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Big East: Bryce Hopkins Hurt

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PROVIDENCE – (Report from Official News Release) – Only 16 games into the 110-game BIG EAST league schedule and just one team remains unbeaten after two drama-filled contests on Wednesday. Seton Hall won at Providence 61-57 and Villanova edged Xavier 66-65.

Seton Hall got scoring support from Dre Davis, who notched a team-high 17 points. Kadary Richmond contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Pirates (9-5, 2-1 BIG EAST) shot slightly better than Providence (11-3, 2-1) from beyond the arc. The Hall was 7-of-16 and PC was 4-of-17. Josh Oduro netted a game-high 23 points for PC. Bryce Hopkins suffered a leg injury five minutes into the second half and did not return. The Friar defense was also strong, holding the Pirates to 36.2 shooting from the floor. Both of Seton Hall’s league wins have come against ranked opponents (UConn).

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Villanova had a 10-point lead midway through the second half, then held off a Xavier comeback bid. The Wildcats (10-4, 3-0) got 26 points from Hakim Hart (14) and Brendan Hausen (12) off the bench. Eric Dixon helped with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Musketeers (7-7, 1-2) were led by Quincy Olivari’s 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Xavier was 10-of-10 from the line, but only 5-of-18 from 3-point range.

The next BIG EAST action is Friday when fourth-ranked UConn visits Butler at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The Huskies (12-2, 2-1) lead the league in scoring offense (83.1), scoring margin (+19.5) and are the only BIG EAST team shooting better than 50 percent from the field (50.2). The Bulldogs (10-4, 1-2) are third nationally (12.9) in fewest fouls committed and 20th in free throw shooting (77.2).

Big East: St. John’s Tops Butler

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STORRS – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – St. John’s and Creighton used some strong second-half play to secure wins on Tuesday, while Connecticut began its path to victory midway through the first half of its game.

No. 4 UConn put together a 16-2 run in the first half to take control in its 85-56 triumph over DePaul. The Huskies (12-2, 2-1 BIG EAST) led 38-19 at halftime. Four players finished in double figures led by Cam Spencer, who had 20 points. Alex Karaban added 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. The Blue Demons (3-10, 0-2) were led by Da’Sean Nelson’s 19 points.

St. John’s (10-4, 2-1) pulled away from Butler in the final eight minutes and took an 86-70 decision at Carnesecca Arena. Daniss Jenkins led five SJU players in double figures with 17 points. He also had seven assists and five rebounds. Freshman Brady Dunlap, who had not played in the previous four games, netted 13 points off the bench. For Butler (10-4, 1-2), DJ Davis scored a game-high 25 points.

Creighton (10-4, 1-2) scored on 14 of its first 17 possessions in the second half en route to a 77-60 win atGeorgetown (7-7, 0-3). Baylor Scheierman posted his fourth double-double this season with 18 points and 12 boards. Trey Alexander dropped in a game-high 25 points. Rowan Brumbaugh led GU with 19 points and dished five assists.

FS1 has Wednesday’s two-game schedule covered. At 6:30 p.m. ET, No. 23 Providence hosts Seton Hall. The Friars (11-2, 2-0) are 46-3 in their last 49 home games. The Pirates (8-5, 1-1) have won three of their last four with wins over UConn, Missouri and Monmouth.

At 8:30 p.m., Xavier visits Villanova. The Musketeers (7-6, 1-1) are led by Quincy Olivari, who has averaged 25.0 points over his last five games.   For the third time in the last six seasons, the Wildcats (9-4, 2-0) have started 2-0 in league play with both wins coming on the road. Both teams have not played since Dec. 23.

Big East: Welcome to 2024

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STORRS – BIG EAST play in 2024 begins with three games on Tuesday evening. Eleven conference games were played in December. There are 99 to go.

No. 4 Connecticut hosts DePaul at Gampel Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. on FS1. The Huskies (11-2, 1-1) have won 22 of their last 23 games on campus. Guard Tristen Newton is averaging 16.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists. The Blue Demons (3-9, 0-1) are coming off a 70-58 victory over Chicago State. DePaul is third in the BIG EAST in 3-point shooting, making 35.0 percent.

