THE INDIANA SRN “SPORTSPAGE” TUESDAY DECEMBER 2, 2025

“THE SCOREBOARD”

INDIANA BOYS BASKETBALL IBCA POLL

1.           FISHERS (19) 2-0        437

2.           CROWN POINT (1)    0-0        412

3.           LAWRENCE NORTH 1-0        361

4.           SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH   0-0        335

5.           PIKE (2)             2-1        327

6.           INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL             1-0        323

7.           MOUNT VERNON (FORTVILLE)        2-0        300

8.           SILVER CREEK             1-0        257

9.           PLAINFIELD   2-0        250

10.        WESTFIELD    1-0        235

11.        NOBLESVILLE              1-1         233

12.        CARMEL           1-0        214

13.        NEW ALBANY               1-0        177

14.        LAWRENCE CENTRAL            0-0        146

15.        BEN DAVIS      0-2        68

16.        BROWNSBURG           1-1         66

17.        JEFFERSONVILLE       0-1        55

18.        INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS     1-1         47

19.        ZIONSVILLE   1-1         35

20.        HOMESTEAD 0-0        33

=====

INDIANA SRN BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS

4A

1. FISHERS
2. CROWN POINT
3. MT. VERNON
4. SB ST. JOSEPH
5. LAWRENCE NORTH
6. NOBLESVILLE
7. WESTFIELD
8. PIKE
9. PLAINFIELD
10. CARMEL

3A

1. CATHEDRAL
2. SILVER CREEK
3. GUERIN CATHOLIC
4. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
5. NORTHVIEW
6. CRISPUS ATTUCKS
7. PRINCETON
8. NEW PALESTINE
9. FW BLACKHAWK
10. COLUMBIA CITY

2A

1. PARKE HERITAGE
2. SOUTH RIPLEY
3. OAK HILL
4. FW LUERS
5. LINTON
6. FOREST PARK
7. PROVIDENCE
8. LAPEL
9. UNIVERSITY
10. NORTHEASTERN

1A

1. BLOOMFIELD
2. KOUTS
3. BARR-REEVE
4. HAUSER
5. LIBERTY CHRISTIAN
6. ORLEANS
7. CLINTON PRAIRIE
8. CLAY CITY
9. TRITON
10. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

=====

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE

MONDAY’S SCORES

BOONE GROVE           40          LAKE STATION             33         

CULVER ACADEMY   67          INDIANAPOLIS HOMESCHOOL      57         

EDGERTON (OHIO)   53          EASTSIDE        42         

HAMMOND CENTRAL            55          BOWMAN ACADEMY              46         

JAY COUNTY  56                         RICHMOND   53         

MORRISTOWN            67          TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN            32         

NEW ALBANY               75          BLOOMINGTON SOUTH       57         

NORTHRIDGE              68          WESTVIEW     56         

PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE      67          INDIANAPOLIS HERRON     59         

ROCK CREEK ACADEMY      55          WHITEFIELD ACADEMY (KY.)            50         

VICTORY CHRISTIAN             61          MARQUETTE CATHOLIC       55         

=====

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ANGOLA           AT          WAWASEE       7:30 PM            

ANSONIA (OHIO)       AT          UNION CITY   7:30 PM            

BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY            AT          GEO NEXT GENERATION      7:30 PM            

BELLMONT      AT          FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA 7:30 PM           

BLUE RIVER VALLEY AT          SHENANDOAH            7:30 PM            

BLUFFTON      AT          LAKEWOOD PARK     7:30 PM            

CALUMET        AT          VICTORY CHRISTIAN 8:00 PM         

CALUMET CHRISTIAN            AT          WASHINGTON TWP. 8:00 PM           

CAREER ACADEMY   AT          JIMTOWN        7:30 PM            

CARROLL (FLORA)    AT          TRI-COUNTY 7:30 PM            

CASTON           AT          ARGOS              7:30 PM            

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN            AT          VICTORY PREP 7:30 PM       

CHARLESTOWN         AT          SILVER CREEK 7:30 PM        

CONNERSVILLE CHRISTIAN             AT          UNION (MODOC)       6:00 PM            

CULVER            AT          WEST CENTRAL          7:30 PM            

EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL   AT          GARY LIGHTHOUSE 8:00 PM            

ELKHART CHRISTIAN             AT          FREMONT        7:30 PM            

EVANSVILLE BOSSE AT          JASPER             8:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN      AT          SOUTH KNOX 8:00 PM          

FLOYD CENTRAL        AT          MEADE COUNTY (KY.) 7:30 PM       

FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK               AT          FORT WAYNE NORTH 7:30 PM        

FORT WAYNE NORTHROP   AT          NEW HAVEN  7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE SOUTH             AT          CENTRAL NOBLE       7:45 PM            

FRANKLIN       AT          CENTER GROVE          7:30 PM            

FRANKTON     AT          MUNCIE BURRIS        7:30 PM            

GARRETT         AT          WOODLAN     7:30 PM            

GOSHEN          AT          MISHAWAKA MARIAN 7:30 PM       

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN  AT          CHRISTEL HOUSE     7:30 PM            

HAGERSTOWN           AT          SETON CATHOLIC     7:30 PM            

HAMMOND NOLL      AT          KANKAKEE VALLEY   8:00 PM            

INDIANA DEAF            AT          TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN 7:00 PM       

INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE               AT          IRVINGTON PREP      7:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS     AT          NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) 7:30 PM              

LAKE CENTRAL           AT          HANOVER CENTRAL 8:00 PM          

LAWRENCE CENTRAL            AT          FRANKLIN CENTRAL 7:30 PM          

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN               AT          INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE 7:30 PM     

LOWELL           AT          WHEELER        8:00 PM            

MACONAQUAH          AT          EASTERN (GREENTOWN)     7:30 PM            

MANCHESTER             AT          HOMESTEAD 7:30 PM            

MICHIGAN CITY         AT          HAMMOND MORTON 8:00 PM        

MORGAN TWP.            AT          PORTAGE CHRISTIAN 8:00 PM        

NEW WASHINGTON AT          CROTHERSVILLE        7:30 PM            

NILES (MICH.)             AT          SOUTH BEND ADAMS 7:00 PM       

NORTH KNOX               AT          CLAY CITY       7:30 PM            

NORTH POSEY            AT          BOONVILLE    8:30 PM            

NORTHEAST DUBOIS             AT          WASHINGTON CATHOLIC   7:30 PM            

NORWELL       AT          MISSISSINEWA 7:30 PM      

OREGON-DAVIS         AT          DEMOTTE CHRISTIAN            8:00 PM            

PENDLETON HEIGHTS          AT          WESTFIELD    7:30 PM            

PERRY MERIDIAN      AT          BEECH GROVE 7:30 PM       

PHALEN ACADEMY   AT          MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN 7:30 PM           

PIKE CENTRAL             AT          PERRY CENTRAL        8:00 PM            

PLYMOUTH    AT          TRITON                            7:30 PM            

PORTAGE         AT          WESTVILLE                    8:00 PM            

RIVER FOREST            AT          HIGHLAND     8:00 PM            

SEVEN OAKS AT          BLOOMINGTON HOMESCHOOL    7:30 PM            

SHAWE MEMORIAL  AT          MEDORA          7:30 PM            

SOUTHERN WELLS   AT          SOUTHWOOD 7:45 PM         

TIPPECANOE VALLEY             AT          NORTHWOOD 7:45 PM        

WEST NOBLE AT          BETHANY CHRISTIAN            6:30 PM            

WESTERN BOONE     AT          SPEEDWAY     7:30 PM            

WESTVIEW     AT          LAVILLE            7:30 PM            

WHITE RIVER VALLEY             AT          DUGGER UNION        7:30 PM            

WHITKO           AT          ADAMS CENTRAL      7:30 PM            

LAFAYETTE TOURNAMENT

MCCUTCHEON           VS.        LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC   6:00 PM             R1

RENSSELAER CENTRAL        AT          HARRISON (WEST LAFAYETTE)        7:30 PM               R1

WEST LAFAYETTE       VS.        TWIN LAKES  6:00 PM             R1

BENTON CENTRAL    AT          LAFAYETTE JEFF 7:30 PM      R1

=====

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL IBCA POLL

1.           LAWRENCE CENTRAL (20)                 5-0        437

2.           NORWELL (2)                                             7-1        397

3.           HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN             5-1        396

4.           HOMESTEAD                                              6-1        383

5.           CENTER GROVE                                        6-0        342

6.           WARSAW                                                      6-1        332

7.           PIKE                                                                 3-1        298

8.           BLOOMINGTON SOUTH                      6-0        244

9.           BROWNSBURG                                         4-2        219

10.        PLAINFIELD                                                6-2        217

11.        VALPARAISO                                               5-1        211

12.        MCCUTCHEON                                         6-1        157

               PENDLETON HEIGHTS                         5-2        157

14.        FRANKLIN CENTRAL                              4-3        155

15.        CROWN POINT                                         7-0        145

16.        SILVER CREEK                                           5-1        107

17.        JENNINGS COUNTY                               5-1        104

18.        EAST CENTRAL                                          7-0        100

19.        WESTFIELD                                                 5-3        57

20.        WASHINGTON                                           6-2        48

=====

INDIANA SRN GIRLS BASKETBALL POLLS

4A

1. LAWRENCE CENTRAL
2. HOMESTEAD
3. NORWELL
4. CENTER GROVE
5. HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
6. BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
7. WARSAW
8. PIKE
9. EAST CENTRAL
10. CROWN POINT

3A

1. SILVER CREEK
2. BELLMONT
3. WASHINGTON
4. RONCALLI
5. JENNINGS COUNTY
6. GREENSBURG
7. CHARLESTOWN
8. DELTA
9. MADISON
10. COLUMBIA CITY

2A

1. NORTH KNOX
2. LAPEL
3. EASTSIDE
4. RENSSALAER CENTRAL
5. BREMAN
6. WHITKO
7. SOUTH KNOX
8. BENTON CENTRAL
9. BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
10. EASTERN HANCOCK

1A

1. BORDEN
2. MARQUETTE CATHOLIC
3. ORELANS
4. FREMONT
5. ELKHART CHRISTIAN
6. TRI
7. OLDENBURG ACADEMY
8. LOOGOOTEE
9. EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN
10. KOUTS

=====

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL (ICGSA POLLS)

CLASS 4A

1.           LAWRENCE CENTRAL (9)                    5-0        90

2.           HOMESTEAD                                              6-1        64

3.           HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN             5-1        62

               NORWELL                                                    7-1        62

5.           CENTER GROVE                                        6-0        59

6.           PIKE                                                                 3-1        44

7.           WARSAW                                                      6-1        42

8.           BLOOMINGTON SOUTH                      6-0        29

9.           EAST CENTRAL                                          7-0        12

10.        CROWN POINT                                         7-0        9

11.        PLAINFIELD                                                6-2        8

12.        BROWNSBURG                                         4-2        7

13.        VALPARAISO                                               5-1        5

14.        PENDLETON HEIGHTS                         5-2        1

               FRANKLIN CENTRAL                             4-3        1

CLASS 3A

1.           SILVER CREEK (9)                                    5-1        96

2.           WASHINGTON (1)                                    6-2        83

3.           JENNINGS COUNTY                               5-1        73

4.           BELLMONT                                                   6-1        57

5.           CHARLESTOWN                                       3-1        45

6.           INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI                 5-1        44

7.           GREENSBURG                                           3-2        42

8.           COLUMBIA CITY                                       6-2        32

9.           DELTA                                                             6-0        29

10.        EVANSVILLE CENTRAL                         4-5        20

11.        MADISON                                                     6-0        16

12.        EAST NOBLE                                               5-0        6

13.        NEW PALESTINE                                       7-1        4

14.        NORTHVIEW                                               4-3        3

CLASS 2A

1.           NORTH KNOX (8)                                     8-0        89

2.           RENSSELAER CENTRAL (1)                5-1        74

3.           LAPEL                                                             8-0        62

4.           EASTSIDE                                                     6-0        46

5.           WHITKO                                                        4-1        38

              BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL                  7-1        38

7.           BREMEN                                                        6-0        32

8.           SOUTH KNOX                                             6-2        27

9.           BENTON CENTRAL                                  3-1        24

10.        EVANSVILLE MATER DEI                      5-1        15

11.        EASTERN HANCOCK                             6-1        13

12.        AUSTIN                                                          5-1        12

13.        EASTERN (PEKIN)                                    4-0        10

14.        TRITON CENTRAL                                    3-2        4

15.        MONROVIA                                                  5-1        3

              HERITAGE CHRISTIAN                          5-2        3

17.        SOUTH RIPLEY                                          5-2        2

               LEWIS CASS                                               5-0        2

19.        PROVIDENCE                                             1-2        1

CLASS 1A

1.           BORDEN (5)                                                5-1        86

2.           MARQUETTE CATHOLIC (4)                5-0        85

3.           ELKHART CHRISTIAN                            5-1        68

4.           FREMONT                                                     8-1        58

5.           ORLEANS                                                     5-0        51

6.           EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN                     4-1        46

7.           KOUTS                                                           5-2        23

8.           TRI                                                                    4-0        19

9.           LOOGOOTEE                                              4-1        16

10.        TRINITY LUTHERAN                                3-1        13

11.        NORTHFIELD                                              4-2        10

              OLDENBURG ACADEMY                       5-1        10

13.        SPRINGS VALLEY                                     4-1        5

14.        LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC   3-3        2

15.        WASHINGTON TWP.                               3-1        1

               FOUNTAIN CENTRAL                             7-1        1

               CARROLL (FLORA)                                  5-0        1

=====

INDIANA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE

MONDAY’S SCORES

ARGOS              39          BETHANY CHRISTIAN            30         

CASTLE             70          OWENSBORO CATHOLIC (KY.)        46         

DALEVILLE      54          ELWOOD         24         

FORT WAYNE WAYNE             50          NEW HAVEN  41         

HAMMOND NOLL      65          RIVER FOREST            40         

LEO      53          FORT WAYNE CONCORDIA               30         

NORTH KNOX               63          BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE        33         

PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE      35          INDIANAPOLIS HERRON     31         

SOUTH ADAMS           65          WINCHESTER              15         

TF SOUTH (ILL.)           60          WHITING         16         

WESTVILLE     58          OREGON-DAVIS         38         

=====

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES EASTERN

ADAMS CENTRAL      AT          CHURUBUSCO           7:30 PM            

ARMSTRONG (ILL.)   AT          COVINGTON  6:30 PM            

ATTICA              AT          FOUNTAIN CENTRAL              7:30 PM            

AVON  AT          PLAINFIELD   7:30 PM            

BEN DAVIS      AT          INDIANAPOLIS CATHEDRAL             7:30 PM            

BLUE RIVER VALLEY AT          WAPAHANI     7:30 PM            

BOONE GROVE           AT          SOUTH CENTRAL (UNION MILLS) 8:00 PM            

BORDEN          AT          JEFFERSONVILLE       7:30 PM            

BREBEUF JESUIT        AT          DECATUR CENTRAL 7:30 PM            

BREMEN           AT          SOUTH BEND RILEY                7:30 PM            

CAMBRIDGE CITY LINCOLN             AT          TRI        7:30 PM            

CARMEL           AT          LAWRENCE NORTH                7:30 PM            

CASCADE        AT          EDINBURGH                 7:30 PM            

CENTERVILLE               AT          UNION COUNTY                       7:30 PM            

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN            AT          VICTORY PREP            6:00 PM            

CENTRAL NOBLE       AT          GOSHEN                         7:30 PM            

CHESTERTON              AT          RENSSELAER CENTRAL        8:00 PM            

CLOVERDALE               AT          NORTH PUTNAM                       6:30 PM            

COLUMBUS EAST      AT          TRINITY LUTHERAN  7:30 PM            

CROWN POINT           AT          LOWELL                          8:00 PM            

DANVILLE        AT          BELIEVE CIRCLE CITY                           6:00 PM            

DEKALB            AT          CARROLL (FORT WAYNE)     7:30 PM            

EAST CENTRAL            AT          JENNINGS COUNTY                7:30 PM            

EASTERN HANCOCK              AT          GREENSBURG             7:30 PM            

EDGEWOOD  AT          GREENCASTLE                           7:30 PM            

ELKHART          AT          LAPORTE                        7:30 PM            

EMAN  AT          ANDERSON PREP                     6:00 PM            

EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL      AT          WASHINGTON             7:30 PM            

FAIRFIELD       AT          ANGOLA           7:30 PM            

FAITH CHRISTIAN     AT          WEST LAFAYETTE       7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE DWENGER     AT          COLUMBIA CITY         7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE LUERS              AT          HUNTINGTON NORTH           7:30 PM            

FORT WAYNE SOUTH             AT          FORT WAYNE WAYNE             7:30 PM            

FRANKFORT   AT          TAYLOR                            7:30 PM            

FRANKLIN       AT          CENTER GROVE                         6:00 PM            

FRONTIER       AT          SOUTH NEWTON                      7:30 PM            

GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN  AT          CHRISTEL HOUSE     6:00 PM            

HAMMOND MORTON             AT          MARQUETTE CATHOLIC       8:00 PM            

HANOVER CENTRAL               AT          MORGAN TWP.                           8:00 PM            

HAUSER           AT          SOUTHWESTERN (SHELBYVILLE)  7:30 PM            

HERITAGE       AT          LAKELAND CHRISTIAN                        6:00 PM            

HIGHLAND     AT          ANDREAN                       8:00 PM            

HOBART           AT          PORTAGE                        8:00 PM            

ILLIANA CHRISTIAN AT          HERITAGE CHRISTIAN (DYER)         7:30 PM            

INDIANA MATH & SCIENCE               AT          IRVINGTON PREP      6:00 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS ARSENAL TECH      AT          INDIANAPOLIS TINDLEY 6:00 PM 

INDIANAPOLIS ATTUCKS     AT          NORTH CENTRAL (INDIANAPOLIS) 6:00 PM              

INDIANAPOLIS CHATARD   AT          GREENFIELD-CENTRAL                        7:30 PM              

INDIANAPOLIS RONCALLI  AT          WHITELAND                 7:30 PM            

INDIANAPOLIS SHORTRIDGE          AT          GUERIN CATHOLIC  7:30 PM            

JAC-CEN-DEL               AT          SOUTH DECATUR      7:30 PM            

JASPER             AT          NORTH HARRISON                  7:30 PM            

JAY COUNTY  AT          NORTHEASTERN        7:30 PM            

JOHN GLENN                AT          SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH   7:30 PM            

