Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Steelers head to Kansas City on Sunday for an AFC showdown with plenty of playoff implications. Pittsburgh is trying to stay alive in the crowded AFC North where eight-win Cincinnati and Baltimore head into the weekend with a slight edge in the division race. The Chiefs are trying to win a sixth straight AFC West title while holding onto the No. 1 seed and lone first-round playoff bye. Much could depend on whether the teams get players back from COVID-19 protocols. Pittsburgh was down linebacker Devin Bush among others, while the Chiefs could be without such stars as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

UNDATED (AP) — The Green Bay Packers moved a step closer to clinching home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs while their quarterback set a major team record.

Aaron Rodgers became the Packers' all-time leader in touchdown passes by throwing for three more in a 24-22 victory over the Browns. Rodgers passed Brett Favre with his first TD of the day before ending up with 445.

Rodgers was 24 of 34 for 202 yards and no interceptions as the Packers improved to 12-3. Baker Mayfield had two touchdown passes but was sacked five times picked off a career-high four times in his first game since coming off the NFL's injured/COVID list. Each of the Packers' TDs came off Mayfield interceptions.

The Browns fell to 7-8 and will remain in last place in the AFC North.

The Cardinals continued their swoon with a 22-16 loss to the Colts. Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and Jonathan Taylor ran for 108 yards to guide the 9-6 Colts to their third win in a row. Wentz made the game's biggest play midway through the fourth quarter, when he bounced around in the pocket for a few seconds before hitting Dezmon Patmon for a 14-yard touchdown.

The 10-5 Cardinals failed to clinch a playoff spot for a third straight week and are 3-5 since starting the season 7-0. Kyler Murray threw for 245 yards and a touchdown while also running for 74 yards.

UNDATED (AP) — Josh Johnson will be the Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Sunday at Cincinnati.

Johnson became their top option when Tyler Huntley was placed in health and safety protocols. Lamar Jackson missed last week's game with a sprained ankle, and the Ravens announced this weekend that he would not travel with the team. 

The Ravens signed the 35-year-old Johnson before last week's game. He played three games for the Jets earlier this season.

— The Chiefs will be significantly strengthened for Sunday's game against the Steelers as star tight end Travis Kelce and wideout Tyreek Hill have been activated. The Chiefs also get back linebacker Nick Bolton and tackle Lucas Niang as they seek their eighth straight win.

— Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has cleared the NFL's COVID-19 testing protocol and will be on the sideline for Sunday's game against the New York Giants. The Eagles are hoping to secure a playoff spot with a strong finish to the season. They have won two in a row and four of five overall. 

— The Rams have placed veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth on the team's reserve/COVID-19 list. The four-time Pro Bowler has appeared in 13 of the Rams' 14 games this season. 

— The Chargers will be missing top receiver Mike Williams and No. 1 running back Austin Ekeler for Sunday's game at Houston due to COVID-19. It is the second time in league protocols this season for Williams, who is unvaccinated and will also miss the Jan. 2 game against the Broncos. Ekeler said on Instagram he has tested positive.

— Jets head coach Robert Saleh was ruled out for the game against the Jaguars on because he didn't clear COVID-19 protocols Saturday. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton will assume the head coaching duties.

UNDATED (AP) — The Golden State Warriors now own the NBA's best record after topping the No. 2 Phoenix Suns.

Steph Curry had 33 points and Otto Porter Jr. scored seven of his 19 during a key late stretch that sent the Warriors past the Suns, 116-107. Porter sank a step-back 3 and a pair of jumpers in a span of 1:02 to put Golden State in control.

Curry was 5 of 16 from beyond the arc as the Warriors ended Phoenix's 15-game home winning streak.

Chris Paul had 21 points and eight assists for the Suns, who are a half-game behind Golden State.

In the NBA's other completed Christmas Day action:

— James Harden had a triple-double in his return to the court and Nic Claxton furnished the go-ahead bucket in the final minute of the Nets' 122-115 win over the Lakers. Harden had 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Brooklyn, which wasted a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. Claxton threw down a tiebreaking alley-oop over LeBron James with 40.7 seconds left. Patty Mills added 34 points for the Nets, who had their past three games postponed because they did not have enough players to compete. 

— Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and the Jazz beat the COVID-19-depleted Mavericks, 120-116. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points and Mike Conley had 22 to lift the Utah to the 13th win in its last 15 games. Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Kristaps Porzingis returned after two games out with a sore toe to tally 27 points for Dallas. The Mavs led 94-92 in the fourth quarter before the Jazz went on a 10-0 run.

— The Bucks were winners in the return of their two-time MVP, storming back from 19 points down for a 117-113 decision over the Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 36 points in his first action since missing five games due to NBA health and safety protocols. He played 30 minutes, shot 13 of 23 from the field and 10 of 15 from the line. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 25 for the Celtics, but Boston wasted a 102-90 lead over the final 10:15.

— Kemba Walker and Julius Randle carried the Knicks to their first Christmas Day win in a decade, a 101-87 decision over the COVID-depleted Hawks. Walker delivered 10 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, making him the seventh player with a triple-double on Christmas. Randle had 25 points and 12 rebounds to help New York end Atlanta's six-game road winning streak. John Collins and Delon Wright each scored 20 for the Hawks, who were playing without All-Star Trae Young among nine players in NBA health and safety protocols.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out up to a month.

The team says he will rest and be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, when next steps will be decided.

George was injured at Portland on Dec. 6 and missed five straight games with what the team said was a sprained right elbow. He returned to play against San Antonio and Sacramento this week.

UCL tears are more common in baseball, where they often lead to Tommy John surgery.

George leads the Clippers in scoring with a career-high 24.7 points, 5.5 assists and two steals per game.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been rewarded for his role in the team's turnaround with a multiyear contract extension. Terms of the deal were not released, but ESPN reports the deal runs through the 2026-27 season. 

The Cavs are 19-13 and fifth in the Eastern Conference after winning just 22 games last season. They recently won six straight games, but were hit with a COVID-19 outbreak and had to place eight players in health protocols.

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) — Darren Grainger accounted for 325 yards and four touchdowns in leading Georgia State to a 51-20 rout of Ball State in the Camellia Bowl.

Grainger passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and a fourth TD. He completed 15 of 19 passes and carried 11 times, including a play fake midway through the third quarter when he scampered 34 yards untouched into the end zone. 

The 8-5 Panthers won for the seventh time in eight games and dominated the lone bowl played on Christmas Day.

Tight end Aubrey Payne had two touchdown catches for Georgia State, along with career-highs of eight catches and 109 yards. 

Ball State finished 6-7 and couldn't summon up many big plays after Drew Plitt's 56-yard touchdown bomb to Jayshon Jackson for an early lead.

Cardinal outbreak leads to cancellation of title game

HONOLULU (AP) — The Diamond Head Classic championship game between Stanford and Vanderbilt was canceled Saturday because of COVID-19 issues in the Cardinal camp.

Stanford said on its website that team-related activities are on pause and "the status of future games" will be determined. Its next scheduled game is Jan. 2 against Cal, then Jan. 6 against UCLA. The Bruins also have paused team activities because of COVID-19.

