Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Archives for December 2024

NFL: Pats Lose, Bengals Alive

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Chargers 40, Patriots 7

FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA QB Justin Herbert passed for 281 yards and a season-high three touchdowns and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched an AFC playoff berth with a dominating victory over New England in foggy Massachusetts.

Ladd McConkey caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns and Derwin James had two sacks and a fumble recovery for the Chargers (10-6), who are playoff-bound in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as coach. Derius Davis also had a scoring catch, J.K. Dobbins rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Cameron Dicker booted four field goals.Herbert completed 26 of 38 passes as the Chargers improved to 3-12 all-time in Foxborough, including playoffs.

Drake Maye completed 12 of 22 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown for New England (3-13), which lost its sixth consecutive game. DeMario Douglas caught a scoring pass for the Patriots.

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Bengals 30, Broncos 24

CINCINNATI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, including a game-winning scoring strike with 1:07 left in overtime, to give the host Bengals an electrifying 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Cade York could have given Cincinnati (8-8) the win with 2:43 to go in the extra session, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright. The Bengals’ defense buckled down, though, forcing Denver to go three-and-out to get Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the offense back out on the field.

Cincinnati proceeded to go 63 yards in five plays, with Higgins’ 3-yard TD catch giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory. Higgins finished with 11 catches for 131 yards.

Marvin Mims Jr. forced overtime by hauling in a 25-yard score on fourth-and-1 to draw the Broncos (9-7) even at 24 with eight seconds left in regulation. Burrow had put Cincinnati in front by plunging into the end zone from 1 yard out just 1:21 earlier.

Burrow completed 39 of 49 passes for 412 yards and the three touchdowns while Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 102 yards and set a single-season franchise record for receptions. He now has 117. Tight end Mike Gesicki played a key role in the Cincinnati passing game, grabbing a season-high 10 catches for 86 yards.

Rams 13, Cardinals 9

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left to preserve Los Angeles’ win over Arizona in Inglewood, Calif.

Witherspoon made a diving catch after the ball bounced high off the helmet of Arizona tight end Trey McBride on the pass attempt by Kyler Murray. The Rams (10-6), who lead the NFC West by one game, have won five straight, while the Cardinals (7-9) have lost five of their last six. Los Angeles could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday depending on the outcome of other games.

Matthew Stafford threw for 189 yards while completing 17 of 32 pass attempts without a touchdown or interception. Puka Nacua finished with 10 receptions for 129 yards. Murray was 33 of 48 for 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. McBride made 12 catches for 123 yards to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three NFL seasons.

-Field Level Media

Bruins Win; NHL Round-Up

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Bruins 4, Blue Jackets 0

Justin Brazeau scored 2:29 into the first period, and Boston never looked back in blanking visiting Columbus Blue Jackets in the latter game of the teams’ home-and-home series.

Morgan Geekie had one goal and one assist, while David Pastrnak and Cole Koepke also lit the lamp for Boston, which bounced back from a 6-2 loss in Columbus on Friday and improved to 5-1-1 in its last seven games. Jeremy Swayman stopped all 18 shots he faced en route to his second shutout this season.

Bruins forward Fabian Lysell made his NHL debut. The 21-year-old former first-round draft pick had a plus-1 rating in 11:32 of ice time. Daniil Tarasov (24 saves) took the loss in his first start since Dec. 5 for the Blue Jackets, who were shut out for only the second time this season and had a four-game point streak (3-0-1) snapped.

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Canadiens 4, Panthers 0

Jakub Dobes made 34 saves in his NHL debut, leading the visiting Montreal Canadiens to a 4-0 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, Fla.

The 23-year-old Czech, who was selected by the Canadiens in the fifth round of 2020 NHL Draft, is the first Montreal goalie with a shutout in his first NHL game since Yann Danis in a 2-0 victory against Atlanta Thrashers in October 2005.

Kirby Dach scored two goals, Jake Evans and Cole Caufield also scored and Alex Newhook had two assists for the Canadiens, who have won four of five.

Spencer Knight made 20 saves for Florida. The Panthers were shut out in back-to-back games for the second time this month.

Kraken 5, Canucks 4 (OT)

Vince Dunn scored twice, including the winner on a breakaway at 2:15 of overtime, as Seattle rallied from three goals down to beat host Vancouver.