Creighton travels to Georgetown for a 7 p.m. ET tip on CBSSN. The Bluejays (9-4, 0-2 BIG EAST) are looking for their first conference win after a five-point loss at Marquette on Saturday. The Hoyas (7-6, 0-2) are also in search of their first league victory. Georgetown has been idle since Dec. 22 when it also lost at Marquette. Guard Jayden Epps leads the Hoyas in scoring (17.1) and assists (4.1). The Bluejays have taken 11 of the last 14 games in the series.

The action on FS1 continues at 8:30 p.m. when St. John’s hosts Butler at Carnesecca Arena. The Red Storm (9-4, 1-1) have won seven of their last nine games and are 4-0 at Carnesecca, winning each game by at least 15 points. The Bulldogs (10-2, 1-0) are led by Pierre Brooks II, who is fifth in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 16.8 average. Butler is second nationally in fewest fouls committed, averaging only 12.3 per game.

Celtics Crush Spurs, Wembanyama

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SAN ANTONIO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jayson Tatum poured in 25 points and Jaylen Brown added 24 as the visiting Boston Celtics put away the game in the third quarter of a 134-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The Celtics, the No. 1 team in the NBA, won their season-high-tying sixth straight game, while San Antonio, at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, dropped its second consecutive contest.

Boston led by 12 at halftime but pulled away with a dominating third quarter in which it outscored the Spurs 40-23. Brown had 16 of Boston’s points in the period while Tatum added 10, including seven in the final 2:05 of the quarter, after which the Celtics were up 105-76.

Boston cruised in the final period, stretching its lead to as many as 37 as both teams mainly rested their starters.

Derrick White scored 17 points for the Celtics, with Kristaps Porzingis hitting for 14, Luke Kornet producing 12 and Sam Hauser tallying 11.

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 22 points. Victor Wembanyama added 21 and Malaki Branham had 11. San Antonio played without Keldon Johnson (back spasms) and Zach Collins (sprained right ankle).

Brown’s driving layup with 5:33 to play in the first quarter granted the Celtics a 21-12 lead. Boston was up by as many as 11 in the frame before a 3-pointer by Sandro Mamukelashvili at the 1:32 mark pulled the Spurs within 30-22 after 12 minutes of play.

San Antonio closed the gap to 42-35 just over 3 1/2 minutes into the second quarter on Wembanyama’s pullup jumper. Branham’s three-point play with 5:33 remaining in the quarter got the Spurs to within four before Boston scored the next seven points to move the margin back to double digits at 55-44.

The Celtics pushed their lead to 15 points on White’s 3-pointer with 27.3 seconds remaining and owned a 65-53 advantage at the break.

Tatum led the Celtics with 15 points before halftime while White had 13. Wembanyama paced the Spurs with 15 points and Vassell added 11 in the first half.

–Field Level Media

NFL Round-Up: Ravens, Chiefs Winners

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Ravens QB Lamar Jackson passed for 321 yards and matched his career high of five touchdown passes and Baltimore clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 56-19 dismantling of the visiting Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Isaiah Likely had two touchdown receptions and Zay Flowers (106 receiving yards), Justice Hill, Patrick Ricard and Charlie Kolar each had one for the Ravens (13-3). Gus Edwards and Melvin Gordon III each rushed for a score for Baltimore, which has won six straight games and 10 of its past 11.

Roquan Smith and Geno Stone had interceptions for the Ravens, who have won eight games by 14 or more points this season. Miami star linebacker Bradley Chubb was carted off with a potentially serious knee injury with 3:05 remaining.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 22 of 38 passes for 237 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Miami (11-5) but sustained an injury to his left (throwing) shoulder. He was injured while sliding during a scramble with 7:55 left and missed the rest of the contest. De’Von Achane rushed 107 yards and caught a touchdown pass for the Dolphins.

49ers 27, Commanders 10

Brock Purdy threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as San Francisco clinched the top seed in the NFC by beating Washington in Landover, Md.

Elijah Mitchell carried 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers (12-4) locked down the top record in the conference after losses by Detroit on Saturday and Philadelphia on Sunday. Mitchell took over for Christian McCaffrey, who was sidelined with an ankle injury early in the third quarter after rushing 14 times for 64 yards.

Sam Howell completed 17 of 28 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (4-12), which dropped its seventh straight, its longest single-season losing streak since 1998.

Chiefs 25, Bengals 17

Harrison Butker booted six field goals while Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice each gained over 100 yards from scrimmage as Kansas City clinched the AFC West with a victory over visiting Cincinnati.

