January 1, 2024 3:46 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Najee Harris rushed for a season-high 122 yards and bullied his way into the end zone for a pair of touchdowns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive into Week 18 with a 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Using a punishing running attack that faced little resistance from Seattle, the Steelers pushed their way into the final week of the regular season with a chance at the postseason and ensured that Mike Tomlin’s team would yet again avoid a losing record. Pittsburgh thrived against Seattle’s run defense that has been awful for more than half the season and finished with 202 yards rushing and a season-high 468 total yards.
January 1, 2024 3:43 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Alex Nedeljkovic made 37 saves, Lars Eller scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins held off the New York Islanders 3-1 on Sunday night. Nedeljkovic was spectacular at times to help the Penguins win for the fifth time in six games following a blowout loss to Toronto on Dec. 16. Eller scored early in the first period and added an empty-netter in the final minute as Pittsburgh beat the Islanders for the second time in five days. Noel Acciari added third of the season for Pittsburgh. Samuel Bolduc drew the Islanders within one with 6:09 left. Pittsburgh has at least a point in each of its last six games and is 7-1-1 over its last nine to climb into wild-card contention.
December 31, 2023 6:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins top the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Malkin scored his 14th of the season on the power play. It was his third goal in two games. Malkin also set up Drew O’Connor’s fourth of the year. Jeff Carter scored his fourth goal for Pittsburgh in the third period, and Sidney Crosby’s 20th of the season was an empty-netter. The Penguins improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Robert Thomas scored his team-leading 15th of the season for the Blues, while former Penguin Kasperi Kapanen added his fourth.
December 31, 2023 6:37 am
ATLANTA (AP) — The much-anticipated showdown between Mississippi’s up-tempo offense and Penn State’s proud defense lived up to the hype — but only for one half. Ultimately, the Ole Miss pace was too much for the Nittany Lions. The No. 11 Rebels led only 20-17 at halftime before scoring the first 18 points of the second half in the 38-25 Peach Bowl win. Coach James Franklin said his team dealt with “too many moving parts” while finding replacements for former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and players who opted out to prepare for the NFL draft.
December 31, 2023 6:33 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Carson Beck passed for 203 yards and two touchdowns, backup QB Gunnar Stockton passed for two more scores and No. 6 Georgia routed previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl in a matchup of teams missing out on the College Football Playoff. Georgia scored on nine of 12 drives and gained 673 yards against the short-handed Seminoles, who were without more than two dozen players because of opt-outs and transfers. The Orange Bowl provided Georgia, which had won the last two national titles, a chance to make a statement. The Bulldogs charged out to a 39-point halftime lead, the largest in the bowl’s 90-year history, beating West Virginia’s 29-point halftime lead over Clemson in 2012. It was also the largest margin of defeat in Florida State’s history.
December 30, 2023 4:33 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All-America running back Cody Schrader ran for 128 yards and bulled into the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown to open the fourth quarter with Missouri’s first score, and the ninth-ranked Tigers capped an 11-win season with a 14-3 win over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Brady Cook threw a 7-yard touchdown to Luther Burden III with 5:12 left in the game. Ohio State played without two-time All-America receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who opted out of the game, though the junior hasn’t announced yet if he will enter the NFL draft. The 11-2 Buckeyes finished with only 203 total yards.
December 30, 2023 4:27 am
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Safety Jamal Adams will miss his third straight game for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday despite returning to practice in a limited capacity this week. Seattle coach Pete Carroll said that Adams was able to take part in two days of practice this week, but the team decided he would sit for the third consecutive week with the Seahawks hosting Pittsburgh on Sunday. Carroll said sitting the past two games helped Adams, but not enough to be back in game action. Wide receiver DK Metcalf is expected to play despite missing a couple days with lower back soreness, while running back Kenneth Walker III (shoulder) and linebacker Jordyn Brooks (ankle) will likely be decisions made before Sunday’s game.
December 29, 2023 4:42 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Joe Flacco passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns and the Cleveland Browns clinched an unlikely playoff berth and just their second since 2002 despite numerous injuries with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets. The Browns are assured of a wild-card spot and still have a chance to win the AFC North. They’re still in the hunt for the conference’s No. 1 overall seed. That’s something unfathomable just weeks ago as major injuries piled up. Flacco threw two TD passes to running back Jerome Ford and for 296 yards in the first half. The Jets held the Browns to just 3 points after halftime.
December 29, 2023 4:43 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Gunner Maldonado returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown and also had an interception as No. 14 Arizona forced six turnovers in a 38-24 comeback victory over No. 12 Oklahoma on Thursday night in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Noah Fifita threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns for Arizona (10-3). The Wildcats closed with seven straight victories as they depart the Pac-12 to join the Big 12 next season. Leaving the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma also finished 10-3. Tetairoa McMillan had 10 receptions for 160 yards for Arizona. Oklahoma freshman Jackson Arnold threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but also had three interceptions in his first career start.
December 29, 2023 4:44 am
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to show up for a meeting with a prosecutor who is investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías says the investigation will continue regardless of Franco’s no-show. She waited for the All-Star player and his lawyers at her office, but they didn’t appear. Dominican prosecutors and police showed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Baní, his hometown about 37 miles southwest of Santo Domingo. They did not find the 22-year-old player to request he appeared for testimony.