Jaden Schwartz also tallied twice for the Kraken, who trailed 4-1 with five minutes remaining in regulation. Matty Beniers also scored, and goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 18 saves as Seattle snapped a five-game losing streak.

Brock Boeser scored twice, Jake DeBrusk had a goal and assist, Conor Garland also tallied, and J.T. Miller and Carson Soucy had two assists apiece for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko made 24 saves.

Capitals 5, Maple Leafs 2

Alex Ovechkin scored into an empty net in his return from a broken fibula and visiting Washington defeated Toronto.

It was Ovechkin’s 869th goal, leaving him just 26 shy of surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894. The Russian superstar missed 16 games with the injury. Andrew Mangiapane and Jakob Chychrun each added a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have won three of four. Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson also scored and Logan Thompson made 35 saves.

John Tavares and Bobby McMann scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost three of four. Matt Murray stopped 27 shots.

Kings 4, Oilers 3 (OT)

Quinton Byfield scored twice, including the overtime winner, and had an assist in a win for Los Angeles against visiting Edmonton.

Warren Foegele had a goal and two assists, Jordan Spence had two assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for the Kings, who improved to 11-2-1 at home.

Kasperi Kapanen, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Viktor Arvidsson scored for the Oilers, who lost for just the fourth time in their past 16 games (12-3-1). Stuart Skinner made 25 saves.

Lightning 6, Rangers 2

Brayden Point scored one goal in a three-point night and host Tampa Bay scored four times on special teams en route to pounding reeling New York.

Nikita Kucherov had a power-play goal and two assists, and Anthony Cirelli and Ryan McDonagh recorded short-handed tallies. Nick Paul notched the final tally, and Cirelli added an assist.

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made a season-high 42 saves as the Lightning improved to 8-2-0 in December. New York’s Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck hit the net, but the Rangers lost for the 14th time in their past 18 matches (4-14-0).

Flyers 3, Ducks 1

Samuel Ersson put his recent struggles aside and made 32 saves to propel Philadelphia past host Anaheim.

Noah Cates, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee scored for Philadelphia, which improved to 1-1-0 to start its six-game road trip. Ersson had allowed at least three goals in each of his previous eight appearances.

Troy Terry scored the lone goal for Anaheim, which has lost eight of its last 11 games. Lukas Dostal made 22 saves.

Jets 4, Senators 2

Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers scored third-period goals in rapid succession after Winnipeg erased a two-goal deficit and went on to a home victory over Ottawa.

Ehlers finished with a goal and two assists, while teammates Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist. Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves for the Jets, who have won three in a row.

Mads Sogaard turned back 19 shots and Tim Stutzle and Ridly Greig found the back of the net, with the latter’s goal a short-handed tally for a 2-0 Ottawa lead.

Islanders 6, Penguins 3

Casey Cizikas posted his first two-goal game in more than three years, leading New York to a win over Pittsburgh in the opener of a back-to-back, home-and-home which started in Elmont, Long Island.

Anders Lee also scored twice for the Islanders, who won for the fifth time in 11 games this month (5-5-1). Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Duclair also scored, and goalie Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves.

Michael Bunting, Noel Acciari and Richard Rakell scored for the Penguins, who fell to 9-4-1 since late November. Goalie Tristan Jarry recorded 28 saves.

Hurricanes 5, Devils 2

Carolina scored twice in less than 90 seconds in the third period to break a tie and defeated New Jersey in Raleigh, N.C.

Jack Roslovic had two goals and an assist, Sebastian Aho a goal and an assist and Dmitri Orlov and Jackson Blake also scored for Carolina. Seth Jarvis had three assists, Sean Walker added two and Dustin Tokarski stopped 21 shots as the Hurricanes avenged a 4-2 loss to the Devils on Friday night in Newark, N.J.

Paul Cotter and Ondrej Palat scored for New Jersey, which had its three-game winning streak halted. Jake Allen made 36 saves.

Flames 3, Sharks 1

Jonathan Huberdau scored twice to lead visiting Calgary to a victory over struggling San Jose.

Goaltender Dustin Wolf made 21 saves in the win, including a handful late in regulation when the hosts made a frantic push for the equalizer. Mikael Backlund also scored and Nazem Kadri collected three assists for Calgary.