Patrick Mahomes finished 21-of-29 passing for 245 yards and a touchdown for the Chiefs (10-6), who clinched their eighth straight division title. Pacheco totaled 130 yards on 18 carries and had seven receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown, and Rice finished with five catches for 127 yards.

Jake Browning completed 19 of 33 passes for 197 yards. He threw for a TD and rushed for another for the Bengals (8-8), who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. Cincinnati led 17-7 in the second quarter before Kansas City scored the final 18 points.

Bills 27, Patriots 21

Quarterback Josh Allen rushed for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and Buffalo held off a late rally by New England to earn a victory in Orchard Park, N.Y.

The Bills (10-6) will go into the final week of the regular season holding the AFC’s second wild-card berth but not yet assured of a postseason spot. Allen put Buffalo up 27-14 with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter when he snuck into the end zone with the help of a push from running back Latavius Murray.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a 6-yard score early in the fourth to pull New England (4-12) within six, and the Patriots ended up getting the ball back with 6:41 left in the game. However, New England failed to get past its 11-yard line, and the Bills then ran out the clock.

Bears 37, Falcons 17

Justin Fields passed for 268 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 45 yards and a score to lift host Chicago over Atlanta.

The Bears (7-9) relied on a balanced attack that outgained Atlanta 432-307 to win for the fourth time in the past five games. Khalil Herbert led the ground game, rushing 18 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons (7-9) lost for the third time in four games as their dim NFC playoff hopes took a hit. Taylor Heinicke finished 10-for-29 passing for 163 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions before Desmond Ridder entered in relief late in the fourth quarter.

Texans 26, Titans 3

C.J. Stroud passed for 213 yards and a touchdown in his return from a two-game concussion absence and host Houston kept its postseason hopes alive by thumping Tennessee.

Stroud completed 24 of 32 pass attempts and tossed a 12-yard touchdown to Brevin Jordan in the second quarter to extend the Houston lead to 10-0. Eight seconds later, the Texans (9-7) produced their first defensive touchdown of the season when Sheldon Rankins returned a fumble by Titans quarterback Will Levis 13 yards for a score.

Levis suffered a right foot injury while being sacked by Jerry Hughes on the play. Levis labored walking to the sideline and was carted to the locker room. Ryan Tannehill replaced Levis and passed for 168 yards. The Texans recorded five sacks of Tannehill while limiting the Titans (5-11) to 187 yards of total offense.

Colts 23, Raiders 20

Gardner Minshew threw for 224 yards and a touchdown while Jonathan Taylor ran for 96 yards and another score as host Indianapolis kept its hopes for an AFC South title alive by beating Las Vegas.

Matt Gay added second-half field goals of 38, 33 and 45 yards as the Colts (9-7) remained in a three-way tie with Jacksonville and Houston in the division. They will have to beat the visiting Texans next week in their regular-season finale and hope the Jaguars lose at Tennessee to claim a division crown.

Aidan O’Connell hit on 30 of 47 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for Las Vegas (7-9), which was eliminated from playoff consideration. Davante Adams caught 13 passes for 126 yards and two scores.

Jaguars 26, Panthers 0

Brandon McManus kicked four field goals and Jacksonville’s defense dominated as the hosts shut out Carolina.

The Jaguars (9-7) snapped a four-game losing streak and moved closer to repeating as AFC South champions. Sunday’s win came with backup quarterback C.J. Beathard at the controls for the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence, who sustained a shoulder injury a week earlier, missed a game for the first time since he arrived in the NFL in 2021, ending a string of 49 straight games played.

Bryce Young had 112 yards and an interception on 19-of-32 passing for the Panthers (2-14).

Rams 26, Giants 25

Matthew Stafford passed for 317 yards and a touchdown and Kyren Williams rushed for three scores to help Los Angeles defeat New York in East Rutherford, N.J.

Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes with two interceptions, Williams rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries and Puka Nacua caught five passes for 118 yards for the Rams (9-7), who have won six of their past seven.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 319 yards and a touchdown and Darius Slayton caught four passes for 106 yards and a long touchdown for the Giants (5-11), who have lost three in a row. New York failed to convert a two-point conversion try to take the lead with 3:27 left, and Mason Crosby missed a 54-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.

Cardinals 35, Eagles 31

James Conner rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 32 seconds to play and Arizona stunned host Philadelphia to leave the NFC playoff picture in disarray.

