effort against the Bulldogs.
Extra Possessions
Indiana State has corralled double-digit offensive rebounds in four of the first five games this season, with the Sycamores often converting their extra possessions into second chance points.
The Sycamores had their most productive game from a second chance points standpoint in their last game against Butler. Indiana State had just seven offensive rebounds against the Bulldogs, but converted those into 15 second chance points, an average of 2.14 second chance points per offensive rebound.
Indiana State pulled down a season-high 17 offensive rebounds in its last home game against Austin Peay, with Stahl grabbing six offensive boards against the Governors. The Sycamores turned those offensive rebounds into 14 second chance points.
Through the first five games this season, Indiana State is averaging 11.8 offensive rebounds per game and 11.4 second chance points per game.
Sophomores Shining
Keslyn Secrist leads Indiana State in scoring this season with 14.8 points per game, ranking in the top 10 in the conference in scoring average and total points. Secrist has scored in double-figures in each of the first five games, including a career-high 21 in the season opener against Western Kentucky. She has at least 11 points in every game this season.
Saige Stahl ranks in the top five in the MVC and the top 100 nationally with a team-leading 9.0 rebounds per game, while her 3.2 offensive rebounds per game also rank in the top five in the conference.
Get To The Line
Indiana State has often found itself having an advantage in free throws this season, with the Sycamores getting to the charity stripe more often than their opponents in four of the first five games of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Sycamores have attempted at least 15 free throws in every game this season, while making double-digit attempts from the line in four of the first five games. Indiana State went a season-best 19-for-24 from the charity stripe in its last game at Butler (79.2 percent).
Four different Sycamores have attempted double-digit free throws this season, with Keslyn Secrist (89.5 percent) and Saige Stahl (80.0 percent) both knocking down their attempts at a high rate.
Crash The Glass
Indiana State has won the rebound battle in three of its first five games this season and owns a plus-0.6 rebound margin through the first two weeks of play. The Sycamores have pulled down 40-plus rebounds in two games this season, doing so against both Iowa State and Wright State.
Five different players are averaging more than three rebounds per game for the Trees this season, with Saige Stahl (9.0) and Chloe Williams (6.4) leading the way. Savannah White (5.6), Keslyn Secrist (3.2) and Deja Jones (3.0) also contribute heavily to the Sycamores’ rebound totals.
Southeast Missouri State At A Glance
Southeast Missouri State comes into the weekend with a 1-4 record. The Redhawks picked up their first win of the season in their last game, a 70-59 win over Southern Illinois in their home opener.
Zoe Best leads a trio of Redhawks averaging double-figures with 13.2 points per game. Lexi McCully (11.0) and Kennedy Claybrooks (10.6) also average double-digit scoring, with Best and Claybrooks both averaging five rebounds per game. Claybrooks also adds 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game for SEMO this season, while Ainaya Williams averages 2.6 blocks per game.
Briley Palmer is in her first season as head coach at Southeast Missouri State and comes to Cape Girardeau following four seasons at Mineral Area College. Palmer has a 78-44 career record.
Series History Against Southeast Missouri State
Indiana State is 16-16 all-time against Butler, including a 6-9 mark against the Bulldogs in Indianapolis. The Sycamores and Bulldogs have split the last 14 meetings between the programs, though Butler has won each of the last three in the series.
Indiana State’s last win in the series came during the 2015-16 season, a 70-63 overtime victory inside Hulman Center. The Sycamores’ last win in Indianapolis came during the 2014-15 season by a 66-51 margin.
Last Meeting Against Southeast Missouri State (Dec. 10, 2023)
Mya Glanton led a quartet of Sycamores in double-figures with 20 points, as Indiana State defeated Southeast Missouri State 65-57.
Kiley Bess (16), Asia Donald (13) and Chelsea Cain (11) also scored in double-figures for the Trees, who led by as many as 18 in the game. Glanton, Cain, Bella Finnegan and Savannah White tallied five rebounds each, while Cain also added five assists.
Indiana State shot the ball well across the game, opening up a double-digit lead thanks to a strong paint presence. Glanton exploited SEMO’s zone on multiple occasions for easy baskets down low as the Sycamores’ lead grew to as many as 18. Southeast Missouri State took advantage of Indiana State’s turnovers to cut the Sycamores’ lead down to two possessions. Indiana State’s strong perimeter defense thwarted the Redhawks from completing the comeback, though, and the Sycamores iced the game from the free throw line.
Up Next
Indiana State heads north to face Marquette Tuesday night in Milwaukee at 7:30 p.m.
EVANSVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ACES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS FIRST GAME OF THE BIG EASY CLASSIC
NEW ORLEANS – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team had a tough start to its first-holiday tournament appearance since 2015 on Friday night.
A slow start and only shooting 28.6% in the first half from the floor was too much for the Purple Aces to overcome in their first game of the Big Easy New Orleans Classic. UE was able to get within eight points in the fourth quarter, but a 6-1 run kept Evansville from an opening win. Senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) led the Aces with 12 points on 63.6% shooting, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
UE found themselves down early as Nicholls put up six points in the first two minutes and 40 seconds. Neither team scored for almost two minutes, but it was Palomo who broke the drought with her first three of the night. It was another couple of minutes for either team to make a basket as Palomo made it a one-point game with under four to go in the first quarter. The teams traded shots for the final two minutes of the first for a 12-11 score after ten.
Evansville picked up its first lead of the night to start the second quarter as it was again Palomo hitting a three only 38 seconds in. The Colonels tied the game a minute later, but sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) put the Aces back up by two with a layup on the next possession. For the next two-plus minutes neither team scored but it was Nicholls whose offense got going in the final five minutes of the first half. Freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) put UE up by two again at the free-throw line. But an over five-minute cold spell for Evansville to end the half saw the team facing a six-point deficit.
The Aces’ struggle on offense continued to start the second half as the Colonels extended their lead to 11. Runner got UE back into single digits of Nicholls as forward Tamesha Dozier (Louisville, Ky. / Wabash Valley) followed up with the next made basket, a second chance tip-in two minutes later. The game settled into a back-and-forth pace until the final minute of the third quarter. The Colonels grew the deficit for Evansville to 16 with six points to end the quarter.
Scoring in the final quarter started at the line for the Aces as Hartwig and Runner made four straight in the first minute and a half. Nicholls responded with a three for the largest lead of the game at 17. UE answered quickly, breaking off the team’s longest run of the night with nine points in under two minutes. It became a shot-for-shot game for the next minute and a half as Evansville fought to keep the deficit in single digits. But the Aces wouldn’t make a basket from the floor for the final three minutes, dropping their first game of the Big Easy Classic 63-50 to Nicholls.