Macklin Celebrini replied for the Sharks, who are winless in seven games (0-6-1). Goalie Yaroslav Askarov stopped 30 shots in an outstanding performance.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Year End

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“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things.” – Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There’s no clear reason, but quite often the great song, “My Favorite Things,” (by Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1959) is tagged as a Christmas song. No argument, here, but I look at “My Favorite Things” as a year ’round song of joy and optimism. The tune was made famous by Julie Andrews’ phenomenal performance in “The Sound of Music” and it was springtime in the Alps.

After years and years on the shelf, I picked up the tune once again when Derek Trucks played it on his Gibson SG in concert with The Derek Trucks Band at Boston’s House of Blues (see performance archived above, which was on the same tour).

With that in mind, this column marks the second consecutive year the TL Sunday Sports Notes/While We’re Young (Ideas) column will bring in the New Year with a hodgepodge of favorite things.

In the immortal words of Scottish poet Robert Burns, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? In other words, “Time is ticking, Let’s Get to It.”

“These are a few of TL’s Favorite Things”

Perfectly former snowflakes falling gently to the earth on Christmas Eve … Eric Clapton picking on his guitar while singing “Change the World,” … Vivid memories of the New York Metropolitans and WOR-TV 9‘s postgame show, Kiner’s Korner … Perfectly chopped, dry kindling wood to start a holiday season blaze in our fireplace … The guitar playing by Chicago’s Terry Kath … Add the fact his daughter, Michelle Kath Sinclair, directed The Terry Kath Experience, a wonderful tribute documentary … Portland, Maine and Portland Oregon … Portsmouth, New Hampshire … Chatham, Massachusetts … Montauk, Long Island, New York … Orient Point, Long Island, New York … and, on the other end of the LIRR line, Madison Square Garden for the BIG EAST basketball tournament.

Mowing thick green grass of my imagination in our weed-eaten front and back lawn … the smell of that cut grass as the mower is turned off and its operator earned an ice cold glass of 50/50 Lemonade/Iced Tea – known as an Arnold Palmer for those in the business … central air conditioning … finding a great juke box in a dive bar in Anywhere, USA … playing the very first song of the night on that juke box. (Be sure to read: HERE).

A brand new 59Fifty baseball cap … Peter Frampton strumming the first chords of “All I Want to Be (Is By Your Side) … A Nathan’s Hot Dog … The sound of the Sunday papers hitting the front walk, delivered from a speeding Toyota Camry … The memories of delivering Sunday Newsday and heading to my brother Tim’s softball doubleheader at Dutch Lane fields … chasing down the Ice Cream Man … Printers Boxes, filled with sentimental knick-knacks … chipping in for par and putting for birdie on the 18th.

Christmas dinnerware by Spode and setting the table for a holiday meal … the corner wine bar in Rye, NY … the Corner Bistro in the West Village … the Four Tops … great black & white photography … the best of the best from the Associate Press Year in Pictures, always published at this time of year … Primetime PGA Tour golf in January … a weekly victory in Fantasy Golf … an “Inside the Ropes” pass to walk 18 with the final group on Sunday … the roar of the crowd from another hole … Grandfather clocks … “Old Days” by Chicago … the NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

Perfectly cooked, semi-well done, crispy, homemade waffles with Vermont maple syrup on a winter weekend morning … Tropicana Orange Juice … Special Saturday and Sunday morning playlists, created/assembled on (commercial free) Spotify … Scallion pancakes from CK Shanghai in Wellesley … Thin New York style pizza at Patsy’s (West 74th Street, NYC) … Nick’s on Second Avenue … Big Nick’s (70 West 71st, NYC, closes at 4:30am).

A bicycle ride on newly paved, smooth city streets … the hidden pleasure of seeing the car that whizzed by doing 95 mph pulled over by a police cruiser a mile or so down the highway … George Harrison recordings … Fenway Park … the laughter of kids playing in the schoolyard … the sound of Charlie Watts hitting a single note on the cymbal in “Angie” … Rock Bands taking the stage … Trains running on time.

Baseball cards … a great horn section in a tight band … San Diego, California … an upgrade to First Class … drinking straws with the accordion bend … Monday Night Football … a well-written, informative Facebook post … Robert Plant’s voice … Hourglasses … Old globes, trimmed in wood with an old world layout and textured mountains …. the Day after adjusting clocks for “Spring ahead” Daylight Savings Time … turntables … our dog, (Mighty) Max, shaking his toys for his very own entertainment, tail wagging … my dog, Penny (Lane), sleeping soundly next to me with all the trust in the world and knowing its safe.

