Sports category, Page 1430
Penn State’s offseason storylines: Overhauling the offense, Manny Diaz’s 1st year, prepping true freshmen
Yes, 7-6 is bad. But 11-11 is worse. Penn State is a .500 program dating to the start of the 2020 season. That Lions squad started 0-5 and battled back to win four consecutive games and earn a 4-5 mark. The 2021 season played out in opposite fashion. After a...
NFL finale is showdown for playoffs: Chargers at Raiders
The NFL’s schedule changes for Week 18 will feature exactly what the league wanted: a Sunday night showdown for a playoff berth. To finish off the NFL’s first 17-game season, the Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders game was flexed from daytime to prime time. Both AFC West rivals...
Latrobe grad Bryce Butler emerges as leader for West Liberty men’s basketball teamVideo
In his time as a coach with the West Liberty men’s basketball team — six seasons as an assistant and now in his fifth as the head coach — Ben Howlett has seen his share of freshmen come into the program. And of all of them, the one Howlett said...
Kiski Area graduate Jalen Cloud a triple threat for Cal (Pa.)
Not too many kids grow up wanting to be triple jumpers. But when Kiski Area graduate Jalen Cloud got a taste of the event as an eighth grader, he was hooked. “I like the fact that a lot of people can’t do it, that it’s an unorthodox movement,” said Cloud,...
Packers rout Vikings in cold to take NFC’s No. 1 seed
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers once again have made sure they won’t have to leave Lambeau Field for the conference playoffs. They’re hoping it works out better for them this time. Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, A.J. Dillon ran for two more scores and...
First Call: Possible reasons for Antonio Brown’s latest sideline meltdown; O.J. rips A.B.; Steelers’ fate in Jaguars’ hands
In Monday’s “First Call,” we look at how far-fetched the Steelers’ playoff chances truly are. We also find out what the Cleveland Browns’ playoff elimination has done to the gambling line on their upcoming game against the Steelers Monday night. The Antonio Brown saga has plenty of twists and turns....
Madden Monday on Evgeni Malkin: ‘Geno is going to ruin the structure … he is going to beat it to death with a sledgehammer’
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ first game back from their coronavirus pause was a wild one. Sunday’s contest against the San Jose Sharks featured a 6-1 lead for the Pens after one period. That narrowed to a 6-5 lead in the third before eventually leading to an 8-5 win. Two hat tricks...
Tim Benz: Appreciating Ben Roethlisberger’s career, and grasping the massive task of replacing him
For as much as Monday night’s Steelers-Browns game at Heinz Field will be about honoring quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s illustrious career, it also will be about remembering the two decades before he came to Pittsburgh. Those 20 seasons between the start of the 1984 season and the conclusion of the 2003...
Steelers fans sound off on the apparent end of the Big Ben era
Angela Birch of Kiski Township has a message for Ben Roethlisberger. “You’ll be missed,” said Birch, 48. “I hate to see you go. Enjoy the life with your kids and thank you so much for everything you’ve done.” Tonight’s game against the Cleveland Browns likely will be the final home...
Perimeter shooting helps Penn State hold off IndianaVideo
UNIVERSITY PARK — Jalen Pickett scored 15 points, and Myles Dread shot 4 of 5 — all from 3-point range — and finished with 12 points to help Penn State beat Indiana, 61-58, on Sunday. Sam Sessoms scored all 10 of his points in the second half for Penn State...
Steelers’ playoff hopes come down to win in Baltimore, improbable upset by Jaguars
A path to the playoffs for the Pittsburgh Steelers includes winning their season finale. And some prayers. The only way for the Steelers to qualify for the postseason for the second year in a row, after they beat the Cleveland Browns on Monday night, is to win in Baltimore in...
Penguins forward Bryan Rust gets hat trick in return from injury
Like all of his teammates, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust had a long holiday break before Sunday’s 8-5 win at home against the San Jose Sharks. There was one point of distinction for Rust’s respite, however. The holiday. Almost all of the Penguins had not played since before Christmas. For...
Sean Clifford’s exit and more from Penn State’s Outback Bowl lossVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — In the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon, Sean Clifford walked toward the corner of Raymond James Stadium, and the Penn State quarterback exited the field through the tunnel. It was the final glimpse of Clifford in the 2021 season. With eight-and-a-half minutes left in Penn State’s 24-10 loss...