KANKAKEE VALLEY   AT          MICHIGAN CITY         8:00 PM            

KNOX  AT          HEBRON                         7:30 PM            

LAKE CENTRAL           AT          MUNSTER                       8:00 PM            

LAKELAND      AT          EAST NOBLE                 7:30 PM            

LAKEWOOD PARK     AT          PRAIRIE HEIGHTS     7:30 PM            

LAWRENCEVILLE (ILL.)         AT          VINCENNES LINCOLN           8:00 PM            

LEBANON        AT          CLINTON PRAIRIE                    7:30 PM            

MACONAQUAH          AT          NORTHFIELD                7:45 PM            

MADISON        AT          FLOYD CENTRAL                       7:30 PM            

MARION           AT          ANDERSON                                  7:30 PM            

MILAN AT          SWITZERLAND COUNTY                     7:30 PM            

MISSISSINEWA           AT          EASTBROOK                 7:30 PM            

MITCHELL       AT          BROWN COUNTY                     7:00 PM            

MONROVIA     AT          UNIVERSITY                                 6:30 PM            

MOORESVILLE CHRISTIAN AT          EMINENCE      6:00 PM            

MORRISTOWN            AT          HAGERSTOWN           6:30 PM            

NEW HAVEN  AT          BLUFFTON                                    7:30 PM            

NEW PALESTINE         AT          NEW CASTLE                7:30 PM            

NORTH CENTRAL (FARMERSBURG)            AT          BLOOMFIELD               7:30 PM              

NORTH DAVIESS        AT          LINTON                            7:30 PM            

NORTH DECATUR      AT          SOUTH RIPLEY            7:30 PM            

NORTH JUDSON         AT          ELKHART CHRISTIAN             8:00 PM            

NORTHEAST DUBOIS             AT          WASHINGTON CATHOLIC   6:00 PM            

NORTHVIEW  AT          TERRE HAUTE SOUTH                          7:30 PM            

NORTHWESTERN      AT          CARROLL (FLORA)                   7:30 PM            

NORTHWOOD             AT          WARSAW                                       7:45 PM            

ORLEANS        AT          LOOGOOTEE                                              6:30 PM            

PARK TUDOR AT          HERITAGE CHRISTIAN                          7:30 PM            

PARKE HERITAGE      AT          RIVERTON PARKE                     7:30 PM            

PERRY MERIDIAN      AT          BEECH GROVE                           6:00 PM            

PROVIDENCE               AT          CHRISTIAN ACADEMY           7:30 PM            

PURDUE ENGLEWOOD         AT          INDIANAPOLIS WASHINGTON        7:30 PM              

SEEGER            AT          NORTH VERMILLION                             7:30 PM            

SEVEN OAKS AT          BLOOMINGTON HOMESCHOOL    6:00 PM            

SEYMOUR       AT          BLOOMINGTON SOUTH                      7:30 PM            

SHELBYVILLE               AT          COLUMBUS NORTH                7:30 PM            

SHOALS           AT          PIKE CENTRAL                                           6:00 PM            

SOUTH ADAMS           AT          FORT WAYNE BLACKHAWK               7:30 PM            

SOUTH DEARBORN  AT          RISING SUN                                 7:30 PM            

SOUTH PUTNAM        AT          CRAWFORDSVILLE                 7:30 PM            

SOUTH SPENCER      AT          TECUMSEH                                  8:00 PM            

SOUTH VERMILLION               AT          WEST VIGO                   7:30 PM            

SOUTHPORT AT          GREENWOOD                                            7:30 PM            

SOUTHRIDGE              AT          FOREST PARK                             7:30 PM            

SPEEDWAY     AT          NORTH MONTGOMERY                        7:30 PM            

SPRINGS VALLEY       AT          BARR-REEVE                               7:30 PM            

ST. THOMAS MORE   AT          MISHAWAKA                               6:00 PM            

TELL CITY        AT          HERITAGE HILLS                                      8:00 PM            

TERRE HAUTE NORTH           AT          MOORESVILLE            6:00 PM            

TF SOUTH (ILL.)           AT          EAST CHICAGO CENTRAL   6:30 PM            

TIPTON             AT         COWAN                                                         7:30 PM            

TRADERS POINT CHRISTIAN            AT INDIANA DEAF      6:00 PM            

TRI-COUNTY AT          NORTH WHITE                                          7:30 PM            

TRINITY GREENLAWN            AT          CAREER ACADEMY   6:00 PM            

TRITON             AT          MANCHESTER                                           7:30 PM            

TRITON CENTRAL      AT          RUSHVILLE                                  7:30 PM            

WARREN CENTRAL   AT          PIKE                                                  7:30 PM            

WASHINGTON TWP. AT          KOUTS                                            8:00 PM            

WAWASEE       AT          WEST NOBLE                                              7:30 PM            

WEST CENTRAL          AT          WINAMAC                                     7:30 PM            

WEST WASHINGTON              AT          HENRYVILLE                 7:30 PM            

WHEELER        AT          NEW PRAIRIE                                             8:00 PM            

WOOD MEMORIAL    AT          EVANSVILLE CHRISTIAN      6:30 PM           

WOODLAN     AT          EASTSIDE                                                     7:30 PM            

YORKTOWN   AT          LAPEL                                                             7:30 PM            

CASS COUNTY INVITATIONAL

LOGANSPORT              AT          PIONEER                                        7:00 PM             R1

=====

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS WRESTLING RESULTS:

https://indianamat.com

=====

INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING RESULTS:

https://indianamat.com

=====

AP MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL

1. PURDUE 7-0
2. ARIZONA 7-0
3. MICHIGAN 7-0
4. DUKE 8-0
5. UCONN 6-1
6. LOUISVILLE 7-0
7. MICHIGAN STATE 7-0
8. HOUSTON 7-1
9. BYU 6-1
10. IOWA STATE 7-0
11. GONZAGA 7-1
12. ALABAMA 5-2
13. TENNESSEE 7-1
14. ILLINOIS 6-2
15. FLORIDA 5-2
16. NORTH CAROLINA 6-1
17. VANDERBILT 8-0
18. KENTUCKY 5-2
19. TEXAS TECH 6-2
20. AUBURN 6-2
21. KANSAS 6-2
22. INDIANA 7-0
23. ST. JOHN’S 4-3
24. USC 7-0
25. ARKANSAS 5-2

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

IOWA 99, UCLA 59, NEBRASKA 52, TCU 35, MISSOURI 28, UTAH ST. 16, SAINT MARY’S 15, BAYLOR 13, OKLAHOMA ST. 12, SMU 12, CLEMSON 10, LSU 7, SETON HALL 6, WISCONSIN 6, NC STATE 5, WAKE FOREST 3, CALIFORNIA 2, COLORADO 1, GEORGE MASON 1, BUFFALO 1.

====

USA TODAY MEN’S TOP 25 POLL

RANK	SCHOOL (RECORD)	POINTS	LAST WEEK’S RANK	FIRST-PLACE VOTES
1	PURDUE (7-0)	762	1	21
2	MICHIGAN (7-0)	721	6	6
3	ARIZONA (7-0)	709	3	3
4	DUKE (8-0)	696	4	1
5	CONNECTICUT (6-1)	608	7	0
6	LOUISVILLE (7-0)	600	5	0
7	HOUSTON (7-1)	588	2	0
8	MICHIGAN STATE (7-0)	531	12	0
9	IOWA STATE (7-0)	502	13	0
10	BRIGHAM YOUNG (6-1)	493	11	0
11	GONZAGA (7-1)	480	10	0
12	ALABAMA (5-2)	428	9	0
13	TENNESSEE (7-1)	377	16	0
14	FLORIDA (5-2)	313	8	0
15	ILLINOIS (6-2)	312	14	0
16	VANDERBILT (8-0)	268	23	0
17	NORTH CAROLINA (6-1)	230	17	0
18	KENTUCKY (5-2)	222	18	0
19	TEXAS TECH (6-2)	192	20	0
19	INDIANA (7-0)	192	24	0
21	KANSAS (6-2)	154	NR	0
22	ST. JOHN’S (4-3)	129	15	0
23	ARKANSAS (5-2)	119	21	0
24	AUBURN (6-2)	104	25	0
25	IOWA (7-0)	69	NR	0

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (7-0) 56; UCLA (5-2) 33; NEBRASKA (8-0) 31; MISSOURI (8-0) 28; SAINT MARY’S (8-1) 20; BAYLOR (5-1) 19; NORTH CAROLINA STATE (5-2) 16; LSU (7-0) 14; VIRGINIA (6-1) 14; BUTLER (6-1) 9; CLEMSON (7-1) 9; MISSISSIPPI (5-2) 8; TCU (5-2) 5; SMU (8-0) 4; UTAH STATE (7-0) 4; WISCONSIN (5-2) 4; COLORADO (7-0) 1; OKLAHOMA STATE (7-0) 1.

=====

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES/SCHEDULE

NO GAMES SCHEDULED

=====

AP WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POLL

1. UCONN 7-0
2. TEXAS 8-0
3. SOUTH CAROLINA 7-1
4. UCLA 8-1
5. LSU 8-0
6. MICHIGAN 6-1
7. MARYLAND 9-0
8. TCU 8-0
9. OKLAHOMA 7-1
10. IOWA STATE 9-0
11. NORTH CAROLINA 8-1
12. IOWA 8-0
13. OLE MISS 7-0
14. BAYLOR 7-1
15. VANDERBILT 8-0
16. USC 5-2
17. KENTUCKY 8-1
18. NOTRE DAME 8-1
19. TENNESSEE 5-2
20. MICHIGAN STATE 8-0
21. WASHINGTON 7-0
22. LOUISVILLE 7-2
23. OHIO STATE 6-1
24. OKLAHOMA STATE 8-1
25. WEST VIRGINIA 6-1

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES:

NC STATE 26, NEBRASKA 19, RICHMOND 7, TEXAS TECH 7, PRINCETON 6, OREGON 6, GEORGIA 3, STANFORD 2, FAIRFIELD 1, ALABAMA 1.

=====

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCORES

VILLANOVA 81 #25 WEST VIRGINIA 59

#21 WASHINGTON 80 SAN JOSE STATE 54

ALABAMA 79 KENNESAW STATE 65

PITTSBURGH 68 CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 43

SMU 83 SOUTHERN MISS 70

MINNESOTA 77 SAMFORD 40

=====

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/SCORES

WEEK 15/CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

FRIDAY, DEC. 5

7 P.M. | KENNESAW STATE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE — CONFERENCE USA CHAMPIONSHIP | CBSSN

7 P.M. | TROY AT JAMES MADISON — SUN BELT CHAMPIONSHIP | ESPN

8 P.M. | NORTH TEXAS AT TULANE — AMERICAN ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIP | ABC

8 P.M. | UNLV AT BOISE STATE — MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP | FOX

SATURDAY, DEC. 6

12 P.M. | TEXAS TECH VS. BYU — BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP (IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS) | ABC

12 P.M. | WESTERN MICHIGAN VS. MIAMI (OHIO) — MAC CHAMPIONSHIP (IN DETROIT) | ESPN

12 P.M. | VILLANOVA AT LEHIGH (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

12 P.M. | SOUTH DAKOTA AT MERCER (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

1 P.M. | ILLINOIS STATE AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

1 P.M. | ABILENE CHRISTIAN AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

1 P.M. | NORTH DAKOTA AT TARLETON STATE (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

2 P.M. | PRAIRIE VIEW A&M AT JACKSON STATE — SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP | ESPN2

2 P.M. | YALE AT MONTANA STATE (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

2 P.M. | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AT MONTANA (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN+

4 P.M. | GEORGIA VS. ALABAMA — SEC CHAMPIONSHIP (IN ATLANTA) | ABC

8 P.M. | VIRGINIA VS. DUKE — ACC CHAMPIONSHIP (IN CHARLOTTE) | ABC

8 P.M. | OHIO STATE VS. INDIANA — BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP (IN INDIANAPOLIS) | FOX

10 P.M. | RHODE ISLAND AT UC DAVIS (FCS SECOND ROUND) | ESPN2

WEEK 16

3 P.M. | ARMY VS. NAVY | CBS/PARAMOUNT+ (IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND)

=====

NFL SCORES

NEW ENGLAND 33 NY GIANTS 15

=====

WEEK 14

THURSDAY, DEC. 4, 2025
DALLAS COWBOYS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:15 P.M. ET, PRIME VIDEO

SUNDAY, DEC. 7, 2025
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1:00 P.M. ET, FOX
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS, 1:00 P.M. ET, CBS
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1:00 P.M. ET, FOX
TENNESSEE TITANS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 1:00 P.M. ET, FOX
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, 1:00 P.M. ET, CBS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS, 1:00 P.M. ET, FOX
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS, 1:00 P.M. ET, CBS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 1:00 P.M. ET, CBS
DENVER BRONCOS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, 4:05 P.M. ET, CBS
LOS ANGELES RAMS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS, 4:25 P.M. ET, FOX
CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS, 4:25 P.M. ET, FOX
HOUSTON TEXANS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET, NBC

MONDAY, DEC. 8, 2025
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 8:15 P.M. ET, ABC/ESPN

=====

NBA SCORES

WASHINGTON 129 MILWAUKEE 126

DETROIT 99 ATLANTA 98

CLEVELAND 135 INDIANA 119

MIAMI 140 LA CLIPPERS 123

ORLANDO 125 CHICAGO 120

BROOKLYN 116 CHARLOTTE 103

UTAH 133 HOUSTON 125

DALLAS 131 DENVER 121

PHOENIX 125 LA LAKERS 108

=====

NHL SCORES

PITTSBURGH 5 PHILADELPHIA 1

COLUMBUS 5 NEW JERSEY 3

BUFFALO 5 WINNIPEG 1

ANAHEIM 4 ST. LOUIS 1

SAN JOSE 6 UTAH 3

=====

NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

ALL TIMES LISTED IN ET

FIRST ROUND: DEC. 4-5 

THURSDAY, DEC. 4

3 P.M. | NO. 5 COLORADO VS. AMERICAN

4:30 P.M. | NO. 6 BAYLOR VS. ARKANSAS STATE

4:30 P.M. | NO. 8 UCLA VS. GEORGIA TECH

5 P.M. | NO. 5 MIAMI (FLORIDA) VS. TULSA

5:30 P.M. | NO. 4 INDIANA VS. TOLEDO

5:30 P.M. | NO. 6 UNI VS. UTAH

5:30 P.M. | NO. 6 UTEP VS. NORTH CAROLINA

6:30 P.M. | NO. 7 TENNESSEE VS. UTAH STATE

7 P.M. | NO. 1 KENTUCKY VS. WOFFORD

7 P.M. | NO. 3 PURDUE VS. WRIGHT STATE

7:30 P.M. | NO. 4 KANSAS VS. HIGH POINT

8 P.M. | NO. 5 BYU VS. CAL POLY

8 P.M. | NO. 3 CREIGHTON VS. NORTHERN COLORADO

8 P.M. | NO. 3 WISCONSIN VS. EASTERN ILLINOIS

9 P.M. | NO. 2 ARIZONA STATE VS. COPPIN STATE

10:30 P.M. | NO. 4 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VS. PRINCETON

=====

FRIDAY, DEC. 5

4 P.M. | NO. 7 WESTERN KENTUCKY VS. MARQUETTE

4 P.M. | NO. 8 XAVIER VS. MICHIGAN

5 P.M. | NO. 7 RICE VS. FLORIDA

5 P.M. | NO. 6 TCU VS. SFA

5:30 P.M. | NO. 5 IOWA STATE VS. ST. THOMAS (MINNESOTA)

5:30 P.M. | NO. 8 PENN STATE VS. SOUTH FLORIDA

5:30 P.M. | NO. 8 SAN DIEGO VS. KANSAS STATE

6:30 P.M. | LOYOLA CHICAGO VS. NO. 2 LOUISVILLE

6:30 P.M. | NO. 1 PITTSBURGH VS. UMBC

7:30 P.M. | NO. 2 SMU VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS

7:30 P.M. | NO. 7 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE VS. ARIZONA

7:30 P.M. | NO. 3 TEXAS A&M VS. CAMPBELL

8 P.M. | NO. 4 MINNESOTA VS. FAIRFIELD

8 P.M. | NO. 1 NEBRASKA VS. LIU

8 P.M. | NO. 1 TEXAS VS. FLORIDA A&M

10 P.M. | NO. 2 STANFORD VS. UTAH VALLEY

=====

SECOND ROUND: DEC. 5-6

REGIONALS: DEC. 11 AND 13 OR DEC. 12 AND 14

SEMIFINALS: THURSDAY, DEC. 18

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: 3:30 P.M. ON SUNDAY, DEC. 21 | ABC

=====

MEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

NCAA TOURNAMENT

QUARTERFINALS:

FRIDAY, DEC. 5

6 P.M. | NO. 7 GEORGETOWN VS. NO. 15 NC STATE

10 P.M. | NO. 8 PORTLAND VS. NO. 16 FURMAN

SATURDAY, DEC. 6

1 P.M. | NO. 14 AKRON VS. SAINT LOUIS

1 P.M. | NO. 4 MARYLAND VS. WASHINGTON

MEN’S COLLEGE CUP:

SEMIFINALS: FRIDAY, DEC. 12

FINALS: MONDAY, DEC. 15

=====

WOMEN’S COLLEGE SOCCER

NCAA TOURNAMENT

WOMEN’S COLLEGE CUP​​​​​​

SEMIFINALS: FRIDAY, DEC. 5

TCU VS. FLORIDA STATE

DUKE VS. STANFORD

FINALS: MONDAY, DEC. 8

=====

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER PLAYOFFS

CHAMPIONSHIP

SATURDAY, DEC. 6: 2:30 P.M.

MIAMI VS. VANCOUVER

=====

TOP NATIONAL HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES

NFL NEWS

PATRIOTS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 10 GAMES, BEAT DOWN HAPLESS GIANTS

Drake Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, and Marcus Jones returned a punt for a score as the New England Patriots extended their winning streak to 10 games by beating the New York Giants 33-15 on Monday night in Foxborough, Mass.

Kicker Andy Borregales added four field goals for the Patriots (11-2).

New England tight end Hunter Henry caught four passes for a team-high 73 yards. The Patriots had a 395-239 advantage in total offense.

New York quarterback Jaxson Dart returned from a concussion and completed 17 of 24 passes for 139 yards and one touchdown. Devin Singletary led the Giants’ rushing attack with 67 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

New York (2-11) has lost its last seven games.

The Patriots jumped out to a 17-0 lead after one quarter and led 30-7 at halftime. It remained 30-7 entering the fourth.

After Borregales opened the scoring by kicking a 22-yard field goal on New England’s opening drive, Jones returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown that helped stretch the lead to 10-0.

Maye’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte, plus a Borregales PAT, gave New England a 17-0 advantage with one minute remaining in the first quarter.

The Giants scored on a 30-yard pass from Dart to Darius Slayton with 12:46 left in the second quarter, but New England answered when Maye connected with Kyle Williams for a 33-yard touch.

Borregales extended New England’s lead to 27-7 by making a 30-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining in the first half, and he made it 30-7 with a 28-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

Singletary scored on a 22-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter. It was 30-15 after Dart completed a pass to Slayton for the two-point conversion.

Borregales finalized the scoring on a 23-yard field goal with 2:14 to play.

CARDINALS WON’T OPEN KYLER MURRAY’S (FOOT) PRACTICE WINDOW THIS WEEK

Despite being on injured reserve for the minimum of four games, Kyler Murray’s practice window will not open this week, Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Monday.

Out since Oct. 5 with a foot injury, Murray was eligible this week to begin a 21-day practice window to start the process to be elevated from injured reserve.

“He’s not quite there yet,” Gannon said of Murray.

Murray last played in a 22-21 Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans. He was not placed on IR until Nov. 5, exactly a month later, after attempting to practice through the injury.

With Murray out once again, Jacoby Brissett will be the Cardinals’ starting quarterback this week as Arizona (3-9) takes on the Los Angeles Rams (9-3).

Brissett, 32, is 1-6 as the Cardinals’ starter this season, throwing for 2,188 yards, 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Kedon Slovis will continue to serve as the backup.