A day earlier, Hawaii pulled out of the tournament because of injuries and COVID-19 issues.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Steelers head to Kansas City on Sunday for an AFC showdown with plenty of playoff implications. Pittsburgh is trying to stay alive in the crowded AFC North where eight-win Cincinnati and Baltimore head into the weekend with a slight edge in the division race. The Chiefs are trying to win a sixth straight AFC West title while holding onto the No. 1 seed and lone first-round playoff bye. Much could depend on whether the teams get players back from COVID-19 protocols. Pittsburgh was down linebacker Devin Bush among others, while the Chiefs could be without such stars as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-SCHEDULEPackers, Colts winUNDATED (AP) — The Green Bay Packers moved a step closer to clinching home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs while their quarterback set a major team record.Aaron Rodgers became the Packers' all-time leader in touchdown passes by throwing for three more in a 24-22 victory over the Browns. Rodgers passed Brett Favre with his first TD of the day before ending up with 445.Rodgers was 24 of 34 for 202 yards and no interceptions as the Packers improved to 12-3. Baker Mayfield had two touchdown passes but was sacked five times picked off a career-high four times in his first game since coming off the NFL's injured/COVID list. Each of the Packers' TDs came off Mayfield interceptions.The Browns fell to 7-8 and will remain in last place in the AFC North.The Cardinals continued their swoon with a 22-16 loss to the Colts. Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and Jonathan Taylor ran for 108 yards to guide the 9-6 Colts to their third win in a row. Wentz made the game's biggest play midway through the fourth quarter, when he bounced around in the pocket for a few seconds before hitting Dezmon Patmon for a 14-yard touchdown.The 10-5 Cardinals failed to clinch a playoff spot for a third straight week and are 3-5 since starting the season 7-0. Kyler Murray threw for 245 yards and a touchdown while also running for 74 yards.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFLRavens down to No. 3 QBUNDATED (AP) — Josh Johnson will be the Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Sunday at Cincinnati.Johnson became their top option when Tyler Huntley was placed in health and safety protocols. Lamar Jackson missed last week's game with a sprained ankle, and the Ravens announced this weekend that he would not travel with the team. The Ravens signed the 35-year-old Johnson before last week's game. He played three games for the Jets earlier this season.Elsewhere in the NFL:— The Chiefs will be significantly strengthened for Sunday's game against the Steelers as star tight end Travis Kelce and wideout Tyreek Hill have been activated. The Chiefs also get back linebacker Nick Bolton and tackle Lucas Niang as they seek their eighth straight win.— Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has cleared the NFL's COVID-19 testing protocol and will be on the sideline for Sunday's game against the New York Giants. The Eagles are hoping to secure a playoff spot with a strong finish to the season. They have won two in a row and four of five overall. — The Rams have placed veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth on the team's reserve/COVID-19 list. The four-time Pro Bowler has appeared in 13 of the Rams' 14 games this season. — The Chargers will be missing top receiver Mike Williams and No. 1 running back Austin Ekeler for Sunday's game at Houston due to COVID-19. It is the second time in league protocols this season for Williams, who is unvaccinated and will also miss the Jan. 2 game against the Broncos. Ekeler said on Instagram he has tested positive.— Jets head coach Robert Saleh was ruled out for the game against the Jaguars on because he didn't clear COVID-19 protocols Saturday. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton will assume the head coaching duties.NBA-SCHEDULEWarriors top SunsUNDATED (AP) — The Golden State Warriors now own the NBA's best record after topping the No. 2 Phoenix Suns.Steph Curry had 33 points and Otto Porter Jr. scored seven of his 19 during a key late stretch that sent the Warriors past the Suns, 116-107. Porter sank a step-back 3 and a pair of jumpers in a span of 1:02 to put Golden State in control.Curry was 5 of 16 from beyond the arc as the Warriors ended Phoenix's 15-game home winning streak.Chris Paul had 21 points and eight assists for the Suns, who are a half-game behind Golden State.In the NBA's other completed Christmas Day action:— James Harden had a triple-double in his return to the court and Nic Claxton furnished the go-ahead bucket in the final minute of the Nets' 122-115 win over the Lakers. Harden had 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Brooklyn, which wasted a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. Claxton threw down a tiebreaking alley-oop over LeBron James with 40.7 seconds left. Patty Mills added 34 points for the Nets, who had their past three games postponed because they did not have enough players to compete. — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and the Jazz beat the COVID-19-depleted Mavericks, 120-116. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points and Mike Conley had 22 to lift the Utah to the 13th win in its last 15 games. Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and Kristaps Porzingis returned after two games out with a sore toe to tally 27 points for Dallas. The Mavs led 94-92 in the fourth quarter before the Jazz went on a 10-0 run.— The Bucks were winners in the return of their two-time MVP, storming back from 19 points down for a 117-113 decision over the Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 36 points in his first action since missing five games due to NBA health and safety protocols. He played 30 minutes, shot 13 of 23 from the field and 10 of 15 from the line. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 25 for the Celtics, but Boston wasted a 102-90 lead over the final 10:15.— Kemba Walker and Julius Randle carried the Knicks to their first Christmas Day win in a decade, a 101-87 decision over the COVID-depleted Hawks. Walker delivered 10 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, making him the seventh player with a triple-double on Christmas. Randle had 25 points and 12 rebounds to help New York end Atlanta's six-game road winning streak. John Collins and Delon Wright each scored 20 for the Hawks, who were playing without All-Star Trae Young among nine players in NBA health and safety protocols.NBA-CLIPPERS-GEORGEClippers shelve GeorgeLOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out up to a month.The team says he will rest and be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, when next steps will be decided.George was injured at Portland on Dec. 6 and missed five straight games with what the team said was a sprained right elbow. He returned to play against San Antonio and Sacramento this week.UCL tears are more common in baseball, where they often lead to Tommy John surgery.George leads the Clippers in scoring with a career-high 24.7 points, 5.5 assists and two steals per game.NBA-CAVALIERS-BICKERSTAFFCavs extend BickerstaffCLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been rewarded for his role in the team's turnaround with a multiyear contract extension. Terms of the deal were not released, but ESPN reports the deal runs through the 2026-27 season. The Cavs are 19-13 and fifth in the Eastern Conference after winning just 22 games last season. They recently won six straight games, but were hit with a COVID-19 outbreak and had to place eight players in health protocols.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CAMELLIA BOWLMONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) — Darren Grainger accounted for 325 yards and four touchdowns in leading Georgia State to a 51-20 rout of Ball State in the Camellia Bowl.Grainger passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 122 yards and a fourth TD. He completed 15 of 19 passes and carried 11 times, including a play fake midway through the third quarter when he scampered 34 yards untouched into the end zone. The 8-5 Panthers won for the seventh time in eight games and dominated the lone bowl played on Christmas Day.Tight end Aubrey Payne had two touchdown catches for Georgia State, along with career-highs of eight catches and 109 yards. Ball State finished 6-7 and couldn't summon up many big plays after Drew Plitt's 56-yard touchdown bomb to Jayshon Jackson for an early lead.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-STANFORD-COVIDCardinal outbreak leads to cancellation of title gameHONOLULU (AP) — The Diamond Head Classic championship game between Stanford and Vanderbilt was canceled Saturday because of COVID-19 issues in the Cardinal camp.Stanford said on its website that team-related activities are on pause and "the status of future games" will be determined. Its next scheduled game is Jan. 2 against Cal, then Jan. 6 against UCLA. The Bruins also have paused team activities because of COVID-19.A day earlier, Hawaii pulled out of the tournament because of injuries and COVID-19 issues.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Sunday

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers became the Green Bay Packers' all-time leader in touchdown passes by throwing for three more in a 24-22 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers was 24 of 34 for 202 yards and no interceptions as the Packers improved to 12-3. Baker Mayfield had two touchdown passes but was picked off four times in his first game since coming off the NFL's injured/COVID list.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals continued their swoon with a 22-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and Jonathan Taylor ran for 108 yards to guide the 9-6 Colts to their third win in a row. The 10-5 Cardinals failed to clinch a playoff spot for a third straight week and are 3-5 since starting the season 7-0. 

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Golden State Warriors now own the NBA's best record after topping the No. 2 Phoenix Suns. Steph Curry had 33 points, Otto Porter Jr. scored seven of his 19 during a key late stretch that sent the Warriors past the Suns, 116-107. Porter sank a step-back 3 and a pair of jumpers in a span of 1:02 to put Golden State in control.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden had a triple-double in his return to the court and Nic Claxton furnished the go-ahead bucket in the final minute of the Nets' 122-115 win over the Lakers. Harden had 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Brooklyn, which wasted a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. Claxton threw down a tiebreaking alley-oop over LeBron James with 40.7 seconds left. 

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks were winners in the return of their two-time MVP, storming back from 19 points down for a 117-113 decision over the Boston Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 36 points in his first action since missing five games due to NBA health and safety protocols. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 25 for the Celtics, but Boston wasted a 102-90 lead over the final 10:15.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers became the Green Bay Packers' all-time leader in touchdown passes by throwing for three more in a 24-22 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Rodgers was 24 of 34 for 202 yards and no interceptions as the Packers improved to 12-3. Baker Mayfield had two touchdown passes but was picked off four times in his first game since coming off the NFL's injured/COVID list.GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals continued their swoon with a 22-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and Jonathan Taylor ran for 108 yards to guide the 9-6 Colts to their third win in a row. The 10-5 Cardinals failed to clinch a playoff spot for a third straight week and are 3-5 since starting the season 7-0. GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Golden State Warriors now own the NBA's best record after topping the No. 2 Phoenix Suns. Steph Curry had 33 points, Otto Porter Jr. scored seven of his 19 during a key late stretch that sent the Warriors past the Suns, 116-107. Porter sank a step-back 3 and a pair of jumpers in a span of 1:02 to put Golden State in control.LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden had a triple-double in his return to the court and Nic Claxton furnished the go-ahead bucket in the final minute of the Nets' 122-115 win over the Lakers. Harden had 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Brooklyn, which wasted a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. Claxton threw down a tiebreaking alley-oop over LeBron James with 40.7 seconds left. MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks were winners in the return of their two-time MVP, storming back from 19 points down for a 117-113 decision over the Boston Celtics. Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 36 points in his first action since missing five games due to NBA health and safety protocols. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 25 for the Celtics, but Boston wasted a 102-90 lead over the final 10:15.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Packers, Colts win...Warriors top Suns...Nets beat Lakers

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=8nem6-116218c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=auto&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was brutally honest about his decision to trade disgruntled defensive end Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs, saying "we prefer volunteers as opposed to hostages" in the Pittsburgh locker room. Well, perhaps Tomlin should have weighed Kansas City's circumstances at least a little bit. Ingram's trade last month for a sixth-round draft pick resulted in an about-face for the Chiefs defense, which now faces the Steelers on Sunday in an important game in the playoff race. Kansas City is leading the AFC at 10-4 while the Steelers are 7-6-1 and trying to stay alive in the AFC North.

UNDATED (AP) — Both Saints veteran quarterbacks, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian, Minnesota star running back Dalvin Cook and Cleveland center JC Tretter, the NFL Players Association president, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. But Washington is getting back quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Hill and Siemian were among nine players for New Orleans placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The others include such key players as safety Malcolm Jenkins and tackle Jordan Mills, who is expected to start Monday night against Miami. Tretter posted on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms and chose to be tested at the team's facility in Berea, Ohio.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are on the verge of claiming their second straight AFC South title. 

The Titans are 10-5 after Randy Bullock hit a 44-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the Titans' 20-17 comeback win over the 49ers. Ryan Tannehill threw for just 40 yards in the first half but finished with 209 yards and a TD for Tennessee. A.J. Brown caught 11 passes for 145 yards hours after being activated off injured reserve, and his 18-yard TD catch gave Tennessee a 17-10 lead early in the fourth. 

The Titans are a win or a Colts' loss away from clinching their division.

San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo tied it with a 2-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk with 2:20 left.

The Niners led 10-0 before falling to 8-7 with their second loss in seven games.

UNDATED (AP) — Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, the NFL Players Association president who has been pushing for daily COVID-19 testing all season, has tested positive for the virus. Tretter posted on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms and chose to be tested at the team's facility in Berea, Ohio. 

The Browns have been hit hard by a spate of positive tests in the past week and were missing 22 players, including Baker Mayfield as well as coach Kevin Stefanski, for Monday night's rescheduled game against Las Vegas. Stefanski returned to the team Wednesday while Mayfield hasn't produced a negative test to clear protocols. 

— Saints veteran quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian have tested positive for COVID-19. That leaves rookie Ian Book as the only QB on the roster, and he's been inactive for the first 14 games.

— Minnesota star running back Dalvin Cook has also tested positive for COVID-19. Cook has been following protocols for unvaccinated players. He already has his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season and is the only player in the NFL with 1,200-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the last three years. 

— Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke was activated off the COVID-19 list and was back at practice running the offense yesterday. Heinicke is expected to start Sunday night at the Dallas Cowboys after missing the game at Philadelphia while in virus protocol along with backup Kyle Allen.

— Running back Cam Akers has returned to practice with the Los Angeles Rams. The move means he is taking one of the final steps in his rapid comeback from a torn Achilles tendon. The Rams also designated Akers for return from injured reserve. That means he is in a 21-day window for reactivation to the roster. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are now 3-2 since Giannis Antetokounmpo was placed in the NBA's COVID-19 protocols.

The Bucks had three players score over 20 points in a 102-95 victory at Dallas. Khris Middleton provided 26 points, Jrue Holiday had 24 and DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds. Middleton was 8 of 14 from the field, made all eight free throws and had seven assists in his second game back for Milwaukee after missing three with a left knee injury.

The Mavericks also were without their top player as Luka Doncic remains in protocols. Jalen Brunson scored 19 points starting in place of Doncic.

Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:

— Devin Booker poured in 30 points and Cam Johnson added 21 while nailing all five of his 3-point attempts in the Suns' fifth consecutive win, 113-101 against the Thunder. Booker splashed home a long 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer, part of a 25-9 run that allowed Phoenix to take control. Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Paul added 16 points and seven assists for the NBA's top team.

— The Warriors pulled out a 113-104 win over the Grizzlies as Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight 3-pointers. Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and finished with 22 points. Ja Morant had 21 points for Memphis, which had won its previous six road games.

— Donovan Mitchell dropped in 28 points and the Jazz claimed their 10th win in 12 games by outscoring the Timberwolves, 128-116. Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points and Mike Conley scored 17 points for Utah. Minnesota's Malik Beasley scored a season-high 33 points and D'Angelo Russell had 19 and matched a career high with 14 assists.

— Tyler Herro scored 29 points and Max Strus finished with 26 as the Heat topped the short-handed Pistons, 115-112. The game was tied at 112 until Strus hit his fifth 3-pointer of the game, putting Miami ahead with 40 seconds left. Kyle Lowry finished with 21 points and Gabe Vincent had 15 points for the Heat.

— Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points in the Spurs' 138-110 pounding of the Lakers. Derrick White had 23 points and Lonnie Walker added 21 in the third victory in four games for the Spurs, who hit 18 3-pointers. LeBron James had 36 points and nine rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points in the Lakers' fourth consecutive loss.

— P.J. Washington hit three big 3-pointers down the stretch while the Hornets were turning a 19-point deficit into a 115-107 win over the Nuggets. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter of the comeback. The comeback overshadowed a big night from reigning NVP Nikola Jokic, who had 29 points and 21 rebounds.

— Bogdan Bogdanovic hit several clutch shots down the stretch and finished with 15 points as the Hawks tripped the 76ers, 98-96. Bogdanovic missed his first 10 shots before getting hot in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight to put Atlanta ahead by six with 1:25 remaining. Cam Reddish scored 18 points and John Collins had 17 for the Hawks, who played without seven players because of health and safety protocols and lost two more during the game to injury.

— The Knicks wasted Kemba Walker's 44-point performance in a 124-117 loss to the Wizards. Spencer Dinwiddie had 21 points and 12 assists for Washington, which played hours after All-Star guard Bradley Beal was placed in the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Rookie Corey Kispert filled in with a career-high 20 points in his first start.

— Myles Turner and Caris LeVert each had double-doubles in the Pacers' 118-106 win over the Rockets. Turner made 14 of 18 shots as the Pacers hit 52.8% from the field. He finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while LeVert contributed 24 points and 11 assists.

— The Pelicans have a four-game winning streak after Brandon Ingram delivered 31 points and Josh Hart hit a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half of a 110-104 victory at Orlando. Hart scored 22 points and Devonte Graham added five 3-pointers to finish with 20 points. Cole Anthony returned after missing three games with a sprained ankle to score 22 points for Orlando.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have enough players to fly to Los Angeles and play their Christmas showdown against the Lakers, though Kevin Durant might not be among them. 

Coach Steve Nash says James Harden has cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols but the Nets don't expect any of their players still in the protocols to come out in time for Saturday's game. That would include Durant, the NBA's leading scorer. The Nets have had their last three scheduled games postponed when a coronavirus outbreak left them with 10 players in protocols. 

Meanwhile, a person with direct knowledge of the matter says the NBA and players union are discussing whether to change the current protocols about returning to play after a positive test. That's typically taken 10 days or more in most cases.

— The Chicago Bulls have used the NBA's COVID-19-related hardship allowance to sign forward Ersan Ilyasova and guard Mac McClung to 10-day contracts. The Bulls had two games postponed this month because of a COVID-19 outbreak with the team. The 6-foot-9 Ilyasova appeared in 17 games with Utah last season, averaging 3.8 points. McClung, who turns 23 on Jan. 6, is looking for his NBA debut.

— The NBA's Board of Governors has approved a plan where teams may now add sponsorship patches to their shooting shirts and warmup jackets. It's similar to the jersey patch program, which has been in place since 2017. Teams are now permitted to add a patch — a 3-inch square — on either the right sleeve or left chest of the shirts and jackets. The patch may depict a marketing partner or team initiative

UNDATED (AP) — Brett Gabbert completed 22 of 31 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, Kenny Tracy scored on an 8-yard run and Graham Nicholson kicked two field goals as Miami of Ohio beat North Texas 27-14 in the first Frisco Football Classic. The brother of former NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Kenny Davis late in the second quarter and an 11-yarder to Nate Muersch early in the third quarter for Miami, which won a bowl game for the first time since the 2010 season. Tracy's touchdown run came late in the first quarter.

— Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O'Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. UCF took a 26-17 lead late in the third when Daniel Obarski made a 21-yard field goal and Mikey Keene threw a 54-yard scoring strike to O'Keefe in the span of about two minutes.

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday on the eve of the game after Hawaii withdrew because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers.

Hawaii athletic department spokesperson Derek Inouchi said about 30 players and staff recently tested positive for COVID-19. Cases have been surging in Honolulu for the past two weeks. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference and Big East Conference have updated their policies for basketball game postponements, cancellations and rescheduling. These updates give more leniency to teams that are unable to play because of spiking COVID-19 cases. 

The policies for both conferences establish that men's and women's teams will be required to play if seven scholarship athletes and one countable coaching staff member are available. The SEC gives teams the option to play with fewer players or coaches if they choose. If a team can't play, the game will be rescheduled or declared a no contest. 

— Rutgers will replace Texas A&amp;M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after the NCAA's football oversight committee decided to adhere to existing policy. Texas A&amp;M pulled out of the Jacksonville, Florida, game scheduled for Dec. 31 on Wednesday because of a lack of available players. The Aggies were having issues with COVID-19, plus they already had been depleted by injuries, opt-outs and players transferring. NCAA rules allow teams with 5-7 records, such as Rutgers, to be bowl eligible if there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the spots. The 5-7 teams with the highest Academic Progress Rate scores have first crack at open slots, and Rutgers was atop that list.

Andy Murray gets wild-card entry in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray has received a wild-card entry for the tournament's main draw. 

Murray last played at Melbourne Park in 2019 when he made a teary retirement announcement before undergoing a second hip surgery to extend his career. The former top-ranked Murray also had accepted a wild-card entry last year but didn't go after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before he was due to board a charter flight to Melbourne. 

Deal craters for USADA to oversee horse racing anti-doping

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A deal for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to police drugs in horse racing cratered after months of negotiations that the agency's CEO said did not give it "a reasonable chance to put in place a credible and effective program." 

USADA was set to become the regulator for anti-doping and medication control for thoroughbred racing under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which is set to go into effect next July. But in a surprising announcement, CEO Travis Tygart said the deal stalled. 

The lack of uniform rules across the nation came into focus after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance after the Kentucky Derby. Earlier this month, Medina Spirit collapsed and died after a workout at Santa Anita.

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian soccer great Pelé has been released from a Sao Paulo hospital but will continue being treated for a colon tumor. 

