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Tag: Football

  • There are more questions than answers after NFL games Sunday

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    The Kansas City Chiefs saved their season. The Philadelphia Eagles gave critics more fuel. The Los Angeles Rams made a dominant statement.

    There are more questions than answers Sunday in the NFL.

    Patrick Mahomes did just enough to rally the Chiefs to a 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City’s dominant defense gave him the opportunity.

    Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit forced the Colts to go three-and-out on their final four possessions. The Chiefs shut down the NFL’s leading rusher, holding Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards on 16 carries. Colts coach Shane Steichen inexplicably gave Taylor the ball only once on the last three drives of regulation.

    Mahomes threw for 352 yards but didn’t have any touchdowns. He looked skittish at times under pressure, rushing his reads and hurrying his passes.

    The Chiefs (6-5) couldn’t afford another loss as they fight to make the playoffs after winning nine straight AFC West titles, reaching eight consecutive conference championship games and winning three Super Bowls.

    They’ve got a long way to go and a tough game at Dallas (5-5-1) coming up on Thanksgiving Day. Mahomes and the offense need to get in sync for Kansas City to have a shot.

    “We’re still not where we want to be at but this was big,” Mahomes said. “Getting that win against a really good football team and kind of proving it to (ourselves) that we can play this kind of football game where it’s not always pretty. I think now we just have to build off that momentum. It’s going to be a short week. We’re playing a good team in the Cowboys, and they can score some points and they have a lot of great players. It’s about rebounding fast, trying to be better, even better this next week going into a big environment, big game and trying to get that win.”

    The Colts (8-3) have gone from 7-1 to a team that is going to have to battle to win the AFC South. They’ll face division rivals Jacksonville (7-4) and Houston (6-5) four times over the remaining six games. Their other two opponents are Seattle (8-3) and San Francisco (7-4).

    Steichen trusted Daniel Jones to win the game in Kansas City, electing to put the ball in his hands down the stretch instead of giving it to Taylor to protect a lead. Jones couldn’t deliver. He was 3 for 9 for 17 yards on the final four possessions.

    “I felt there was a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game and we just weren’t efficient doing it and it starts with me,” Steichen said.

    The reigning Super Bowl champions built a 21-0 lead in Dallas and looked like they were on their way to snapping Dak Prescott’s 18-game winning streak at home against NFC East opponents.

    Jalen Hurts was connecting with A.J. Brown and it seemed Philadelphia would quiet some of the drama surrounding the two superstars.

    But the offense regressed, giving Prescott and the Cowboys an opportunity to come back and win 24-21.

    The Eagles (8-3) have a comfortable lead over Dallas (5-5-1) and are in position to become the first repeat champion in the division in two decades. But Philadelphia fell behind the Rams (9-2) in the race for the No. 1 seed.

    A sluggish offense isn’t playing up to its standard. Saquon Barkley ran for only 22 yards on 10 carries, and the passing attack just hasn’t found its rhythm.

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were no match for Matthew Stafford and the Rams.

    Stafford continued his MVP-caliber campaign with another stellar performance against an overmatched defense and Los Angeles cruised to a 34-7 victory over Tampa Bay.

    The 37-year-old Stafford has thrown 30 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season.

    “I got great teammates. I get to throw to a bunch of great players, stand behind a good o-line and watch these guys hunt on defense,” Stafford said.

    That defense overwhelmed the Buccaneers, knocking Baker Mayfield out of the game.

    Jared Verse and Kobie Turner each had two sacks and Los Angeles is playing the team to beat in the NFC.

    Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are the first team to reach 10 wins this season after holding on for a 26-20 victory in Cincinnati.

    The Patriots have a 2 1/2-game lead over Buffalo (7-4) in the AFC East with eight of their wins coming against teams that have a losing record.

    With three of their last five games against teams that are currently 8-26 combined, New England is position to win its first division title since Tom Brady left and has an inside track to earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

    But the Patriots still have a lot to prove, especially against more experienced playoff teams.

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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  • Stafford and Adams Connect for 2 More TDs While NFC-Leading Rams Roll to 34-7 Win Over Buccaneers

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    INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Davante Adams caught two of Matthew Stafford’s three touchdown passes during the Rams’ 31-point first half, and Los Angeles moved into sole possession of the NFC lead with a 34-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night.

    Cobie Durant returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown to kick-start a dominant performance in the sixth consecutive victory by the Rams (9-2). Colby Parkinson also caught a TD pass from Stafford, who went 25 of 35 for 273 yards in his eighth consecutive interception-free game.

    Jared Verse and Kobie Turner had two sacks apiece for the Rams, who haven’t lost since Oct. 2 and haven’t trailed since the second quarter of a win over Baltimore in Week 6. Los Angeles has also jumped over defending champion Philadelphia (8-3) for the first overall seed with six games to play.

    Baker Mayfield had 60 total yards and threw two interceptions before sitting out the second half with a left shoulder injury for the Buccaneers (6-5), who have allowed 106 points while losing three straight.

    Tampa Bay’s fourth loss in five games overall allowed Carolina (6-5) to pull even atop the NFC South before the Panthers face San Francisco on Monday night.

    Tez Johnson caught a TD pass from Mayfield, who winced in pain after the throw. Mayfield played on until apparently aggravating that injury while throwing a Hail Mary intercepted by Emmanuel Forbes at halftime, and Teddy Bridgewater took over for the second half. Tampa Bay managed just 70 net yards passing.

    Stafford polished his MVP credentials with another stellar performance in coach Sean McVay’s offense while extending his streak to 308 straight pass attempts without an interception — only the NFL’s eighth such streak with at least 300 attempts in the 21st century.

    Puka Nacua had seven catches for 97 yards, while Adams boosted his NFL lead to 12 touchdown receptions, including nine in the Rams’ last five games. New kicker Harrison Mevis also made his first two NFL field goal attempts.

    The Rams’ defense also shined, allowing just 123 yards in the first three quarters on the night when the team honored Aaron Donald, who retired in March 2024 after 10 superb seasons on the team’s defensive line.

    Adams capped the Rams’ 80-yard opening drive with a 1-yard catch, his eighth straight scoring grab that covered fewer than 5 yards over the last five games.

    Less than three minutes later, Durant ripped the ball away from a juggling Cade Otton and returned it for his second career TD, with Kam Kinchens blocking Mayfield near the goal line to finish it.

    Stafford completed his first 12 passes into the second quarter before hitting Parkinson for a 5-yard TD.

    Down 21-0, Mayfield and the Bucs finally answered with a drive ending in Johnson’s 14-yard TD catch. Los Angeles needed just four plays to score again, with Adams getting loose for a 24-yard TD.

    Buccaneers: WR Chris Godwin (fibula) played and had two catches.

    Rams: CB Roger McCreary injured his hip while getting his first defensive snaps for LA in the first quarter.

    Buccaneers: Host Arizona on Nov. 30.

    Rams: At Carolina on Nov. 30.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Shedeur Sanders wins his 1st NFL start as Browns beat Raiders 24-10

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    LAS VEGAS — Myles Garrett getting three of 10 sacks by a ferocious Browns defense normally would be the top storyline for a struggling Cleveland team.

    But rookie Shedeur Sanders’ NFL starting debut always figured to overshadow anything else the Browns accomplished Sunday.