ELO at TD Garden (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

A stereo pulsing deep bass and striking high treble from a manual equalizer … The Electric Light Orchestra (Live, in concert) … Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Recorded to allow for takes the Moog Synthesizer) … Smokey Robinson and the Miracles … “Carry On” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young … Jeff Kazee on the keyboard … Rich Pagano on the drums, and Richie’s incredible voice doing John Lennon as best can be done in “I Am the Walrus” … Goose covering The Who’s “Eminence Front” … Blind Faith doing, “Can’t Find My Way Home” … Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) from Hamilton The Musical … the presence of Chris Jackson on stage, portraying the USA’s first President George Washington … the imaginative thought of picturing Jackson’s face as George Washington, rather than the guy on the dollar bill … great companies/ensembles on Broadway … the thrill and anticipation as the curtain goes up … the lump in your throat joyous appreciation as the actors take their bows.

Tailgating … the sight of the Street Cleaner and no random neighbor’s car parked in front of the house … a glass of cold water … not shaving … Lighthouses … freshly pressed pants … a newly laundered white shirt, lightly starched … the billowing of that clean shirt as you shake it and place it over the shoulder, cool to the touch … Aristophanes … Ridiculous.

Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket … Paris … sitting on the Champs Elysées and sipping a cup of jet fuel strength, European coffee on a vacation morning, not a care in the world … the look and smell of a brand new USA Passport … my iPhone … Sting’s impeccable voice … Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics singing so clearly and perfectly on a stage on the West Side piers of NYC that you could hear her in New Jersey … Standing in a doorway, Just Waiting on a Friend … Bell Bottom Blues.

Turning on the Christmas lights … a brand new Nokona baseball glove made and mailed from Nocona, Texas …. a Padron Anniversary ‘64 cigar … my dog’s gorgeous, fluffy, curly coat … Adirondack Chairs … Shea Stadium …. Thomas Hagen in The Godfather … the eery sounds of an Irish Tin Whistle … Fire fighters washing the Engine, Hook & Ladder trucks on the front drive of the fire house … the harmonica … the use of said harmonica in “Thunder Road” … A Stairway to Heaven or Kashmir and a Black Dog or a Misty Mountain Hop … Blue Sky and Dreams, Jessica and Melissa, all In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.

Bruce Hornsby on the piano … Will Lee on bass guitar … the marvels of modern medicine … the trust placed in medical doctors by the survivors of a heart transplant … the CVS Minute Clinic … Our Vet … the happiness of our dogs upon departing The Vet … the shiny side Reynolds Wrap … Crab Cakes … Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach … The Grill (201 E 49th St, New York City, NY 10017) … The 10022 zip code … our 02468 zip code … Robert Moon, the father of the zip code … Upon the announcement of their retirement, the comfortable realization that there’s not an R.E.O. Speedwagon album in the collection, nor was a quarter ever dropped in a juke box to play a song by the band, nor for Chris de Burgh … Sorry Chris … the Tovala oven … Sabrina Ionescu’s “J” … News reels from the ‘70s and ‘80s depicting the late, great coach Lou Carnesecca bouncing around at courtside … Caitlin and Ohtani … The annual IIHF World Junior Championship, always on at Christmas time … Live racing of the trotters and pacers from Monticello, NY on December 30, and 31st.

The sound and smell of freshly ground coffee, brewing in the morning … Christmas coasters … Heavy, bottom-weighted, slightly chilled cocktail glasses with a giant sphere ice cube as the base for two ounces of Oban … Any and all Derek Trucks solos (like the one paying tribute to the Grateful Dead at the Kennedy Center honors) … recordings of Gregg Allman and Jackson Browne performing “These Days” … Mondays with the Daily Show … Cometeer Coffee … “Sweet Dreams” and “Money Can’t Buy It” by the Eurythmics, the group made up by the previously mentioned Annie Lennox and the talented Dave Stewart … a September in Santa Cruz … walking the streets in London, Paris, Rome, Prague, Istanbul, Barcelona, Milan, Leverkusen, Monte Carlo, Athens, Madrid, and … Boston.

A game of hoops at the Stan Sheriff Center or the Lahaina Civic Center … the Fine Young Cannibals covering Suspicious Minds, second only to Elvis singing that wonderful hit … the Felt Forum and The Rotunda (forerunners to the Theatre and Expo Center) … Golden Gloves Boxing … Pat LaFontaine and J.J. … Cosmo The City Dog … Chloe … Penny (Lane) … and Mighty Max.

