Sports category, Page 370
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...
Bad tackling day vs. Eagles was just a ‘one-off’ — but Steelers know they can’t repeat it
Everyone from the head coach to the best players on the unit acknowledges what was readily apparent to anyone who watched Sunday’s game. The Pittsburgh Steelers did not have their best tackling performance. Coordinator Teryl Austin, though, does not foresee it portending a trend. “I would think, based on the...
Ivy League football to compete in FCS playoffs beginning next season
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Ivy League will compete in the FCS playoffs beginning next season, the conference announced on Wednesday, ending a century-long postseason ban originally aimed at allowing the athletes to focus on their schoolwork. “It’s a monumental day in the Ivy League and a special day to be...
Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany ‘week to week’ due to injury
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie defenseman Jack St. Ivany is sidelined on a “week-to-week” basis due to an undisclosed injury he suffered while playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earlier this month. Coach Mike Sullivan provided St. Ivany’s status following a practice in Cranberry on Wednesday. St. Ivany is physically in town (Cranberry)...
Penn State DE Abdul Carter believes he’s the ‘best player’ in college football
Abdul Carter was a finalist for three national awards: the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award — each given to the best defensive player in college football — and the Lombardi Award, presented annually to the top lineman in college football. Carter, Penn State’s star edge rusher, didn’t...
Mark Madden: Penguins can’t lose sight of big picture as playoff hopes clash with rebuilding roster
The Penguins are putting president of hockey ops/GM Kyle Dubas in a difficult position. Before the team went on its ongoing 7-2-1 run — which features six wins vs. teams currently in playoff spots — it was easy to brace for the inevitability of Dubas trading players like defenseman Marcus...
Steelers LB Patrick Queen unfazed by upcoming return to Baltimore
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen is unfazed about how he will be received by the fans in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. If anything, he’s looking forward to it. “I’m probably going to get a lot of ‘F-You’s’ and boos and stuff,” Queen said. “At the end of the day, I...
First Call: Eagles DB says Kenny Pickett gave ‘tips’ to beat Steelers; Ravens confident for Steelers rematch
Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us that the Baltimore Ravens are confident about Saturday’s game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite their recent woes in the rivalry. And we now know the officiating crew for that game too. The Eagles are saying former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett helped their cause en route...
Tim Benz: Penguins beat Kings ‘at their own game’ — who would have thought it 3 weeks ago?
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic summed up the team’s 3-2 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Kings in the most succinct way possible. “I thought we did a great job of staying with it and beating them at their own game in a way,” Nedeljkovic said. The final score, the...
With assist from Sidney Crosby, Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk finally nets goal of his ownVideo
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has had little difficulty in setting up teammates this season. Heading into Tuesday’s puck drop vs. the Los Angeles Kings, Grzelcyk’s 15 assists ranked fourth on the club, trailing only Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson. However, finding the back of the net himself...
Trib HSSN 2024 WPIAL Football Player of the Year: Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg
2024 Trib HSSN Football Player of the Year Matt Sieg School: Fort Cherry Position: Quarterback/defensive back Class: Junior A football season might be considered successful in various ways, but Fort Cherry’s Matt Sieg had just one measuring stick for his junior year. “I don’t really base it off of the...
Memphis hangs on to beat West Virginia in wild Frisco Bowl
FRISCO, Texas — Seth Henigan threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns in his final game for No. 25 Memphis, matching the American Athletic Conference career TD passing record with 104, as the Tigers held on to beat West Virginia, 42-37, in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night. Memphis (11-2)...
MLB study: Velocity, max efforts likely causing pitching injuries; rule changes should be considered
NEW YORK — A yearlong study by Major League Baseball concluded rising velocities, pitch shaping and emphasis on maximum effort are the likely causes of the vast increase in pitcher injuries and recommended exploring rules changes to address the problem. The 62-page report released Tuesday said the trends extended to...
Penn State volleyball coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley hopes her Final 4 experience can help guide her team
It’s a long way from Hawaii to Louisville, Ky., but Katie Schumacher-Cawley has enjoyed every mile of the journey. Schumacher-Cawley, Penn State’s women’s volleyball coach, knows all about what she calls the external “chaos” of the NCAA Tournament Final Four. She was there in Hawaii in 1999 when — as...
Kyle Tucker open to long-term deal with Cubs after trade
CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker played his first major-league games at Wrigley Field when the Houston Astros visited the Chicago Cubs in April. It was cold, he said, and a lot of fun. “Those fans love their Cubs,” Tucker said. “That’s kind of how it felt from, you know, the visiting...
Robert Morris gets back in win column with furious comeback vs. TowsonVideo
There were many heroes Tuesday night in Robert Morris’ epic, come-from-behind victory over Towson in men’s basketball at UPMC Events Center, a 68-67 decision that saw the Colonials enjoy the lead for a grand total of 73 seconds. What mattered was they led when the game was over after trailing...
Falcons name rookie Michael Penix Jr. starter, bench Kirk Cousins
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons are turning to rookie Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback and benching veteran Kirk Cousins as they fight for their first playoff berth since 2017. Coach Raheem Morris announced the decision in a statement Tuesday night. “After review we have made the decision Michael...
All-Pro safety Budda Baker signs 3-year deal with Cardinals
TEMPE, Ariz. — Two-time All-Pro safety Budda Baker signed a three-year deal on Tuesday to stay with the Arizona Cardinals through the 2027 season. The 28-year-old Baker’s deal is worth $54 million and includes $30 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network and ESPN. Baker has been a mainstay for the...
Reports: Greensburg Salem grad Brennan Marion to become Sacramento State head coach
Greensburg Salem graduate Brennan Marion is finalizing a deal to become the head coach at Sacramento State, according to multiple reports and first reported by Matt Zenitz of 247Sports. Marion was the offensive coordinator at UNLV for the last two seasons. Dan Mullen was hired after UNLV head coach Barry...