    Sanders made the plays the Browns needed, passing for 209 yards and a touchdown to help Cleveland to a 24-10 victory over the Raiders, the fifth straight loss for Las Vegas.

    The Browns (3-8) ended a three-game skid while starting their 42nd quarterback since the franchise’s return in 1999. Sanders replaced fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, who’s in the concussion protocol, and ended a 17-game losing streak by Cleveland QBs making their first start.

    Browns coach Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t commit to sticking with Sanders as the starter when Cleveland hosts San Francisco next Sunday.

    “I’m not going to get into that,” Stefanski said. “Proud of him and proud of this offense. There are a ton of things to learn from, but I’m just going to worry about today.”

    Sanders can thank the Browns’ defensive front, which was no match for the Raiders’ porous offensive line. Las Vegas has allowed 20 sacks over the past three weeks.

    Garrett now has 18 sacks this season to break his franchise record of 16, set twice. With six games left, he needs five sacks to break the NFL record of 22 1/2 set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and T.J. Watt in 2021.

    Garrett has 14 sacks over the past five games, the most in a five-game span since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. The four-time All-Pro also had two forced fumbles, four tackles for loss and six quarterback hits on Sunday.

    Eight Browns players had at least half a sack.

    “That’s the thing I’m most excited about,” Garrett said. “That puts a smile on my face. The franchise record, I kind of expect that of myself. I continue to set the bar higher and higher.”

    Running back Quinshon Judkins scored two first-quarter touchdowns for Cleveland on direct snaps out of the wildcat formation.

    Las Vegas (2-9), which has lost nine of 10, punted eight times, turned it over on downs twice and lost a fumble. The Raiders’ offense was booed frequently by the Allegiant Stadium crowd.

    “We’re pretty disappointed about this one, but if you don’t score, you can’t win and we couldn’t score,” coach Pete Carroll said. “The numbers are, whatever, they’re next to nothing. We had opportunities to make big plays, and we didn’t hit them. Quarterback was under duress the entire time, so our ability to match up with their pass rush didn’t work out well.”

    Geno Smith passed for 285 yards and a touchdown, though many of those yards came late with the Browns playing softer on defense. Maxx Crosby had a personal-high five tackles for loss.

    “Everyone’s going to be searching for answers and solutions when things are not going exactly well,” Crosby said. “Unfortunately, we’re just not good enough right now. It’s been pretty clear. That’s the reality of it, and we’ve got to get better.”

    Sanders’ presence brought a bit of juice to this late-November battle of bottom-of-the-barrel teams. Deion Sanders, the Pro Football Hall of Fame player and current Colorado coach, hugged his son before the game.

    When asked by a CBS sideline reporter before the game what Browns fans should hope to see, Shedeur Sanders said, “I’m who they’ve been looking for.”

    He was just as confident afterward.

    “A lot of people want to see me fail,” Sanders said, “and it ain’t going to happen.”

    He showed that late in the first quarter, escaping a blitz to find Isaiah Bond for a 52-yard pass to the 2-yard line, drawing an I-can’t-believe-he-did-that look from Garrett on the sideline. That throw ended a 15-game drought without a 50-yard completion for a Cleveland quarterback.

    In the fourth quarter, Sanders dumped off a pass to running back Dylan Sampson, who turned it into a 66-yard TD.

    The Browns ended a five-game losing streak to the Raiders. Their most recent victory was on Oct. 26, 2014, a 23-13 win at Cleveland.

    Browns: DE Adin Huntington (groin) was hurt in the third quarter.

    Raiders: TE Michael Mayer (ankle) was injured in the second quarter. RB Ashton Jeanty (ankle) left late in the fourth after taking a big hit.

    Browns: Host San Francisco next Sunday.

    Raiders: Visit the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.

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    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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  • Cowboys Rally From 21 Down to Beat Eagles 24-21 on Brandon Aubrey’s Game-Ending Field Goal

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    ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brandon Aubrey kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired after Dak Prescott rallied Dallas from a 21-point deficit and the Cowboys beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in a mistake-filled thriller Sunday.

    The Cowboys (5-5-1) converted on their third tiebreaking chance of the fourth quarter to extend Prescott’s home winning streak against NFC East opponents to 19 in their first game at AT&T Stadium since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.

    The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (8-3) are still in good shape to be the first repeat winners in the NFC East since they won four in a row from 2001-04, but the offense reverted to the form that has frustrated A.J. Brown after the star receiver had a big hand in the 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

    Philadelphia lost with a lead of at least 21 points for the first time since 1999, when Arizona beat the Eagles 25-24. It was the first win for Dallas when trailing by three touchdowns since the Cowboys beat the Rams 34-31 in 2014.

    “You’ve heard me say it a thousand times,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “You can’t win the game in the first quarter, second, third, but you can win the game in the fourth quarter. I told them, ‘Believe. Believe in each other and believe in the fact that we’ll find a way to do it.’”

    Prescott broke Tony Romo’s franchise career record for yards passing, throwing for 354 yards and two touchdowns and also diving over the goal line on a tying 8-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Prescott has 34,378 yards to Romo’s 34,183.

    The Cowboys made all the mistakes early, including two penalties to keep alive Philadelphia’s second touchdown drive and Tyler Guyton’s false start from the 1 that led to Prescott’s interception in the end zone when the deficit was 21 points in the second quarter.

    The Eagles had all the miscues late, starting with Saquon Barkley’s first fumble of the season. After Dallas failed to convert that mistake, Xavier Gipson fumbled inside the 10 on a punt return after unwisely fielding the ball at the Philadelphia 2.

    Prescott couldn’t get Dallas in the end zone with three tries from the 2, the last when Schottenheimer went for the touchdown instead of the field goal and Prescott’s pass to Jake Ferguson was short of the goal line and incomplete.

    Odighizuwa gave the Cowboys one more chance by sacking Jalen Hurts on third down with 1:52 remaining. The Cowboys got to run out the clock to set up for the winning field goal after Prescott’s 24-yard completion to George Pickens, who had nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.

    Brown had five catches for 67 yards in the first quarter, including a 7-yard touchdown for the first points, but didn’t have another grab until the fourth quarter.

    Hurts threw for a touchdown and ran for two scores, the last on the tush push. But Barkley was held to 22 yards on 10 carries.

    Pickens scored Dallas’ first TD on a 1-yard catch, and CeeDee Lamb had a 48-yarder to set up Brevyn Spann-Ford’s first career touchdown on a 4-yarder to get Dallas within a score late in the third quarter.

    Odighizuwa, who shared the defensive line room with Kneeland, was the last starter announced and ran onto the field carrying a flag with Kneeland’s name and jersey number, 94. The Cowboys showed a video tribute on the giant screens above the field before a moment of silence.

    Eagles: CB Adoree’ Jackson was evaluated for a concussion. … S Reed Blankenship injured a thigh.

    Cowboys: LT Tyler Guyton injured an ankle.

    Eagles: Play Chicago at home Friday.

