“THE SCOREBOARD”
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES
ANDERSON PREP 62 CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN 40
BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 53 BLOOMFIELD 43
BROWNSBURG 59 LEBANON 38
COLUMBIA CITY 43 WAWASEE 36
CONCORD 61 WEST NOBLE 49
EAST CENTRAL 57 MILAN 55
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL 50 BOWMAN ACADEMY 47
HAMMOND NOLL 69 GRIFFITH 68
INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 86 WARREN CENTRAL 57
LAWRENCE NORTH 80 LAWRENCE CENTRAL 78
NEW HAVEN 74 FORT WAYNE WAYNE 70
NEW PALESTINE 62 INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD 61
NORTH MIAMI 45 WABASH 35
WHEELER 55 OREGON-DAVIS 36
WHITKO 65 ADAMS CENTRAL 58
WINCHESTER 62 SOUTH ADAMS 57
=========
THURSDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
CALUMET CHRISTIAN AT WESTVILLE 7:30 PM
CAREER ACADEMY AT LALUMIERE REGIONAL 7:30 PM
CROSSPOINTE CHRISTIAN AT CHRISTEL HOUSE 7:30 PM
DEKALB AT FORT WAYNE CANTERBURY 7:30 PM
EDON (OHIO) AT HAMILTON 7:30 PM
GEO NEXT GENERATION AT BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY 7:30 PM
INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL AT INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS 7:30 PM
INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY AT INDIANA DEAF 7:30 PM
MOUNT VERNON (POSEY) AT GIBSON SOUTHERN 8:00 PM
MTI KNOWLEDGE AT INTERNATIONAL 6:00 PM
MUNCIE BURRIS AT RANDOLPH SOUTHERN 7:30 PM
NORTHWOOD AT WESTVIEW 7:30 PM
OAK FARM MONTESSORI AT SMITH ACADEMY 7:30 PM
PLYMOUTH AT SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 7:30 PM
VICTORY CHRISTIAN AT SOUTH BEND ADAMS 7:30 PM
WHITING AT HIGHLAND 8:00 PM
=========
INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY’S GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES
ANGOLA 60 LEO 45
AUSTIN 50 CORYDON CENTRAL 36
BELLMONT 69 FORT WAYNE LUERS 40
DALEVILLE 46 FRANKTON 35
EASTSIDE 66 CHURUBUSCO 18
EDGEWOOD 42 NORTHVIEW 34
EVANSVILLE REITZ 79 EVANSVILLE HARRISON 28
GRIFFITH 37 HEBRON 29
INDIANAPOLIS RITTER 80 INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH 21
JOHN GLENN 39 MISHAWAKA 29
LAKE CENTRAL 31 ANDREAN 22
MANCHESTER 49 TRITON 44
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC 72 SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 57
MITCHELL 44 BROWN COUNTY 36
PLYMOUTH 45 SOUTH BEND RILEY 36
RIVER FOREST 42 WHITING 32
ROCHESTER 51 KNOX 46
SOUTH ADAMS 47 EASTBROOK 39
UNION CITY 36 CENTERVILLE 33
UNION COUNTY 57 HAGERSTOWN 35
WARSAW 73 CARROLL (FORT WAYNE) 29
WHITELAND 37 RUSHVILLE 28
=========
THURSDAY’S GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
ARGOS AT WINAMAC 7:00 PM
BARR-REEVE AT NORTH DAVIESS 7:30 PM
BOONE GROVE AT BOWMAN ACADEMY 8:00 PM
BOONVILLE AT PRINCETON 8:00 PM
CALUMET CHRISTIAN AT WESTVILLE 8:00 PM
CAREER ACADEMY AT MISHAWAKA CHRISTIAN 5:30 PM
CASCADE AT MOORESVILLE 7:30 PM
CASTLE AT EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 8:00 PM
CENTER GROVE AT BLOOMINGTON SOUTH 7:30 PM
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY AT TRINITY LUTHERAN 7:30 PM
CLINTON CENTRAL AT TIPTON 7:30 PM
CLOVERDALE AT CRAWFORDSVILLE 6:30 PM
COLUMBUS CHRISTIAN AT ROCK CREEK ACADEMY 7:15 PM
COLUMBUS NORTH AT EAST CENTRAL 7:30 PM
CONNERSVILLE AT BATESVILLE 7:30 PM
CRAWFORD COUNTY AT MITCHELL 7:00 PM
CROTHERSVILLE AT SOUTH CENTRAL (ELIZABETH) 6:00 PM
EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL AT HANOVER CENTRAL 8:00 PM
EASTERN GREENE AT BLOOMFIELD 7:30 PM
EVANSVILLE BOSSE AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL 8:00 PM
FAIRVIEW (OHIO) AT FREMONT 7:00 PM
FISHERS AT NOBLESVILLE 7:30 PM
FLOYD CENTRAL AT SILVER CREEK 7:30 PM
FOUNTAIN CENTRAL AT NORTH VERMILLION 7:30 PM
FRANKLIN COUNTY AT NORTH DECATUR 7:30 PM
FRONTIER AT TRI-COUNTY 7:30 PM
GARY 21ST CENTURY AT CALUMET 7:00 PM
GREENCASTLE AT SOUTH PUTNAM 7:30 PM
GUERIN CATHOLIC AT INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL 7:30 PM
HAMMOND MORTON AT GARY WEST 8:00 PM
HAUSER AT SOUTH DECATUR 7:30 PM
HENDERSON COUNTY (KY.) AT EVANSVILLE CENTRAL 8:00 PM
HENRYVILLE AT CHARLESTOWN 7:30 PM
HERITAGE HILLS AT FOREST PARK 8:00 PM
HIGHLAND AT WHITING 8:00 PM
INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE AT BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY 6:00 PM
INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE AT TRITON CENTRAL 7:30 PM
JASPER AT VINCENNES LINCOLN 7:30 PM
JIMTOWN AT JOHN GLENN 7:30 PM
KNIGHTSTOWN AT BLUE RIVER VALLEY 7:30 PM
LAFAYETTE JEFF AT CLINTON PRAIRIE 7:30 PM
LANESVILLE AT BORDEN 7:00 PM
LAWRENCEBURG AT HARRISON (OHIO) 7:30 PM
LINTON AT CLAY CITY 7:30 PM
LOGANSPORT AT TAYLOR 6:00 PM
NORTH JUDSON AT CASTON 8:00 PM
NORTH POSEY AT WASHINGTON 8:00 PM
NORTHEAST DUBOIS AT TELL CITY 8:00 PM
NORTHWESTERN AT CARROLL (FLORA) 6:30 PM
OREGON-DAVIS AT DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM
PAOLI AT ORLEANS 7:30 PM
PENDLETON HEIGHTS AT DELTA 7:30 PM
PERRY CENTRAL AT TECUMSEH 7:00 PM
PERU AT LEWIS CASS 7:30 PM
PIKE CENTRAL AT SOUTHRIDGE 7:30 PM
PIONEER AT NORTH WHITE 7:00 PM
PROVIDENCE AT NORTH HARRISON 7:30 PM
RENSSELAER CENTRAL AT DELPHI 8:00 PM
RIVERTON PARKE AT SEEGER 7:30 PM
ROSSVILLE AT SHERIDAN 7:30 PM
SCOTTSBURG AT NEW ALBANY 7:30 PM
SHAWE MEMORIAL AT SOUTH RIPLEY 7:30 PM
SOUTH DEARBORN AT GREENSBURG 7:30 PM
SOUTH KNOX AT VINCENNES RIVET 6:00 PM
SOUTHMONT AT LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC 7:00 PM
SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER) AT NEW WASHINGTON 6:30 PM
TERRE HAUTE SOUTH AT COVINGTON 6:45 PM
TIPPECANOE VALLEY AT BREMEN 7:30 PM
TRI-CENTRAL AT MACONAQUAH 7:30 PM
UNIVERSITY AT INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD 6:00 PM
WAPAHANI AT WINCHESTER 6:30 PM
WASHINGTON CATHOLIC AT LOOGOOTEE JV 6:30 PM
WASHINGTON TWP. AT SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) 8:00 PM
WEST LAFAYETTE AT BENTON CENTRAL 7:30 PM
WEST WASHINGTON AT EASTERN (PEKIN) 7:30 PM
WHITE RIVER VALLEY AT NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG) 7:30 PM
WOOD MEMORIAL AT SOUTH SPENCER 8:00 PM
MARION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
FRANKLIN CENTRAL AT INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI 6:30 PM QF
BEN DAVIS AT LAWRENCE CENTRAL 6:30 PM QF
PIKE AT LAWRENCE NORTH 6:30 PM QF
WARREN CENTRAL AT BREBEUF JESUIT 6:30 PM QF
=========
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS WRESTLING RESULTS:
=======
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING RESULTS:
=======
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE
#6 PURDUE 85 MINNESOTA 57
#7 HOUSTON 80 JACKSON STATE 38
#23 NEBRASKA 90 WISCONSIN 60
BAYLOR 97 NORFOLK STATE 67
MIAMI OHIO 90 UNC ASHEVILLE 87 OT
NEW MEXICO 81 VCU 78
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 85 LIBERTY 45
NOTRE DAME 80 IDAHO 65
MARSHALL 77 WESTERN KENTUCKY 61
SOUTH FLORIDA 81 CHARLESTON 75
UMASS 76 BOSTON COLLEGE 74
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 80 EASTERN MICHIGAN 65
EASTERN KENTUCKY 68 EASTERN ILLINOIS 59
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 83 TENNESSEE MARTIN 54
TULSA 117 ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF 84
BOISE STATE 86 DUQUESNE 64
SAN DIEGO STATE 89 LAMAR 71
CAL STATE FULLERTON 116 BETHESDA UNIVERSITY 66
CAL STATE FULLERTON 89 FRESNO STATE 87
=========
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES
#7 MARYLAND 91 DELAWARE STATE 21
#10 IOWA STATE 74 #11 IOWA 69
#2 TEXAS 110 TEXAS RIO GRANDE 45
#22 LOUISVILLE 93 BALL STATE 62
SAN DIEGO STATE 64 KANSAS STATE 53
WISCONSIN 74 SAN DIEGO 46
ARIZONA 87 EASTERN KENTUCKY 83
BRADLEY 65 SOUTH DAKOTA 62
TROY 132 OAKWOOD 62
PURDUE FORT WAYNE 70 MILWAUKEE 60
COASTAL CAROLINA 67 UNC GREENSBORO 61
VIRGINIA TECH 92 PRESBYTERIAN 36
GREEN BAY 74 IU INDY 47
VIRGINIA 76 HOWARD 50
GEORGE WASHINGTON 63 DELAWARE 59
RHODE ISLAND 57 PROVIDENCE 51
SYRACUSE 88 COLGATE 42
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 59 NORTHERN IOWA 57
ST. JOHN’S 73 STONY BROOK 42
SMU 57 COPPIN STATE 49
PRINCETON 81 RUTGERS 63
MINNESOTA 82 ALABAMA A&M 44
EASTERN WASHINGTON 71 WASHINGTON STATE 69
UTAH 91 BOISE STATE 58
ST. MARY’S 60 FRESNO STATE 57
CALIFORNIA 68 IDAHO 61
=========
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
FIRST ROUND
DEC. 19, 8 P.M. ET
NO. 8 OKLAHOMA (10-2) VS. NO. 9 ALABAMA (10-3) AT NORMAN, OKLA.
DEC, 20, NOON ET
NO. 7 TEXAS A&M (11-1) VS. NO. 10 MIAMI (10-2) AT COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
DEC. 20, 3:30 P.M. ET
NO. 6 OLE MISS (11-1) VS. NO. 11 TULANE (11-2) AT OXFORD, MISS.
DEC. 20, 7:30 P.M. ET
NO. 5 OREGON (11-1) VS. NO. 12 JAMES MADISON (12-1) AT EUGENE, ORE.
==========
QUARTERFINALS
DEC. 31, 7:30 P.M. ET
COTTON BOWL, ARLINGTON, TEXAS
NO. 2 OHIO STATE VS. WINNER OF TEXAS A&M-MIAMI
==========
JAN. 1, NOON ET
ORANGE BOWL, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
NO. 4 TEXAS TECH VS. WINNER OF OREGON-JAMES MADISON
==========
JAN. 1, 4 P.M. ET
ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF.
NO. 1 INDIANA VS. WINNER OF OKLAHOMA-ALABAMA
==========
JAN. 1, 8 P.M. ET
SUGAR BOWL, NEW ORLEANS
NO. 3 GEORGIA VS. WINNER OF OLE MISS-TULANE
==========
SEMIFINALS
JAN. 8, 7:30 P.M. ET
FIESTA BOWL, GLENDALE, ARIZ.
WINNER OF COTTON BOWL VS. WINNER OF SUGAR BOWL
==========
JAN. 9, 7:30 P.M. ET
PEACH BOWL, ATLANTA
WINNER OF ORANGE BOWL VS. WINNER OF ROSE BOWL
==========
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
JAN. 19, 7:30 P.M. ET
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
=======
NFL
WEEK 15
THURSDAY, DEC. 11
ATLANTA AT TAMPA BAY, 8:15 P.M. (PRIME VIDEO)
SUNDAY, DEC. 14
LA CHARGERS AT KANSAS CITY, 1 P.M. (CBS)
BUFFALO AT NEW ENGLAND, 1 P.M. (CBS)
NY JETS AT JACKSONVILLE, 1 P.M. (CBS)
BALTIMORE AT CINCINNATI, 1 P.M. (CBS)
LAS VEGAS AT PHILADELPHIA, 1 P.M. (FOX)
ARIZONA AT HOUSTON, 1 P.M. (FOX)
WASHINGTON AT NY GIANTS, 1 P.M. (FOX)
CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO, 1 P.M. (FOX)
GREEN BAY AT DENVER, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
INDIANAPOLIS AT SEATTLE, 4:25 P.M. (CBS)
DETROIT AT LA RAMS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
TENNESSEE AT SAN FRANCISCO, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
MINNESOTA AT DALLAS, 8:20 P.M. (NBC)
MONDAY, DEC. 15
MIAMI AT PITTSBURGH, 8:15 P.M. (ESPN)
=======
NBA SCORES
OKLAHOMA CITY 138 PHOENIX 89
SAN ANTONIO 132 LA LAKERS 119
=======
NHL SCORES
CHICAGO 3 NY RANGERS 0
DETROIT 4 CALGARY 3
FLORIDA 4 UTAH 3
SEATTLE 3 LOS ANGELES 2 OT
=======
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SCHEDULE
ALL TIMES EASTERN
DEC. 13
CELEBRATION BOWL
ATLANTA
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE VS. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M, NOON (ABC)
LA BOWL
INGLEWOOD, CALIF.
BOISE STATE VS. WASHINGTON, 8 P.M. (ABC)
=========
DEC. 16
SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL
MONTGOMERY, ALA.
TROY VS. JACKSONVILLE STATE, 9 P.M. (ESPN)
=========
DEC. 17
CURE BOWL
ORLANDO, FLA.
OLD DOMINION VS. SOUTH FLORIDA, 5 P.M. (ESPN)
68 VENTURES BOWL
MOBILE, ALA.
LOUISIANA VS. DELAWARE, 8:30 P.M. (ESPN)
==========
DEC. 18
XBOX BOWL
FRISCO, TEXAS
ARKANSAS STATE VS. MISSOURI STATE, 9 P.M. (ESPN2)
==========
DEC. 19
MYRTLE BEACH BOWL
CONWAY, S.C.
KENNESAW STATE VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN, 11 A.M. (ESPN)
GASPARILLA BOWL
TAMPA, FLA.
MEMPHIS VS N.C. STATE, 2:30 P.M. (ESPN)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
FIRST ROUND
NO. 11 ALABAMA (10-3) AT NO. 8 OKLAHOMA (10-2), 8 P.M. (ESPN/ABC)
===========
DEC. 20
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
FIRST ROUND
NO. 10 MIAMI (FLA.) (10-2) AT NO. 7 TEXAS A&M (11-1), NOON (ESPN/ABC)
NO. 17 TULANE (11-2) AT NO. 6 MISSISSIPPI (11-1), 3:30 P.M. (TNT/HBO MAX)
NO. 19 JAMES MADISON (12-1) AT NO. 5 OREGON (11-1), 7:30 P.M. (TNT/HBO MAX)
===========
DEC. 22
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
BOISE, IDAHO
UTAH ST. VS. WASHINGTON ST., 2 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 23
BOCA RATON BOWL
BOCA RATON, FLA.
LOUISVILLE VS. TOLEDO, 2 P.M. (ESPN)
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
NEW ORLEANS
WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. SOUTHERN MISS, 5:30 P.M. (ESPN)
FRISCO BOWL
FRISCO, TEXAS
OHIO VS. UNLV, 9 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 24
HAWAI’I BOWL
HONOLULU
CAL VS. HAWAII, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 26
GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL
DETROIT, MICH.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN VS. NORTHWESTERN, 1 P.M. (ESPN)
RATE BOWL
PHOENIX
NEW MEXICO VS. MINNESOTA, 4:30 P.M. (ESPN)
FIRST RESPONDER BOWL
DALLAS, TEXAS
FIU VS. UTSA, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
=============
DEC. 27
MILITARY BOWL
ANNAPOLIS, MD.
PITTSBURGH VS. EAST CAROLINA, 11 A.M. (ESPN)
PINSTRIPE BOWL
BRONX, N.Y.
CLEMSON VS. PENN ST., NOON (ABC)
FENWAY BOWL
BOSTON
UCONN VS. ARMY, 2:15 P.M. (ESPN)
POP-TARTS BOWL
ORLANDO, FLA.
NO. 12 BYU VS. NO. 24 GEORGIA TECH, 3:30 P.M. (ABC)
ARIZONA BOWL
TUCSON, ARIZ.
FRESNO ST. VS. MIAMI (OH), 4:30 P.M. (CW NETWORK)
NEW MEXICO BOWL
ALBUQUERQUE
NO. 23 NORTH TEXAS VS. SAN DIEGO ST., 5:45 P.M. (ESPN)
GATOR BOWL
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
NO. 25 MISSOURI VS. NO. 20 VIRGINIA, 7:30 P.M. (ABC)
TEXAS BOWL
HOUSTON
LSU VS. NO. 21 HOUSTON, 9:15 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 29
BIRMINGHAM BOWL
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN VS. APPALACHIAN STATE, 2 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
DEC. 30
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
SHREVEPORT, LA.
COASTAL CAROLINA VS. LOUISIANA TECH, 2 P.M. (ESPN)
MUSIC CITY BOWL
NASHVILLE, TENN.
TENNESSEE VS. ILLINOIS, 5:30 P.M. (ESPN)
ALAMO BOWL
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
NO. 16 SOUTHERN CAL VS. TCU, 9 P.M. (ESPN)
============
DEC. 31
RELIAQUEST BOWL
TAMPA, FLA.
NO. 13 VANDERBILT VS. NO. 23 IOWA, NOON (ESPN)
SUN BOWL
EL PASO, TEXAS
ARIZONA ST. VS. DUKE, 2 P.M. (CBS)
CITRUS BOWL
ORLANDO, FLA.
NO. 14 TEXAS VS. NO. 18 MICHIGAN, 3 P.M. (ABC)
LAS VEGAS BOWL
LAS VEGAS
NO. 15 UTAH VS. NEBRASKA, 3:30 P.M. (ESPN)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
QUARTERFINALS
AT COTTON BOWL, ARLINGTON, TEXAS
MIAMI/TEXAS A&M WINNER AT NO. 3 OHIO ST., 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
============
JAN. 1
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
QUARTERFINALS
AT ORANGE BOWL, MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.
JAMES MADISON/OREGON WINNER AT NO. 4 TEXAS TECH, NOON (ESPN)
AT ROSE BOWL, PASADENA, CALIF.
ALABAMA/OKLAHOMA WINNER AT NO. 1 INDIANA, 4 P.M. (ESPN)
AT SUGAR BOWL, NEW ORLEANS
TULANE/MISSISSIPPI WINNER AT NO. 2 GEORGIA, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
JAN. 2
ARMED FORCES BOWL
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
TEXAS STATE VS. RICE, 1 P.M. (ESPN)
LIBERTY BOWL
MEMPHIS, TENN.
NO. 22 NAVY VS. CINCINNATI, 4:30 P.M. (ESPN)
DUKE’S MAYO BOWL
CHARLOTTE, N.C.
MISSISSIPPI ST. VS. WAKE FOREST, 8 P.M. (ESPN)
HOLIDAY BOWL
SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
NO. 21 ARIZONA VS. SMU, 8 P.M. (FOX)
===========
JAN. 8
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
SEMIFINALS
AT FIESTA BOWL, GLENDALE, ARIZ.
TBD, 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
==========
JAN. 9
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
SEMIFINALS
AT PEACH BOWL, ATLANTA
TBD, 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
===========
JAN. 19
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
AT MIAMI
SEMIFINAL WINNERS, 7:30 P.M. (ESPN)
=========
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
DECEMBER 11
CREIGHTON VS. ARIZONA STATE
CAL POLY VS. KENTUCKY
MINNESOTA VS. PITTSBURGH
PURDUE VS. SMU
===
DECEMBER 12
INDIANA VS. TEXAS
WISCONSIN VS. STANFORD
TEXAS A&M VS. LOUISVILLE
KANSAS VS. NEBRASKA
===
SEMIFINALS: THURSDAY, DEC. 18
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: 3:30 P.M. ON SUNDAY, DEC. 21 | ABC
==========
MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER
NCAA TOURNAMENT
MEN’S COLLEGE CUP:
SEMIFINALS: FRIDAY, DEC. 12
NC STATE VS. ST. LOUIS
WASHINGTON VS. FURMAN
FINALS: MONDAY, DEC. 15
=========
TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES
NFL NEWS
WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 15
Below are the players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, including:
- DE Myles Garrett
- QB Matthew Stafford
- QB Drake Maye
- QB Josh Allen
- QB Bo Nix
- RB Christian McCaffrey
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- WR Puka Nacua
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
- WR Ja’Marr Chase
- WR Justin Jefferson
- TE Trey McBride
MYLES GARRETT
Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett leads the league with 20 sacks this season and ranks first in the NFL with 122.5 sacks since entering the league in 2017, the second-most by a player in his first nine seasons since 1982.
Garrett, who plays on Sunday at Chicago (1 p.m. ET, FOX), enters Week 15 2.5 sacks behind Michael Strahan (22.5 sacks in 2001 with the New York Giants) and T.J. Watt (22.5 in 2021 with Pittsburgh) for the most sacks in a season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
The players with the most sacks in a season since 1982:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | SACKS |
| Michael Strahan | N.Y. Giants | 2001 | 22.5 |
| T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh | 2021 | 22.5 |
| Jared Allen HOF | Minnesota | 2011 | 22 |
| Mark Gastineau | N.Y. Jets | 1984 | 22 |
| Justin Houston | Kansas City | 2014 | 22 |
| Chris Doleman HOF | Minnesota | 1989 | 21 |
| Reggie White HOF | Philadelphia | 1987 | 21 |
| Myles Garrett | Cleveland | 2025 | 20* |
| *entering Week 15 | |||
MATTHEW STAFFORD
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 35 touchdown passes this season and has at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions in each of his past five home games.