VIKINGS QB J.J. MCCARTHY (CONCUSSION) EXPECTED TO RETURN SUNDAY

The Minnesota Vikings are expecting starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy to return to action Sunday vs. Washington after a one-week absence, coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Monday.

McCarthy missed Sunday’s 26-0 loss at Seattle after sustaining a concussion in the prior game against Green Bay. It was his second injury absence of the season, previously missing five games due to a high ankle sprain.

O’Connell said that McCarthy is symptom free and is expected to clear concussion protocol Wednesday when he completes a full practice.

“Expecting (him to return), barring any unforeseen changes to where he’s at today,” O’Connell said. “Hopefully having that Wednesday will allow him to have a normal, full week and likely be able to go in as our starter on Sunday.”

McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has struggled this season after missing his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus. In six games, he has completed 54.1% of his passes with six touchdown passes to 10 interceptions and a 2-4 record.

His passer rating of 57.9 ranks him 46 out of 46 eligible quarterbacks this season.

However, things did not get any better in Sunday’s loss with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer leading the offense. Brosmer completed 19 of 30 passes for 126 yards, no scores and four picks.

Minnesota (4-8) has lost four straight games entering Sunday’s home game against the Commanders (3-9), who have lost seven straight.

ANDY REID DEFIANT AS CHIEFS’ PLAYOFF HOPES DWINDLE AFTER THANKSGIVING LOSS TO THE COWBOYS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid sounded downright defiant Monday when asked about his team’s dwindling playoff hopes, which took a hit not only last week amid a Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys but over the weekend when other results didn’t go their way.

The reigning AFC champions are 6-6 with five games remaining, and even if the Chiefs win them all, they’ll still need help to return to the postseason. Because when the Steelers lost to the Bills on Sunday, that dropped Kansas City to 10th in the AFC playoff pecking order, thanks in part to a disappointing 3-4 record against the rest of the conference.

Depending on the metrics, the Chiefs have a roughly 1-in-3 chance of playing in the postseason.

“If you’re coming to me,” Reid said Monday, “we’re going to go after you every game, and that’s how we roll. We’re going to tickle your tonsils on every play, every game. But that’s the attitude we’re coming in with, and then you let the chips fall where they may.”

The Chiefs are third in the AFC West as they prepare to play the Texans on Sunday night, and are nearly eliminated from their pursuit of a 10th consecutive division title. Now, their focus is on extending a playoff streak that goes back to the 2015 season, the third with Reid as the head coach, and three full seasons before Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback.

There is reason for hope: The previous time Kansas City was 6-6 was 2017, and it won its last four games to earn a wild-card bid.

“Every season is different,” Reid said. “This is a sport of challenges. That’s what it is. It’s probably a microcosm of life as you look at it. There’s always challenges. … There’s such a small margin between winning and losing that every week is a challenge, a major challenge. That’s how you have to approach it, and you have to be ready for it.”

The biggest challenges the Chiefs are facing right now are of their own making. They’ve been dragged down by penalties and mental mistakes throughout much of the season, including in their 31-28 loss to the Cowboys, when a series of flags during the fourth quarter prevented them from having a chance to pull off a comeback victory.

Kansas City has allowed the fifth-most penalty yardage in the NFL this season.

“We have to make sure we take care of business with the penalties, keep working our fundamentals and techniques,” Reid said. “Not saying I agree with all of them, or half of them (against Dallas). But they took place. We’re not going to use that as an excuse.”

Nor was Reid willing to make any excuses for the Kansas City pass rush, which has produced just 22 sacks this season, a total that is better than just five other teams. Or a defense that has produced 11 turnovers, a total better than three other teams.

“You’re one or two plays away and that’s what this game is,” Reid said. ”You look at our season, we’re one or two plays off, and we take care of that — whether it’s a penalty at a crucial time, a possible turnover somewhere, or having a chance to create a turnover — we are right in position where if we can figure out those two, three plays, you flip this around.”

Time is running out, though.

And while Reid sounded defiant about the Chiefs’ playoff peril Monday, he also understands the reality of the situation.

“You’re not going to hear a lot of positives from the outside coming in,” Reid said, “so you have to make sure you understand where you really sit, and the opportunity you have sitting in front of you. You know, there’s still opportunities.”

NFL DIVISION RACES TIGHTEN AFTER A WEEKEND FULL OF SURPRISES AND UPSETS

The race for division titles in the NFL got tighter in Week 13.

The Rams, Colts and Steelers became the latest first-place teams to lose Sunday. The Eagles and Ravens lost Thursday. The Patriots play Monday night.

Five of the eight divisions have two teams tied for the top spot or separated by less than a game.

In a week in which seven underdogs have already won, the Carolina Panthers pulled off the biggest upset when they beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-28.

Bryce Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns — two on fourth down — to lead the offense to 31 points against the stingiest defense in the league. The Rams had allowed a league-low 16.3 points per game.

Matthew Stafford hadn’t thrown an interception since Week 3 before having two passes picked off, one in the red zone and another that was returned for a touchdown. He also was strip-sacked with the Rams in position for a potential tying field goal late in the game.

The Rams, who were 10-point favorites, were the third team favored by at least a touchdown to lose, joining Philadelphia and Baltimore.

“Didn’t think that we weren’t not ready to go,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Didn’t think we took this group lightly. I don’t believe that for a second. This is the NFL. This is too difficult. They did a great job making plays, and they made plays.”

Houston’s 20-16 victory at Indianapolis turned the AFC South into a three-team race with Jacksonville.

A look at each division after the results:

NFC West

The Rams (9-3) came in leading the division and were holding the No. 1 seed in the conference. The loss to Carolina dropped them into a tie with the Seahawks in the division, though Los Angeles owns the tiebreaker by winning the first meeting. The teams face off in Seattle on Dec. 18. The San Francisco 49ers (9-4) also are in the mix. They split with the Rams, beat the Seahawks and host them in Week 18.

The Chicago Bears (9-3) took over the top seed from the Rams in the NFC because they currently hold the tiebreaker.

NFC South

The Panthers (7-6) are right behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) and the two teams meet twice in the final three weeks.

Carolina heads into a bye while the Buccaneers will play twice before the Panthers kick off in New Orleans in Week 15. Tampa Bay hosts the Saints next Sunday and the Falcons on Dec. 11.

NFC East

The Eagles (8-4) have lost two in a row while the Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight.

Both teams have tough road games upcoming. Dallas plays Detroit (7-5) on Thursday night. Philadelphia visits the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) next Monday.

NFC North

First place is on the line when the Bears and Packers (8-3-1) play at Lambeau Field on Sunday. They’ll meet again in Week 16. The Lions still have a shot, though they’ll need help. They play in Chicago in Week 18 in a game that could have major implications.

AFC East

The Patriots (10-2) enter their home game Monday night against the New York Giants with a two-game lead over the Bills (8-4). New England already won in Buffalo and the teams meet again on Dec. 14.

AFC South

The Texans have come a long way since their 0-3 start. The Colts’ 7-1 start is a distant memory.

C.J. Stroud returned after missing three games, Houston’s suffocating defense stayed in control and the Texans beat the Colts on the road.

The Jaguars (8-4) routed Tennessee to move into a tie with the Colts (8-4) while the Texans (7-5) are one game behind. Indianapolis hosts Jacksonville next Sunday in the first of two meetings. Houston hosts the Colts in Week 18.

AFC North

After Baltimore (6-6) lost to Cincinnati on Thursday night to fall a half-game behind Pittsburgh, the Steelers (6-6) couldn’t do anything on offense in a 26-7 loss to Buffalo.

Suddenly the Bengals (4-8) are back in the race and have Joe Burrow.

The Ravens and Steelers face off next week in Baltimore and meet in Pittsburgh in Week 18. The Bengals split with the Steelers and get a chance to sweep the Ravens when they host them on Dec. 14.

AFC West

The Broncos held on for a 27-26 overtime victory at Washington, extending their lead over the Chargers to two games with their ninth straight victory.

The Broncos (10-2) are also battling New England for the No. 1 seed. First, they have to win the division.

After facing Las Vegas next week, Denver’s schedule is tough down the stretch with games against the Packers, Jaguars, Chiefs and Chargers.

The Chargers also have a tough schedule. They’ll face Philadelphia, Kansas City, Dallas and Houston before closing at Denver.

Kansas City’s run of nine straight division titles is nearing an end. The Chiefs (6-6) likely need to win out to earn a wild-card spot and will take on the Texans, Chargers and Broncos over the final five games.

BROWNS’ MALIEK COLLINS TO MISS REST OF SEASON WITH QUAD INJURY

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Maliek Collins will be lost for the rest of the season after suffering a quad injury in Sunday’s 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement Monday that Collins will have to undergo season-ending surgery.

The 10-year veteran defensive lineman sustained the non-contact injury during the third quarter. He was second on the team with 6 1/2 sacks along with 28 quarterback pressures.

Collins is also a key reason why All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett needs four sacks to break the NFL’s single-season record of 22 1/2.

“When you lose a guy like Maliek, you don’t replace him. He’s made a big impact on this football team on the field and off. We have some older guys in there (the defensive line room), but we have a bunch of young guys in there. I think they’ve learned a lot from the professional that Maliek is and I think you have to carry that with you throughout.”

Collins’ injury with 9:36 remaining in the third quarter also set off a fracas between some of the Browns defensive linemen and San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Garrett and Shelby Harris said some of Jennings’ comments after the play crossed the line.

VIKINGS WAIVE WIDE RECEIVER ADAM THIELEN TO ALLOW VETERAN TO PURSUE MORE PLAYING TIME ELSEWHERE

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings waived wide receiver Adam Thielen on Monday, allowing the 13-year veteran an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere down the stretch of his expected final NFL season and ending a disappointing return to his original team.

Thielen had just eight catches for 69 yards for the Vikings (4-8) this year and was a healthy scratch for their game at Seattle on Sunday, a 26-0 loss that was their first shutout in 18 years. With the Vikings struggling badly on offense, Thielen was rarely used behind the top three wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said Thielen’s agent asked last week for his release so he could find a more significant role with another club. Thielen plans to retire after this season.

“Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere. Adam is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success,” Adofo-Mensah said.

Thielen was acquired in a trade at the end of training camp from Carolina for depth, with Addison serving a three-game suspension to start the season and both Jefferson and Nailor missing practice time to injuries.

JAGUARS ARE PLAYING MEANINGFUL GAMES IN DECEMBER, BEGINNING WITH ONE THAT ‘MEANS EVERYTHING’

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence has played plenty of meaningful games in December. And not just at Clemson.

The Jaguars quarterback was part of playoff-like matchups down the stretch in consecutive seasons in Jacksonville. He won a bunch in 2022, lost a bunch in 2023.

Regardless, he knows what to expect when the Jaguars (8-4) host Indianapolis (8-4) in a pivotal AFC South contest Sunday.

“It’s an exciting one,” Lawrence said. “Obviously, a lot on the line and that’s how every game is going to be moving forward, and that’s where we want to be. That’s the position we want to be in, and it feels good.”

The Jaguars secured their third consecutive victory, a 25-3 drubbing at Tennessee on Sunday, and finished 4-1 in a November to remember. It’s the first time in 20 years they won four games in the month of Thanksgiving and have themselves in position to make the postseason for just the fifth time this century.

But the schedule toughens in December, with two games against the Colts and a road trip to AFC West-leading Denver (10-2) upcoming as well as a visit from the New York Jets (3-9).

“It’s huge. It really is,” Lawrence said. “Just the feeling of the city and the home games, the stadium, it is different. As players, we love that.”

Jacksonville has won 10 in a row against Indianapolis at home, a streak that started while Lawrence was a sophomore at Cartersville High School in Georgia.

None of those previous 10 had as much at stake for Jacksonville as Sunday’s game does.

“It means everything,” defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. “That’s why you do it, right? Meaningful games in November and December. And we have a chance at something special here.”

What’s working

The addition of receiver Jakobi Meyers has been a huge boost for the Jaguars — and Lawrence. Meyers has 18 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns in four games since coming over from Las Vegas.

He has TD catches in back-to-back weeks and played 92% of the offensive snaps against the Titans. With Meyers leading the way, Brian Thomas Jr. is now in a supporting role — less can be more for a receiver with drop issues — and he doesn’t have the pressure of being Lawrence’s go-to guy.

“I don’t know what else to say about him,” Lawrence said. “He does everything right, to be honest. He blocks, runs great routes. He’s smart, knows when to sit down and has feel for the game, friendly target. He’s playing great, got to keep him going.”

What needs help

Penalties have been a season-long problem for the Jaguars, who drew 13 of them for 98 yards against the Titans. They have been flagged 130 times — the most in the league — with 26 of those either declined or offset by another flag.

Jacksonville has drawn double-digit flags five times this season and is 3-2 in those games.

Stock up

Hines-Allen has four sacks in his past three games, including two against the Titans. He has dominated one-on-one matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona and Tennessee. He has 11 quarterbacks hits in his past six games, the kind of consistency the Jaguars have expected from him all season.

He could get help on the other side against the Colts this week with the potential return of Travon Walker. Walker missed the past two games with a knee injury.

Stock down

Receiver Dyami Brown was a healthy scratch for the first time this season, clearly the odd man out following the trade-deadline acquisition of Meyers. Brown signed a one-year deal worth $10 million in free agency in March, with $9.5 million guaranteed.

He doesn’t have a catch in a month and surely will be looking to sign elsewhere in 2026.

Injuries

Jacksonville’s offensive line continues to deal with injuries. Right guard Patrick Mekari (concussion) and backup Chuma Edoga (calf) were inactive, and left tackle Walker Little (concussion) was ruled out after leaving Sunday’s game. … Cornerback Eric Murray (neck) is expected to return this week after missing five games.

Key number

2014 — the last year Indianapolis beat Jacksonville at EverBank Stadium. Andrew Luck threw for 370 yards and four touchdowns in the Colts’ 44-17 romp.

Next steps

The Jaguars need a win to sit atop the AFC South in December for the third time in the past four years.

STEELERS AND MIKE TOMLIN HAVE BEEN IN TIGHT SPOTS BEFORE, BUT NEVER QUITE LIKE THIS

PITTSBURGH (AP) — One of Mike Tomlin’s pet phrases is “smile in the face of adversity,” a “Tomlin-ism” the Pittsburgh Steelers coach trots out occasionally when his team hits a rough patch.

Yet the corners of Tomlin’s mouth never perked up — not even once — as he tried to sift through the rubble of a 26-7 loss to Buffalo on Sunday that was as emphatic as it was complete.

Instead, the longest-tenured coach in major North American team sports sounded almost resigned after spending three hours watching his team get whipped in a way that it rarely has during his 19 years on the job.

The Bills did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, while piling up 249 yards rushing and pushing the NFL’s most expensive defense around for three hours in the late-November chill that offered little proof the Steelers are headed in the right direction as the stretch looms.

How bad did it get? When the videoboard at the south end zone at Acrisure Stadium faded to black early in the fourth quarter with the Steelers trailing by 16 — a firm giveaway that the team’s unofficial anthem “Renegade” by Styx is coming — the portion of the crowd of 66,000-plus that remained booed.

It was the loudest moment of protest, but also hardly the only one. Chants of “Fire Tomlin” also popped up at times, the frustration of a fan base that hasn’t seen a playoff win in eight years and counting — and with scant evidence of late that the streak will end anytime soon — bubbling over.

Tomlin didn’t acknowledge whether he heard them or not, but he understood.

“I know how restless and frustrated I was, so I assume they were in the same state we were in,” he said.

Maybe, but the frustration Tomlin feels, and the frustration the fan base feels, are coming from far different places.

Tomlin remains adamant that the answers to fix a team that has been running in place as competent but not always competitive for almost a decade are close at hand.

A sizable chunk of those who pay a not-insubstantial amount of money to come watch do not.

Scan social media after any Steelers loss — and there have been five of them in the past seven weeks — and you’ll find Tomlin’s name trending, and not in a good way.

While that’s simply part of the deal when you coach for a living, Tomlin’s situation is unique.

The 53-year-old’s next losing season will be his first. He’s four wins shy of tying Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for ninth on the NFL’s career wins list and has a resume that will garner significant consideration for a gold jacket of his own whenever the time comes.

He also happens to work for an organization that has gone nearly 60 years without firing a head coach. Tomlin is also under contract through the 2027 season, and the Steelers have been transparent about their plans to select their next franchise quarterback when the NFL draft descends on Pittsburgh in April.

Pittsburgh has backed Tomlin at every turn since hiring the then largely unknown defensive coordinator to replace Bill Cowher in early 2007. While their partnership has produced the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl title and an appearance in another, it’s also fair to start wondering if Tomlin’s approach has gotten stale.

Nearly three-quarters of the NFL’s 32 teams have won a postseason game since the Steelers beat Kansas City in the divisional round in January 2017. Pittsburgh is 0-6 in that span, with many of the losses looking a lot like what happened on Sunday against the Bills.

Facing a quality team with Super Bowl aspirations of its own, the Steelers were outclassed. Just as they were earlier this season against Green Bay. And the Los Angeles Chargers. And Seattle.

Tomlin has been here before. Several times. The 2013 team sat at 2-6 after an embarrassing loss at New England and nearly made the playoffs. Two years ago, he turned to Mason Rudolph in the final weeks, leading to a three-game winning streak and an unlikely postseason berth.

He trotted out his “Tomlin-isms” during those dark times too, and the Steelers rallied. They have five chances — starting Sunday in Baltimore — to do it again this season. And while it doesn’t feel like it and it doesn’t look like it, Pittsburgh at 6-6 remains tied with Baltimore for the AFC North lead.

Tomlin’s resume demands that he deserves the respect of being given the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

Yet the sounds coming from the stands as Pittsburgh was bullied at home offered audible proof that while respect is one thing, patience is something else entirely.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, it feels as if it is starting to run out.

And there’s no smiling — in the face of adversity or otherwise — about that.

What’s working

Not much, though backup running back Kenny Gainwell has perfected the art of the one-handed catch.

What’s not

Just about everything else.

Stock up

Outside linebacker Nick Herbig is undersized for his position at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, but is starting to show signs he’s not just a pass rush specialist. Herbig has improved against the run and forced a fumble by Buffalo’s James Cook that set up Pittsburgh’s lone touchdown.

Stock down

Punter Corliss Waitman is averaging less than 40 yards a kick over the past two weeks, and hit a couple of near shanks in the blustery winds on Sunday.

Injuries

LB Patrick Queen is dealing with a right hip injury. CB James Pierre entered the concussion protocol in the second half. Rookie DL Derrick Harmon sat out with a knee injury. Considering Pittsburgh’s issues stopping the run, the sooner Harmon can return, the better.

Key number

6-11 — Pittsburgh’s record in its past 17 games going back to a five-game skid to end the 2024 season.

Next steps

Try to do something they were unable to do the previous time they were in Baltimore: stop Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS

AP TOP 25 EXTRA POINTS: NO. 5 TEXAS TECH IS ON THE RISE AND LOOKING TO LOCK UP A TOP-FOUR CFP SEED

Texas Tech was No. 5 in last week’s College Football Playoff rankings and on Sunday jumped two spots to No. 5 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The Red Raiders likely will be No. 4 when the new CFP rankings come out Tuesday night. That would position them to receive a bye for the first round if they beat BYU for the second time this season in the Big 12 championship game Saturday.