UE had three players in double-figures as Palomo (12), Hartwig (12), and Runner (11) led the way on offense. Dozier led Evansville under the glass with a season-high eight rebounds while contributing six points on offense. Four Aces had two assists each in Palomo, Runner, and freshman guards Kaiden Kreinhagen (Indianapolis / North Central HS) and Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS).
It will be a quick turnaround for UE as they play the Delaware Blue Hens on Saturday evening. It will be Evansville’s first program game against Delaware and its final of the Big Easy Classic. Tip-off from the Alario Center is set for 5:45 p.m.
SOUTHERN INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USI WINS IN DOMINATING FASHION IN FIRST GAME IN PUERTO RICO
MANATI, Puerto Rico – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball opened its stint at the Puerto Rico Clasico with a convincing 70-34 victory over Youngstown State University Friday in Manati, Puerto Rico.
With the win, USI won its fifth consecutive contest to improve to 6-1 this season and 8-1 all time in overseas MTE games. Youngstown State dropped to 4-3 after a third straight setback.
Southern Indiana came out contesting on the defensive end and firing on the offensive end. USI led 14-0 just past six minutes into the contest. Junior guard Ali Saunders and graduate forward Meredith Raley each hit a three-pointer, while graduate forward Madi Webb scored on a pair of intermediate looks. The Screaming Eagles went scoreless the rest of the opening quarter but held Youngstown State to only five points with one made field goal in the opening period.
The Screaming Eagles’ defense continued to stifle the Penguins in the second quarter, allowing USI to build onto its lead. Sophomore forward Chloe Gannon’s second make of the quarter gave USI a 20-point cushion, 25-5. The scoring effort remained balanced throughout the first half. USI put up 18 unanswered points with the help of six points from senior Vanessa Shafford. Southern Indiana led 32-5 at the break after keeping the Penguins scoreless and 0-10 from the floor in the second quarter.
After a few baskets for USI early in the third quarter, Youngstown State made a solid response to settle into the second half. Four makes from beyond the arc helped the Penguins find a little offensive momentum, but Southern Indiana continued to also find success on the offensive end and getting to the free-throw line. After a 22-21 quarter in favor of USI, the Eagles led 54-26 going to the fourth quarter.
Webb’s solid post-play continued with another pair of conversions inside to help push Southern Indiana’s advantage to 30-plus points. The Screaming Eagles’ defense remained stout, holding Youngstown State scoreless in the final five minutes.
Southern Indiana’s efficient offensive output led to all 10 Screaming Eagles who saw action in the game making their way into the scoring column. Saunders, Gannon, and sophomore guard Triniti Ralston tallied double figures in the contest. USI shot over 50 percent as a team.
Meanwhile, Youngstown State had one player score double digits. The Penguins were limited to 20 percent shooting in the game.
Southern Indiana will return to action in their second game of the Puerto Rico Clasico against Le Moyne College on Saturday morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. CT. The game can be heard through The Spin 95.7 FM and is available for purchase to watch via livestream at puertoricocollegesportstours.com. Coverage information and links can be found on the USI Women’s Basketball page at usiscreamingeagles.com.
SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL
USI FINISHES HOMESTAND BY HOSTING EAST-WEST
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball concludes its three-game homestand by hosting East-West University Monday at Liberty Arena. Tipoff time is set for 7 p.m.
All of the action from USI’s homestand can be seen live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
The USI Screaming Eagles are perfect in the first two games of the homestand, defeating the University of South Dakota, 92-83, and Indiana State University, 87-77. USI is averaging 89.5 points per game and led by junior guard Jayland Randall, who is averaging 19.5 points per game. Sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi follows 15.0 points per game, while graduate forward Jack Mielke is posting 13.0 points per outing. Junior guards Jared Washington and Damoni Harrison round out the double-digit scorers are posting 10.5 points per game.
Junior guard Jack Campion has been perfect at the point, averaging nine assists and no turnovers during the homestand.
Randall leads USI through the first seven games, overall, with 16.6 points per outing, while Harrison is close behind with 13.9 points per contest. Olowoniyi follows the top two with 13.7 points per appearance, while Washington is averaging 11.5 points.
The Phantoms of East-West, which play in the USCAA, are 2-8 overall in 2024-25 and have lost their last three games.
USI leads the all-time series, 1-0, after posting a 107-49 last season. Javius_Moore and Mielke led USI in scoring during the win with 16 points and 15 points, respectively.
Following the homestand, USI returns to the road for a trip to Southern Illinois University for a 2 p.m. game at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois.
VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL
VALPO FALLS AT DEPAUL ON FRIDAY
Sophomore Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest) tallied 19 points, and senior Darius DeAveiro (Kanata, Ottawa, Canada / Orangeville Prep) stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists, but the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team fell 89-70 to DePaul in the first true road contest of the season on Friday afternoon at Wintrust Arena in Chicago’s south loop.
How It Happened
Valpo played well out of the gate, scoring the first five points on a 3 by Schwieger and a transition layup by Wright. Wright once again scored in transition set up by a Devon Ellis (Schaumburg, Ill. / Conant [Maryland Eastern Shore / Link Year]) steal, and Valpo led 7-5 at the under-16 media timeout.
The Blue Demons led 12-9 after a basket by Tyler Schmidt (Valparaiso, Ind. / Victory Christian Academy) at the 13:23 mark of the first half, but the Beacons didn’t score again for over five minutes, during which time an 11-0 DePaul run made it 23-9.
Schwieger hit two 3s in quick succession, both times trimming the lead back down to single figures. However, another Blue Demons 8-0 burst created an 18-point margin with 1:16 left in the half. Valpo did whittle to within 13 at the break as Wright beat the buzzer with a layup to close out a frenetic sequence to close the half.
Valpo battled as close as nine but a 7-0 run for DePaul pushed it back to 18 at 58-40 with 14:24 on the clock. The Beacons shot it better in the second half at 45.5 percent (15-of-33), but the Blue Demons hit at a 64 percent clip over the final 20 minutes, making 16 of their 25 attempts.
Inside the Game
Schwieger’s 19 points led the team in scoring and marked his second straight game with at least 17. He has scored 17 or more in three of his last four. Schwieger pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, his fifth time in the last six games with seven or more.