    Cowboys: Face Kansas City in annual home Thanksgiving game Thursday.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

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  • UC Davis secures FCS playoff spot, first round bye

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    UC Davis secures FCS playoff spot, first round bye

    OWNERS. THE LAST CAUSEWAY CLASSIC FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS IS IN THE BOOKS. THIS YEARLY SHOWDOWN BETWEEN SACRAMENTO STATE AND UC DAVIS HAS BEEN A FAN FAVORITE FOR GENERATIONS. KCRA 3’S CORTEZ SPOKE WITH FANS AT UC DAVIS HEALTH STADIUM TO SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE HORNETS LEAVING THE BIG SKY CONFERENCE, AND IT WAS A REAL NAIL BITER. FANS, I THINK, MIGHT HAVE TO PHYSICALLY CHECK THEIR NAILS SINCE IT CAME DOWN TO THE WIRE, BUT THE UC DAVIS WATER TOWER LIT UP A BRIGHT YELLOW, MAYBE TO SIGNIFY HOW HAPPY THEY ARE TO CAPTURE THE 71ST ANNUAL CAUSEWAY CLASSIC WIN. BUT BOTH FAN BASES CAME OUT IN FULL FORCE, ESPECIALLY FOR A RIVALRY THAT COMES SO DEEP FOR SCHOOLS. DISTANCE BY NEARLY 20 MILES. LET’S GO AGGIES! THE STORY BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN BETWEEN THE HASH MARKS. A LOT OF GOOD MEMORIES. WE’VE BEEN HERE IN THE POURING DOWN RAIN AND THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE. IT’S THE PEOPLE IN THE STANDS WHO GIVE THIS RIVALRY ITS HEART. THE CAUSEWAY CLASSIC HAS BEEN PLAYED SINCE 1954, SEEING GENERATIONS OF FANS. I’VE BEEN AT DAVIS FOR THREE YEARS. I’M GRADUATING THIS YEAR, FILLING THESE VERY SEATS, CARING THE RIVALRY FORWARD CAME FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO. AND WITH CHANGES COMING TO SACRAMENTO, STATE’S CONFERENCE TONIGHT CARRIES EXTRA WEIGHT BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHEN OR IF THESE TWO TEAMS WILL MEET AGAIN. IT’S REALLY SADDENING. THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR HERE AND I WAS SO EXCITED. I WAS FOUR YEARS OF BEING SAC STATE. I WAS SO HAPPY. FROM FRESHMAN PAINTED HEAD TO TOE IN SCHOOL COLORS, TO ALUMNI WHO HAVE BEEN CHEERING FROM THE SEATS FOR DECADES, EACH ONE BECOMES PART OF THE MOMENTUM AND THE FORCE THAT LIFTS RIVALRIES INTO SOMETHING MORE. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY WIN THE LAST GAME, ESPECIALLY AGAINST DAVIS. AND THOUGH THE RIVALRY RUNS DEEP TODAY, THEY’RE NOT JUST WATCHING HISTORY. THEY’RE CREATING IT ONE CHAIR AT A TIME. AND WITH TODAY’S WIN, THE AGGIES HAVE NOW CONSECUTIVELY WON THE CAUSEWAY CLASSIC THREE YEARS IN A ROW. BUT WE’LL JUST HAVE TO SEE WHETHER THIS WILL BE THE FINALE OF THIS STORIED RIVALRY, OR IT WILL JUST BE ON A TEMPORARY HIATUS. AND DAVIS AND CORTEZ. KCRA THREE NEWS. AND WITH THIS WIN, UC DAVIS HAS BEATEN SAC STATE IN THE LAST THREE CAUSEWAY CLASSICS. AGAIN, WE’LL HAVE TO SEE IF THIS IS REALLY THE FINAL TIME THAT THESE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER. I KNOW FOLKS WANT TO SEE THEM KEEP PLAYING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE BEEN PART OF THIS RIVALRY FOR SO MANY YEARS. WELL, STILL AHEAD IN THIS NEWSCAST. KCRA 3’S MICHELLE DAPPER AND SEAN CUNNINGHAM SPOKE WITH UC DAVIS HEAD COACH TIM PLOW AFTER

    The morning after a Causeway Classic win over Sacramento State, UC Davis learned it will be getting a first round bye in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Aggies (8-3 overall, 6-2 in conference play) are one of three Big Sky Conference teams to make the 24-team championship bracket. This is the second consecutive postseason appearance for UC Davis and the sixth since 2018. | MORE | UC Davis wins 71st Causeway Classic 31-27 over Sac State, likely hold bragging rights until at least 2027UC Davis earned the No. 8 seed in the 2025 bracket. The top eight teams all get first round byes and a home playoff game. The winner of Central Connecticut State and Rhode Island will travel to Davis to face the Aggies on Dec. 6. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

    The morning after a Causeway Classic win over Sacramento State, UC Davis learned it will be getting a first round bye in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

    The Aggies (8-3 overall, 6-2 in conference play) are one of three Big Sky Conference teams to make the 24-team championship bracket. This is the second consecutive postseason appearance for UC Davis and the sixth since 2018.

    | MORE | UC Davis wins 71st Causeway Classic 31-27 over Sac State, likely hold bragging rights until at least 2027

    UC Davis earned the No. 8 seed in the 2025 bracket. The top eight teams all get first round byes and a home playoff game.

    The winner of Central Connecticut State and Rhode Island will travel to Davis to face the Aggies on Dec. 6.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

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  • Dak Prescott Breaks Tony Romo’s Franchise Record for Yards Passing With the Dallas Cowboys

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    ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott has become the franchise leader in yards passing for the Dallas Cowboys, moving past Tony Romo with a 9-yard completion to George Pickens on his first throw of the second half against Philadelphia on Sunday.

    Prescott replaced Romo as the starter when he was a rookie in 2016 after Romo was injured in a preseason game. He led the Cowboys on an 11-game winning streak and never gave the job back.

    The completion to Pickens broke Romo’s record of 34,183 yards passing. Prescott is the franchise leader in completions and is less than 15 touchdown passes from Romo’s club mark of 247. Prescott entered the game needing 160 yards to pass Romo.

    A 33-16 victory at Las Vegas last week made Prescott the third Dallas quarterback to win at least 80 regular-season games. He trails a pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers and multiple Super Bowl winners in Troy Aikman (94) and Roger Staubach (85).

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • How to Buy Tom Brady Patriots Mitchell & Ness White 2000 Legacy Jerseys: Shop New England Throwbacks

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    Mitchell & Ness has released another one of their classic “Throwbacks”, this time featuring New England legend Tom Brady recreating his white Patriots jersey from the 2000 season, and you can buy them now on Fanatics.

    Brady won a lot of games in these jerseys, and the “white number 12” will go down as one of the most iconic jerseys in NFL history.

    During his two decades in New England, Brady led the team to six Super Bowl championships and established himself as the greatest quarterback of all time. The clean white away uniform became a symbol of his excellence and dominance in road games, helping cement the Patriots’ reputation as a dynasty.

    Fans often remember Brady in the white jersey during some of the team’s most memorable playoff moments, where the contrast of the bright white uniform against hostile stadiums highlighted the calm, efficient style he brought to the field. The jersey itself became instantly recognizable and a fan favorite. Today, the image of Brady in his white Patriots uniform remains a powerful reminder of an era defined by sustained success.

    These jerseys are now available to the fans and can be ordered in Authentic, replica, big and tall, youth, and infant styles and sizes.

    Click on any of the images or links to order now. Place your order before it is too late, as these will be in high demand. Fanatics has you covered with the officially licensed Tom Brady Throwback Jerseys.

