December 10, 2020 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers’ struggling running game received a boost when James Conner was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Conner missed each of Pittsburgh’s last two games, including a 23-17 upset loss to Washington that ended the Steelers’ bid for an unbeaten season. Pittsburgh (11-1) managed 21 yards on 14 carries, the franchise’s lowest single-game rushing total since 1970. Conner has run for a team-high 645 yards and five touchdowns, including an 89-yard performance against Jacksonville in his previous start last month. He is expected to be in the starting lineup when Pittsburgh visits surging Buffalo (9-3).
December 10, 2020 3:49 am
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) – Xavier Johnson scored 21 points and fed Justin Champagnie for the game-winning basket with 5.6-seconds to play and Pittsburgh rallied to defeat Northwestern 71-70 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. After Boo Buie missed a pair of free throws with 16.3 seconds left, Johnson took the ball up court and penetrated along the left side of the lane, dumping the ball underneath to Champagnie when the double-team came. That was the only lead of the game for the Panthers and Northwestern never got a good look at a winning basket. Champagnie scored 20 points and corralled a career-high 20 rebounds for Pitt. Buie led Northwestern with 14 points.
December 9, 2020 3:46 am
BALTIMORE (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens ended their three-game losing streak and improved their playoff position by running through the Dallas defense. The Ravens are 7-5 after racking up 294 yards rushing in a 34-17 win over the Cowboys. Lamar Jackson ran for 94 yards and a touchdown while also throwing for two scores. Jackson was one of 23 Ravens to spend time on the reserve/COVID-19 list while four different strains of the virus swept through the organization. Gus Edwards ran for 101 yards on just seven carries and rookie J.K. Dobbins added 71 yards rushing with a TD. The Ravens averaged 7.9 yards per carry against the NFL’s worst rush defense. Greg Zuerlein missed three field goal tries and Dallas yielded 20 straight points after taking an early 10-7 lead. Andy Dalton went 31 for 48 for 285 yards and two touchdowns for the 3-9 Cowboys.
December 10, 2020 2:51 am
It looks like the winter sports season will begin, as scheduled, Friday. The PIAA Board of Directors met Wednesday and took no action on delaying the season. One Superintendent did ask that the season be pushed back to February and the Pennsylvania Principals Association also sent a letter requesting a delay. There has been plenty of speculation that the PIAA would delay basketball, wrestling and swimming because of the continued surge in COVID_19 cases across the state. Some leagues have announced that they will delay the season but the WPIAL is not one of them.
The PIAA did announced that any game canceled because of COVID-19 will be considered ‘no contest’. The same is true for any game canceled because of a disagreement between schools over the wearing of masks during competition. Teams that are shut down because of virus issues will be on a sliding scale to determine when it can return.
December 9, 2020 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer perfect, and their first loss of the season left them with plenty to work on. Pittsburgh’s running game managed just 21 yards rushing against Washington, the franchise’s third-lowest total since 1970. The loss dropped the Steelers to 11-1 and into a tie with Kansas City for the top spot in the AFC. Coach Mike Tomlin says his team can’t use injuries as an excuse and needs to become more physical. The Steelers will try to avoid a losing streak when they travel to surging Buffalo next weekend.
December 9, 2020 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – Michigan has canceled its annual football showdown with Ohio State, citing a rising number of COVID-19 cases within the Wolverines program. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said his players were “very disappointed” to not face the third-ranked Buckeyes, who would be heavily favored. The season-ending grudge match known as “The Game” won’t be played for the first time in 102 years. With two games already canceled, the Buckeyes under current conference rules still need a sixth game to be eligible to play for a Big Ten championship Dec. 19 in Indianapolis against Northwestern. Coach Ryan Day said the conference should consider allowing Ohio State to play with only five games.
December 9, 2020 3:48 am
UNDATED (AP) – Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State hold the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings for the third straight week. The selection committee’s second-from-last rankings had only a little movement in the top 10. Texas A&M is still fifth and Florida held at sixth. Iowa State moved up a couple of spots to seventh after earning a spot in the Big 12 title game. Cincinnati slipped a spot to eighth after an idle week because of COVID-19 issues in the program.
December 8, 2020 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are perfect no more. The Washington Football Team erased a 14-3 halftime deficit and beat the Steelers, 23-17. Dustin Hopkins broke a deadlock by drilling a 45-yard field goal with 2:04 remaining. Montez Sweat clinched it by deflecting a Ben Roethlisberger pass into the hands of Jon Bostic for an interception that set up another Hopkins field goal. Alex Smith was 31 of 46 for 296 yards, including game-tying, 15-yard scoring strike to Logan Thomas with 9:08 to play. J.D. McKissic grabbed 10 passes for 70 yards, and Thomas gained 98 yards with nine receptions. Roethlisberger completed 33 of his 53 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns for the Steelers, who fell to 11-1. The outcome leaves Washington in a virtual tie with the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East at 5-7. However, the Giants own the tiebreaker based on their season sweep of Washington.
December 8, 2020 3:52 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – The Buffalo Bills are another step closer to ending the New England Patriots’ string of 11 consecutive AFC East titles. Josh Allen was sharp in the Bills’ 34-24 win over the 49ers, completing 32 of 40 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns. Cole Beasley caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown to help the 9-3 Bills stay one game ahead of Miami and three in front of the Pats. Dawson Knox, Isaiah McKenzie and Gabriel Davis also grabbed scoring passes from Allen, who tied a single game career high for TD throws. Nick Mullens threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions as the 49ers fell to 5-7, keeping them at the bottom of the NFC West.
December 8, 2020 3:54 am
UNDATED (AP) – Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll after their hotly anticipated game in Indianapolis was called off about 90 minutes before tipoff last week because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within the Bulldogs program. Gonzaga received 54 of 61 first-place votes from a national media panel while the Bears had the other seven.
Iowa, Michigan State and Kansas round out the top five.