DeAveiro scored a season-high 13 points, going 5-of-8 from the field, 3-of-6 from 3 and handing out five assists. His 13 points marked his highest total since Feb. 10, 2024 (14). The senior point guard has five or more rebounds in three straight.
DeAveiro matched his season total for made 3s in a single game after entering the day at 3-for-18 this year. Schwieger similarly turned around his 3-point shooting against the Blue Demons, notching as many makes as he had all season prior to Friday by going 3-of-7 after entering the day 3-for-21. After starting the season in a 1-for-17 slump, Schwieger is 5-for-11 from distance over the last two games.
DeAveiro’s five assists helped him bring his career total to 319, climbing over Tracy Gipson (1989-93, 316) and Brandon McPherson (2005-10, 316) and into sole possession of 12th in program history.
Four Valpo players finished in double figures, as Schwieger and DeAveiro were joined by Wright and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (LaSalle, Quebec, Canada / Orangeville Prep) with 10 apiece. Wright has three double-figure games this year including each of the last two, while De La Cruz Monegro has scored at least nine in every contest and double figures in six out of seven.
Ellis gobbled up seven rebounds in the post-turkey day showdown, his second highest total of the season and highest against a Division-I opponent.
After entering the game ranked second nationally in free-throw shooting, Valpo had its first game this season below 79 percent, going 7-of-11 (63.6 percent) at the stripe.
DePaul, one of 23 undefeated teams in the nation, improved to 7-0 thanks in part to the play of four Missouri Valley Conference transfers who played against Valpo last year on various MVC teams. Former UIC Flame Isaiah Rivera had 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting to lead the way.
This snapped a three-game winning streak, Valpo’s longest since the start of the 2023-24 season.
Up Next
The Beacons (4-3) will open conference play on Thursday night against Drake with a 7 p.m. tip at the Athletics-Recreation Center. For ticket information, visit tickets.valpoathletics.com.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOLY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
35 – 20 – 26 – 68 – 15 – 27 – 33 – 19 – 24 – 8
November 30, 1954 – 20th Heisman Trophy Award went to Wisconsin full back Number 35, Alan Ameche.
November 30, 1959 – 1960 NFL Draft Number 20, Billy Cannon from LSU became the first pick by Los Angeles Rams
November 30, 1961 – Billy Williams, Number 26, of the Chicago Cubs was voted NL Rookie of Year
November 30, 1963 – CFL Grey Cup, Empire Stadium, Vancouver: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat BC Lions, 21-10; features controversial sequence involving American players Number 68, Angelo Mosca and Number 15, Willie Fleming
November 30, 1968 – CFL Grey Cup, CNE Stadium, Toronto: Ottawa Rough Riders defeat Calgary Stampeder, 24-21; MVP Number 27, Vic Washington’s 79-yard TD run remains a Grey Cup record
November 30, 1976 – The 42nd Heisman Trophy Award was given to Pitt Panthers running back, Number 33, Tony Dorsett.
November 30, 1981 – NY Yankee Number 19, Dave Righetti wins AL Rookie of Year Award
November 30, 1993 – NFL formally announced its 30th franchise would be the Jacksonville Jaguars
November 30, 2015 – LA Lakers star , Number 24, Kobe Bryant announced his intention to retire at the end of the season. The Lakers retired not only the Number 24 but also the jersey Bryant wore earlier in his career Number 8.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
November 30, 1893 – It was only the 2nd time these two schools met on the gridiron but the early Tigers seemed to have figured out the game as Auburn thwarted Alabama 40-16 before a crowd in Montgomery, Alabama in the second Iron Bowl contest. According to ncaa.com the first Iron Bowl was played earlier that year on February 22, 1983.
November 30, 1912 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton. Ontario – The home team Hamilton Alerts won their only Canadian title by surviving the Toronto Argonauts, 11-4 in the 4th time the Grey Cup was played per Onthisday.com.
November 30, 1924 – This day marked the end of the NFL season and with it the Cleveland Bulldogs had a slightly better record than the Chicago Bears so in an era without a postseason the Dogs were the champs. According to the American Football Database, the Bears were unsettled by this and challenged Cleveland to a post season re-match. The Bears won the post season contest just as they had in 1921 when they challenged Buffalo All-Americans who had the best record but George Halas and company declared themselves champs after winning the challenge. This time when they did it in 1924 the NFL stepped in and declared that any games played after November 30, 1924 were merely exhibition games and did not count against the 1924 NFL season. So the 1924 National Football League Champions were the Cleveland Bulldogs. Make sure you read on below in our Hall of Fame Birthday’s segments to learn about one of these Bulldogs top players.
November 30, 1929 – AAA Grounds, Hamilton – Onthisday.com shares that the Hamilton Tigers won their 4th title as they outscored the Regina Roughriders, 14-3 in the 17h edition of the Canadian Grey Cup.
November 30, 1937 – The 3rd time the Heisman Trophy was awarded it went to Clint Frank the halfback from Yale University. Heisman.com has a great photo on their site found at the link on their name of the official ballot for this 1937 vote.
November 30, 1940 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – The website cbc.ca tells us that Ottawa defeated Toronto Balmy Beach, 8-2 in this controversial and unique Grey Cup Contest. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers were not able to play in the game to defend their title due to a rules dispute with the league. So to be fair the powers that be initiated a two game Grey Cup to determine a winner. Both games were played in heavy snow and Ottawa came out the other side as the Champs.
November 30, 1946 – Irish Legends.com tells us that Notre Dame clinched their first of two straight national titles by romping past USC 26-6 at Notre Dame Stadium.
November 30, 1946 – At the CFL Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto it was the Toronto Argonauts who claimed a 7th Championship banner and retained the Grey Cup title with a 28-6 win over Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
November 30, 1954 – 20th Heisman Trophy Award went to Alan Ameche the University of Wisconsin Fullback. Ameche was a rugged tough runner and that earned him the nickname of “The Iron Horse” according to Heisman.com. The site’s bio on Alan also states that Ameche earned All-American honors for the third time as a senior, rushing for 641 yards and nine touchdowns while again playing both offense and defense and averaging 55 minutes of playing time per game. He finished his career as the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher with 3,345 yards and was awarded the Heisman Trophy over Kurt Burris of Oklahoma and Howard Cassady of Ohio State.
November 30, 1957 – Varsity Stadium, Toronto – A the 45th Grey Cup final it was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who took home their 2nd CFL title after they dispatched the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 32-7. The website cfl.ca has the full story recap.
November 30, 1957 – Legion Field , Birmingham – The 22nd Iron Bowl was an extremely one sided affair as the Auburn Tigers dominated Alabama 40-0 as shared by Onthisday.com.