Needing a stop to halt their December slide, the Eagles saw their defense fall flat, allowing touchdowns on all four second-half possessions to permit 29 points as Philadelphia (11-5) dropped out of first place in the NFC East.

Kyler Murray was rarely pressured after a first-half interception and completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards and three TDs for Arizona (4-12). Conner had 26 carries for 128 yards. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles had only 275 total yards to Arizona’s 449.

Saints 23, Buccaneers 13

Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes, New Orleans forced four turnovers and the visiting Saints stayed in contention for a postseason berth with a win over Tampa Bay.

Baker Mayfield was 22-of-33 passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns but had two interceptions. Tampa Bay (8-8), which had won four in a row, missed an opportunity to clinch its third consecutive NFC South title, but can still do so with a victory at Carolina next weekend.

The Saints (8-8), who avenged a 26-9 home loss to the Buccaneers in Week 4, can win the South with a win over Atlanta and a Bucs loss to the Panthers in Week 18.

Steelers 30, Seahawks 23

Najee Harris rushed 27 times for 122 yards and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh continued its playoff push with a victory against host Seattle.

Mason Rudolph, starting for the injured Kenny Pickett, completed 18 of 24 passes for 274 yards for the Steelers (9-7). Geno Smith was 23-of-33 passing for 290 yards and one touchdown for the Seahawks (8-8), who had a two-game winning streak snapped and saw their postseason chances diminish.

The Seahawks reached the red zone before stalling, settling for Jason Myers’ 24-yard field goal with 2:01 remaining to make it a one-possession game. The Steelers recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

Broncos 16, Chargers 9

Jarrett Stidham threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in his first start in nearly a year, but Denver was eliminated from the playoff hunt despite beating visiting Los Angeles.

Stidham took over starting duties from Russell Wilson this week after the Broncos (8-8) lost three of their previous four games, and he completed 20 of 32 passes without a turnover. Denver was eliminated when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.

Easton Stick completed 24 of 38 passes for 220 yards in his third straight start for the Chargers (5-11) since Justin Herbert went down with a broken right index finger against the Broncos on Dec. 10. Alex Erickson caught seven passes for 98 yards for Los Angeles, which has lost four in a row and seven of eight.

Packers 33, Vikings 10

Jordan Love passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one more and Green Bay cruised to a win over Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards for Green Bay (8-8), which boosted its playoff hopes while reducing the Vikings’ chances to near zero. The Packers can clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Jayden Reed had six catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns for Green Bay.

Nick Mullens completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown for Minnesota (7-9), which lost its third game in a row. Mullens entered the game in the second half as a replacement for starter Jaren Hall, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 67 yards and an interception.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Keep it Respectable

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Buffalo Quarterback Josh Allen rushed for a pair of 1-yard touchdowns and the Bills held off a late rally by the New England Patriots to earn a 27-21 victory on Sunday afternoon in Upstate New York.

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With the win, Buffalo (10-6) has a chance to clinch a postseason berth this week, but it would need a loss or tie from both the Steelers and Bengals. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati were set to play their games later Sunday.

Allen put the Bills up 27-14 with 10:42 remaining in the third quarter when he snuck into the end zone with the help of a push from running back Latavius Murray.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a 6-yard score early in the fourth to pull New England (4-12) within six, and the Patriots ended up getting the ball back with 6:41 left in the game.

However, New England failed to get past its 11-yard line, and Buffalo then ran out the clock.

Allen made up for a shaky day through the air with his performance on the ground. He completed just 15 of 30 throws for 169 yards and was picked off once. Dalton Kincaid had four catches for 87 yards.

Allen was also knocked from the game in the final two minutes due to an apparent left shoulder injury.

The Patriots’ Bailey Zappe finished with 209 yards and three interceptions on 16-for-26 passing. Elliott went for 39 yards on 14 carries.

Jalen Reagor wasted little time putting New England in front, taking the game’s opening kickoff 98 yards to the end zone.

But the Bills’ defense then took over.

Zappe was picked off twice and Pharaoh Brown lost a fumble following a 5-yard reception, allowing Tyler Bass to sandwich a pair of field goals — from 35 and 24 yards out — around Allen’s 1-yard scoring plunge.

Bass’ second field goal provided Buffalo with a 13-7 edge with 2:16 left in the first quarter, and Rasul Douglas made it 20-7 with a 40-yard pick-6 early in the second.

The Patriots got back on track with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 17-yard rushing TD by Zappe.