Short-handed, stumbling Ravens see skid hit 5 games after loss to RamsVideo
BALTIMORE — Matthew Stafford shook off three turnovers to guide a fourth-quarter rally Sunday that carried the Los Angeles Rams to their fifth straight victory, 20-19 over the short-handed but stubborn Baltimore Ravens. Stafford threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr. with 57 seconds left immediately after completing...
Bengals rally past Chiefs, clinch AFC North titleVideo
CINCINNATI — Evan McPherson kicked a 20-yard field goal as time ran out, and the Cincinnati Bengals earned their first AFC North title and postseason appearance in six years with a wild 34-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Rookie Ja’Marr Chase had a franchise-record 266 yards receiving...
Penguins hold off Sharks for eighth consecutive win
The Pittsburgh Penguins played their first game of the year Sunday. Also, it felt like it was their first game in about a year. To be clear, their 8-5 home win against the San Jose Sharks at PPG Paints Arena was their first contest in two weeks. Having been caught...
Shirtless Antonio Brown leaves Buccaneers’ game early
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Antonio Brown was apparently frustrated and angry. So he walked away. From the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And possibly his NFL career. The mercurial wide receiver was kicked off the Buccaneers after a bizarre, shirtless exit from the field before Tom Brady coolly led the Bucs on...
With surgery planned, Spencer Lee is done for the season at Iowa
Three-time NCAA champion wrestler Spencer Lee of Iowa is shutting it down for the rest of the season to finally undergo another knee surgery. The top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 125 pounds coming into the season, Lee has torn both of his anterior cruciate ligaments since competing for the...
Pitt signs Akron transfer Konata Mumpfield to bolster wide receiver position
A look at Pitt’s 2021 roster reveals a troubling fact that didn’t escape coach Pat Narduzzi’s eye: Pitt loses wide receivers Taysir Mack, Shocky Jacques-Louis, Melquise Stovall and Tre Tipton for the 2022 season. Mack, Stovall and Tipton exhausted their eligibility; Jacques-Louis announced Friday his intention to transfer. In response,...
Penguins activate forwards Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust from injured reserve
The Penguins could get the wingers on their top line back in the lineup for Sunday’s home game against the San Jose Sharks. Forwards Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust were officially activated from injured reserve on Sunday morning. Guentzel, typically a left winger, is the team’s leading scorer with 27...
7 up for Ben Roethlisberger: A look at the Steelers’ quarterback’s best games at Heinz Field
When examining a career that has spanned 18 seasons, 123 home games and 11 more in the postseason, coming up with a definitive list of Ben Roethlisberger’s top moments at Heinz Field is like picking the finalists in a Miss America pageant. There are plenty of worthy contenders, and it’s...
No. 6 Baylor tops No. 8 Ole Miss in Sugar Bowl; QB Matt Corral hurt
NEW ORLEANS — A Sugar Bowl showdown against Mississippi and coach Lane Kiffin’s explosive, Southeastern Conference-leading offense provided a high-profile platform for Baylor to validate its old-school formula of ball control and aggressive defense. Al Walcott set a Sugar Bowl record with a 96-yard interception return, Monaray Baldwin raced 48...
Minor league report: Nailers edged by Admirals
Forwards Justin Almeida and Cam Hausinger each had a goal and an assist for the Wheeling Nailers in a 4-3 home loss to the Norfolk Admirals at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, W.Va. on Saturday. Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 18 saves for Wheeling (15-10-1-0). Highlights: The Nailers’ next game is a...
Jordan Kyrou keeps Blues warm Winter Classic win vs. Wild
MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan Kyrou had two goals and two assists in a five-goal second period for St. Louis, and the Blues cruised through the coldest outdoor game in NHL history to beat the host Minnesota Wild, 6-4, in the Winter Classic on Saturday night. The official faceoff temperature was minus-5.7...
No. 25 Kentucky rallies late to beat No. 17 Iowa 20-17Video
ORLANDO, Fla. — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz knew from experience that his vaunted defense would be challenged trying to contain dynamic Kentucky receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the Citrus Bowl. With the game on the line, Ferentz looked on in horror as Robinson made the most spectacular play of the day...
