September 20, 2021 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Derek Carr threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns as the Las Vegas Raiders toppled Pittsburgh 26-17. Carr completed 28 of 37 passes for the Raiders as Las Vegas improved to 2-0. Carr’s 61-yard rainbow to Henry Ruggs midway through the fourth quarter gave the Raiders the cushion they needed to beat the Steelers for the sixth time in eight meetings. The Steelers fell to 1-1 and played the second half without star outside linebacker T.J. Watt. Watt left in the second quarter with a groin injury and did not return. Veteran defensive lineman Tyson Alualu’s season might be over after he fractured his right ankle in the early going. The Steelers played the entire game without cornerback Joe Haden and linebacker Devin Bush. Both players sat out with groin injuries. The Steelers will try to bounce back next week against Cincinnati.
September 20, 2021 3:54 am
BALTIMORE (AP) – Lamar Jackson finally beat Patrick Mahomes, using his legs to rush for 107 yards and scoring twice, including flipping into the end zone for the winning score as Baltimore defeated Kansas City 36-35. Jackson was 0-3 against the Chiefs, and he needed all of his multiple skills to break through to hand Mahomes his first loss in September after 11 victories. The matchup of NFL MVPs – Mahomes in 2018, Jackson the next year – was a wild affair from the start. And the Ravens needed a fumble by Clyde Edwards-Helaire as Kansas City was marching into field goal range to clinch it.
September 20, 2021 3:53 am
MIAMI (AP) – Lewin Diaz led off the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer off Chad Kuhl, and the Miami Marlins beat Pittsburgh 6-5 to deny the Pirates what would have been their first series sweep this season. Diaz’s drive off Kuhl bounced off the facade in right-center for his first game-ending home run of his big league career. In a see-saw game, Hoy Park put Pittsburgh ahead with a two-run homer in the ninth off Dylan Floro, and Bryan De La Cruz hit a tying single against Chris Stratton with two outs in the bottom half.
September 19, 2021 1:04 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — The 12th ranked Washington & Jefferson football team rolled up 242 rushing yards and forced five Bethany College turnovers in a 28-3 victory in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference game Saturday night at Cameron Stadium. The win was the seventh straight in the head-to-head series for W&J over Bethany. The Bison now haven’t won in Washington in nearly 40 years (1982). Joey Koroly scored from two yards out in the second quarter, the only points of the first half. Bethany recovered an onside kick to open the second half, then settled for a 27-yard field goal from Sean Cole. Justin Heacock hit Cameron O’Brien in the back of the endzone as W&J answered less than two minutes later. Justin Huss and EJ Thompson added rushing touchdowns for the Red & Black to close the scoring. W&J’s defense picked off four passes and held Bethany to 14 yards rushing, 227 total offense in the game. W&J improves to 3-0 and will travel to Case Western Reserve University next Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the College dedicated a Pennsylvania State Marker in honor of Dr. Charles “Pruner” West. Then, at Cameron Stadium, the 1921 W&J team was celebrated on the 100th anniversary of their season that culminated with a berth in the Tournament of Roses game. West was the first black quarterback to play in what is now known as the Rose Bowl. The Presidents played the entire game with just 11 players. Descendants of a number of team members were in attendance. The game ended 0-0, the only scoreless tie in the history of the game.
September 19, 2021 7:28 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Jaquan Brisker skipped across a field littered with white pom poms and toward a row of Penn State students painted white from head to toe. The Nittany Lions’ star safety had a big smile on his face, and it didn’t fade one bit even as he tripped over a photographer while celebrating a dramatic win on a raucous night in Happy Valley. Brisker broke up a desperation pass toward the end zone by Auburn’s Bo Nix as time expired and No. 10 Penn State held on to beat No. 22 Auburn 28-20 on Saturday night. Sean Clifford completed 28 of 32 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns as Penn State (3-0) welcomed back its white out crowd to Beaver Stadium for a rare visit from a Southeastern Conference teams. Jahan Dotson made 10 catches for 78 yards and a touchdown, tight end Brenton Strange caught a touchdown and tight end Tyler Warren and Noah Cain ran for scores to help the Nittany Lions beat an SEC opponent at home for the first time since 1985 against Alabama. Penn State had to make two late defensive stands to hold the lead.