The 81-year-old Pelé was hospitalized at the start of December for sessions of chemotherapy. He was also previously hospitalized for almost a month after having surgery to remove the tumor.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was brutally honest about his decision to trade disgruntled defensive end Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs, saying "we prefer volunteers as opposed to hostages" in the Pittsburgh locker room. Well, perhaps Tomlin should have weighed Kansas City's circumstances at least a little bit. Ingram's trade last month for a sixth-round draft pick resulted in an about-face for the Chiefs defense, which now faces the Steelers on Sunday in an important game in the playoff race. Kansas City is leading the AFC at 10-4 while the Steelers are 7-6-1 and trying to stay alive in the AFC North.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Steelers head to Kansas City on Sunday for an AFC showdown with plenty of playoff implications. Pittsburgh is trying to stay alive in the crowded AFC North where eight-win Cincinnati and Baltimore head into the weekend with a slight edge in the division race. The Chiefs are trying to win a sixth straight AFC West title while holding onto the No. 1 seed and lone first-round playoff bye. Much could depend on whether the teams get players back from COVID-19 protocols. Pittsburgh was down linebacker Devin Bush among others, while the Chiefs could be without such stars as Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.UNDATED (AP) — Both Saints veteran quarterbacks, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian, Minnesota star running back Dalvin Cook and Cleveland center JC Tretter, the NFL Players Association president, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. But Washington is getting back quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Hill and Siemian were among nine players for New Orleans placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The others include such key players as safety Malcolm Jenkins and tackle Jordan Mills, who is expected to start Monday night against Miami. Tretter posted on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms and chose to be tested at the team's facility in Berea, Ohio.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-TITANS/49ersTitans beat Niners with late kickNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are on the verge of claiming their second straight AFC South title. The Titans are 10-5 after Randy Bullock hit a 44-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the Titans' 20-17 comeback win over the 49ers. Ryan Tannehill threw for just 40 yards in the first half but finished with 209 yards and a TD for Tennessee. A.J. Brown caught 11 passes for 145 yards hours after being activated off injured reserve, and his 18-yard TD catch gave Tennessee a 17-10 lead early in the fourth. The Titans are a win or a Colts' loss away from clinching their division.San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo tied it with a 2-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk with 2:20 left.The Niners led 10-0 before falling to 8-7 with their second loss in seven games.NFL-NEWSBrowns' Tretter tests positiveUNDATED (AP) — Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, the NFL Players Association president who has been pushing for daily COVID-19 testing all season, has tested positive for the virus. Tretter posted on Twitter that he was experiencing symptoms and chose to be tested at the team's facility in Berea, Ohio. The Browns have been hit hard by a spate of positive tests in the past week and were missing 22 players, including Baker Mayfield as well as coach Kevin Stefanski, for Monday night's rescheduled game against Las Vegas. Stefanski returned to the team Wednesday while Mayfield hasn't produced a negative test to clear protocols. In other NFL news:— Saints veteran quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian have tested positive for COVID-19. That leaves rookie Ian Book as the only QB on the roster, and he's been inactive for the first 14 games.— Minnesota star running back Dalvin Cook has also tested positive for COVID-19. Cook has been following protocols for unvaccinated players. He already has his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season and is the only player in the NFL with 1,200-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the last three years. — Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke was activated off the COVID-19 list and was back at practice running the offense yesterday. Heinicke is expected to start Sunday night at the Dallas Cowboys after missing the game at Philadelphia while in virus protocol along with backup Kyle Allen.— Running back Cam Akers has returned to practice with the Los Angeles Rams. The move means he is taking one of the final steps in his rapid comeback from a torn Achilles tendon. The Rams also designated Akers for return from injured reserve. That means he is in a 21-day window for reactivation to the roster. NBA-SCHEDULEBucks top MavsUNDATED (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are now 3-2 since Giannis Antetokounmpo was placed in the NBA's COVID-19 protocols.The Bucks had three players score over 20 points in a 102-95 victory at Dallas. Khris Middleton provided 26 points, Jrue Holiday had 24 and DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds. Middleton was 8 of 14 from the field, made all eight free throws and had seven assists in his second game back for Milwaukee after missing three with a left knee injury.The Mavericks also were without their top player as Luka Doncic remains in protocols. Jalen Brunson scored 19 points starting in place of Doncic.Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:— Devin Booker poured in 30 points and Cam Johnson added 21 while nailing all five of his 3-point attempts in the Suns' fifth consecutive win, 113-101 against the Thunder. Booker splashed home a long 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer, part of a 25-9 run that allowed Phoenix to take control. Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Chris Paul added 16 points and seven assists for the NBA's top team.— The Warriors pulled out a 113-104 win over the Grizzlies as Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight 3-pointers. Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and finished with 22 points. Ja Morant had 21 points for Memphis, which had won its previous six road games.— Donovan Mitchell dropped in 28 points and the Jazz claimed their 10th win in 12 games by outscoring the Timberwolves, 128-116. Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 17 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18 points and Mike Conley scored 17 points for Utah. Minnesota's Malik Beasley scored a season-high 33 points and D'Angelo Russell had 19 and matched a career high with 14 assists.— Tyler Herro scored 29 points and Max Strus finished with 26 as the Heat topped the short-handed Pistons, 115-112. The game was tied at 112 until Strus hit his fifth 3-pointer of the game, putting Miami ahead with 40 seconds left. Kyle Lowry finished with 21 points and Gabe Vincent had 15 points for the Heat.— Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points in the Spurs' 138-110 pounding of the Lakers. Derrick White had 23 points and Lonnie Walker added 21 in the third victory in four games for the Spurs, who hit 18 3-pointers. LeBron James had 36 points and nine rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points in the Lakers' fourth consecutive loss.— P.J. Washington hit three big 3-pointers down the stretch while the Hornets were turning a 19-point deficit into a 115-107 win over the Nuggets. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter of the comeback. The comeback overshadowed a big night from reigning NVP Nikola Jokic, who had 29 points and 21 rebounds.— Bogdan Bogdanovic hit several clutch shots down the stretch and finished with 15 points as the Hawks tripped the 76ers, 98-96. Bogdanovic missed his first 10 shots before getting hot in the fourth quarter, hitting three straight to put Atlanta ahead by six with 1:25 remaining. Cam Reddish scored 18 points and John Collins had 17 for the Hawks, who played without seven players because of health and safety protocols and lost two more during the game to injury.— The Knicks wasted Kemba Walker's 44-point performance in a 124-117 loss to the Wizards. Spencer Dinwiddie had 21 points and 12 assists for Washington, which played hours after All-Star guard Bradley Beal was placed in the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Rookie Corey Kispert filled in with a career-high 20 points in his first start.— Myles Turner and Caris LeVert each had double-doubles in the Pacers' 118-106 win over the Rockets. Turner made 14 of 18 shots as the Pacers hit 52.8% from the field. He finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while LeVert contributed 24 points and 11 assists.— The Pelicans have a four-game winning streak after Brandon Ingram delivered 31 points and Josh Hart hit a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half of a 110-104 victory at Orlando. Hart scored 22 points and Devonte Graham added five 3-pointers to finish with 20 points. Cole Anthony returned after missing three games with a sprained ankle to score 22 points for Orlando.NBA NEWSNets will be able to play on ChristmasNEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have enough players to fly to Los Angeles and play their Christmas showdown against the Lakers, though Kevin Durant might not be among them. Coach Steve Nash says James Harden has cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols but the Nets don't expect any of their players still in the protocols to come out in time for Saturday's game. That would include Durant, the NBA's leading scorer. The Nets have had their last three scheduled games postponed when a coronavirus outbreak left them with 10 players in protocols. Meanwhile, a person with direct knowledge of the matter says the NBA and players union are discussing whether to change the current protocols about returning to play after a positive test. That's typically taken 10 days or more in most cases.In other NBA news:— The Chicago Bulls have used the NBA's COVID-19-related hardship allowance to sign forward Ersan Ilyasova and guard Mac McClung to 10-day contracts. The Bulls had two games postponed this month because of a COVID-19 outbreak with the team. The 6-foot-9 Ilyasova appeared in 17 games with Utah last season, averaging 3.8 points. McClung, who turns 23 on Jan. 6, is looking for his NBA debut.— The NBA's Board of Governors has approved a plan where teams may now add sponsorship patches to their shooting shirts and warmup jackets. It's similar to the jersey patch program, which has been in place since 2017. Teams are now permitted to add a patch — a 3-inch square — on either the right sleeve or left chest of the shirts and jackets. The patch may depict a marketing partner or team initiativeCOLLEGE FOOTBALL-FRISCO FOOTBALL CLASSICMiami-Ohio gets bowl win UNDATED (AP) — Brett Gabbert completed 22 of 31 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, Kenny Tracy scored on an 8-yard run and Graham Nicholson kicked two field goals as Miami of Ohio beat North Texas 27-14 in the first Frisco Football Classic. The brother of former NFL quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Kenny Davis late in the second quarter and an 11-yarder to Nate Muersch early in the third quarter for Miami, which won a bowl game for the first time since the 2010 season. Tracy's touchdown run came late in the first quarter.In Thursday's other bowl action:— Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O'Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. UCF took a 26-17 lead late in the third when Daniel Obarski made a 21-yard field goal and Mikey Keene threw a 54-yard scoring strike to O'Keefe in the span of about two minutes.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-HAWAII BOWL Hawaii Bowl scrappedHONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday on the eve of the game after Hawaii withdrew because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers.Hawaii athletic department spokesperson Derek Inouchi said about 30 players and staff recently tested positive for COVID-19. Cases have been surging in Honolulu for the past two weeks. COLLEGE SPORTS-NEWSSEC, Big East alter policiesUNDATED (AP) — The Southeastern Conference and Big East Conference have updated their policies for basketball game postponements, cancellations and rescheduling. These updates give more leniency to teams that are unable to play because of spiking COVID-19 cases. The policies for both conferences establish that men's and women's teams will be required to play if seven scholarship athletes and one countable coaching staff member are available. The SEC gives teams the option to play with fewer players or coaches if they choose. If a team can't play, the game will be rescheduled or declared a no contest. Elsewhere around college sports:— Rutgers will replace Texas A&amp;M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after the NCAA's football oversight committee decided to adhere to existing policy. Texas A&amp;M pulled out of the Jacksonville, Florida, game scheduled for Dec. 31 on Wednesday because of a lack of available players. The Aggies were having issues with COVID-19, plus they already had been depleted by injuries, opt-outs and players transferring. NCAA rules allow teams with 5-7 records, such as Rutgers, to be bowl eligible if there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the spots. The 5-7 teams with the highest Academic Progress Rate scores have first crack at open slots, and Rutgers was atop that list.TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN-MURRAYAndy Murray gets wild-card entry in MelbourneMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray has received a wild-card entry for the tournament's main draw. Murray last played at Melbourne Park in 2019 when he made a teary retirement announcement before undergoing a second hip surgery to extend his career. The former top-ranked Murray also had accepted a wild-card entry last year but didn't go after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before he was due to board a charter flight to Melbourne. The Australian Open begins Jan. 17.HORSE RACING-ANTI-DOPINGDeal craters for USADA to oversee horse racing anti-dopingCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A deal for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to police drugs in horse racing cratered after months of negotiations that the agency's CEO said did not give it "a reasonable chance to put in place a credible and effective program." USADA was set to become the regulator for anti-doping and medication control for thoroughbred racing under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which is set to go into effect next July. But in a surprising announcement, CEO Travis Tygart said the deal stalled. The lack of uniform rules across the nation came into focus after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance after the Kentucky Derby. Earlier this month, Medina Spirit collapsed and died after a workout at Santa Anita.SOCCER-PELEPele out of hospitalSAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian soccer great Pelé has been released from a Sao Paulo hospital but will continue being treated for a colon tumor. The 81-year-old Pelé was hospitalized at the start of December for sessions of chemotherapy. He was also previously hospitalized for almost a month after having surgery to remove the tumor.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer

Rutgers will replace Texas A&amp;M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after an NCAA committee decided to adhere to an existing policy for making teams with 5-7 records bowl eligible. Texas A&amp;M pulled out of the game in Jacksonville, Florida, scheduled for New Year's Eve because of a lack of available players. The Aggies were having issues with COVID-19, plus injuries, opt-outs and player transfers. NCAA rules allow teams with 5-7 records to be bowl eligible if there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the spots. The 5-7 teams with the highest Academic Progress Rate scores have first crack at open slots, and Rutgers was atop that list. The Scarlet Knights now have less than a week to get ready to play one of the highest-scoring teams in the country.