    If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

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  • AP Top 25 poll preview: ACC playoff picture gets messier with Georgia Tech loss and SMU win

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    Eight of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 poll either had the day off or were given the gift of a late-season cupcake game in Week 13. No. 6 Oregon and No. 8 Oklahoma were exceptions, with ranked conference matchups against Southern California and Missouri.

    The Ducks and Sooners both maintained positioning for at-large College Football Playoff bids. Oregon beat No. 16 USC 42-27 in the teams’ first meeting as members of the Big Ten. Oklahoma improved to 9-2 with a 17-6 win over No. 23 Missouri.

    Oregon is tied with Texas Tech at No. 6 in the AP poll and is No. 7 in the CFP rankings. Oklahoma ranks No. 8 in both.

    Chaos unfolded in the Atlantic Coast Conference as No. 15 Georgia Tech was upset at home by Pittsburgh on Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets’ chances of making the conference championship plummeted, while SMU’s odds increased with a win over Louisville. No. 19 Virginia also has a good chance to make the ACC title game.

    Holding steady

    — Oklahoma took care of business, knocking off Missouri and inching closer to an at-large CFP bid. John Mateer threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma’s defense had two interceptions of Missouri’s Beau Pribula, who was playing for the first time since dislocating his ankle in late October, and held standout running back Ahmad Hardy to 57 rushing yards.

    — Among the Week 13 cupcakes, No. 3 Texas A&M defeated Samford 48-0 and No. 4 Georgia rolled past Charlotte 35-3. Both teams are still favorites for a first-round bye in the playoff, a position Georgia began occupying after last week’s 35-10 rout of Texas.

    — No. 1 Ohio State overcame a slow start and remained unbeaten with a 42-9 victory over Rutgers. The Buckeyes outscored the Scarlet Knights 28-6 in the second half.

    — Oregon knocked off USC 42-27. The Ducks pulled ahead with a pair of touchdowns before halftime and maintained their lead throughout the second half.

    — No. 13 Utah narrowly dodged an upset loss to Kansas State, scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:47 to overcome a 47-37 deficit and sealing the deal with a late interception.

    — No. 11 BYU beat Cincinnati 26-14 in the Big 12’s game of the week. LJ Martin rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns to carry the Cougars.

    Falling out of the picture

    — The slide continued for a Louisville team once thought to be on its way to the ACC championship game. The Cardinals lost their third straight, 38-6 to an SMU team on the rise.

    — Missouri is at risk of falling out of the rankings after losing to Oklahoma, the Tigers’ fourth defeat this season.

    — USC’s playoff chances plummeted after a loss to Oregon that was largely viewed as an elimination game. The Trojans fell to 8-3 on the season and 6-2 in conference play.

    — In a game where a win would’ve clinched a spot in the ACC championship game, the worst-case scenario unfolded for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets lost 42-28 to Pitt.

    On the rise

    — No. 24 Tulane has three straight wins and a 9-2 record after beating Temple 37-13. Tulane is a strong contender for a CFP spot, earning the No. 12 seed in the most recent bracket as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.

    — SMU’s 38-6 rout of Louisville put the Mustangs one win away from their second ACC championship game appearance in two years.

    — Pitt’s win against Georgia Tech strengthened its playoff chances, but a lot still needs to happen for the Panthers to make their first ACC title game since 2021. Pitt needs to beat Miami next week, along with a loss by either SMU or Virginia.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • Oregon is back in the top five of the AP Top 25 poll, Miami leads pack of 5 ranked ACC teams

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    Oregon returned to the top five of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday, five Atlantic Coast Conference teams were ranked for the second time this season and Georgia Tech took the biggest fall after its second loss in three games.

    Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M remained the top three teams for a sixth straight week, and Georgia was No. 4 for the second week in a row.

    Oregon jumped over idle Mississippi to No. 5, its highest ranking since it was No. 3 in the Oct. 5 poll. The Ducks strengthened their College Football Playoff resume with a 15-point victory over then-No. 16 Southern California, extending their winning streak to five games.

    Mississippi was followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.

    Ohio State is No. 1 for a 13th straight week going into its game at No. 15 Michigan. The Buckeyes received 58 first-place votes and were 53 points ahead of Indiana, which was listed first on seven voters’ ballots. Texas A&M got the remaining first-place vote.

    Miami, which beat Virginia Tech by 17 points on the road, moved up a spot to No. 13 and was the highest-ranked of five ACC teams. Virginia climbed two spots to No. 17. Georgia Tech, beaten 42-28 at home by Pittsburgh, dropped eight rungs to No. 23.

    Pittsburgh, which has three losses, was one spot behind the two-loss Yellow Jackets. No. 25 SMU re-entered the poll for the first time since Sept. 2.

    No. 20 James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference remained the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the AP poll. The Dukes, up one spot from a week ago, came from behind to beat Washington State 24-20.

    No. 21 North Texas of the American Conference was one spot ahead of Tulane. The Green Wave were the only Group of Five team in the CFP selection committee’s rankings last week, at No. 24.

    In and out

    — No. 24 Pittsburgh bounced back from its 22-point home loss to Notre Dame and returned after a one-week absence.

    — No. 25 SMU beat Louisville by 32 points for its third straight win and can return to the ACC championship game with a win at California.

    Missouri (No. 23) and Houston (No. 25) dropped out.

    Poll points

    — Five teams from the state of Texas are ranked for a second straight week. The Lone Star State hadn’t had five teams in back-to-back polls since 2016.

    — The ACC, in addition to this week, had five teams in the poll on Nov. 9. That makes this the fourth straight year the ACC has had five teams ranked in two or more polls.

    Conference call

    SEC (8 ranked teams): Nos. 3 Texas A&M, 4 Georgia, 6 Ole Miss, 8 Oklahoma, 10 Alabama, 12 Vanderbilt, 16 Texas, 18 Tennessee.

    ACC (5): Nos. 13 Miami (Fla.), 17 Virginia, 23 Georgia Tech, 24 Pittsburgh, 25 SMU.

    Big Ten (5): Nos. 1 Ohio State, 2 Indiana, 5 Oregon, 15 Michigan, 19 USC.

    Big 12 (3): Nos. 7 Texas Tech, 11 BYU, 14 Utah.

    American (2): Nos. 21 North Texas, 22 Tulane.

    Independent (1): No. 9 Notre Dame.

    Sun Belt (1): No. 20 James Madison.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) at No. 15 Michigan (9-2, 7-1, No. 18), Saturday: Buckeyes have lost four straight to Michigan. They haven’t dropped five in a row to their archrival since they lost six straight from 1922-27.

    No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC, No. 3 CFP) at No. 16 Texas (8-3, 5-2, No. 17), Friday: Aggies lock up spot in SEC title game with a win; they would need lots of help to get to Atlanta if they lose. Arch Manning’s six-touchdown day against Arkansas gives the Longhorns mojo for this rivalry game.

    No. 4 Georgia (10-1, No. 4 CFP) at No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2, No. 16), Friday: Bulldogs have won seven straight in the series and haven’t lost to Yellow Jackets in Atlanta since 1999.

    No. 12 Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 14 CFP) at No. 18 Tennessee (8-3, 4-3, No. 20), Saturday: Commodores are going for a 10th win for first time in program history. They’re 12-41-2 all-time in Knoxville, and only four of those wins have come in the last 50 years.

