Sports category, Page 389
As CFP run continues, Penn State hopes to get passing game on track
UNIVERSITY PARK — Few bettors would have lined up for the proposition of Penn State marching to a lopsided victory in the College Football Playoff with under 150 passing yards and zero touchdowns through the air. Yet, while quarterback Drew Allar was limited to 127 passing yards and did not...
Pitt Take 5: GameAbove Sports Bowl matters for 1 day, then it’s time to prepare for 2025
A nonconference game played the day after Christmas against a MAC opponent seems almost beside the point, but the GameAbove Sports Bowl between Pitt and Toledo will be staged, anyway, at 2 p.m. Thursday at Detroit’s Ford Field. A Pitt victory would end its five-game losing streak, but not the...
NFL on Netflix: Christmas Day games are a 1st for streaming giant
Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second...
Ex-Eagles player pleads guilty to federal fraud charges related to pandemic aid programs
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after he was accused of submitting fraudulent tax returns and applications for hundreds of thousands of dollars in covid-19 pandemic aid programs. The signed plea agreement was approved Friday by a federal...
WR George Pickens cleared to play against Chiefs, as 4 Steelers starters return from injury
George Pickens is one of four Pittsburgh Steelers starters who have been cleared to play on Christmas Day, marking the return of their top wide receiver after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Pickens, strong safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Donte Jackson and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi all were listed...
Despite shaky debut vs. SMU, Penn State freshman QB Ethan Grunkemeyer ‘handled it well’
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s 38-10 blowout of SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff was valuable for plenty of reasons, but one that may be overlooked is the fact that freshman quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer made his collegiate debut as Drew Allar’s newly minted backup. Grunkemeyer, assuming...
Mark Madden: Sidney Crosby might be on verge of his greatest individual achievement as a Penguin
Let’s celebrate the season with refreshing Pittsburgh Penguins notes! They’re a lot more refreshing when you win nine of 13 and splatter Philadelphia as a Christmas gift. Have you ever seen the Flyers win the Cup? • From goal line to goal line and on the stat sheet, I’m confident...
NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it’s their duty to spread their love of Jesus
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Jake Bates was standing on the turf in his hometown of Houston when asked to reflect on an unlikely journey from learning how to sell bricks to making game-winning kicks for the Detroit Lions. Bates used his platform as an NFL player to spread his love...
Caitlin Clark honored as AP Female Athlete of the Year following her impact on women’s sports
Caitlin Clark raised the profile of women’s basketball to unprecedented levels in both the college ranks and the WNBA, and Tuesday she was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for her impact on and off the court. After leading Iowa to the national championship game, Clark was the...
Masters gets 9 more players from top 50 in the world ranking. Glover narrowly gets in
Lucas Glover held down the 50th spot in the final world ranking of the year, making him one of nine players who will be added to the invitation list to play in the Masters. The field has eight more players than it did at this time a year ago. The...
Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger dies in avalanche
Sophie Hediger, a member of Switzerland’s snowboard cross team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has died following an avalanche at a mountain resort, the country’s skiing federation said on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Monday at the Arosa resort in Switzerland. Hediger, 26, competed at the Beijing Games in...
Kyle Dubas maintains goal of trying to keep Penguins living in 2 worlds at once
During the second period of Monday night’s 7-3 Pittsburgh Penguins’ win over the Philadelphia Flyers, Pens general manager Kyle Dubas joined the SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcast team. While speaking with Josh Getzoff and Phil Bourque, Dubas was asked where he wants the team to be by the end of the calendar...
Tim Benz: Christmas showdown with Chiefs carries meaning beyond final score for suddenly sputtering Steelers
When the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their typical December swoon last year, it really hurt because the three consecutive losses they endured over a 13-day period (Dec. 3-16) came at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. The Cards and Patriots were both 2-10 at the...