With at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions at home against Detroit on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Stafford can join Aaron Rodgers (eight consecutive home games in 2014) as the only players in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes and no interceptions in six consecutive home games within a single season.
Additionally, with no interceptions in Week 15, Stafford can become the third quarterback all-time with no interceptions in 10 consecutive home starts, joining Aaron Rodgers (16 consecutive home starts from 2012-15) and Jalen Hurts (10 from 2024-25).
DRAKE MAYE
New England quarterback Drake Maye ranks second in the league with 3,412 passing yards and a 111.9 passer rating this season.
With a win on Sunday against Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, CBS), the Patriots would clinch the AFC East division title and Maye – who has led New England to 10 consecutive victories – can become the sixth quarterback in NFL history under the age of 24 with 11 consecutive wins in a single season.
The starting quarterbacks under the age of 24 with the longest winning streaks in a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | CONSECUTIVE WINS |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | 2004 | 13 |
| Lamar Jackson | Baltimore | 2019 | 11 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 1999 | 11 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 1984 | 11 |
| Dak Prescott | Dallas | 2016 | 11 |
| Drake Maye | New England | 2025 | 10* |
| *active streak | |||
With at least 250 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in Week 15, Maye can become the fourth quarterback under the age of 24 to record 10 such career games, joining Justin Herbert (13 games), Patrick Mahomes (13) and Jameis Winston (10).
The quarterbacks under the age of 24 with the most games with at least 250 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Justin Herbert | L.A. Chargers | 13 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 13 |
| Jameis Winston | Tampa Bay | 10 |
| Drake Maye | New England | 9* |
| Matthew Stafford | Detroit | 9 |
| *age 23 | ||
JOSH ALLEN
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen has 3,083 passing yards this season and ranks second in the NFL with 34 touchdowns, including 22 passing and 12 rushing.
With three touchdown passes on Sunday at New England (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Allen can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes in six of his first eight career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight seasons), Patrick Mahomes (seven) and Russell Wilson (six).
Allen, who has five career seasons with at least 35 combined passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns, can join Tom Brady (seven seasons), Aaron Rodgers (seven) and Drew Brees (six) as the only players in NFL history with at least 35 combined passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in six career seasons.
The players with the most seasons with at least 35 combined passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | SEASONS |
| Tom Brady | New England, Tampa Bay | 7 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 7 |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 6 |
| Josh Allen | Buffalo | 5* |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis, Denver | 5 |
| *has 34 combined touchdowns in 2025 | ||
Allen has 85 regular season wins and with a win on Sunday, can tie Tom Brady (86 regular season wins) and Russell Wilson (86) for the second-most regular season wins by a quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (89 regular season wins) has more.
BO NIX
Denver quarterback Bo Nix ranks tied for third in the NFL with 673 completions since entering the league in 2024.
With a win on Sunday against Green Bay (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), Nix – who has 21 wins since entering the NFL last season – can tie Andrew Luck (22 wins), Dak Prescott (22) and Ben Roethlisberger (22) for the second-most wins by a quarterback in his first two seasons in NFL history, trailing only Russell Wilson (24).
With 27 completions in Week 15, Nix can become the fourth quarterback with at least 700 completions in his first two seasons in NFL history, joining Justin Herbert (839 completions), Trevor Lawrence (746) and Kyler Murray (724).
The players with the most completions in their first two seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | COMPLETIONS |
| Justin Herbert | L.A. Chargers | 839 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville | 746 |
| Kyler Murray | Arizona | 724 |
| Derek Carr | Oakland Raiders | 698 |
| Andrew Luck | Indianapolis | 682 |
| Bo Nix | Denver | 673* |
| *in second season | ||
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey leads all running backs with 85 receptions and 806 receiving yards this season and ranks third with 1,655 scrimmage yards.
With five receptions on Sunday against Tennessee (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), McCaffrey can become the first running back in NFL history with at least 90 receptions in three career seasons, surpassing Larry Centers and Austin Ekeler.
With 94 receiving yards in Week 15, McCaffrey – who had 1,005 receiving yards in 2019 with Carolina – can join Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk (1,048 receiving yards in 1999 and 908 receiving yards in 1998) and Lenny Moore (938 receiving yards in 1958 and 936 receiving yards in 1960) as the only running backs all-time with at least 900 receiving yards in two career seasons.
Additionally, with 145 scrimmage yards on Sunday, McCaffrey can join Pro Football Hall of Famers Walter Payton (seven seasons), Marshall Faulk (five), Emmitt Smith (five) and LaDainian Tomlinson (five) as the only players with at least 1,800 scrimmage yards in at least five seasons in NFL history.
The players with the most career seasons with at least 1,800 scrimmage yards in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | SEASONS |
| Walter Payton HOF | Chicago | 7 |
| Marshall Faulk HOF | Indianapolis, St. Louis Rams | 5 |
| Emmitt Smith HOF | Dallas | 5 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson HOF | San Diego Chargers | 5 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina, San Francisco | 4* |
| *has 1,655 scrimmage yards in 2025 | ||
JAHMYR GIBBS
Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs leads the NFL with 47 scrimmage touchdowns (39 rushing, eight receiving) since entering the league in 2023 and ranks second with 16 scrimmage touchdowns (13 rushing, three receiving touchdowns) this season.
With a touchdown on Sunday at the Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Gibbs can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (47 touchdowns) for the most touchdowns by a player under the age of 24 all-time and the most touchdowns by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history.
Additionally, Gibbs can join Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders (31 games), Randy Moss (31) and Gale Sayers (30) as well as Maurice Jones-Drew (30) as the only players in NFL history with at least 30 games in their first three seasons with a touchdown.
The players with the most games with a touchdown in their first three seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Barry Sanders HOF | Detroit | 31 |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 31 |
| Gale Sayers HOF | Chicago | 30 |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | Jacksonville | 30 |
| Eric Dickerson HOF | L.A. Rams | 29 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | Detroit | 29* |
| LaDainian Tomlinson HOF | San Diego Chargers | 29 |
| *in third season | ||
Gibbs has 11 games with multiple rushing touchdowns and with at least two rushing touchdowns on Sunday, can tie Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (12 games), Earl Campbell (12) and Eric Dickerson (12) for the most games with multiple rushing touchdowns by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history.
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA
Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,428 receiving yards and ranks tied for second with nine touchdown receptions this season.
With at least 72 receiving yards and a touchdown reception on Sunday against Indianapolis (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), Smith-Njigba can become the fourth player under the age of 24 with at least 1,500 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (1995 with the St. Louis Rams), DeAndre Hopkins (2015 with Houston) and Justin Jefferson (2021 with Minnesota).
With at least 90 receiving yards in Week 15, Smith-Njigba can become the sixth player in NFL history with at least 90 receiving yards in 12 games within a single season, joining Cooper Kupp (16 games in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams), Antonio Brown (13 in 2014 with Pittsburgh), Julio Jones (12 in 2015 with Atlanta) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Michael Irvin (13 in 1995 with Dallas) and Calvin Johnson (12 in 2012 with Detroit).
PUKA NACUA
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua ranks tied for first in the NFL with 93 receptions and second with 1,186 receiving yards this season.
With at least seven receptions and 14 receiving yards on Sunday against Detroit (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Nacua can become the fifth player all-time with at least 100 receptions and 1,200 receiving yards in two of his first three seasons, joining Anquan Boldin, Justin Jefferson, Brandon Marshall and Michael Thomas.
AMON-RA ST. BROWN
Detroit wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has 81 receptions for 976 yards and is tied for the second-most touchdown receptions this season with nine.
With nine receptions on Sunday at the Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), St. Brown can become the first player ever with at least 90 receptions in each of his first five career seasons and the sixth wide receiver all-time with at least 90 receptions in five consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18), Torry Holt (six from 2002-07, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (five from 1999-2003), Keenan Allen (five from 2017-21) and Demaryius Thomas (five from 2012-16).
JA’MARR CHASE
Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase ranks second in the NFL with 6,440 receiving yards since entering the league in 2021.
With 72 receiving yards against Baltimore on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Chase can surpass Odell Beckham Jr. (6,511 receiving yards) for the fourth-most receiving yards by a player in their first 75 career games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (7,532 receiving yards), Julio Jones (7,306) and Justin Jefferson (7,286) have more.
The players with the most receiving yards in their first 75 career games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | REC. YARDS |
| Lance Alworth HOF | San Diego Chargers | 7,532 |
| Julio Jones | Atlanta | 7,306 |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 7,286 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | N.Y. Giants, Cleveland | 6,511 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati | 6,440* |
| *in 74 career games | ||
JUSTIN JEFFERSON
Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson leads the NFL with 8,242 receiving yards since entering the league in 2020 and ranks second with 559 receptions.
With 134 receiving yards on Sunday Night Football at Dallas (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Jefferson can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (8,375 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.
Additionally, with six receptions in Week 15, Jefferson can surpass Jarvis Landry (564 receptions) for the most receptions by a player in their first six seasons in NFL history.
TREY MCBRIDE
Arizona tight end Trey McBride leads all tight ends in the NFL with 93 receptions, 937 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches this season.
With at least seven receptions on Sunday at Houston (1 p.m. ET, FOX), McBride – who had 111 receptions in 2024 – can become the first tight end in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in consecutive seasons and join Travis Kelce (three seasons) as the only tight ends all-time with at least 100 receptions in multiple career seasons.
McBride, who has at least five receptions in 15 consecutive games since Week 17 of the 2024 season, can surpass Travis Kelce (15 consecutive games in 2018) for the most consecutive games with at least five receptions by a tight end in NFL history.
THURSDAY NFL GAME CAPSULE: ATLANTA FALCONS (4-9) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-6)
Raymond James Stadium | Referee: Carl Cheffers
All-Time Series History
Regular Season: Series tied, 32-32 (ATL won 2 of past 3)
Postseason: —
The Last Time…
Regular Season: 9/7/25: TB 23 at ATL 20
Postseason: —
FALCONS NOTES:
QB KIRK COUSINS passed for 162 yards in Week 14. Ranks 6th in NFL with 43,824 pass yards & 5th with 291 TD passes since 2012. Has TD pass in 2 of his past 3. Passed for 276 yards & 4 TDs in last game vs. TB (10/27/24). • RB BIJAN ROBINSON had team-high 86 rush yards in Week 14. Aims for 7th in row with 85+ scrimmage yards & ranks 1st with 1,683 scrimmage yards this season. Has 3,513 rush yards, 1,520 rec. yards & 30 scrimmage TDs since 2023 & is the 2nd player ever (HOFer LaDainian Tomlinson) with 3,000+ rush yards, 1,500+ rec. yards & 30+ scrimmage TDs in 1st 3 seasons. Had 6 rec. for 100 yards & TD catch in Week 1 meeting. • RB TYLER ALLGEIER had 67 scrimmage yards (34 rush, 33 rec.) in Week 14. Has scrimmage TD in 2 of his past 3 on road. • TE KYLE PITTS led team with 6 receptions for 90 yards in Week 14 & aims for 3rd in row with 80+ rec. yards. Ranks tied-4th among TEs since 2021 with 3,282 rec. yards. • EDGE JAMES PEARCE (rookie) had sack last week & has sack in 5 consecutive games, tied for 4th-longest streak by a rookie since 1982. Ranks 1st among rookies with 6 sacks this season. • DL KENTAVIUS STREET had 1st sack of season in Week 14. Had sack in last game vs. TB (12/10/23). • LB DIVINE DEABLO had 6 tackles & TFL last week. Aims for 4th in row with 6+ tackles & 4th in row with TFL. Had 6 tackles & 0.5 sack in Week 1 meeting. • CB DEE ALFORD had 5 tackles & TFL in Week 14. Has PD in 4 of his past 5. Aims for 3rd in row with TFL. • CB A.J. TERRELL had team-high 8 tackles & had TFL, PD & 1st FF of 2025 in Week 14. Has PD in 3 of his past 4. Had 2 PD in Week 1 meeting. • CB MIKE HUGHES had 6 tackles, TFL & 1st INT of season in Week 14. Aims for 8th in row with 5+ tackles. Has PD in 2 of his past 3.
BUCS NOTES:
QB BAKER MAYFIELD passed for 122 yards & TD & added 42 rush yards in Week 14. Has TD pass in 12 of 13 games & aims for 7th in row at home with TD pass this season. • RB BUCKY IRVING had team-high 81 scrimmage yards (55 rush, 26 rec.) & TD catch in Week 14. Aims for 7th in row with 80+ scrimmage yards. • RB RACHAAD WHITE has 2,558 career rush yards & aims for 15th career rush TD (14). Has 50+ scrimmage yards 3 of his past 4 at home. • RB SEAN TUCKER had 5th rush TD of season last week. • WR CHRIS GODWIN led team with 5 receptions for 55 yards in Week 14. Aims for 3rd in row with 50+ rec. yards & 9th in row vs. Atl. with 50+ rec. yards. • WR EMEKA EGBUKA ranks tied-1st among rookies with 6 TD catches & 2nd among rookies with 806 rec. yards this season. • TE TEZ JOHNSON ranks tied-3rd among rookies with 5 TD catches in 2025. • NT VITA VEA had 5 tackles, 2 TFL & sack in Week 14. Has 0.5+ sack in 4 of his past 5 at home. Aims for 3rd in row with sack. Has TFL in 2 of his past 3 vs. Atl. • DL GREG GAINES had 2nd sack of season in Week 14. Aims for 3rd in row with TFL. • LB LAVONTE DAVID had 5 tackles in Week 14 & has 5+ tackles in 8 of his past 9. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 1,689 tackles & tied-2nd with 176 TFL since 2012. Had 9 tackles & TFL in Week 1 meeting. • LB CHRIS BRASWELL had 1st sack of 2025 last week. • LB YAYA DIABY had 1st PD of season in Week 14. Has sack in 2 of his past 3. Had TFL in Week 1 meeting. • CB ZYON MCCOLLUM had 1st INT of season in Week 14. Had 10 tackles & TFL in Week 1 meeting. • S ANTOINE WINFIELD JR. had 5 tackles & PD in Week 14 & has PD in 5 of his past 6. Has 7+ tackles in 6 of his past 7 vs. Atl. • S CHRISTIAN IZIEN had team-high 8 tackles & TFL last week.
QB QUESTION MARKS ABOUND AS JETS PREPARE FOR JAGUARS
Ailing New York Jets quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields will not practice Wednesday, with undrafted rookie Brady Cook taking all the reps, head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters.
Taylor is dealing with a groin issue that forced him to leave the 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. With demoted starter Justin Fields dealing with knee soreness, Cook made his NFL debut in relief of Taylor.
Cook, 24, was 14-of-30 passing for 163 yards with two interceptions and six sacks.
Glenn did not name Cook as the starter for the Jets (3-10) on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) this Sunday. The opportunity for Cook to build “continuity” with the first-team offense would be invaluable for the rookie, Glenn said.
“It will be good for him, but we’ll see how this week progresses when it comes to our quarterback situation,” Glenn said.
On the season, the Jets have completed 223 of 370 pass attempts (60.3%) for 1,904 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. New York is the only NFL team not to have eclipsed the 2,000-yard passing mark.
COWBOYS, VIKINGS CLING TO PLAYOFF HOPES IN CRUCIAL NFC TILT
The Philadelphia Eagles are singlehandedly keeping the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East race.
That’s fine with the Cowboys, who can apply more pressure on the Eagles if they can knock off the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night in Arlington, Texas.
Philadelphia (8-5) has lost three consecutive games. Dallas (6-6-1) won three straight contests before dropping a 44-30 road decision to the Detroit Lions on Dec. 4.
The Cowboys are a long shot in the wild-card race, so the NFC East crown is the club’s best route to the postseason.
“At the end of the day, we’re focused on beating Minnesota,” Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “We’re going to do what we got to do, and if you start looking too far ahead of, ‘OK, if this happens, if that happens,’ you’re going to drive yourself crazy. And I’m not going to do that.”
Minnesota (5-8) faces an even tougher chore than the Cowboys.
The Vikings staved off elimination last weekend with a 31-0 shellacking of the visiting Washington Commanders. Minnesota has to win its final four games and see multiple other teams collapse down the stretch to have a chance to make the playoffs.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw a career-high three touchdown passes against Washington. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards and didn’t throw an interception for the first time in his seven NFL starts.
“It’s definitely reassuring,” McCarthy said. “I always knew I had that and I always knew the potential is there. But I’m looking at it right now, and there’s so many ways I could get better. I’m so far from where I want to be, so it’s just great to get the win and grow in this game.”
Still, McCarthy hasn’t been able to feature the skills of star receiver Justin Jefferson.
The four-time Pro Bowler receiver had just two catches for 11 yards against the Commanders one week after having two receptions for 4 yards in a 26-0 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Overall, Jefferson has just 64 catches for 810 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. Those are skimpy numbers for a receiver who posted 1,400 or more receiving yards in four of his first five seasons.
“I’ve tried to say this as many times as I possibly can, he has been elite from a leadership standpoint, character standpoint, being one of our captains and guys that drives this organization,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said. “That’s no matter what the look on his face has been, that’s no matter what the statistical columns say.”
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott has been thriving with outputs of 354, 320 and 376 yards over the past three games. He leads the NFL with 3,637 passing yards and is tied for second with 26 passing touchdowns.
The Cowboys are also getting a boost from running back Javonte Williams, who has set career highs of 1,022 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season with the club.
“Yeah, it’s a good milestone,” Williams said of topping 1,000 for the first time in his five-year career. “After all the hard work I put in, to finally reach it, it’s a blessing. But I know I still have work to do. We still got a lot of games left and a lot of football left for ourselves.”
Minnesota left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) and tight end T.J. Hockenson (shin) sat out practice on Wednesday. Six players were limited due to injuries, including running back Aaron Jones (shoulder), receiver Jordan Addison (Achilles) and safety Josh Metellus (shoulder).
Tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle) was the lone Dallas player to sit out on Wednesday due to injury. Receiver CeeDee Lamb (concussion) was limited but had yet to clear protocol. Among the other six limited participants were defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (hamstring) and tight end Jake Ferguson (calf).
The Cowboys have won five of the past six meetings with Minnesota, including a 40-3 road victory in 2022 in the most recent matchup.
CAM WARD, BROCK PURDY FACE OFF AS NINERS HOST TITANS
Two quarterbacks at the opposite end of the draft spectrum go head-to-head for the first time when Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans visit Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon in Santa Clara, Calif.
The game matches teams coming off wins in Cleveland a week apart, with the Titans having ended a seven-game losing streak with a 31-29 win last Sunday, while the 49ers, who had a bye last week, were last seen extending their run of consecutive wins to three with a 26-8 victory in Week 13.
The first overall pick in the April draft, Ward threw two touchdown passes for the first time despite unfavorable weather conditions last week in Cleveland. He also had an interception, giving him nearly as many (seven) this season as TD passes (nine).
The win was just the Titans’ second of the season, which drew different reactions from their players. Shortly before veteran defensive lineman Arden Key was getting on the airplay intercom and encouraging his teammates to enjoy the success, Ward was telling reporters he thought playing just three good quarters — the Titans were outscored 12-0 in the final 4:27 — shouldn’t be celebrated.
Titans interim coach Mike McCoy found himself looking for common ground as he began preparations for a tougher opponent, the 9-4 49ers.
“You want to enjoy every win in this business,” he told the media. “But he’s a competitor and Cam wants to be great. He wants to play great every week. And there’s times where if you don’t play (well), he’s not going to sugarcoat what he says.”
Ward threw for just 117 yards in the win, completing only half his 28 passes. His passing yardage was trumped by running back Tony Pollard’s 161-yard effort on 25 carries.
This week, the Titans will see a Niners team that has allowed just four of 13 opponents to rush for a total of more than 100 yards. Only Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne (124) has gone over 100 yards individually against San Francisco this season.
The 49ers have held the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Browns to an average of 13.0 points during their winning streak that coincides with Purdy’s return from a toe injury.
The final pick of the 2022 draft, Purdy engineered five wins his rookie season despite not having started a game until December that year. He’s gone 27-14 as a starter.
As the now fourth-year quarterback has been regaining his footing, Christian McCaffrey has been relied upon heavily of late, getting an average of 19.0 carries and 5.3 receptions, which he has turned into 337 total yards in the last three games.
The nine-year veteran hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down, and if he needed it, the 49ers figure to benefit from a late-season bye.
San Francisco has won each of its first games following a bye the last three seasons, beating the Los Angeles Chargers, Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a combined 79-39.
San Francisco coach Mike Shanahan was asked this week to disclose the secret to his post-bye success.
“I think most of that’s just a coincidence,” he insisted. “It’s always good when we get to rest; you always come in feeling better. The key is how to keep that freshness and feeling better, but yet still get at least two hard days of practice in so you can knock off all that rust.”
The teams haven’t met in California since December 2017, when Ward and Purdy were both in high school.
For the Titans, defensive end C.J. Ravenell (toe) and linebacker James Williams Sr. (illness) did not practice Wednesday. Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (Achilles) and center Lloyd Cushenberry III (foot) returned to practice on a limited basis.
Niners linebackers Tatum Bethune (ankle) and Nick Martin (concussion) and defensive linemen Kevin Givens (personal) and defensive Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Fullback Kyle Kyle Juszczyk (ribs) was limited.
ON HOT STRETCH, TEXANS OUT TO AVOID LETDOWN VS. LOWLY CARDINALS
Riding a five-game winning streak built mainly against fellow AFC playoff contenders, the Houston Texans enter the trap-game portion of the schedule when they host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
The Texans (8-5) are inside the playoff bubble as a wild-card team entering Week 15 after beating Jacksonville, Tennessee, Buffalo, Indianapolis and most recently Kansas City during their streak, hurtling their way toward a third straight AFC South title. Houston is one game behind the first-place Jaguars.
“This is what we are supposed to do,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans told his team after a 20-10 road victory over the Chiefs last week.
“We just keep going, one game at a time. Everybody remain focused on the task in front of you. We continue to do what we need to do, we (are) going to do some special things.”
The Cardinals (3-10) were eliminated from postseason contention on Nov. 30. Their losing streak reached five games last week in a 45-17 blowout against the visiting Los Angeles Rams, who produced 35 unanswered points and 530 total yards.
The Cardinals have given up 40-plus points in three of the past five games, forcing coach Jonathan Gannon to face questions about his team’s effort level.
“No, no,” Gannon said, disagreeing with the premise and citing “lack of execution” for the squad’s defensive failures.
Said linebacker Josh Sweat: “I think everybody’s head is in the right place, but I mean, it’s over and over and over, so it’s only so much we can do.”
Houston may not reach the 40-point plateau against Arizona simply because it might not need to. The Texans rank No. 1 in the NFL in scoring defense (16.0 points per game) and total defense (266.3 yards) and are third in passing yards allowed (172). They are second in turnover margin (+12) and fourth in takeaways (1.7).
Houston intercepted Patrick Mahomes three times and stopped the Chiefs on two fourth-down attempts in the fourth quarter.
“We have a special group,” said Ryans, whose team hosts the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) next week.
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud has beaten Indianapolis and Kansas City since returning from a three-game absence caused by a concussion. He threw for 479 yards, one touchdown and one interception in those two contests, taking a conservative approach that plays to Houston’s defensive strength.
Texans running back Nick Chubb (ribs) left last week’s game in the first half and did not return. Woody Marks has grown into a workhorse running back, producing 206 yards on 61 carries the past three weeks.