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football WriterRutgers will replace Texas A&amp;M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest after an NCAA committee decided to adhere to an existing policy for making teams with 5-7 records bowl eligible. Texas A&amp;M pulled out of the game in Jacksonville, Florida, scheduled for New Year's Eve because of a lack of available players. The Aggies were having issues with COVID-19, plus injuries, opt-outs and player transfers. NCAA rules allow teams with 5-7 records to be bowl eligible if there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the spots. The 5-7 teams with the highest Academic Progress Rate scores have first crack at open slots, and Rutgers was atop that list. The Scarlet Knights now have less than a week to get ready to play one of the highest-scoring teams in the country.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Rutgers to replace Texas A&M in Gator Bowl vs. Wake Forest

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday after Hawaii withdrew from its game against Memphis on the eve of the contest because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers. The game was scheduled for Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Hawaii finished the season 6-7, getting into the bowl because there were no available 6-6 teams. Memphis finished 6-6.

HONOLULU (AP) — The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday after Hawaii withdrew from its game against Memphis on the eve of the contest because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers. The game was scheduled for Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Hawaii finished the season 6-7, getting into the bowl because there were no available 6-6 teams. Memphis finished 6-6.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hawaii Bowl canceled on eve of game after Hawaii pulls out

EL DORADO —&nbsp;Butler Athletic Director Todd Carter announced Thursday morning that Brice Vignery, former offensive coordinator the past seven seasons, has been elevated to head coach making him the 24th head coach in program history.

"I am really excited about having Brice take over this program," commented Athletic Director Todd Carter. "He has been with this program since his playing days and know it inside and out having served in almost every role possible. He will now get the opportunity to lead this historic program moving forward."

Vignery played wide receiver at Butler in 2006-2008 under hall of fame coach Troy Morrell losing just one game over his two-year career finishing 23-1 and winning a National Championship. He went on to Kansas State University playing his final two seasons under another legendary coach in Bill Snyder. 

Knowing he wanted to get into coaching and knowing he wanted to learn from his former coach, Vignery returned to Butler as a volunteer coach in 2010. He lived on a couch and was an assistant wide receiver's coach during that season that saw the Grizzlies go 11-1. Vignery took a paying job at Kansas Wesleyan the next season but that wasn't for him as he returned to Butler in 2012 and has been with the Grizzlies ever since.

Starting out washing jerseys and checking out equipment, Vignery continued to grow and learn each day from the best coaches in the business in Troy Morrell, Steve Braet, Tim Schaffner and a handful of others. As the seasons went on, Vignery took on more and more duties as an assistant learning the ins and outs of the program both on and off the field. In 2014, when Troy Morrell stepped away from coaching giving the job to Tim Schaffner, Vignery was elevated to the offensive coordinator where he has been the last seven seasons.

He will now, after spending 13 total years in the program, get the opportunity to lead the Grizzlies from the driver's seat, a seat which he has prepared his entire career for.

"It feels kind of surreal," said Vignery, "but this is definitely one of the greatest days in my professional career. This is such a great community and storied program I very excited to get to work. I have prepared for this role my entire career and I am so happy that I get my first head coaching job at a place so near and dear to my heart."

Vignery will need to fill a few open spots on staff and hit the recruiting trail in preparation for the upcoming National Signing Day on Wednesday, February 2, 2022.

"I am excited to lead a very prestigious program and school. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I look forward to the challenge."

EL DORADO —&nbsp;Butler Athletic Director Todd Carter announced Thursday morning that Brice Vignery, former offensive coordinator the past seven seasons, has been elevated to head coach making him the 24th head coach in program history."I am really excited about having Brice take over this program," commented Athletic Director Todd Carter. "He has been with this program since his playing days and know it inside and out having served in almost every role possible. He will now get the opportunity to lead this historic program moving forward."Vignery played wide receiver at Butler in 2006-2008 under hall of fame coach Troy Morrell losing just one game over his two-year career finishing 23-1 and winning a National Championship. He went on to Kansas State University playing his final two seasons under another legendary coach in Bill Snyder. Knowing he wanted to get into coaching and knowing he wanted to learn from his former coach, Vignery returned to Butler as a volunteer coach in 2010. He lived on a couch and was an assistant wide receiver's coach during that season that saw the Grizzlies go 11-1. Vignery took a paying job at Kansas Wesleyan the next season but that wasn't for him as he returned to Butler in 2012 and has been with the Grizzlies ever since.Starting out washing jerseys and checking out equipment, Vignery continued to grow and learn each day from the best coaches in the business in Troy Morrell, Steve Braet, Tim Schaffner and a handful of others. As the seasons went on, Vignery took on more and more duties as an assistant learning the ins and outs of the program both on and off the field. In 2014, when Troy Morrell stepped away from coaching giving the job to Tim Schaffner, Vignery was elevated to the offensive coordinator where he has been the last seven seasons.He will now, after spending 13 total years in the program, get the opportunity to lead the Grizzlies from the driver's seat, a seat which he has prepared his entire career for."It feels kind of surreal," said Vignery, "but this is definitely one of the greatest days in my professional career. This is such a great community and storied program I very excited to get to work. I have prepared for this role my entire career and I am so happy that I get my first head coaching job at a place so near and dear to my heart."Vignery will need to fill a few open spots on staff and hit the recruiting trail in preparation for the upcoming National Signing Day on Wednesday, February 2, 2022."I am excited to lead a very prestigious program and school. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I look forward to the challenge."

Vignery named head football coach at Butler

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Cole Talley kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and Army rallied to beat Missouri 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl. After the Tigers took a 22-21 lead on a touchdown with 1:11 to play, third-string quarterback Jabari Laws led Army downfield to the Missouri 24-yard line, setting up Talley's game-winner. Army backup quarterback Tyhier Tyler came on after starter Christian Anderson was injured early in the fourth quarter and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Walters to give the Black Knights their first lead, 21-16. Anderson and JaKobi Buchanan scored on TD runs of 22 and 10 yards, respectively, for Army. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brady Cook threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Keke Chism with 71 seconds left to put the Tigers ahead.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided. Now, the question facing the Chiefs is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh. They did get some positive news with wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. testing negative and returning to practice, but there are still plenty of holes in the roster and the Chiefs are running out of time to get those players back.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kofi Cockburn scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double and Illinois breezed to an 88-63 victory over Missouri on Wednesday night in the 41st edition of the Braggin' Rights game. Alfonso Plummer pitched in with 22 points for Illinois (9-3). However, he saw his run of 35 straight made free throws — the second longest streak in Illini history — end on his third attempt against Missouri (6-6). Jarron Coleman led Missouri (6-6) with 16 points off the bench.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Keisei Tominaga scored 18 points and Alonzo Verge Jr. scored 16 with 12 assists and Nebraska beat Kennesaw State 88-74. Chris Youngblood's jump shot with 14:10 before halftime gave the Owls a 16-8 advantage before Tominaga buried a 3-pointer to start a 15-0 run and Nebraska gradually pulled away from there. Terrell Burden scored 27 points for Kennesaw State on 10-for-14 shooting and made all seven of his foul shots.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Izaiah Brockington had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Tristan Enaruna added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 9 Iowa State rolled to a 79-48 win over Chicago State. The Cyclones (12-0) came into the game limiting opponents to 56.8 points per game, 12th in the nation. They have now held nine teams to 60 or fewer points. Jahsean Corbett had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago State (4-8). The Cougars shot just 28 percent, including 2 for 20 from 3-point range. Iowa State, which shot 48 percent and owned a 41-31 rebounding edge, was never really challenged by Chicago State, building a 64-33 lead with less than 8 minutes to play.

MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — Matthias Tass poured in a career-high 27 points as Saint Mary's to breezed to a 75-58 victory over Missouri State. Tass hit 12 of 15 shots for the Gaels (11-3), who have won eight straight at home. Isiaih Mosley had 21 points for the Bears (8-5), who scored a season-low 22 second-half points and saw a four-game win streak end.&nbsp;

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Felix Lemetti had a career-high 22 points and Omaha snapped its 11-game losing streak, beating Western Illinois 84-78. Trenton Massner led the Leathernecks on Wednesday night with 26 points.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had 20 points as Wichita State romped past Prairie View 102-66. Morris Udeze had 16 points for Wichita State (9-3). Clarence Jackson added 15 points. Dexter Dennis had 14 points. It was the first time this season Wichita State scored at least 100 points. Jeremiah Gambrell Jr. scored a season-high 22 points for the Panthers (0-10), who have lost 10 games in a row to start the season. D'Rell Roberts and Jawaun Daniels added 10 points apiece.

UNDATED (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers' six-game winning streak is over.

Jaylen Brown poured in 34 points and Robert Williams III had a double-double as the Celtics beat the Cavaliers, 111-101. Williams delivered a career-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the Celtics cool off Cleveland.

Jayson Tatum added 18 points for Boston, which led by as many as 23. 

The Cavaliers were missing starters Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, each of whom is in the NBA's health and safety protocols. Darius Garland led Cleveland with 28 points, Kevin Love had 18 and Cedi Osman 13.

