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49ers’ Christian McCaffrey says calf injury is “pretty minor”

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

LANDOVER, Md. – Christian McCaffrey made it sound like his playoff availability won’t be threatened by a right calf strain, an injury that sidelined him late in the third quarter of the 49ers’ 27-10 win Sunday over the host Washington Commanders.“Not sure what happened. It was pretty minor,” McCaffrey said. “I was just having a hard time for a little bit just pushing off, and for precautionary reasons, they said, ‘You’d be better to just rest it.’ ”McCaffrey surely will sit out the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams and then use the wild-card bye to recover.“He was moving around alright on the sideline, so we’re hoping it’s not too bad, but we won’t know until (Monday),” coach Kyle Shanahan said of a likely MRI exam for McCaffrey.Not only have the 49ers (12-4) clinched the No. 1-seed in the NFC playoffs, but McCaffrey’s 1,459 rushing yards should guarantee him the 49ers’ first NFL rushing title since Joe “The Jet” Perry in 1954. McCaffrey has a 315-yard lead over the...

Panthers owner David Tepper tosses drink into visiting stands late in 26-0 loss to Jaguars

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Panthers owner David Tepper threw the contents of a drink into the visiting crowd near the end of Carolina’s 26-0 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.Tepper’s reaction came after rookie Bryce Young was intercepted with less than 3 minutes to play. It was unclear whether Tepper was reacting to something said to him or the latest miscue for the team with the NFL’s worst record. General manager Scott Fitterer was standing near Tepper when he tossed the remnants of his drink while watching the game from a club suite.The Panthers (2-14) dropped to 0-9 on the road and were shut out for the first time since losing to Atlanta in Week 12 in 2002. They also clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in April — a selection that will go to Chicago.Nothing went right in this one for Carolina, and had Jacksonville not gone 1 for 5 scoring in the red zone, the outcome likely would have been way more lopsided.Bryce Young completed 19 of 32 passes for 112 yards, with an in...

Fair scores 27, Syracuse women beat No. 13 Notre Dame 86-81

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Dyaisha Fair scored 27 points and hit three huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, leading Syracuse to an 86-81 victory over No. 13 Notre Dame in a thrilling ACC opener on Sunday.Syracuse’s Alyssa Latham added 21 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.Fair’s 3-pointer gave Syracuse a 71-67 lead with 3:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. The clutch bucket came after the Orange (11-1) had forced six turnovers and allowed only five shot attempts by Notre Dame in the first five-plus minutes of the period.Hannah Hidalgo, a freshman, led Notre Dame with a season-high 32 points. She added six assists and seven steals. Maddy Westbeld had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Anna DeWolfe scored 15 for Notre Dame (9-2).NO. 14 VIRGINIA TECH 91, PITTSBURGH 41BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Georgia Amoore scored 20 points, Olivia Summiel had a double-double and Virginia Tech coasted to a win over Pitt in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener.Matilda Ekh scored 16 po...

Beloved Prince George’s Co. pizzeria closes after decades of serving

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

The Pizza Oven has been a staple in the Riverdale, Maryland, community since the 1950s — and for his 90th birthday, owner Brian Boileau got a big gift: retirement.With over 60 years of service under his belt, Boileau is packing up the handmade sauce and dough and closing his doors, but not without one last celebration.Boileau held a car show outside the restaurant Sunday to commemorate his last day of work and foray into life as a nonagenarian. Regular patrons of The Pizza Oven gathered to give their final goodbyes to the establishment many of them grew up frequenting.“It’s like a class reunion,” said Maryland resident Harry Lynch, who’s been going to The Pizza Oven since 1962. “Everybody would come here and get pizza, a meatball sub or something like that. Just hanging out.”Frankie Ibey has been a regular patron of The Pizza Oven since 1996. He said that in all the years he’s been eating there, he’s never had anything on the menu but the pizza.“I’ve been wanting to try someth...

Philly homecoming is sweet for Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Guess Philly can pin this loss on Jonathan Gannon, too.Much maligned in Philadelphia for a defense that collapsed in the second half of last season’s Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, then roasted for a clumsy exit from the Eagles, the former coordinator showed he still knows how to call the shots at the Linc.In his first season as Arizona’s coach, Gannon downplayed the significance of returning to Philadelphia. He spent two seasons as defensive coordinator under Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, and Philly had the NFL’s No. 2 defense last season.Gannon surely enjoyed watching most of his former players get rocked by his current ones.The Cardinals — not an Eagles team that had so much at stake — played with the grit needed to rally from 15 points down at halftime, total 449 yards of offense and shut down Jalen Hurts in the second half, shocking the Eagles 35-31 on Sunday.“The year’s been a tough year. We didn’t do enough to earn the right to play in January,” Ganno...