The Cardinals have the offensive weapons to potentially give Houston’s defense problems. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has passed for 2,459 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games as a starter, with three 300-yard games and a 452-yarder in a 41-22 loss to San Francisco on Nov. 16.
Trey McBride is tied for the NFL lead with 93 receptions and leads all tight ends with 937 yards. If he notches five receptions against the Texans, he would set a tight end record with 16 consecutive games of hitting that mark after tying Travis Kelce last week.
Wide receiver Michael Wilson, who has blossomed since Brissett took over and Marvin Harrison went out due to an appendectomy and later a heel injury, has 39 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns in his past four games. Both scores came against the Rams.
“He does everything right,” Brissett said.
Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) will not play on Sunday, Gannon said. Johnson left the Rams game in the third quarter, and NFL Network reported that he sustained a sprained MCL.
Also, Arizona did not activate running back Trey Benson (knee) this week at the end of his 21-day practice window, ending his season. He was injured in Week 4.
Eleven Cardinals did not practice on Wednesday, including Harrison, left guard Evan Brown (personal); safeties Budda Baker (thumb), Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ankle) and Jalen Thompson (hamstring) and wide receiver Xavier Weaver (hamstring). Running back Emari Demercado (ankle) was among five players limited at practice.
Houston’s Chubb, Marks (knee), cornerback Kamari Lassiter (foot), linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (ankle) defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (elbow/shoulder), offensive tackle Trent Brown (hand) and defensive end Denico Autry (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Lassiter and Al-Shaair had interceptions against Kansas City.
PANTHERS’ DAVE CANALES SEES SAINTS GAME AS ‘CHAMPIONSHIP OPPORTUNITY’
The Carolina Panthers had a very productive bye week.
While they were resting and recharging for the final four games of the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were losing to the New Orleans Saints and dropping into a tie with the Panthers (7-6) for first place in the NFC South.
Carolina can stay in first place by beating the Saints on Sunday in New Orleans.
“Every game is a championship opportunity,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “We have one right in front of us on the road against a familiar opponent.”
Even though the Saints (3-10) are tied for the fourth-worst record in the NFL, no one knows better than Carolina that New Orleans shouldn’t be overlooked.
Not only did the Saints beat the Bucs last week, but they went into Charlotte and beat the Panthers on Nov. 9 after Carolina had won four of its last five games.
The Panthers drove for a touchdown on the first possession of the game but didn’t score again. New Orleans had 122 rushing yards, while the Panthers had 73.
“They beat us at our own game,” Canales said, referring to his preference for being the more physical team in the run game on both sides of the ball.
Bryce Young passed for just 124 yards with an interception and no touchdowns. But the Panthers are 2-1 since that game, with Young passing for 448 and 206 yards in wins against the Falcons on Nov. 16 and Rams on Nov. 30, respectively. He had three touchdown passes and no interceptions in each contest.
“We haven’t had the consistency I would like to see from the entire (offensive) group, and certainly Bryce is a part of that,” Canales said. “That’s the challenge that we have in front of us, and that’s what we’ve been attacking for weeks now.”
The Saints’ victory against the Panthers started their best stretch of the season, as they have split their last four games after starting 1-8.
“We’re getting better,” New Orleans head coach Kellen Moore said. “We’re playing cleaner football. We’re executing better on first and second down, and that’s making things easier on third down. The defense is creating turnovers, and we’re taking care of the football.”
In the rain against the Bucs, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough had the fewest passing yards of his five starts (144), but he had a season-high 55 rushes on seven carries and ran for two touchdowns.
“There’s a lot to continue to build upon,” Shough said. “It’s the NFL. Whether you’re fighting for a (playoff) spot (or not), what you put on film matters. That’s the mindset of everybody, and myself specifically. We feel like we’re building and continuing to get better. You want to play your best against division opponents.”
Two Saints starters — running back Alvin Kamara, who has missed the last two games because of knee and ankle injuries, and safety Justin Reid, who missed last week’s game because of a knee ailment — missed practice Wednesday. Devin Neal, who replaced Kamara, was limited because of an abdominal injury suffered against the Bucs.
Another starter, right tackle Taliese Fuaga (ankle), returned to practice on a limited basis after missing the last game. Asim Richards, who started in Fuaga’s place last week, did not practice because of an ankle injury suffered against Tampa Bay.
Two Carolina starters — center Cade Mays (ankle) and linebacker Christian Rozeboom (hip/hamstring) — were full participants Wednesday after missing the last two games. Starting cornerback Jaycee Horn, who missed the game against the Rams, remained in concussion protocol but did participate on a limited basis.
LIONS MATCHUP PRESENTS PIVOT POINT FOR RAMS, MATTHEW STAFFORD
The Los Angeles Rams have moved into the No. 1 spot in the NFC after winning seven of their last eight games.
They can clinch a postseason berth with a victory over the visiting Detroit Lions on Sunday. With a loss, the Rams (10-3) could find themselves tied for second place in their own division.
“Our focus is solely on the game in front of us,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “As far as what kind of implications that has, to be honest with you, we haven’t talked about it one bit.”
What has been talked about around the league is Stafford’s candidacy for NFL Most Valuable Player honors. If the Rams keep winning, he could be the favorite for the award.
“I don’t want to speak in too many hypotheticals to be honest with you,” he said. “I am a fan of this game and have been for a long time. Anytime you get honored, for whatever award in any kind of way in whatever position in this league, it’s something that I don’t take for granted. Just to be in the conversation is something that’s humbling to me.”
Puka Nacua earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors by making seven receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-17 road win over Arizona on Sunday. The Rams’ dynamic wide receiver duo of Nacua and Davante Adams will be facing a banged-up Lions secondary that lost playmaking safety Brian Branch to a torn Achilles tendon in Detroit’s 44-30 victory over Dallas on Thursday.
“When you get to see the guy up close and go against him, you realize how big and strong he is,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of Nacua. “He’s got good range, he’s faster than I think people realize. He runs well, and then he blocks. He gets after it. So, you’ve got to fight this guy all the way to the catch point.”
Detroit has won two of the last three matchups with Los Angeles since the two teams famously swapped quarterbacks. In last season’s meeting, the Lions won in overtime, 26-20. Stafford threw for 317 yards, 100 more than Jared Goff, and both quarterbacks had a touchdown pass and an interception.
Goff says his days with the Rams are fading in his memory.
“It feels like a long time ago,” he said.
He’s focused on the challenges the Rams present now.
“I think we’re both really good teams, I’ve got so much respect for those guys over there and how well they’re playing, how well they’re coached,” he said. “Certainly, the film I’m watching, their defense is really impressive. (Rams defensive coordinator) Coach (Chris) Shula is doing a great job, and, obviously, we know what they’re doing on offense.”
The Lions (8-5) are still on the outside of the playoff picture and may need to win out to nab a spot.
Jahmyr Gibbs scored three rushing touchdowns in the win over the Cowboys, moving him into second place for overall touchdowns (13) behind Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor (16).
“He’s a weapon for us, we’ve said that all along,” Campbell said. “I mean, this guy serves many roles, and he gives us a lot of flexibility with what we can do.”
The Lions rank first in the league in points per game at 30.3. The Rams aren’t far behind in fourth at 29.2.
Detroit offensive tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) and linebacker Alex Anzalone (illness) didn’t practice Wednesday. Adams (hamstring) sat out Los Angeles’ practice, but McVay called it a rest day.
DIVISION LEADERS PEAKING AS PACKERS, BRONCOS DUEL IN DENVER
With a 10-game winning streak and two-game lead in the division, the Broncos are climbing with no time for a breather with the Green Bay Packers coming to Denver on Sunday.
The Broncos (11-2) are two wins clear of the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West and can clinch a playoff berth with a win against Green Bay (9-3-1). The Packers have won four in a row, the last two against NFC North rivals Detroit and Chicago, to take control of the division.
To keep an angle on conference playoff positioning and avoid losing traction in the division, neither team wants to drop the ball Sunday.
Despite not having lost since Week 3 and an 11-game home winning streak dating back to last season, the Broncos enter Sunday as underdogs. Part of that is having a young quarterback in Bo Nix and rookie running back RJ Harvey leading the offense.
“The dude’s a freak,” left tackle Garett Bolles said of Harvey. “I mean, there’s a reason why we drafted him the way we drafted him. He’s just getting better and better.”
Harvey took over lead back duties because J.K. Dobbins hasn’t played since Week 10 due to a foot injury that required surgery. Denver has kept winning without Dobbins, and Nix has delivered in the clutch. Eight of the wins during the streak have been by one score and the Broncos are 9-2 this season in games decided by seven points or less.
Nix has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 2,954 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He is also third on the team in rushing (244 yards).
The Broncos have leaned on their strong defense in more than a supporting role. Denver ranks fourth in the NFL in points allowed per game (18.1), second in rushing (89 yards), third in total yards per game (282) and first in total sacks (55).
Green Bay can win a game with quarterback Jordan Love’s deep and talented groups of wide receivers. The Packers also can throw a knockout punch defensively.
They rank sixth in points allowed (19 per game) and fifth in total yards per game (287.2). Micah Parson leads the team with 12.5 sacks and Rashan Gary has 7.5.
Broncos coach Sean Payton said he had his head down in August when his one-time boss Jerry Jones pulled the plug on contract talks and dealt Parsons from the Cowboys to the Packers. Now that he’s trying to stop him from spoiling Denver’s streak and line on the AFC’s top seed, Payton had a few deeper thoughts.
“He’s extremely explosive. He has unique bend and balance for someone at that position, so he’s a handful. He’s a rare type player,” said Payton, who has his offensive linemen on alert to know where Parsons might align on a given snap. “… He lines up to the right, to the left. You try to chart it, you try to track it. They do a good job looking at their own tendencies, self-scouting. We just have to understand where he’s at.”
The Broncos are 10th in total yards per game (342) and the Packers are 13th at 340.3 but the separation in the tale of the tape of these offenses comes at quarterback.
Love, in his third year as Green Bay’s starter, has a career-high 67.1 completion percentage and has thrown 22 TD passes while only being intercepted four times. He has been sacked 18 times. Injuries the first two months of the season were a setback to strong protection, but not many blocking schemes are built to stonewall Denver’s pressure defense.
“There’s not really a weak link out there,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of the Broncos. “The sack numbers are really crazy. Their run defense is pretty crazy.”
Nik Bonitto has a team-best 12.5 sacks but the Broncos’ other three starters up front have 19 more combined, led by Jonathon Cooper (7.5).
“It’s a little bit different than a team that maybe only has one solid edge rusher that you make sure you get chips and lock down that side,” Love said.
Green Bay has eight total turnovers, tied for lowest in the NFL, and its turnover differential is plus-four.
Despite their strong defense the Broncos have just 10 takeaways (seven interceptions, three fumble recoveries).
Denver wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday and tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and guard Ben Powers (biceps) were limited.
Packers running back Josh Jacobs (knee) did not practice Wednesday but Love (left shoulder) practiced in full.
BEARS NOT VIEWING CLASH VS. FLOUNDERING BROWNS AS ‘TRAP GAME’
The forecast calls for single-digit temperatures when the Chicago Bears host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon along the shores of Lake Michigan.
Bears safety Kevin Byard III has an idea: Fans might stay warm by standing up and screaming at the top of their lungs.
“Be as loud as possible, especially on third downs,” Byard said when asked for his message to Chicago fans. “Like I said, the offense has to communicate a lot more. I know, especially against Cleveland, having a young quarterback, having to communicate in a very loud hostile environment can be huge for us on defense.”
The Bears (9-4) know they cannot afford a letdown against the Browns (3-10) as the postseason approaches. Chicago held the No. 1 spot in the NFC going into last weekend, but a narrow loss against the Green Bay Packers dropped the Bears into a potential wild-card spot heading into Week 15.
Cleveland has lost two straight and five of its past six, but the recent play of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has given the franchise reason for optimism. Sanders passed for 364 yards, three touchdowns and one interception last week in a 31-29 home loss against the Tennessee Titans.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski praised Sanders for improving throughout the season.
“In terms of a light turning on, those types of things, I just think he’s committed to getting better every single week,” Stefanski said. “And that’s what you want.”
The Browns also want their best player to make history.
Defensive end Myles Garrett enters this weekend with a league-high 20 sacks in 13 games. He is 2 1/2 sacks shy of matching the NFL’s single-season record of 22 1/2, which Michael Strahan set in 2001 and T.J. Watt matched in 2021.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams knows that Garrett will be tough to stop. Williams wants no part of becoming the answer to a trivia question: Which quarterback did Garrett take down to break the sack record?
“I’m going to try and make sure that he doesn’t get the sack record on us and on me,” Williams said. “… As a game plan … everything is not allowing them to wreck the game.
“That’s something he can do. That’s something that he’s done throughout his whole career. So we’re excited for the challenge. We’re excited for this week. We’re excited to try and get back into the win column.”
This is the teams’ 19th meeting. Cleveland leads the all-time series 11-7, and the home team has won 10 of the past 11 games.
In the most recent meeting, the Browns eked out a 20-17 home win on Dec. 17, 2023.
The teams are in much different positions now in terms of their playoff trajectory, but Byard said he and his teammates were treating the Browns as equals.
“Some people will call this a classic trap game or whatever it may be,” Byard said. “I don’t really believe in trap games in the league. I think every single week, you have to bring your best ball regardless of records.
“This is the National Football League, and every team and everybody is playing for something regardless of what the record is.”
The Bears did not practice on Wednesday, instead holding a walkthrough, meaning their participation report was an estimation. Rome Odunze (foot), who sat out the loss to the Packers, was listed as a limited participant, along with fellow wide receiver wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (hamstring) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hip). Cornerback Kyler Gordon (groin), who was injured in warmups before the Green Bay game, was listed as a non-participant.
For the Browns, 10 players did not practice Wednesday: left guard Joel Bitonio (knee/back), right tackle Jack Conklin (concussion), strong safety Grant Delpit (illness/groin), defensive tackles Mason Graham (rib) and Adin Huntington (quad), tight end David Njoku (knee), running back Dylan Sampson (calf/hand), right guard Wyatt Teller (calf), wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion/rib) and cornerback Denzel Ward (calf).
Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson, who had his 21-day practice window opened, took part in individual drills. He has been sidelined since twice tearing his right Achilles tendon last season.
JAGUARS CONTINUE PLAYOFF PUSH, JETS’ PLAN JUMBLED BY INJURIES
It’s hard not to feel like everything is coming up Jacksonville Jaguars right now.
The Jaguars (9-4) jumped into sole possession of first place with their fourth straight win last week, defeating the Indianapolis Colts 36-19 to take over the top spot in the AFC South.
They are home again Sunday and host the New York Jets (3-10), who began the work week saddled with quarterback questions that cloud what has been an underwhelming debut season for coach Aaron Glenn.
Making his third straight start after Justin Fields was benched, Tyrod Taylor sustained a groin injury in the first quarter against the Dolphins and was unable to return. With Fields (knee) inactive, that left just rookie quarterback Brady Cook to finish the game.
Glenn didn’t have a clarity on Taylor or Fields’ status vs. Jacksonville when the Jets began practice Wednesday other than neither would be on the field and Cook would receive the first-team reps.
“There’s a plan for the quarterbacks, either way it works out during the week,” Glenn said. “We’ve got all our bases covered.”
Jacksonville is starting to feel as good about its quarterback situation as it has all season. Trevor Lawrence had a bit of a midseason lull that coincided with Jacksonville losing three out of four games to fall to 5-4, but he’s been on a tear the last few weeks.
Lawrence threw 11 interceptions in the team’s first 11 games. Since then? Interception free.
During the past two games, Lawrence has 473 passing yards and four touchdowns in wins over Tennessee and Indianapolis.
“I think he’s just starting to feel more and more comfortable within the system and with the guys that he’s playing with,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen said of Lawrence.
Lawrence popped up on the injury report Wednesday as a limited practice participant with an ankle injury. Supposing he’s good to go, he’ll face a Jets defense which is still looking for its first interception of the season.
Jacksonville’s defense has rediscovered its turnover-forcing ways. After leading the league in forced turnovers early this season, the Jaguars forced five turnovers between their sixth and 11th games this season.
In the last two weeks, the defense has five takeaways.
Thrown into his first NFL action last week, Cook struggled as the Jets limped to a 34-10 loss. He completed 14 of 30 passes for 163 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
“A lot of learning experiences for sure on Sunday. Some good stuff, some stuff I need to clean up,” Cook said. ” … Every rep I get this week is so valuable. I’m going to take advantage of them.”
Down their top two quarterbacks and running back Breece Hall (knee) idle, the Jets might need to make magic to score points. Hall has eight of the team’s 22 offensive touchdowns in 2025 (four rushing, three receiving and a TD pass). Hall is expected to be available for the game but could be less than 100 percent healthy.
The Jets’ lone touchdown vs. Miami was a 78-yard punt return by Isaiah Williams, his second of the season, tying him for the league lead.
With a kickoff return touchdown as well from Kene Nwangwu, New York is tied for the league lead with three return touchdowns in 2025.
“The special teams unit can score in both the return games at any point. It has definitely provided a spark,” Coen said of the Jets. “One of the best special teams units in the National Football league right now.”
Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (hip), left tackle Walker Little (concussion) and safety Andrew Wingard (concussion) were all limited Wednesday.
Eight additional Jets missed Wednesday’s practice along with Taylor and Fields. That list included tight end Mason Taylor (neck), cornerback Azareye’h Thomas (shoulder) and linebacker Quincy Williams (hand). Cook was a full participant despite being listed for an ankle injury.
EAGLES NOT SOUNDING ALARMS AHEAD OF RAIDERS MATCHUP DESPITE SKID
The Las Vegas Raiders bring a seven-game losing streak to Philadelphia on Sunday to face an Eagles team trying to avoid a repeat of 2023.
The only previous meeting between coaches Pete Carroll of the Raiders (2-11) and Nick Sirianni of the Eagles (8-5) occurred during Philadelphia’s late-season swoon two years ago.
Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks beat the visiting Eagles 20-17. That game, which was also played in Week 15, was part of a 1-5 collapse for Philadelphia after a 10-1 start.
Until Monday night, that Seahawks-Eagles contest was also the last time Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts finished a game with multiple interceptions and zero touchdown passes.
After throwing just two interceptions in the first 12 games this season, Hurts was picked off four times in Monday’s 22-19 road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers — the last one to end the game in overtime.
Sirianni chose to see the glass as half full in his weekly appearance Wednesday on 94 WIP.
“There was a lot of good things on offense on Monday night,” he said. “It was really good defense, it was really good special teams and there were a lot of good things on offense.
“I come away encouraged from that game, knowing that we have things to clean up. … No one is pressing, everyone is just thinking, how do we get ourselves in the best position to win this game and play our best game?”
It was the third straight loss for the Eagles, their longest streak since dropping their last two regular-season games and the playoff opener in the 2023 season. They still lead the NFC East over the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) but this untimely swoon has dropped them two games behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the race for the No. 1 seed.
Philadelphia has turned the ball over nine times during its three-game slide after posting only four giveaways during its 8-2 start to the season.
The margin for error is too small right now for the defending Super Bowl champions to survive such miscues against Las Vegas.
Carroll’s Raiders are just 1-11 since a Week 1 win against the New England Patriots that now seems incomprehensible. Their only other win came in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, who are now 2-11.
Still, three of their defeats in the current skid have been one-score games, including last week’s 24-17 home setback against the division-leading Denver Broncos.
“It’s super frustrating,” rookie running back Ashton Jeanty told reporters Wednesday. “… We’ve just got to continue to find ways to clean up our play and execute better when it matters the most.”
“I do think a lot of times all it takes is one play, one spark to change the direction of the game … to lead towards wins,” Jeanty added.
The Raiders have finished with fewer than 250 yards of offense in four of their last five games. Geno Smith was sacked 28 times over that same span and entered the week tied for the NFL lead with 14 interceptions this season.
Smith left the loss to Denver with a right shoulder injury, potentially giving backup Kenny Pickett a shot at his former team. Pickett won a ring with Philadelphia last season, appearing in five games in the regular season and beat Dallas in a Week 17 start. Aidan O’Connell is also available after returning from a fractured wrist.
Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since Week 4. Smith did not practice and tight end Michael Mayer (ankle) was limited. Wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. has cleared concussion protocol.
Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) and defensive tackle Jalen Carter (shoulders) did not practice Wednesday and left guard Landon Dickerson (calf) was limited.
The forecast in Philadelphia on Sunday calls for snow and temperatures in the low 30s.
The all-time series between these teams is tied at 7-7, including the Raiders’ 27-10 win in Super Bowl XV.
GIANTS, COMMANDERS SEARCH FOR WIN NEAR END OF LOST SEASONS
Two NFC East rivals carrying lengthy losing streaks meet on Sunday when the Washington Commanders visit the New York Giants in East Rutherford, NJ.
Washington (3-10) has dropped eight straight — the longest current streak in the NFL — while New York (2-11) has lost its last seven. Barring a tie, one of these teams will go home happy for the first time since early October.
Sunday’s game could have featured the first matchup between young quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels. However, Washington coach Dan Quinn said Daniels, who fell hard on his previously dislocated left elbow and departed Sunday’s 31-0 loss at Minnesota, will not play against New York.
“No structural setbacks. However, through the medical evaluations over the last couple days, including this morning, the doctors advised us we hold him this Sunday,” Quinn said Wednesday. “We’re really bummed for Jayden. He is working incredibly hard to get back on the field with his guys.”
Daniels has already missed six games overall and left three others due to injury. Marcus Mariota will make his seventh start of the season.
The Giants are coming off their bye week and play three of their final four games at home against the Commanders, Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys with a road game at the Las Vegas Raiders in the penultimate week of the season.
“I think it’s extremely important and it’s really required for us to make sure that these last four games we really put our best foot down,” said Dart, who returned from a concussion and threw for 139 yards and a touchdown in a 33-15 loss to the Patriots in Week 13.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka spent the bye week reflecting on his first three weeks at the helm and areas he wants to improve on over the final stretch, including play calling.
“Just taking notes, looking at the notes from the post-game stuff and thoughts that we had after the game, things that we really liked that we wanted to get to,” Kafka said. “Just being really critical of myself on things that our players do really well and how can we get to those things more?”
Despite similar records, New York and Washington have generally managed to lose in different ways.
The Giants have lost five games in which they led in the fourth quarter while Commanders defeats have tended to be more definitive. Though two recent losses came in overtime, they have lost by more than 20 points five times, including Sunday when Daniels and wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown played together for the first time.
Washington’s defense, which had shown improvement after Quinn took over the play calling, gave up 25 first downs and 313 yards to a Vikings team that had been shut out the previous week.
The Commanders’ defense is ranked 30th in the league, allowing 382.5 yards per game and the Giants are 31st (385.8 yards per game). Both teams are in the bottom five in points allowed.
Washington tight end Zach Ertz (50 catches, 504 yards, four touchdowns) suffered a season-ending knee injury against Minnesota. Running back Chris Rodriguez (groin), linebacker Bobby Wagner (knee) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (rib) did not practice Wednesday.
Among the Giants not practicing Wednesday were offensive guard Greg Van Roten (shoulder), defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle), linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder), cornerback Nic Jones (shoulder), and punter Jamie Gillan (knee). Tight end Thoe Johnson (toe) was limited.
