Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Browns' GM Follows Coach To Unemployment Office

This is an organization that can't shoot straight.

They could use new ownership.

In the 21 seasons since their return as an expansion club, the Browns have made the playoffs once (2002, the current post-season drought in the NFL, with only MLB's Seattle Mariners (2001) having gone through a longer such absence amongst the four major sports leagues.)

Alamo Bowl: Horns Gore Utes

At San Antonio, Texas:

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger completed 12 of 18 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns while carrying the ball 11 times for 73 yards and another score on Tuesday as the Texas Longhorns (8-5) laid waste to the Utah Runnin' Utes (#11 CFP; 11-3) 38-10 in the Alamo Bowl.

Arizona Bowl: Cowboys Rope Panthers In Tucson

At Tucson, Arizona:

In Tuesday's edition of the Arizona Bowl, quarterback Levi Williams threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns while running back Xazavian Valladay ran for 204 yards and another score as the Wyoming Cowboys (8-5) smoked the Georgia State Panthers (7-6) 38-17.

Liberty Bowl: Middies Hold Off K-State In Memphis For Record-Tying 11th Victory

At Memphis, Tennessee:

Bijan Nichols kicked the game-winning field goal from 23 yards out with five seconds remaining as Navy (#23 CFP; 11-2) capped off a school record-tying 11-win season by defeating the Kansas State Wildcats (8-5) 20-17 in Tuesday's Liberty Bowl.

The Midshipmen's one-man wrecking crew, quarterback Malcolm Perry, completed five of seven passes for 57 yards and a touchdown while carrying the ball 28 times for 213 yards.

Sun Bowl: Sun Devils Upend Seminoles

At El Paso, Texas:

Willie Harts ran back an interception 25 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown as the Arizona State Sun Devils (8-5) downed the Florida State Seminoles (6-7) 20-14 in Tuesday's Sun Bowl contest.

Belk Bowl: Wildcats Outgun Hokies In Charlotte

At Charlotte, North Carolina:

Quarterback Lynn Bowden, Jr., who ran for 233 yards and two touchdowns, threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Josh Ali with 15 seconds remaining on Tuesday to carry the Kentucky Wildcats (8-5) to a 37-30 Belk Bowl victory over the Hokies of Virginia Tech.

Monday, December 30, 2019

T-Birds Outlast Vikings On Road In Conference Action

At Portland, Oregon:

Dre Martin's successful three-point shot with 37 seconds remaining on Monday lifted the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (8-4 overall, 1-0 in Big Sky play) to a 83-81 road victory over the Portland State Vikings (7-7, 1-1).

Cameron Oluyitan paced the T-Birds with 24 points while John Knight III added 20 (to go with 11 rebounds) to the Southern Utah coffers.

Holland Woods and Matt Hauser topped the Vikings with 25 and 20 points respectively.

Men's College Hoops: Ducks Up To #4 In AP Poll; Up A Spot In Coaches Poll

The Oregon Ducks climbed up two spots to #4 in the Associated Press men's college basketball poll released on Monday.

The Ducks climbed up a spot to #6 in the USA Today/Coaches rankings that were also released on Monday.

Still no support for any of the three other Beaver State men's Division I basketball teams in either poll.

Orange Bowl (New Year's Six): Gators Outlast Cavaliers In Miami

At Miami:

Running back (and game Most Valuable Player) Lamical Perine ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns (while catching a pass for another score) on Monday as the Florida Gators (#9, CFP; 11-2) held off the Virginia Cavaliers (#24 CFP; 9-5) 36-28 in the Orange Bowl.

Redbox Bowl: Cal Bears Too Much For Illini

At Santa Clara, California:

Quarterback Chase Garbers completed 22 of 31 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns (and ran for another score) on Monday as the California Golden Bears (8-5) topped the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-7) 35-20 in the Redbox Bowl.

Music City Bowl: Cardinals Outlast Miss State

At Nashville:

Quarterback Macale Cunningham threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns while Javian Hawkins ran for 105 yards and another score as the Louisville Cardinals (8-5) outlasted the Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-7) in Monday's Music City Bowl.

First Responder Bowl: Hilltioppers Top Broncos

At University Park, Texas:

In Monday's edition of the First Responder Bowl, running back Lucky Jackson ran for 148 yards and a touchdown while kicker Cory Munson kicked the game-winning career-long 52-yard field goal with no time remaining as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (9-4) upended the Western Michigan Broncos (7-6) 23-20.

Brownies, Giants Axe Coaches; Redskins Scalp Prez

You can read here and here.