Seeing a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand … Huh? … I’d like to meet his tailor … the Army v. Navy game (in Philly) … a bic pen … Houses of the Holy … “Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, And stars fill my dream, I’m a traveler of both time and space, To be where I have been,” stated by Matt Damon so perfectly in Ocean’s 12

“Take two and hit to right” … “Batter, Batter, Batter” … “He’s No Batter” … “Can of Corn” … “Ducks on a Pond” … “Swing and a Miss” … “Touch ‘em All” … “Keep Your Eye on the Ball” … “Pitchers & Catchers Report” (Feb. 12, 2025 or 44 more days).

No static at all with “The Royal Scam and Aja” … “Angular banjos” and “Deacon Blues” … “They call Alabama the Crimson Tide” … “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” … “Who’s Next” … “Hotel California” … “Dark Side of the Moon” … “Bat Out of Hell and Phil Rizzuto’s call.”

Casablanca … The Sting … The Last Waltz … Almost Famous … The Maltese Falcon … Spotlight … Goldfinger … The Purple Rose of Cairo … Cinema Paradiso … The Original Star Wars Trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) … Rocky and Rocky II … Seabiscuit … Patton.

Hamilton the Musical … Stereophonic … Pippin … A Chorus Line.

Missing “Little Louie,” already, and Clark Gillies … Mike Bossy … Al Arbour … David Stern … and, this year, we lost Bill Walton … Al Attles … and “The Logo,” Jerry West” … Ed Kranepool, Buddy Harrelson and Jerry Grote of the Mets … hockey’s Johnny Gaudreau and his brother … OJ … Joe “Jellybean” Bryant … Earl Cureton and Robert Reid … Pete Rose and Fernando Valenzuela … Dejan Milojevic … the great Dikembe Mutombo and the greatest baseball player of our lives, Willie Mays.

Blue denim jeans … Terry cloth … L.L. Bean slippers … Flannel shirts … log cabins … a new furnace … and, that wraps it up … “The Song is Over.”

DIGITAL SPORTS DESK’s PLAYER of the YEAR: Is … Caitlin Clark of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. The TEAM of the YEAR: Is … USA Basketball’s gold medal senior men’s Olympic Team, featuring Steph Curry.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As promised last weekend, here’s your look-back at the Year in Sports 2024 – Part II. This is what WWYI wrote about during the second half of 2024:

Part Two (July to December, 2024)

July 2024

July 7th: Breakfast at Wimbledon; USA Basketball convenes for Olympics; James Wood

July 14th: Baseball’s Home Run Derby; American Association of Professional Baseball; Cape Cod Baseball

July 21st: Hoops without Borders; Deaths of Bill Walton, Jerry West and Pat Williams

July 27th: We declare OPEN the Games of the XXXIII Olympics; Paris Shines

August 2024

August 4th: Golf at Paris Olympics; Hoops du Jour; Andy Jasner RIP

August 11th: Steph Curry to the Rescue; France’s Victor Wembanyama Break-out Party

August 18th: LA’s Got Next; What USA Basketball will Look Like in 2028

August 25th: Champions League vs College Football Playoffs ‘24-25; Good-bye Linus Ullmark

September 2024

September 1st: Pro Golf in Greater Boston; the death of the NHL’s Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew

September 8th: The ‘24 Paralympics and Ali Truwit; US Open Tennis

September 15th: A Day in the History of 9/15; Ronnie Nunn NYC Hoop Hall

September 22nd: A Day for the Good Old Days in Chicago; the WNBA in 2024

September 29th: Motivation for the defending NBA Champion Celtics

October 2024

October 6th: RIP Dikembe; The Tedeschi Trucks Band – I Am the Moon

October 8th: KC Special

October 13th Adam Silver at Columbia U; Plug for “A Complete Unknown”

October 20th: Rock-Tober; UVa coach Tony Bennett Quits; Same ‘ole J-E-T-S

October 27th: Hornsby: The Old Playground; 2024 World Series; Chicken Partner

November 2024:

November 3rd: Breeders’ Cup; Mookie Betts and the Dodgers; Costas Retires

November 10th: Sports as a Distraction in Life; Kirk Herbstreit’s “Ben”

November 17th: NBA Cup ‘24; TGL Golf; Boston Common Golf

November 24th: Thanksgiving Appreciation; SNL Memories

December 2024

December 1st: How Many Pro Leagues Can We Support?