Washington defeated New York 21-6 in Week 1. Daniels passed for a season-high 233 yards and then-starter Russell Wilson was unable to lead the Giants into the end zone.
PATRIOTS HOST BILLS IN CRUCIAL AFC EAST SHOWDOWN
The New England Patriots can win their first AFC East title this decade by taking down the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.
The Patriots will be seeking their 11th straight victory, a streak that includes a 23-20 triumph over the host Bills on Oct. 5.
Buffalo (9-4) has won the past five AFC East crowns but the Patriots (11-2) have improved in coach Mike Vrabel’s first season and quarterback Drake Maye’s second with the club.
Maye, an NFL MVP candidate, is ready to facilitate a changing of the guard.
“They’ve won the division for five years,’ Maye said Wednesday. “We have something that we need to go take, and know it’s going to be hard to do.”
New England went just 4-13 in Maye’s rookie season but has been a season-long surprise this year.
The Patriots lost two of their first three games before beginning their impressive winning streak. Now they are one of the hottest teams in the NFL as they eye their first season sweep of the Bills since 2019, when Tom Brady was the team’s quarterback.
Buffalo has won five of its past seven games but a loss to the Patriots will leave them unable to win the division.
“They’re one of the top teams, if not the top team in the AFC right now,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said of New England. “We’ll have our work cut out for us. If you don’t take care of the ball against any team in the league, it’s going to be hard to win against a particular team this strong.”
The blossoming of Maye has been a major ingredient of New England’s success.
The 23-year-old has completed a league-best 71.5 percent of his passes and is on track to break Brady’s franchise record of 68.9 percent set in 2007. Maye has thrown for 3,412 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
For comparison, reigning MVP Josh Allen of the Bills has passed for 3,083 yards and 22 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, while completing 70.1 percent of his throws.
“Obviously, Drake is playing at an extremely high level right now,” Allen said Wednesday. “He’s extremely fun to watch and he’s put his team in a very good position.”
Maye passed for 273 yards in the October road win over the Bills. Allen threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and was intercepted once.
Maye’s improved play has led to comparisons with Allen and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel sees why there is such chatter.
“I think they’re both really good at what they do,” Vrabel said. “Josh probably has got a couple (pounds) on him and can kind of throw his shoulder in there probably a little bit more than I would want Drake to, but I think they’re both great competitors. (I have) a lot of respect for Josh and just his ability to make something out of nothing.
“I’ve enjoyed watching Drake’s growth here, but I’m not going to say one’s a certain way and one’s the other. Just a huge challenge going against a quarterback that’s under control, he’s got command and just doesn’t look panicked or rattled when you rush him. Just an excellent, obviously, MVP quarterback.”
The Bills held a walk-through on Wednesday and tight end Dawson Knox (personal) was the lone player to miss it. Star linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow), defensive end Joey Bosa (hamstring/wrist), receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) and offensive lineman Spencer Brown (shoulder) were limited participants.
New England running back Terrell Jennings (concussion) sat out practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Harold Landry (knee), defensive tackle Christian Barmore (not injury related) and offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (abdomen) were limited.
DESPERATE CHIEFS HOST CHARGERS FIGHTING TO KEEP PLAYOFF STREAK ALIVE
With their decade-long streak of playoff appearances in jeopardy, the Kansas City Chiefs will try to ignite their long-shot postseason chances when they play host to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
The Chiefs (6-7) are on the outside of the playoff field, two games behind the Houston Texans, who hold the third and final AFC wild-card spot. The Chargers (9-4) are playoff eligible as a wild-card qualifier.
The last time Kansas City was not a playoff participant was 2014, when Alex Smith was the quarterback. Patrick Mahomes has led each of the past seven playoff runs and not only has helped win three Super Bowls, but he has also never missed an AFC Championship Game as a starting QB.
Another loss Sunday, which would be a season-long third consecutive defeat, would only eliminate the Chiefs from playoff contention if each of the other AFC wild-card contenders win their games.
“I have learned over the years that anything is possible,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said this week while looking back at Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Texans. “I communicated that to the guys. They were down in the dumps after (Sunday’s) game. … At the same time, there is a way you have to pick yourself up and get going again. Hope is always a good motivator there.”
While Kansas City’s defense was much better over the second half Sunday, dropped passes held Mahomes to a paltry 160 yards through the air while completing just 14 of his 33 throws.
It was Mahomes’ fewest completions in a game since October 2019 against the Denver Broncos when he departed in the first half with a knee injury.
“I know we’re not winning games, but that mindset that these guys have in this locker room — even in the games we’re not winning — you can never question the fight of this team,” said Mahomes, who was a full practice participant Wednesday after experiencing knee pain late in Sunday’s loss.
The Chargers will not be able to clinch a playoff spot this week, although dealing a potential final blow to their division rivals would feel almost as sweet.
Los Angeles faced something like a playoff test Monday night when the Chargers battled the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles and secured a hard-fought 22-19 win thanks to four interceptions from the defense and five field goals by Cameron Dicker.
The Chargers not only forced Jalen Hurts into an interception and a fumble on the same play in the second quarter, but they also ended the game with an interception at the 1-yard line in OT by Tony Jefferson.
Quarterback Justin Herbert had just 139 yards passing, yet his play, despite a broken left (non-throwing) hand that required surgery earlier in the week, was an inspiration. Under constant pressure, as he has been all season, Herbert also ran 10 times for 66 yards.
“It felt like we were in a movie where the quarterback’s doing these things and you get to a point where you go, ‘OK, this is getting a little unrealistic,’” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “That’s what it felt like to me. He refuses to lose. He’s as tough as they get. He’s a superhero quarterback.”
Herbert was limited in practice Wednesday but is expected to play. Not practicing were wide receiver Derius Davis (ankle), linebacker Troy Dye (hip), defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring) and offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III (ankle).
Chiefs offensive linemen Wanya Morris (knee) and Jawaan Taylor (triceps/knee) did not practice Wednesday.
RILED RAVENS ON REBOUND AS BENGALS FIGHT TO AVOID ELIMINATION
The Baltimore Ravens find themselves outside the playoff picture with four games remaining and a razor-thin margin for error.
“We’re 6-7. The urgency becomes a little more urgent,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “There’s no excuses that are to be made at this point.”
After losing consecutive games to AFC North rivals Cincinnati and Pittsburgh following a five-game winning streak, the Ravens are still on the playoff math.
Should the Ravens win out, beginning with Sunday’s rematch against the Bengals in Cincinnati, they would leapfrog Pittsburgh for the division title.
Still, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh knows the team’s nonexistent wiggle room demands focus under pressure.
“To say we control our own destiny, that’s only if we win,” Harbaugh said. “You have to win to control your destiny, so that’s what we have to do. It’s been that way the last two weeks and we haven’t been able to pull off a win. … We need to go win; that’s it.”
Cincinnati defeated host Baltimore 32-14 on Nov. 27 as Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (261 passing yards, two touchdowns) outdueled counterpart Lamar Jackson (246 yards, one interception).
Jackson passed for a touchdown and ran for another in Week 14 at Pittsburgh, while Derrick Henry rushed for 94 yards and helped the Ravens to a 217-34 edge in yards on the ground. But Baltimore still lost 27-22 as the Steelers seized control of the North.
Cincinnati (4-9) would be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss.
The Bengals’ bid to keep their fleeting playoff hopes alive might find them without wide receiver Tee Higgins, who was a limited participant in practice Wednesday while remaining in concussion protocol. Higgins reported concussion-like symptoms after shining during a narrow Week 14 loss in Buffalo, gaining 92 yards on six receptions with a pair of touchdowns.
Playing in his second game since returning from turf toe surgery — the Ravens are aware of what happened in the first — Burrow passed for 284 yards and four touchdowns, but also threw a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions.
Burrow said the Bengals are amped up and eager to regroup.
“Since I’ve been back, everybody’s been great. The energy bringers are bringing energy, and I think that’s been positive,” he said. “We’ve had good practices, and we’ve been competitive.”
Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson underwent season-ending core muscle surgery this week, but the team has navigated life without the All-Pro since a Week 8 loss to the New York Jets in a season rife with injuries.
“Really want to win this game, to get ourselves a little bit of momentum before the next one,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. “But every season is a challenge in some ways, even when your record is flipped from what it is now, there’s still challenges and diversity you’re going to face. And our guys are here for this one.”
Baltimore will aim to limit Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase, who had seven receptions for 110 yards in the previous matchup. Chidobe Awuzie (shoulder), who joined fellow cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey as primary Chase defenders in that game, did not practice Wednesday.
PUKA NACUA, AL-QUADIN MUHAMMAD & RASHID SHAHEED NAMED WEEK 14 NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Detroit Lions EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 14 (December 4, 7-8).
OFFENSE: WR PUKA NACUA, LOS ANGELES RAMS
- Nacua registered seven catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 45-17 win at Arizona. This marked his fifth-career game with at least 160 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, joining Justin Jefferson (six games) as the only players with at least five such games through a player’s first three seasons in the Super Bowl era. He registered his 277th-career reception, surpassing Michael Thomas (274 receptions) for the most receptions by a player in his first 40 career games all-time. Nacua led the NFL in receiving yards and scrimmage yards in Week 14.
- This is the third-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Nacua and second this season (Week 4). He is the second Rams wide receiver to earn the honor three times, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Issac Bruce.
- 2023: Week 16
- 2025: Weeks 4, 14
- Nacua is the fourth former BYU player to win three Player of the Week awards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (12-time winner), Fred Warner (four) and Taysom Hill (three).
DEFENSE: EDGE AL-QUADIN MUHAMMAD, DETROIT LIONS
- Muhammad recorded three sacks in Detroit’s 44-30 win against Dallas on Thursday Night Football, the most in the NFL in Week 14. He is one of two NFC players this season (Micah Parson, Week 7) to record three sacks in a game.
- This is Muhammad’s first-career Defensive Player of the Week award and he becomes the third Lions player to earn Player of the Week honors this season, joining Jahmyr Gibbs (Weeks 10 and 12) and Jared Goff (Week 2). Muhammad is the first Lions defensive lineman to win Defensive Player of the Week since Aidan Hutchinson (Week 3, 2023).
- Muhammad is the first former University of Miami player to win Defensive Player of the Week honors since Kamren Kinchens (Week 11, 2024) and the first by a defensive lineman since Greg Rousseau (Week 1, 2024).
SPECIAL TEAMS: WR RASHID SHAHEED, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
- Shaheed returned three kicks for 148 yards, including a 100-yard return for a touchdown to open the second half, in Seattle’s 37-9 win at Atlanta. His 100-yard return for a touchdown was the longest in 2025 and the longest since Week 17 of the 2024 season (Ihmir Smith-Marsette).
- This is Shaheed’s first-career Player of the Week award. He is the sixth Seahawks wide receiver to win Special Teams Player of the Week honors and the first since Tyler Lockett (Week 11, 2017)..
- Shaheed is the second former Weber State player to win a Player of the Week award, joining Taron Johnson (Week 10, 2024).
JOSH ALLEN, RASUL DOUGLAS & MARVIN MIMS NAMED WEEK 14 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas and Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 14 (December 4, 7-8).
OFFENSE: QB JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS
- Allen passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns and added 78 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the Bills’ 39-34 victory over Cincinnati. This was Allen’s 50th career game with both a rushing and passing touchdown, the most in NFL history. Additionally, Allen is the first player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, 75 rushing yards, three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown in two career games, previously accomplishing the feat in Week 14, 2024.
- This is Allen’s 18th Player of the Week award and his third of the season. Allen ties Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (18-time winner) and Ben Roethlisberger (18) for the fifth-most Player of the Week awards by a quarterback, trailing only Tom brady (32), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (27), Drew Brees (25) and Aaron Rodgers (19).
- 2018: Week 17
- 2019: Week 11
- 2020: Weeks 2, 9, 13, 15
- 2021: Week 3
- 2022: Weeks 5, 6, 15
- 2023: Weeks 2, 4
- 2024: Weeks 3, 13, 15
- 2025: Weeks 1, 11, 14
DEFENSE: CB RASUL DOUGLAS, MIAMI DOLPHINS
- Douglas had five passes defensed, two tackles and an interception in Miami’s 34-10 win at the New York Jets and is the first AFC player with five passes defended and an interception since 2010 (Eric Rowe).
- This is the third Defensive Player of the Week award for Douglas and he is the sixth Dolphins cornerback to earn the honor, joining Xavien Howard (three-time winner), Sam Madison (three), Terrell Buckley (two), Brent Grimes and Jalen Ramsey.
- 2021: Week 12 (Packers)
- 2023: Week 17 (Bills)
- 2025: Week 14 (Dolphins)
- Douglas ties Marc Bulger and Tavon Austin (both three-time winners) for the third-most Player of the Week awards won by a former West Virginia player and the most by any defensive player.
SPECIAL TEAMS: WR MARVIN MIMS, DENVER BRONCOS
- Mims had a 48-yard punt return for a touchdown, giving the Broncos the lead going into halftime of Denver’s 24-17 win at Las Vegas.
- This is Mims third Special Teams Player of the Week award, tying Brandon McManus (three) and Wil Lutz (three) for the third-most such awards by a Broncos player. Mims has the most Special Teams Player of the Week Award of any Broncos punt-returner in franchise history.
- 2023: Week 10
- 2024: Week 15
- 2025: Week 14
- Mims has the second-most Special Teams Player of the Week awards of any former Oklahoma player, trailing only Tress Way (five-time winner).
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
MICHIGAN FIRES COACH SHERRONE MOORE FOR INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP
Sherrone Moore has been fired with cause, effective immediately, by Michigan after an investigation by the school found “credible evidence” the head coach engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
“This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior,” University of Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday.
Biff Poggi was appointed interim head coach, the statement said.
Moore’s firing comes amid a 9-3 season in which he served a two-game suspension for his involvement in the program’s sign-stealing scandal.
The Wolverines finished the regular season at No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings. They are scheduled to face No. 13 Texas (9-3) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 in Orlando, Fla.
Moore, 39, had an 18-8 record at Michigan since taking over for Jim Harbaugh, who left to become the head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers after winning the national championship in the 2023 season.
MOORE DETAINED BY POLICE AFTER MICHIGAN FIRING
Sherrone Moore is in custody in the Washtenaw (Michigan) County Jail on Wednesday evening, hours after Michigan fired him for cause as the program’s head coach.
The school announced it had parted ways with Moore after conducting an investigation that found “credible evidence” that he “engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Moore, 39, was detained by police in Saline, Michigan, around 4:10 p.m. as part of a Pittsfield Township Police Department assault investigation, according to Austin Meek and Sam Jane of The Athletic. The City of Saline Police Department said that Moore was turned over to authorities “for investigation into potential charges,” per Thamel and Dan Wetzel of ESPN.
It’s still unclear what charges he could be facing. Police were called to the listed address of a female Michigan football staffer, and officers were also sent to the listed address of Moore.
Michigan fired Moore after his second full season with the team. The Wolverines went 9-3 in 2025.
The school’s investigation that resulted in Moore’s firing had been underway since at least mid-November, sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. It was sparked by an anonymous tip, according to The Athletic’s Austin Meek. At first, there was no evidence of the inappropriate relationship. However, new information emerged in the past 24 hours.
Michigan associate head coach Biff Poggi will become the team’s interim head coach. The Wolverines are scheduled to play Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.
Moore’s dismissal adds to one of the most notable coaching cycles in college football history. Sixteen of 68 Power 4 schools will have new head coaches in 2026, notes On3’s Brett McMurphy.
MICHIGAN NEXT COACH ODDS: KALEN DEBOER, JESSE MINTER EARLY FAVORITES
Kalen DeBoer might need to dust off that “not interested” transcript from just last week.
Shortly after Michigan’s shocking firing of coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, Alabama’s DeBoer was installed as the early favorite to take over for the Wolverines by at least one sportsbook. Rumblings about potential interest from Penn State less than a week ago prompted DeBoer to issue a strong response.
“There’s never been any link, there’s never been any conversation, there’s never been any interest either way. So I’m glad we can put that to bed right now,” he said last Thursday.
The following day, the Nittany Lions announced Iowa State’s Matt Campbell as their next coach. But four days later, an arguably even more attractive Big Ten opening was created with Moore’s firing.
A South Dakota native who spent time as Eastern Michigan’s offensive coordinator from 2014-16 and served the same role at Indiana in 2019, DeBoer has strong Midwestern roots.
DeBoer was installed as the +400 favorite by SportsBetting.ag on Wednesday to be Michigan’s next head coach. A few hours later, those odds had shortened to +275. However, that was slightly behind Jesse Minter, who had emerged as the +250 favorite.
The two have an ironic tie to Michigan. As Washington’s head coach in 2023, DeBoer’s Huskies suffered their only loss of the season, 34-13, to the Wolverines in the CFP national championship game.
The defensive coordinator who orchestrated the gameplan that held DeBoer’s high-powered offense to 13 points?
That would be Minter, who spent the past two years with Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Sticking with the irony, the third-shortest odds to take over the Michigan program belong to Jedd Fisch, who replaced DeBoer at Washington. The fourth shortest belong to Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham.
MICHIGAN NEXT COACH ODDS
Jesse Minter (+250)
Kalen DeBoer (+275)
Jedd Fisch (+450)
Kenny Dillingham (+500)
Joe Brady (+900)
Jeff Brohm (+1200)
Lincoln Riley (+1400)
Brian Daboll (+1400)
Dan Mullen (+1400)
Marcus Freeman (+1600)
Pete Kwiatkowski (+1600)
PJ Fleck (+1600)
Josh Heupel (+1800)
Manny Diaz (+1800)
Tommy Rees (+1800)
Dan Lanning (+2000)
Jason Eck (+2000)
Biff Poggi (+2500)
Ryan Grubb (+2500)
Brent Vigen (+2500)
Jon Gruden (+2500)
Brian Kelly (+2500)
*Betonline.ag odds provided for entertainment purposes only
Michigan’s firing of Moore comes at an awkward time, with numerous Power 4 programs having filled their vacancies, while others exhaled after having their coaches heavily courted. Now one of the most prestigious jobs in the country has suddenly become available, and just days after the early signing period for recruiting.
Not only will it be difficult for another coach to leave his current program after signing early commitments, but Michigan must also strike quickly. Quarterback Bryce Underwood is one of numerous Wolverines who will draw attention from other programs should they consider the transfer portal.
MICHIGAN MOVE PROMPTS LSU ALUM TO INVITE QB BRYCE UNDERWOOD TO TRANSFER
Within hours of Michigan firing Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, rumors and recruitment encircled quarterback Bryce Underwood.
The No. 1 player in the Class of 2025, Underwood infamously flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan to join the Wolverines and play for Moore last year.
Underwood is expected to wrap his freshman season in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in a high-profile matchup with Arch Manning and Texas on New Year’s Day. But players are permitted a 15-day window to enter the transfer portal following a coaching change, and other programs are not likely to tiptoe around the topic of adding a five-star quarterback.
To be sure, big-name alumni aren’t waiting for any imaginary grace period.
“Come home son @BryceUnderwoo16,” former LSU and NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu said via X on Wednesday night. “We are waiting & will accept you with open arms. FOREVER LSU”
New LSU coach Lane Kiffin built a playoff team at Ole Miss utilizing the transfer portal and can point to 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart (New York Giants) as one such success story. Before Dart starred at Ole Miss, he was at USC when a coaching change brought Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles. Caleb Williams decided to transfer from Oklahoma and became the starter for the Trojans.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is headed to the NFL, removing a potential obstacle from Underwood’s path, and another — Ju’Juan Johnson — announced via social media he is transferring.
Underwood also received an NIL package reportedly worth more than $2 million annually in Ann Arbor.
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is reportedly in contact with Kiffin about possibly transferring to Baton Rouge.
Underwood’s first-year impact might not have been the splash some expected from the Detroit product with a 50-4 record in high school. He has passed for 2,229 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions with a 61.1 completion percentage plus 323 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Underwood is only 18 years old and doesn’t turn 19 until August. At 6-4, 220 pounds, his natural skills jump out and Kiffin has molded enough prospects into pros to be well-armed if he enters this chat.
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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 23 NEBRASKA WALLOPS WISCONSIN FOR 14TH STRAIGHT WIN
Rienk Mast registered his third double-double of the season and No. 23 Nebraska matched multiple school-record win streaks in a 90-60 victory over Wisconsin in a Big Ten Conference game on Wednesday in Lincoln, Neb.
The Cornhuskers (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) matched their best start to a season in school history, first accomplished in 1977-78. Their 14 consecutive wins dating back to last season are tied for the longest streak in school history, previously achieved in 1990-91.
Mast had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Braden Frager added 15 for Nebraska, which shot 54.1% overall, including 71% from inside the arc.
Wisconsin (7-3, 1-1) got 20 points from Nick Boyd and 10 from Nolan Winter. John Blackwell, the reigning Big Ten player of the week, was held to seven points on 1-of-11 shooting.
No. 6 Purdue 85, Minnesota 57
Braden Smith scored 15 points and dished 12 assists, and the Boilermakers pulled away for a win over the Golden Gophers in West Lafayette, Ind.
Oscar Cluff scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Purdue (9-1, 2-0 Big Ten), which bounced back from its loss against then-No. 10 Iowa State. Trey Kaufman-Renn also had 14 points and 10 boards. With his double-double, Smith reached 1,500 points in his career and became the first player in Big Ten history with 1,500 points, 800 assists & 500 rebounds.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting to lead Minnesota (5-5, 1-1). Cade Tyson scored 15 points, and Langston Reynolds chipped in 11. Purdue outshot Minnesota 53.4%-35.7% from the field, 42.1%-24% from 3-point range.
No. 7 Houston 80, Jackson State 38
Emanuel Sharp scored 23 points, 19 of them before halftime, as the Cougars ran up a huge first-half lead and rolled to a win over the visiting Tigers.
After Jackson State led 9-8 early and trailed just 21-16 midway through the first half, Houston (9-1) ended the half on a 19-0 run to take a 24-point halftime lead. Isiah Harwell added 20 points for the Cougars, who turned 25 Jackson State turnovers into 30 points.
Jayme Mitchell Jr. led the Tigers (1-8) with 12 points. Jackson State missed its final 13 first-half shots and committed 15 first-half turnovers.
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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: NO. 10 IOWA STATE OUTLASTS RIVAL NO. 11 IOWA
Three Cyclones produced double-doubles as No. 10 Iowa State stopped No. 11 Iowa’s attempted comeback and triumphed 74-69 in Tuesday’s rivalry matchup in Ames.
Audi Crooks continued her scoring tear with 30 points and snared 10 rebounds for the Cyclones (11-0), who led by 13 points through three quarters. Addy Brown had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Jada Williams chipped in 11 points and 12 assists.
Chazadi Wright’s 21 points paced the Hawkeyes (9-1), who went on a 10-0 run in the final quarter and lowered their deficit to three on four separate occasions.
Hannah Stuelke grabbed a game-high 15 boards and scored Iowa’s last bucket in the final minute before fouling out with 15 seconds left.
No. 2 Texas 110, Texas-Rio Grande Valley 45
The Longhorns poured in 70 first-half points and dominated the paint in a lopsided road victory over the Vaqueros in Edinburg.
