November 26, 2023 6:20 am
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Grayson Loftis threw for two touchdowns and Duke snapped a two-game skid by defeating Pittsburgh 30-19 to end the regular season and secure a second straight winning season Saturday. Loftis threw for 248 yards, with 106 of those to Jordan Moore and 71 to Jalon Calhoun. Both those receivers had touchdown receptions as Duke (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) snapped a two-game skid to complete its first undefeated conference home slate since 1989. Nate Yarnell threw for two touchdowns and an interception for the Panthers (3-9, 2-6), who went winless in six games away from home. Pitt never won consecutive games this year.
November 25, 2023 12:01 am
Matt Sieg ran for 178 yards, passed for another 166, scored twice, threw a pair of TD passes and added an interception on defense, all in leading Fort Cherry to its first-ever WPIAL Football Championship with a 42-28 win over previously unbeaten South Side Area. The sophomore quarterback completed 9-of-16 passes including touchdowns of 35 and 22 yards to Shane Cornali who also threw a touchdown pass in the win. The Rangers (14-0) scored first on Sieg’s 3-yard run. South Side (13-1) answered with a pair of touchdowns to lead 14-6. Fort Cherry, playing in its first WPIAL Final since 2001, scored three times before the half and again to open the third quarter. Fort Cherry advances to the PIAA semifinals next weekend against District 9 champion Redbank Valley. WPIAL Football brackets
Nolan DiLucia threw for more than 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter, and Carter Shanafelt kicked four field goals as Peters Township (14-0) topped District 10 champion Cathedral Prep, 33-14, in the Indians’ first-ever PIAA playoff game. DiLucia found Evan Wertman open on a skinny post for a 32-yard score about 90 seconds into the game, then hooked up with Thomas Aspinall on the 62-yard sideline sprint on the Indians’ next play. Shanafelt’s four field goals matched his season total, hitting from 30, 29, 28 & 26 yards. Vinny Sarcone closed the scoring on a two-yard run. Peters Township held the Ramblers to 24 yards after intermission, -2 in the fourth quarter. The Indians will face District 3 champion Cocalico in next weeks semifinals. PIAA Football brackets
WPIAL Championship Scores (at Acrisure Stadium)
1A Fort Cherry 42, South Side 28
2A Beaver Falls 14, Steel Valley 12
3A Belle Vernon 26, Avonworth 0
4A Aliquippa 35, McKeesport 21
PIAA Quarterfinals
5A Peters Township 33, Cathedral Prep 14
6A North Allegheny 41, McDowell 7
November 25, 2023 4:27 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Alex Tuch scored with 2:44 left in regulation, Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist, and the Buffalo Sabres came back to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Kyle Okposo also had a goal in the third period, Victor Olofsson had two assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 31 saves as the Sabres won for the second time in three games. Sidney Crosby scored his 13th for the Penguins, who have lost two in a row. Lars Eller also had a goal, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 31 shots. Skinner set up Tuch’s winning goal with a pass from behind the net.
November 25, 2023 4:21 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Zack Austin had 19 points and eight rebounds, Blake Hinson added 17 points and Pittsburgh beat Oregon State 76-51 for third place at the NIT Season Tip-Off. Hinson, who entered tied for second in the ACC with 19.6 points per game, has scored 17 or more points and made three or more 3-pointers in each of the past five contests. Hinson was 3 of 11 from distance to extend his streak to 19 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer. Ishmael Leggett scored 15 points and Federiko Federiko added 10 for Pittsburgh. Dexter Akanno had 12 points, Jordan Pope added 11 and Tyler Bilodeau scored 10 for Oregon State.
November 25, 2023 4:19 am
DETROIT (AP) — Drew Allar threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns and Kaytron Allen ran for a career-high 137 yards, providing No. 11 Penn State with plenty of offense in a 42-0 win over Michigan State. The Nittany Lions had 586 yards of offense in a game they controlled from the start. The eight-loss Spartans closed a tumultuous season that was stunted by Mel Tucker getting suspended and fired. It also hurt that a slew of injuries left them with about 50 scholarship players healthy enough to play in the finale at Ford Field. Allar completed 17 of 26 passes, a week after getting knocked out against Rutgers with a hard hit to his right shoulder.
November 24, 2023 4:31 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner doesn’t plan to change now that he’s been hired to replace Matt Canada. Faulkner says he will take the same detail-oriented approach to his new role as he did while serving as the team’s running backs coach. Faulkner is one of a handful of Black offensive coordinators in the NFL. The job is considered a stepping stone to becoming a head coach. Faulkner says he has too much on his plate to think about what the long-term effect the promotion could have on his career. The Steelers are 6-4 heading into a visit to the 5-5 Cincinnati Bengals.
November 24, 2023 4:36 am
DETROIT (AP) — Jordan Love set the tone with a 53-yard pass to Christian Watson on the first snap and finished with a career-high-tying three touchdowns, leading the Green Bay Packers to a 29-22 win over the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions on Thursday. The Packers were in control of a game they never trailed, taking advantage of Jared Goff’s career-high three fumbles and coach Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness on fourth down. The Lions went for it five times on fourth down and only converted once. One of the failed attempts was a decision to fake a punt with a run from their 23 in the third quarter down by nine points.
November 24, 2023 4:34 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — DaRon Bland set an NFL record with his fifth interception return for a touchdown this season, Dak Prescott threw four TD passes and the Dallas Cowboys pulled away for a 45-10 Thanksgiving victory over the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys extended their longest home winning streak in 42 years to 13 games. Dallas’ lead going into the fourth quarter was less than two touchdowns for the first time in five home games this season. But the Cowboys ended up tying a 55-year-old franchise record with a seventh victory by at least 20 points. The Commanders lost for the eight time in 10 games since a 2-0 start.
November 24, 2023 4:32 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, and the San Francisco 49ers built a 21-point lead by halftime in rolling to a 31-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers won their fourth straight against their division rivals and have a two-game lead in the NFC West over Seattle. San Francisco won its third in a row overall following a three-game losing streak and picked up its 10th consecutive victory against a division opponent. McCaffrey was terrific, running through arm tackles and breaking off a handful of big plays. He rushed for touchdowns of 8 and 1 yards as the 49ers built a 24-3 halftime advantage.
November 24, 2023 4:37 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Hall will have right knee surgery, likely sidelining the 2018 NHL MVP for the rest of the season. The team placed Hall and forward Andreas Athanasiou on injured reserve. The move with Athanasiou, who has a groin injury, was made retroactive to Nov. 9. Forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman were recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League. Last-place Chicago has dropped five in a row heading into Friday’s matchup against visiting Toronto.