Depending on the outcomes of the SEC and Big Ten title games, they could be as high as No. 2 when the final CFP rankings are released next Sunday.

The opportunity to enhance its seeding was not lost on Texas Tech in its final regular-season game at West Virginia. The Red Raiders won 49-0, scoring on their opening three possessions and four of their first five.

“I know we’ve got to go win the Big 12, and that will help us, but we want to move up,” coach Joey McGuire said. “We’re at 5 right now and we want to get as high as we can get in those rankings. I think it’ll make a huge difference for us.”

The Red Raiders have won five straight since their only loss, 26-22 at Arizona State on Oct. 18. Granted, four of the opponents finished 10th or lower in the Big 12 but their 211-36 scoring advantage over the last five games is impressive. They’re tied with No. 2 Indiana for widest margin of victory over that span, at 175 points, and the 36 points they’ve allowed are fewest by an FBS team.

Their toughest game in the closing stretch was against then-No. 8 BYU, and they were in control the whole way while holding the Cougars to 255 yards and winning 29-7.

At 11-1, the Red Raiders have matched their program record for wins in a season, and their eight Big 12 wins are their most. They’re only the sixth team in 100 years to win at least 11 regular-season games by 20-plus points.

Now it’s on to the Big 12 title game for the first time.

“It’s really, really cool,” quarterback Behren Morton said. “Kind of emotional, being a Lubbock kid. You’ve worked so hard to be in the position you’re in now. It’s just really cool to look up and see what we’ve done this year. But we’re not done yet.”

Navy makes season debut

It seemed like a long time coming, but Navy finally made the Top 25, checking in at No. 23 on Sunday. The Midshipmen were knocking on the door after a 7-0 start, then lost two straight. They’ve beaten a then-No. 25 South Florida at home and Memphis on the road in their last two games.

Navy, which has the Army game Dec. 13 before going to a bowl, finished in a three-way tie for first in the American Conference. A 31-17 loss at North Texas on Nov. 1 kept the Midshipmen out of the conference championship game.

Navy, the No. 1 rushing team in the nation, was held to 200 yards on the ground in its 28-17 win over Memphis. It was the Midshipmen’s second-lowest output of the season. The defense rose up to end the Tigers’ streak of scoring 20 points at 51 games.

Bison get some love

North Dakota State was acknowledged for its dominance in the Football Championship Subdivision, ranked No. 23 on the ballot of Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette sports columnist Mike Hlas. That was good for three poll points, more than four FBS teams that also received votes.

“It’s had a season similar to Indiana’s, and it’s been as steady a winner over the last 10 years as Alabama,” Hlas said in a text.

NDSU, which has won 10 of the last 14 FCS championships, is the top seed in the playoffs and will host Illinois State on Saturday.

The Bison previously received votes in 28 polls over six seasons between 2011-19. The closest they’ve come to cracking the Top 25 was in 2016, when they were two spots out following a 23-21 upset of an 11th-ranked Iowa.

Nine other FCS teams have received votes since 2007.

Extra points

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s 23 victories so far are second most in Big Ten history in the first two seasons at a school. The second-ranked Hoosiers’ 56-3 victory over Purdue broke a tie with Fielding Yost, who had 22 wins in 1901-02 at Michigan. Urban Meyer won 24 games in 2012-13 at Ohio State. … No. 3 Georgia joined Florida (1992-96) as the only programs to make five consecutive Southeastern Conference championship game appearances. The Bulldogs will be playing in the game for a 13th time when they square off against No. 10 Alabama on Saturday. … No. 14 Texas’ 27-17 win over then-No. 3 Texas A&M made the Longhorns the first team since LSU in 2019 to beat three AP top-10 teams in a season.

REPORTS: KENTUCKY TO HIRE OREGON OC WILL STEIN

Kentucky didn’t take long to find its replacement for the recently fired Mark Stoops, as multiple outlets reported Monday that the Wildcats are set to tab Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as their next head coach.

Stein, 36, has Kentucky roots, having been born in Louisville to two University of Kentucky graduates before going on to quarterback the Louisville Cardinals from 2008-12.

That’s where his coaching career began as a grad assistant and then quarterbacks coach in 2013-14. His path took him through the state of Texas before he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks the past three seasons.

Under Stein’s tutelage, the Ducks have been one of the top offenses in the nation, producing quarterbacks Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore in that time.

Per ESPN, Stein is expected to coordinate Oregon’s offense throughout its expected College Football Playoff appearance.

Stoops, 58, was relieved of duties on Sunday, following a 13-year run that provided Kentucky unprecedented football success. While he finished a modest 82-80, Stoops nevertheless elevated Kentucky to eight straight bowl games and a pair of 10-win seasons, just the third and fourth 10-plus win seasons in Kentucky history.

The Wildcats were 5-7 in 2025, their second straight losing season.

REPORTS: MICHIGAN STATE BRINGS PAT FITZGERALD BACK TO BIG TEN

Pat Fitzgerald is back in the Big Ten as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans after signing a five-year contract on Monday, according to multiple reports.

Fitzgerald, 50, will be formally introduced at a Tuesday press conference in East Lansing and is the third coach of the Spartans in just over two years’ time.

The Jonathan Smith era ended when he was fired Sunday after eight losses in the final nine games of the season, capping a two-year stint with the program at 4-15 because of the NCAA vacating five wins from 2024. He has more than $30 million remaining on his contract.

Fitzgerald last coached in 2022 for Northwestern. The Wildcats went 110-101 across his 17 seasons while recording a few double-digit-win campaigns and claiming a handful of bowl victories.

Fitzgerald finished his last two seasons with the program a combined 4-20 and was fired in July 2023 due to a hazing scandal that the school said included “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature.”

But the two sides reached a financial settlement in August that Fitzgerald said cleared his name. Terms were not disclosed but Fitzgerald’s attorneys called it a “satisfactory settlement.”

Fitzgerald sued Northwestern for $130 million in October 2023 claiming his employment was “unlawfully terminated” and that Northwestern damaged his reputation.

“For the past two years, I have engaged in a process of extensive fact and expert discovery, which showed what I have known and said all along — that I had no knowledge of hazing ever occurring in the Northwestern football program and that I never directed or encouraged hazing in any way,” Fitzgerald said in a statement in August.

Fitzgerald’s son, Ryan, is a walk-on quarterback at Iowa.

Smith took over the program in November 2023 after Mel Tucker’s firing two months prior amid sexual harassment allegations following several NCAA violations.

Michigan State began the 2025 season 3-0 but lost to then-1-4 UCLA, then-3-6 Penn State and rival Michigan in the midst of eight consecutive defeats.

The NCAA vacated all five of Michigan State’s wins from his debut 2024 season, as well as nine more wins from the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, due to recruiting violations during the Tucker era.

When Smith was named Michigan State coach in 2023, he was coming off a 25-13 run over three seasons with Oregon State, where he went 34-35 overall.

FOUR-STAR QB TROY HUHN FOLLOWING JAMES FRANKLIN TO VIRGINIA TECH

Four-star quarterback Troy Huhn became the latest player to follow former Penn State head coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech, announcing his commitment to the Hokies’ Class of 2026 Monday.

Huhn, who is ranked as the No. 21 quarterback in the 2026 class by the 247Sports composite, initially committed to Penn State in June 2024. He decommitted four days after Franklin was fired in mid-October when the Nittany Lions — No. 2 in the AP preseason poll — lost 22-21 to visiting Northwestern and fell to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Big Ten.

A 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, Huhn completed 75% of his passes for 2,438 yards and 29 touchdowns with eight rushing scores in his senior season at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif., per ESPN.

Huhn’s announcement came hours after three-star quarterback recruit Cole Bergeron, ranked No. 34 by the 247Sports composite, decommitted from Virginia Tech.

The move by Huhn marks the fifth player to switch from committing to Penn State to Virginia Tech since Franklin’s move. Others changing uniforms are running back Messiah Mickens, tight end Pierce Petersohn and offensive tackles Marlen Bright and Roseby Lubintus.

REPORT: UCLA TO HIRE JAMES MADISON’S BOB CHESNEY AS COACH

James Madison coach Bob Chesney will follow up his team’s Sun Belt championship game against Troy by signing a five-year contract to become the head coach at UCLA, ESPN reported on Monday.

UCLA will allow Chesney to coach the Dukes in the College Football Playoff should they qualify, per the report. They host Troy in the conference title game on Friday night.

Chesney, 48, guided James Madison to an 11-1 record this season. He went 9-4 with the Dukes last season, including a victory in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Previously the head coach at Holy Cross, Chesney helped that team qualify for the FCS playoffs four times in six seasons.

The three-time Patriot League Coach of the Year compiled a 44-21 record with the Crusaders.

Chesney served as head coach at Division II Assumption (2013-17) and Division III Salve Regina (2010-12) before taking over at Holy Cross.

UCLA had been looking for a head coach since firing DeShaun Foster following an 0-3 start. The Bruins showed progress in October under interim coach Tim Skipper before dropping the final five games on their schedule to finish with a 3-9 record.

REPORT: SYRACUSE FIRING MULTIPLE ASSISTANTS AFTER 3-9 SEASON

Syracuse is parting ways with several assistant coaches following a 3-9 season, On3 reported Monday.

Second-year head coach Fran Brown is dismissing special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield, offensive line coach Dale Williams, defensive backs coach Joe Schaefer and co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Robert Wright, per the report.

After going 10-3 (5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) in his first season with the Orange in 2024, Brown’s squad ended this season on an eight-game losing streak and finished 1-7 in the ACC.

Syracuse’s campaign closed with a 34-12 home loss to Boston College on Saturday.

“There’s some decisions that I’ll have to make coming up for the football team for Syracuse and I’m going to make the right decisions,” Brown said after the game.

KENTUCKY FIRES SEC’S LONGEST-TENURED COACH IN MARK STOOPS IN HIS 13TH SEASON

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky has fired the Southeastern Conference’s longest-tenured coach, ending Mark Stoops’ tenure in his 13th season with the Wildcats after back-to-back losing records.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart said in a statement Monday morning that he informed Stoops they decided to go in a new direction and started a national search for his replacement.

“We will continue to make the necessary investments to recruit an elite head coach, players, and support staff,” Barnhart said. “That includes fully funding revenue-sharing and NIL opportunities, providing state-of-the-art facilities, and ensuring our student-athletes have every resource to thrive.”

Kentucky has become the sixth SEC program to change coaches this season, joining Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, LSU and Mississippi.

Stoops had been tied with N.C. State coach Dave Doeren for the fifth longest-tenured coach at a Bowl Subdivision program. He trailed only Kirk Ferentz with 27 seasons at Iowa, Kyle Whittingham with 21 at Utah, Troy Calhoun with 19 at Air Force and Dabo Swinney with 18 at Clemson.

Stoops signed an extension in November 2022 taking him through June 2031 and paying him $9 million for the 2025 season. That made him the fifth-highest paid coach in the SEC.

But Kentucky went 5-7 and missed becoming bowl eligible when shutout 41-0 by in-state rival Louisville in its season finale.

Kentucky had faced paying Stoops a $37.6 million buyout within 60 days of his firing, though reportedly Stoops has agreed to a change in the payment schedule. Stoops made clear he wouldn’t leave on his own after the loss to Louisville.

“Zero percent chance I walk away,” Stoops said Saturday, adding the decision was not his to make. “I’m going to be here as far as I’m concerned.”

He was one of only 17 head coaches who coached at least 13 seasons at an SEC school since the league debuted in 1933. He was Kentucky’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 82-80, though 10 wins were vacated by the NCAA.

Stoops coached Kentucky to seven bowl games, a Top 10 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 and a school-record 16-game winning streak against nonconference competition. He led the Wildcats to their first home win over Florida since 1986.

After going 2-10 in his debut season, Stoops put together consecutive 5-7 seasons before winning the TaxSlayer Bowl to finish 7-6 in 2016. That was the first of eight straight bowl berths with Stoops’ best season coming in 2018 at 10-3 and a Citrus Bowl berth.

Kentucky had only three more winning seasons after that, including 2021 with games vacated by the NCAA leaving the Wildcats officially with an 0-3 record. The last were back-to-back 7-6 seasons in 2022 and 2023, and he appeared to challenge fans to “pony up” to help bring players to the Wildcats.

“I just encourage them to donate more, because that’s what those dudes are doing,” Stoops said in October 2023. “I can promise you Georgia, they bought some pretty good players. You’re allowed to these days.”

Stoops went 4-8 in 2024 with a 1-7 record in the SEC for his worst mark since his debut season at Kentucky. He lost top recruiter Vince Marrow, who had been with him since 2013, to in-state rival Louisville in June.

Trying to turn around the Wildcats, Stoops turned heavily to the transfer portal for this season, bringing in 27 players. That didn’t help as Kentucky started 3-5, losing its first five SEC games and couldn’t score a point losing to Louisville.

“It is critically important that we are competitive and successful in football,” Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said. “That is our goal. It is our focus. We intend to be successful.”

STRUGGLE TO STOP THE RUN LEADS TO NEBRASKA DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOHN BUTLER’S FIRING AFTER 1 SEASON

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska first-year defensive coordinator John Butler was fired Monday after the Cornhuskers lost four of their last six games and struggled all season to stop the run.

Coach Matt Rhule named associate head coach Phil Snow the interim defensive coordinator for the Huskers’ bowl game and said he hoped to hire a permanent replacement for Butler in coming weeks.

“We thank John for his contributions to our football program over the past two seasons and wish him the best moving forward in his coaching career,” Rhule said.

Butler was secondary coach and pass game coordinator in 2024. He was promoted to defensive coordinator when Tony White left for the same position at Florida State.

The Huskers (7-5, 4-5) are 14th in the Big Ten in rushing defense, allowing 171.3 yards per game overall and 183 in nine Big Ten games. They are 15th in the Big Ten and tied for 104th nationally with 19 sacks. They were outscored 77-26 by Penn State and Iowa in their last two games, gave up a combined 444 rushing yards and recorded one sack.

Nebraska is second-to-last in the nation in red-zone defense, with opponents coming away with points on 30 of 31 (96.8%) of their trips inside the 20-yard line. The Huskers are last in stopping touchdowns in the red zone, allowing 24 on those 31 opportunities (77.4%).

NC STATE, VIRGINIA TO OPEN 2026 IN FIRST FBS GAME IN BRAZIL

Virginia and North Carolina State will kick off next season with the first-ever FBS game in Brazil, organizers announced Monday.

The Cavaliers and Wolfpack will clash on Aug. 29, 2026 at 47,000-seat Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The game will air on ESPN.

The contest was organized by the NIL firm Athlete Advantage in partnership with Brasil Sports Business.

Although both schools are in the Atlantic Coast Conference, this is the second leg of a non-conference home-and-home series that had been scheduled to take place in Charlottesville, Va.

NC State (7-5, 4-4 ACC) earned a 35-31 victory against Virginia on Sept. 6 in Raleigh, N.C. It was one of just two losses this season for the 18th-ranked Cavaliers (10-2, 7-1) as they enter Saturday’s ACC championship game against Duke in Charlotte.

College football games also are scheduled to take place on foreign soil next season in Dublin, Ireland (North Carolina vs. TCU on Aug. 29) and London (Arizona State vs. Kansas on Sept. 19).

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MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

MICHIGAN UP TO NO. 3 IN AP TOP 25 MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL, MICHIGAN STATE AND IOWA STATE INTO TOP 10

Michigan jumped to No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball poll on Monday as rival Michigan State and Iowa State both climbed into the top 10.

No. 1 Purdue and No. 2 Arizona remained atop the rankings. The Boilermakers received 40 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel, Arizona got six and Michigan got 15 after its dominating run through the Players Era Championship.

Duke and UConn held their positions from last week to round out the top five. Louisville remained No. 6, followed by Michigan State, which moved up four spots and No. 8 Houston, which dropped five places after losing to then-No. 17 Tennessee at Players Era.

Michigan made a run to the Sweet 16 in coach Dusty May’s first season a year ago and is looking like a title contender. The Wolverines opened the Las Vegas tournament with a 94-54 win over San Diego State, crushed then-No. 21 Auburn 102-72 and handed Gonzaga coach Mark Few his worst loss in 902 career games with a 101-61 win over the 12th-ranked Zags.

That’s three wins by a combined 110 points and four straight wins by at least 20 points, the last two over ranked teams.

“Today was to put the world on notice that we’re here to be the best team in the nation and we’ll continue to do that,” Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg said after the win over Gonzaga.

Rising

No. 17 Vanderbilt had the biggest jump of the week, moving up seven spots after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis title in the Bahamas.

No. 10 Iowa State climbed five places after winning three games at the Players Era championship.

No. 7 Michigan State moved up four places following lopsided wins over East Carolina and No. 16 North Carolina in the Fort Myers Tip-Off. No. 13 Tennessee also gained four spots after beating Houston and losing to Kansas, which moved back into the poll at No. 21.

Falling

No. 23 St. John’s had the biggest drop among teams still in the poll, losing nine places after wrapping losses to Iowa State and Auburn around a win over Baylor at the Players Era.

Reigning national champion Florida fell five places to No. 15 after losing to TCU in the Rady Children’s Invitational. No. 12 Alabama dropped four places after losing to Gonzaga in its opener of the Players Era.

In and out

No. 21 Kansas returned to the poll after dropping out last week with three wins at the Players Era.

No. 24 Southern California is ranked for the first time since the 2023-24 season following three wins in three days to take the Maui Invitational title.

UCLA fell out of the poll from No. 18 after losing to California 80-72 in the Empire Classic championship game.

North Carolina State dropped out of the poll from No. 23 and didn’t receive a single vote following a 1-2 run through the Maui Invitational.

Conference watch

The Southeastern Conference had the most teams in the AP Top 25 for the second straight week with seven. The Big 12 matched the Big Ten with six ranked teams, the Big East had two and the West Coast Conference one.

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WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS

TEXAS JUMPS TO NO. 2 BEHIND UCONN IN WOMEN’S AP TOP 25 AFTER BEATING SOUTH CAROLINA AND UCLA

Texas moved up to No. 2 behind UConn in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday after beating two top teams in a Thanksgiving tournament.

The Longhorns topped then-No. 2 South Carolina 66-64 a day after beating then-No. 3 UCLA 76-65 in Las Vegas. It was the first time in the past 25 years that a team has beaten two top three teams in such a short time frame.

Texas received 10 first-place votes from a 32-member national media panel. No. 1 UConn garnered the other 22. The Huskies routed Xavier 104-39 to open Big East play. South Carolina fell to third and UCLA was fourth.

LSU remained fifth. The Tigers, who haven’t played a ranked opponent yet, have scored over 100 points in each of their first eight games to set an NCAA record. They broke the mark of six in a row set by the 1981-82 Louisiana Tech team that LSU coach Kim Mulkey played on.

Michigan, Maryland, TCU, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones got a school-record 47-point effort from star post player Audi Crooks to beat Indiana on Sunday.

In and out

Ohio State debuted in this year’s poll at No. 23 after edging West Virginia last week 83-81. The Buckeyes followed that up with a 98-point win over Niagara, the most points scored in school history and the biggest margin of victory ever for the Buckeyes. N.C. State fell out of the poll.

