Again without big man Hugley, Duquesne men roll to another victory
Duquesne’s final nonconference basketball game came and went Saturday at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse without a glimpse of the Dukes’ second-leading scorer and rebounder for a third consecutive game. John Hugley IV, where are you? “No comment to that,” Duquesne coach Dru Joyce III said following the Dukes’ 99-49 rout of...
During short-lived ECHL strike, players under contract with Penguins practiced in Cranberry
Having endured a pair of lockouts that canceled the entire 2004-05 season and part of the 2012-13 campaign as an NHL player, Pittsburgh Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza is certain of one axiom when it comes to labor disputes in hockey. “Never a good time for any sort of...
Warner passes for game’s only TD, Lynch kicks 4 field goals and Fresno State wins Arizona Bowl
TUCSON, Ariz. — E.J. Warner threw for 214 yards and a touchdown, Dylan Lynch kicked four field goals and Fresno State defeated Miami of Ohio, 18-3, in the Arizona Bowl on Saturday night. On defense, Fresno State kept Miami out of the red zone except for the RedHawks’ opening possession...
No. 12 BYU rallies to beat No. 24 Georgia Tech 25-21 to win Pop-Tarts Bowl
ORLANDO — Jovesa Damuni scored on a 4-yard run with two minutes remaining, and No. 12 BYU rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half for a 25-21 win over No. 24 Georgia Tech on Saturday in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Damuni’s scoring run capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive by...
Hellums accounts for 3 TDs, Nwawuihe rushes for 2 as Army beats UConn 41-16 in Wasabi Fenway Bowl
BOSTON — Cade Hellums accounted for three touchdowns, and Godspower Nwawuihe rushed for two in Army’s 41-16 win over UConn in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Saturday. Hellums tied the score 7-7 after an opening UConn score by finding Noah Short for a 40-yard strike. Short was the only Army...
Leechburg teen Kerecz fulfills goal of winning national boxing championship
Katie Kerecz returned to the big stage in Lubbock, Texas, for the USA Boxing National Championship wanting to take home the gold. Kerecz, 13, was in this spot last year with a national title at her fingertips but fell just short. She, nevertheless, battled back. The Leechburg resident was relentless...
Injured Penguins forward Blake Lizotte appears close to rejoining lineup
Like a lot of folks who celebrate Christmas, Blake Lizotte was gifted with a garish sweater that wasn’t all that cosmetically appealing. But it was the thought that counted. And in this case, Lizotte was thought to be healthy enough by Pittsburgh Penguins medical staffers that he was cleared for...
Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates to retire following Military Bowl
As Pitt’s offseason approaches, coach Pat Narduzzi will have a major hire to make, as the eight-year tenure of defensive coordinator Randy Bates has reached a conclusion. Bates, 65, announced he’ll be retiring from coaching after Pitt’s Military Bowl appearance Saturday against East Carolina. Overseeing Pitt’s defense since 2018, Bates’...
UTSA races past Florida International in First Responder Bowl
DALLAS — Owen McCown threw three touchdown passes, Will Henderson III scored three times, and UTSA defeated Florida International, 57-20, on Friday night at the First Responder Bowl. UTSA (7-6) was making its seventh consecutive bowl appearance — eighth overall — and has won three in a row. FIU (7-6)...
OK without DK? Steelers insist their depleted WR group will provide enough vs. Browns
Mike Tomlin often references the “fine line” at football’s highest level between the NFL’s All-Pro performers and those who round out the bottom of practice squads. Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers are putting that to the test, at least at wide receiver. Already arguably the position on the team most lacking in...
Smith’s diving TD catch in overtime sends Minnesota to 20-17 win over New Mexico in Rate Bowl
PHOENIX — Jalen Smith scored his second touchdown on a diving 12-yard catch in the first overtime, and Minnesota extended its postseason winning streak to nine games with a 20-17 win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Friday. A year after Kansas State beat Rutgers, 44-41, in the...
Michigan agrees to 5-year contract with ex-Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan has agreed to a five-year contract with Kyle Whittingham to replace fired and disgraced football coach Sherrone Moore, according to multiple reports. Whittingham announced two weeks ago that he would step down after 21 seasons as Utah’s coach. Morgan Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator...