September 19, 2021 7:30 am
PITTSBURGH — There’s a montage Western Michigan football coach Tim Lester makes his team watch relentlessly. It includes a flash of the letter “R,” which stands for “respond.” That’s not to be confused with “react.” A reaction is emotional. A “response,” according to Lester, is calculated. It’s measured. It’s well-thought-out. One that reverberated all over Heinz Field on Saturday as the Broncos stunned Pittsburgh 44-41 for the program’s victory over a Power Five program during Lester’s five-year tenure. Time and again the Broncos (2-1) would sprint in front only to have the Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett throw a touchdown pass to shift momentum. And time and again Western Michigan quarterback Kaleb Eleby would snap the ball, make the right decision in Lester’s run/pass-option offense and lead a touchdown drive to go back in front. It’s the kind of response the Panthers (2-1) delivered a week ago in a stirring win on the road against Tennessee. While they stressed they would take all the steps to avoid a letdown, it happened anyway. Pitt fell behind by 13 early and while they drew even three times, the defense couldn’t get the stop necessary to give Pickett a chance to take control of the game for good.
September 19, 2021 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will face one of his mentors when his team hosts Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders. Tomlin spent four years as a defensive assistant under Gruden when the two were in Tampa Bay in the early 2000s. Tomlin says he learned a lot from Gruden, including the idea that a coach can’t make decisions based on fear. Sunday’s game is the home opener for Pittsburgh and a sellout crowd is expected. The Raiders head east after a Monday night victory over Baltimore, a schedule that hasn’t been kind to the team in the past.
September 19, 2021 7:26 am
MIAMI — Ke’Bryan Hayes doubled twice and survived a ninth-inning tumble on the pitcher’s mound in the game’s second failed attempt to catch a popup, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Miami Marlins 6-3 Saturday night and move within a win of their first series sweep this year. Miami catcher Nick Fortes homered and singled in his major league debut, a night after Payton Henry was behind the plate for the Marlins in his debut. They became the first teammates to debut as starting catchers on consecutive days since the St. Louis Browns’ Joe Jenkins and Jack Enzenroth on April 30 and May 1, 1914, according to STATS. Cole Tucker had three hits for the Pirates and Bryse Wilson (3-7) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. Wilson had been 0-4 with a 5.09 ERA in seven starts since the Pirates acquired him from Atlanta July 30.
September 18, 2021 1:02 am
Conference play began for most teams Friday in Week 3 of the high school football season.
6A Mt. Lebanon 37, Canon-McMillan 7
5A Peters Township 28, Penn-Trafford 14 (exhibition)
4A Thomas Jefferson 49, Trinity 7
4A Laurel Highlands 32, Ringgold 29
2A Chartiers-Houston 29, Beth-Center 0
2A McGuffey 41, Charleroi 0
2A Wash High 57, Waynesburg 14
1A Ft. Cherry 35, Shenango 7
1A OL/Sacred Heart 33, Burgettstown 13
1A West Greene 48, California 22
1A Carmichaels 44, Mapletown 18
1A Jeff-Morgan 32, Avella 0
1A Monessen 50, Bentworth 7
September 18, 2021 3:58 am
MIAMI (AP) – Wil Crowe won for the first time since July 30 and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Miami Marlins 2-1. He allowed one run in five innings, giving up three hits. Crowe (4-7) struck out five and walked one. The right-hander’s outing also ended a string of five consecutive no decisions. Bryan Reynolds walked twice and doubled and Anthony Alford had two hits for the Pirates.