Conference supremacy

The Big Ten matched the Southeastern Conference this week with eight teams ranked after Ohio State entered the Top 25. The Big 12 is next with five and the Atlantic Coast Conference has three. The Big East has one.

Games of the week

It’s ACC-SEC challenge week with a host of quality matchups between the two power conferences. On Thursday, No. 22 Louisville hosts No. 3 South Carolina; No. 11 North Carolina visits No. 2 Texas; and No. 13 Ole Miss plays No. 18 Notre Dame.

WOMEN’S TOP 25 ROUNDUP: VILLIANOVA VANQUISHES NO. 25 WVU

Jasmine Bascoe poured in 24 points and handed out six assists as Villanova crushed No. 25 West Virginia 81-59 on Monday in Morgantown, W.Va.

Brynn McCurry added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (6-2), who earned their fourth win in a row. Kennedy Henry and Brooke Bender each scored 11 points. Villanova shot 52.4% from the floor while limiting West Virginia to 32.8% shooting.

The Mountaineers (6-2) took their second straight loss, having fallen to Ohio State 83-81 in the final of the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship on Wednesday in Nassau, Bahamas.

Gia Cooke led West Virginia with 20 points, and Kierra Wheeler posted 10. The Mountaineers fell behind 24-10 in the first quarter and never caught up.

No. 21 Washington 80, San Jose State 54

Sayvia Sellers sank five 3-pointers and scored 29 points as the Huskies led wire to wire in a victory over the Spartans at Seattle.

Avery Howell scored 17 points for Washington (8-0), and Brynn McGaughy added 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds. The Huskies pulled away by outscoring San Jose State 26-11 in the second quarter.

Gabriela Pato produced 11 points and Maya Anderson had 10 for San Jose State (0-6), but they combined to hit just 5 of 17 shots from the floor.

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NBA NEWS

NBA ROUNDUP: DEVIN BOOKER GETS HURT, BUT SUNS END LAKERS’ WIN STREAK

Dillon Brooks scored 33 points and the Phoenix Suns overcame the loss of Devin Booker to earn a 125-108 road victory Monday that ended the Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak.

Collin Gillespie scored 28 points by going 8 of 14 from 3-point range as the Suns stopped a two-game skid by winning the opener of a four-game road trip.

Booker scored 11 points in 10 minutes of the first quarter before he departed with a groin injury. Coach Jordan Ott said postgame that the team would know more about Booker’s status on Tuesday. Before leaving the game, Booker reached 17,000 points in 11 NBA seasons and became the third-youngest player with 17,000 points and 3,600 assists at 29 years, 32 days.

Luka Doncic scored 38 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while Austin Reaves added 16 points for the Lakers, who lost for just the third time in 16 games.

Cavaliers 135, Pacers 119

Donovan Mitchell scored 43 points and Jaylon Tyson added a season-high 27 as Cleveland beat Indiana in Indianapolis to end a three-game losing streak.

De’Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley scored 13 points apiece for Cleveland, which led by as many as 21 in the second quarter and never trailed after moving ahead 5-2. Mitchell had nine rebounds and six assists.

Pascal Siakam amassed 26 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who had won two straight for the first time after going 2-16 to open the season. Andrew Nembhard scored 21 points.

Pistons 99, Hawks 98

Jalen Duren produced 21 points and 11 rebounds as host Detroit escaped with a win over Atlanta.

Cade Cunningham contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, six steals and three blocks for the Pistons. Cunningham’s two hoops in the final minute allowed Detroit to hang on despite a late Hawks 3-pointer.

Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 29 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker tossed in 26 points, and Onyeka Okongwu had 20.

Mavericks 131, Nuggets 121

Ryan Nembhard finished with 28 points and 10 assists, both career highs, Anthony Davis scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and visiting Dallas beat Denver.

Cooper Flagg had 24 points and Klay Thompson added 15 for the Mavericks, who have won consecutive games for the first time this season.

Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists for the Nuggets, who lost their fourth straight home game. Spencer Jones scored 28 points to set a career high for the second straight game.

Wizards 129, Bucks 126

CJ McCollum scored 28 points while leading Washington to an improbable second-half comeback en route to a win over visiting Milwaukee.

Milwaukee led by 16 midway through the third quarter, but the Wizards got within range before going on a 10-1 run in the final 90 seconds of the game. The late surge featured 3-pointers from former Buck Khris Middleton, who had 15 points and six assists, and McCollum.

Marvin Bagley III added 22 points and eight rebounds for the Wizards, who have won two of their past three games in the wake of a 14-game losing streak. Kevin Porter Jr., who exited with a lower back spasm midway through the fourth, led Milwaukee with 30 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points and seven boards.

Heat 140, Clippers 123

Norman Powell sank six of Miami’s franchise-record-tying 24 3-pointers as the Heat blew out visiting Los Angeles.

Powell put up 30 points and shot 6-for-10 from long distance for the Heat, who won for the seventh time in eight games. Bam Adebayo set a career high with five treys while scoring 27 points and grabbing a season-high 14 rebounds.

Los Angeles’ Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 36 points, 19 of them coming in the fourth quarter. James Harden finished with 11 points in only 20 minutes while Ivica Zubac contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who have lost eight of nine.

Magic 125, Bulls 120

Anthony Black saved five of his 22 points for a late surge, Desmond Bane capped a 37-point effort with a late go-ahead 3-pointer and Orlando held off visiting Chicago for its third consecutive win.

Bane shot 12 of 17 overall and 10 for 10 at the foul line in running up a season-high-tying point total. He also found time for six rebounds and five assists. Black grabbed nine rebounds, while Franz Wagner chipped in with 25 points.

Josh Giddey paced a balanced Chicago attack with 22 points. He was joined by Matas Buzelis with 21 and Nikola Vucevic and Tre Jones with 20 apiece. Ayo Dosunmu put up 18 points to go with a game-high seven assists.

Nets 116, Hornets 103

Michael Porter Jr. scored a season-high 35 points as Brooklyn ended its nine-game home losing streak to start the season, defeating Charlotte in New York.

Porter returned after missing the previous two games due to back tightness and made 13 of 24 shots, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Noah Clowney added 18 points as the Nets stopped a four-game overall skid.

Rookie Kon Knueppel scored a game-high 18 points for the Hornets, who were denied a third straight win and dropped their eighth straight road game. LaMelo Ball collected 12 points and 14 assists.

Jazz 133, Rockets 125

Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and Keyonte George added 28 to lead Utah to a victory over Houston in Salt Lake City.

Jusuf Nurkic registered 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Jazz in a rematch of Houston’s 129-101 win at Salt Lake City on Sunday. George had a team-high eight assists.

Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 32 points and nine rebounds. Alperen Sengun chipped in 31 points and 14 assists while Amen Thompson added 23 points, but their efforts were not enough to extend Houston’s five-game road winning streak.

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NHL NEWS

NHL ROUNDUP: SIDNEY CROSBY’S 2 GOALS LEAD PENS PAST FLYERS

Sidney Crosby scored two goals, including one of the Penguins’ three power-play tallies, in Pittsburgh’s 5-1 road victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

Bryan Rust chipped in with a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh, which has won three of its past four games. Tommy Novak and Kevin Hayes also scored for the Penguins, while Tristan Jarry made 28 saves.

Tyson Foerster scored the only goal for the Flyers — his team-leading 10th — but later exited with an upper-body injury. The high-scoring winger fell to his knees in pain after attempting an uncontested one-timer before shuffling off to the locker room.

Dan Vladar allowed five goals on 27 shots for Philadelphia, which had won five of its previous six games.

Blue Jackets 5, Devils 3

Sean Monahan tallied twice and Charlie Coyle scored once in a three-point game to lead Columbus to a comeback victory over New Jersey in Newark, N.J.

Miles Wood notched one goal and one assist while Denton Mateychuk added a goal for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a four-game winless streak (0-1-3). Zach Werenski collected a pair of assists, and Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves.

Nico Hischier notched one goal and one assist while Ondrej Palat and Timo Meier added a goal apiece for the Devils, who took their second loss in a row. Jesper Bratt had two assists, and Jake Allen stopped 19 shots.

Ducks 4, Blues 1

Fill-in goaltender Ville Husso made 21 saves as visiting Anaheim defeated St. Louis.

Husso, a former Blues netminder, was pressed into the lead role for Anaheim with Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek sidelined by injuries. Pavel Mintyukov and Leo Carlsson each had a goal and an assist as the Ducks snapped their 10-game losing streak against the Blues. Mason McTavish and Chris Kreider also scored for Anaheim.

Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped just three of the five shots he saw before getting pulled. Joel Hofer stopped 19 of 20 shots in relief. Jordan Kyrou scored the St. Louis goal.

Sharks 6, Mammoth 3

Tyler Toffoli scored twice and added two assists as host San Jose doubled up Utah.

Will Smith added two goals and an assist, while Pavol Regenda and Adam Gaudette also found the back of the net for the Sharks, who have won five of their last eight and improved to 9-4-3 on home ice. Macklin Celebrini picked up three assists, extending his home point streak to eight games (six goals, nine assists).

Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves as the Sharks took two of three meetings against the Mammoth this season. Lawson Crouse scored twice and JJ Peterka also scored for Utah, which has dropped four straight and eight of 10 (2-5-3).

Sabres 5, Jets 1

In his return to the lineup, Josh Norris had two goals and an assist as Buffalo crushed visiting Winnipeg.

Jason Zucker, Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch also scored for the Sabres. Josh Doan and Zach Benson both chipped in two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 stops.

Kyle Connor was the lone goal scorer for the Jets. Backstopping for Winnipeg, Eric Comrie made 11 saves and Thomas Milic made 15.

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TOP INDIANA HEADLINES/NEWS RELEASES

COLTS NEWS

REPORTS: COLTS CB SAUCE GARDNER (CALF) IS WEEK-TO-WEEK

Indianapolis Colts star cornerback Sauce Gardner is considered week-to-week with a calf strain, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Following Gardner’s MRI on Monday, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters the injury is to Gardner’s calf, not his Achilles as initially feared.

Steichen said Gardner, who was hurt two defensive snaps into Indianapolis’ 20-16 loss to the visiting Houston Texans on Sunday, will “miss some time,” with no official timeline for a return, but Steichen said he expects Gardner to play again this season.

“Felt like I got shot in the calf or something,” Gardner said after the game. “But it was high. I wasn’t thinking the worst.”

Gardner, 25, hobbled away from a pass completion on Houston’s second play from scrimmage. He had to be helped to the locker room.

“I think it’s a strain,” he said. “I don’t think it’s an Achilles or nothing like that.”

Houston led 3-0 after the first quarter when Indianapolis officially ruled Gardner out for the rest of the game. The two-time All-Pro returned to the sideline with a walking boot on his left foot.

Gardner was acquired from the New York Jets on Nov. 4 in a trade deadline deal that cost Indianapolis two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

The Jets selected Gardner with the fourth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with 75 tackles, two interceptions and a league-leading 20 passes defensed in 17 starts.

He was first-team All-Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Gardner played seven games for the Jets this season before missing time due to a concussion. Sunday was his third game with the Colts.

Indianapolis (8-4) visits Jacksonville (8-4) next Sunday in a game between the co-leaders of the AFC South.

COLTS’ NFL PLAYOFFS STANDINGS, ODDS, SCENARIOS, TIEBREAKERS: WEEK 14 GAME AT JAGUARS PIVOTAL IN AFC SOUTH RACE

(COLTS RELEASE)

The Colts have lost three of their last four games, and what was once a 2.5-game lead in the AFC South has vanished entering Week 14.

But: The Colts, with five games left, still are fully in control of their ability to win the AFC South for the first time since 2014. To continue to control their divisional destiny, though, the Colts must beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium, a venue where they have not won since, also, 2014.

Here’s how things shake out for the Colts heading into Week 14:

AFC Standings

Team	Record	Note
1. Denver Broncos	10-2	Hold common games tiebreaker over Patriots
2. New England Patriots	10-2	*Play on Monday night vs. New York Giants
3. Jacksonville Jaguars	8-4	Still play Colts twice
4. Baltimore Ravens	6-6	Still play Steelers twice
5. Los Angeles Chargers	8-4	Hold 3-way tiebreaker over Bills, Colts with 7-2 record vs. AFC
6. Indianapolis Colts	8-4	Hold 3-way tiebreaker over Bills with 6-3 AFC record
7. Buffalo Bills	8-4	Last in 3-way tiebreaker with 5-3 AFC record
8. Houston Texans	7-5	play @ Kansas City in Week 14
9. Pittsburgh Steelers	6-6	Hold tiebreaker over KC with 5-3 AFC record
10. Kansas City Chiefs	6-6	3-4 vs. AFC opponents
11. Miami Dolphins	5-7	<1% chance to make playoffs, per The Athletic
12. Cincinnati Bengals	4-8	6% chance to make playoffs via winning AFC North, per The Athletic

The tiebreakers are in there just more for understanding why teams are seeded where right now – in reality, you don’t worry about those until after Christmas at the earliest.

Playoff odds

Using The Athletic’s model, the Colts enter Week 14 with a 68 percent chance of making the playoffs, the lowest the model has had the Colts since Week 3 (when preseason projections were still a large factor in determining a percentage). Within the AFC South, the odds to make the playoffs are:

• Jaguars: 84% (43% to win division)
• Colts: 68% (34% to win division)
• Texans: 59% (23% to win division)

Week 14 impact

If the Colts beat the Jaguars:

• Colts’ odds to make playoffs rise to 85%, odds to win AFC South rise to 55%
• Jaguars’ odds to make playoffs drop to 71%, odds to win AFC South drop to 18%

If the Jaguars beat the Colts:

• Colts’ odds to make the playoffs drop to 50%, odds to win AFC South drop to 14%
• Jaguars’ odds to make playoffs rise to 96%, odds to win AFC South rise to 67%

Texans or Chiefs?

Sunday night’s Texans-Chiefs game at Arrowhead is massive for the AFC playoff picture – a Kansas City loss drops the three-time defending AFC champs to just an 11 percent chance of making the postseason.

For the Colts’ purposes though (and this is all with a Colts win over the Jaguars), a Texans win over the Chiefs would slightly raise the Colts’ playoff odds to 86 percent, but would drop their odds of winning the AFC South to 45 percent. A Chiefs win would actually lower the Colts’ overall playoff odds to 84 percent – since Kansas City has a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Colts – but would raise the Colts’ odds of winning the AFC South from 55 percent to 60 percent.

The Colts’ path to the playoffs

The cleanest path for the Colts is to win their remaining three AFC South games: At Jacksonville (Week 14), vs. Jacksonville (Week 17) and at Houston (Week 17). Even if the Colts were to lose to the Seattle Seahawks (Week 15) and San Francisco 49ers (Week 16), and even if the Texans and Jaguars won their remaining games, the Colts would still win the division with an 11-6 record.

Every tiebreaker would go the Colts’ way in this scenario: They’d own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jaguars, and even though they’d split the season series with Houston, they’d have the tiebreaker with a 5-1 record against the AFC South versus Houston being 4-2 against the AFC South.

There are other paths to winning the division – beyond, of course, going 5-0 down the stretch – but they involve convoluted tiebreakers we don’t need to get into until, again, after Christmas.

Remaining AFC South schedules

Week	Colts	Opponent (record)	Jaguars	Opponent (record)	Texans	Opponent (record
14	IND	@ JAX (8-4)	JAX	vs. IND (8-4)	HOU	@ KC (6-6)
15	IND	@ SEA (9-3	JAX	vs NYJ (3-9)	HOU	vs. AZ (3-9)
16	IND	vs. SF (9-4)	JAX	@ DEN (10-2)	HOU	vs. LV (2-10)
17	IND	vs. JAX (8-4)	JAX	@ IND (8-4)	HOU	@ LAC (8-4)
18	IND	@ HOU (7-5)	JAX	vs. TEN (1-11)	HOU	vs. IND (8-4)

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INDIANA PACERS BASKETBALL NEWS

GAME REWIND: PACERS 119, CAVALIERS 135

Behind a 43-point scoring outburst by All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers led for all but the opening 88 seconds in a 135-119 Central Division win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

Indiana (4-17) trailed by 12 points at the end of the first quarter and never recovered in the loss to Cleveland (13-9), snapping a two-game winning streak.

The Cavs outshot the Pacers 51 to 48.2 percent, won the rebounding battle 48-36, and the turnover margin 14-9.

Mitchell shot 16-for-27 from the floor, including 4-for-10 from 3-point range and 7-for-9 on free throws, while Jaylon Tyson notched 27 points and 10 rebounds, and De’Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley scored 13 points each.

Pascal Siakam topped the Pacers with 26 points and seven rebounds, Andrew Nembhard scored 21, and Jay Huff and Garrison Mathews had 15 points apiece. Mathews is currently on his second 10-day contract with Indiana.

Cleveland led 66-54 at halftime thanks to 17 points by Mitchell and 15 from Tyson at the break.

Indiana trailed by as many as 21 points in the second quarter before a late Pacers run narrowed the score back to 12 points. Siakam had 12 points, Huff added 11 points and Nembhard and Mathews each had 10 points for the Pacers at intermission.

Cleveland shot 57.1 percent as a team in the first quarter, while the Pacers made 50 percent of their shots, to build a 37-25 lead.

Seven Cavs players recorded a bucket in the first frame, led by eight points each from Mitchell, Mobley, and Hunter. Huff scored nine points for the Pacers and Siakam had eight by the end of the period.

The Cavs started 9-for-13 shooting from the field, which included an 11-2 scoring run, to build a double-digit lead before back-to-back 3-pointers by Huff cut the Pacers’ deficit to 20-14 with 6:03 on the clock.

Out of a timeout, Cavs guard Craig Porter Jr. and Huff traded threes before the visitors mustered a 15-6 run in the final 4:40 of the first quarter, where Mitchell scored six points, to go back up by 12.

Cleveland’s white-hot shooting continued into the second quarter, as the Cavs started 5-for-7 in the period to build a 53-32 lead with just under seven minutes left in the half. Tyson had eight points for the Cavs during the 16-5 scoring stretch, making a 3-pointer and completing an and-one.

Four made free throws and two 3-pointers by Mathews spurred a 17-7 Pacers run to cut the Blue & Gold deficit to 60-49 with 1:44 left in the half.

Mitchell added five more points to his total before the break but Nembhard made a 3-pointer with nine ticks on the clock to cut it back to 12 points at halftime.

Indiana outscored Cleveland 36-33 in the third quarter behind 10 points by Siakam and nine by Nembhard to narrow their deficit to 99-90 heading into the fourth quarter. Mitchell had 10 points for the Cavs in the frame.

The Pacers and Cavs largely traded buckets through the first six minutes of the third quarter, with Mitchell scoring eight of his team’s first 17 points and Bennedict Mathurin accounting for seven of the Pacers’ 19 as Indiana trailed 83-73.

A 12-4 Pacers run, featuring five points by Nembhard and an and-one by Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, made the score 96-90 before a 3-pointer from Cavs guard Tyrese Proctor pushed the visitors’ advantage back to nine points going into the final frame.

Mitchell scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to put the Cavs ahead 104-90, and the Pacers never made it a single-digit game the rest of the way. The Pacers emptied their bench with 6:44 left in the game down 121-104.

Mitchell tallied 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers will conclude their four-game homestand on Wednesday when they host two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Inside the Numbers

The Cavs recorded 28 second-chance points, which is the most given up by the Pacers in a game this season.

