Sports category, Page 435
PWHL opens 2nd season looking to build on 1st-year success with new faces, logos and expansion plansVideo
TORONTO — Nothing will replace the special moments and many firsts Hilary Knight enjoyed during the PWHL’s inaugural season. At 35, one of USA Hockey’s most accomplished female players remains awed by the leap the league made in being established in late June 2023, launching six months later and catching...
Steelers (mostly) ready for their closeup as ‘Hard Knocks’ begins filming its AFC North series
As might be expected, security is typically tight at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. The parking lot is gated. A 50-foot curtain is available to shield the primary practice field. Facial-recognition software kiosks dot the facility at myriad checkpoints. But the most private areas where the proprietary information often is exchanged...
Zack Austin’s 3-point basket lifts Pitt to 91-90 overtime victory against Ohio State
Zack Austin hit the winning 3-point shot Friday afternoon with 0.04 seconds left in overtime to lift Pitt to a 91-90 victory against Ohio State, but there he was in a postgame interview apologizing. The moment inside Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, was not too much for him, but...
For Deion, Hunter and CU, a solid season, some fingers crossed and thoughts of what might have beenVideo
BOULDER, Colo. — In the days before the playoffs became the goal in college football and before people started choosing sides on whether Deion Sanders is good or bad for the sport, there wouldn’t much to pick apart about Colorado football this year. Its 2024 season has been a very...
Steelers WR George Pickens refuses to take Browns DB’s bait on ‘fake tough guy’ talk
Where Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome Jr. was able to draw George Pickens into a scuffle on a Hail Mary play, the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver wanted no part in a war of words. After the Browns’ 24-19 win last week, Newsome called Pickens a “fake tough guy” after the...
Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith listed on injury report as doubtful against Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith was listed as doubtful to play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday’s league-mandated injury report. Highsmith, who injured his left ankle at the Washington Commanders on Nov. 10, was a limited participant in practice for the second consecutive day but could miss his third...
No apologies: T.J. Watt explains defensive player of year snub, praises Myles Garrett
T.J. Watt offered no apologies to Myles Garrett — or anyone else — for his social media comments after finishing second in NFL defensive player of the year voting, but the Steelers’ star did give an explanation. Where the Cleveland Browns pass rusher said Watt owed him an apology for...
Bears fire coach Matt Eberflus with free-falling team last in NFC North
CHICAGO — Matt Eberflus has been fired by the Chicago Bears, one day after botching a timeout in a loss to Detroit, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will serve as interim coach, according to the person. The person spoke on condition...
Mark Madden: Opening up offense key if Steelers are to outscore Joe Burrow, Bengals
The Steelers’ traditional Neanderthal offensive approach resurfaced in their deadly dull 18-16 home win over Baltimore two weeks ago. That side of the ball then sputtered for three quarters in the subsequent 24-19 loss at Cleveland, admittedly handicapped by bad weather and even worse coaching than usual. Now the Steelers...
College sports reform could advance in GOP-controlled Congress, with Sen. Ted Cruz as NCAA ally
WASHINGTON — The NCAA’s yearslong efforts to get lawmakers to address myriad problems in college sports could finally pay off in the new, Republican-controlled Congress. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican who is set to take over as chair of the powerful Commerce Committee, said recently that a college sports...
Pitt Take 5: There’s no shame in an 8-4 record, but 7-5 would be a different story
There’s no shame in winning only eight games, and the College Football Playoff rankings provide hard evidence. Eight ranked teams have 8-3 records, including No. 13 Alabama. When Pitt (7-4, 3-4 ACC) meets Boston College (6-5, 3-4) on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass., it can reach eight victories for the...
West Virginia,Texas Tech look to finish strong in Big 12 finale
West Virginia (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) at Texas Tech (7-4, 5-3), noon Saturday (FS1) BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas Tech by 3 1/2. Series record: West Virginia leads 7-6. What’s at stake? West Virginia and Texas Tech cling to faint hopes of reaching the Big 12 championship game but must...