December 8th: Tribute to St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca

December 15th: Bill Belichick to Coach at North Carolina; ARMY vs. NAVY

December 24th: A Look Back at 2024; Part One

December 29th: Favorite Things ‘24; A Look Back at 2024; Part Two

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Nebraska Defeats BC, 20-15

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BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A trio of running backs recorded touchdowns to help Nebraska hold off Boston College’s late rally for a 20-15 win in the Pinstripe Bowl on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium in New York.

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New York native Rahmir Johnson scored the Cornhuskers’ opening touchdown to highlight his 60-yard performance on 10 carries. His 11-yard run on fourth-and-1 before the two-minute timeout iced the game, lifting Nebraska (7-6) to its first winning season since 2016.

Kwinten Ives also ran for a score and Emmett Johnson (team-high 68 rushing yards on 14 carries) caught one from freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who was 23 of 31 for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception on the day.

Nebraska had a 20-2 lead before allowing its first touchdown with 6:11 left in regulation.

Boston College (7-6) forced two first-half turnovers and finished five of its first seven drives inside the opposing 35-yard line, but the Eagles went 0-for-4 on fourth downs until Turbo Richard’s 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska’s first two punts turned into touchdowns for the Eagles, with the second being blocked and returned to the 2-yard line ahead of a Jordan McDonald score with 4:18 remaining.

Grayson James quarterbacked the Eagles, going 25 of 40 for a season-high 296 yards. He also rushed for 22. Lewis Bond made six catches for 94 yards.

Jahmal Banks was Raiola’s leading target, making four catches for 79 yards.

After big plays went by the boards for both teams on their opening series, Raiola sent Nebraska on a 15-play, 75-yard drive to the opening touchdown four seconds into the second quarter. Following a third-down conversion in the red zone, Rahmir Johnson scored on a 4-yard run before John Hohl’s PAT made it 7-0.

After Boston College was unable to convert on Josiah Griffin’s recovery of an Emmett Johnson fumble, an ensuing fourth-down penalty gave Nebraska new life and the Cornhuskers turned it into Ives’ 2-yard score with 3:39 before halftime.

Ashton McShane’s 88-yard blocked PAT return got the Eagles on the board at 13-2, though.

Nebraska’s first drive out of halftime included two fakes from punter/holder Brian Buschini, including a successful fake field goal. On the following series, Raiola’s 13-yard pass to Emmett Johnson out of the backfield resulted in a 20-2 lead with 3:02 left in the third.

Richard punched in the first Boston College touchdown. James’ two-point conversion pass attempt failed.

Buschini’s second punt was blocked by Victor Nelson Jr. and returned to the 2-yard line by Omar Thornton, setting up McDonald’s run and a Liam Connor PAT.

–Field Level Media

It’s Official: Sox Ink Buehler

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BOSTON – (Staff Report utilizing Official Team News Release) – After a week or two of speculation, the Boston Red Sox today signed right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler to a one-year contract for the 2025 season. Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 40.

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Buehler, 30, is a two-time All-Star (2019, ’21) and two-time World Series champion (2020, ’24). A 2021 All-MLB First Team selection, the right-hander finished in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting in 2019 (ninth) and 2021 (fourth). In seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-22, ’24), he went 47-22 (.681) with a 3.27 ERA (259 ER/713.2 IP), 1.09 WHIP, .221 opponent batting average, and 754 strikeouts over 131 appearances (122 starts).

After missing the entire 2023 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Buehler made 16 regular season starts in 2024 and went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA (45 ER/75.1 IP). He helped the Dodgers win a World Series title by posting a 3.60 ERA (6 ER/15.0 IP) in four Postseason outings (three starts), allowing zero runs in his final 13.0 innings pitched and earning a save with a perfect ninth inning in the decisive Game 5 against the New York Yankees. In 19 career Postseason games (18 starts), Buehler is 4-4 with a 3.04 ERA (32 ER/94.2 IP) and .210 opponent batting average. He has allowed only one run in 19.0 World Series innings (0.47 ERA) spanning four games (three starts), going 2-0 with one save, 24 strikeouts, and three walks in the Fall Classic.