    No. 13 Miami (9-2, 5-2, No. 13 CFP) at No. 24 Pittsburgh (8-3, 6-1), Saturday: Both teams still have narrow paths to the ACC title game. Miami clinging to playoff hopes. Pitt trying to land best possible bowl.

    ___

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  • Jahmyr Gibbs Rescues Lions With Long TD Run in OT for 34-27 Win Over Giants

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    “He bailed us out in a big way,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said.

    Giants interim coach Mike Kafka helped, too.

    Kafka went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 6 with his slumping team leading by three points, instead of kicking a short field goal that would have forced Detroit to score a touchdown. Winston threw an incomplete pass to Theo Johnson to end a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock.

    “We’re trying to win the game, so we want to score as many points as possible,” Kafka said after coaching his second game in place of the fired Brian Daboll. “We thought that was a place to be aggressive.”

    Detroit took advantage. Jake Bates kicked a 59-yard field goal that matched his career high with 28 seconds left, giving Jared Goff another opportunity to put the ball in Gibbs’ hands.

    Goff handed the ball to Gibbs for a run up the middle, Detroit’s much-maligned offensive line opened a huge hole, and one of the NFL’s fastest players took it from there.

    “I’ve got the best seat in the field,” Goff said. “I put my hands up when he was about seven yards down the field.”

    The Lions (7-4) entered the game out of the playoff picture, trailed by double digits multiple times and rallied to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time in more than three years.

    “It was a must win,” Gibbs said.

    And the Lions wouldn’t have pulled it off without Gibbs.

    The dual-threat running back had a career-high 219 yards rushing — the third-highest total in team history — and two touchdowns, including a 49-yard run early in the fourth quarter. He also had a career-high 11 catches for 45 yards and another score.

    “We stopped him several times, but he got away that last time,” Kafka said.

    New York had a chance to extend the game in overtime, but turned it over on downs at the Detroit 31 when Aidan Hutchinson sacked Jameis Winston.

    Goff was 28 of 42 for 279 yards with two touchdowns: an 11-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a 3-yard pass to Gibbs in the first half. He had a deflected pass picked off.

    St. Brown had nine catches for 149 yards.

    The Giants (2-10) lost their sixth straight game and fifth this season after leading in the fourth quarter.

    Making his second straight start in place of injured rookie Jaxson Dart, Winston had a 33-yard touchdown reception and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass on trick plays.

    Winston was 18 of 36 for 366 yards — becoming the first to throw for at least 300 yards against Detroit this season — with two touchdowns and an interception.

    Wan’Dale Robinson set career highs with nine receptions for 156 yards and had a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter that gave the Giants one of their three 10-point leads.

    “That very easily — a number of times — could’ve gone the other way, but it didn’t,” Campbell said. “We made the plays we had to make.”

    The Giants, meanwhile, did not, which continued a trend.

    They have lost an NFL-high five games after leading in the fourth. Last month at Denver, they became the first team since at least 1970 to lead by 18-plus points with six minutes remaining and lose in regulation.

    “We need to find a way to finish them off, and I really believe our players can do that,” Kafka said.

    Giants: Dart (concussion) and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) each missed a second straight game and CB Paulson Adebo (knee) was out for the fifth game in a row. … LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (neck) left in the second quarter.

    Lions: CB Terrion Arnold (concussion) and S Kerby Joseph (knee) were inactive. … WR/PR Kalif Raymond (ankle) was injured in the third quarter and didn’t return.

    Giants: At New England on Monday, Dec. 1.

    Lions: Host Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Dukes and Ducks Anyone? It Would Be Oregon Vs. James Madison on Latest AP Top 25-Based CFP Bracket

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    Oregon’s move up to No. 5 in The Associated Press Top 25 means the Ducks would play at home against the Group of Five representative in the first round of the College Football Playoff if the bracket were based on the poll released Sunday.

    The CFP committee will release its fourth rankings of the season Tuesday night.

    All 12 teams in the AP-based bracket are the same as last week. The top seeds remained No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Georgia. Those teams would receive a first-round bye and advance to quarterfinals played at bowl sites.

    The Southeastern Conference has five of the 12 teams on the mock bracket. The Big Ten has three teams and the Big 12, ACC and Sun Belt one each. Notre Dame would be in as an independent.

    Based on the AP Top 25, the CFP would open like this:

    — No. 9 seed Notre Dame at No. 8 seed Oklahoma. Winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State.

    — No. 12 seed James Madison at No. 5 Oregon. Winner vs. No. 4 Georgia.

    — No. 10 seed Alabama at No. 7 Texas Tech. Winner vs. No. 2 Indiana.

    — No. 11 seed Miami at No. 6 Mississippi. Winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M.

    The first three teams outside the bracket: BYU, Vanderbilt and Utah.

    BYU is ranked No. 11 by the AP but would get bumped by automatically qualifying conference champion Miami of the ACC. Vanderbilt is No. 12 in the AP poll but would be bumped to make room for Group of Five representative James Madison of the Sun Belt.

    The top four seeds will be assigned to quarterfinals in ranking order and in consideration of current bowl relationships. This year, quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl and the Peach Bowl. The No. 1 seed would receive preferential placement based on geography.

    Teams ranked Nos. 5-12 by the CFP will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded school. First-round games are Dec. 19 and 20, quarterfinals Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 8 and 9 and the championship game is Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • 49ers 5 keys to beating Panthers on Monday night for elusive second straight win

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    SANTA CLARA – On display now at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a memento from the 49ers’ last game, only it’s the Arizona Cardinals’ jersey of Jacoby Brissett, who set an NFL record with 47 completions last Sunday.

    Embarrassing as that may be, the 49ers brought home their seventh victory of the season. Winning by any means possible is all that matters from here on out to the playoffs, and possibly back home to Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX in this bizarro-world season.

    That’s why the 49ers (7-4) can not overlook the surprisingly upstart Carolina Panthers (6-5) in Monday night’s matchup.

    “It gets more important the later you get in the year, especially playing against a team right now who’s in the playoff hunt, fighting for first place in their division,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “So, I think we fully understand how important it is to get a back-to-back win.”

    The 49ers have not done that since their 3-0 start, instead alternating wins and losses each weekend amid myriad injuries.

    The Panthers had won just twice in 20 road games dating to 2023 before winning their past three away from Charlotte. They’re seeking their first Monday Night Football road win since 2016, and, almost a decade later, this is their first encore away from home since then.

    They’re not total strangers out here. They were, after all, the 49ers’ NFC West cohort from 1995-2001. They lost Super Bowl 50 here a decade ago. And they clobbered Shanahan 23-3 in his 49ers’ debut in 2017.

    But, again, all that matters now is who wins Monday night and makes a sizeable step toward the playoffs. Here are five keys for the 49ers to make that happen:

    1. STOP THE RUN

    The No. 1 task for any defense is stopping the run, and Monday night that puts the 49ers’ focus on Rico Dowdle. His patience style paid off with a 1,079-yard season last season as the Dallas Cowboys’ starter, and he’s carried that over this season to the Panthers.

    He is averaging 5 yards per carry, and he’s 167 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. Mind you, he ran for 391 yards combined in back-to-back games against Miami and Dallas last month. Dowdle played a bit role as a Cowboys backup in two previous games against the 49ers, totaling just 26 yards in those 2020 and ’23 games. Spelling him are Chubba Hubbard and rookie Trevor Etienne.

