Sports category, Page 369
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, WR Marquise Brown expected to play SaturdayVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is expected to play against Houston on Saturday, less than a week after suffering a high-ankle sprain in a win over Cleveland, and he will likely have wide receiver Marquise Brown available for the first time in a regular-season game. Chiefs coach...
‘Super important’ to Steelers, All-Pro OLB T.J. Watt gets green light to play against Ravens
The Pittsburgh Steelers were bracing for the potential of playing the Baltimore Ravens without All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who has served as the most disruptive force in their AFC North rivalry. Now they can breathe a sigh of relief and leave the worrying to the Ravens. The absence of...
Pitt basketball’s challenging nonconference schedule could look better as season unfolds
Jeff Capel said Thursday he didn’t know he is coaching a team that sits 11th among 363 other Division I men’s basketball programs. “I appreciate you letting me know that,” Capel said when a reporter reminded him where Pitt stands in the crucial NCAA NET rankings. Of course, Capel is...
Steelers All-Pro OLB T.J. Watt expected to play against Ravens; WR George Pickens ruled out
The Pittsburgh Steelers got positive news on the injury front about All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt, but that was balanced by negative news regarding wide receiver George Pickens. Watt, who injured his left ankle in the fourth quarter Sunday in the 27-14 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles, was a full...
Penn State hotel prices soar ahead of home playoff game
The Penn State Nittany Lions take the field Saturday for the team’s first-ever playoff home game, and hotel prices are surging in the State College area. The Nittany Lions will play the Southern Methodist University Mustangs, a team that’s used to playing under sunny skies in Texas. Weather forecasts for...
SMU coach Rhett Lashlee downplays Penn State’s cold-weather competitive advantageVideo
Under normal circumstances, the current weather in University Park, Texas, seems quite favorable for conducting football practice or any sort of strenuous activity. But as the SMU Mustangs have been enjoying sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s this week, an awareness exists that conditions are about to change drastically...
Tim Benz: The Steelers’ ‘old pickup truck’ run game needs to find a higher gear
To an extent, I get where Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is coming from when he defends some of the issues surrounding his offense’s rushing attack. Sometimes, you grow attached to your car or truck to an illogical degree. I had an old Jeep I really liked, and I...
A-K Valley Campus Clips: Freeport grad named volleyball All-American as freshman
Freeport graduate Josie Russo enjoyed a stellar high school volleyball career with all-state honors while leading the powerful Yellowjackets to PIAA gold. She made the transition to the college game this fall at Butler County Community College, and her production didn’t wane. Russo was one of just four freshmen from...
For Nailers coach Derek Army, success means more than just wins
Derek Army knows what winning looks like in Wheeling. As a player, he was a key component of the last Wheeling Nailers team to reach the ECHL’s Kelly Cup final in 2016. So in his current capacity as the Nailers’ coach, seeing his team race out to first place in...
James Madison secures its 1st bowl win after topping Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Backup Billy Atkins threw for 181 yards and a touchdown in his first start since 2022, leading James Madison to the program’s first bowl win after topping Western Kentucky, 27-17, on Wednesday night in the Boca Raton Bowl. JMU was without starting quarterback Alonza Barnett III,...
Hajj-Malik Williams throws 2 TDs passes to help No. 24 UNLV beat Cal in the LA Bowl
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Despite losing its starting quarterback after three games and head coach 10 days ago, UNLV had its best season in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The 24th-ranked Rebels picked up their 11th win and first bowl victory in 24 years Wednesday night when they pulled away in the...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans dislike media take on loss to Eagles, criticize Najee Harris and NFL officialsVideo
Based on some of the responses to my posts in the wake of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss in Philadelphia on Sunday, I’m hoping to get some of my readers a very specific present for Christmas. The gift of reading comprehension. I may also throw in a coupon for common sense...
First Call: J.J. Watt gives health update on T.J.; ‘TNF’ game could have big impact on SteelersVideo
Thursday’s “First Call” has a health update on Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler T.J. Watt from a family source. We get word on the status of a few banged-up Baltimore Ravens too. We also get the rundown on how the “Thursday Night Football” game impacts whoever wins the AFC North. And...