Calvin Austin III out, Isaac Seumalo questionable for Steelers vs. Browns game
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III is out, and starting guard Isaac Seumalo is questionable to play in Sunday’s game at the Cleveland Browns. Austin did not practice all week after suffering a hamstring injury during this past Sunday’s win at the Detroit Lions. Seumalo did not play in that...
Ravens facing must-win situation and probably missing Jackson as they visit playoff-bound Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. — This is what it has come down to for the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore will miss the playoffs for just the second time in the last eight years unless it wins its final two games on the road and the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Sunday at Cleveland. The...
With 2 CBs out, another questionable vs. Browns, the Steelers turn to dire options in secondary
Unemployed for the entire month, Tre Flowers was wrapping presents when he got the call from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Eve. D’Shawn Jamison has been on the team’s practice squad all season. Each defensive back could be in line to play a prominent role for what potentially is a...
Preston Stone throws 3 TDs, Northwestern has 4 takeaways in 34-7 victory over Central Michigan
DETROIT — Preston Stone threw three touchdown passes, and Northwestern turned four turnovers into touchdowns and beat Central Michigan, 34-7, in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday at Ford Field. The Wildcats (7-6) extended their bowl game winning streak to six. They haven’t lost in the postseason since a 45-6...
T.J. Watt continues to practice but won’t play for Steelers vs. Browns; Nick Herbig will
T.J. Watt won’t be on the field Sunday when the prominent NFL record he shares is potentially broken by a longtime rival. The Pittsburgh Steelers ruled out Watt for Sunday’s game at the Cleveland Browns. Watt again was listed on the injury report as a partial practice participant Friday, which...
Nailers’ game postponed due to ECHL players going on strike
The Wheeling Nailers’ road game against the Toledo Walleye on Friday has been postponed indefinitely due to ECHL players going on strike. There is no word yet as to the status of the Nailers’ home game against the Indy Fuel on Saturday. ECHL players formally went on strike Friday as...
‘Aaron’s the GOAT’: Steelers O-linemen revel in gift of ATVs from Aaron Rodgers
It was Christmas Eve, after all. And this group of football lifers was well aware of a longstanding tradition of the sport that the quarterback gifts his offensive linemen something at the end of each season. The element of surprise, Pittsburgh Steelers linemen confess, wasn’t exactly present Wednesday after practice....
Penn State and Clemson meet in the Pinstripe Bowl after disappointing regular seasons
NEW YORK — Clemson and Penn State were projected in the preseason to be among the top four seeds in the 12-team College Football Playoff and in favorable position for a national championship. Very little went as expected, and instead of a prominent playoff matchup, Clemson and Penn State end...
Lions fan urges Steelers’ DK Metcalf to ‘tell the truth’ about altercation
Saying that racism is one of the few things that can get under his skin, the Detroit Lions fan involved in last week’s in-game altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf implored Metcalf to set the record straight. During a news conference in Michigan called by a law firm...
Defense remains a focus for Penguins rookie forward Rutger McGroartyVideo
The opening goal of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-4 home overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 14 was credited to Penguins forward Justin Brazeau. In reality, he forced a pass to the Utah slot, which Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz inadvertently deflected into his own net. Not a pretty play....
Lions are out of the playoff race, Packers are among 11 teams in and 3 spots remain open
The Lions are staying home for the playoffs, the Packers are in the postseason and only one spot remains open in the NFC. Detroit’s dismal performance in a 23-10 loss to Minnesota on Christmas eliminated the Lions (8-8) and allowed Green Bay (9-5-1) to clinch at least a wild-card berth....
East Carolina hit harder by transfers, staff defections than Pitt leading into Military Bowl
The current landscape of college sports, with the fluidity of movement for coaches and players alike, breeds tumultuous offseasons. Unfortunately for teams and their fan bases across the nation, the tumult is increasingly encroaching upon the calendar. Look no further than Lane Kiffin’s pre-College Football Playoff departure from Ole Miss...
Mark Madden: Like it or not, NFL needs its fans even more than players
Too many are too quick to say the blue-haired Detroit Lions fan who instigated with DK Metcalf should be banned from games. But that fan paid to get in. Metcalf was paid to be there. If the stadiums are empty and televisions don’t get turned on, the NFL doesn’t exist....