    Curtis Robinson’s first career start comes with weighty responsibility as the play-relaying, movement-signaling middle linebacker role previously occupied by Fred Warner and Tatum Bethune, the latter of whom is out likely these next two games before the Week 14 bye because of last Sunday’s high-ankle sprain.

    2. TIGHTER PASS DEFENSE

    The 49ers not only failed to sack Brissett amid his 47-completion barrage, they yielded the fourth-most yards in their history (452). Carolina’s Bryce Young almost threw for that many on Sunday, too.

    In beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime, Young delivered a career-best game (448 yards, three touchdowns, 123.2 rating). He has a bona fide No. 1 target in Tetairoa McMillan, who leads all rookies with 748 yards (four touchdowns). The 6-foot-5 McMillan had 130 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday, but he’s yet to produce a reception longer than 40 yards.

    The 49ers got interceptions last game from Deommodore Lenoir and Malik Mustapha, perhaps signaling a long-awaited launch point for a takeaway trend. The 49ers’ pass rush, led by Bryce Huff and Keion White, also could wake up and get to Young, who got sacked five times last game.

    Pay particular attention to intermediate passes between 10 and 19 yards, where McMillan has thrived (407 yards) and the 49ers’ defense has waned (111.3 passer rating).

    3. AN ‘UNWANTED’ McCAFFREY

    McCaffrey entered the NFL in 2017 with a chip on his shoulder and carried it with him from the Panthers’ trade to the 49ers three years ago. Motivation is never a concern. But perhaps he should channel his post-trade emotions and lash out for his third 100-yard game in the past six weeks, though the 49ers certainly wouldn’t mind another three-touchdown outing like last game.

    “In hindsight, I firmly believe it’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” McCaffrey said in May 2023 about the trade. “But at the time, it was bittersweet, right? You’re leaving (Carolina). In my head, I was pissed off, and to be frank, I felt, ‘You guys don’t want me anymore.’ I was hungry. That was the first emotion. I was hungry to get back to the football that I knew I could play.”

    Fullback Kyle Juszczyk called it a “weird” feeling the first time he faced his original team, the Baltimore Ravens, and said: “I’m sure Christian is going to have some of that. There’s going to be guys he played with over there and a few coaches, the medical staff. I’m sure he’ll be extra juiced up to go out there and put on a good performance.”

    The Panthers struggled last week to slow one of McCaffrey’s fellow all-purpose backs in Bijan Robinson, who ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 receiving yards.

    4. RED ZONE EFFICIENCY

    Often seizing on defensive coverages they’ve scouted, the 49ers have scored touchdowns on 12 of their past 15 red-zone drives over the past three games, and 16-of-19 dating to the Oct. 19 win over Atlanta.

    That’s pumped them up to the 11th-best red-zone offense in the league, with a 63.4% conversion rate. After a down 2024 season (57.1%), this full-strength 49ers offense could be trending back toward it’s league-leading mark in 2023 (67.2%).

    The Panthers’ defense ranks 29th in red-zone efficiency, yielding touchdowns on 65.8% of such drives.

    If the 49ers don’t score touchdowns, they should get points from newly signed kicker Matt Gay, who’s filling in after Eddy Piñeiro’s hamstring strain Sunday. Gay has made all 43 field-goal attempts in his career inside 30 yards and 84% on overall field-goal tries, though just 32-of-54 when attempting from 50 yards and longer.

    5. WIDE RECEIVER OUTBURST

    With Brandon Aiyuk’s comeback on indefinite hold and a 2026 breakup on the horizon, the time is ripe for Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne to rise up and link up with Brock Purdy, who’s right big toe is amenable to a second straight start for the first time this season.

    Purdy may have thrown three touchdown passes last Sunday in his triumphant return from a six-game hiatus, but they predictably went to George Kittle (two) and Christian McCaffrey (one). Pearsall had one catch for no gain, Bourne got shutout to remain 18 yards shy of a $500,000 bonus, and Jennings has just 378 yards in a highly publicized contract year. The only 49ers wide receivers under contract for 2026 are Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and, for now, Aiyuk, pending a likely March exit.

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  • The Odd, Shifting Role of the N.F.L. Punter

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    During a typical game, Ethan Evans, the punter for the Los Angeles Rams, is synonymous with disappointment. All punters are. No fan cheers when their team’s punter jogs onto the field facing fourth and long. His job is to concede possession—to send the ball back into the control of the opposing team, and to put them in the worst possible field position. Punters, historically, have a bit of a suspect reputation, with their un-grass-stained uniforms. When a punter was drafted in the third round of the 2012 N.F.L. draft, an analyst famously cried, “Let me tell you something, people: punters are people, too.” True, but they are also the game’s vestigial organs, a remnant of the days when football was “foot ball,” before the invention of that modern horror, the forward pass.

    Evans has the square jaw and athletic build of a tight end: six feet three, two-fifty and change. But his job involves a lot of waiting around, these days more than ever. The Rams have one of the best offenses in the league, and their coach, Sean McVeigh, is no longer the conservative fourth-down play caller that he was early in his career—nowadays, he heeds the analytical models that encourage keeping the quarterback on the field for fourth down, trying to keep possession. Even coaches not on the cutting edge have shifted away from punting in short-yardage situations, or when losing late in a close game; everyone now knows that going for the first down will, in many situations, give them better odds of winning. And so, increasingly, punters are sitting on the shelf. According to one metric, which seeks to capture a player’s over-all contribution to his team’s scoring, the best punter this season is the Colts’ Rigoberto Sanchez—and he didn’t take a single punt until the third week of the season.

    Evans has taken two or fewer punts in five of the first eleven games, which would have been unusual only a decade ago. Last Sunday, though, against the Seattle Seahawks, he was busy. Seattle’s stifling defense had bottled up the Rams’ quarterback, Matthew Stafford. The team’s defense kept them in the game, harassing Seattle’s quarterback into an even worse day, which included four interceptions. But Seattle, like most N.F.L. teams these days, didn’t need much in the way of offense to score; they just needed to cross into Rams territory. The Seahawks’ kicker, Jason Myers, attempted five field goals in the game, including one of fifty-seven yards, which he converted. At the same time that punters have been getting less and less use, field-goal kickers, their clean-uniformed comrades, are being brought out for longer and longer attempts—and hitting them at a historically high rate. Yet another reason that teams don’t need to punt as much as they used to.

    But when punters do get called upon, their punts can matter more than ever. Evans used to practice punting the same way he had in college, at Wingate University, a Division II school in North Carolina: by dropping the nose of the ball and driving it as high and as far as he could. This was how a lot of N.F.L. punters approached their art. But long punts up the center of the field gave the opposing team’s fast, explosive returners room to run. Even blasting the ball into or through the end zone, causing a touchback—which gives the offense the ball at their own twenty-yard line—became less appealing as field-goal kickers expanded their range, since offenses with that kind of field position were just a couple of first downs away from a decent chance at three points. Evans realized that he could no longer “just bomb punts all day” the way he once had. He needed a more varied and complicated approach—kicking the ball deep toward the sidelines, or throwing in a deliberately wobbly kick, or using his foot to slice the ball, changing the trajectory to give the returner less time to make a decision about which way to go.