Madison Booker led Texas (11-0) with an efficient 28 points on 14-of-19 shooting while posting a game-high 10 rebounds. Justice Carlton tallied 21 points and nine rebounds and Rori Harmon distributed 14 assists for the Longhorns, who owned a 60-6 edge in interior scoring.
Texas-Rio Grande Valley (3-5) received 13 points from Jalayah Ingram, one of three players to score in double figures. The Vaqueros committed 29 turnovers and only forced four.
No. 7 Maryland 91, Delaware State 21
Yarden Garzon and Oluchi Okananwa almost outscored the opposition single-handedly with 18 points apiece as the Terrapins annihilated the Hornets in College Park, Md., while establishing a program record for fewest points allowed.
Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu added 11 points and 11 rebounds and Marya Boiko paired eight points with five blocks. Maryland (12-0) forced turnovers on 44% of possessions and did not surrender a fastbreak or second-chance point.
Delaware State’s six-point first quarter constituted a relative outburst, since the Hornets (3-8) scored only five points in each ensuing period on 7-for-38 overall shooting. Aniyah Jones’ six points were a team high.
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NBA NEWS
SPURS TAKE DOWN LAKERS, ADVANCE TO NBA CUP SEMIFINALS
Stephon Castle produced 30 points and 10 rebounds and De’Aaron Fox added 20 points as the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals with a 132-119 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Keldon Johnson scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds, Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie each had 16 points and Dylan Harper added 13 as the Spurs won for the ninth time in their past 12 games all without Victory Wembanyama, who remains out with a calf injury.
The Spurs will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West final at Las Vegas on Saturday.
Luka Doncic scored 35 points and dished eight assists while Marcus Smart added 26 points in his return from a back injury as the Lakers lost for just the third time in their past 12 games.
LeBron James finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds and Austin Reaves added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Los Angeles, which was one of just two West teams to go undefeated in NBA Cup group play.
The Spurs took charge with a 20-4 run between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to lead 47-30 with 9:14 remaining before halftime. San Antonio led by as many as 18 in the second quarter and took a 70-58 lead into the break.
San Antonio led 80-60 with 10:14 remaining in the third quarter and went up 85-63 in the period before going into the fourth with a 104-87 lead after a 3-pointer from Fox.
Los Angeles made a late charge, pulling to within 122-114 on a Reaves three-point play with 3:54 remaining to cap an 18-4 run. Castle sealed the victory on a 3-pointer with 1:41 remaining for a 130-116 lead.
Castle shot 10 of 14 from the floor and added six assists in his second game after missing nine consecutive contests with a hip injury.
San Antonio avenged a 118-116 loss at Los Angeles on Nov. 5.
With their loss, the Lakers are now scheduled to play a regular-season game at Phoenix on Sunday.
THUNDER’S RECORD 16TH STRAIGHT WIN IS SUNS’ WORST LOSS EVER
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder set a franchise record with their 16th consecutive victory, a 138-89 home win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday in an NBA Cup quarterfinal.
The Thunder equaled the best 25-game start in NBA history with their 24th win.
Oklahoma City will take on either the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs in the semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.
The last time the teams met, Nov. 28 in NBA Cup group play, the visiting Suns took the Thunder down to the wire before Oklahoma City won 123-119, the closest game during the Thunder’s winning streak.
There was no such drama on Wednesday, as Oklahoma City scored 36 or more points in each of the first three quarters to hand Phoenix its largest loss in franchise history. Twice previously, both in the 2017-18 season, the Suns lost by 48 points.
Despite the Thunder controlling the game from the jump — Phoenix never led and tied the game just once, in the opening minute — the Suns were within 12 with four minutes remaining in the first half.
Then the avalanche began.
Luguentz Dort, back from a three-game absence caused by an adductor injury, drilled a 3-pointer to kick off a 20-6, half-ending run. Oklahoma City went into halftime with a 74-48 lead.
The Thunder hit six 3-pointers during the final four minutes before the break, including one each of their final four possessions of the half — two by Dort.
Oklahoma City’s lead continued to swell in the third, as Phoenix went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a field goal to start the quarter.
The Thunder scored 16 of their 36 third-quarter points off the Suns’ nine turnovers and finished the night with 34 points off 21 turnovers.
The 89 points were Phoenix’s fewest of the season. The Suns’ lowest offensive production last season also came against the Thunder.
Oklahoma City shot 59.1% from the floor, its second-best shooting performance of the season.
The Thunder hit 22 3-pointers, with 12 of their 13 players who appeared in the game hitting at least one.
Chet Holmgren hit all four of his tries from beyond the arc and finished with 24 points. Jalen Williams added 15 points. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 11 of 15 from the floor and added eight assists.
With the Thunder up by 36 with just more than five minutes remaining in the third, Phoenix’s frustration boiled over when Grayson Allen shoved Chet Holmgren on a screen. Allen was ejected following a review.
Dillon Brooks scored 16 to lead Phoenix, who shot 39.3%. Jordan Goodwin added 15 points, and Jamaree Bouyea had 14. Allen finished with 10.
Golden State, which won its first 24 games to start the 2015-16 season before losing its 25th, is the only other team in league history to start 24-1.
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NHL NEWS
NHL ROUNDUP: SPENCER KNIGHT, BLACKHAWKS BLANK RANGERS
Connor Bedard registered a goal and an assist and Spencer Knight pitched his second shutout of the season for the host Chicago Blackhawks in a 3-0 win against the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
Louis Crevier and Tyler Bertuzzi joined Bedard with a tally each as the Blackhawks rebounded from being outscored 13-1 in back-to-back defeats over the weekend.
Knight made 21 saves while logging the seventh shutout of his career. Bedard moved into a tied for third on the NHL leaderboard with 19 goals.
The Rangers could only muster one shot on goal across three power-play attempts as they failed to support Igor Shesterkin, who recorded 22 saves. New York has now lost three straight games (0-1-2).
Panthers 4, Mammoth 3
Anton Lundell’s goal with 52 seconds left in the third period lifted Florida to a win over Utah in Salt Lake City, giving the Panthers their first three-game win streak since they began the season 3-0-0.
Sam Bennett scored twice for his first multigoal game of the season and added an assist for the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe finished with two points, including his fifth goal in four games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 27 saves.
Dylan Guenther had his first two-goal game of the season and Jack McBain also scored for the Mammoth, who lost their third straight game. John Marino assisted on a pair, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.
Red Wings 4, Flames 3
Alex DeBrincat scored twice in a three-point game as the Detroit staked a four-goal lead and held on for a victory at Calgary.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Dylan Larkin also scored for the Red Wings, who have won three consecutive games. Patrick Kane and Andrew Copp both posted a pair of assists and John Gibson made 34 saves for Detroit, which has won its past seven meetings with Calgary.
Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato and MacKenzie Weegar scored for the Flames, whose three-game winning streak ended in the finale of a four-game homestand. Nazem Kadri netted two assists, and Devin Cooley stopped 23 shots.
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BASEBALL NEWS
ORIOLES AGREE TO $155 MILLION, 5-YEAR DEAL WITH SLUGGER PETE ALONSO, AP SOURCE SAYS
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $155 million, five-year deal with slugger Pete Alonso, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical.
It’s a major move for a Baltimore team that vowed to be aggressive following a last-place finish. Alonso hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs this year for the New York Mets, posting an .871 OPS that was his highest since he hit 53 home runs as a rookie in 2019.
Alonso, who turned 31 on Sunday, hit 264 homers over seven seasons with the Mets. He’s earned All-Star honors five times, including each of the past four years.
Nicknamed the Polar Bear, Alonso became a Citi Field fan favorite as a home-grown member of the Mets. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when he hit .260 with a major league-high 53 homers — a rookie record — and 120 RBIs. He had a career-high 131 RBIs in 2022.
Alonso batted a career-low .217 in 2023 while hitting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs and hit .240 with 34 homers and 88 RBIs in 2024.
After a slow free agent market last winter, Alonso signed a $54 million, two-year contract to stay with the Mets, but he opted out of the final year of the deal.
Alonso met with teams at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida.
“Pete lives in Tampa, it’s rather warm there,” his agent, Scott Boras, said Tuesday. “So the polar vortex of last year has kind of thawed. So the prior market — that prior bear market is exhausted.”
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WNBA NEWS
A’JA WILSON WINS AP FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR FOLLOWING HISTORIC 4TH WNBA MVP
A’ja Wilson stood atop the WNBA again in 2025, winning an unprecedented fourth MVP as her Las Vegas Aces earned a third championship in four seasons.
For that, she earned The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday for the first time in her career. It’s the second consecutive year a basketball player won the award after Caitlin Clark was honored in 2024.
“It’s an honor when you think about the group of women who have won before,” Wilson said in a phone interview. “Just to have my name be a part of it, I’m blessed.”
Wilson is only the fifth basketball player to be honored as the Female Athlete of the Year since it was first presented in 1931, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), Candace Parker (2008, 2021) and Clark.
A group of 47 sports journalists from the AP and its members voted. Wilson received 17 votes, tennis star Aryna Sabalenka was second with nine and Paige Bueckers was third with five.
“The things she’s done on the court have never been done. To me, she’s in a category all her own,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said of Wilson. “People always ask who’s on your Mount Rushmore? I’m saying she’s on Everest — there’s nobody up there with her.”
Shohei Ohtani won the AP Male Athlete of the Year on Tuesday for the fourth time.
Hammon has been impressed with everything about Wilson in her four years coaching in Las Vegas.
“Her relatability, her being down to earth makes her a great superstar,” Hammon said. “Her skill set is unmatched, but she’s also the easiest player to coach. To have that mixture of humility, grace and skill, there’s a reason why she’s doing things that have never been done.”
This season was different for Wilson and the Aces, who had cruised to their previous two titles as a heavy favorite. This year, with a month to go, the Aces were sitting at .500 and were in danger of missing the playoffs after coming off a record 53-point loss against Minnesota.
Wilson rallied her team to wins in the final 16 regular-season games to secure the No. 2 seed, and Las Vegas went on to win the championship.
“This season I found myself through the adversity and mud we went through,” she said.
Despite her numbers being on par with her unanimous MVP season the year before, Wilson heard the chatter that she wasn’t playing as well and that she wasn’t the front-runner to repeat as the league’s top player.
The 29-year-old used that as fuel on the court. She led the league with 23.4 points and 2.3 blocks per game.
“The way they talk about us, the way they talk about me, I’m ready for that, I’m ready for the noise,” Wilson said. “It’s always going to be something. If we sit here and try to please everybody, we’re going to go insane. I’m just going to continue to prove why I’m one of the greatest and why my team is part of a dynamic dynasty.”
Wilson raised her game even further in the playoffs, helping the Aces survive decisive winner-take-all games in the quarterfinals and semifinals. She then helped Las Vegas sweep Phoenix in the WNBA Finals, hitting the winning shot in Game 3.
“It’s fair to say the expectations for her are so sky high now, she’ll be compared to a degree to the unanimous MVP she was the year before,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. “Even though she wasn’t unanimous MVP this year, the journey she had this season was different and she was playing the best basketball of her career in the playoffs.”
“Every year, you wonder how she’ll get better, and she always does.”
Wilson became the first player in either the WNBA or NBA to win the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals MVP and lead the league in scoring in the same season.
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TOP INDIANA NEWS RELEASES/HEADLINES
COLTS FOOTBALL NEWS
QB PHILIP RIVERS EAGER TO GET BACK IN THE GAME WITH THE COLTS AFTER COMING OUT OF RETIREMENT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Philip Rivers wanted one more shot at winning that elusive Super Bowl ring.
So the 44-year-old grandfather and Hall of Fame semifinalist is coming out of retirement and rejoining the Indianapolis Colts.
Just hours after team officials announced they’d signed Rivers to the practice squad, the eight-time Pro Bowler told reporters he’s eager to take his first NFL snaps since 2020 and hopes to start Sunday’s crucial game at Seattle.
“Something about it excited me and it’s kind of one of those deals, the door opens and you either walk through it and find out if you can do it or you run from it,” he said. “I know there’s risk involved, what may or may not happen, but the only way to find out is going for it.”
While the exuberant Rivers has never been prone to backing down from a challenge, he’s never faced one quite like this.
Rivers spent the past five years in Fairhope, Alabama, coaching St. Michael Catholic High School’s football team. Yet his mind never strayed far from the NFL. He said he routinely watched the Los Angeles Chargers and Colts, the two teams he played for during his first 17 seasons, and was watching again last weekend when Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon injury in a 36-19 loss at Jacksonville.
Rivers said he immediately wondered if the Colts might call.
At the time he was unaware, as were the Colts (8-5), that rookie backup Riley Leonard also injured his right knee during the game, creating even more urgency for a team flailing to keep its playoff hopes alive. Then the phone rang.
“He said, ‘Heck yeah I’m interested,’” said Colts coach Shane Steichen, who worked with Rivers when they were both with the Chargers. “So he slept on it and then we called him back Monday morning and he said, ‘I need to get up there and throw in that building.’ So he came in here, and he didn’t forget how to throw a football.”
Steichen said it was possible Rivers could start Sunday — depending on how things go this week.
Then again, Rivers has done just about everything in his career except win a championship.
He finished the first part of his career ranked among the league’s career leaders with more than 63,000 yards passing, more than 400 touchdown passes and 134 career wins. He was the 2013 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and he’s been around long enough that the former N.C. State star was the key piece in the trade that sent two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning to the New York Giants in 2004.
The bigger question is what can the Colts expect from this version of Rivers?
While he’s worked out and thrown at home, Rivers acknowledges there’s a significant difference between what he’s done and what it takes to successfully run a pro offense against one of the league’s top defenses. And though Steichen said his playbook largely resembles the one he and Rivers used during their tenure with the Chargers, they must still navigate some new wrinkles.
He also weighs more this time around.
“I don’t know, just being honest,” he said when asked about his weight, drawing laughter. “It’s not what it was when I walked away. I follow up with that, though, that I never ran away from anybody anyway.”
The Colts were desperate after losing Jones and possibly Leonard, who was expected to practice Wednesday.
Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023, remains on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone and Indy finally promoted veteran Brett Rypien from the practice squad to the active roster Wednesday. Rypien hasn’t started a game since 2023.
The good news for Indy: Rivers does have some familiarity with players such as Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. and Quenton Nelson from his last stint in Indy.
And with Indianapolis closing the season against four potential playoff teams — Seattle (10-3), Jacksonville (9-4), San Francisco (9-4) and Houston (8-5) — they needed a steady hand to try to end a four-year postseason drought.
So they’re giving Rivers a shot to get them back in the playoffs and maybe a Super Bowl.
“Immediately the competitor in you, you get excited, like, ‘Are you serious?’” Rivers said, referring to the phone call. “I know routes on air is not playing the position on Sunday afternoon, I do know that. But I don’t have any reservations about going there and throwing and doing that stuff, it feels good. So we’re going to take it one day at a time, but I’m excited. I feel good.”
DEFOREST BUCKNER RETURNS, SAUCE GARDNER DNP FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT PRACTICE
The Colts on Wednesday opened the 21-day practice window for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to be activated from injured reserve, opening the door for one of the team’s toughest and most integral players to return to the field. He was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Buckner was placed on injured reserve in Week 10 with a neck injury. He had to miss a minimum of four games, and because the Colts had a bye in Week 11, the All-Pro was not eligible to return until this week. Buckner can now be activated from injured reserve at any point in the next three weeks.
The 31-year-old’s toughness has always been a hallmark of his game, and it’s representative of the kind of mentality the Colts have as a team as well.
“That’s the standard of our building,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said about Buckner’s resilience to get back on the practice field. “Guys like Buck, Quenton (Nelson), (Michael) Pittman, Grove (Grover Stewart) – I don’t want to say playing hurt is the baseline, but we know we got a responsibility not only to the team but I’d really say to each other. I feel like that drives us more than anything else. When I’m out there and I’m picking myself up off the ground, I know it’s because Kenny (Moore) needs me out there. And when I’m helping Grove up, I know he hurting because he know I need him out there. Buck knows we need him out there. So I know who he is. He’s gonna push himself to be out there as soon as he possibly can.”
The Colts currently sit at 8-5 with four games left in the regular season. Quarterback Daniel Jones sustained a season-ending Achilles injury in their Week 14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the news that the Colts would be bringing the highly-regarded veteran quarterback Philip Rivers out of retirement to join their practice squad injected some “juice” into the locker room. They know they still have everything ahead of them and still have the pieces to be successful, and Buckner’s return only solidifies that belief.
However, the Colts cornerback room suffered another blow on Wednesday with the news that Charvarius Ward Sr. was placed on injured reserve for the second time this season. Ward was placed in concussion protocol on Monday – the third time he’s entered protocol this year – and will now miss at least the Colts’ final four games of the 2025 regular season.
“I think that’s what’s most important, and what’s most paramount right now, is how he is as human,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Tuesday. “Forget about the football player part of it. I just really want him to be okay, and that’s what’s most important, dealing with all that right now.
Sauce Gardner, who sustained a calf injury in Week 13, did not practice on Wednesday, marking the fourth consecutive practice the two-time All-Pro has missed. Head coach Shane Steichen said last week that while Gardner will not be placed on injured reserve, he is expected to miss time while rehabbing from the injury.
The healthy members of the Colts cornerback room heading into Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks are currently Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards and Cameron Mitchell.
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INDIANA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
FIVE-GAME HOMESTAND STARTS THURSDAY AGAINST ULM
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball begins a lengthy homestand on Thursday when it hosts ULM at 7 p.m. ET inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
| GAME DAY INFO |
| Indiana (8-2) vs. Louisiana-Monroe (5-3) |
| Thursday, December 11, 2025 • 7 p.m. ET |
| Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall • Bloomington, Ind. |
| Broadcast: B1G+ |
| Radio: B97 (Austin Render) |
| Live Stats: Statbroadcast |
| Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram |
ABOUT THE COACHES
| Indiana | Louisiana Monroe |
| Teri Moren | Scotty Fletcher |
| Career Record: 453-244 (23rd Season) | Career Record: 5-3 (First Season) |
| Indiana Record: 254-114 (12th Season) | Louisiana Monroe Record: Same |
ABOUT THE WARHAWKS
ULM brings in a 5-3 overall record after playing a pair of P4 opponents in Mississippi State and Alabama. Graduate student guard J’Mani Ingram’s 10.0 points per game leads the Warhawks who average 61.4 points per outing. Graduate student guard Asjah Inniss adds 8.6 points per game while graduate student center Marcavia Shavers has a team-high 7.0 rebounds along with 8.5 points per game.
SERIES HISTORY
First meeting
LAST MEETING
First meeting
NOTES
Indiana couldn’t overcome a slow start and fell in the Big Ten opener for the first time in seven years as it lost 78-57 at Illinois. Senior guard Shay Ciezki put up 23 points and redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont (15 points) and junior forward Edessa Noyan (11 points) were also in double figures for IU.
Ciekzi continues her senior season tear through the first eight games of the season. She is averaging a Big Ten leading 24.3 points per game and ranks fourth in the nation. The Buffalo, N.Y. native is currently holding a 50-40-90 average from the field. She shoots 54.3 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent from the 3-point line and 93.3 percent at the free throw line.
Noyan made her first appearance in the starting lineup against No. 10/12 Iowa State and has started the last three games. She has since set a career-high 11 rebounds (vs. Western Michigan) and a season-high 11 points at Illinois.
Freshmen Nevaeh Caffey and Maya Makalusky have impacted the Hoosiers in the first 10 games of their careers. Caffey, who has a spot in the starting lineup, is averaging 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Makalusky has appeared in all 10 games including a season-high 10 points in a win over Gonzaga.
UP NEXT
Action resumes on Sunday when Indiana hosts Eastern Michigan in a 1 p.m. ET tip.
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INDIANA FOOTBALL NEWS
WALTER CAMP AWARD HONORS CIGNETTI, MENDOZA
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – More history was made on Wednesday (Dec. 10) as Indiana head football coach Curt Cignetti and quarterback Fernando Mendoza were honored by the Walter Camp Football Foundation with national of the year awards.
Cignetti earned the Walter Camp National Coach of the Year award, while Mendoza was named the Walter Camp Award winner, which is presented to the nation’s most outstanding player. Both awards are bestowed by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and via a vote by the nation’s 136 FBS head coaches and sports communicators.
Cignetti helped the Hoosiers to its first unblemished regular season in program history, a program-record 13 wins through its first Big Ten Championship Game victory and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff. On Wednesday, he became the first coach to win consecutive Walter Camp National Coach of the Year honors in the awards 59-year history.
He also won the award after an 11-2 season and the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. His 2024 award was the second-ever by an IU coach after John Pont won the award in 1967 after leading the Hoosiers to the Rose Bowl Game.
He is the fifth coach to win the award multiple times, joining Joe Paterno (Penn State; 2005, 1994, 1972), Bob
Stoops (Oklahoma; 2003 and 2000), Nick Saban (Alabama; 2018 and 2008) and Gary Patterson (TCU, 2014 and 2009).
The 59th recipient of the award, Mendoza is the second Hoosier to win the prestigious honor, joining running back Anthony Thompson in 1989. He is the 24th quarterback to win the award. The other finalists included Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Vanderbilt quarterbacks Diego Pavia, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
Mendoza currently leads the nation in passing touchdowns (33) and is the Power 4 leader in touchdowns responsible for (39). He is the third Big Ten quarterback since 2000 with three-straight games of at least four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions – C.J. Stroud (Ohio State; 2021) and Kyle Orton (Purdue; 2004, four straight). The Miami, Florida, native is the only FBS quarterback since at least 1996 with multiple games of at least 90 percent completion and four touchdown passes versus Power 4 opponents.
In 2025, Mendoza is the lone FBS quarterback with five games of 4-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions and entered Championship Week as the FBS leader in percentage of passes that result in a touchdown at 10.9%, over one point higher than the next closest passer (Sayin, Ohio State; 9.2%).
He has thrown a touchdown pass in 12-straight games entering the College Football Playoff and has five games with both a passing and rushing touchdown in 2025. He has thrown 33 touchdowns to just six interceptions, is tied for No. 2 on the team with six rushing touchdowns and has 240 yards rushing on the season.
The Hoosiers earned the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff and will play the winner of Alabama/Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2026. The game from Rose Bowl Stadium will kick at 4 p.m. ET
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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
#6 PURDUE STAYS UNBEATEN IN BIG TEN PLAY WITH WIN OVER MINNESOTA
#6 Purdue 85, Minnesota 57 (Postgame Notes)
6-ranked Purdue improved to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten Conference with an 85-57 win over Minnesota on Wednesday in Mackey Arena.
The victory improves Purdue to 2-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2022-23 season and for just the seventh time in Matt Painter’s 21 years as Purdue’s head coach.
Purdue has won six straight games against Minnesota by a combined 112 points (18.7 points per game). It’s the longest win streak against Minnesota since winning seven straight against the Golden Gophers from 1993 to 1996.
After Purdue led just 35-32 at halftime, the Boilermakers opened the second half on a 21-0 run – Purdue’s third run of 20-0 or longer this season (20-0 vs. Texas Tech, 25-0 vs. Eastern Illinois, 21-0 vs. Minnesota). The run would extend to 29-2 over the first eight minutes of the half.
In the second half, Purdue shot 63.3 percent from the field (19-of-30), averaged 1.72 points per possession and scored on 75.9 percent of its possessions.