The Pacers made 27 of 37 free throw attempts while the Cavaliers sank 21 of 29.

Cleveland drained 14 total 3-pointers to the Pacers’ 10 treys.

The Cavs outscored the Pacers 62-58 in the paint.

Indiana’s bench outscored Cleveland’s reserves 39-30.

Pascal Siakam has scored over 20 points in 15 of the 20 games he’s played this season.

Jay Huff has scored in double figures in five straight games for Indiana and recorded 16 blocks during that timeframe.

You Can Quote Me On That

“We stunk to start the game. Very poor. Our spirit was off. There was a lack of connection. We had a few guys that made some plays where the effort just simply wasn’t good enough. Look, we win together and we lose together. Everybody owns this tonight.” — Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on the loss

“He’s a great player. He got going. And he’s one of those guys when he gets going he can do some spectacular things.” — Carlisle on Donovan Mitchell

“We talked about how the energy wasn’t right to start the game. Just awareness, the readiness to start the game. We didn’t come out with the right force to start the game and it put us behind the eight ball.” — Andrew Nembhard on the loss

“It’s nice to build some confidence, get some good looks to go through. He’s another offensive threat out there. Happy for him.” — Nembhard on Garrison Mathew’s performance

“The energy and the things that I feel like we’ve been doing for the past five games wasn’t there. … When you play these guys, we have to come back with a little more urgency. We just didn’t have it. Again, it’s unacceptable.” — Pascal Siakam on the loss

“We’ve got to get better. I don’t want to be too negative. I thought we had a good stretch of five games where we were good defenseivly and did some good things. After one game, we can’t just forget about that. We’ve got to come back tomorrow and get better. … There’s only one way out of this. It’s going to be doing the hard things every single day.” — Siakam on looking ahead

“We did some good things. I thought we guarded them well for periods of time. When we got a rebound, we got closer in the game. … I thought there was a little bit more fight in certain parts of the game, it just wasn’t enough.” — Siakam on giving up 28 second-chance points

“It’s a tough job. You come into the team and come into the game and the first play they run for you is to come out and shoot. So that’s what you do. It’s a hard thing. He’s taking it well. I think he’s good in practice, he’s a good person. I’ve seen him shoot – he’s one of the best shooters out there. So it’s just a matter of having confidence, feeling the rhythm of everything. For me, just trying to find him in good position where he can just rise and shoot. I think it was just a matter of time (until he started making shots).” — Siakam on Mathews

“It’s not easy. You sit at home for a month, you’re waiting around and you can’t play five-on-five. Nobody’s there. So it takes a minute to get back into it. I was fortunate enough to hit some shots tonight. We’ll see if I can stay a little consistent.” — Mathews on coming in midseason

“It’s not easy, but it’s part of it. I’m blessed to even have this opportunity. I’m going to try to play as hard as I can and let the chips fall where they may.” — Mathews on playing on a 10-day

Stat of the Night

Donovan Mitchell recorded his third 40-plus-point game of the season by dropping 43 on Monday. His current season-high is 46 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 6.

Noteworthy

The Cavs moved to 3-2 on the second leg of back-to-backs this season with the win.

Indiana signed guard Ethan Thompson to a two-way contract and waived RayJ Dennis on Sunday. Thompson made his NBA debut on Monday, recording two points and an assist.

The Pacers and Cavs will meet two more times this season, in Indianapolis on Jan. 6 and at Cleveland April 5. Cleveland currently owns a 2-0 lead in the regular-season series.

Up Next

The Pacers will wrap up their homestand by welcoming Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 7:00 PM ET.

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INDIANA VOLLEYBALL NEWS

‘NO FEAR’ — HOOSIERS ‘READY TO ROLL’ INTO NCAA VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Fear? These Indiana volleyball Hoosiers have no time for that. They’re too busy rising to challenges and accumulating achievements a young team (five freshmen playing major roles) has no business doing.

Case in point, IU compiling a 23-7 record with five wins against top-50 programs and a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten (its best conference showing since 1999) to earn a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tourney. It’s the Hoosiers’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.

Not bad for a team picked in the preseason to finish 11th in the Big Ten.

“If I take this team and play anywhere in the world,” head coach Steve Aird says, “there won’t be a player that is scared of competition. It’s play as hard as you can.

“That’s another thing I like about this group. There’s not a lot of fear.”

The Hoosiers will host first and second-round matches on Thursday and Friday at Wilkinson Hall, starting with MAC tournament champion Toledo (23-10). Colorado (22-8) and American (24-4) will play in the other first-round game. The winners will play on Friday. That winner will advance to the regional semifinals.

IU, which is 10-2 at Wilkinson Hall this season, is hosting the first two rounds for the first time since 2010. It’s the program’s sixth NCAA tourney appearance.

“We’re thrilled,” Aird says. “Being at home is such an unbelievable opportunity. We’ve been so good at home. I expect the fan base to be awesome.

“We’re excited to get going. I’m already in the office getting back to work. I feel we have a real chance to put a couple of matches together. We have a chance to do something special.”

The Hoosiers’ success comes in part by trying to push opponents to the breaking point. Aird calls it “dragging teams out to the deep water.”

“The more volleyball we play, the better our chances of winning,” he says. “We will fight you from the first whistle to the last whistle. That’s just who we are. The DNA of the team.”

A potent offense is led by senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles, senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum and freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager. They average over 10 kills per set.

Leadership comes from Alonso-Corcelles, Tatum and fellow seniors Jessica Smith and Madi Sell.

Jager is part of an outstanding freshman class that also includes middle blocker Victoria Gray and setter Teodora Krickovic.

Aird, who is in his eighth season, says he’s proud of the program’s “resiliency.”

“The fact we’ve been chipping away, chipping away. We were really good a couple of years ago (IU went 21-12 in 2023). Last year, we got hit with injuries (and finished 15-15).

“The staff has done an unbelievable job. The leadership of the team with the four seniors has been incredible. A great freshman class has played well and been super brave.

“We’re ready to roll.”

The goal is to make NCAA tourney participation the norm moving forward. That includes keeping the same approach even amid one-and-done pressure.

“I’m pretty stubborn about that,” Aird says. “There are certain things you have to do to be elite. We’ll keep taking steps in that space.”

Through it all, Aird keeps the focus on what’s next rather than what’s been accomplished.

“A lot of coaches are like this,” he says. “You don’t enjoy the journey. You don’t smell the roses. You just aggressively attack the next thing. Until then, there there’s no taking my foot off the gas.”

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INDIANA FOOTBALL NEWS

FOOTBALL GAMEDAY: BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

GAME 13
Big Ten Championship Game

No. 1/1/1 Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 B1G) vs. No. 2/2/2 Indiana (12-0, 9-0 B1G)
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.

Setting The Scene

• No. 2/2/2 Indiana will head to the state capital to face No. 1/1/1 Ohio State in the Discover Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday (Dec. 6) at 8 p.m. inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on FOX.
• The game marks Indiana’s first appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game and the first time Indiana has won a share of the Big Ten regular season championship since 1967.
• Ohio State won last year’s game in Columbus, 38-15, and leads the series, 81-12-5. Indiana is seeking its first win over Ohio State since 1988.
• Saturday’s contest will be the 52nd time ever that the No. 1 and No. 2 team in the AP poll (since 1936) face off. It is the third time in a conference championship game and 10th time that two teams from the same conference will meet. The last No. 1 versus No. 2 game was in 2022 between Georgia and Tennessee. There have been two previous iterations amongst Big Ten teams (Iowa-Michigan, 1985; Ohio State-Michigan, 2006).

News & Notes

• Indiana’s ranking in the AP and USA Today/US LBM Coaches Poll is No. 2 for the seventh-straight week. The Hoosiers also have been ranked at No. 2 in each of the four editions of the College Football Playoff rankings this season.
• The 23 victories since the beginning of the 2024 season are the most in any two-year span in program history and rank tied for No. 4 nationally in that time. The 17 Big Ten wins during that span are also the most in a two-year stretch in IU history. MORE ON PAGE 4
• Curt Cignetti‘s 23 victories in his first two seasons at Indiana are the second most in Big Ten history by a coach in his first two seasons at a school. The victory over Purdue broke a tie with Fielding Yost (22, 1901-02; Michigan) and he trails only Urban Meyer (24, 2012-13; Ohio State).
• Cignetti’s 23 wins are tied for No. 6 in FBS history by a coach in his first two seasons at a school.
• Indiana capped the first perfect regular season in program history with a 12-0 record. The only other IU team to finish without a loss is the 1945 team at 9-0-1. The 12 victories are the most in a single season.
• The nine Big Ten wins are the most in program history and the 9-0 mark is the first time IU has won each of its conference games in a single season.
• Since 1980, there have only been 12 perfect regular seasons in the Big Ten (6, Ohio State; 3, Michigan; 1, Penn State; 1, Oregon; 1 Indiana).
• The Hoosiers are 43-27-1 all-time as a ranked team, which includes a 36-20-1 mark in Big Ten play.
• Indiana finished the regular season with an unblemished record on the road for just the third time in program history: 2025 (5-0), 1920 (3-0) and 1910 (2-0). The 1945 team went 5-0-1.
• The Hoosiers finished the regular season with an unblemished record at Memorial Stadium, its sixth such season since the venue opened in 1960. The other seasons include 1967 (5-0), 1987 (6-0), 1991 (5-0), 2020 (3-0), and 2024 (8-0).
• Head coach Curt Cignetti started a season with a 12-0 mark for the first time in his head coaching tenure, after he started back-to-back seasons at 10-0 (Indiana, 2024; James Madison, 2023).
• The 56-3 win over Purdue marked the sixth time in program history that Indiana has won by 50-or-more points with three of those coming in Big Ten play. The three 50-plus point wins in conference play are the only such wins in program history.
• Fernando Mendoza threw two touchdown passes in the win over the Boilermakers to move him to 32 on the year, the most of any Hoosier in a single season and is No. 1 in the FBS and Big Ten. MORE ON PAGE 7
• Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. are tied for the Big Ten lead with 11 touchdown receptions with Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) and Makai Lemon (USC). The Hoosier duo is also among the top-10 of the program’s career receiving touchdowns charts. MORE ON PAGE 9
• Stephen Daley had 4.5 tackles for loss versus the Boilermakers to put him at No. 1 in the Big Ten with 18.0. MORE ON PAGE 13

COMPLETE GAME NOTES: https://static.iuhoosiers.com/custompages/PDF/fb/2025/25-12-06-Notes_Ohio_State.pdf

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INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

NO. 22 INDIANA BRINGS PERFECT MARK INTO BIG TEN OPENER AT MINNESOTA

In his first seven games as the head coach at Indiana, Darian DeVries has guided his team to seven consecutive wins and a Top 25 ranking.

“I’m not really sure if we’re ahead of schedule, behind schedule,” DeVries said. “For us, it’s just about, ‘How do we keep getting better?’ That’s all we’re really consumed with.”

The next chapter in DeVries’ inaugural season with the Hoosiers will start when No. 22 Indiana (7-0) tips off against Minnesota (4-4) on Wednesday evening in Minneapolis. The contest is the Big Ten Conference opener for both programs.

The game will mark the Big Ten debut for both DeVries and Minnesota coach Niko Medved.

Indiana is coming off a 100-56 home win over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday afternoon. It wrapped a flawless start to the nonconference schedule for the Hoosiers, whose early highlights include a 23-point win over Marquette in Chicago and a seven-point victory over visiting Kansas State.

Tucker DeVries, the coach’s son, leads Indiana in scoring at 17.9 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the field. Lamar Wilkerson is averaging 16.7 points per game, and Tayton Conerway rounds out the top three scorers with 11.9 points per game to go along with a team-high 5.3 assists per contest.

Conerway is far from the only player on the team who has shown a willingness to distribute the ball. Indiana is averaging 20.9 assists per game as a team.

“The guys, they’re just unselfish,” Darian DeVries said. “They really have a good understanding of what we’re trying to do on offense, and they really move it and share it.”

As Indiana looks to stay hot, Minnesota is hoping to snap a cold streak as it returns home.

The Golden Gophers are coming off three straight losses on a road trip. They fell short 77-65 against San Francisco in Sioux Falls, S.D., then lost 72-68 to Stanford and lost 86-75 to Santa Clara, both in Palm Desert, Calif.

Injuries also have played a role in Minnesota’s slump. The Golden Gophers were limited to a rotation of seven players in their most recent game, the setback to Santa Clara on Friday.

Cade Tyson is healthy and has emerged as Minnesota’s top player. He is averaging 22.4 points and shooting 53.2% from the field.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson is the only other Golden Gophers player who is scoring in double digits. He is averaging 12.4 points as well as a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game.

Medved believes in his players despite the team’s recent struggles.

“Stay with these guys,” he said. “We are going to fight, we are going to battle, and better days are ahead.”

One player who will look to earn more playing time on Wednesday is Indiana guard Nick Dorn. He missed the start of the season because of a broken foot but scored a season-high 14 points in 19 minutes during the Hoosiers’ most recent game.

“I think our training staff has had a really good plan, and Nick has been great about it, too,” Darian DeVries said. “He understands that this is a process as he’s making his way back. He’s been terrific about that. … He’s getting more and more comfortable.”

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PURDUE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

#1 PURDUE OPENS BIG TEN PLAY AT RUTGERS

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

[1 / 1] Purdue (7-0, 0-0) vs. Rutgers (5-3, 0-0)

Tuesday, December 2 | 8:00 PM ET

Piscataway, New Jersey | Jersey Mike’s Arena (8,000)

TV: FS1 (Jason Benetti, Bill Raftery)

RADIO: Purdue Global Radio Network (Rob Blackman, Bobby Riddell)

THE SCENE SETTER

• Purdue opens Big Ten play on Tuesday when it travels to Jersey Mike’s Arena in to face Rutgers in an 8 p.m. tip on FS1. The Boilermakers are looking for their third straight win in the arena after three straight in the facility from the 2019-20 to 2021-22 seasons. The Boilermakers haven’t scored 70 points in Jersey Mike’s Arena since an 81-76 loss in the CoVid year of 2020-21 — a span of four games.

• Following the contest with Rutgers, Purdue hosts No. 10 Iowa State on Saturday at noon on CBS.

THE NOTES TO KNOW

• Purdue leads the all-time series with Rutgers by an 18-6 margin, having won five games in a row by a combined 88 points. Rutgers had won four straight in the series from Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2021, but Purdue has won six of seven since against the Scarlet Knights.

• Purdue is looking for its seventh season starting 8-0 or better since the 1938-39 campaign (first year of NCAA). Four of the previous six occurrences of 8-0 or better have come under Matt Painter (2009-10, 2015-16, 2021-22, 2022-23).

• Purdue is ranked No. 3 in the initial NCAA NET rankings released on Monday, trailing Michigan and Duke. Purdue is 2-0 in quad-1 games, trailing only Michigan in quad-1 victories (six other teams have two quad-1 victories).

• Purdue leads the country in assist / turnover ratio (2.19), while ranking fourth in assists per game (21.0), sixth in 3-point percentage (.423), 18th in scoring margin (+21.7), 20th in rebound margin (+11.7) and 25th in field goal percentage (.516) and turnovers per game (9.6).

• Individually, Braden Smith is second in assists per game (9.0), Oscar Cluff is 18th in rebounds (10.1), Daniel Jacobsen is 19th in blocks per game (2.43) and Fletcher Loyer is 12th in 3-point percentage (.522), 18th in free throw percentage (.958) and 22nd in 3-pointers per game (3.43).

• Purdue is the only school in America to have two players averaging double-doubles (Oscar Cluff, Trey Kaufman-Renn).

• Purdue is one-of-nine schools to rank in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, via KenPom.

• Purdue is 94-23 (.803) during the careers of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn. The 94 victories are the fourth-most nationally while the 80.3 winning percentage is fifth nationally (Houston, Duke, UConn, Drake).

• The Boilermakers are 48-3 (.941) in non-conference play since the start of the 2021-22 season. Only one other team (Iowa State; 50-6) has fewer than seven losses in non-conference play during that timeframe.

• Purdue has tied a school record for consecutive weeks ranked in the top 25 (64) after being ranked No. 1 for the fourth time in five weeks.

• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue has been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll 17 times. Auburn and Houston are next with 11 weeks.

• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Purdue has been ranked in the AP Top 10 in a nation’s-best 66 (of 85) polls. Kansas is second at 65.

• Braden Smith, who has 821 career assists, needs 70 assists to move into the top spot on the Big Ten’s career assists list (Cassius Winston – 890 assists). Smith passed Mateen Cleaves (816 assists) for second place in Saturday’s win over Eastern Illinois.

• Last season’s leader in blocked shots, Trey Kaufman-Renn, had 11 blocked shots in 36 games. This year’s leader, Daniel Jacobsen, already has 17 blocked shots in seven games. Teams shot 55.6 percent from 2-point range against Purdue a year ago. This year, it’s at 49.1 percent.

• The center position of Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen have essentially played all 40 minutes of every game this year. The center position is averaging 22.0 points, 15.1 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 73.8 percent from the field. Over the last four games, the position is averaging 25.0 points and 15.3 rebounds while shooting 85.7 percent from the field.

• Purdue has had two coaches since the 1980-81 season (Gene Keady, Matt Painter). The duo has combined for 990 wins at Purdue.

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NOTRE DAME VOLLEYBALL NEWS

GAERTE’S HISTORIC SEASON LANDS HER ON ALL-ACC FIRST TEAM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After an historic sophomore campaign, sophomore outside hitter Morgan Gaerte was named to the All-ACC First Team, the conference announced Monday evening. Gaerte is the first Notre Dame volleyball player to be named to the All-ACC First Team since 2020. The Angola, Indiana native also served as a captain for the 2025 squad.

Gaerte, who started in all 28 matches this season, tallied 497 kills this fall, the third-most ever in a season in Notre Dame history and the most since Christy Peters in 1997. Those 497 kills are the most by an Irish in the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present) and 44 more kills than any Notre Dame player in that era.

Those 497 kills were also the third-most in the conference this season, as were her 4.64 kills per set. Gaerte’s 4.64 kills per set are a Notre Dame program record, regardless of scoring era, setting a new standard in Irish volleyball.

Gaerte started her sophomore campaign with three straight matches of 20 or more kills, including her program-record 34 against Illinois, and ended the campaign with five-straight matches with 20 or more kills, two of them going for 30+. The five-straight matches with 20 or more kills are a school record for most consecutive matches with 20 or more kills. She also had double-digit kills in 27 of 28 matches, including 22-straight to begin the season, which is the second-longest streak in program history.

11 of Gaerte’s matches consisted of her reaching 20 or more kills, which shattered the single-season school record by two matches. She led Notre Dame in kills in 24 matches this year, breaking Christy Peters’ 1993 record of 23 in a single season.

On the season, Notre Dame nearly doubled their conference win totals from the past three years (5), recording nine wins in the ACC this year, arguably the top volleyball conference in the country. Those nine wins slotted the Irish in a tie for ninth in the ACC at the end of the season, which were the most wins and the highest conference finish under head coach Salima Rockwell.