November 30, 1959 – The fledgling American Football League chooses former World War II ace pilot and former Governor of South Dakota, Joe Foss, as the first commissioner of AFL per the South Dakota HOF website. Joe Foss’s leadership made the NFL extremely uncomfortable as he made lucrative television deals, including the initial five-year, $10.6 million contract with ABC in 1960 & later with NBC for even bigger returns to broadcast AFL games. Foss led the upstart league until 1965 about two months prior to talks with the NFL starting in considering working together instead as mere rivals to promote professional football.
November 30, 1959 – Once again the NFL Draft was held, this time for the upcoming 1960 season. Heisman Trophy winner, halfback Billy Cannon from the 1959 National Champion LSU Tigers was the top pick of the draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Cannon was also the territorial or bonus pick in the new AFL Draft as well earlier on November 22, 1959 by the Houston Oilers per a Saturdaydownsouth.com website story. His contract rights were fought in a court of law and Billy ended up playing with the AFL in Houston and later in Oakland with the Raiders. Billy led the Oilers to back-to-back AFL championships in 1960-61. He also led the AFL in total yards in 1961, going over 2,000 yards for the season. He scored the game-winning touchdown in the 1960 championship game and was MVP of both title games. Injury forced him to play tight end with the Raiders where he played in their first Super Bowl victory. Billy Cannon finished his great career as a member of the KC Chiefs.
November 30, 1963 – Empire Stadium, Vancouver – The CFL’s 51st Grey Cup had the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beating up on the BC Lions, 21-10. The game featured a very controversial sequence involving American players Angelo Mosca and Willie Fleming which my fellow Sports History Network podcast host Os Davis tells in great entertaining detail on his episode #3 of the TrulytheGOATs podcast.
November 30, 1963 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Auburn scored their first points in five seasons in the series in this 28th playing of the Iron Bowl. The points were not a lot but just enough to hold off the Crimson Tide as Auburn survives Alabama 10-8. Warblogle.com has a great story on this game that pitted the sixth ranked Tide led by signal caller Joe Namath against the number nine in the nation Tigers and their nifty quarterback Jimmy Sidle. But obviously as the score indicates it was the defenses that starred in this game.
November 30, 1968 – CNE Stadium, Toronto – Ottawa Rough Riders defeat Calgary Stampeder, 24-21 in the 56th playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup. The site Sports Team History fills us in that the Most Valuable Player was Vic Washington whose 79-yard scoring run in the contest set a Grey Cup record and had a huge impact on the outcome of this championship game.
November 30, 1968 – Legion Field, Birmingham – Those who watched the 33rd Iron Bowl were in for a real treat. The Paul W. Bryant Museum, must visit place by the way, shares a great clip on YouTube that shows us how Alabama defeated Auburn 24-16 in this classic matchup.
November 30, 1969 – Autostade, Montreal – It was the first CFL Grey Cup played on a Sunday and a match up of the Roughriders against the Rough Riders. The Montreal Gazette gives us the detail in this 57th version of the Cup which had the Ottawa Rough Riders come out on top as they knocked off the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 29-11.
November 30, 1976 – The voters for the 42nd Heisman Trophy Award really didn’t have to do much deliberation as there was one clear choice that season. Tony Dorsett, the running back from the University of Pittsburgh, had helped his team to an undefeated season and an eventual National Championship. Dorsett set 18 NCAA rushing records that season according to Heisman.com’s bio on him. Tony Dorsett averaged 215 yards rushing per game en route to leading the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards in the 1976 season.
November 30, 1985 – Legion Field, Birmingham – AL.com shares a great article with us on the 50th Iron Bowl. This game has come down to be remembered by many as “the Kick.” You have to watch the video below as well as reading the AL.com story to fully appreciate what happened in the last 57 seconds of this classic SEC contest which saw Alabama come from behind to get past Auburn 25-23! In particular you must see the block that Bama quarterback Mike Shula lays on an unsuspecting defender to spring a runner on the crucial 4th down play!
November 30, 1986 – BC Place, Vancouver – In the 74th Grey Cup game for the CFL Championship it was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who defeated the Edmonton Eskimos by the score of 39-15 per Onthisday.com.
November 30, 1991 – Legion Field, Birmingham – The annual SEC matchup of Alabama and Auburn was another dandy in the 56th Iron Bowl. Onthisday.com informs us that this would be the last time Auburn would be the “home” team in the series played at Legion Field as the Tigers brass insisted that future Auburn hosted contests be played at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. Alabama spoiled the nostalgia of the Tigers fans though as the Tide outlasted Auburn in a 13-6 exciting game.
November 30, 1993 – Rosemont, Illinois – The Jacksonville Jaguars franchise is officially launched. Jaguars.com shares the story of how NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue surprised the viewers when he announced that the League’s 30th franchise would be based in Jacksonville when the front running cities seemed to be St. Louis, Baltimore or Memphis. https://www.jaguars.com/news/a-city-stuns-the-sports-world-13623754November 30, 2013 – Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama – The 78th edition of the Iron Bowl series had to be one of the most stunning endings of all time! With little time remaining Alabama lined up to attempt a 56 yard field goal to break a 28-28 tie. What happened has to be witnessed in the video below as the emotion of the announcers is priceless! In short the kick fell short and Auburn’s Chris Davis caught the kick in the back of the end zone and raced 109 yards to paydirt to put the Auburn Tigers on top as they overcame the Tide of Alabama 34-28 in one of the most dramatic and unexpected endings of all time!
November 30, 2014 – BC Place, Vancouver – The Calgary Stampeders squeaked past the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 for their 7th Championship in the 102nd playing of the CFL’s Grey Cup as cbc.ca covers the action.
November 30, 2019 – it was another classic matchup of the two SEC and National powerhouses when the 83rd Iron Bowl pitted the #16 Auburn Tigers against #5 in the nation Alabama. According to AuburnTigers.com the scoring was in great supply as Auburn fueled by two pick sixes held on after a late missed field goal to win 48-45 over their rivals.
TODAY IN SPORTS
Nov. 30
1941 — The Chicago Bears score 49 points in the second half to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 49-13.
1948 — Baseball’s Negro National League disbands.
1956 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Archie Moore in the fifth round to win the world heavyweight title in Chicago.
1969 — Russ Jackson throws a record four touchdowns to lead the Ottawa Rough Riders to a 29-11 victory over Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Grey Cup championship.