It appears that ex-Panthers coach Ron Rivera will become Washington's new head coach as the Skins axed their embattled president.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Niners Lock Up NFC's #1 Seed With Road Win Over Seahawks----By Inches

At Seattle:

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was economical as he completed 18 of 22 passes for 285 yards while running back Raheem Mostert ran for two touchdown and linebacker Dre Greenlaw tackled Jacob Hollister just inches short of the goal line in the final seconds as the San Francisco 49ers (13-3) locked up the NFC West Division title and the top seed in the NFC playoffs by holding off the Seattle Seahawks (11-5) 26-21 in the final game of the National Football League's 100th regular season.

Here's the schedule for the upcoming NFL Playoffs with all scheduled kickoff times Pacific:

OPENING ROUND:

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Saturday:

At Houston:

Buffalo @ Houston, 1:35 PM (ABC, ESPN)

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Tennessee @ New England, 5:15 PM (CBS)



NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Next Sunday:

At New Orleans:

Minnesota @ New Orleans, 10:05 AM (FOX)

At Philadelphia:

Seattle @ Philadelphia, 1:40 PM (NBC)



DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF ROUND:

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Saturday, January 11:

At Santa Clara, California:

Lowest-seeded first-round winner @ San Francisco, 1:35 PM (NBC)

Sunday, January 12:

At Green Bay, Wisconsin:

Highest-seeded first-round winner @ Green Bay, 3:40 PM (FOX)



AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

Saturday, January 11:

At Baltimore:

Lowest-seeded first-round winner @ Baltimore, 5:15 PM (CBS)

Sunday, January 12:

At Kansas City, Missouri:

Highest-seeded first-round winner @ Kansas City, 12:05 PM (CBS)



CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (Both on Sunday, January 19:)

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

12:05 PM (CBS)



NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE:

3:40 PM (FOX)



SUPER BOWL LIV:

Sunday, February 2 @ Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, 3:30 PM (FOX) 





Beavers Too Mighty For Fighting Hawks In Final Non-Conference Tilt

At Corvallis, Oregon:

Ethan Thompson scored 25 points and dished out eight assists on Sunday as the Oregon State Beavers (10-2) closed out non-conference play in style by overpowering the visiting North Dakota Fighting Hawks (6-8) 83-66.

Ducks Step On Hornets In Final Game Before Conference Play

At Eugene, Oregon:

Chris Duarte scored a season-high 31 points on Sunday as the Oregon Ducks (#6 AP, #7 Coaches; 11-2) routed the visiting Alabama State Hornets (1-12) 98-59 in their final game before starting Pac-12 Conference play.

Vikings Take Out Bears In Big Sky Opener

At Portland, Oregon:

Lamar Hamrick came off the bench to score 16 points on Saturday as the Portland State Vikings (7-6) held off the visiting Northern Colorado Bears (7-5) 69-65 in the Big Sky Conference opener for both squads.

Bodie Hume led the Bears with 22 points.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Fiesta Bowl (CFP National Semifina #2): Clemson Upends Buckeyes, Will Face LSU For The Marbles

At Glendale, Arizona:

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Travis Etienne with 1:49 remaining in regulation as the defending national champion Clemson Tigers (#3 CFP; 14-0) overcame the second-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (13-1) 29-23 in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Tigers' Nolan Turner intercepted a pass from OSU's Justin Fields in the end zone with 37 seconds remaining to seal the Clemson victory.

It will be a battle of Tigers on January 13 when Clemson will look for their third national title in four years as they will face LSU in the CFP national championship game in New Orleans (5:00 PM Pacific Time, ESPN).

Peach Bowl (CFP National Semifinal #1): Joe Burrow Helps Bayou Bengals Devour Sooners, Advance To Title Game

At Atlanta:

In the opening game of the College Football Playoff's semifinal round, quarterback Joe Burrow threw for seven touchdowns (all in the first half; four of them to Justin Jefferson) and 493 yards on Saturday as the LSU Tigers (#1 CFP; 14-0) throttled the fourth-seeded Oklahoma Sooners (12-2) 63-28 in the Peach Bowl to advance to the January 13 championship game in New Orleans.

Cotton Bowl Classic (New Year's Six): Nittany Lions Outlast Tigers

At Arlington:

In the opening game of the New Year's Six, Running back Journey Brown ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns while Noah Cane ran for 98 yards and two more scores as the Penn State Nittany Lions (#10 CFP; 11-2) outdistanced the Memphis Tigers (#17 CFP; 12-2) 53-39 in Saturday's Cotton Bowl Classic.