GAERTE TABBED ACC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Following back-to-back dominant performances, sophomore Morgan Gaerte earned her second ACC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season, closing out the 2025 season with a well-deserved conference accolade. Gaerte was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the ACC back on September 8th following her school record 34 kills against Illinois. She’s the first Irish volleyball player since Lauren Brewster in 2005 to earn multiple Player of the Week honors and the first time it’s happened while Notre Dame has been in the ACC.

Gaerte posted 56 kills over eight sets (7.0 k/s) and 59.5 points (7.44 p/s) in the wins at Virginia Tech and over Wake Forest last week as Notre Dame finished the 2025 season with back-to-back wins.

Last Saturday, she had 31 kills on .403 hitting percentage in the win over Wake Forest to close the regular season, her third game of 30 or more kills this season. Gaerte also added two service aces, three block assists and eight digs for 34.5 points. At Virginia Tech on Wednesday, she totaled 25 kills on .333 hitting to lead Notre Dame to a road win while adding eight digs to her stat line

Gaerte ended her sophomore campaign with five-straight matches with 20 or more kills, two of them going for 30+. She broke her own school record from earlier this year for most consecutive matches with 20 or more kills and had double-digit kills in 27 of 28 matches, including 22-straight to begin the season.

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BUTLER MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

BUTLER CONTINUES HOMESTAND, HOSTING EASTERN MICHIGAN TUESDAY NIGHT AT HINKLE

Butler Bulldogs (6-1) vs. Eastern Michigan (5-3)

Tuesday, Dec. 2 • 7PM

Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.

Follow Along

TV/Stream: truTV • Spero Dedes, John Giannini & Andy Katz

Radio/Audio: 93.5 & 107.5FM, SiriusXM 386, Sirius XM App, Butler Sports App & ButlerSports.com • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)

Potential Text for Your Holiday Card as the Calendar Turns to December

• Butler is ranked No. 21 in the NCAA’s NET ranking, which debuted Monday. The Bulldogs trail only UConn among BIG EAST teams in the NET rankings. Virginia, which Butler defeated on a neutral court Nov. 23, is ranked No. 31. SMU, which Butler lost to on the road by two points Nov. 15, is ranked No. 39.

• The Bulldogs average 90.9 points per game this season, which is 28th nationally. Butler has scored at least 88 points in each of the team’s four home games so far this season.

• Butler scored 65 second-half points in Friday’s 94-69 win over Wright State. The Raiders held a 32-29 halftime lead, Butler’s first time trailing after 20 minutes this season.

• Butler shot a season-high 57 percent from the field, including 25-for-38 (66 percent) in the second half, in the win over Wright State. On the season, the Bulldogs are shooting exactly 50 percent from the field. That is tops in the BIG EAST and 42nd nationally.

• Butler has out-rebounded all seven of its opponents this season and the team’s rebounding margin of +13.4 per game ranks ninth nationally.

• The Bulldogs only had six games last season with a rebounding margin of +10 or better but have accomplished the feat in five of seven games so far this season.

• Butler ranks fourth nationally in offensive rebounding percentage according to KenPom, tracking down 42.8 percent of their own misses.

• The Bulldogs are among the national leaders in total rebounds per game (45.3; sixth) and offensive rebounds per game (15.3; 11th).

• Butler held a 26-3 advantage in free throw attempts in Friday’s win over Wright State. On the season, Butler is averaging 30.6 free throw attempts per game, which is seventh in the country.

• Butler’s season free throw percentage of 65.0 percent ranks only 323rd nationally. However, due to the volume of attempts, the Bulldogs still average 19.9 makes per game (which is 36th nationally).

• The Bulldogs picked up wins over South Carolina and Virginia to win the 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off.

• Michael Ajayi earned both BIG EAST Player of the Week and USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors Nov. 24 after averaging 16.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in Butler’s two wins at the Greenbrier.

• Ajayi opened the season (and his Butler career) with six consecutive double-doubles; his streak was snapped Friday against Wright State with 20 points and “only” eight rebounds.

• Ajayi ranks third in the nation, averaging 11.9 rebounds per game. His average of 9.1 defensive rebounds per game leads the country.

• Finley Bizjack has led the Bulldogs in scoring in five straight games. Bizjack is averaging 20.6 points per game during this five-game stretch. Three of Bizjack’s four career 20-point games have come during this five-game stretch.

• Jalen Jackson missed Friday’s Wright State contest with an ankle injury. In his place, Azavier “Stink” Robinson made the first start of his career, finishing with nine points, a career-high four assists, three rebounds and three steals.

• Butler has 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.

• Butler received votes in the Nov. 24 national coaches poll, the first votes for the Bulldogs this season.

• Butler is shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range as a team on the season, which is 28th in the country.

• Butler’s defense has guarded the arc well this season; only one of the Bulldogs’ seven opponents has shot better than 32 percent from three-point range.

• Butler had 21 fast-break points in Friday’s win over Wright State; it was the third time this season that the Bulldogs had 20 or more fast-break points. On the season, Butler is averaging 18.1 fast-break points, which is 28th nationally.

• Yohan Traore scored a season-best 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field in Friday’s win over Wright State. Traore and fellow Butler center Drayton Jones combined for 24 points, making all 10 of their attempts from the field.

• In addition to Ajayi’s 14 rebounds in the Nov. 23 win against Virginia (which tied his season-high), Jamie Kaiser Jr. matched his career-high with 10 rebounds and Jones set a season-high with nine boards.

• Six different Bulldogs have at least two double-figure scoring games for Butler through seven contests; that includes both Traore and Robinson off the Butler bench. Evan Haywood has one double-figure scoring performance this season, which also came off the bench.

• In Butler’s two wins at the Greenbrier Tip-Off, Kaiser registered more steals (seven over two games) than misses (four over two games – combined 6-for-8 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free throw line).

Everything About the Eagles

• Eastern Michigan enters the contest with a 5-3 record and winners of four of their last five games.

• The Eagles registered a 64-56 road win at Cincinnati Wednesday. EMU led the entire game and built a 17-point lead in the first half. It marked EMU’s first win over a Power Conference opponent since beating Michigan in 2014.

• Mohammad Habhab leads the Eagles in both scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (9.2). He has double-doubles in five of the team’s eight games so far this season.

First Time/Last Time/Only Time

• Butler’s only previous match-up against Eastern Michigan came in the 2023-24 season opener in Indianapolis.

• The Bulldogs put up 60 points in the second half to come away with a 94-55 win after leading only 34-26 at the half.

• Six Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Jahmyl Telfort’s 18 points. The Bulldogs shot 57 percent from the field for the game.

There’s No Place Like Hinkle

• Butler is 86-5 in their last 91 home games against non-conference teams.

• Thad Matta is 28-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse against non-conference opponents as Butler’s head coach (which includes the 2000-01 season and since his return in 2022).

Thad to the Bone

• In his 21st season as a head coach, Thad Matta coached his 700th career game in Butler’s Nov. 28 win over Wright State.

• Matta’s 486 wins entering the season are tied for seventh-most among coaches in their first 20 seasons as a head coach.

• Among active head coaches, Matta entered the 2025-26 season ranked 11th in winning percentage (.701) and 23rd in career wins (486).

Up Next

The Bulldogs continue the homestand at Hinkle, hosting Boise State Saturday (Dec. 6).

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INDIANA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

INDIANA STATE HOSTS EUREKA ON TUESDAY NIGHT

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State men’s basketball returns home this week for two games, beginning with Eureka College on Tuesday, December 2 at 7 p.m.

Last Time Out

Indiana State is coming off back-to-back losses in the Louisiana Tech MTE, falling to LA Tech, 75-73, and Alcorn State, 81-74. Xavier Hall and Camp Wagner each averaged 14.5 points per game, followed by Sterling Young and Ian Scott both averaging 13.0, and Markus Harding (10.0).

Hall shot 57.1% from the floor averaging the least amount of minutes played out of the starting five (26.9).

Ian Scott (11-13), Sterling Young (7-7), and Camp Wagner (6-6) combined to shoot 24-for-26 from the free throw line (92.3%).

Series History

Tuesday night’s meeting will be the second between the two programs. Indiana State hosted Eureka in the 2024-25 season in Terre Haute and won 93-48.

Quick Notes

MVC Rankings (with MVC-specific minimums included)

Ian Scott: 2nd in rebounds per game (8.0), 4th in FG% (64.9%), 13th in points per game (13.0), T5 in steals per game (1.75)

Xavier Hall: 2nd in assists per game (6.13), 4th in free throw percentage (88.9%), 5th in Ast/TO Ratio (2.33)

Enel St. Bernard: T12 in rebounds per game (5.38)

Sterling Young: T2 in free throw percentage (89.5%)

Camp Wagner: T4 in three-pointers made (19)

Game Promotions

December 7

Koozie giveaway, sponsored by Show-Me’s

Riley’s Elementary Day

Spirit Squad Shirt giveaway for The Forest

December 18

Humane Society Night/Flying K9 Halftime Show

Lost Creek Elementary Day

Donation to the Humane Society receives Culver’s Menu Item Card

December 29

Autism Awareness Night; Arc of the Wabash Valley in attendance to raise awareness for autism and support services

Holiday Break seating in The Forest

For games on December 18, December 29, and January 10, tickets will be available for fans to sit in The Forest. Tickets will be on sale starting December 4. Tickets will be $15 per seat.

Up Next

Indiana State will host Southern Indiana on Sunday, December 7 at 1 p.m.

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PURDUE FT. WAYNE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

‘DONS AND JAGS WRANGLE ON WEDNESDAY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Horizon League play is here. The Purdue Fort Wayne women’s basketball will make a trip to Indianapolis to play at IU Indy at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 3).

Game Day Information
Who: IU Indianapolis Jaguars
When: Wednesday, December 3 | 6:30 PM
Where: Indianapolis, Ind. | The Jungle
Live Stats: Link
Watch: ESPN+
Game Notes: Purdue Fort Wayne | IU Indy | Horizon League

Know your foe

Iu indianapolis is 3-4 and is coming off a 94-58 win over anderson. The jaguars also own wins over indiana state and bradley. Nevaeh foster is pacing iu indy with 16.3 points per game and olivia smith is pitching in 10.1. The jaguars are shooting 25.9 percent from 3-point land and 37.6 percent from the floor. The jags are 3-1 at home this season.

Series history

Iu indy leads the series 25-17, but the mastodons have won the last five. Another win for purdue fort wayne would mark the most consecutive wins in the series for the mastodons. Last season, the mastodons won 79-71 in indianapolis and 82-55 in fort wayne.

Career points tracker

Let’s take a look at the career scoring numbers for the three former naia all-americans on the roster regardless of level.

Alana nelson – 2,384 (482 at northwood, 1,787 at spring arbor, 115 at pfw)

Jordan reid – 1,741 (1,395 at indiana wesleyan, 346 at pfw)

Lauren lee – 1,645 (1,630 at campbellsville, 15 at pfw)

All signs point to nelson

Of all players currently at the division i level, alana nelson has the most career points when counting all levels of play. She owns 2,384 points in her six years of college basketball at northwood (2), spring arbor (3) and purdue fort wayne (1).

3-point threat

Rylee bess is shooting 51.4 percent (18-of-35) from beyond the arc this season, which leads the team. With a minimum of two makes per game, she leads the horizon league and is 12th nationally. Bess has the best 3-point percentage among all freshmen in the country and is also top-100 nationally with 18 3-point makes.

3-point threat x2

Rylee bess went 5-for-6 from 3-point range against (rv) nebraska after starting 5-for-5. The 83.3 percent mark was good for the seventh-best 3-point shooting performance in purdue fort wayne history.

Bess is here

If rylee bess’ 3-pointer to beat purdue wasn’t enough, bess’ explosion for 17 points against (rv) nebraska welcomed her into the collegiate ranks. Bess was the first mastodon freshman to score 17 points against a division i foe since audra emmerson had 19 against wright state in 2022.

They’re playing a lot, huh?

Alana nelson (34.3) and jordan reid (32.8) lead the horizon league in minutes played per game.

In the hl

Alana nelson’s 48.8 field goal percentage ranks second and her 14.4 points per game ranks third in the horizon league. Her 40.0 3-point percentage from 3-point range is fourth.

Nelson the hooper

Alana nelson scored 25 points against northwestern state in the emerald coast classic on november 25. That was the most she had scored at the division i level. Her career-high of any level is 47 points against lourdes in 2023 while at spring arbor.

I’ll take that

Jordan reid is averaging 2.6 steals per game, which ranks second in the horizon league.

Inside the arc? Guaranteed bucket

Lili krasovec is shooting 69.4 percent from the floor this season (34-for-49). If she qualified for the leaderboard with enough attempts, she would lead the horizon league in the field goal percentage category.

Last time out

Purdue fort wayne fell to bowling green 56-53. Lili krasovec and alana nelson led the way with 13 points each and rylee bess added 11. Jordan reid had 11 rebounds.

Next time up

Purdue fort Wayne returns home to welcome wright state to the gates sports center on sunday (dec. 7) at 2 p.m.

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SOUTHERN INDIANA MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball senior guard Ismail Habib earned Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time this season on Monday.

Helping lead USI to a pair of wins last week on the road at Valparaiso University, 64-56, and at home against Kentucky State University, 93-56, Habib averaged 21 points on over 43 percent shooting overall and a blistering 54.8 percent from beyond the arc. 11 of Habib’s 14 made field goals last week came from three-point range. The guard also hauled in 6.5 rebounds per game and dished out 4.5 assists per contest.

Habib opened the week at Valparaiso with a team-high 25 points to get the Screaming Eagles a road win. The senior had 18 points on six three-pointers just in the first half to spark the Eagles early against the Beacons. Habib ended the week with a 17-point performance against Kentucky State, and once again, getting USI off to a good start by scoring the team’s first eight points of the game. Habib was in the neighborhood of a triple-double against Kentucky State, adding eight rebounds and seven assists to his tally.

On the season, Habib is pacing the Screaming Eagles with 19 points and 3.4 assists per outing, while starting all eight games this season. Additionally, Habib is averaging nearly five rebounds per contest. He is also shooting a team-best 35 percent from three-point range. Overall, Habib is shooting just over 41 percent from the floor.

This week, Habib and the Screaming Eagles (3-5) prepare for a two-game road swing, starting Wednesday at Western Michigan University with a 6 p.m. CT tipoff. The road set concludes Sunday at Noon CT when USI visits Indiana State University. Both games this week can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on ESPN WREF 97.7 FM.

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IU INDY MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

SECOND HALF SURGE LIFTS HOUNDS OVER FLYERS IN GLVC OPENER

ROMEOVILLE, ILL — The University of Indianapolis men’s basketball team secured the 80-67 victory over Lewis to start 1-0 in GLVC play.

Carmelo Harris led the Greyhounds with 17 points and added 3 assists for the UIndy offense. Redshirt Sophomore Kelvin Amoako added 16 points shooting from a .857 clip from the field while grabbing a game-high 8 rebounds.

After UIndy trailed by four entering the second half, the Hounds went on a 7-2 run, capitalized by a Pierce Thomas steal and dunk to give the Hounds a one-point advantage four minutes into the half.

The two squads traded points and the lead until the Hounds used a 16-6 run to pull away from the Flyers with a 12-point lead with six minutes remaining in the contest. A deep-three from Cale Cosume seemed to give the Lewis squad momentum, until Nate Dudukovich picked up the and-one to keep control in UIndy’s possession.

A final three-pointer from Harris gave the Hounds their final points of the contest before the Flyers earned the final points of the contest off an Anthony Sydnor driving layup.

INSIDE THE BOX

The Hounds recorded 48 second-half points, the most points in a half by a UIndy

squad since Feb. 24, 2024.

The Hounds saw four double-digit scorers: Harris (17), Amoako (15), Shaun Arnold (12) and Thomas (11).

The Greyhound bench contributed 29 points compared to the Flyers’ 14 bench points.

The UIndy outscored Lewis by 16 points down low, totaling 34 points in the paint.

UP NEXT

The Greyhounds move to 3-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. UIndy returns home to face Maryville Thursday, Dec. 4, for Basketball Night in Indy at The Nic at 7:30 p.m.

=======

IU INDY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS

HOUNDS FALL TO STERN FLYERS DEFENSIVE EFFORT

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The UIndy women’s basketball team opened GLVC play on Monday with a 63-48 defeat to the hands of Lewis on the road.

Similar to last year’s contest at Nicoson Hall, the Flyers’ defense was stifling, as usual, as the team held its opponents to 37.6% from the field in 2024-25, ranking fourth in the GLVC. The Flyers held the Greyhounds’ offense to under 10 points in the second and third quarters today, and exactly 3-10 (30%) shooting in both quarters.

Patricia Chikamba and Amyrah Sapenter led the Greyhounds in scoring tonight with 18 and eight points, respectively.

INS & OUTS

The Hounds opened the game a clean 6-12 (50%) from the field, and were tied at 15 with the Flyers after one. It was all Chikamba early as she scored nine of the Hounds’ points, while Grayice Poe, Halie Gilbert and Sapenter all had two points of their own.

After the Hounds took a 19-18 lead with 7:56 left in the second quarter, Lewis outpaced the Hounds 29-17 through the third quarter, and held a 13 point lead headed to the fourth. Autumn Rucker scored seven points for UIndy during that stretch.

The fourth quarter was fairly even, but the Hounds weren’t able to chip into the Flyers’ lead even with 12 combined points from Chikamba, Gilbert and Rucker.

INSIDE THE BOX

– Chikamba had her third game of the season with at least 18 points.

– UIndy finished with seven turnovers in today’s contest, its fewest in a game since Jan. 13, 2024 in the Hounds’ 91-71 win over William Jewell.

– Gilbert led the team in assists today with three, her most in a game since last season against McKendree.

– Murray garnered her first start of the season.

UP NEXT

UIndy will head back to Nicoson Hall for its second GLVC contest of the season against Maryville on Thursday Dec. 4 with a 5:30 p.m. tip off.

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MARIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER

TREDWAY’S BRACE PUNCHES MARIAN’S TICKET TO NAIA QUARTERFINALS

Pensacola, Fla. – The Marian women’s soccer team shut out No. 16 Taylor in a redemption Crossroads League match-up in the NAIA National Tournament Round of 16. The Knights move to 20-0-2 overall on the season and will advance to the Quarterfinals on Thursday morning.

The Knights opened up the game with a strong push, with Katie Koger, Erin Kelly, and Olivia Parmer each recording a shot in the opening 10 minutes of play. Taylor fired off a shot that was a tad to the right of the goal, but Allie Tredway fired back with a shot, but came up short against the Trojans’ defense in goal. Marian continued to push with Sienna Mullen recording a shot high, followed by Kiley Jones firing off a shot, but came up short to Rawlings’ defense in goal. Taylor fired off a shot but was unsuccessful against Lily Ames’ power in goal. Tredway and Marian Corro Celma each recorded a pair of shots on target, coming up short once more. Tredway gained control once more with a goal off a pass from Koger to take the 1-0 lead. Koger took a final shot in the first half but came up wide, ending the half with a one-goal lead.

Koger took a shot to open up the second half, but was blocked by the Trojans’ defensive line. Tredway was able to follow up with her second goal of the game with the assist from Koger to increase the Knights’ lead. Thirty seconds later, Koger took another shot but came up short against the Trojan’s goalie. Taylor fought back with a pair of shots, but both came up wide of the target. The Knights followed up by recording two more shots from Kelly and Tredway. The Trojans were able to follow up with a shot on goal, but came up short against Ames’ defense in goal. Taylor took two more shots but came up short against Marian’s defense. The Knights punched their ticket to the NAIA Quarterfinal Round with their 2-0 win over the Trojans.