1979 — Sugar Ray Leonard wins the WBC welterweight title with 15th-round knockout of Wilfred Benitez in Las Vegas.
1987 — Bo Jackson, also an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals, rushes for 221 yards to lead the Los Angeles Raiders to a 37-14 rout of the Seattle Seahawks. Jackson, playing in his fifth NFL game, scores on runs of 91 and 2 yards and has a 14-yard touchdown reception.
1990 — Boston’s Larry Bird scores his 20,000th career point in the Celtics’ 123-95 win over Washington at the Garden. Bird is the fifth player in league history (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West) to gather 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists in his playing career.
1991 — San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk becomes the first freshman to capture the national rushing and scoring titles after gaining 154 yards on 27 carries in a 39-12 loss to top-ranked Miami.
1996 — Michael Jordan becomes the 10th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points after scoring 35 in the Bulls 97-88 win at San Antonio. Jordan reaches 25,000 in 782 games, faster than any other player but Wilt Chamberlain (691).
2003 — Mark Philippoussis gives Australia its 28th Davis Cup title, fighting off a shoulder injury that nearly forces him to retire after the fourth set to beat Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 6-0.
2008 — Keith Tkachuk reaches 1,000 career points with the tying goal late in the second period in St. Louis’ 4-2 victory over Atlanta.
2008 — Oakland has only one catch by a wide receiver in its 20-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and that officially was for 0 yards by Ronald Curry on a hook-and-lateral play.
2012 — NBA Commissioner David Stern fines the San Antonio Spurs $250,000 for “a disservice to the league and our fans” when they don’t bring Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili or Danny Green to Miami for the final game of a six-game trip.
2012 — Georgetown and Tennessee hold each other scoreless over the final four minutes, and the Hoyas beat the Volunteers 37-36 in a display of abysmal shooting in the SEC/Big East Challenge. The teams combine to make just 7 of 20 shots — from the free throw line. The field-goal shooting is just as horrid, with the Vols hitting 33 percent and the Hoyas 36 percent.
2013 — Chris Davis races 100-plus yards with a missed field-goal attempt for a touchdown on the final play to lift No. 4 Auburn to a 34-28 victory over No. 1 Alabama. Davis catches the ball about 9 yards deep in the end zone after freshman Adam Griffith’s 57-yard attempt falls short. He sprints down the left sideline and cuts back with nothing but teammates around him in a second straight hard-to-fathom finish for the Tigers.
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Dec. 1
1936 — End Larry Kelley of Yale is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1951 — Arnold “Showboat” Boykin of Mississippi scores seven touchdowns in a 49-7 rout of Mississippi State.
1956 — The United States beats the Soviet Union 89-55 to win the gold medal in men’s basketball at the Melbourne Olympics. Bob Jeangerard (16), K.C. Jones (15), Jim Walsh (14) and Bill Russell (13) each score double-digits.
1959 — Louisiana State halfback Billy Cannon is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1961 — Paul Arizin of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 33 points in 138-177 win over the Los Angeles Lakers to become the third NBA player to reach the 15,000-point plateau.
1973 — Jack Nicklaus wins the Disney World Open to become the first professional golfer to surpass $2 million in career earnings.
1980 — South Carolina running back George Rogers is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1984 — Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie is named the 50th Heisman Trophy winner.
1990 — Ty Detmer of Brigham Young wins the Heisman Trophy. Detmer, who had set or tied 25 NCAA passing and total offense records, becomes the first BYU winner and third consecutive junior winner.
1996 — Wayne Gretzky becomes the first player in NHL history to reach the 3,000 point plateau.
2001 — North Texas (5-6) loses to Troy State 18-16 to become the third team to go to a bowl with a losing record. The Mean Green, bound for the inaugural New Orleans Bowl as the Sun Belt Conference champion, joins SMU (4-6 in 1963) and William & Mary (5-6 in 1970) as the only teams to play in a bowl game with losing records.
2003 — Sylvester Croom becomes the Southeastern Conference’s first black head football coach, accepting an offer to take over troubled Mississippi State.
2004 — McKendree College coach Harry Statham tops Dean Smith with his 880th career victory, an 83-72 win over Maryville. Smith, with 879 wins, still holds the NCAA record for career victories because all of Statham’s wins are at the NAIA level.
2012 — Landon Donovan scores the tiebreaking goal on a penalty kick in the 65th minute, and David Beckham leaves the MLS as a two-time champion with the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Cup.
2013 — Josh Gordon has 10 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland’s 32-20 loss to Jacksonville. He becomes the first player in NFL history to record 200 yards receiving in consecutive games.
2015 — The Philadelphia 76ers end the longest losing streak in the history of major professional sports in the United States, topping the Los Angeles Lakers 103-91 to snap a 28-game skid.
2018 — In a dramatic twist on last season’s national championship game, Jalen Hurts comes off the bench to pass for one touchdown and run for another in the fourth quarter, rallying No. 1 Alabama to a 35-28 win over No. 4 Georgia for the Southeastern Conference title.
2018 — Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury fights to a split draw, with Wilder retaining his WBC heavyweight title after knocking down his British challenger twice at Staples Center.
Dec. 2
1907 — Tommy Burns defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Gunner Moir in the 10th round at London.
1944 — Ohio State quarterback Leslie Horvath wins the Heisman Trophy.
1947 — Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack wins the Heisman Trophy.
1952 — Oklahoma halfback Billy Vessels is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1958 — Army back Pete Dawkins is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1977 — Veterinarian Mark Gerard is indicted in a horse-switching scandal. Cinzano, a purportedly dead 4-year-old champion colt, won a race on Sept. 23 at Belmont Park, under the name of Lebon, a 57-1 long shot.
1984 — Dan Marino throws his 37th touchdown pass to break NFL single-season touchdown pass record.
1995 — Notre Dame advances to the NCAA women’s soccer championship by becoming the first team to beat 13-time champion North Carolina in the national semifinals. The lone score comes when Tar Heels forward Cindy Parlow accidentally heads a ball into her own net.
2002 — Oakland’s Tim Brown and Jerry Rice take turns rewriting the NFL record book in a 26-20 win over the New York Jets. Brown becomes the third player with 1,000 receptions and the third with 14,000 yards receiving. Rich Gannon ties an NFL record with his ninth 300-yard passing game of the season. On the very next play after Brown’s 1,000th catch, Rice scores on a 26-yard catch, giving Oakland a 13-10 lead. It’s Rice’s record 192nd TD catch and puts him over 1,000 yards receiving for a record 14th season.