— Jrue Holiday scored 24 points, Khris Middleton added 23 in his return from injury and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Houston Rockets 126-106 on Wednesday night to snap a two-game skid. Middleton missed three games because of a hyperextended left knee. The two-time All-Star played 28 minutes and had six assists. The Bucks were missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for a fourth straight game as he remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols along with teammates Bobby Portis and Donte DiVincenzo.

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his second career triple-double as the Thunder dumped the Nuggets, 108-94. Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 27 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the first triple-double by a Thunder player at home since Russell Westbrook more than 2 ½ years ago. Darius Bazley had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Lu Dort had 15 points in the Thunder's largest margin of victory.

— Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points, Paul George had 17 in his return to the Clippers lineup, and Los Angeles held off the Sacramento Kings 105-89. Serge Ibaka added a season-high 17 points – 12 in the fourth quarter including three dunks to help the Clippers end a three-game losing streak. Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and a career-high 13 assists for his fourth consecutive double-doubles for Sacramento.

— The Magic dealt the Hawks their seventh consecutive home loss, 104-98. Franz Wagner furnished 25 points for Orlando, and Robin Lopez chipped in 10 points and a career-high 11 assists. Cam Reddish finished with a season-high 36 points and John Collins had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Collins was the only Atlanta regular to play after Kevin Huerter was pulled after a positive COVID test.

More COVID woes: NBA postpones two games Toronto-Chicago and Nets-Blazers 

UNDATED (AP) — Dallas star Luka Doncic has entered the league's health and safety protocols. That news came on the same day the NBA has postponed Toronto's game scheduled for Wednesday at Chicago and Brooklyn's game scheduled for Thursday at Portland. 

It is the third consecutive Nets game to be pushed back. And it means that Brooklyn's next possible game would be Saturday. That's part of the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, with the Nets scheduled to visit the Los Angeles Lakers. But with Kevin Durant, James Harden and others in the health and safety protocols, that game may also be in jeopardy.

The league is allowing teams to sign replacements to hardship contracts when a player tests positive for the virus, with hopes such moves can minimize the need for postponements. 

Toronto's Fred VanVleet is one of seven players in protocols for the Raptors, but the team — anticipating some roster reinforcements — flew to Chicago on Tuesday in anticipation of a the game there against the Bulls tonight.

— Knicks guard Derrick Rose had surgery Wednesday on his right ankle and could miss two months. Already short-handed with six players in the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Knicks have now lost the former league MVP whose arrival jump-started their run to the playoffs last season. Rose had missed the last two games with what the team said was ankle soreness.

— The Boston Celtics signed 40-year-old Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract Wednesday. Johnson started his NBA career with Boston when he was drafted 10th overall in 2001. The seven-time All-Star played 1,276 regular-season games through the 2017-18 season, averaging 16.0 points with the Celtics, Phoenix, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Miami, Utah and Houston.

Record 27 teams remain in playoff hunt with 3 weeks to go

UNDATED (AP) — While no team has clinched a postseason spot in the jam-packed AFC, there never have been more teams alive in the playoff hunt this late in a season.

Only Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and the New York Jets have been eliminated so far, with 27 teams still with at least a sliver of a postseason chance, tied for the most ever with three weeks left in the season.

The only team that has clinched a spot is the Green Bay Packers, who have won the NFC North after beating Baltimore on Sunday.

— Browns second-year coach Kevin Stefanski cleared COVID-19 protocols Wednesday and returned to the team after missing Monday's home loss to Las Vegas, a 16-14 setback that damaged Cleveland's playoff hopes. Jets coach Robert Saleh tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling symptoms in the morning in the latest in what has been a surge of coronavirus cases on the team. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also tested positive. 

— Drew Lock is preparing for his first — and maybe final — start of 2021 for the Denver Broncos. Coach Vic Fangio ruled out starter Teddy Bridgewater, who has a concussion, for their game Sunday against the Raiders but said it's possible he'll return next week against the Chargers if he's medically cleared: "Whatever's best for his health moving forward is what we'll do."

— Pittsburgh has placed linebackers Devin Bush and Marcus Allen and offensive tackle Zach Banner on the COVID-19 list.

— With a surge of COVID-19 cases threatening to disrupt the NFL season, the league discussed canceling three games last week for the first time since the pandemic began. Two player reps said canceling was never a No. 1 plan. Instead, the games were moved from the weekend to Monday and Tuesday. 

— Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Cam Newton will start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have a big role in the game. And Sam Darnold also is set to get playing time at quarterback. Darnold is 4-5 as the team's starter this season, while Newton is 0-4. Darnold hasn't played since injuring his shoulder and going on injured reserve Nov. 12. He was cleared medically to practice Wednesday with the Panthers. Kicker Zane Gonzalez is on injured reserve. Lirim Hajrullahu was signed off Washington's practice squad to replace him.

— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed the need for experienced depth at running back by signing former All-Pro Le'Veon Bell. With starter Leonard Fournette out after suffering a hamstring injury, there's an opportunity for Ronald Jones to move back into a role he lost to Fournette late last season. Bell is a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who was attractive to the Bucs because of his experience. 

— The Jacksonville Jaguars signed running back Ryquell Armstead off Green Bay's practice squad. The move reunites the 2019 fifth-round pick with the team that drafted him and later cut him. Armstead fills Carlos Hyde's spot on the 53-man roster. Jacksonville placed Hyde on injured reserve for a concussion.

— While he wanted to play again this season, Daniel Jones said his sprained neck caused him discomfort in certain positions and made it impossible for him to play quarterback for the New York Giants. Jones says he felt he made progress in his third season but admitted the Giants did not win enough games. He doesn't think the injury will affect his play next season, other than he may be more willing to get down sooner to avoid hits.

Texas A&amp;M won't play in Gator Bowl due to COVID-19 issues

UNDATED (AP) — If a team is unavailable to play in College Football Playoff semifinals because of COVID-19 issues, the game will be declared a forfeit and the available team will advance to the championship game. With COVID-19 cases spiking across the country due to the omicron variant, the CFP announced contingency plans for the semifinals and national championship game, scheduled for Jan. 10 in Indianapolis.

While there will be no rescheduling of either semifinal, the championship game could be delayed until as late as Jan. 14.

Meanwhile, No. 23 Texas A&amp;M won't play in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest on Dec. 31 because of COVID-19 issues and season-ending injuries. 

The team did not provide any details on the COVID-19 issues or injuries on the team. 

— Nick Patti will be the starting quarterback when 13th-ranked Pittsburgh faces 10th-ranked Michigan State in the Peach Bowl. Patti will make his first start since 2019 after ACC Player of the Year Kenny Pickett opted out to prepare for the NFL draft. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi says the team has a lot of faith in Patti. A solid performance could give Patti an early head start to be the starter in 2022.

UNDATED (AP) — No. 19 Tennessee jumped to a double-digit lead to start the game and kept No. 6 Arizona at bay handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season, 77-73.

Tennessee hit 7 of its first 11 shots and opened the game with a 16-2 advantage in the first 5 minutes.

John Fulkerson scored 24 points and had 10 rebounds, while Santiago Vescovi had 15 for the 9-2 Vols.

Bennedict Mathurin had 14 of his 28 points in the first half. He was the only Arizona starter to score in the first 20 minutes as Tennessee took a 34-21 lead. Kerr Kriisa scored 11 for Arizona.

— Paolo Banchero had 23 points and second-ranked Duke shot 62% after halftime to beat Virginia Tech 76-65 in the Blue Devils' Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Banchero scored 17 points in that dominant second half, fueled by the move to a smaller lineup around the versatile 6-foot-10 star freshman. That helped Duke erase an eight-point deficit early in the second half and improve to 11-1.

— Wendell Green Jr. and Jabari Smith both had double-doubles and No. 12 Auburn beat Murray State 71-58 for its eighth straight win. Green had 13 points and a career-best 10 rebounds off the bench for the Tigers, while Smith had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. The 11-1 Tigers held Murray State to 28 points below its season average and out-rebounded the Racers 48-33. 

— Josh Carlton scored a season-high 20 points, Kyler Edwards added 14 and No. 13 Houston defeated Texas State 80-47. Marcus Sasser had 13 points and Jamal Shead finished with 12 points and 10 assists as Houston moved to 11-2. The Cougars shot 55%, including 13 of 28 on 3-pointers, in winning for the seventh time in eight games.

— Dylan Disu scored 14 points and made three blocks and No. 16 Texas pulled away in the second half to defeat Alabama State 68-48. Marcus Carr scored 13 for Texas, Andrew Jones had 12 and Timmy Allen produced 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Gerald Liddell, a former Longhorn who transferred to South Alabama this season, led the Hornets with 16 points. 

— Darius Days scored 21 points and No. 17 LSU stayed unbeaten with a 95-60 win over Lipscomb. Xavier Pinson scored a season-high 17 points for the 12-0 Tigers, who never trailed. Eric Gaines had a career-high 13 points, Brandon Murray and Efton Reid also had 13, and Mwani Wilkinson scored a season-high 11.

— Kellan Grady shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range and scored a season-high 23 points as No. 20 Kentucky stretched its home win streak to eight games, romping past Western Kentucky 95-60. TyTy Washington Jr. added 20 points and six assists for the Wildcats. Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEEB'-way) had 14 points and 28 rebounds for Kentucky.

— Kevin Obanor had 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists as No. 25 Texas Tech dominated Eastern Washington 78-46. Adonis Arms and Bryson Williams each had 12 points for the 9-2 Red Raiders. Kevin McCullar had 10 points and five assists. The Red Raiders played without starting guard Terrence Shannon, who missed his second game in a row because of back spasms. Rylan Bergersen had 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting for 6-6 Eastern Washington.

UNDATED (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is changing its rescheduling policy to avoid assigning forfeits for teams unable to play due to COVID-19 protocols. 

Games that cannot be played will be rescheduled if possible. If those games can't be rescheduled, they will be considered a "no contest" that doesn't affect a team's record. 

