Sports category, Page 733
No. 7 Texas seeks title, CFP chance in Big 12 farewell vs. No. 19 Oklahoma State
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas won the championship game in the Big 12’s inaugural 1996 season and now will try to bid farewell to the conference with a bookend title. On the way out, the seventh-ranked Longhorns (11-1, No. 7 CFP) are the league’s last hope for the four-team College Football...
No. 1 Georgia hopes to stay on top vs. No. 8 Alabama in SEC championship game
ATLANTA — When Kirby Smart returned to his alma mater as head coach, Alabama was the top dog. Now, the roles are reversed. The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are the two-time defending national champions and haven’t lost a game in nearly two years. Everyone is chasing them. Alabama included. “To...
Strong final kick for Pac-12 as Oregon, Washington meet for potential playoff spot
LAS VEGAS — For a conference just about on its last legs, the Pac-12 is having a heck of a final kick. No. 3 Washington (12-0) and No. 5 Oregon (11-1), two of the four conference teams ranked in the AP Top 25, meet Friday for an almost certain spot...
No. 16 Iowa embraces underdog role vs. No. 2 Michigan in Big Ten title game
INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa defensive end Joe Evans spent six years defying the odds. After one season as a walk-on linebacker, he switched positions, earned a scholarship in 2020, shared the team lead for sacks in 2021 and 2022, returned this year as a team captain and wound up earning third-team...
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry scores goal in comeback win against Lightning
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry made history Thursday when he became the first netminder to score a goal for the franchise during a 4-2 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The goal came at 18 minutes, 52 seconds of the third period after...
Browns QB Joe Flacco takes starter’s snaps for second day in practice, likely to play against RamsVideo
LOS ANGELES — Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson remained in concussion protocol Thursday, making it even more likely Joe Flacco will start Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. The 38-year-old Flacco signed as a free agent with Cleveland last week as an insurance policy in case Thompson-Robinson struggled...
Penn State to hire Kansas’ Andy Kotelnicki as offensive coordinator, AP source saysVideo
No. 10 Penn State is hiring Kansas’ Andy Kotelnicki as its offensive coordinator, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because details were being finalized, and the hire still needed university approval. However, Kansas announced it...
Florida State focuses on ACC title game vs. Louisville, not playoffs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Florida State wasn’t dominant against its archrival, but the No. 4 Seminoles were effective enough to remain unbeaten — and to pop back into the College Football Playoff’s top four. The No. 4 Seminoles are tabling those playoff talks for now with No. 15 Louisville on the...
Former Steelers, Pitt star James Conner to return to ‘special place’ Sunday with Cardinals
Though he was born and went to high school in Erie, James Conner spent more than a quarter of his life living in Pittsburgh. Perhaps it only seems like he spent more time than that at the North Shore venue he knew as Heinz Field. “Starting back in college, at...
Indiana Hoosiers agree to deal with Curt Cignetti as new football coach
Pittsburgh native Curt Cignetti learned the coaching profession from his College Football Hall of Fame father. Now, like his father, he’s about to get his chance on the big stage. The Indiana Hoosiers hired Curt Cignetti as their new coach, school officials announced Thursday. Shortly after the announcement, James Madison...
After offense reaches 400 yards, Eddie Faulkner anxious to see what Steelers can do for encore
As far as first impressions go, Eddie Faulkner made a good one in his debut as Pittsburgh Steelers interim offensive coordinator. With Faulkner putting together the plan interim play caller Mike Sullivan deployed Sunday in Cincinnati, the Steelers exceeded 400 yards for the first time in 59 games in a...
Pirates hire Astros research, development director Sarah Gelles as assistant GM
The Pittsburgh Pirates have hired Sarah Gelles, who spent the past five years as the Houston Astros’ director of research and development, as an assistant general manager, a source told TribLive. Gelles becomes the highest-ranking woman in the Pirates’ baseball operations staff, working with general manager Ben Cherington and alongside...