2009 — The New Jersey Nets are pounded into NBA infamy, falling 117-101 to the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th straight loss to start the season. The Nets pass the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both dropped their first 17 games.
2018 — Dallas Dorosy of Florida State scores in the 60th minute to help the Seminoles beat North Carolina 1-0 for the NCAA Women’s College Cup championship. Florida State wins the NCAA women’s soccer title for the second time. North Carolina, a 21-time NCAA champion, is shut out for the second time this season.
Dec. 3
1943 — Notre Dame quarterback Angelo Bertelli wins the Heisman Trophy.
1946 — Army halfback Glenn Davis is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1950 — Tom Fears of the Los Angeles Rams has 18 receptions against Green Bay.
1950 — Cloyce Box of the Detroit Lions has 302 yards receiving and scores four touchdowns against the Baltimore Colts.
1956 — Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 points in his collegiate debut with Kansas.
1957 — Texas A&M halfback John David Crow is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1972 — Bobby Howfield of the New York Jets kicks six field goals against New Orleans.
1973 — Dick Anderson of the Miami Dolphins intercepts four passes, returning two for touchdowns, against Pittsburgh.
1979 — Southern California halfback Charles White is named the Heisman Trophy winner.
1982 — Tommy Hearns wins the WBC welterweight title with a 15-round decision over Wilfred Benitez in New Orleans.
1994 — Sixth-ranked Florida beats undefeated and third-ranked Alabama 24-23 in the first SEC Championship game played in Atlanta.
1999 — Marshall beats Western Michigan 34-30 on the last play of the MAC Championship game. Down 30-27 with four seconds left in the game, Chad Pennington throws his 100th career touchdown pass to Eric Pinkerton as time expires to give the Thundedring Herd their third consecutive MAC title.
2000 — The 200-yard rushing games by Mike Anderson, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn and Curtis Martin mark the first time in NFL history that four runners have 200 yards on the same day. Its never happened three times in a single day. Anderson rushes for an NFL rookie record 251 yards and four touchdowns in Denver’s 38-23 victory over New Orleans.
2004 — Bode Miller wins his fourth race of the season in the downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo., and Daron Rahlves is second to give the United States its first 1-2 finish on the World Cup circuit. The last time U.S. men went 1-2 in any elite international race was 1984, when Phil Mahre won the Olympic slalom in Sarajevo and twin brother Steve took the silver medal.
2005 — Southern California wins its 34th consecutive game and 16th straight against a ranked opponent, beating No. 11 UCLA 66-19. The 16 victories against Associated Press ranked teams is one better than Oklahoma, which won 15 from 1973-76.
2014 — The Philadelphia 76ers avoid tying the record for the worst start to a season in NBA history, ending their 0-17 skid with an 85-77 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
2015 — Aaron Rodgers throws a 61-yard touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers with no time left to give the Green Bay Packers a 27-23 comeback victory over the Detroit Lions. Detroit went ahead 17-0 after its first three drives and capped the opening possession of the third quarter with a field goal to go ahead 20-0.
2017 — Tom Brady continues his career-long dominance of the Buffalo Bills completing 21 of 30 for 258 yards and an interception in New England’s 23-3 victory. He improves to 27-3 against Buffalo and breaks Brett Favre’s record for wins by a quarterback against any one opponent.
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Dec. 4
1945 — “Mr. Inside” Doc Blanchard of Army becomes the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Blanchard also becomes the only athlete to win both the Heisman and Sullivan Award.
1951 — Princeton triple-threat tailback Richard Kazmaier wins the Heisman Trophy. Kazmaier led the nation in total offense and the Tigers to an undefeated season.
1956 — Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung edges Tennessee’s Johnny Majors to win the Heisman Trophy.
1961 — Floyd Patterson defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Tom McNeeley in the fourth round in Toronto.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black to be taken No. 1 in the NFL draft after being selected by the Washington Redskins.
1977 — Tony Dorsett becomes the third rookie to rush for more than 200 yards in a game with 206 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
1982 — Georgia’s Hershel Walker wins the Heisman Trophy. The junior running back beats out Stanford quarterback John Elway and Southern Methodist running back Eric Dickerson.
1988 — Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders wins the Heisman Trophy then proves he’s worthy of the award with spectacular performance in a 45-42 win over Texas Tech in Tokyo. Sanders rushes 44 times for 332 yards and four touchdowns, setting the NCAA single-season rushing record with 2,628 yards in 11 games.
2004 — Louisville becomes the first football team in NCAA history to score at least 55 points in five straight games, beating Tulane 55-7.
2005 — Croatia wins its first Davis Cup title when Mario Ancic beats Michal Mertinak of Slovakia 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive fifth match.
2009 — The New Jersey Nets win for the first time this season, ending the worst start in NBA history at 18 losses by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91.
2010 — Cam Newton passes for a career-best 335 yards and four touchdowns, and runs for a couple of TDs to lead No. 2 Auburn past 18th-ranked South Carolina 56-17 for the Southeastern Conference title.
2013 — The NFL fines Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin $100,000 for interfering with a play against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. In the third quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 win, Jacoby Jones swerves to avoid colliding with Tomlin and is tackled after a 73-yard return that might have gone for a touchdown if not for the obstruction.
2016 — Tom Brady becomes the NFL’s career leader in victories by a quarterback, earning his 201st by throwing for 269 yards and a touchdown to lead New England past Los Angeles 26-10.
2016 — Detroit becomes the first team in 60 Saints home games to stop Drew Brees from throwing a touchdown pass, as the Lions pull away from New Orleans, 28-13. It’s also the Lions’ first victory in a road game following Thanksgiving since 1974, snapping a streak of 22 losses in such games.
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Dec. 5
1924 — Red Green of the Hamilton Tigers scores five goals in a 10-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1971 — Willie Ellison of the Los Angeles Rams sets an NFL record with 247 yards rushing in a 45-28 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Teammate Travis Williams also returns a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown.
1972 — Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska wins the Heisman Trophy beating out Oklahoma’s Gregg Pruitt and teammate Rich Glover. The all-purpose back gains 5,586 yards and scored 45 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
1974 — David Thompson scores an ACC-record 57 points to lead North Carolina State to a 144-88 rout of Buffalo State. Thompson surpasses the 56 points scored by South Carolina’s John Roche against Furman on Feb. 5, 1971.
1976 — O.J. Simpson of the Buffalo Bills rushes for 203 yards and a touchdown in a 45-27 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
1981 — Southern California’s Marcus Allen, who set an NCAA record for yards rushing in a season with 2,342, wins the Heisman Trophy.