The decision comes amid the rise in COVID-19 cases and cancellations or postponements nationally. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Cole Talley kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and Army rallied to beat Missouri 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl. After the Tigers took a 22-21 lead on a touchdown with 1:11 to play, third-string quarterback Jabari Laws led Army downfield to the Missouri 24-yard line, setting up Talley's game-winner. Army backup quarterback Tyhier Tyler came on after starter Christian Anderson was injured early in the fourth quarter and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Walters to give the Black Knights their first lead, 21-16. Anderson and JaKobi Buchanan scored on TD runs of 22 and 10 yards, respectively, for Army. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brady Cook threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Keke Chism with 71 seconds left to put the Tigers ahead.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided. Now, the question facing the Chiefs is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh. They did get some positive news with wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. testing negative and returning to practice, but there are still plenty of holes in the roster and the Chiefs are running out of time to get those players back.ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kofi Cockburn scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double and Illinois breezed to an 88-63 victory over Missouri on Wednesday night in the 41st edition of the Braggin' Rights game. Alfonso Plummer pitched in with 22 points for Illinois (9-3). However, he saw his run of 35 straight made free throws — the second longest streak in Illini history — end on his third attempt against Missouri (6-6). Jarron Coleman led Missouri (6-6) with 16 points off the bench.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Keisei Tominaga scored 18 points and Alonzo Verge Jr. scored 16 with 12 assists and Nebraska beat Kennesaw State 88-74. Chris Youngblood's jump shot with 14:10 before halftime gave the Owls a 16-8 advantage before Tominaga buried a 3-pointer to start a 15-0 run and Nebraska gradually pulled away from there. Terrell Burden scored 27 points for Kennesaw State on 10-for-14 shooting and made all seven of his foul shots.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Izaiah Brockington had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Tristan Enaruna added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 9 Iowa State rolled to a 79-48 win over Chicago State. The Cyclones (12-0) came into the game limiting opponents to 56.8 points per game, 12th in the nation. They have now held nine teams to 60 or fewer points. Jahsean Corbett had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago State (4-8). The Cougars shot just 28 percent, including 2 for 20 from 3-point range. Iowa State, which shot 48 percent and owned a 41-31 rebounding edge, was never really challenged by Chicago State, building a 64-33 lead with less than 8 minutes to play.MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — Matthias Tass poured in a career-high 27 points as Saint Mary's to breezed to a 75-58 victory over Missouri State. Tass hit 12 of 15 shots for the Gaels (11-3), who have won eight straight at home. Isiaih Mosley had 21 points for the Bears (8-5), who scored a season-low 22 second-half points and saw a four-game win streak end.&nbsp;OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Felix Lemetti had a career-high 22 points and Omaha snapped its 11-game losing streak, beating Western Illinois 84-78. Trenton Massner led the Leathernecks on Wednesday night with 26 points.WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had 20 points as Wichita State romped past Prairie View 102-66. Morris Udeze had 16 points for Wichita State (9-3). Clarence Jackson added 15 points. Dexter Dennis had 14 points. It was the first time this season Wichita State scored at least 100 points. Jeremiah Gambrell Jr. scored a season-high 22 points for the Panthers (0-10), who have lost 10 games in a row to start the season. D'Rell Roberts and Jawaun Daniels added 10 points apiece.NBA-SCHEDULECeltics top CavsUNDATED (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers' six-game winning streak is over.Jaylen Brown poured in 34 points and Robert Williams III had a double-double as the Celtics beat the Cavaliers, 111-101. Williams delivered a career-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the Celtics cool off Cleveland.Jayson Tatum added 18 points for Boston, which led by as many as 23. The Cavaliers were missing starters Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, each of whom is in the NBA's health and safety protocols. Darius Garland led Cleveland with 28 points, Kevin Love had 18 and Cedi Osman 13.Checking out Wednesday's NBA schedule:— Jrue Holiday scored 24 points, Khris Middleton added 23 in his return from injury and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Houston Rockets 126-106 on Wednesday night to snap a two-game skid. Middleton missed three games because of a hyperextended left knee. The two-time All-Star played 28 minutes and had six assists. The Bucks were missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for a fourth straight game as he remains in the NBA's health and safety protocols along with teammates Bobby Portis and Donte DiVincenzo.— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his second career triple-double as the Thunder dumped the Nuggets, 108-94. Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 27 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the first triple-double by a Thunder player at home since Russell Westbrook more than 2 ½ years ago. Darius Bazley had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Lu Dort had 15 points in the Thunder's largest margin of victory.— Eric Bledsoe scored 19 points, Paul George had 17 in his return to the Clippers lineup, and Los Angeles held off the Sacramento Kings 105-89. Serge Ibaka added a season-high 17 points – 12 in the fourth quarter including three dunks to help the Clippers end a three-game losing streak. Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and a career-high 13 assists for his fourth consecutive double-doubles for Sacramento.— The Magic dealt the Hawks their seventh consecutive home loss, 104-98. Franz Wagner furnished 25 points for Orlando, and Robin Lopez chipped in 10 points and a career-high 11 assists. Cam Reddish finished with a season-high 36 points and John Collins had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Collins was the only Atlanta regular to play after Kevin Huerter was pulled after a positive COVID test.NBA-NEWSMore COVID woes: NBA postpones two games Toronto-Chicago and Nets-Blazers UNDATED (AP) — Dallas star Luka Doncic has entered the league's health and safety protocols. That news came on the same day the NBA has postponed Toronto's game scheduled for Wednesday at Chicago and Brooklyn's game scheduled for Thursday at Portland. It is the third consecutive Nets game to be pushed back. And it means that Brooklyn's next possible game would be Saturday. That's part of the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, with the Nets scheduled to visit the Los Angeles Lakers. But with Kevin Durant, James Harden and others in the health and safety protocols, that game may also be in jeopardy.The league is allowing teams to sign replacements to hardship contracts when a player tests positive for the virus, with hopes such moves can minimize the need for postponements. Toronto's Fred VanVleet is one of seven players in protocols for the Raptors, but the team — anticipating some roster reinforcements — flew to Chicago on Tuesday in anticipation of a the game there against the Bulls tonight.Also in the NBA:— Knicks guard Derrick Rose had surgery Wednesday on his right ankle and could miss two months. Already short-handed with six players in the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Knicks have now lost the former league MVP whose arrival jump-started their run to the playoffs last season. Rose had missed the last two games with what the team said was ankle soreness.— The Boston Celtics signed 40-year-old Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract Wednesday. Johnson started his NBA career with Boston when he was drafted 10th overall in 2001. The seven-time All-Star played 1,276 regular-season games through the 2017-18 season, averaging 16.0 points with the Celtics, Phoenix, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Miami, Utah and Houston.NFL-NEWS-PLAYOFFSRecord 27 teams remain in playoff hunt with 3 weeks to goUNDATED (AP) — While no team has clinched a postseason spot in the jam-packed AFC, there never have been more teams alive in the playoff hunt this late in a season.Only Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville, Houston and the New York Jets have been eliminated so far, with 27 teams still with at least a sliver of a postseason chance, tied for the most ever with three weeks left in the season.The only team that has clinched a spot is the Green Bay Packers, who have won the NFC North after beating Baltimore on Sunday.Elsewhere around the NFL:— Browns second-year coach Kevin Stefanski cleared COVID-19 protocols Wednesday and returned to the team after missing Monday's home loss to Las Vegas, a 16-14 setback that damaged Cleveland's playoff hopes. Jets coach Robert Saleh tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling symptoms in the morning in the latest in what has been a surge of coronavirus cases on the team. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also tested positive. — Drew Lock is preparing for his first — and maybe final — start of 2021 for the Denver Broncos. Coach Vic Fangio ruled out starter Teddy Bridgewater, who has a concussion, for their game Sunday against the Raiders but said it's possible he'll return next week against the Chargers if he's medically cleared: "Whatever's best for his health moving forward is what we'll do."— Pittsburgh has placed linebackers Devin Bush and Marcus Allen and offensive tackle Zach Banner on the COVID-19 list.— With a surge of COVID-19 cases threatening to disrupt the NFL season, the league discussed canceling three games last week for the first time since the pandemic began. Two player reps said canceling was never a No. 1 plan. Instead, the games were moved from the weekend to Monday and Tuesday. — Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Cam Newton will start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and have a big role in the game. And Sam Darnold also is set to get playing time at quarterback. Darnold is 4-5 as the team's starter this season, while Newton is 0-4. Darnold hasn't played since injuring his shoulder and going on injured reserve Nov. 12. He was cleared medically to practice Wednesday with the Panthers. Kicker Zane Gonzalez is on injured reserve. Lirim Hajrullahu was signed off Washington's practice squad to replace him.— The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed the need for experienced depth at running back by signing former All-Pro Le'Veon Bell. With starter Leonard Fournette out after suffering a hamstring injury, there's an opportunity for Ronald Jones to move back into a role he lost to Fournette late last season. Bell is a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who was attractive to the Bucs because of his experience. — The Jacksonville Jaguars signed running back Ryquell Armstead off Green Bay's practice squad. The move reunites the 2019 fifth-round pick with the team that drafted him and later cut him. Armstead fills Carlos Hyde's spot on the 53-man roster. Jacksonville placed Hyde on injured reserve for a concussion.— While he wanted to play again this season, Daniel Jones said his sprained neck caused him discomfort in certain positions and made it impossible for him to play quarterback for the New York Giants. Jones says he felt he made progress in his third season but admitted the Giants did not win enough games. He doesn't think the injury will affect his play next season, other than he may be more willing to get down sooner to avoid hits.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWSTexas A&amp;M won't play in Gator Bowl due to COVID-19 issuesUNDATED (AP) — If a team is unavailable to play in College Football Playoff semifinals because of COVID-19 issues, the game will be declared a forfeit and the available team will advance to the championship game. With COVID-19 cases spiking across the country due to the omicron variant, the CFP announced contingency plans for the semifinals and national championship game, scheduled for Jan. 10 in Indianapolis.While there will be no rescheduling of either semifinal, the championship game could be delayed until as late as Jan. 14.Meanwhile, No. 23 Texas A&amp;M won't play in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest on Dec. 31 because of COVID-19 issues and season-ending injuries. The team did not provide any details on the COVID-19 issues or injuries on the team. In other news:— Nick Patti will be the starting quarterback when 13th-ranked Pittsburgh faces 10th-ranked Michigan State in the Peach Bowl. Patti will make his first start since 2019 after ACC Player of the Year Kenny Pickett opted out to prepare for the NFL draft. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi says the team has a lot of faith in Patti. A solid performance could give Patti an early head start to be the starter in 2022.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEVols first to beat Wildcats this seasonUNDATED (AP) — No. 19 Tennessee jumped to a double-digit lead to start the game and kept No. 6 Arizona at bay handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season, 77-73.Tennessee hit 7 of its first 11 shots and opened the game with a 16-2 advantage in the first 5 minutes.John Fulkerson scored 24 points and had 10 rebounds, while Santiago Vescovi had 15 for the 9-2 Vols.Bennedict Mathurin had 14 of his 28 points in the first half. He was the only Arizona starter to score in the first 20 minutes as Tennessee took a 34-21 lead. Kerr Kriisa scored 11 for Arizona.In other college basketball action:— Paolo Banchero had 23 points and second-ranked Duke shot 62% after halftime to beat Virginia Tech 76-65 in the Blue Devils' Atlantic Coast Conference opener. Banchero scored 17 points in that dominant second half, fueled by the move to a smaller lineup around the versatile 6-foot-10 star freshman. That helped Duke erase an eight-point deficit early in the second half and improve to 11-1.— Wendell Green Jr. and Jabari Smith both had double-doubles and No. 12 Auburn beat Murray State 71-58 for its eighth straight win. Green had 13 points and a career-best 10 rebounds off the bench for the Tigers, while Smith had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. The 11-1 Tigers held Murray State to 28 points below its season average and out-rebounded the Racers 48-33. — Josh Carlton scored a season-high 20 points, Kyler Edwards added 14 and No. 13 Houston defeated Texas State 80-47. Marcus Sasser had 13 points and Jamal Shead finished with 12 points and 10 assists as Houston moved to 11-2. The Cougars shot 55%, including 13 of 28 on 3-pointers, in winning for the seventh time in eight games.— Dylan Disu scored 14 points and made three blocks and No. 16 Texas pulled away in the second half to defeat Alabama State 68-48. Marcus Carr scored 13 for Texas, Andrew Jones had 12 and Timmy Allen produced 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Gerald Liddell, a former Longhorn who transferred to South Alabama this season, led the Hornets with 16 points. — Darius Days scored 21 points and No. 17 LSU stayed unbeaten with a 95-60 win over Lipscomb. Xavier Pinson scored a season-high 17 points for the 12-0 Tigers, who never trailed. Eric Gaines had a career-high 13 points, Brandon Murray and Efton Reid also had 13, and Mwani Wilkinson scored a season-high 11.— Kellan Grady shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range and scored a season-high 23 points as No. 20 Kentucky stretched its home win streak to eight games, romping past Western Kentucky 95-60. TyTy Washington Jr. added 20 points and six assists for the Wildcats. Oscar Tshiebwe (SHEEB'-way) had 14 points and 28 rebounds for Kentucky.— Kevin Obanor had 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists as No. 25 Texas Tech dominated Eastern Washington 78-46. Adonis Arms and Bryson Williams each had 12 points for the 9-2 Red Raiders. Kevin McCullar had 10 points and five assists. The Red Raiders played without starting guard Terrence Shannon, who missed his second game in a row because of back spasms. Rylan Bergersen had 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting for 6-6 Eastern Washington.COLLEGE SPORTS-ACC CANCELLATIONSUNDATED (AP) — The Atlantic Coast Conference is changing its rescheduling policy to avoid assigning forfeits for teams unable to play due to COVID-19 protocols. Games that cannot be played will be rescheduled if possible. If those games can't be rescheduled, they will be considered a "no contest" that doesn't affect a team's record. The decision comes amid the rise in COVID-19 cases and cancellations or postponements nationally. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided. Now, the question facing the Chiefs is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. They did get some positive news with wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. testing negative and returning to practice, but there are still plenty of holes in the roster and the Chiefs are running out of time to get those players back.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided. Now, the question facing the Chiefs is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh. They did get some positive news with wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. testing negative and returning to practice, but there are still plenty of holes in the roster and the Chiefs are running out of time to get those players back.