Allie Tredway led the way, recording five shots with four on target while also recording a brace in the matchup. Katie Koger recorded both assists while also taking four shots in the match-up. Erin Kelly recorded two shots, while Marian Corro Celma, Sienna Mullen, Olivia Parmer, and Kiley Jones each recorded one. In goal, Lily Ames recorded three saves and earned her 18th win of the year.

Marian will be back in action on Thursday, December 4th, at 11 am EST as they take on the winner of MidAmerica Nazarene and Oklahoma Wesleyan’s match-up in the NAIA Quarterfinals.

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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. 2

1907 — Tommy Burns defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Gunner Moir in the 10th round at London.

1944 — Ohio State quarterback Leslie Horvath wins the Heisman Trophy.

1947 — Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack wins the Heisman Trophy.

1951 — Future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Hutson has his #14 jersey retired by the Green Bay Packers; first number retired in franchise history.

1952 — Oklahoma halfback Billy Vessels is named the Heisman Trophy winner.

1958 — Army back Pete Dawkins is named the Heisman Trophy winner.

1977 — Veterinarian Mark Gerard is indicted in a horse-switching scandal. Cinzano, a purportedly dead 4-year-old champion colt, won a race on Sept. 23 at Belmont Park, under the name of Lebon, a 57-1 long shot.

1984 — Dan Marino throws his 37th touchdown pass to break NFL single-season touchdown pass record.

1995 — Notre Dame advances to the NCAA women’s soccer championship by becoming the first team to beat 13-time champion North Carolina in the national semifinals. The lone score comes when Tar Heels forward Cindy Parlow accidentally heads a ball into her own net.

2002 — Oakland’s Tim Brown and Jerry Rice take turns rewriting the NFL record book in a 26-20 win over the New York Jets. Brown becomes the third player with 1,000 receptions and the third with 14,000 yards receiving. Rich Gannon ties an NFL record with his ninth 300-yard passing game of the season. On the very next play after Brown’s 1,000th catch, Rice scores on a 26-yard catch, giving Oakland a 13-10 lead. It’s Rice’s record 192nd TD catch and puts him over 1,000 yards receiving for a record 14th season.

2009 — The New Jersey Nets are pounded into NBA infamy, falling 117-101 to the Dallas Mavericks for their 18th straight loss to start the season. The Nets pass the 1988-89 Miami Heat and 1999 Los Angeles Clippers, who both dropped their first 17 games.

2018 — Dallas Dorosy of Florida State scores in the 60th minute to help the Seminoles beat North Carolina 1-0 for the NCAA Women’s College Cup championship. Florida State wins the NCAA women’s soccer title for the second time. North Carolina, a 21-time NCAA champion, is shut out for the second time this season.

_____

Dec. 3

1943 — Notre Dame quarterback Angelo Bertelli wins the Heisman Trophy.

1946 — Army halfback Glenn Davis is named the Heisman Trophy winner.

1950 — Tom Fears of the Los Angeles Rams has 18 receptions against Green Bay.

1950 — Cloyce Box of the Detroit Lions has 302 yards receiving and scores four touchdowns against the Baltimore Colts.

1956 — Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 points in his collegiate debut with Kansas.

1957 — Texas A&M halfback John David Crow is named the Heisman Trophy winner.

1972 — Bobby Howfield of the New York Jets kicks six field goals against New Orleans.

1973 — Dick Anderson of the Miami Dolphins intercepts four passes, returning two for touchdowns, against Pittsburgh.

1979 — Southern California halfback Charles White is named the Heisman Trophy winner.

1982 — Tommy Hearns wins the WBC welterweight title with a 15-round decision over Wilfred Benitez in New Orleans.

1994 — Sixth-ranked Florida beats undefeated and third-ranked Alabama 24-23 in the first SEC Championship game played in Atlanta.

1999 — Marshall beats Western Michigan 34-30 on the last play of the MAC Championship game. Down 30-27 with four seconds left in the game, Chad Pennington throws his 100th career touchdown pass to Eric Pinkerton as time expires to give the Thundedring Herd their third consecutive MAC title.

2000 — The 200-yard rushing games by Mike Anderson, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn and Curtis Martin mark the first time in NFL history that four runners have 200 yards on the same day. Its never happened three times in a single day. Anderson rushes for an NFL rookie record 251 yards and four touchdowns in Denver’s 38-23 victory over New Orleans.

2004 — Bode Miller wins his fourth race of the season in the downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo., and Daron Rahlves is second to give the United States its first 1-2 finish on the World Cup circuit. The last time U.S. men went 1-2 in any elite international race was 1984, when Phil Mahre won the Olympic slalom in Sarajevo and twin brother Steve took the silver medal.

2005 — Southern California wins its 34th consecutive game and 16th straight against a ranked opponent, beating No. 11 UCLA 66-19. The 16 victories against Associated Press ranked teams is one better than Oklahoma, which won 15 from 1973-76.

2014 — The Philadelphia 76ers avoid tying the record for the worst start to a season in NBA history, ending their 0-17 skid with an 85-77 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2015 — Aaron Rodgers throws a 61-yard touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers with no time left to give the Green Bay Packers a 27-23 comeback victory over the Detroit Lions. Detroit went ahead 17-0 after its first three drives and capped the opening possession of the third quarter with a field goal to go ahead 20-0.

2017 — Tom Brady continues his career-long dominance of the Buffalo Bills completing 21 of 30 for 258 yards and an interception in New England’s 23-3 victory. He improves to 27-3 against Buffalo and breaks Brett Favre’s record for wins by a quarterback against any one opponent.

_____

Dec. 4

1945 — “Mr. Inside” Doc Blanchard of Army becomes the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy. Blanchard also becomes the only athlete to win both the Heisman and Sullivan Award.

1951 — Princeton triple-threat tailback Richard Kazmaier wins the Heisman Trophy. Kazmaier led the nation in total offense and the Tigers to an undefeated season.

1956 — Notre Dame quarterback Paul Hornung edges Tennessee’s Johnny Majors to win the Heisman Trophy.

1961 — Floyd Patterson defends his world heavyweight title by knocking out Tom McNeeley in the fourth round in Toronto.

1961 — Syracuse running back Ernie Davis becomes the first black to be taken No. 1 in the NFL draft after being selected by the Washington Redskins.

1977 — Tony Dorsett becomes the third rookie to rush for more than 200 yards in a game with 206 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

1982 — Georgia’s Hershel Walker wins the Heisman Trophy. The junior running back beats out Stanford quarterback John Elway and Southern Methodist running back Eric Dickerson.

1988 — Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders wins the Heisman Trophy then proves he’s worthy of the award with spectacular performance in a 45-42 win over Texas Tech in Tokyo. Sanders rushes 44 times for 332 yards and four touchdowns, setting the NCAA single-season rushing record with 2,628 yards in 11 games.

2004 — Louisville becomes the first football team in NCAA history to score at least 55 points in five straight games, beating Tulane 55-7.

2005 — Croatia wins its first Davis Cup title when Mario Ancic beats Michal Mertinak of Slovakia 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive fifth match.

2009 — The New Jersey Nets win for the first time this season, ending the worst start in NBA history at 18 losses by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91.

2010 — Cam Newton passes for a career-best 335 yards and four touchdowns, and runs for a couple of TDs to lead No. 2 Auburn past 18th-ranked South Carolina 56-17 for the Southeastern Conference title.

2013 — The NFL fines Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin $100,000 for interfering with a play against the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving. In the third quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 win, Jacoby Jones swerves to avoid colliding with Tomlin and is tackled after a 73-yard return that might have gone for a touchdown if not for the obstruction.

2016 — Tom Brady becomes the NFL’s career leader in victories by a quarterback, earning his 201st by throwing for 269 yards and a touchdown to lead New England past Los Angeles 26-10.

2016 — Detroit becomes the first team in 60 Saints home games to stop Drew Brees from throwing a touchdown pass, as the Lions pull away from New Orleans, 28-13. It’s also the Lions’ first victory in a road game following Thanksgiving since 1974, snapping a streak of 22 losses in such games.

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TV SPORTS TODAY

Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts

Tuesday, Dec. 2

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

6 p.m.

BTN — Campbell at Penn St.

7 p.m.

ACCN — Oklahoma at Wake Forest

ESPN2 — Tennessee at Syracuse

ESPNU — Texas A&M at Pittsburgh

PEACOCK — Iowa at Michigan St.

SECN — Virginia Tech at South Carolina

TRUTV — E. Michigan at Butler

7:30 p.m.

ESPN — Florida at Duke

8 p.m.

BTN — Wagner at Maryland

FS1 — Purdue at Rutgers

9 p.m.

ACCN — Georgia at Florida St.

ESPN2 — UConn at Kansas

ESPNU — Missouri at Notre Dame

SECN — Miami at Mississippi

TRUTV — Nicholls St. at Creighton

9:30 p.m.

ESPN — North Carolina at Kentucky

10 p.m.

FS1 — Southern Cal at Oregon

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

5 p.m.

ESPN2 — UConn at South Florida

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

7 p.m.

ESPN — College Football Playoff: Top 25

NBA BASKETBALL

8 p.m.

NBC — Regional Coverage: New York at Boston

PEACOCK — New York at Boston

11 p.m.

NBC — Regional Coverage: Oklahoma City at Golden State

PEACOCK — Oklahoma City at Golden State

_____

Wednesday, Dec. 3

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

7 p.m.

BTN — Indiana at Minnesota

7:15 p.m.

ACCN — LSU at Boston College

ESPN — Louisville at Arkansas

ESPNU — Clemson at Alabama

8 p.m.

TRUTV — UMBC at Georgetown

9 p.m.

BTN — Northwestern at Wisconsin

9:15 p.m.

ACCN — Mississippi St. at Georgia Tech

ESPN — NC State at Auburn

ESPNU — Virginia at Texas

SECN — SMU at Vanderbilt

11 p.m.

BTN — UCLA at Washington

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

5 p.m.

ACCN — Auburn at Syracuse

ESPN2 — Kentucky at Miami

ESPNU — Georgia at Florida St.

SECN — Virginia at Vanderbilt

7:15 p.m.

ESPN2 — NC State at Oklahoma

SECN — Georgia Tech at Texas A&M

8 p.m.

CBSSN — Montana St. at N. Dakota St.

9:15 p.m.

ESPN2 — Tennessee at Stanford

GOLF

9:30 p.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Crown Australian Open, First Round, Royal Melbourne GC, Melbourne, Australia

4 a.m. (Thursday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, First Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

NBA BASKETBALL

8:30 p.m.

NBATV — Miami at Dallas

NHL HOCKEY

7:30 p.m.

TNT — Buffalo at Philadelphia

10 p.m.

TNT — Utah at Anaheim

TRUTV — Utah at Anaheim

_____

Thursday, Dec. 4

AUTO RACING

4:25 a.m. (Friday)

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

5 p.m.

ESPN2 — Florida at Virginia Tech

7 p.m.

ACCN — Arkansas at SMU

ESPN — South Carolina at Louisville

ESPN2 — North Carolina at Texas

ESPNU — Clemson at Alabama

PEACOCK — Villanova at Georgetown

SECN — Pittsburgh at Mississippi St.

9 p.m.

ESPN — LSU at Duke

ESPN2 — Notre Dame at Mississippi

PEACOCK — Marquette at DePaul

SECN — California at Missouri

GOLF

4 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, First Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

1:30 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Hero Challenge, First Round, Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas

9:30 p.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Crown Australian Open, Second Round, Royal Melbourne GC, Melbourne, Australia

4 a.m. (Friday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, Second Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

NBA BASKETBALL

7 p.m.

NBATV — Golden State at Philadelphia

NFL FOOTBALL

8:15 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Dallas at Detroit

_____

Friday, Dec. 5

AUTO RACING

4:25 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

7:55 a.m.

ESPNU — Formula 1: Practice, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

5:25 a.m. (Saturday)

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

7 p.m.

ESPN2 — Gonzaga vs. Kentucky, Nashville, Tenn.

7:30 p.m.

PEACOCK — East Texas A&M at UConn

7:30 p.m.

TNT — Cincinnati at Xavier

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

7 p.m.

CBSSN — Conference USA Championship: TBD

ESPN — Sun Belt Championship: TBD, Harrisburg, Va.

8 p.m.

ABC — American Athletic Championship: TBD

FOX — Mountain West Championship: TBD

COLLEGE SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

6 p.m.

ESPNU — NCAA College Cup: TBD, Semifinal, Kansas City, Mo.

8:45 p.m.

ESPNU — NCAA College Cup: TBD, Semifinal, Kansas City, Mo.

GOLF

4 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, Second Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

1:30 p.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Hero Challenge, Second Round, Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas

9:30 p.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Crown Australian Open, Third Round, Royal Melbourne GC, Melbourne, Australia

4 a.m. (Saturday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, Third Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

NBA BASKETBALL

7 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — L.A. Lakers at Boston

9:30 p.m.

PRIME VIDEO — Dallas at Oklahoma City

NHL HOCKEY

7 p.m.

NHLN — Vegas at New Jersey

_____

Saturday, Dec. 6

AUTO RACING

5:25 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Practice, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

8:55 a.m.

ESPN2 — Formula 1: Qualifying, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

Noon

ACCN — Southern Miss. at Miami

CBS — Iowa St. at Purdue

ESPN2 — Dayton vs. Virginia, Charlotte, N.C.

FOX — Duke at Michigan St.

TRUTV — Rhode Island at Providence

12:30 p.m.

USA — Old Dominion at Richmond

1 p.m.

CW — UNC Asheville at NC State

2 p.m.

BTN — Ohio St. at Northwestern

FS1 — Marquette at Wisconsin

TNT — Boise St. at Butler

2:15 p.m.

CBS — Louisville at Indiana

2:30 p.m.

USA — Princeton at Loyola of Chicago

4 p.m.

BTN — Rutgers at Michigan

ESPNU — Seton Hall at Kansas St.

FS1 — Maryland at Iowa

4:30 p.m.

CBS — Baylor at Memphis

5 p.m.

CBSSN — Colorado at Colorado St.

6 p.m.

BTN — Washington at Southern Cal

ESPN2 — Wake Forest at West Virginia

PEACOCK — Oregon at UCLA

7:30 p.m.

CBSSN — Oklahoma St. at Grand Canyon

8 p.m.

ESPN — Illinois at Tennessee

PEACOCK — Florida St. at Houston

PEACOCK — Mississippi at St. John’s

9 p.m.

TRUTV — Ark.-Pine Bluff at DePaul

10 p.m.

CBSSN — Oklahoma vs. Arizona St., Phoenix

ESPN — Auburn at Arizona

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

Noon

BTN — Indiana at Illinois

6 p.m.

FS1 — Iowa at Rutgers

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Noon

ABC — Big 12 Championship: TBD, Arlington, Texas

ESPN — Metro Atlantic Championship: TBD, Detroit

2 p.m.

ESPN2 — Prairie View A&M at Jackson St.

4 p.m.

ABC — Southeastern Championship: TBD, Atlanta

ESPN — Southeastern Championship: TBD, Atlanta (Field Pass)

8 p.m.

ACCN — Atlantic Coast Championship, Charlotte, N.C. (Field Pass)

ABC — Atlantic Coast Championship, Charlotte, N.C.

FOX — Big Ten Championship: TBD, Indianapolis

GOLF

4 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, Third Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

Noon

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Hero Challenge, Third Round, Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas

2:30 p.m.

NBC — PGA Tour: The Hero Challenge, Third Round, Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas

10 p.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Crown Australian Open, Final Round, Royal Melbourne GC, Melbourne, Australia

4 a.m. (Sunday)

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, Final Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

NBA BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m.

NBATV — Golden State at Cleveland

NHL HOCKEY

7 p.m.

NHLN — Utah at Calgary

SKIING

5 p.m.

NBC — FIS: Alpine Ski World Cup, Beaver Creek, Colo.

SOCCER (MEN’S)

7:30 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: Arsenal at Aston Villa

10 a.m.

USA — English Premier League: Brentford at Tottenham Hotspur

12:30 p.m.

NBC — English Premier League: Liverpool at Leeds United

2:30 p.m.

FOX — MLS Cup: TBD, Final

_____

Sunday, Dec. 7

AUTO RACING

7:55 a.m.

ESPN — Formula 1: The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

ESPNU — Formula 1: The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (F1 Kids)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S)

1 p.m.

ESPN2 — Missouri vs. Kansas, Kansas City, Mo.

2 p.m.

SECN — UTSA at Alabama

3 p.m.

ESPN2 — Texas Tech vs. LSU, Fort Worth, Texas

4 p.m.

ACCN — Hofstra at Pittsburgh

SECN — San Francisco at Mississippi St.

5 p.m.

ESPN — Georgetown at North Carolina

ESPN2 — SMU at Texas A&M

FS1 — Creighton at Nebraska

COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S)

Noon

ACCN — Boston U. at North Carolina

BTN — Purdue at Michigan

SECN — NC Central at South Carolina

1 p.m.

FS1 — DePaul at UConn

2 p.m.

ACCN — Duke at Virginia Tech

BTN — Ohio St. at Northwestern

3 p.m.

FS1 — Oregon at UCLA

4 p.m.

BTN — Maryland at Minnesota

6 p.m.

BTN — Michigan St. at Wisconsin

8 p.m.

BTN — Washington at Southern Cal

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Noon

ESPN — College Football Playoff Selection Show

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (WOMEN’S)

7:30 p.m.

ESPNU — NCAA Division III Tournament: TBD, Championship, Bloomington, Ill.

COLLEGE WATER POLO (MEN’S)

6 p.m.

ESPNU — NCAA Tournament: TBD, Championship, Stanford, Calif.

FIGURE SKATING

4:30 p.m.

NBC — 2025 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: The 2025-26 Grand Prix Final, Nagoya, Japan

GOLF

4 a.m.

GOLF — DP World Tour: The Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player, Final Round, Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa

11:30 a.m.

GOLF — PGA Tour: The Hero Challenge, Final Round, Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas

1:30 p.m.

NBC — PGA Tour: The Hero Challenge, Final Round, Albany Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas

NFL FOOTBALL

1 p.m.

CBS — Regional Coverage: Miami at N.Y. Jets, New Orleans at Tampa Bay, Indianapolis at Jacksonville, Pittsburgh at Baltimore

FOX — Regional Coverage: Seattle at Atlanta, Cincinnati at Buffalo, Tennessee at Cleveland, Washington at Minnesota

4:05 p.m.

CBS — Denver at Las Vegas

4:25 p.m.

FOX — Regional Coverage: Chicago at Green Bay OR L.A. Rams at Arizona

8:20 p.m.

NBC — Houston at Kansas City

PEACOCK — Houston at Kansas City

NHL HOCKEY

1 p.m.

NHLN — Colorado at Philadelphia

7 p.m.                                                                                                                                           

NHLN — Vegas at N.Y. Rangers

SKIING

12:30 p.m.

NBC — FIS: Alpine Ski World Cup, Beaver Creek, Colo.

SOCCER (MEN’S)

9 a.m.

USA — Premier League: West Ham United at Brighton & Hove Albion

11:30 a.m.

USA — Premier League: Crystal Palace at Fulham

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