November 24, 2020 2:53 am
(AP) – The Baltimore Ravens will conduct all team activities virtually with time running out before their scheduled matchup against unbeaten Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving night.
Running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, along with defensive tackle Brandon Williams, were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday. In a statement Tuesday morning, the team said the on-field practice session was canceled “with the health and safety of players and staff remaining the highest priority.” The NFL says the game is still on for now, but they will be closely monitoring the situation.
November 23, 2020 3:55 am
UNDATED (AP) – Alabama is now a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, and Northwestern has moved up to No. 11 for its best ranking in 24 years. For the second straight week, the top eight teams in the poll held their spots. The Crimson Tide received all 62 first-place votes after beating Kentucky 63-3, making Alabama the first unanimous No. 1 this season and the first team to do it in the regular season since 2018. Notre Dame was No. 2, followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Texas A&M. Florida was No. 6 and No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 8 BYU also held their spots. The rest of the top 10 was No. 9 Miami and Oregon. Northwestern moved up eight spots after beating Wisconsin 17-7 to improve to 5-0. The Badgers slipped eight spots to 18th. The Wildcats were last ranked this highly in 1996. The year after their surprising run to the Rose Bowl, coach Gary Barnett’s team reached a high of No. 10. No. 12 Indiana dropped three spots after putting a scare into Ohio State in the Big Ten’s other top-25 matchup Saturday. The Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers 42-35 after leading 35-7.
November 23, 2020 3:49 am
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh’s most dominant defensive performance of the season kept the Steelers perfect. Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted two passes each and the Steelers steamrolled their way to a 10-0 record with a 27-3 win in Jacksonville on Sunday. Rookie quarterback Jake Luton looked lost most of the day against the Steelers, who allowed just 206 yards and finished with two sacks. They celebrated each turnover by running into the end zone and posing for the cameras. Ben Roethlisberger and Co. gladly shared the spotlight with one of the league’s most disruptive defenses.
November 23, 2020 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – It appears that Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow’s rookie season is done, six games early. Burrow was carted off the field early in the third quarter with a left knee injury. After the game, he posted on Twitter: “Thanks for all the love. Can’t get rid of me that easy. See ya next year.” Teammates and opponents ran over to offer their support to Burrow after the injury. The No. 1 overall pick’s day ended 22 of 34 passing for 203 yards and a touchdown. Washington beat Cincinnati 20-9. Burrow has thrown for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions this season.
November 22, 2020 7:35 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — His team reeling from a bout with COVID-19 that threatened to derail the rest of the season, Pittsburgh senior quarterback Kenny Pickett stood up in front of his teammates as the Panthers prepared to face Virginia Tech and provided a very blunt reminder about the bond they shared. It wasn’t just empty rhetoric. Pickett threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another in his final start at Heinz Field as the Panthers blew out the Hokies 47-14 on Saturday despite missing 16 players due to COVID-19 protocols, including three starters on the offensive line and leading receiver Jordan Addison. No matter. Pickett completed 35 of 52 passes, 15 of them to graduate transfer DJ Turner, including a 64-yard catch-and-run for a score in the third quarter that gave the Panthers (5-4, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) a 19-point lead they didn’t come close to squandering.
November 22, 2020 7:33 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Spencer Petras smiled and admitted he’s not the strongest runner when he has the football in his hands. But Iowa’s quarterback doesn’t have to be, especially when the 300-pounders in front of him do most of the hard work like they did on Saturday in Iowa’s 41-21 win over Penn State. Petras completed 18 of 28 passes for 186 yards and ran for a late touchdown to lead Iowa to its third straight win and first at Beaver Stadium since 2009. The Hawkeyes (3-2, 3-2 Big Ten) got a combined 179 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Mekhi Sargent and Tyler Goodson, who ran through wide-open lanes and cut around missed tackles to snap Iowa’s six-game losing streak in the series.
November 21, 2020 3:54 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated pitcher Trevor Williams and utility player José Osuna for assignment. The team made the moves to create room on the 40-man roster for infield prospect Rodolfo Castro and starting pitching prospect Max Kranick. The 28-year-old Williams spent five seasons with the Pirates, the last four as a member of the starting rotation. Williams went 31-37 with a 4.43 ERA in 106 career appearances in Pittsburgh but struggled in each of the last two seasons. Osuna hit .241 in four seasons with the Pirates while bouncing around defensively.
November 22, 2020 2:01 am
Thomas Jefferson scored on seven of eight first-half possessions while holding District 10 champion Oil City to negative yards before intermission, rolling to a 62-0 win in the state semifinals. Jake Pugh connected with Preston Zandier for three scores and Conner Murga ran for three more for the 9-1 Jaguars who earned a berth in their fifth state final. Thomas Jefferson will face District 4 champion Jersey Shore next Saturday afternoon at HersheyPark Stadium.
November 22, 2020 3:59 am
The Presidents’ Athletic Conference has announced its tentative plan for a return to intercollegiate athletic competition during the Spring 2021 semester. The PAC Presidents’ Council, in consultation with the conference-wide working groups (Health and Safety, Scheduling and Financial Considerations), the PAC Athletic Administrators’ Council and sport-specific coaching groups, continues its ongoing review and planning for a return to competition in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Spring 2021 competition in the sports of men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s swimming and diving is scheduled to commence no earlier than Saturday, January 23. The modified scheduling models and postseason championship opportunities will be announced at a later date, and will be subject to further revision as circumstances require. The PAC Presidents’ Council also affirmed a recommendation of the PAC Athletic Administrators’ Council to cancel the league’s indoor track and field championships, which were tentatively scheduled for the end of February. The PAC Presidents’ Council endorsed member schools sponsoring men’s and women’s indoor track and field to pursue opportunities for non-conference competition consistent with local, state and federal public health authorities, the NCAA Sport Science Institute (SSI) and institutional policies and guidelines. Discussions related to men’s wrestling are ongoing with details to be announced at a later date. Additionally, the league intends to support modified scheduling models and championship opportunities for the sports of men’s and women’s cross country during the months of February and March.
November 20, 2020 3:49 am
SEATTLE (AP) – Russell Wilson rebounded from his worst performance of the season to throw for two touchdowns, and the Seattle Seahawks moved back on top of the NFC West with a 28-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson was flawless, erasing the mistakes from the past four weeks when Seattle dropped three of four including losses in the past two weeks to Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams. For a few days, Seattle will be back on top alone until the Rams play on Monday night against Tampa Bay. Kyler Murray was 29 of 42 for 269 yards and two TDs, but Seattle was able to sack the QB three times.
