Sports category, Page 125
Don’t blame this Franklin Regional grad for hoping the Steelers lose Monday. It’s his job
Nate Leopold used to sit in the yellow seats at Heinz Field — before it became Acrisure Stadium — twirling a Terrible Towel and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers. When they played “Renegade,” he stood up and yelled like the 68,000-plus going crazy around him. “The first year I remember...
Duquesne men’s basketball team loses to Saint Joseph’s on road
When the final buzzer sounded in overtime of a classic back-and-forth game, Duquesne found itself short of another road victory. Jaiden Glover-Toscano scored 28 points, and Derek Simpson added 22 to lead Saint Joseph’s to a 97-90 victory on Wednesday night at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia, denying Duquesne its second...
Analysis: Stakes high as Ravens move on from stability of John Harbaugh era
In three decades of existence, the Baltimore Ravens have had two primary owners, two general managers and three coaches. Stability like that is hard to achieve in the NFL and should not be taken for granted. Now the franchise heads down an uncertain path after firing John Harbaugh. It’s a...
Josh Allen says he knows where he needs to improve as Bills prepare for playoff opener vs. Jags
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Josh Allen’s sore right foot feels better, and the Bills quarterback’s mind is refreshed as Buffalo prepares to open the playoffs on the road for the first time in six years. With the exception of a game-opening handoff in a regular season-ending 35-8 win over the...
Thriving in NIL era, Ole Miss turns into unlikely powerhouse
Keith Carter had a premium vantage point at the Sugar Bowl for arguably the biggest moment in Mississippi’s college football history, standing directly behind the goalposts as Lucas Carneiro’s 47-yard field goal split the uprights. The Ole Miss athletic director scooped up the football and tucked it under both arms,...
No. 1 Indiana and No. 5 Oregon turn CFP Peach Bowl semifinal into celebration of Big Ten’s supremacy
ATLANTA — The Big Ten is marching into the heart of Southern football with a proud swagger, daring any conference to challenge its claim as the power to beat in the College Football Playoff. Undefeated No. 1 Indiana (14-0, CFP No. 1 seed) and No. 5 Oregon (13-1, CFP No....
Penguins experiment with Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel and Egor Chinakhov as a second line
Ben Kindel has experienced a handful of firsts as an 18-year-old rookie in the NHL. First game, first goal, first road trip, etc. But getting to skate on a line with someone who eventually will have a plaque on a wall in the Hockey Hall of Fame? The Pittsburgh Penguins...
Pitt defensive tackle Francis Brewu, kicker Trey Butkowski enter transfer portal
Movement in and out of the Pitt football program has continued as the transfer portal window (Jan. 2-16) remains open. So far, the majority of news surrounding Pitt has consisted of players from the 2025 squad entering the transfer portal. Most recently, defensive tackle Francis Brewu and kicker Trey Butkowski...
Where are the Penguins midway through the season?
The milestone caught Arturs Silovs off guard. When informed the Pittsburgh Penguins are at the midway point of the regular season — 41 games in, 41 games to go — the rookie goaltender was surprised. “It’s been 41 already?” Silovs remarked Tuesday in Cranberry. The season has progressed at a...
Texans’ defense reached historic status that Steelers strived to achieve
The Houston Texans achieved a status on defense that Mike Tomlin erroneously predicted for his Pittsburgh Steelers unit in the summer. Historic. When the Steelers meet the Texans on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium in the AFC Wild-Card round, it will be the visiting team bringing a record-setting defensive unit...
Steelers 4 Downs: Aaron Rodgers peaking at right time, Texans a rare 3-WR opponent
1. Rarin’ Aaron Aaron Rodgers turned 42 years old Dec. 2. As the sun rose on that chilly Tuesday morning, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season seemed to be cratering. And to some degree, so did the career of Rodgers, at least inasmuch as it could have careened to an uninspiring end....
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reflects on John Harbaugh’s firing, says lack of patience defines modern NFL
The Baltimore Ravens firing coach John Harbaugh is indicative of “today’s sport culture,” said Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who lamented the lack of patience afforded to most NFL coaching jobs. The AFC North rivals coached against one another 44 times, the second most in NFL history. But Harbaugh was...