Minor league report: Penguins shut out by Matt Murray, MarliesVideo
Goaltender Joel Blomqvist made 28 saves on 31 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-0 loss to the Toronto Marlies at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. The result dropped Blomqvist’s record to 4-4-0. Former Penguins goaltender Matt Murray made 27 saves to record his first shutout of...
Penguins reassign defenseman Nate Clurman to AHL
Shortly after trading for P.O Joseph Wednesday evening, the Pittsburgh Penguins reassigned fellow defenseman Nate Clurman to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Clurman, who earned his first recall to an NHL roster Tuesday in light of Marcus Pettersson’s placement on injured reserve, was a healthy scratch for the Penguins...
Penguins bring back defenseman P.O Joseph in trade with Blues
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ divorce from P.O Joseph did not last long. A little more than five months after the Penguins allowed Joseph to walk away as a free agent, they brought the left-handed defenseman back after acquiring him in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday evening in...
Dorian Thompson-Robinson wants to be Browns’ answer at QB
BEREA, Ohio — Dorian Thompson-Robinson won’t be satisfied with just being a fill-in piece to the Cleveland Browns’ confounding quarterback puzzle. He wants to be a permanent one. Not just the short-term fix. The long-term answer. With the team’s future at QB so unsettled, Thompson-Robinson, who will start this week...
In perhaps taking on a bigger role, in facing cousin Lamar Jackson of Ravens, Steelers’ James Pierre
Like many of us, James Pierre has warm memories of growing up hanging out and playing with his cousin. Not all of us have a cousin like Pierre does, though. A Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, Pierre is a first cousin of star Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. “We spent a lot...
Notre Dame and Indiana get 1st taste of playoff football under the Friday night lightsVideo
Marcus Freeman spent his first two seasons as the Notre Dame coach chasing the playoff dream. This year, he’s living it at home. After closing the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and getting two weeks to prepare for the most meaningful postseason game of his career, Freeman is...
T.J. Watt returns to Steelers practice but George Pickens, others remain out
T.J. Watt returned to Pittsburgh Steelers practice Wednesday, but George Pickens and three other significant contributors were given a “did not practice” designation on the league-mandated status report. Watt joined Larry Ogunjobi as veteran starters on defense who were listed as “limited,” three days prior to an AFC North showdown...
Chiefs may have best veteran backup QB yet in Carson Wentz
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former NFL quarterback Nick Foles still remembers when he was launching his new apparel company with retired punter Pat O’Donnell, and they decided to send some “Dad SZN” merch to some of their old pals in various locker rooms. The package he sent to Kansas City...
Najee Harris takes blame for critical turnover, but Steelers defend dependable running back
Three days after he dropped a toss from Russell Wilson for a critical turnover against the Philadelphia Eagles, Najee Harris was stunned to find out that he wasn’t the one charged with a fumble. “I wasn’t?” Harris asked Wednesday, turning toward Steelers communications manager Michael Bertsch for confirmation. “That’s crazy.”...
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney once again defies, dismisses critics
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t see this season much differently than others in his long, successful career: criticism over his philosophy, his team counted out early before celebrating another season on top. “The way I’ve been taking shots since I got the job,” Swinney said. “Yeah, what’s...
Recovered from trade whirlwind, new Pirates 1B Spencer Horwitz excited for opportunity
Dec. 10 was shaping up to be a fairly routine offseason weekday for Spencer Horwitz, who had made plans with his girlfriend to go see “Gladiator II” in theaters. Then, news broke of Andres Gimenez’s trade from the Cleveland Guardians to the Toronto Blue Jays. Minutes later, Horwitz, who played...
Pitt volleyball set for another slugfest with Louisville in 4th consecutive trip to Final 4
When Dan Fisher returns to campus — worst scenario Friday, better scenario Monday — he carefully will hang what he referred to as a “really cool” Louisville Slugger baseball bat on his office wall. The bat, a gift from tournament organizers, will serve as a permanent reminder of his Pitt...
