Sports category, Page 438
Faking it? SEC teams warned by league about a practice to slow down high-tempo offenses
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer had a final farewell for Mississippi last month as Rebel after Rebel went down on the ground with injuries, some serious, some minor, and created stoppages that slowed things down. “First of all,” Beamer said after the Gamecocks’ 27-3 loss on Oct....
Penn State braces for stout Washington pass defense
It would seem only natural to conclude that Ohio State’s defense is the most stout unit to be encountered by Penn State so far this year. Following their win in State College last weekend, the No. 2 Buckeyes rank second among FBS programs in total defense, yielding an average of...
Mark Madden: Steelers needed more than predictable, underwhelming at trade deadline
Acquiring wideout Mike Williams from the New York Jets at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline was token and just not enough. The investment sends a message of belief to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ locker room, though it’s easily dismissed if considered realistically. Most fans will be fooled. Fans usually are. There are some...
Which move is better down 1 late? Kick the extra point or go for 2
Whenever a team is trailing by seven points late in a game and driving, the talk quickly turns to whether they will go for 2 and the win if they happen to score a touchdown. Tampa Bay, New England and Seattle all opted against it in Week 9 and ended...
First Call: Why the Packers gave Preston Smith to Pittsburgh; roster adjustments after Steelers’ trades
There’s some residue to sort through on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster after their two trade deadline pickups. We try to find answers as to why the Packers were so willing to part ways with Preston Smith. There are injury issues to watch in Baltimore and Cincinnati. And the Ravens are...
Through 1st month of season, Penguins making strides in 3-on-3 overtimeVideo
Roughly a month into the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have demonstrated increased competence in 3-on-3 overtime periods. To be sure, some instances, such as overtime being required Tuesday against the New York Islanders in an eventual shootout loss that featured the Penguins blowing a two-goal, third-period lead, have been cause...
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers says Mike Williams ‘will be good in that locker room’ after trade to SteelersVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired New York Jets receiver Mike Williams on Tuesday afternoon. It’s believed that part of the reason Williams was made available — or that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers pushed so hard to acquire Las Vegas receiver Davante Adams — was that Rodgers wasn’t wild about Williams as...
Pitt’s volleyball powerhouse was built on foundation of coach Dan Fisher’s early teams
Were it not for a quirk of fate, Angela Seman would not have had a front-row seat to one of the most important wins in Pitt volleyball history. Seman, a Seneca Valley grad, was a freshman in 2014, current coach Dan Fisher’s second season, when Pitt traveled to face No....
Penguins can’t protect lead, see winning streak end with shootout loss to Islanders
A three-game winning streak is hardly a sufficient reason to celebrate. But for the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins, it remains an accomplishment beyond their grasp. Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. snapped a modest sequence of two consecutive wins. A shootout goal...
Braves stars Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider not expected to be ready by 2025 openerVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and pitcher Spencer Strider are not expected to recover from injuries in time for Atlanta’s season opener at San Diego on March 27. Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP, tore his left ACL on May 26 and the 26-year-old slugger had surgery...
Penn State police investigate cellphone incident involving Jason Kelce and fanVideo
Penn State University police are investigating an altercation between retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and a fan over a cellphone that occurred over the weekend before the game between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State. The police department’s incident log includes an entry registered Saturday in which an “officer...
Oregon gets top billing in College Football Playoff’s opening rankings; Penn State 6thVideo
Undefeated Oregon got top billing and Penn State was sixth Tuesday in the first set of rankings on the road to college football’s new 12-team playoff. A 13-member selection committee released its first top-25 list, and saw what most of the country has seen this year — that with a...
Pitt positioned at No. 18 in 1st College Football Playoff rankings
Despite a 48-25 loss to SMU, Pitt remains relevant nationally, listed No. 18 in the first College Football Playoff top 25 rankings released Tuesday night. Selection committee chairman Warde Manuel, the athletic director at Michigan, said members valued Pitt’s seven-game winning streak to start the season. Pitt is 7-1 for...