Since the start of the 2016-17 season (10 years), Purdue is now 128-49 (.723) in Big Ten play, the fourth-most conference wins in the country (Gonzaga, Houston, Belmont). Purdue’s 72.3 winning percentage is second behind Duke among power-five teams.
Purdue is 115-5 since the start of the 2017-18 season when scoring 80 or more points.
Purdue’s two centers, Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen, combined for 25 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and two assists while going 10-of-14 from the field.
Purdue on the battle of the glass, 46-23. It marked the fifth time in 10 games that Purdue has outrebounded its opponent by at least 18 rebounds.
Braden Smith scored 15 points with 12 assists, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks in a terrific all-around game. Smith becomes the first player nationally in at least 20 years to reach those marks in a single game.
Smith moved into 32nd place on the NCAA career assists list with 849, and into 10th place on the NCAA list for most career 10-assist games (28). He recorded his 20th career double-double and 19th career double-double in points and assists – the eighth most in the NCAA in the last 20 years.
Smith becomes the fifth player in NCAA history with 1,500 career points, 825 career assists and 550 career rebounds (now with 1,508 points, 849 assists, 574 rebounds). He also became the third player in Purdue history with 200 career steals.
Trey Kaufman-Renn recorded his fifth double-double in eight games this season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Oscar Cluff recorded his third double-double of the season (26th of career) with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Purdue had three players record double-doubles for the second time this season (Akron). From 1978 to 2021, Purdue had zero games with three players recording double-doubles. In the last five seasons, Purdue has had four games with three players reaching double-doubles.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Braden Smith had 15 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 14 points and 10 rebounds before departing early Wednesday night as No. 6 Purdue blew out Minnesota 85-57.
The Boilermakers (9-1, 2-0 Big Ten) sent a resounding statement in their first game since falling to Iowa State on Saturday.
There was no repeat, thanks largely to a suffocating defense. Purdue still hasn’t lost consecutive home games since February 2020. Oscar Cluff added 14 points and 11 rebounds and Fletcher Loyer finished with 10 points.
Jaylen Crocker-Johnson led Minnesota with 17 points. Cade Tyson scored 15 as Minnesota shot a dismal 35.7% from the field and was even worse, 6 of 25, on 3-pointers. Purdue also had a 46-23 rebounding advantage.
Purdue sealed the victory by starting the second half on a 31-4 run while limiting Minnesota (5-5, 1-1) to just two baskets over a span of nearly 11 minutes. The spurt left the Golden Gophers facing an insurmountable 66-36 deficit.
It didn’t start that way, though. After Purdue built an early 23-13 cushion, the Gophers charged back by cutting the deficit to 35-32 at the half.
Smith moved within one assist of joining D.J. Cooper as the only Division I players to record 1,500 points, 850 assists and 550 rebounds in their careers. Cooper played at Ohio from 2013-16.
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PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
PURDUE OPENS THREE-GAME HOMESTAND WITH EDUCATION DAY ON THURSDAY VS. LIPSCOMB
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball team will open a three-game homestand on Thursday morning with an early 11 a.m. tip against Lipscomb at Mackey Arena. Craig Combs and Dan Anacito on the call for B1G+.
Tim Newton and Jane Schott will call the action for the Purdue Global Radio Network on 95.3 BOB FM.
Thursday marks the annual Education Day for the Boilermakers. Purdue will host more than 1,800 students from more than 10 local elementary schools. Thursday’s contest is the second of six straight games for Purdue that tip at noon or earlier. The Boilermakers are 2-1 in games that started prior to 1 p.m. this season.
Mackey Arena has been a fortress for the Boilermakers with a perfect 5-0 record. Purdue has scored 82.2 points per game at home, while holding opponents to 58.8 points. Offensively, Purdue has shot 52.2% and nearly 40% from behind the arc with a rebounding margin if 17.6 boards per game.
PROMOTIONS
• Education Day
GAME NOTES
• Purdue and Lipscomb will meet for the first time.
• Lipscomb is the 217th unique opponent for Purdue.
• The Boilermakers are 158-58 in first-time matchups.
• Madison Layden-Zay is now 37 rebounds away from becoming the seventh player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 200 3-pointers and 50 blocks. She would be the second player to join the club this season, alongside Maryland guard Yarden Garzon.
• Layden-Zay has connected on a team-high 19 3-pointers, making a triple in every game this season. The Kokomo, Ind. native’s 47.5% clip from distance is a career high and ranks 28th nationally and third in the Big Ten. The fifth year is also 10th in the league playing 32.1 minutes per night.
• Freshman Hila Karsh connected three times from the outside at Michigan, tied for second most over the opening weekend of Big Ten play. The Israeli international posted her third straight game with nine points to move up to third on the team in scoring with 9.7 points per night.
• Purdue was one of five teams to have two players knock down two or more 3-pointers at a 50% clip in the opening weened of conference action (Layden-Zay – 50%, Karsh – 60%)
• Tara Daye continues to have a career year with 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per night. Daye is one of nine guards in the Big Ten to average better than 10 points and 6.0 rebounds per game this season.
• Kiki Smith leads the team with 10.8 points per game and sits second with 15 made 3-pointers on the year. The Topkea, Kan., native has knocked down three or more triples four times, tied for the most in the Big Ten.
• The Boilermakers have dished out 20 or more assists twice this season. Purdue is 23-1 over the last five seasons when recording 20 assists.
On the glass, Purdue ranks seventh nationally and leads the Big Ten in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 78.1% of missed shots on the defensive end.
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NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
SECOND HALF SURGE PUSHES IRISH TO THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The (RV) Notre Dame men’s basketball team (8-3) has won three-straight games as they defeated the Idaho Vandals (6-4) in an 80-65 battle inside of Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday night. The Fighting Irish shot a blistering 61.3 percent in the second half, where they outscored Idaho 47-32. Cole Certa, Jalen Haralson and Braeden Shrewsberry all recorded double-digit points in the second half alone.
Jalen Haralson now has back-to-back games with 20 points, leading the Irish tonight on 8-16 shooting. It marked his ninth straight game in double figures
Carson Towt recorded his third double-double of the season, finishing with an impressive season-high 19 points on 9-12 shooting while also grabbing 15 rebounds. Towt is now 15-18 from the floor over the past two games.
The three-point shooting duo of Cole Certa and Braeden Shrewsberry finished with a combined 29 points as they shot a collective 7-11 from deep. Certa finished with 15 points, shooting 3-4 from three and was followed by Shrewsberry with 14 points on 4-7 shooting from behind the arc.
Certa is now 13-23, aka 56.5 percent, from three over the past three games.
Freshman Brady Koehler made his defensive presence known, blocking a season best four shots and grabbing four rebounds. Logan Imes tied his career high in assists with four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Haralson was the Irish spark, leading the offensive charge to start as he scored nine of Notre Dame’s 14 initial points to put them in front 14-8 just five minutes into the game.
Carson Towt kept his perfect touch rolling from the last game, converting a pair of floaters to go with threes from Mohammed and Shrewsberry. Mohammed connected on his second triple just a mere 90 seconds after his first, keeping the Irish out ahead at 22-16.
Brady Koehler followed with a tough finish at the rim to give Notre Dame their biggest lead of the half, up 24-16, heading into the 7:52 media timeout. Defensively, the Irish held Idaho to a four-minute scoring drought.
Yet, the Vandals came to life with a 12-2 run to go out in front with 4:48 remaining in the half.
Notre Dame turned to Towt who converted back-to-back layups to give the Irish a brief lead at 30-28. The Vandals immediately fired back with another jumpshot to tie it up at 30-all. Towt ultimately recorded seven consecutive points for the Irish and was in double figures before the half (had 11 points at halftime)
Soon after, Certa’s first bucket of the game tied it at 33-all in the final minute and that would ultimately become your halftime score.
Notre Dame shot 13-30 (.433) compared to Idaho’s 12-30 (.400). The Irish scored 20 of their points in the paint and held a slight rebounding margin at 19-16.
Haralson attacked the rim early in the second to give the Irish a four-point lead but was counteracted when a pair of Idaho three-pointers sandwiched a Certra triple, all resulting in a 42-41 ND lead at 16:31.
Shrewsberry’s second three of the night would mark Notre Dame’s fourth straight make but they couldn’t garner any separation, for Idaho made their third in a row, simply trading blows as the Irish held a small 45-43 lead at the 15:16 media.
Notre Dame extended its hot hand to a 7-9 shooting stretch from the floor, with the Vandals countering with a pair of threes, 52-49 Irish with 11:30 remaining.
Seven straight points from Certa pushed the Irish to a 57-51 lead, followed by a pair of finishes at the rim from Towt and Imes to make it a 61-54 ballgame with just under nine minutes remaining.
Coming out of the media timeout, Shrewsberry hit another dagger as his three-pointer would give the Irish a 10-point advantage. It marked a 12-16 shooting start to the second half.
A 5-0 Idaho run cut the deficit in half and while Haralson traded buckets with the Vandals, it was a four-point game at 68-64 with 6:13 left in the game.
Another Shrewsberry trey, who was now 4-5 from deep, put Purcell back on their feet as it was now a 71-64 ballgame. He was followed by a Towt jumpshot, but the deep, contested Certa three would really make the Purcell crowd erupt.
A Haralson jumper capped off the 10-1 run heading into the final media timeout as the Irish had a 13-point advantage with a score of 78-65 with 3:14 remaining.
Shrewsberry would knock down one last jumper to cap off the Irish 9-0 run to close it out, holding the Vandals scoreless through the final 5:30 of play to secure the 80-65 victory.
UP NEXT
The Irish look to add to their winning streak when they host Evansville on Saturday, Dec. 13, inside Purcell Pavilion. That contest will tip off at 2 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
NO. 19 IRISH BACK AT HOME AGAINST MOREHEAD STATE
NOTES
Notre Dame blew by Florida State on Sunday in its last outing, 93-58. It was the program’s largest margin of victory ever over the Seminoles.
Five Notre Dame players scored in double-figures in Tallahassee — Cassandre Prosper (21), Iyana Moore (19), Hannah Hidalgo (17), Malaya Cowles (14) and Gisela Sanchez (12).
Cowles also had 13 rebounds, marking her first double-double of her Irish career and a career-high on the boards.
After 45 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and seven steals last week, Hidalgo was named ACC Player of the Week for the third time this season and the ninth in her career, tied for third in the history of the ACC with Louisville’s Asia Durr and Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas.
Hidalgo leads the ACC in scoring (25.9) and the nation in steals (5.5).
Prosper is having the best season statistically of her career by a wide margin. Her progress from her first three years to this season is as follows — points/game has gone from 5.8 to 14.3 (146.6 percent increase), field goal percentage has gone from 39.0 to 56.8 (45.6 percent increase), free throw percentage from 66.7 to 80 (19.9 percent increase) and blocks/game from 0.8 to 1.4 (75 percent increase).
After the Irish victory over Florida State on Sunday, Notre Dame is 9-4 in ACC openers since joining the conference.
Notre Dame is 1-0 all-time against Morehead State, winning a 2010 matchup 91-28 in South Bend.
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NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL NEWS
NOTRE DAME AD STILL UPSET WITH ACC AND CFP COMMITTEE, CALLS FOR EXPANSION TO 16-TEAM PLAYOFF FIELD
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua thinks there’s a simple solution to politicking for College Football Playoff spots: expansion.
He was still upset Tuesday about the selection committee’s decision to bypass the Fighting Irish from the 12-team playoff field and the public campaigning by the Atlantic Coast Conference to get full-time league member Miami a spot. He then called a 16-team format the perfect number.
“It should be 16 teams in my opinion, with five automatic qualifiers and 11 at-large teams,” Bevacqua said as he fielded questions for nearly 40 minutes. “What I like about 16 is it creates more opportunity, more narratives around schools and yet it preserves the integrity and importance of the regular season.”
Bevacqua did not back off the complaints that have permeated college football ever since the CFP participants were revealed Sunday.
He still thinks the committee should be more transparent with its selection process to ensure schools, coaches, players and fans know how decisions are made and where they actually stand in the rankings. He also reiterated that ACC’s actions have created “real damage” with Notre Dame.
But two days after Notre Dame decided to skip the bowl season altogether, he also tempered his words.
“I would tell you, at this point, we haven’t given all that a ton of thought,” Bevacqua said when asked what he expects the ACC to do next. “Are we looking for an apology? Quite frankly, I don’t think an apology does much of anything or unwinds what has happened. But we’ll, at the right time, sit down with the ACC leadership and I think hopefully have a very frank, honest, productive conversation. But that time is not now.
“All things can be healed. I’m not going to be overly dramatic here, right?” he added later. “But it strained the relationship.”
Big 12 Conference Commissioner Brett Yormark, speaking at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum in Las Vegas, criticized Bevacqua and Notre Dame.
“I didn’t like Notre Dame’s response,” Yormark said. “I think it was very egregious. I think (Bevacqua) was totally out of bounds, and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing. You have to accept it.”
Bevacqua said he was texting with ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips last week after the conference began what he considered a second round of campaigning on behalf of Miami.
The league had been clear it was in steady communication with the CFP committee, supplying data that made the case for its teams leading up to the selection show. The ESPN-partnered ACC Network also repeatedly showed a replay of the season-opening Notre Dame-Miami game last week — including four times on Thursday’s schedule and five more on Friday.
Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 on a last-second field goal, a head-to-head result that clearly had an impact on the committee.
“I charged the committee members to go back and watch that game,” CFP selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said. “We got some interesting debate on what that game looked like. With that in mind, we gave Miami the nod over Notre Dame into that 10 spot.”
Phillips made no apologies for what transpired, either.
On Monday, he issued a statement calling Notre Dame an “incredibly valued” member of the ACC while also saying the league had a responsibility to advocate for its 17 football-playing league members. ACC officials declined to make any additional comments Tuesday.
“I stand behind our conference efforts to do just that leading up to the College Football Playoff Committee selections on Sunday,” Phillips said. “At no time was it suggested by the ACC that Notre Dame was not a worthy candidate for inclusion in the field. We are thrilled for the University of Miami while also understanding and appreciating the significant disappointment of the Notre Dame players, coaches and program.”
Bevacqua said there was no ill will between the schools, noting he congratulated Miami’s athletic director in a text message Tuesday night, while also citing a stat that showed when Notre Dame plays at other ACC stadiums, 90% of the games are sold out compared with 23% of other ACC contests.
What continues to bother Bevacqua and the Irish, though, is that Notre Dame was sitting in playoff position every week — until the final poll — on a weekend that neither team played.
“It’s something that has to be fixed,” Bevacqua said. “We take this very seriously at Notre Dame. (Coach) Marcus Freeman takes this very seriously. Like I said, this can’t be a game of musical chairs at a fifth-grade birthday party. That’s what it felt like this was.”
A repeat is not likely to happen in the future because of a provision that takes effect next season assuring Notre Dame of a playoff spot if it finishes in the top 12. But to Bevacqua, that’s not a good enough solution for everyone else.
He thinks it’s time for another expansion.
“Sixteen would have been perfect,” he said. “I think 16 teams with that five-(automatic qualifiers)-and-11 breakdown is the way to go.”
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NOTRE DAME WOMEN’S SOCCER
IZZY ENGLE NAMED MAC HERMANN TROPHY FINALIST
KANSAS CITY – United Soccer Coaches and the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) announced the three women’s finalists for the 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy on Wednesday afternoon, which is based on voting by NCAA Division I women’s soccer coaches.
The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most coveted individual honor in NCAA Division I soccer and has been awarded annually since 1967.
The three finalists are our very own sophomore forward Izzy Engle (Edina, Minn.), Stanford University senior forward Jasmine Aikey (Palo Alto, Calif.), and Florida State junior forward Jordynn Dudley (Milton, Ga.).
Engle was an absolute offensive force for the Irish this season. She was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-ACC, and USC All-Atlantic Region First Team. Engle became the first Notre Dame striker to win ACC Offensive Player of the Year and just the fifth player in conference history to earn Freshman of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons.
She scored 44 points across 19 matches, which is the third-best in the nation in points per game (2.32). She scored 19 goals this season, which is fifth nationally. She was also recognized as the ACC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season, was named to the ACC Championship All-Tournament Team, and received CSC Academic All-District honors this year.
In conference play, Engle scored 11 goals and was one of only two players to record double-figure goals in ACC matches this season. She was the only player to register a hat trick in league play, scoring three times in Notre Dame’s 5-0 win at Virginia Tech on October 23.
Engle has now scored an impressive 38 career goals in just 41 matches played through her sophomore season.
The MAC Hermann Trophy, the most coveted individual honor in NCAA Division I soccer, has been awarded annually since 1967. The 2025 MAC Hermann Trophy banquet will be held at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis on Jan. 9, 2026, to formally announce this year’s winners.
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BUTLER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
BULLDOGS RETURN TO HINKLE TO FACE INDIANA STATE
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse after opening BIG EAST play on the road last week with games at Seton Hall and Marquette. Indiana State and Eastern Illinois will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse this week as the Bulldogs finish nonconference action on Sunday. Thursday’s game is the first of a four-game homestand for the Bulldogs that includes their BIG EAST home opener on Dec. 19 against Xavier and finishes with a visit from No. 1 UConn Dec. 28.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025
Time: 7PM
Location: Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Stats: Butlersports.com
Watch: ESPN+
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
Butler (4-6, 0-2 BE) opened BIG EAST action last week with two road games at Seton Hall and Marquette. Butler fell at Seton Hall 70-51, and 80-55 at Marquette. Caroline Dotsey led BU in the two games averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 50-percent from the floor.
Last week, Lily Zeinstra was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after an impressive two games at the Ft. Myers Tip-Off. Zeinstra averaged 15.5 points, 2.0 steals, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Against Dayton, in the Ft. Myers Tip-Off, Lily Zeinstra set a career-high in points and assists as the sophomore poured in 19 points and six assists in BU’s win. Anna Wypych set a career-high in points with 12 in the contest, all of which came from beyond the arc.
Butler had six players score in double figures against the Flyers (Zeinstra 19, Wypych 12, Caroline Dotsey 12, Saniya Jackson 11, Mallory Miller 10 and Nevaeh Jackson 10). This is the first time Butler has had six players in double figures in the last 15 seasons. The last time Butler had six score in double digits was Dec. 12, 2010, when Butler defeated Ball State 105-98.
Zeinstra leads the BU offense, averaging 11.9 points per game. The sophomore is shooting 48.4-percent from the floor and 40.5-percent from beyond the arc. Caroline Dotsey leads the squad on the glass, pulling down 4.5 rebounds per game.
Saniya and Nevaeh Jackson have been stellar for BU, averaging 8.8 and 7.1 points per game, respectively. Nevaeh pulls down 2.5 rebounds per game while Saniya grabs 3.8.
Butler currently ranks 98th nationally and sixth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage shooting at a 43.3-percent clip. BU is in the top 100 nationally in free throw percentage, sinking 74.3-percent (77th) of its shots from the charity stripe.
Lilly Stoddard is 77th nationally in blocks this season with 14 to her credit. Saniya Jackson is 133rd nationally in total steals with 20 to her credit.
Butler returns three letterwinners from a year ago and added nine new players to the team with the addition of seven transfers and two freshmen.
Austin Parkinson enters his fourth season at the helm of the Bulldogs. Parkinson has led the squad to 42 wins in his first three seasons.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE
Indiana State (4-3) is coming off a 102-50 win over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods on Monday. Six players scored in double figures for ISU as Tierney Kelsey led the way for the Sycamores with 17 points.
Kelsey paces the ISU offense, averaging 18.1 points per game. She is shooting 43.6-percent from the floor while sinking 31.3-percent of her shots from behind the arc.
Amerie Flowers leads Indiana State on the glass, pulling down 8.1 rebounds per game.
Marc Mitchell is in his first season at the helm of the Sycamores. Previously, he was the head coach at the University of Indianapolis.
2025-26 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TICKETS: Season tickets remain on sale, providing the best seating locations still available for the upcoming season. Contact the Butler Ticket Office at tickets@butler.edu or 317-940-DOGS (3647) to place your order. Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 Butler Women’s Basketball season are available through ButlerSports.com/BuyTickets.
Butler University Upgrades Iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse with Dynamic LED Video
Technology consultant Anthony James Partners (AJP) provided design, procurement, and construction administration services for the upgrades, supporting Butler in selecting SNA Displays to manufacture and install more than 2,700 square feet of LED video display technology, including a center hung display system, baseline LED ribbons, multiple courtside tables, and other digital signage.
The centerpiece of the project is a new LED center hung display consisting of four curved, 14-foot-tall video screens seamlessly connected to create a continuous 360-degree video surface. Each side features a 4 mm pixel pitch for increased pixel density and clarity. The center hung also includes custom static lettering along the top ring of the structure and a team-branded Bulldog logo facing downward toward the playing surface.
Other video signage includes 3-foot-high LED ribbons along the second-level fascia at both ends of the Fieldhouse, two 19-foot-long vomitory displays between the second and third levels, and eight new courtside mobile scorer’s tables equipped with LED screens. For recruitment and training purposes, the project also features two new ASPECT™ all-in-one 16:9 video screens from SNA Displays in an adjacent practice facility, directly integrated into the new control management system.
UP NEXT
Butler will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 14 as BU hosts Eastern Illinois in its final nonconference game of the season. Tip-off at Hinkle Fieldhouse is scheduled for 2 p.m. and fans can find a link to live stats on Butlersports.com.
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IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
IU INDY FALLS TO THE PHOENIX
INDIANAPOLIS – IU Indy fought throughout the night at the Jungle but couldn’t keep pace with a sharp-shooting Green Bay squad, falling 74–47 in Horizon League play on Wednesday.
IU Indy opened with strong defensive pressure and early transition buckets from Hailey Smith and Jemma Amoore, taking brief leads through the first several minutes. Nevaeh Foster added a three and a fastbreak layup as the Jaguars stayed within striking distance. However, Green Bay closed the quarter on a run powered by efficient mid-range scoring and a late basket from Meghan Schultz, creating a 10-point gap after one.
The Jaguars responded with one of their most competitive quarters of the night. Hailey Smith drilled a three, Foster hit another from deep, and the Jaguars generated second-chance opportunities on the glass. Julia Hall knocked down a pair of free throws, while Sydney Bolden added two more at the line. IU Indy’s energy helped keep the margin manageable, but Green Bay’s Gracie Grzesk hit multiple threes, allowing the Phoenix to maintain control and take a 41–29 lead into halftime.
Both defenses tightened after the break. Foster opened the half with a transition three, and Hall added a free throw as IU Indy worked to chip away. Sydney Bolden and the Jaguars produced several steals, turning defense into opportunity, but Green Bay remained steady in the paint behind Schultz, who delivered several inside scores. IU Indy matched the Phoenix nearly possession for possession, but the deficit grew slightly to 54–40 entering the fourth.
Green Bay pulled away in the final frame, using balanced scoring and interior finishes to put the game out of reach. Foster continued to battle, adding to her team-high effort, and Smith contributed defensively, but the Jags struggled to find rhythm as the Phoenix closed the night on a strong offensive push.
Nevaeh Foster led the Jaguars with 15 points, including three threes and six rebounds. Hailey Smith added 10 points, three steals and several early transition buckets. Sydney Bolden contributed four steals, four points and strong perimeter defense, while Julia Hall provided three points and key free throws off the bench. Ariana Williams chipped in five points, including a three, as IU Indy finished with 12 total steals and 13 bench points.