–Field Level Media

Josh Allen Exits with Injury

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BUFFALO – Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen exited Sunday’s 27-21 victory over the New England Patriots in the final minutes due to an apparent shoulder injury. On the first play following the two-minute warning, Allen faked a handoff and rushed to his right, getting hit by Jalen Mills and Kyle Dugger. Mills made contact with Allen’s left shoulder, which Allen then landed on.

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Kyle Allen then took over under center to take the final two snaps of the game, both of which were quarterback kneels.

Josh Allen completed just 15 of 30 passes for 169 yards and an interception, but he rushed for two 1-yard touchdowns to lift Buffalo to its fourth consecutive victory. The Bills improved to 10-6 on the season and can clinch a postseason berth as early as this week if the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals lose later Sunday.

In 16 games this season, Josh Allen has thrown for 3,947 yards and 27 TDs with 16 interceptions. He has also found the end zone 15 times on the ground while rushing for 457 yards.

Buffalo will face the Miami Dolphins (11-5) in Week 18. The winner takes home the AFC East title.

–Field Level Media

NBA Round-Up: Pistons Win

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DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cade Cunningham scored 30 points and dished out 12 assists as the host Detroit Pistons snapped their record-tying, 28-game losing streak by defeating the Toronto Raptors 129-127 on Saturday.

Detroit’s skid winds up level for the all-time NBA mark. The Philadelphia 76ers lost 28 straight spanning the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Earlier this week, the Pistons broke the NBA record for most consecutive losses in one season.

Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 19 points, Jalen Duran had 18 points and 17 rebounds and Kevin Knox II added 17 points as the Pistons avoided two consecutive winless months.

Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 35 points. Dennis Schroder supplied 30 points and nine assists, and Gary Trent Jr. had 24 points. Scottie Barnes added 22 points and nine rebounds.

Timberwolves 108, Lakers 106

Anthony Edwards scored 31 points in 38 minutes and Minnesota held on for a win over Los Angeles in Minneapolis.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 21 points off the bench for Minnesota, which earned its fourth win in five games. Mike Conley added 15 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gobert registered 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 33 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists. LeBron James finished with 26 points on 10-for-21 shooting on his 39th birthday.

Pacers 140, Knicks 126

Tyrese Haliburton became the first player in 33 years to post consecutive games with at least 20 points and 20 assists when he led Indiana to a win over New York in Indianapolis.

Haliburton, who had 21 points and 20 assists in Thursday’s 120-104 win over the Chicago Bulls, finished with 22 points and 23 assists on Saturday. He is the third player in NBA history to collect at least 20 points and 20 assists in consecutive games, joining Hall of Famers Magic Johnson (Dec. 18-19, 1984) and John Stockton (March 1-3, 1990). Myles Turner had 28 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who have won three straight.

Donte DiVincenzo scored a career-high 38 points for the Knicks, who ended an 0-3 road trip hours after trading guards RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley as well as a 2024 second-round pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for small forward OG Anunoby, forward Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn.

Bulls 105, 76ers 92

DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points to lead host Chicago past Philadelphia.

Coby White added 20 points and Andre Drummond scored 15 points, grabbed 23 rebounds and blocked three shots for Chicago. The short-handed Bulls played without Torrey Craig (foot) and Nikola Vucevic (groin).

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 20 points and Tobias Harris added 15 points. Philadelphia recorded a season low in points.

Mavericks 132, Warriors 122

Luka Doncic won a scoring duel over Stephen Curry as Dallas held off Golden State in San Francisco.

Doncic went for a game-high 39 points, 14 more than Curry in their first head-to-head matchup of the season, helping the Mavericks end a two-game losing streak while extending the Golden State skid to three.

Dante Exum had 19 points and Josh Green added 18 for the Mavericks. The Warriors got 24 points from Chris Paul, who made a rare start.

Jazz 117, Heat 109

Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Keyonte George added 21 points to lead Utah over Miami in Salt Lake City.

Bam Adebayo had a huge game for Miami, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped. He totaled 28 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots. Tyler Herro scored 25 and added six rebounds and six assists.

George scored 12 points in the fourth quarter. The rookie had a career-high-tying five 3-pointers to help the Jazz continue their best stretch of the season with their seventh win in 10 games.

–Field Level Media

Bowl Games Round-Up: All Georgia

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Georgia QB Carson Beck passed for two touchdowns in two quarters and No. 6 Georgia steamrolled No. 5 Florida State 63-3 on Saturday in a record showing at the Orange Bowl in South Florida.