Selected by the Dodgers in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft, Buehler graduated from Henry Clay High School in Kentucky before pitching at Vanderbilt University from 2013-15.

Big East: End of Non-Conference Games

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JAMAICA ESTATES – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The BIG EAST non-conference schedule ended Saturday with all three league teams in action notching comfortable homecourt victories. St. John’s, Georgetown and DePaul were the winners.

St. John’s put six players in double figures in a 97-76 victory over Delaware. Deivon Smith led the assault with a season-high 20 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and eight assists. Zuby Ejiofor contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. The Johnnies (11-2) shot 60.9 percent from the field.

Georgetown had three players post double-doubles in an 83-53 victory against Coppin State. Thomas Sorber had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Drew Fielder registered career highs with 20 points and 13 boards. Malik Mack, who had missed the previous two games with an injury, finished with 15 points and 11 assists. The Hoyas (11-2) outscored the Tigers 46-23 in the second half.

DePaul never trailed in an 84-65 triumph over Loyola Maryland. N.J. Benson led the Blue Demons (9-4) with 22 points, 17 rebounds and two blocked shots. His rebound total was the highest by a BIG EAST player since Dec. 20, 2022. Jacob Meyer, the team’s top scorer at 14.5 ppg, added 12 points.

The BIG EAST ended its non-league schedule with a (84-37) .694 record.

Conference play resumes on New Year’s Eve afternoon with a doubleheader on Peacock.Seton Hall visits Xavier at 2 p.m. ET followed by St. John’s at Creighton at 4 p.m.

Providence hosts Marquette at 6 p.m. on FS1.

Jaylen Brown Carries Celtics, 142-105

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BOSTON – Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown poured in a season-high 44 points to help Boston end a two-game losing streak by beating the visiting Indiana Pacers 142-105 Friday. Brown was 16 of 24 from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3-point territory, and made each of his six free-throw attempts. He also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

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Boston’s twin tandem All NBA star, Jayson Tatum, added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who were 23 of 57 from 3-point range. Payton Pritchard provided 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds off the Boston bench.

Tyrese Haliburton had a team-high 19 points and nine assists for the Pacers, who never led in the game. Indiana received 18 points from Bennedict Mathurin and 14 from Pascal Siakam. Off the bench, Jarace Walker had 15 points and five assists and Thomas Bryant added 12 points and seven rebounds.

The 142 points are the most Boston has scored in a game this season.

It was 11-11 midway through the first quarter before Boston pulled away for a 39-22 lead after one. Brown made each of his six field goal attempts for 15 points in the opening 12 minutes.

The Celtics led 57-37 after a Tatum 3-pointer with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter. Al Horford capped a 13-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers that extended Boston’s lead to 65-37, and the Celtics were up 67-45 at halftime.

Brown was up to 23 points and Tatum collected 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

Another Tatum 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 95-63 advantage with 4:10 left in the third quarter. It was 103-78 entering the fourth, and Boston’s lead peaked at 38 in the final quarter.

Each team was missing some key pieces. The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain), and the Pacers didn’t have Obi Toppin (left ankle sprain) or Andrew Nembhard (left knee injury management).

The teams will meet again Sunday in Boston.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Bow to Blue Jackets

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COLUMBUS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to stay hot and complete a three-game season-series sweep when they visit Boston to contest the second half of a home-and-home pair against the Bruins on Saturday.

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The Blue Jackets earned a 6-2 home-ice victory over the Bruins on Friday, giving them back-to-back wins and a four-game point streak (3-0-1). They have dominated the Bruins by an 11-3 combined score over the first two meetings.

“I think we were excited to get back to play after the break,” Columbus forward Sean Monahan said, referring to the team’s three-day Christmas hiatus. “Guys were moving the puck well, and we were finding the back of the net. We’ve got to keep that up and be consistent with that.”

That consistency starts with putting together another strong effort in the rematch after four Blue Jackets had multiple points and a four-goal second period marked the difference on Friday.

With a one-goal, two-assist performance, Kirill Marchenko upped his point streak to seven games (four goals, nine assists). The 24-year-old has been strong on a line with Dmitri Voronkov and Monahan, who both scored twice.

“They’re the line that drives our team,” defenseman Zach Werenski said after dishing out four assists.

The Blue Jackets already have tasted success in Boston with a 5-1 win back on Nov. 18. The next morning, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery was fired and replaced with interim coach Joe Sacco, who has gone 11-5-1 behind the bench.