1987 — Tim Brown, wide receiver and kick returner from Notre Dame, is awarded the Heisman Trophy.
1992 — Second-ranked Alabama beats No. 15 Florida 28-21 in the first SEC championship game. Alabama’s Antonio Langham intercepts a Shane Matthews pass, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown with 3:16 left in the game.
1995 — Dan Marino completes 35 of 50 passes for 343 yards with two touchdowns and in leading Miami to a 21-20 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. It was his 52nd 300-yard game of his career, breaking the league record he had shared with Dan Fouts.
2004 — Peyton Manning of Indianapolis is 25-of-33 for 425 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 51-24 win over Tennessee. Manning notches his 13th straight multi-TD game, breaking the NFL record held by Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith and Brett Favre.
2008 — Former NFL star O.J. Simpson is sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.
2012 — Kobe Bryant scores 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers snap a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. The other players to score more than 30,000 are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
2016 — Klay Thompson has 60 points, an NBA season high and the most by a Golden State player in more than 42 years, as the Warriors whip the Indiana Pacers 142-106. Thompson scores 40 by halftime in just 18-plus minutes. He had a career-best 60 points through three quarters and called it a night, sitting down with 1:22 left in the period.
2017 — Russia is banned from the next Winter Olympics in South Korea over state-sponsored doping.
Dec. 6
1939 — Iowa’s Nile Kinnick wins the Heisman Trophy. The back passed for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards.
1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy.
1984 — Martina Navratilova loses to Helena Sukova, ending the longest winning streak in history of women’s singles tennis — 74 matches dating to Jan. 15, 1984.
1986 — Miami’s Vinny Testaverde wins the Heisman Trophy in a runaway. The quarterback, who led the nation in passing efficiency, won the by 1,541 points over Temple running back Paul Palmer, the country’s top rusher.
1990 — The Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators receive approval to join the NHL in 1992-93.
1992 — Jerry Rice becomes the NFL’s career leader in touchdown receptions with his 101st scoring pass during the fourth quarter of the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-3 victory over Miami. Rice surpassed Steve Largent’s mark of 100.
1992 — Jim Courier rebounds from a slow start to beat Switzerland’s Jakob Hlasek in four sets as the United States recaptures the Davis Cup.
1998 — Denver with a 35-31 comeback win over Kansas City, becomes the third 13-0 team in NFL history. The Broncos join the 1934 Chicago Bears and 1972 Miami Dolphins.
2000 — Golden State’s Antawn Jamison and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant each scored 51 points, including trading six straight scores in the final two minutes of overtime. It’s Jamison’s second 51-point performance in four days, and Bryant’s career high. But Jamison earns extra satisfaction as the Warriors prevail 125-122 over Los Angeles. It’s the first time in 38 years two players score 50 in the same game.
2003 — Army becomes the first team to finish 0-13 in major college history after a 34-6 loss to Navy.
2005 — Philadelphia wins the first scoreless NHL game that is decided by a shootout, beating Calgary 1-0. Philadelphia’s Antero Niittymaki stops 28 shots in regulation and overtime and all three during the shootout.
2008 — Southern California beats UCLA 28-7 to win its record seventh straight Pac-10 championship. The Trojans (11-1) also have won 11 or more games in seven straight seasons — another record.
2009 — Switzerland’s Carlo Janka wins the giant slalom to become the first man in more than 2 1/2 years with three consecutive World Cup victories. Janka won the super combined event two days earlier and the downhill yesterday.
2009 — Drew Brees is 35 for 49 for 419 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as New Orleans stays undefeated with a 33-30 overtime win at Washington. New Orleans and Indianapolis both improve to 12-0, marking the first time in NFL history that two teams are unbeaten this late in the season.
2009 — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sets an NFL record by playing in his 283rd consecutive game, a 30-17 loss to Arizona. The 40-year-old Favre breaks the record of 282 held by longtime Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall.
2013 — Jennifer O’Neill scores a career-high 43 points, including the go-ahead basket in the fourth overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky beats No. 9 Baylor 133-130 in the highest-scoring Division I women’s game in history. The previous high for a Division I women’s game was 252 points in SMU’s 127-125 win over TCU, also in four overtimes, on Jan. 25, 1997.
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Dec. 7
1973 — Jerry West of Los Angeles sets an NBA record with 10 steals in the Lakers’ 115-111 loss to the Seattle Supersonics.
1985 — Auburn tailback Bo Jackson beats Iowa quarterback Chuck Long by 45 points in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy, the closest vote in the 51-year history of the trophy.
1991 — AJ Kitt becomes the first American in seven years to win a men’s World Cup race, taking the first downhill of the season In Val D’Isere, France.
2002 — St. John’s (Minn.) coach John Gagliardi wins his 400th game with a 21-14 victory over Linfield in the Division III quarterfinals. Gagliardi is the second coach to reach the 400 mark, eight victories behind Eddie Robinson.
2003 — The computer rankings have Oklahoma as the country’s top team while the human poll voters pick USC. Despite getting walloped by Kansas State 35-7, No. 3 Oklahoma takes its 12-1 record to the Sugar Bowl against No. 2 LSU, which won the Southeastern Conference championship by beating Georgia 34-13.
2006 — Willie Parker breaks Pittsburgh’s single-game rushing record with 223 yards as the Steelers rough up the Cleveland Browns 27-7. Parker, the first player in Steelers history to have two 200-yard games in a season, betters John “Frenchy” Fuqua’s record of 218 yards against Philadelphia in 1970.
2008 — The Arizona Cardinals clinch their first division title in 33 years by beating the woeful St. Louis Rams 34-10. The Cardinals, long the league’s doormat franchise with just one winning season in the past 24 years, earn their first playoff berth since 1998 and first divisional title since they won the NFC East in 1975.
2013 — Aurelien Collin scores the equalizer in the second half of the MLS Cup, then drives home the deciding penalty kick to give Sporting Kansas City a dramatic victory over Real Salt Lake and its first league title since 2000. With the score 1-1 through regulation and 30 minutes of overtime, the teams engage in the longest penalty-kick shootout in championship history — one that both sides had chances to win before Collin’s shot and Jimmy Nielsen’s save left Sporting KC with the 7-6 victory.
2014 — The first College Football Playoff expands the national championship race and produces a final four with major star power. Nick Saban’s No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Urban Meyer’s No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl. Marcus Mariota and second-seeded Oregon vs. Jameis Winston, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, and defending national champion Florida State at the Rose Bowl.