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Beck completed 13 of 18 passes for 203 yards before exiting as the Bulldogs won by an Orange Bowl-record 60 points. The previous largest margin of victory was 55 when Alabama routed Syracuse 61-6 on Jan. 1, 1953.

Kendall Milton rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Daijun Edwards also ran for two scores as Georgia (13-1) pummeled a previously unbeaten Florida State squad. The Seminoles (13-1) were missing several key players on both sides of the ball, most of them either declaring for the NFL draft or entering the transfer portal.

Freshman Brock Glenn completed 9 of 26 passes for 139 yards and two interceptions in his second straight start for Florida State. Glenn became the starter after star Jordan Travis broke his leg and Tate Rodemaker sustained a concussion and later entered the portal.

Peach Bowl: No. 11 Mississippi 38, No. 10 Penn State 25

Jaxson Dart threw three touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown as the Rebels defeated the Nittany Lions in Atlanta.

Tre Harris finished with seven catches and 134 yards for Mississippi (11-2), as the Rebels recorded 11 wins for the first time in program history. Ole Miss also had the second 10-win season in school history.

Drew Allar passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Warren had five catches for 127 yards for Penn State (10-3), which had 510 yards.

Music City Bowl: Maryland 31, Auburn 13

Billy Edwards Jr. passed for one touchdown and ran for another in place of record-setting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who opted out of the bowl game, to lead the Terrapins over the Tigers in Nashville, Tenn.

Edwards, a redshirt sophomore who attempted 10 passes during the regular season, helped the Terps (8-5) to a 21-0 lead after one quarter. Edwards completed 6 of 20 passes for 126 yards and also ran for a team-high 50 yards on 13 carries.

It was the fourth consecutive bowl loss for Auburn (6-7), whose last bowl victory was a 63-14 rout of Purdue in the 2018 Music City Bowl.

Arizona Bowl: Wyoming 16, Toledo 15

John Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal with one second remaining to lift the Cowboys to a comeback win over the Rockets in Tucson, Ariz.

Hoyland’s kick capped a game-winning, 12-play, 87-yard drive for Wyoming (9-4). Andrew Peasley completed 20 of 25 passes for 168 yards for the Cowboys, who won their final game under coach Craig Bohl before his retirement.

Tucker Gleason completed 14 of 34 passes for 184 yards and one interception for Toledo (11-3). Jacquez Stuart led the team with 99 rushing yards and a touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Sox Dump Sale and Cash for Prospect

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Atlanta Braves acquired All-Star left-hander Chris Sale and cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox on Saturday in exchange for infield prospect Vaughn Grissom.

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Sale waived his no-trade clause to make the move to the National League for the first time, with the Red Sox set to send $17 million to the Braves in order to offset Sale’s 2024 salary.

A seven-time All-Star, Sale is owed $27.5 million in 2024, with a $20 million club option for 2025. If the 2025 option is exercised, $5 million of that is deferred until 2040.

Sale, 34, has dealt with injury issues in recent seasons, making 20 starts last season and 31 combined starts over the past three seasons. Sale did not pitch in 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He had a stress fracture in his ribs in 2022 along with a finger fracture and a broken wrist while reportedly riding a bicycle.

Last season, Sale dealt with a stress fracture in his scapula, going 6-5 with a 4.30 ERA in his 20 starts with 125 strikeouts and 29 walks.

In 13 seasons with the Chicago White Sox (2010-16) and Red Sox, Sale is 120-80 with a 3.10 ERA, 2,189 strikeouts and 416 walks. He was an All-Star in seven consecutive seasons starting in 2012 and finished as high as second in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2017, and third in 2014. He has seven top-six finishes in Cy Young voting.

Sale’s 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings is the best in baseball history.

In five appearances (three starts) during Boston’s World Series-title run in 2018, Sale went 1-0 with a 4.11 ERA. He gave up three runs in four innings of a Game 1 World Series start against the Los Angeles Dodgers then pitched a scoreless final inning of the deciding Game 5 to give the Red Sox the title.

Grissom, 22, made his major league debut with the Braves in 2022 and has a .287 batting average with five home runs in 27 RBIs in 64 games with Atlanta over the past two seasons. Grissom, who was born in Orlando, was an 11th-round draft pick by the Braves in 2019.

–Field Level Media