No. 4 Nittany Lions hoping to clinch CFP spot in regular-season finale with Maryland
STATE COLLEGE — Tyler Warren and the rest of Penn State’s senior class normally would be preparing to take in the sights and sounds in their last game at Beaver Stadium. This season’s senior day festivities won’t have that sense of finality. The No. 4 Nittany Lions (10-1, 7-1 Big...
Overshown’s flashy pick-6 boosts Cowboys in 27-20 Thanksgiving win over GiantsVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — DeMarvion Overshown returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown, Rico Dowdle ran for a score in his first career 100-yard game and the Dallas Cowboys held on for a 27-20 Thanksgiving Day victory over the New York Giants. Cooper Rush threw a TD pass, and Dowdle...
Lions extend win streak to 10 games, hold off Bears for 23-20 victoryVideo
DETROIT — The Detroit Lions have been dominant for much of the season, leading the league in point differential after routinely routing opponents. Against Chicago, the Lions were good enough to extend their winning streak to 10 games. Barely. Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Sam LaPorta, Jake Bates...
Penguins are getting power-play goals but still seek improvementVideo
For all the Pittsburgh Penguins’ woes this season — and boy, there are a lot — the power play isn’t exactly one of them. After struggling badly with the man advantage over the past two seasons — the 2023-24 campaign in particular — the Penguins entered Thursday ranked 13th in...
Penguins forward Bryan Rust understands the need to be a leader
Bryan Rust is no stranger to adversity. After all, he is a Detroit Lions fan. That makes Thanksgiving something of a double-edged sword of emotions for him given that franchise’s futility — its last championship came in 1957 — during Rust’s 32 years on earth. “Thanksgiving is awesome in the...
Chucky Hepburn scores 17 in second half, 10 in OT to finish with 32 as Louisville beat West VirginiaVideo
NASSAU, Bahamas — Chucky Hepburn scored 17 in the second half and 10 in overtime to finish with a career-high 32 points as Louisville beat West Virginia, 79-70, on Thursday in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Louisville (5-1) plays the winner of the game between Oklahoma and No. 23 Arizona...
DB Ryan Watts making most of lost rookie season on IR, vows return in ’25 for Steelers
This autumn has been far from how Ryan Watts imagined his rookie NFL season. But the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second of two sixth-round picks is making the most of his situation. Watts, a defensive back from Texas, has been on injured reserve all season — and will remain so — after...
Keeanu Benton added to Steelers’ injury report, Alex Highsmith upgraded
Starting defensive tackle Keeanu Benton was a mid-week add to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ league-mandated injury report, listed as a limited participant at Thursday’s practice because of a hip injury. Benton did not finish the Nov. 17 win against the Baltimore Ravens because of an unspecified lower-body injury, but he was...
‘We’ve got to be better there’: Steelers look to solve struggles in short-yardage situations
When it comes to what Mike Tomlin likes to call the weighty moments, especially when the offense has a third-and-1 or fourth-and-1, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been coming up short. After struggling in short-yardage situations, the Steelers acknowledge it’s an area of emphasis for improvement. “We’ve been focusing a lot...
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith says North Carolina job opening ‘not my focus’
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Thursday that he has been contacted by the University of North Carolina about its head coaching vacancy but that he’s not interested at the moment. Smith’s name has been rumored as a candidate to replace Mack Brown, who was fired Tuesday amid his...
Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering remains sidelined due to illness
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie defenseman Owen Pickering was absent from practice Thursday in Cranberry because of an unspecified illness. He was scratched from a 5-4 home win against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday for the same reason. After Thursday’s practice, coach Mike Sullivan indicated Pickering is still being evaluated, and it...
Not a typical tight end, Penn State’s Tyler Warren a candidate for the Heisman Trophy
Tight ends and the Heisman Trophy don’t exactly go together. But Penn State’s Tyler Warren isn’t a typical tight end. The Lions’ star is listed at the position this season, but he’s also played wildcat quarterback, thrown a touchdown pass and snapped the ball on a play against USC that...
Saturday’s deer season opener still draws fire from traditionalists
There are few items on the Pennsylvania hunting calendar that draw more anticipation than the opening day of firearms deer season. There also are few events that have generated as much heated debate in recent years, particularly since the Pennsylvania Game Commission made the decision in 2019 to shift opening...