Penn State hiring Kansas coach Andy Kotelnicki as new offensive coordinator
James Franklin and Penn State have their new offensive coordinator. Andy Kotelnicki, Kansas’ innovative and creative play-caller, is expected to be hired as Penn State’s new offensive coordinator, a source confirmed to PennLive. The news was first reported by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. Kotelnicki will be the sixth offensive coordinator...
Pitt women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher makes sure players’ bodies, minds ready for NCAA Tournament
Pitt’s Dan Fisher works diligently in an attempt to recruit elite volleyball players, female athletes who can jump as high as the nation’s best players and dig out balls inches from the floor. But Fisher has been coaching long enough — 11 seasons at Pitt — to understand that athletic...
Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kenny Pickett again practice fully; Calvin Austin limited
Minkah Fitzpatrick practiced fully for a second consecutive day, putting the All-Pro safety on track to return when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Fitzpatrick has missed the past four games because of a hamstring injury. But barring a setback during the final practice of the week...
Bills linebacker Von Miller turns himself in on felony domestic violence charge
DALLAS — Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller turned himself in to police in a Dallas suburb on Thursday after he was charged in a warrant with domestic violence against the mother of his children, who is pregnant, police said. Dallas police confirmed that the 34-year-old Miller surrendered to police in...
Diontae Johnson sent home by Steelers — because of illness, not discipline
Diontae Johnson was sent home by the Pittsburgh Steelers before Thursday’s practice. But it wasn’t for any discipline or any other reason, the team said. It was because of illness. Johnson was criticized throughout the league for his lack of effort on a play during Sunday’s game at the Cincinnati...
NFL sets kickoff for Steelers’ Week 15 game against Colts
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 15 game at the Indianapolis Colts will be played on a Saturday with a 4:30 p.m. kickoff Dec. 16 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The NFL announced the schedule Thursday. For the first time this season the league installed additional flexible scheduling for late-season games, allowing for...
Bubba Wallace hit by depression following best friend Ryan Blaney’s NASCAR championship
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was 3:42 a.m. in North Carolina as Bubba Wallace’s best friend celebrated winning his first NASCAR championship across the country in Arizona. Wallace could have stuck around and partied with Ryan Blaney, but he instead flew directly home to sit alone in the dark. Wallace was...
Pirates pitcher Thomas Hatch to sign with Japanese team, per report
Pitcher Thomas Hatch is leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates to play in Japan next season, per a report from a Korean news outlet. Yakyu Cosmopolitan is reporting that Hatch, who received interest from several KBO teams in South Korea, will sign with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional Baseball...
Sanders wins Sportsperson of Year award from Sports Illustrated for starting turnaround at Colorado
DENVER — Deion Sanders reinvigorated a fanbase and put a downtrodden football program back on the map in his first season at Colorado. For that, the Buffaloes coach was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated. It was a roller-coaster inaugural season as Sanders took over a 1-11 Colorado...
Pirates announce new start times for night home games as single-game tickets go on sale
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Thursday — a day before single-game tickets go on sale — that there will be new start times for night games this season. Evening home games will now start at 6:40 p.m., except for Saturday games before the All-Star break, which will begin at 4:05 p.m....
Steelers vie to host NFL Draft in 2026 or 2027
The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to lure one of the NFL’s showcase events to the North Shore. The Steelers, in conjunction with city officials, are pushing to host the NFL Draft in 2026 or 2027. A decision is expected to be made at the NFL annual meeting in May, said...
First Call: Ben Roethlisberger on Matt Canada’s coaching style, 3rd down approach; James Conner discusses return
Thursday’s “First Call” has some insights about Matt Canada and the Steelers offense from Ben Roethlisberger. James Conner looks ahead to his return to Pittsburgh Sunday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. We take a look at the injury report for the Steelers-Cards game. And the Penguins take on...
Pirates A to Z: Bullpen banked on Dauri Moreta’s wrong-way slider to put out fires
During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster. Player: Dauri Moreta Position: Relief pitcher Throws: Right Age: 27 Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 185 pounds 2023 MLB statistics: Went 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, one save, 76 strikeouts...