Columbus is just 4-11-3 on the road as compared to 11-4-3 at home.

“We have to be better on the road if we’re going to get to where we want to go,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “(Friday’s) game has to roll into (Saturday).”

Boston is on a five-game home winning streak.

The Bruins’ best run of play this season — a five-game point streak (4-0-1) following blowout losses in Winnipeg and Seattle earlier this month — was snapped with the Friday loss.

On the plus side for Boston, Charlie Coyle scored for the third straight game and captain Brad Marchand recorded an assist to move his point streak to 11 games (seven goals, seven assists).

Despite success on the whole under Sacco, the Bruins are again showing their up-and-down tendencies.

The loss immediately followed a complete effort in 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday, when Boston allowed only 11 shots on goal.

“I thought Columbus … deserved what they got (on Friday). They were the better team,” Sacco said. “So, the three-day break didn’t have as much toll on them as it did on us. We just have to be better, all of us.”

The Bruins have struggled mightily on the penalty kill of late, going just 14-for-24 (58.3 percent) across the past nine games. Boston killed off 71.4 percent of opponents’ power plays this season before the current slump.

Prior to a 3-for-3 night on Friday, the Blue Jackets’ power play had not scored more than once in a game all season.

Boston’s second-period downfall was also the result of losing battles.

“You can’t win many games when you’re being outworked like that,” Coyle said. “That’s embarrassing.”

Finding a quick response back on home ice will be key for the Bruins.

“We didn’t play up to our standards (on Friday). I certainly didn’t play up to mine,” Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “The best part of this league is you get to turn a new leaf every single day. So, we’re going to leave this one here and we get a chance to get it right (Saturday).”

Prior to this season, the Bruins had lost just once in their previous nine head-to-head meetings with the Blue Jackets.

–Field Level Media

Greg Gumbel, 78

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report) – The popular sportscaster Greg Gumbel, a veteran of CBS Sports who spent more than 50 years in sports broadcasting, has died of cancer at the age of 78, his family and the network confirmed on Friday.

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“He passed away peacefully surrounded by much love after a courageous battle with cancer,” his wife, Marcy, and daughter, Michelle, said in a joint statement released by CBS Sports from its New York City offices. “Greg approached his illness like one would expect he would, with stoicism, grace and positivity.

“He leaves behind a legacy of love, inspiration and dedication to over 50 extraordinary years in the sports broadcast industry; and his iconic voice will never be forgotten.”

Bah, Humbug

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey collected 33 points and 12 assists to lead the visiting 76ers to a 118-114 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday.

The 76ers received 27 points and nine rebounds from Joel Embiid and 23 points from Caleb Martin, who made 7 of 9 3-point attempts.

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The Celtics, who trailed by 15 in the fourth quarter, trimmed their deficit to 116-114 with 4.9 seconds to play, but Embiid made two free throws to put the 76ers up by four with 2.8 seconds left. Philadelphia has won six of its past eight games.

Jayson Tatum led Boston in points (32) and rebounds (15). Jaylen Brown added 23 points and seven rebounds but shot 10 of 23 from the field. Payton Pritchard missed all eight of his 3-point attempts.

Boston, which was coming off a 108-104 setback against the Orlando Magic on Monday, lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Jrue Holiday didn’t play for Boston because of a right shoulder impingement. The Celtics also played most of the game without Kristaps Porzingis, who sustained a left ankle injury and didn’t play in the second half.

Philadelphia was without Andre Drummond, who missed his first game since Dec. 4 because of a sprained left toe. Drummond leads the 76ers in rebounding (8.0 boards per game).

The 76ers had a 30-25 advantage after one quarter and stretched the lead to 52-36 after a Paul George dunk capped a 17-2 run with 5:22 remaining in the first half. Philadelphia had a 66-58 halftime lead even though the Celtics made 13 of their 28 3-point attempts in the first two quarters.

Boston tied the contest, 74-74, on a Brown 3-pointer and took a 78-76 lead on a Tatum jumper with 4:03 left in the third quarter. The Celtics led by as many as four points in the frame, but it was 82-82 entering the fourth.

Philadelphia began the final quarter with a 12-2 spurt and led 94-84 after a Maxey jump shot with 8:50 to play. The 76ers extended their lead to 103-88 on a Martin 3-pointer with 6:37 left.

–Field Level Media