Preseason Big 12 top-5 teams Utah, Oklahoma St., Kansas and Arizona at bottom of league standingsVideo
An early season matchup between Oklahoma State and Utah generated national attention and was touted as a possible Big 12 championship game preview. League newcomer Utah was the conference favorite in the preseason media poll. Oklahoma State, with star running back Ollie Gordon II, was picked to finish third. After...
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has surgery to repair labrum tear in shoulder after World Series injuryVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Shohei Ohtani had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, following an injury the Los Angeles Dodgers star suffered during Game 2 of the World Series on Oct. 26. The Dodgers say the Japanese two-way player is expected to be ready for...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ deadline acquisition of WR Mike Williams fits the mood of Election Day
It’s fitting that the NFL trade deadline is on Election Day. I felt the same way leaving my local polling branch as I did when I saw who the Steelers were looking at to address their need at wide receiver. Underwhelmed by the choices and unfulfilled by the process. I’ll...
With Big Ten, other power conferences abolishing divisions, chances for rematches increaseVideo
It didn’t take Penn State players long to turn their attention toward what lies ahead even with the sting still setting in following yet another gut-wrenching loss to Ohio State — this one in front of a record crowd at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. They made it clear: They hope...
PGA Tour has big changes on the horizon. What doesn’t change is players having to earn it: AnalysisVideo
The reason behind such a big change to PGA Tour eligibility is not much different from what it was some 40 years ago. Both were about trying to make the tour more competitive and to give real value to having a card. Of course, it involved money, too. That never...
Jerry Jones says Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is likely headed to IRVideo
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas’ Dak Prescott is likely out at least four games in an anticipated move to injured reserve because of the star quarterback’s strained hamstring. Prescott sustained the injury in the second half of a 27-21 loss to Atlanta. The Cowboys (3-5) play NFC East rival Philadelphia (6-2)...
NASCAR’s championship field heads to Phoenix with no clear favorite to win Cup titleVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Roger Penske already won two sports car championships this season and heads to Phoenix Raceway with two chances to win a third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series title with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney in the winner-take-all season finale. The two Penske drivers will try to make it...
NFL trade deadline: Commanders acquire Lattimore; Lions get Za’Darius Smith; Steelers add WilliamsVideo
Marshon Lattimore, Za’Darius Smith and Tre’Davious White were sent to winning teams. Jonathan Mingo and Khalil Herbert are going to a place where they will play more. NFL teams, especially contenders, were active before Tuesday’s trade deadline at 4 p.m. The NFC East-leading Commanders made a move to help them...
Alex Ovechkin scoring, helping teammates during Capitals’ hot startVideo
ARLINGTON, Va. — Alex Ovechkin approached linemates Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas after the second game of the Washington Capitals’ season to do some film study. The trio who had never before played together watched their shifts from that game, and Ovechkin thought they needed to be more predictable, hesitate...
Pitt WR Konata Mumpfield says players-only meeting after SMU loss was ‘helpful’
Players can lift weights until their joints ache, crash into each other for two hours, three days a week, and study video until it’s time to get some sleep. But football is also a game of relationships and pulling together, and sometimes talk helps. That’s what Pitt players turned to...
Aryna Sabalenka clinches the WTA year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time when Iga Swiatek loses
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Aryna Sabalenka clinched the year-end No. 1 spot in the women’s rankings for the first time when Iga Swiatek lost at the WTA Finals on Tuesday. Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, was assured of finishing 2024 atop the WTA without swinging her racket on Tuesday, thanks...
Real Madrid and AC Milan pay tribute to victims of deadly Valencia floods in Champions League match
MADRID — Real Madrid and AC Milan honored the victims of the deadly floods in Valencia before their Champions League match on Tuesday. Players from both teams entered the field wearing shirts with the words “We are all Valencia,” written in Spanish on Madrid’s kits and in Italian on AC...