    Punters have started borrowing techniques from Australian-rules football, a sport in which kicking figures more prominently, and which is full of weird, swerving punts. There’s the “reverse banana,” which gives the ball an inverted swerve, and the “torp,” which is executed by holding the ball at an angle across the body and kicking so that it spirals like a torpedo. Some of the newer punters—including Michael Dickson, of the Seahawks, whom Evans was up against last Sunday—are from Australia. Young punters study techniques on YouTube and attend élite camps. Special-teams players, who really do have a lot of time on their hands, have begun experimenting both with the physics of sailing a ball through the air and with new ways to confuse returners and get them off balance. In the twenty-tens, the Ravens’ special-teams unit called themselves the “R. & D. Department,” the long snapper Morgan Cox told me.

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  • Allen becomes Penn State’s career rushing leader as Nittany Lions pound Cornhuskers 37-10

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    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Kaytron Allen ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and Penn State’s defense played its best game of the season to keep the Nittany Lions’ bowl hopes alive with a 37-10 win over Nebraska on Saturday night.

    Allen, who racked up 181 yards rushing in last week’s win against Michigan State, became Penn State’s career rushing leader with 3,954 yards, passing Evan Royster’s 3,932 set in 2010.

    The senior back plowed through and zipped around the Huskers all night. Allen passed Saquon Barkley on the school’s career rushing list in the first half before eclipsing Royster with a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.

    “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it,” Allen said. “Unfortunately, the season didn’t go how I planned. If I can be winning the whole season and not get the record, I’d rather do that then get that record, but I got the opportunity to do this and man, I’m just grateful.”

    By then the Nittany Lions (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) had put the game out of reach, scoring on five-straight possessions while their defense stymied the Cornhuskers.

    Allen ripped off a 50-yard run around Nebraska’s left flank on the Nittany Lion’s opening drive to help setup a short touchdown toss from Ethan Grunkemeyer to tight end Andrew Rappleyea.

    Ryan Barker booted a 26-yard field goal, then Nicholas Singleton capped Penn State’s next two drives with 4- and 10-yard rushing touchdowns to make it 23-3 at halftime.

    Emmett Johnson had 19 carries for 103 yards and eight catches for 48 for yards for the Cornhuskers (7-4, 4-4), who have lost three of their last five.

    They didn’t give themselves much of chance in head coach and State College native Matt Rhule’s return to Beaver Stadium.

    Nebraska mustered just 140 yards in the first half, turned the ball over on downs twice and punted twice more. Penn State forced three more turnovers on downs in the second half.

    “Obviously that was a tough night,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said. “I challenged the guys at halftime, a bad run there of plays in the first half and obviously we just never played well enough on defense to stop the run.”

    Kyle Cunanan kicked a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter, but the Cornhuskers didn’t find the end zone until quarterback TJ Lateef scrambled 11 yards through a broken play to cut Penn State’s lead to 30-10 with 0:55 left in the third.

    Allen scored on a 3-yard run to open the second half. He added a 13-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth, which prompted bundled-up Penn State fans to chant “Terry, Terry, Terry!” as Smith — who played for Joe Paterno — wiped tears from his eyes on the sideline.

    As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Penn State players pulled out signs that read “Hire Terry Smith”.

    “I’m very motivated by the support,” Smith said. “My players love me unconditionally, I love them unconditionally. Their support means everything to me.”

    Allen’s record-breaking performance is unique considering he’s split carries with Singleton for the majority of their four years together.

    In the end, they’ll both hold spots in the Happy Valley record books. Singleton tied Barkley atop Penn State’s career touchdown list with 43.

    “To be the number one rusher in the history of this place is an impressive thing that he accomplished tonight,” Smith said. “Just another unbelievable effort by the tandem.”

    Nebraska marched down to Penn State’s 11 on its opening possession where Jim Knowles’ defense tightened up.

    The Nittany Lions plugged holes on four-straight up-the-middle runs with linebackers Dom Deluca and Amare Campbell and defensive tackle Zane Durant making stops.

    “That set the tone for the game,” Smith said.

    Nebraska: The Huskers struggled to move the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and as a result, may have cost themselves a shot at a top-tier bowl game.

    Penn State: The Nittany Lions won back-to-back games for the first time under Smith, but will need to win a third to extend their season and avoid their first losing full-season record since 2004.

    Nebraska: Hosts Iowa on Friday.

    Penn State: Visits Rutgers on Saturday.

    ___

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  • Devon Dampier Leads No. 13 Utah’s Rally for Wild 51-47 Win Over Kansas State

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    SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Devon Dampier threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, including a go-ahead 1-yard score with 56 seconds left, and No. 13 Utah rallied from a 12-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter for a wild 51-47 victory over Kansas State on Saturday.

    The game turned on an unusual play. After KSU took a 47-35 lead on Joe Jackson’s third rushing touchdown of the game, the Wildcats went for 2, but Utah’s Tao Johnson intercepted a tipped ball and returned it to the Kansas State end zone for 2 points to make it 47-37.

    Dampier’s 20-yard TD toss to Larry Simmons got Utah within 47-44 with 2:47 left, the Utes forced a punt and Dampier led the winning drive. Lander Barton intercepted Avery Johnson’s pass with 49 seconds remaining to seal it for Utah (9-2, 6-2 Big 12, No. 12 CFP), which kept alive its hopes for a league title and a College Football Playoff berth.

    Jackson rushed for a school-record 293 yards for Kansas State (5-6, 4-4), topping Darren Sproles’ mark of 292 yards set in 2004. The Wildcats finished with a program-record 472 yards rushing, the most by a Division I team in a loss since Army ran for 534 in a 52-49 loss to North Texas on Nov. 18, 2017.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Florida or LSU? Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s coaching decision will be revealed after the Egg Bowl

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    OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will announce his next move — likely Florida or LSU — after the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.

    Athletic director Keith Carter released a statement Friday saying a decision on Kiffin’s future is expected Nov. 29, the day after the fifth-ranked Rebels play their in-state rival.

    It could be an agonizing wait for the Tigers, the Gators and the Rebels, although most outsiders believe Kiffin staying in Oxford for a seventh season is a long shot.

    “Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting (Friday) with Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce,” Carter said. “While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important — our … team is poised to finish the regular season in historic fashion.”

    Carter said Kiffin remains focused, and the announcement timeline ensures the Rebels’ players and coaches “can concentrate fully on next Friday’s game.”

    “This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it’s imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week ahead,” he said.

    Behind Kiffin’s next landing spot, the second-biggest question is whether Kiffin would stick around — or be allowed to stay — to coach Ole Miss through a potential College Football Playoff berth.

    The Rebels’ current standing in the CFP rankings has them poised to host a first-round game if they beat the Bulldogs. The selection committee, however, would be working within its guidelines if it factored the disruption of a coaching change into a team’s final seeding.

    Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 6 CFP) does not play this weekend. The bye allowed Kiffin to meet with Florida and LSU officials.

    The Gators fired Billy Napier in mid-October and set their sights on Kiffin. LSU fired Brian Kelly a week later, creating a tug-of-war over a 50-year-old coach who is considered one of the top offensive minds in the game.

    Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several occasions. He even reportedly sat down with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who publicly slammed former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward for giving Kelly a 10-year contract worth about $100 million in 2022.