Steelers 4 Downs: Sack totals aren’t gaudy, but pressures and QB hits are piling up
1. Sacks lack, but… The Pittsburgh Steelers’ remarkable run of leading the NFL in sacks for five consecutive seasons (2017-21) is long gone. At 16th in the league in sacks through 15 games this season with 36, the Steelers are right about at league average and appear destined to finish...
First Call: Diontae Johnson joins AFC playoff team; Steelers-K.C. injury updates; odds on potential Steelers playoff seeds
Tuesday’s “First Call” has health updates on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Diontae Johnson has another new home with a team that is AFC playoff-bound. There is some data to track about the Steelers’ potential playoff seeding. Also, things are looking really bleak for the New York Rangers...
Scouting the Chiefs: Steelers opponent is 20-1 over past calendar year
SCOUTING THE CHIEFS Last meeting Chiefs beat Steelers, 42-21, on Jan. 16, 2022, in a playoff game at Kansas City. Key matchup Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes vs. Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick The Steelers have acknowledged communication problems in their defense during losses the past two weeks, and between veteran Mahomes...
Penguins rout Flyers, reversing fortunes against Metropolitan foes
Playing against Metropolitan Division foes has not been a feat of strength for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25. And given their 1-6-1 record in games against such opponents entering Monday, it is something that could be a legitimate cause to air grievances over. “We understand the importance of it,” Penguins...
George Dimopoulos shines in double OT, Northern Illinois wins Idaho Potato Bowl
BOISE, Idaho — Freshman wide receiver George Dimopoulos threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge on the first play of double overtime, and Jordan Hansen ended the game on a fourth-down sack to give Northern Illinois a 28-20 victory over Fresno State on Monday in the Idaho Potato Bowl....
District soccer notebook: Pitt’s Sarah Schupansky signs with NWSL’s Gotham
Sarah Schupansky is extending her soccer career as she turns professional. The former standout at North Allegheny and Pitt signed a multi-year contract to play for the NJ/NY Gotham of the National Women’s Soccer League. The deal is through 2026 with a team option for ’27. “I could not be...
No. 1 Oregon, No. 8 Ohio State gear up for rematch of thriller
Oregon and Ohio State already have produced one heck of a game this season. Now, the top-seeded Ducks (13-0) and No. 8 Buckeyes (11-2) are gearing up for a rematch more than 10 weeks later in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day....
Hobbled Texans will try to deal blow to Ravens’ AFC North title hopesVideo
HOUSTON — For a second straight season, the Houston Texans will be without Tank Dell to end the regular season and for the playoffs after the dynamic receiver suffered another major injury. Coach DeMeco Ryans revealed the details of the injury Monday before announcing that Dell (torn ACL, dislocated kneecap)...
Westmoreland Campus Clippings: Latrobe’s Holler helps Memphis win bowl game, set to turn pro
Trent Holler and Memphis smashed West Virginia. The result on the football field wasn’t terribly one-sided: Memphis 42, WVU 37. The smashing happened after the game. Following the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl, Holler, Memphis’ mammoth redshirt senior center, took a sledge hammer to a block of concrete painted with a...
Pitt lands ex-Charlotte offensive tackle Kendall Stanley from transfer portal
Pitt received a verbal commitment Monday from transfe offensive tackle Kendall Stanley, who will arrive from Charlotte with three seasons of eligibility. Offensive line will be one of coach Pat Narduzzi’s priorities in the transfer portal this offseason after spotty play created problems this season. That, coupled with the losses...
Curiously not targeted often recently, Pat Freiermuth still major part of Steelers offense
Simple intuitiveness would have suggested that in the absence of No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens over the past three games that Pat Freiermuth would have been a much-utilized weapon in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense. That has not materialized. Although Freiermuth does have two touchdown receptions in that time, he...
Masters gets 10 more players from top 50 in the world ranking. Lucas Glover narrowly gets in
Lucas Glover held down the 50th spot in the final world ranking of the year, making him one of 10 players who will be added to the invitation list to play in the Masters. The field has eight more players than it did at this time a year ago. The...