‘Everyone’s just been doing their job’: Plenty clicking for Penguins during season-best 5-game winning streak
One month ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins suffered the first of eight consecutive losses, marking the worst skid by the franchise in nearly 20 years. But fast forward to Jan. 7, 2026, as the Penguins prepare to host New Jersey on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, and the club has reversed...
Why 2025 is the year of the 1st-round quarterback in the NFL
The 2025 NFL season was dominated by first-round quarterbacks with old veterans like Matthew Stafford and a new generation featuring Drake Maye and Caleb Williams taking center stage. The playoffs should be no different with a record-tying 12 of the 14 teams that qualified for the postseason set to use...
Got turkeys? The Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to know
Thanksgiving is long gone, but for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, it’s time to talk turkey — specifically, where they are and how many you see. The commission is making its annual request for public assistance in reporting the location of turkey flocks they see between now and March 15, as...
Mark Madden: Myles Garrett holds the NFL sacks record, no matter how Steelers fans spin it
Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record last Sunday when Cleveland beat Cincinnati. Garrett’s feat triggered a few sidebars. • Did anybody in seasons past perform in more record-worthy fashion despite having fewer sacks than Garrett? • Did Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow lay down on Garrett’s milestone sack, effectively giving...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ playoff optimism is legit. But don’t ‘unpack’ those bags until it’s proven true
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked Tuesday about the importance of the team finally winning a playoff game for the first time since the 2016-17 season. It’s a slump that has now lasted almost a decade. It is hanging over the entire franchise and Tomlin’s personal legacy. “I’m certainly...
Penguins return defenseman Harrison Brunicke to his junior team
The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke to his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, on Wednesday. Brunicke, 19, appeared in nine NHL games this season and scored one goal while averaging 15:43 of ice time. He was predominantly deployed on the third pairing. A...
Penguins place forward Rutger McGroarty on injured reserve due to concussion
The Pittsburgh Penguins placed rookie forward Rutger McGroarty on injured reserve on Wednesday morning due to a concussion. This transaction comes after McGroarty was injured during a practice session in Cranberry on Tuesday. While battling for a puck during a two-on-two drill, McGroartry collided with a teammate and immediately experienced...
First Call: Details about John Harbaugh’s firing and future; updated Steelers ‘Here We Go’ song
We have an update to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Here We Go” song. There is a lot of news surrounding the departure of John Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens. Ben Roethlisberger has some advice for the Steelers’ defense. And Duquesne looks to rebound from a home conference loss on the basketball...
Scouting the Texans: Steelers wild-card opponent has never won a road playoff game
SCOUTING THE TEXANS Last meeting Texans beat Steelers, 30-6, on Oct. 1, 2023, in Houston Key matchup Texans TE Dalton Schultz vs. Steelers ILB Payton Wilson Only two NFL tight ends had more catches this season than Schultz (82). With Houston being a pass-heavy team that is not particularly adept...
Tim Benz: Happy trails, Harbaugh. You’ll be … missed?
After 18 years coaching the fiercest rival of the Pittsburgh Steelers, John Harbaugh was fired by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday. His last game as head coach in purple and black will go down as one of the most memorable games in the rivalry between the two franchises — a...
Honor Huff scores 24, sparks late West Virginia rally vs. Cincinnati
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Honor Huff made six 3-pointers and scored 24 points, and West Virginia used a late run to beat Cincinnati, 62-60, on Tuesday night. Moustapha Thiam’s dunk stretched Cincinnati’s lead to 57-52 with 4 minutes, 46 seconds to play. It was more than two minutes later before Huff...
WPIAL Penn State defender Anthony Speca transferring
Penn State redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Speca has a new home. Speca, who entered the transfer portal a few days ago, is headed to Purdue, per On3. He will have three years of eligibility left. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Speca, a standout at Central Catholic, redshirted in 2024. Speca appeared in...
Penn State men fall just short of upset against No. 2 Michigan
UNIVERSITY PARK — L.J. Cason scored 14 points, and No. 2 Michigan held on to beat Penn State, 74-72, on Tuesday night. Nimari Burnett and Trey McKenney had 12 points each, and Yaxel Lendeborg added 10 for the Wolverines (14-0, 4-0 Big Ten), off to their best start since opening...