IU Indy will next host IU Columbus in the Jungle next Wednesday, December 17 at 6:30 PM.
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IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
IU INDY TO HOST GREEN BAY ON THURSDAY NIGHT INSIDE THE JUNGLE
INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team will continue its three-game homestand on Thursday night (Dec. 11) when the Jaguars host Green Bay (4-7, 0-2 HL) at 6:30 p.m. inside the Jungle. Thursday’s game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and MyINDY as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and Kristin Haseley (analyst) are on the call.
The Jags (3-8, 0-2 HL) enter play looking to snap a two-game skid on the heels of a 78-55 home loss to Youngstown State. The Jags were limited to a season-low 55 points and just four made treys in the defeat. Junior Kyler D’Augustino, who was honored before the game for scoring his 1,000th collegiate point, tallied a team-high 19 points in the loss.
IU Indy continues to rank among the nation’s leaders in tempo according to KenPom.com and leads the country in field goal attempts per game and ranks third in assists. D’Augustino paces the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) and minutes played (29.3 mpg) and is joined in double-digits by Matt Compas (12.5 ppg) and freshman Maguire Mitchell (10.6 ppg). Mitchell has hit a team-high 29 threes and is tied with Compas with a team-high 19 steals.
IU Indy will be debuting their City Edition uniforms, which includes a skyline on the jersey and a checkered flag pattern on the shorts.
QUOTABLE
“Right now, we’re going through it as a team. We’re trying to figure things out. We have a bunch of new players who have never played, not only in this league, but in Division I basketball. We’re in a rut right now, but we’ll get through it, we’ll stay the course and get things done,” head coach Ben Howlett said following Saturday’s home loss to Youngstown State.
SCOUTING GREEN BAY
Green Bay is 4-7 overall this season and 0-5 in true road games. The Phoenix do own a pair of neutral site wins over UMass and Iowa from the Paradise Jam in late November. Like the Jaguars, Green Bay has opened Horizon League play 0-2 with losses to Robert Morris and Wright State. Here are Green Bay’s probable starters for Thursday’s game.
G- Preston Ruedinger (6-2, R-Sr.) – 10.2 ppg, 4.6 apg
G- Justin Allen (6-4, Sr.) – 12.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
G- C.J. O’Hara (6-4, Soph.) – 13.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg
F- Marcus Hall (6-6, Jr.) – 14.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg
C- Maruan Cicic (7-0, Fr.) – 3.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg
INSIDE THE SERIES
IU Indy leads the all-time series 11-10 after sweeping last year’s home-and-home series. The Jaguars are 5-4 in the nine games in Indianapolis.
UP NEXT
The Jaguars will conclude the three-game homestand on Tuesday night (Dec. 16) when they host Miami (Ohio)-Middletown inside the Jungle at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as Greg Rakestraw (pxp) and analyst Bob Lovell (analyst) describe the action. In addition, the game can be heard in Central Indiana on 1430 Indy’s Sports Ticket as Jimmy Cook (pxp) and Chaz Hinds (analyst) are on the call.
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BALL STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOSES ON THE ROAD TO NO. 22 LOUISVILLE
LOUISVILLE, KY. – The Ball State women’s basketball team suffered an 93-62 loss to No. 22 Louisville Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 8-3 overall, while Louisville improved to 9-3 on the season.
For the first time in 11 games the Cardinals struggled from the floor. The Louisville Cardinals shot 47 percent, while Ball State was held to 36 percent shooting.
Ball State held its own in the opening minutes of the contest going toe-for-toe with Louisville. The game was tied 2-2 after Zhen Verburgt scored BSU’s first basket with a driving layup. After that, Louisville went on a 19-10 run that would give UofL the nine-point (21-12) advantage at the end of the first quarter of play.
BSU turned up its defense to start the second period to keep Louisville at bay but by the 3:13 mark UofL had built a 28-point cushion (45-17) that the Ball State Cardinals couldn’t overcome. Despite Ball State’s efforts, Louisville would end the first half up 50-25.
After the break, Louisville remained hot from the floor in the second half, eventually building its largest lead of the contest, a 35-point cushion (78-43) with 8:39 remaining in the game.
The Cardinals just couldn’t find their way back into the ball game struggling on both offense and defense over the 40-minute duration of the contest which ultimately led to Louisville’s win over BSU tonight.
For the game, Bree Salenbien led the Cardinals with 13 points while Karsyn Norman finished the game with 11 points and Tessa Towers tallied 10 points.
The Ball State women’s basketball team will end its three-game road trip when it travels to South Dakota State Sunday for a 3 pm ET tipoff in First Bank & Trust Arena.
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INDIANA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
SYCAMORES EYE THIRD STRAIGHT WIN THURSDAY NIGHT
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State heads to the Circle City for the second time this season Thursday night when the Sycamores face Butler for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. The game will be carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Indiana State picked up its fourth win of the season, using a high-scoring first quarter to outlast Northern Illinois 69-61 inside the Hulman Center.
Tierney Kelsey led the Sycamores with 22 points, with Amerie Flowers posting 15 points and 10 rebounds to secure her second double-double of the season. Kennedy Claybrooks contributed 11 points and four assists, while Samiyah Briggs paced the defensive effort with a game-high four steals.
Indiana State controlled the pace early, using a 16-0 first-quarter run to build a double-digit lead behind strong starts from Briggs and Kelsey. NIU battled back in the second and third periods, trimming the margin to single digits, but the Sycamores responded each time with steady scoring from Kelsey, key defensive stops, and timely baskets from Flowers. After the Huskies briefly took the lead in the fourth, Indiana State closed with clutch shots from Flowers and Claybrooks and sealed the game at the free-throw line, securing a hard-fought home win.
Lockdown
Indiana State’s offense has been one of the best in the Missouri Valley Conference, but the Sycamore defense has played a major factor into each of the Trees’ four wins this season.
The Sycamores are 4-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points. Indiana State also ranks second in the MVC and in the top 75 nationally in field goal defense (36.4 percent), while owning the top 3-point defense in the conference (24.1 percent).
Indiana State’s 3-point defense has been the definition of lights-out this season. The Sycamores rank 17th nationally in 3-point defense, with three opponents shooting below 20 percent from behind the arc.
Flip The Script
Indiana State’s statistical numbers have all taken a significant step in the right direction compared to the 2024-25 season, and those numbers are even further increased when comparing the first seven games of both campaigns.
The Sycamores’ scoring is up by 17 points per game compared to the start of the 2024-25 season (76.3 this season, 59.3 in first seven games of last season), while the defense has improved by three points per game (66.4 this season, 69.7 last season).
The current uptick for the Blue and White has led to Indiana State owning the top scoring margin in the MVC this season at plus-9.9. The Sycamores rank second in the conference in scoring offense, while also sitting in the top half of the league in scoring defense.
Sophomores Stepping Up
Indiana State had a pair of underclassmen lead the charge in its 69-61 win over Northern Illinois, as sophomores Tierney Kelsey and Amerie Flowers combined to score more than half of the Sycamores’ points.
Kelsey, who ranks third in the MVC in scoring this season at 18.1 points per game, tallied a game-high 22 points and recorded her third 20-point game of the season. She knocked down a pair of treys and was also 8-for-9 from the charity stripe. Kelsey has already outproduced her entire 2024-25 scoring total from Jackson State in just the first seven games this season.
Flowers registered her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field while going 5-for-8 from the free throw line. The 10 rebounds marked her team-leading fourth game with double-digit boards this season, the third-most in the MVC this year.
Attack, Attack, Attack
Indiana State’s offense ranks among the best in the MVC in most statistical categories this season, with the Sycamores sitting in the top three in the conference in points per game (second), field goal percentage (first), free throws attempted (second), free throws made (second), offensive rebounds (second), bench points (first) and scoring margin (first).
After ranking near the bottom of the MVC in most statistical categories in the 2024-25 season, the Trees have quickly turned things around to start the 2025-26 campaign. Not only do the Sycamores rank among the best in the MVC in most offensive stats, they also rank among the top 75 nationally in bench points (second), free throws attempted (34th), free throws made (58th) and scoring offense (60th).
Going The Other Way
Indiana State’s defense has been the best in the MVC this season when it comes to forcing turnovers, with Sycamore opponents averaging 19.7 giveaways per game. The Sycamores sit inside the top 100 nationally in turnovers forced and also rank third in the MVC in turnover margin at plus-2.1.
The Sycamores have often converted opposition miscues into points on the other end, with Indiana State averaging 20.9 points off turnovers per game. The Trees have three games this season with 25-plus points off turnovers.
Off And Running
Indiana State has shown an ability to score in bunches this season, as the Sycamores have recorded five different quarters with 25-plus points this season. The most recent occurrence came in the Trees’ last win against Northern Illinois, as the Sycamores tallied 26 points in the opening quarter against the Huskies.
The Sycamores have also tallied 50-plus points in a half on two different occasions this season, a feat which had not been done since the 2017-18 campaign. Indiana State had 51 points in the second half of its last road game against SIU Edwardsville, then followed that with a 53-point second half in the first game of its recent homestand against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. The Trees have scored 40 or more points in a half in six of their first seven games this season.
On This Date
Indiana State is 4-4 in program history in games played on December 11, with the Sycamores’ lone road win on this date coming at Indiana during the 1989-90 season.
1981 – Marquette (W, 77-47)
1982 – Missouri State (W, 83-66)
1988 – Saint Louis (W, 63-45)
1989 – at Indiana (W, 75-73)
1993 – at Purdue (L, 58-102)
2003 – Miami (Ohio) (L, 80-92)
2016 – at Butler (L, 48-66)
2021 – at Nebraska (L, 50-78)
Butler At A Glance
Butler enters Thursday’s game at 4-6 overall and 0-2 in Big East play following consecutive road setbacks at Seton Hall and Marquette. The Bulldogs are 3-2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season.
Lily Zeinstra leads the Bulldogs with 11.9 points and 3.3 assists per game, with Butler’s offense being a balanced effort. Eight different players average at least five points per game. Caroline Dotsey and Mallory Miller both average more than four rebounds per game, with Miller also adding one block per game. Saniya Jackson leads Butler in steals at 2.0 per game.
Austin Parkinson is in his fourth season as head coach at Butler and owns a 46-60 record at the helm of the Bulldogs. Parkinson previously turned IUPUI (now IU Indy) into a mid-major contender and has 270 career wins as a head coach.
Series History Against Butler
Indiana State is 16-17 all-time against Butler, including a 13-16 mark in the Division I era. The Sycamores are 6-10 in games played in Indianapolis in the series.
Butler has won each of the last four meetings in the series, including an 80-55 decision last year in Indianapolis. The Sycamores’ last win was a 70-63 overtime victory in Terre Haute during the 2015-16 season, while the Trees’ last win at Hinkle Fieldhouse was by a 66-51 margin during the 2014-15 season.
Last Meeting Against Butler (Nov. 20, 2024)
Indiana State had four players score in double-figures for the third straight game, 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.
Up Next
Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Conference play December 17 when the Trees play host to Drake for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
‘DONS DOMINATE MAC-FOE EASTERN MICHIGAN
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Corey Hadnot II had 28 points, DeAndre Craig Jr. totaled 15 and Mikale Stevenson had 13 in Purdue Fort Wayne’s 80-65 victory over Eastern Michigan on Wednesday (Dec. 10) evening.
Hadnot did his damage in the paint, going 11-of-17 from the floor with all 11 hoops inside the arc.
The ‘Dons used a 14-4 run to grab a 31-20 lead with 4:39 left in the first half. Purdue Fort Wayne expanded the lead to 18 at the break at 47-29. Hadnot finished with 14 points in the first half.
Eastern Michigan never threatened in the second half. The Eagles entered the game with wins over Cincinnati, Georgia State and Oakland this season.
Purdue Fort Wayne was 19-of-23 from the free throw line. The Mastodons shot 5-of-14 from three, their fewest attempts from beyond the arc since going 7-of-14 from three against SEMO on Dec. 9, 2023.
Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 6-6. Eastern Michigan falls to 6-5.
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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
FORT DEFENDED: MASTODONS MOVE TO 3-0 IN #HLWBB PLAY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball team won its annual Defend the Fort contest on Wednesday night (Dec. 10) with a 70-60 victory over Milwaukee.
The Mastodons overcame a special 3-point shooting night from the Panthers. The visitors finished 13-of-25 (52.0 percent) from beyond the arc after starting 9-for-11.
The answer for the prolific MKE shooting came by way of a balanced scoring effort from the Mastodons. Alana Nelson, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week, led the way with 20. Nika Lokica followed with 16 points, a season-high. Jordan Reid and Ella Riggs also scored in double-figures with 12 and 10, respectively.
After Milwaukee led 5-2, Purdue Fort Wayne rattled off a 12-0 scoring run, sparked by a mid-range pull up from Lauren Lee. Reid had a layup, then Nelson scored the next eight with a pair of triples and a jumper. The run extend to 19-3 after Lokica took over for a 90-second stretch, giving the Mastodons a 21-8 lead.
The rest of the game, the two teams traded runs. The Panthers led 29-27 after a 9-0 spurt behind three triples. Milwaukee never really went away, with the Mastodons building a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter that dwindled to just five after a 10-0 push over three and a half minutes.
With the game in the balance in the final three minutes, Purdue Fort Wayne went to its most experienced players. Nelson hit a jumper and a triple and Reid made a pair of free throws to ice the game.
Reid added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Lee had four assists. Lokica finished with a line of 16 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Jorey Buwalda was great for MKE, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Purdue Fort Wayne improved to 7-4, 3-0 Horizon League. Milwaukee fell to 2-9, 0-2.
The Mastodons will step out of Horizon League play for the last two non-league games of the season next. Future league foe Northern Illinois will visit the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Sunday (Dec. 14) before Aquinas visits the Gates Sports Center on Friday (Dec. 19).
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VALPO MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
VALPO TO CLASH WITH UNCW IN FINAL HOME NONCONFERENCE GAME
Valparaiso (6-3, 0-0 MVC)
vs. UNCW (9-1, 0-0 CAA)
Game No. 10 – Saturday, Dec. 13, 2 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After a six-day break from game action to focus on final examinations, the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team is back on the court for a marquee matchup as the Beacons welcome a UNCW team that has won nine of its first 10 games to the Athletics-Recreation Center. This will mark the fourth time in the season’s first 10 games that Valpo will clash with an NCAA Tournament team from last season. It’s Community Day and a warm clothing drive will take place.
Last Time Out: Senior walk-on Joe Vick scored his first collegiate basket and Owen Dease scored a game-high 17 points as the Beacons blitzed CCSJ 98-58 last Saturday. An incredibly balanced effort featured seven players in double figures as Dease was joined by Carter Hopoi (12), JT Pettigrew (11), Tucker Tornatta (10), Justus McNair (10), Isaiah Barnes (10) and Shon Tupuola (10).
Glancing Ahead: The Beacons will battle Big Ten foe Northwestern on Tuesday, Dec. 16 in Evanston, Ill. in the nonconference finale. The game will air on Peacock.
Following the Beacons: Streaming – ESPN+ – Todd Ickow (play-by-play) and Jamie Stangel (analyst)
Radio – WVUR 95.1 FM Valparaiso, TuneIn Radio App, ValpoAthletics.com – Austin Amburgey
X updates – @ValpoBasketball
Links for video, audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Roger Powell Jr.: Roger Powell Jr. (28-47) is in his third season as the head coach of the Valpo men’s basketball program. After helping guide Gonzaga to a 121-13 record during his four seasons as an assistant coach, Powell returned to Valpo, where he was part of head coach Bryce Drew’s staff from 2011-2016 and led the team to 124 wins in five seasons, including a program-record 30 victories and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game appearance in 2015-16. He was part of head coach Mark Few’s Gonzaga staff as the Bulldogs reached the 2021 national championship game after winning their first 31 games of the season. During Powell’s first season on staff in 2019-20, Gonzaga was 31-2 at the time the NCAA college basketball season was halted due to COVID-19. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in each of his final three seasons on staff, including two Elite Eight appearances and the aforementioned trip to the 2021 national title game. Prior to his arrival at Gonzaga, Powell served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt University under Bryce Drew from 2016-2019. During his stint as an assistant at Valpo, he was part of four Horizon League regular-season championships in a five-year period while also leading the 2012-13 and 2014-15 squads to Horizon League tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A product of Joliet West High School and a native of Joliet, Ill., Powell capped a prolific collegiate playing career at Illinois with a national title game appearance in 2005 before going on to a successful professional playing career. In the second season of the Powell Era in 2024-2025, Valpo over doubled its overall win total from the previous season and doubled its conference win output before earning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal berth. The Beacons finished with 15 wins, the team’s highest total since 2019-20.
Series Notes: Valpo is 2-0 all-time against UNCW, winning 77-69 on Dec. 2, 2000 at the ARC and 79-70 on Nov. 25, 2017 as part of the Savannah Invitational in Savannah, Ga. Valpo’s last game against the CAA was an 82-78 loss at Elon on Dec. 29, 2023.
Solid Start
Valpo owns a record of 6-3, the team’s best record through nine games since starting 8-1 in 2017-18.
With a victory on Saturday, Valpo would be 7-3 through 10 games, its best 10-game start since the 2017-18 campaign.
The Beacons are 5-1 at home through six ARC contests for the first time under head coach Roger Powell Jr.
Scouting the Seahawks
Ranked 107 by KenPom and 101 in the NET.
Their lone loss of the season came 86-77 on Nov. 10 at Kent State.
Own an eight-game winning streak, most recently winning 70-63 at Louisiana.
Went to the NCAA Tournament last season and finished 27-8 overall and 14-4 in the CAA.
Picked to finish second in the CAA preseason poll, just four points in the polling behind preseason favorite Towson.
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VALPO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS
CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE ARC FRIDAY AS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HOSTS SIUE
Valparaiso (0-9, 0-1 MVC)
Game #10 – December 12, 2025 – 6 p.m.
SIUE (5-3, 0-0 OVC)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After a brief foray into MVC play, the Valpo women’s basketball team gets back to nonconference action with the first of three games over six days, hosting SIUE Friday evening at the ARC. It will be a Christmas Party at the ARC, with Santa and Mrs. Claus available for photos.
Previously: Mor Shabtai posted career highs with 16 points and nine rebounds on Sunday as the Beacons dropped their MVC opener to UIC, 61-44.
Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-9 at Valpo, 1st season; 190-77 [.712] overall, 9th season): Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the Valparaiso University women’s basketball program on Friday, April 4, 2025. A national championship-winning head coach and player, an NAIA National Coach of the Year, and a two-time conference Coach of the Year, Boyd has won 20 or more games in seven of her first eight seasons as a head coach. She spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Quincy University program after six seasons as head coach at Clarke University, leading the latter program to the NAIA national title in 2022-23.
Series Notes: Friday will be the fifth meeting all-time between Valpo and SIUE – the series is tied 2-2, with both programs winning on their respective home court twice. The last matchup came back on Dec. 19, 2015, a 69-56 Valpo victory at the ARC. Abby Dean led the way that day with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds, while Dani Franklin scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting off the bench.
@ValpoWBB…
…versus UIC
– Valpo got off to a flying start to the game, scoring right off the opening tip as Fiona Connolly gained possession and immediately drove to the rim.
– It was the Beacons’ defense which carried the day early on, holding UIC to 1-of-7 shooting and forcing two turnovers over the opening four-plus minutes as Valpo led 6-2.
– Valpo went five minutes between baskets as UIC closed the opening period on a 12-2 run to lead 14-8 after the first 10 minutes.
– After a Connolly free throw with 7:10 to play in the second quarter, the Beacons were within 18-13. But UIC scored nine in a row over the next seven minutes to push its lead into double figures.
– Connolly closed the half like she started it, scoring on a putback inside the final 10 seconds and then, after a pair of UIC free throws, banking in a 3-pointer from 25 feet out at the buzzer to bring Valpo within 29-19 at halftime.
– Mor Shabtai connected on a 3-pointer and Mikayla Huffine finished a drive on back-to-back possessions midway through the third quarter, forcing a UIC timeout with 5:19 to play in the period and its lead down to 35-26.
– The Beacons’ defense limited the Flames to just two free throws the rest of the quarter, but the offense was unable to take advantage, going scoreless over that same stretch as UIC led 37-26 with 10 minutes remaining.
– UIC went on a 14-3 run over the first half of the fourth quarter to pull away.
– Shabtai set career bests across the board Sunday, smashing her previous highs of 11 points and four rebounds with team highs of 16 points and nine rebounds. She went 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, as she set new bests for field goals and 3-pointers made as well.
– The sophomore also drew nine fouls while not committing a foul or a turnover in her 29 minutes of action.
– The Beacons shot just 29.8% from the floor Sunday and were just 5-for-21 from 3-point range and 5-for-13 from the foul line. On the flip side, Valpo’s defense held UIC to 38.1% shooting, including just 3-for-18 from 3-point range.
…looking ahead
– The Beacons turn right around for their lone road game in the month of December Sunday at Western Michigan.
– Valpo closes nonconference play Wednesday evening at the ARC against Central Michigan.
…at the ARC
– Sunday’s game is the third of 13 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo will host three nonconference games and 10 MVC games.
– The Beacons are currently 0-2 at the ARC this year.
– Valpo posted a 9-6 record at the ARC last season, the program’s first winning record at home since the 2019-20 season.
….and @ValleyHoops
– Valpo is in its ninth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
– Valpo was picked outside the top-four of the MVC preseason poll, as the Valley released only the top four selections.
– The Valley finished last season ranked seventh in the NET, matching the conference’s highest NET/RPI ranking in Valpo’s time as an MVC member (2020-21).
…looking back at last year
– Valpo finished last season with a 13-19 overall record and went 9-11 in MVC play to finish in eighth place.
– Among the Beacons’ 13 victories were a thrilling rally from a 20-point deficit for a home win over Drake which entered the game ranked 69th in NET, the program’s highest-ranked win since a win over #54 UNI in 2021-22.
– Leah Earnest was tabbed a First Team All-MVC honoree as she concluded a decorated career that saw her finish first in program history in career rebounds and third in career scoring.
– The 2024-25 Beacons hit 245 3-pointers, third-most in a single season in program history, and tallied 314 steals, seventh on the program’s single-season chart and the most since 2001-02.
@SIUEWBB
– SIUE comes to the ARC with a 5-3 record, most recently falling 65-56 at Missouri this past Sunday.
– The Beacons are the Cougars’ third MVC opener of the season, as they already own wins over Indiana State (81-71) and Evansville (75-69).
– Kiyoko Proctor is averaging a team-best 13.6 points/game and has a team-high 21 assists, while Lauren Miller contributes 12.6 points/game.
Gimme Mor
– Sophomore guard Mor Shabtai had a career performance in the Beacons’ MVC opener Sunday against UIC.
– Shabtai, who entered the game with career highs of 11 points and four rebounds, easily outdid that as she paced Valpo with 16 points and nine rebounds.
– She went 6-of-9 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, to set new bests in field goals made and 3-pointers made.
– Shabtai is just the third Valpo player in the last six seasons to post at least 16 points, nine rebounds and three made 3-pointers in a single game, joining Leah Earnest (2x) and Shay Frederick.
– Shabtai is the eighth member of this year’s team whose career bests for scoring and rebounding have come in the same game (von Schlegell, Dibb, Preston, Swedlund, Sullivan, Waytahsek, Winch).