    Will he stay at the place he called “utopia” and turned into a perennial winner with his ex-wife and kids nearby? Will he move back to Florida, where his father became one of the most respected defensive coordinators in NFL history? Or will he land at LSU, where three of its last four coaches won national championships.

    Kiffin politely declined to talk about job openings this week. He sidestepped several questions about ongoing overtures from Florida, LSU and Ole Miss.

    “I’m going to stay on what I’ve done for six years, which isn’t talking about other jobs and that situation,” said Kiffin, who denied reports Tuesday that Ole Miss had given him an ultimatum. “I love it here, and it’s been amazing. And we’re in the season — the greatest run in the history of Ole Miss at this point (and) having never been at this point.

    “So I think it’s really exciting. … I’m just living in the moment — it’s amazing — and our players are, too. I see their joy about practice, season, where they’re at and have so much on the line. It’s just awesome to be a part of.”

    ___

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  • 49ers void more than $26 million from Brandon Aiyuk’s contract, AP source says

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    SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk has had the guaranteed money in his contract for next season voided after failing to participate in meetings and other team activities.

    A person familiar with the move confirmed that the team earlier this year voided the more than $26 million that Aiyuk was supposed to be guaranteed in 2026 under the four-year, $120 million extension he signed last year. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team made no announcement.

    The Athletic first reported the development.

    Aiyuk has been out all season recovering from knee surgery last year and there is no timeline for when he could return. Coach Kyle Shanahan said over the summer that Aiyuk could be back on the practice field by early November, but he has remained on the physically unable to perform list.

    The move to void the guaranteed money would allow the Niners to cut Aiyuk next year and only carry about $29.5 million of dead money charges on the salary cap for bonuses already paid. They could split that over two years.

    Aiyuk signed the lucrative extension last summer following a lengthy contract hold-in that kept him out of training camp. He was coming off a 2023 season when he had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven TDs and was a second-team All-Pro.

    Aiyuk had only 25 catches for 374 yards in seven games last season before getting injured.

    The 27-year-old Aiyuk has 294 career catches for 4,305 yards and 25 TDs since being drafted in the first round in 2020.

    ___

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  • Ohio State gets brutal injury news on Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate

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    Just last weekend the Ohio State Buckeyes took down the UCLA Bruins, who were without quarterback Nico Iamaleava, in a 48-10 rout.

    While the Buckeyes managed to pick up their 10th win, the program received some concerning news when star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was shut down in the second quarter. After he was spotted moving gingerly on the sideline, Ohio State opted to remove him from the game.

    The Buckeyes had already been without fellow star wideout Carnell Tate, who was dealing with an unspecified injury. In shutting down Smith, head coach Ryan Day said, “We want to make sure that we’re being really smart with him as we know what’s coming down the road.”

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    Day revealed he doesn’t have any long-term concerns for his wide receivers, but on Saturday, Nov. 22, college football insider Pete Thamel revealed neither would be seeing the field against Rutgers.

    “Ohio State star wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith are not expected to play against Rutgers today. Both are considered day-to-day as they deal with lower body injuries,” Thamel reported.

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    Ohio State likely won’t need Smith and Tate to defeat the Scarlet Knights, but the two star wide receiver make up a massive amount of the team’s offense. Combined the wide receivers account for nearly 58% of the team’s yards through the air and 65% of the team’s receiving touchdowns.

    Ohio State and Rutgers kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Fox.

    More Football: National Champion Coach Could Join Lane Kiffin at LSU

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  • Chanhassen’s Kade Bush, with eye on another championship, knows what’s needed of him

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    Two years ago, when the Chanhassen football team won its first ever state title in its first ever Minnesota state tournament, it was a sophomore, Kade Bush that caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

    “When I turned around to catch it, I realized I was wide open,” Bush remembered. “I felt like the ball was in the air forever. Got lost in the light a little bit because the lights are super bright there. It was awesome. It was a great feeling.”

    Bush was thrust into a bigger role in the playoffs, back then. Fast forward to the present, Chanhassen is back in the championship game and Bush is one of the best players in Minnesota.  

    “This year is a lot different because I’m a senior and all my best friends are seniors,” he said. “It’s not just do your job anymore. We all have to take over the game, defense and offense. Everyone’s gotta play their best game. You’re not just role players anymore.”

    The Storm are on a three year state tournament streak. Last year, they made it to the semifinals. The program has come a long way in a little time. For some of the teams’ classmates, this has become the expectation.

    “I think we’ve definitely taken that next step,” said senior quarterback Nathan Ramler, the backup QB in 2023. “There was a little hump we had to get over. We always made it to the section final. It was kind of our thing.”

    “My experience at least has just been bank, bank, bank,” said inside linebacker Jack Carlson, a special teamer two years ago. It’s like this is the norm now. So, it’s pretty cool to be part of this.”

    Bush is back to his clutch postseason play. In last week’s semifinal, the tight end took a direct snap 42 yards for the go-ahead and eventual game winning touchdown.

    “He just does a really good job of picking up stuff and learning it quickly, so we don’t have to spend a bunch of time on things,” said Storm head coach Cullen Nelson. “The things we’re asking him to do, we have other guys that can do it to, but we just ask him to do a little bit of everything.”

    One of the top prospects in the state, Bush will play college ball at West Virginia. But he knows this week’s full circle moment is second to none.

    “Last practice in our stadium, last game in our stadium, it’s all kind of milestone of things I knew would happen,” said Bush. “At least we’re winning, so it’s bittersweet. But you know it’s gonna end soon. Nothing compares to high school football. I’m as excited this year as I will be for the next five years of my football career, you know. It’s really special.”

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    Ren Clayton

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  • Southwest Minnesota State’s Parker Knutson is leading in interceptions, thanks to his work off the field

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    Parker Knutson’s football season at Southwest Minnesota State started like a racehorse bursting out of the gates; five interceptions in his first three games matching last year’s total.

    “Before the season I set myself a goal to beat that five picks,” said the redshirt sophomore safety. “I felt last year I didn’t do enough. So, this offseason I put in a lot of work. And as it shows, it’s translating.”

    With this season now done, Knutson’s eight interceptions finished best in all of college football. Tied with one player in DIII, but in front of everybody else in his class – Division II, and FCS and FBS.

    “I try not to get too ahead of that. But as a player myself, I look at it every Sunday when it updates,” said Knutson. “Just to get my mental side of ‘alright, I gotta stay up there. I gotta prove to people why I’m up there’”

    “If you ask him a question about what happened on a play or what he thinks is going to happen even prior to the play, he can give you pretty hands on information,” said SMSU head coach Scott Underwood. “His anticipatory skills are really strong. Add that to his athleticism, it puts a pretty good athlete on the field.”

    Knutson has been ball-hawking since high school at Sartell. But it is his ability to see the future that has yielded all these picks. His favorite: week eight versus Augustana.

    “They ran a little bubble and go on two back set,” remembered Knutson. “Watched it on film all week. Knew it was coming. Called it out. Read it perfectly and jumped in front of it.”

    Defensive backs are known for not having good hands. Not Knutson.

    “The first two weeks I had one pair of gloves and after that week I couldn’t get one. So, I bought a new pair. I think it’s more of a mental thing for me. New gloves every week,” said Knuston. “I do a lotta ball drills. I catch 100 balls a day. So that I can keep my hands good. I catch just like a receiver.”

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    Ren Clayton

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