Russell scores 11 in 4th quarter, No. 19 Louisville beats Miami 77-72

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jayda Curry scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, Merissah Russell scored 11 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter Sunday and No. 19 Louisville beat Miami 77-72 in a sloppy and disjointed ACC opener for both teams. Nyla Harris had 13 points — nine in the first quarter — and 12 rebounds for Louisville (12-2), Kiki Jefferson scored 12 and Olivia Cochran finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Ja’Leah Williams hit from behind the arc to give Miami a four-point lead with 6:57 to play, Russell answered with a 3-pointer 18 seconds later. She added two more 3s and a pair of free throws before Harris made a layup with 55 seconds left to cap a 13-5 run that gave the Cardinals a 73-69 lead. Lemyah Hylton made a layup, but Nina Rickards hit a pull-up jumper from the left elbow with 13 seconds left. Williams made the second of two free throws to make it 75-72 about nine seconds later and Cochran capped the scoring with two foul shots. Hylto...

Flanigan, Murrell lead No. 24 Ole Miss past Bryant 95-78 as Rebels remain unbeaten

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Allen Flanigan scored 20 points, Matthew Murrell had 18 and the duo combined for 31 second-half points to help No. 24 Mississippi remain unbeaten with a 95-78 victory over Bryant on Sunday.The Rebels (13-0) head into Southeastern Conference play having matched the 2007-08 team for the best start in program history, which also equals the school’s longest overall winning streak. Murrell had four points at halftime and Flanigan had just three before ripping off seven straight points early in the second half. Flanigan’s spurt pushed an 11-point halftime edge up to 52-34. Flanigan also finished with nine rebounds and four assists. Jaemyn Brakefield had a similarly well-rounded stat line for the Rebels with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Jamarion Sharp had eight points and 10 rebounds, while Moussa Cisse scored 10.Sherif Gross-Bullocks led Bryant (8-7) with 24 points and made four 3-pointers. Rafael Pinzon hit five 3s and scored 21, while Earl...

Carr throws for 2 TDs to help the Saints beat the Bucs 23-13 and tie NFC South standings

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The tight NFC South race is going down to the final week of the regular season.Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints beat Tampa Bay 23-13 on Sunday, climbing back into a tie with the Buccaneers for first place in the NFL’s only division that doesn’t include a team with a winning record.The Bucs (8-8) missed out on an opportunity to clinch their third straight NFC South title, sputtering most of the game offensively while Carr threw for two touchdowns and the Saints (8-8) intercepted Baker Mayfield twice and also forced two fumbles.Tampa Bay can still repeat as division champions by winning at last-place Carolina in next weekend’s regular-season finale.If the Bucs lose to the Panthers, the winner of the finale between the Saints and Atlanta Falcons (7-9) in New Orleans will take the championship and host a playoff game the following week.“Until we run out of time, I’m going to keep believing and keep working,” Carr said.“We can’t feel satisfied be...

Mississippi State ups win streak to five with 85-62 victory over Bethune-Cookman

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Tolu Smith III totaled 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench to power Mississippi State to an 85-62 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Sunday.Smith sank all five of his shots and 6 of 7 free throws for the Bulldogs (11-2), who have won five in a row — all at home — to close out nonconference play. Dashawn Davis made 5 of 8 shots with two 3-pointers, scoring 12. Freshman reserve Josh Hubbard made three 3-pointers and scored 11, adding three steals. Shakeel Moore scored 10.Smith sank four shots and 4 of 5 free throws, scoring 12 to guide Mississippi State to a 41-22 lead at halftime. The Bulldogs shot 58.3% from the floor with seven 3-pointers in building the 19-point lead. The Wildcats (5-8) shot 32.3%, hit 1 of 8 from distance and 1 of 4 at the foul line before the intermission.Jakobi Heady had 16 points and six rebounds to pace Bethune-Cookman. Dhashon Dyson scored 14 but missed all six of his 3-point attempts. Derrick Carter-Hollinger Jr. scored 12.The Bu...

Stidham uneven in 1st start in place of Wilson as Broncos rely on defense to beat Chargers 16-9

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:12:00 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Jarrett Stidham threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in an uneven performance in his first start in place of a benched Russell Wilson as the Denver Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers 16-9 on Sunday.Stidham earned his first career NFL win as a starter thanks to some timely plays such as a nifty 54-yard catch-and-run for a score by Lil’Jordan Humphrey and a stellar defensive performance. The Broncos (8-8) forced one turnover and allowed two third-down conversions on 11 attempts. Denver Zoo says goodbye to okapi after significant health decline Despite the win, the Broncos saw their playoff chances end with Kansas City beating Cincinnati. The Broncos haven't been to the playoffs since winning the Super Bowl following the 2015 season.It was a matchup of backup against backup, with Stidham supplanting Wilson in an effort to try to spark a sporadic offense. The Chargers (5-11) went with Easton Stick for a third straight start after the injury to Justin Herbert....