Return to Nonconference
– After opening the Valley slate this past Sunday against UIC, Valpo returns to nonconference play for its final three nonconference games over a six-day span.
– It is the first time the Beacons have played a nonconference game after starting conference play since the 2022-23 season, when they traveled to Wisconsin for a Jan. 25 game – a rescheduled matchup due to a weather postponement.
– Prior to that, you have to go back to the 2008-09 season, which featured a Feb. 17 game against Chicago State in the midst of Horizon League action.
Home Sweet Home
– After playing their first three games of the year and seven of their first eight away from home, the Beacons will enjoy their beds at home this month.
– Four of Valpo’s five games in December are at the ARC, with its lone road game being a mere short trip to Kalamazoo to play at Western Michigan.
– Valpo will play its first two MVC games at home as part of this stretch, the first time it opens conference play with two home games since the 2020-21 season.
Winning on the Glass
– Over their three games at the CSU Invitational, the Beacons were a +5 in rebounding margin, including besting their opponent in a pair of games.
– Valpo held a 46-40 edge on the glass in the opener against Radford, and followed two days later by out-boarding Cleveland State, 41-37.
– The +6 edge against Radford was the program’s best margin against a D-I opponent since finishing +10 on the glass at Bradley Feb. 15, 2024.
– It was also the first time Valpo has won the rebounding battle in consecutive games since that aforementioned Bradley game, which followed a positive effort on the glass against Evansville.
Career Bests
– Three Valpo players set D-I career highs in the scoring department over the Beacons’ time at the CSU Invitational.
– In the tournament opener against Radford, Fiona Connolly dropped a game-high 21 points – the third time this season she has bested her career high.
– In that same game, Kennedy Sproule – who scored just three points over her first three games at Valpo – scored 11 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-6 from behind the 3-point line.
– In the Beacons’ finale against St. Bonaventure, Kylie Waytashek easily passed her previous career best with an 18-point effort, hitting 8-of-11 from the floor. She outdid her previous high of 14, set last year against Trinity Christian, and more than doubled her previous high against a D-I opponent of seven, from earlier this season at DePaul.
All-Tournament Honoree
– Fiona Connolly represented Valpo on the All-Tournament Team at the CSU Invitational, as she averaged 14.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over the Beacons’ trio of games in Cleveland.
– Connolly opened with her career-high 21 points and also tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds against Radford.
– She tied for game-high honors with 14 points versus Cleveland State, and closed the tournament with nine points and seven boards against St. Bonaventure.
The Tall and the Short
– This year’s Valpo roster features recent extremes on both ends of the height spectrum.
– Mor Shabtai and Mikayla Huffine both are listed at 5-4, making them the shortest Valpo players since 5-3 Rashida Ray (2007-11).
– On the flip side, Kamryn Winch and Milana Nenadic both check in at 6-3, making them the tallest Valpo players since 6-5 Nicole Johanson (2018-19).
International Flavor
– Valpo has a trio of international players on its 2025-26 roster: sophomore Mor Shabtai (Israel) and transfers Milana Nenadic (Ontario, Canada) and Kennedy Sproule (Manitoba, Canada).
– Prior to Shabtai’s arrival last year, the Valpo program hadn’t had an international player since Sharon Karungi (Uganda) roamed the paint from 2013-15.
Sister Act
– For the third straight season, the Beacons have a pair of sisters on their roster, as freshman Nuala Connolly joins senior sister Fiona on this year’s squad.
– The last two years featured identical twins Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson.
– Before that, the last set of sisters to suit up together in the Brown and Gold were the trio of Hamlet sisters: Annemarie (2013-16) overlapped with both older sister Elizabeth (2013-14) and younger sister Meredith (2015-19).
==========
UINDY VOLLEYBALL NEWS
PARLANTI NAMED AVCA SECOND-TEAM ALL AMERICA
Lexington, KY — UIndy Volleyball Senior Paige Parlanti was named to the AVCA All America Second-Team, the AVCA announced Wednesday.
The Las Vegas Native is the first Greyhound All-American since Hailey Brown in 2014. Parlanti and the Greyhounds appeared in their first Midwest Regional Championship match since 2012, while reaching the 22-win mark, the program’s highest since 2013.
Parlanti started 33 matches for UIndy, and averaged 3.51 kills/set on .230 hitting from the outside while recording 23 double-doubles, with a season-high 25 kills at Rockhurst (Nov. 7) and season-best 25 digs at Maryville (Oct. 11).
The senior outside hitter recently earned ACVA All-Region First Team honors, First Team All-GLVC, was named to the GLVC All-Tournament, and the All-Midwest Tournament Team.
Full List of Honorees Below
| 1st | Caitlin | Bishop | University of Missouri-St. Louis | S | Sr. | 1st Team-2023 |
| 1st | Austin | Broadie | Washburn University | RS | Sr. | |
| 1st | Kayla | Giroux | Wayne State University (MI) | MB | Sr. | 2nd-2024 |
| 1st | Annika | Helf | Metropolitan State University Denver | OH | Sr. | 3rd-2024 |
| 1st | Cordelia | Kearns | Florida Institute of Technology | OH | Jr. | |
| 1st | Valeriya | Kozlova | Barry University | OH | Fr | |
| 1st | Peyton | Neff | University of Nebraska Kearney | S | Sr. | 1st-2024 |
| 1st | Makenna | Nold | Concordia University-St. Paul | RS | So. | |
| 1st | Abi | Nua | Point Loma University | OH | Sr. | 1st-2024, 3rd-2022 |
| 1st | Madi | Parrish | Angelo State University | OH | Jr. | 2nd-2024 |
| 1st | Connor | Rahn | University of Tampa | OH | So. | |
| 1st | Alayna | Santel | University of Missouri-St. Louis | RS | So. | |
| 1st | Karly | Wells | Dallas Baptist University | OH | Jr. | |
| 1st | Sarah | Ybarra | Cal Poly Pomona | RS | Jr. | 2nd-2024 |
| 2nd | Sophia | Baugh | Point Loma University | S | Jr. | |
| 2nd | Samarah | DaCoud | California State University, Los Angeles | OH | So. | |
| 2nd | Veronika | Eremeeva | Barry University | RS | So. | |
| 2nd | Sydney | Huck | University of Central Oklahoma | OH | Sr. | |
| 2nd | Shelby | Kimm | St. Cloud State University | OH | Jr. | |
| 2nd | Braya | LaPlant | St. Cloud State University | S | So. | |
| 2nd | Gabi | Moulton | University of West Florida | S | Jr. | |
| 2nd | Devyn | Oestreich | Western Washington University | OH | Sr. | |
| 2nd | Paige | Parlanti | University of Indianapolis | OH | Sr. | |
| 2nd | Kaitlyn | Parrott | University of Central Oklahoma | L | Jr. | |
| 2nd | Tess | Schrenger | University of Tampa | OH | Sr. | |
| 2nd | Taytum | Stow | West Texas A&M University | MB | Sr. | |
| 2nd | Ella | Thompson | St. Cloud State University | MB | Sr. | 2nd-2024 |
| 2nd | Karyna | Werley | Metropolitan State University Denver | S | Fr. | |
| 3rd | Makenna | Belcher | The University of Findlay | OH | Sr. | |
| 3rd | Susanna | Beretti | Quincy University | OH | Jr. | |
| 3rd | Elizabeth | Blinn | Bentley University | MB | Sr. | |
| 3rd | Anna | Coulter | East Stroudsburg University | MB | Sr | |
| 3rd | Chloe | Hanel | Wayne State College (NE) | MB | So. | |
| 3rd | Kinga | Michalska | Eckerd College | OH | Sr. | |
| 3rd | Delaney | Miller | Wayne State College (NE) | OH | Fr. | |
| 3rd | Sydney | Morland | Wingate University | MB | Sr. | 2nd-2024 |
| 3rd | Macy | Reynolds | Point Loma University | L | Sr. | |
| 3rd | Hadleigh | Richardson | Adams State University | OH | Sr. | |
| 3rd | Maya | Van Heyst | Wingate University | S | Jr. | 3rd-2024 |
| 3rd | Skylar | Weaver | University of Missouri-St. Louis | L | Jr. | |
| 3rd | Mikayla | Weiss | Fresno Pacific University | S | Jr. | |
| 3rd | Emma | White | The University of Findlay | S | Sr. |
==========
MARIAN SOFTBALL NEWS
SOFTBALL INKS TATUM HUNT IN 2026 SIGNING CLASS
INDIANAPOLIS – The Marian softball team is finalizing its recruiting class for 2026, as head coach Scott Fleming has completed four signings in his upcoming class. The first future Knight signed for 2026 is Tatum Hunt, a local product who will join Marian from Brownsburg High School.
Tatum Hunt is a native of Brownsburg, Indiana, and is the starting shortstop for the Bulldogs softball team. Hunt batted .397 in her junior season, logging 31 total base hits, including 10 home runs. Hunt led her conference in home runs a season ago while also leading with 39 RBI, and finished second in slugging percentage at a .846 clip. The shortstop earned her high school’s Offensive Player of the Year honor for softball.
Tatum Hunt also played on the Brownsburg volleyball team, where she was named Academic All-State, gold award, and hard hat program award winner.
A high-academic student at Brownsburg, Hunt plans to major in exercise science at Marian. She plays travel softball for Indy Dreams Fair.
The additional signings of the Marian softball class will be released over the next week. The Knights are scheduled to begin their 2026 season on Saturday, February 21.
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MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
KATIE KOGER AND MARIAN CORRO CELMA NAMED UNITED SOCCER COACHES ALL-AMERICANS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 10, 2025) – United Soccer Coaches announced the association’s 2025 NAIA All-America teams on Wednesday. Marian women’s soccer earned two All-America honors, as Marian Corro Celma and Katie Koger were recognized by the association.
The United Soccer Coaches announced 11 men and 15 women as their 2025 All-Americans. Players on this year’s United Soccer Coaches NAIA All-America Teams will be recognized for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, Jan, 17, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pa., in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.
Katie Koger had a dominant season for Marian as a senior, leading Marian in both goals and assists, scoring 35 points this season. The striker notched 14 goals and seven assists, with her last two assists of the season coming in Marian’s victory over Taylor in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 match. Koger was the Crossroads League Player of the Year and a member of the league’s first team, and was recently recognized in the classroom by being named to both the NAIA Scholar-Athlete and CSC Academic All-District lists.
Marian Corro Celma was the heart of Marian’s midfield and finished her senior year as an All-American. A captain of the team, Corro Celma scored seven points on the year, notching two goals and three assists as she started all 23 games. The senior helped played a role in Marian’s 15 shutouts this season, and was named as an All-Crossroads League Midfielder. Corro Celma was named to the NAIA Scholar-Athlete list, and was a member of the CSC Academic All-District Team.
The two seniors helped Marian compile a 20-1-2 overall record this season, reaching the NAIA Quarterfinals.
MARIAN COACHING STAFF NAMED UNITED SOCCER COACHES WOMEN’S NAIA NORTH REGION STAFF OF THE YEAR
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Wednesday, December 10, the United Soccer Coaches (USC) association named the Marian women’s soccer coaching staff as its 2025 Women’s NAIA North Region Staff of the Year.
Marian’s coaching staff in 2025, comprised of head coach Justin Sullivan and assistants Doug Starnes, Noelle Molenda, and Mike Beckner, led Marian to the second-best record in program history, as the Knights were 20-1-2 on the season. Marian won the Crossroads League Regular Season Championship with an 8-0-1 overall mark and reached the NAIA Quarterfinals.
Sullivan was tabbed as the Crossroads League Coach of the Year earlier this season and led a program that saw six players earn honors from the Crossroads League, including Katie Koger, who was named Player of the Year.
Marian’s coaching staff led the program to its seventh consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearance in 2025.
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SMALL INDIANA COLLEGE SPORTS WEB SITES
UINDY ATHLETICS: https://athletics.uindy.edu/
MARIAN ATHLETICS: https://muknights.com/
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
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TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
Dec. 11
1938 — New York Giants beats the Green Bay Packers 23-17 to win the NFL championship.
1946 — The Chicago Stags and Cleveland Rebels play an experimental game featuring 15-minute quarters, instead of the usual 12-minute quarters. The Stags beat the Rebels 88-70.
1949 — Johnny Lujack of the Chicago Bears passes for 468 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-21 rout of the Chicago Cardinals.
1959 — Richie Guerin scores 57 points, at the time the most ever by a Knick, as New York defeats Syracuse 152-121. His team record was broken by Bernard King 25 years later.
1971 — The Los Angeles Lakers set an NBA record with 21 straight wins by beating the Atlanta Hawks 104-95, breaking the record of 20 set by the Milwaukee Bucks the previous year.
1972 — Joe Namath of the New York Jets passes for 403 yards and Don Maynard sets an NFL record for career receptions in a 24-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Maynard, with seven catches, breaks Raymond Berry’s record of 631 by one catch.
1977 — Philadelphia’s Tom Bladon scores four goals and collects four assists to set a record for defensemen with eight points in the Flyers’ 11-1 victory over the Cleveland Barons.
1982 — Dan Fouts the San Diego Chargers passes for 444 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-37 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco’s Joe Montana passes for 356 yards to set an NFL record with five consecutive games of 300 yards or more passing.
1983 — John Henry becomes the first racehorse to surpass $4 million in career earnings when he wins the Hollywood Turf Cup with jockey Chris McCarron at Hollywood Park.
1985 — Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers registers seven assists in a 12-9 victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. The teams tie the NHL record for most total goals in a game.
1992 — Gary Bettman, the NBA’s senior vice president and general counsel, is named the NHL’s first commissioner.
1999 — Rowan ends Mount Union’s NCAA-record 54-game winning streak, beating the Purple Raiders 24-17 in overtime in a Division III semifinal game.
2002 — Danielle Dube becomes the third female goalie to start in a men’s professional hockey game, stopping 18 shots in the Long Beach Ice Dogs’ 4-1 loss to San Diego in the West Coast Hockey League.
2002 — Colorado’s Joe Sakic scores his 500th career goal in a 3-1 loss at Vancouver. Sakic is the 31st player in NHL history to reach the milestone.
2006 — Jerry Sloan becomes the fifth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 games after Utah defeats Dallas 101-79.
2010 — Carl Hagelin scores two goals in the Michigan’s 5-0 victory over Michigan State at Michigan Stadium. The announced attendance of 113,411 crowd sets a world attendance record for a hockey game.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors need two overtimes to remain perfect on a very imperfect night and improved to 24-0 this season by outlasting the Boston Celtics 124-119.
2021 – 87th Heisman Trophy Award: Bryce Young, Alabama (QB)
——-
Dec. 12
1937 — Rookie Sammy Baugh throws second-half touchdown passes of 55, 78 and 33 yards to overcome a 14-7 Chicago lead and give the Washington Redskins a 28-21 victory over the Chicago Bears for the NFL championship.
1953 — Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 victory against the New York Rangers. Richard finishes the game with 611 points, one more than injured linemate Elmer Lach, who has held the record since February 1952.
1965 — Chicago’s Gale Sayers scores six touchdowns with 336 combined yards to lead the Bears to a 61-20 rout of the San Francisco 49ers. The six TDs give Sayers an NFL-record 21 for the season. Sayers’ first touchdown is a reception, the next four rushing and the final, an 85-yard punt return.
1971 — Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks scores his 1,000th point with an assist in the first period of a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota North Stars.
1977 — NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien fined Kermit Washington $10,000 and suspends the Los Angeles Lakers forward for at least 60 days (26 games) for punching Houston’s Rudy Tomjanovich during a game on Dec. 9. The suspension is the longest ever in NBA history and the fine is the maximum permissible under league rules.
1986 — James “Bonecrusher” Smith knocks out Tim Witherspoon in the first round to win the WBA heavyweight title in New York.
1987 — Guard Mookie Blaylock leads Oklahoma to an NCAA-record 33 steals with 13 in a 152-84 victory over Centenary.
1990 — Connecticut uses a stifling press and quickness to jump to a 32-0 lead en route to an 85-32 victory over New Hampshire. New Hampshire plays 11 minutes and 48 seconds before scoring its first point.
2015 — Keenan Reynolds ends his Navy career with a clean sweep against Army. Reynolds rushes for two touchdowns and throws for another score to lead the No. 21 Midshipmen to their 14th straight win over the Black Knights, 21-17. Reynolds is the first quarterback over the 116-game series to go 4-0.
2015 — The Golden State Warriors’ NBA-record start ends at 24 wins when the Milwaukee Bucks beat them 108-95.
2016 — Tom Brady connects with Chris Hogan for a 79-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help the New England Patriots overcome a sloppy second half and claim a 30-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Brady throws for 406 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the fourth NFL quarterback with at least 450 career touchdown passes. He also throws just his second interception of the season.
2021 – Dutchman Max Verstappen wins Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship
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TV SPORTS TODAY
(All times Eastern)
Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts
Thursday, Dec. 1
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
ACCN — Saint Joseph’s at Syracuse
8 p.m.
FS1 — Iowa at Iowa St.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
3:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
GOLF
5 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, First Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
5 a.m. (Friday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Second Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (BOY’S)
8 p.m.
ESPNU — ESPN High School Basketball Showcase: TBD
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL (GIRL’S)
6 p.m.
ESPNU — ESPN High School Basketball Showcase: TBD
NFL FOOTBALL
8:15 p.m.
PRIME VIDEO — Atlanta at Tampa Bay
NHL HOCKEY
7 p.m.
ESPN — Vegas at Philadelphia
9:30 p.m.
ESPN — Florida at Colorado
_____
Friday, Dec. 12
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
7 p.m.
TRUTV — Missouri St. at Xavier
8 p.m.
FOX — Texas at UConn
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
9 p.m.
ESPN — FCS Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal
COLLEGE SOCCER (MEN’S)
6 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA College Cup: TBD, Semifinal, Cary, N.C.
8:30 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA College Cup: TBD, Semifinal, Cary, N.C.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
Noon
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
2:30 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
7 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Semifinal
GOLF
5 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Second Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, First Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
4:30 a.m. (Saturday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Third Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
_____
Saturday, Dec. 13
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
Noon
ACCN — UMass at Florida St.
BTN — Michigan St. at Penn St.
ESPN2 — Arkansas vs. Texas Tech, Dallas
ESPNU — DePaul at Wichita St.
TNT — Iona at St. John’s
12:30 p.m.
USA — Old Dominion at George Mason
1 p.m.
FOX — Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma
2 p.m.
ACCN — Evansville at Notre Dame
BTN — Jackson St. at Northwestern
CW — SC-Upstate at North Carolina
ESPNU — Cincinnati at Georgia
PEACOCK — Marquette at Purdue
TNT — Providence at Butler
2:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — George Washington vs. Florida, Sunrise, Fla.
3 p.m.
FOX — Kansas St. at Creighton
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — Memphis at Louisville
4 p.m.
ACCN — Hofstra at Syracuse
BTN — UC Davis at Oregon
PEACOCK — Nebraska at Illinois
4:30 p.m.
TNT — Pittsburgh at Villanova
SECN — Chattanooga at Auburn
5:30 p.m.
ESPN — Kansas at NC State
6 p.m.
BTN — S. Utah at Washington
6:30 p.m.
SECN — Cent. Arkansas at Vanderbilt
7 p.m.
CBSSN — Stanford at San Jose St.
TNT — Arizona St. at Santa Clara
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — Indiana at Kentucky
8 p.m.
ESPNU — Ohio St. vs. West Virginia, Cleveland
FOX — Michigan at Maryland
FS1 — Rutgers at Seton Hall
8:30 p.m.
SECN — SMU at LSU
9:30 p.m.
ESPN — Arizona at Alabama
10 p.m.
ESPNU — Mississippi St. at Utah
11:30 p.m.
ESPN — UCLA vs. Gonzaga, Seattle
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
4 p.m.
ESPNU — Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.
5:30 p.m.
FOX — UConn at Southern Cal
6 p.m.
ESPNU — Louisiana Tech at LSU
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Noon
ABC — Cricket Celebration Bowl: TBD, Atlanta
ESPN — FCS Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal
3 p.m.
CBS — Army vs. Navy, Baltimore
3:30 p.m.
ABC — FCS Tournament: TBD, Quarterfinal
7 p.m.
ABC — Heisman Trophy Celebration: From New York
8 p.m.
ABC — Bucked up L.A. Bowl: TBD, Los Angeles
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
GOLF
4:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Third Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
2 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Second Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
3 p.m.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Second Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
4:30 a.m. (Sunday)
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Final Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2 — UFC Fight Night Prelims: Undercard Bouts, Las Vegas
10 p.m.
ESPN2 — UFC Fight Night Main Card: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape (Flyweights), Las Vegas
NHL HOCKEY
12:30 p.m.
NHLN — Anaheim at New Jersey
SOCCER (MEN’S)
10 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Everton at Chelsea
Noon
CBS — Serie A: Lazio at Parma
12:30 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Fulham at Burnley
3 p.m.
USA — English Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers at Arsenal
_____
Sunday, Dec. 14
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)
1 p.m.
BTN — Texas Southern at Minnesota
2 p.m.
SECN — Bethune-Cookman at Missouri
3 p.m.
BTN — W. Michigan at Iowa
ESPN2 — Troy at UAB
7 p.m.
SECN — Jacksonville St. at Texas A&M
7:30 p.m.
FS1 — Washington St. at Southern Cal
COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)
1 p.m.
ABC — Texas vs. Baylor, Fort Worth, Texas
3:30 p.m.
ESPN — Penn St. at South Carolina
FS1 — Kansas St. at Creighton
4 p.m.
ACCN — Louisville at North Carolina
SECN — Jackson St. at Alabama
5:30 p.m.
FS1 — Michigan St. at DePaul
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)
3 p.m.
ABC — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
5 p.m.
ESPNU — NCAA Division II Tournament: TBD, Championship, Sioux Falls, S.D.
7:30 p.m.
ESPN — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Regional Final
GOLF
4:30 a.m.
GOLF — DP World Tour: The Alfred Dunhill Championship, Final Round, Royal Johannesburg Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 p.m.
GOLF — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Final Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
2 p.m.
NBC — PGA Tour: The Grant Thornton Invitational, Final Round, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
LACROSSE (MEN’S)
5 p.m.
ESPN2 — NLL: Rochester at San Diego
NFL FOOTBALL
1 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Baltimore at Cincinnati, L.A. Chargers at Kansas City, Buffalo at New England, N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville
FOX — Regional Coverage: Cleveland at Chicago, Washington at N.Y. Giants, Las Vegas at Philadelphia, Arizona at Houston
4:25 p.m.
CBS — Regional Coverage: Green Bay at Denver OR Indianapolis at Seattle
FOX — Regional Coverage: Detroit at L.A. Rams, Carolina at New Orleans, Tennessee at San Francisco
8:20 p.m.
NBC — Minnesota at Dallas
PEACOCK — Minnesota at Dallas
NHL HOCKEY
12:30 p.m.
NHLN — Vancouver at New Jersey
7 p.m.
NHLN — Edmonton at Montreal
SNOWBOARDING
4 p.m.
NBC — FIS: World Cup, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
SOCCER (MEN’S)
9 a.m.
USA — English Premier League: Newcastle United at Sunderland
11:30 a.m.USA — English Premier League: Leeds United at Brentford
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