2014 — Robbie Keane scores on a breakaway in the 111th minute, and Landon Donovan wins his record sixth MLS title in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup.
2016 — Napheesa Collier scores 20 points, Gabby Williams has 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and No. 1 Connecticut beats No. 2 Notre Dame 72-61 for its 83rd straight victory. UConn’s last loss was 88-86 in overtime to Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.
2017 — Larry Nassar, a former elite sports doctor whose sexual assault cases that rocked Michigan State University and the group that trains U.S. Olympic gymnasts, is sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for possessing thousands of images of child pornography. Nassar, 54, will also be sentenced for 10 state counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in January. In November, he pled guilty to using his hands to molest girls at his campus office, his home and at a gymnastics club near Lansing, Michigan.
TV SPORTS SATURDAY
AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S)
3:25 a.m.
FS2 — AFL: North Melbourne vs. Brisbane, Grand Final, North Melbourne, Australia
AUTO RACING
8:55 a.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Grand Prix Sprint Race, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
12:55 p.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
FS2 — Monmouth at Seton Hall
1 p.m.
PEACOCK — Chicago St. at Wisconsin
TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas
2 p.m.
FS2 — Western Carolina at Marquette
3:30 p.m.
TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas
4 p.m.
FS2 — Albany at Georgetown
5 p.m.
PEACOCK — Harvard at St. John’s
7 p.m.
PEACOCK — Md.-Eastern Shore at UConn
TNT — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas
TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas (DataCast)
9:30 p.m.
TNT — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas
TRUTV — Players Era Festival: TBD, Las Vegas (DataCast)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — Tennessee at Vanderbilt
ACCN — Duke at Wake Forest
BTN — Illinois vs. Northwestern, Chicago
CBSSN — UTSA at Army
ESPN — South Carolina at Clemson
ESPN2 — Kansas at Baylor
ESPNU — Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe
FOX — Michigan at Ohio St.
FS1 — West Virginia at Texas Tech
SECN — Louisville at Kentucky
2 p.m.
NBC — Grambling St. vs. Southern U., New Orleans
3 p.m.
CW — Pittsburgh at Boston College
3:30 p.m.
ABC — Auburn at Alabama
ACCN — NC State at North Carolina
BTN — Maryland at Penn St.
CBS — Notre Dame at Southern Cal
CBSSN — Cent. Michigan at N. Illinois
ESPN — Miami at Syracuse
ESPN2 — California at SMU
FOX — Arizona St. at Arizona
FS1 — Rutgers at Michigan St.
SECN — Arkansas at Missouri
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Jacksonville St. at W. Kentucky
6:30 p.m.
CW — Wyoming at Washington St.
7 p.m.
ESPN — Oklahoma at LSU
ESPN2 — Florida at Florida St.
FS1 — Purdue at Indiana
7:30 p.m.
ABC — Texas at Texas A&M
FOX — Kansas St. at Iowa St.
NBC — Washington at Oregon
SECN — Texas at Texas A&M (SkyCast)
8 p.m.
ACCN — Virginia at Virginia Tech
CBSSN — Nevada at UNLV
ESPNU — Marshall at James Madison
10:15 p.m.
ESPN — Houston at BYU
ESPN2 — FCS Tournament: Tennessee St. at Montana, First Round
10:30 p.m.
FS1 — Air Force at San Diego St.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6 p.m.
FS2 — Big East Tournament: TBD, Championship, Omaha, Neb.
7 p.m.
BTN — Nebraska at Maryland
9 p.m.
BTN — Michigan St. at Wisconsin
GOLF
3:30 a.m.
GOLF — Asian Tour: The International Series Qatar, Final Round, Doha Golf Club, Doha, Qatar
8 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies European Tour: The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, Third Round, Real Club Guadalhorce Golf, Málaga, Spain
9 p.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Final Round, Kingston Heath Golf Club, Cheltenham, Australia
NBATV — Golden State at Phoenix
NHL HOCKEY
1 p.m.
NHLN — Montreal at N.Y. Rangers
7 p.m.
NHLN — Calgary at Pittsburgh
SKIING
1 p.m.
NBC — FIS: Alpine Ski World Cup, Killington, Vt.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
7:25 a.m.
CBSSN — English League Championship: Queens Park at Watford
9:10 a.m.
FS2 — Saudi Pro League: Al Ittihad at Al Ettifaq
9:55 a.m.
CBSSN — English League Championship: Burnley at Stoke City
10 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Ipswich Town at Nottingham Forest
12:30 p.m.
USA — Premier League: Arsenal at West Ham United
SOCCER (WOMEN’S)
Noon
TNT — International Friendly: England vs. U.S., London
TV SPORTS SUNDAY
AUTO RACING
10:55 a.m.
ESPN2 — Formula 1: The Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix, Lusail International Circuit, Doha, Qatar
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
BTN — Alcorn St. at Maryland
2 p.m.
BTN — Buffalo at Penn St.
4 p.m.
BTN — North Florida at Nebraska
ESPN2 — MTSU at UAB
4:30 p.m.
FS1 — South Carolina at Xavier
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — Columbia at Duke
2 p.m.
ESPN2 — Creighton at Tulsa
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
6 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Women’s Volleyball Selection Show
GOLF
7 a.m.
GOLF — Ladies European Tour: The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España, Final Round, Real Club Guadalhorce Golf, Málaga, Spain
HORSE RACING
Noon
FS1 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
ESPN2 — NLL: Philadelphia at San Diego
NBA BASKETBALL
6 p.m.
NBATV — Boston at Cleveland
NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL
1 p.m.
NBATV — Sioux Falls at Motor City
NFL FOOTBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: L.A. Chargers at Atlanta, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, Indianapolis at New England, Tennessee at Washington
FOX — Regional Coverage: Arizona at Minnesota, Seattle at N.Y. Jets, Houston at Jacksonville
4:05 p.m.
FOX — Regional Coverage: L.A. Rams at New Orleans, Tampa Bay at Carolina
4:25 p.m.
CBS — Philadelphia at Baltimore
8:20 p.m.
NBC — San Francisco at Buffalo
PEACOCK — San Francisco at Buffalo
SKIING
12:30 p.m.
NBC — FIS: Alpine Ski World Cup, Killington, Vt.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
8:30 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Aston Villa at Chelsea
11 a.m.
USA — Premier League: Manchester City at Liverpool
Noon
CBSSN — Serie A: Inter Milan at Fiorentina
SPEEDSKATING
2 p.m.NBC — ISU: World Cup, Beijing (Taped)