No additions to Chiefs COVID list Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 
Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce set a new career-high with 191 receiving yards on 10 receptions with two touchdowns in the 34-28 overtime victory over the Chargers Thursday and has been named AFC offensive player of the week.

The tight end caught the game-tying touchdown with just 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. Then he caught a short pass in overtime and turned it into the game-winning, 34-yard TD.

There is a chance he may miss this week's game against Pittsburgh, though, as he is on the team's COVID-19 list at this point.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 
Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce set a new career-high with 191 receiving yards on 10 receptions with two touchdowns in the 34-28 overtime victory over the Chargers Thursday and has been named AFC offensive player of the week.The tight end caught the game-tying touchdown with just 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. Then he caught a short pass in overtime and turned it into the game-winning, 34-yard TD.There is a chance he may miss this week's game against Pittsburgh, though, as he is on the team's COVID-19 list at this point.

Travis Kelce Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

<div><iframe title="Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=fyq29-115fe6f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Keegan Murray had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead Iowa to a 93-62 rout of Southeastern Louisiana. Iowa (9-3) has won two straight since snapping a three-game losing streak. Connor McCaffery had 16 points for the Hawkeyes, who shot 47% (32 of 68) from the floor and had a 50-32 rebounding advantage. Jordan Bohannon made four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. Payton Sandfort scored all 10 of his points in the first half. Joe Kasperzyk scored 14 points to lead SE Louisiana (4-9). Gus Okafor added 12 points and Jalyn Hinton had 11.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Another 21 NFL players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, including Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Rashad Fenton and tight end Blake Bell. They were among nine players, including two on the practice squad, who joined tight end Travis Kelce and kicker Harrison Butker on Kansas City's growing list. The Chiefs also have Charvarius Ward on the list, which means two of their top three cornerbacks are in the league's virus protocol, along with defensive tackle Chris Jones, linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and wide receiver Josh Gordon. Linebacker Nick Bolton, offensive lineman Kyle Long, right tackle Lucas Niang and safety Armani Watts also were added to list on Tuesday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Rachel McLimore scored 12 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter, including the winning free throws with three seconds left, as IUPUI dominated the fourth quarter to defeat No. 15 Iowa 74-73. The Hawkeyes led by 18 points Iowa led 69-60 on a Kate Martin layup with under six minutes to play but a 10-2 burst made it 71-70 with under two minutes to go. Monika Czinano made a layup for the Hawkeyes &nbsp;but Macee Williams, who also had 19 points answered that. Following an Iowa turnover McLimore was fould driving to the basket. After the successful free throws, Czinano, who led Iowa with 23 points, missed a potential winner.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Missouri goes into its first bowl game under coach Eliah Drinkwitz with one of the nation's worst run defenses and has to face Army's vaunted triple-option offense. The Tigers understand their tall task in the Armed Forces Bowl on Wednesday night. Army has 10 ball-carriers with at least 100 yards apiece. The Black Knights are 3-0 in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Tigers were supposed to play in the Music City Bowl in Drinkwitz's debut with them last season. The game was canceled because of COVID-19.

Davidson holds off No. 10 Alabama comeback, wins 79-78

UNDATED (AP) — Luka Brajkovic scored 22 points and made a late 3-pointer and Michael Jones scored 21 points to help lift Davidson to a 79-78 victory over No. 10 Alabama. The Wildcats rolled to a 13-point lead in the second half and held on for their eighth straight win in a game scheduled to fill sudden voids in their respective schedules because of COVID-19. The Crimson Tide have dropped two of three games but stayed in this one until Jahvon Quinerly missed a potential tying free throw with four seconds left. Alabama scored the final nine points after Brajkovic's 3-pointer with 2:01 left pushed it back to 79-69. But Davidson was able to run out the final seconds.

— Justin Moore scored 12 of his 17 points after halftime and Caleb Daniels added 16 points to lead No. 23 Villanova to a 71-58 victory over No. 18 Xavier. Collin Gillespie and Eric Dixon each had 15 points for the Wildcats (8-4, 1-1 Big East), who bounced back from consecutive blowout losses. Dwon Odom scored 13 points and Nate Johnson had 12 for Xavier (11-2, 1-1), which had won seven in a row.

— Izaiah Brockington had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Tristan Enaruna added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 9 Iowa State rolled to a 79-48 win over Chicago State. The Cyclones came into the game limiting opponents to 56.8 points per game, 12th in the nation. They have now held nine teams to 60 or fewer points. Jahsean Corbett had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago State. The Cougars shot just 28 percent, including 2 for 20 from 3-point range. 

— Marcus Bingham had 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks and was one of five double-digit scorers for No. 11 Michigan State in a 90-78 win over Oakland University on Tuesday night. The Spartans have won five straight for a second time this season, bouncing back from losses to then-No. 3 Kansas to open the season and then-No. 6 Baylor last month. The Golden Grizzlies lost consecutive games for the first time this year in a season that includes a win over Oklahoma State. Oakland fell behind by 16 in the second half, but refused to get routed.

Jalen Hurts has 3 TDs, Eagles come back to beat Washington

UNDATED (AP) — Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to help the Philadelphia Eagles come back from an early deficit and beat virus-ravaged Washington 27-17 in a critical showdown with NFC playoff implications. In his first game back from an ankle injury, Hurts scored on a pair of 1-yard QB sneaks to set the single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 10. He was 20 of 26 for 296 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Greg Ward and a bad-luck interception. Miles Sanders rushed for a career-high 131 yards. Washington struggled behind recently signed quarterback Garrett Gilbert and missing a handful of starters.