Sports category, Page 295

What we do in life echoes in refreshing sports notes. The gods have spoken! • The Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer built on defense, pounding the ball on the ground and dominating possession. They’re built on Russell Wilson. That gives them a better chance than all of the above. Ten...

Monday’s “First Call” has updated odds on the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers after things went their way over Thanksgiving weekend. We also provide a referee explanation about why George Pickens wasn’t ejected in Cincinnati. Joe Burrow got hurt during the game. The AFC playoff picture is taking shape. And...

For those who’ve been watching Steelers football for decades, former defensive player and CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden summed it up pretty well. “Once upon a time, we lived in a world where it would take three games for a Pittsburgh-led offense to score 40-some points,” McFadden said in postgame...

CINCINNATI — Five things we learned from Pittsburgh Steelers 44, Cincinnati Bengals 38: 1. Strip by design The Steelers were wary of Joe Burrow’s ability to scramble out of the pocket and keep his eyes cast downfield for open receivers, so the defense had designs on limiting the damage he...

The Pittsburgh Steelers dispatched the Cincinnati Bengals 44-38 Sunday. So that means they’ve managed to win two of their first three AFC North games at the halfway point of their back-loaded divisional schedule. One game each remains against the Bengals, Browns and Ravens — along with contests in Philadelphia and...

CINCINNATI — Does Joey Porter Jr. have a metaphorical target on his back in the eyes of officials? If so, the bull’s-eye was hit several times on Sunday. By yellow flags. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 cornerback, Porter was flagged six times with four accepted penalties during his team’s 44-38...

CINCINNATI — Teammate Broderick Jones twice was compelled to put his arm around George Pickens in an effort to get through to him. Quarterback and captain Russell Wilson addressed Pickens on the sideline. Sunday’s 44-38 Pittsburgh Steelers win against the Cincinnati Bengals was a game in which Pickens showed how...

After spending most of the season ranked atop the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Pitt women’s volleyball team was rewarded by being slotted as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, which begins Thursday. Pitt again will host in the first two rounds, with Oklahoma, Morehead State...

CINCINNATI — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III did not play after halftime of Sunday’s win against the Bengals and was being evaluated for a concussion after the game, coach Mike Tomlin said. Austin, who had a 23-yard touchdown catch in the 44-38 victory, twice was subjected to hard...

During the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris had to leave the contest briefly because he didn’t feel well after a run. He blamed himself for eating too much of a dessert made by tight end Pat Freiermuth’s girlfriend during Thanksgiving...

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon hasn’t gotten this far by wish-casting about outcomes in its first Big Ten season. As quarterback Dillon Gabriel says, the Ducks have no use for tomorrow’s fiction. That mentality has served the Ducks well. They finished the regular season 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) and atop the...

UNIVERSITY PARK — Yanic Konan Niederhauser matched his career high with 27 points and Ace Baldwin triggered the offense with 10 assists as Penn State cruised to an 87-64 win over Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. The Nittany Lions (7-1) rebounded after suffering their first loss, 75-67 to Clemson last week...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Zach Charbonnet ran for a go-ahead 8-yard touchdown with 5:31 remaining, Leonard Williams returned an interception 92 yards for a momentum-turning score and the Seattle Seahawks held on to beat the New York Jets 26-21 on a chilly, windy Sunday for their third straight victory. Geno...

West Virginia fired coach Neal Brown on Sunday as the Mountaineers continue to flounder in the Big 12, finishing the season 6-6. Athletic director Wren Baker announced the firing in a statement, wishing Brown and his family “the very best in their next endeavor.” Brown had an overall record of...

CINCINNATI — The Pittsburgh Steelers came here expecting a shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals, knowing they would have to outscore or stop the NFL’s most potent passing attack. The Steelers did both. Russell Wilson delivered their first 400-yard passing game in six seasons. And the defense created three turnovers, including...

Purdue hired Ryan Walters to keep a promising program near the top of the Big Ten Conference. Two years later, the Boilermakers have sunk to unprecedented depths — and Walters is out of a job. Athletic director Mike Bobinski fired the first-time head coach on Sunday, following a brutal 1-11...

KILLINGTON, Vt. — Mikaela Shiffrin suffered a deep puncture wound on the right side of her abdomen and “severe muscle trauma” during her scary crash in a giant slalom race on Saturday but no serious bone, ligament or organ damage. The five-time overall World Cup champion was sidelined for the...

The rules governing college football’s postseason make it clear: Pitt is eligible for a 13th game, has been for a long time after winning No. 6 on Oct. 12. The bar for bowl eligibility is set at six victories. Projected locations from various national media outlets include the Pinstripe Bowl...

CINCINNATI — For a third consecutive game, starting outside linebacker Alex Highsmith was among the Pittsburgh Steelers’ inactives for Sunday’s matchup with the Bengals. Highsmith has not played since suffering an ankle injury late in the Nov. 10 win at the Washington Commanders. Coach Mike Tomlin had expressed optimism Highsmith...

Emily Mannion hoped to make the most of a new opportunity this fall on the IUP women’s soccer team. The Gateway graduate and Crimson Hawks sophomore midfielder, who transferred from Clarion after one season, got her chance to shine, and she took full advantage. She scored four goals, one in...

After a chaotic end to the regular season in college football, the matchups are set for championship week. Here’s a look at the showdowns coming up in the Power Four and Group of Five, with AP Top 25 rankings. All championship games are Saturday, Dec. 7, except in the American...