AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Junior Roschon Johnson ran for a career-best 179 yards, Cameron Dicker kicked three field goals, and Texas summoned some uncommonly strong defense to beat Kansas State 22-17. 

Texas ended the regular season by snapping a six-game losing streak, its longest since 1956. Johnson, who arrived at Texas as a quarterback but quickly converted to running back, carried 31 times. He ran for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

 Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn, raised in the Austin suburb Round Rock, staged a good show for the family and friends who came to watch him, rushing for 143 yards and a TD.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Junior Roschon Johnson ran for a career-best 179 yards, Cameron Dicker kicked three field goals, and Texas summoned some uncommonly strong defense to beat Kansas State 22-17. Texas ended the regular season by snapping a six-game losing streak, its longest since 1956. Johnson, who arrived at Texas as a quarterback but quickly converted to running back, carried 31 times. He ran for a 9-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn, raised in the Austin suburb Round Rock, staged a good show for the family and friends who came to watch him, rushing for 143 yards and a TD.

🏈 Texas wins over K-State football Friday 22-17

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Friday Morning

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

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji had 18 points and Christian Braun added 16 as No. 4 Kansas beat North Texas 71-59 in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday. Agbaji became the 63rd player to reach 1,000 points in Kansas history when he hit a 3 to open the scoring 2 ½ minutes into the game. North Texas got 23 points from Tylor Perry.&nbsp;

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — No. 17 Iowa visits Nebraska on Friday looking to stay alive in the Big Ten West for another day. The Hawkeyes must win and then have Wisconsin lose at Minnesota on Saturday to reach the conference championship game. The Cornhuskers have lost six straight against Iowa and are trying to break through after losing eight games by a total of 49 points this season. Nebraska will be without quarterback Adrian Martinez. He injured his shoulder last week at Wisconsin. Redshirt freshman Logan Smothers will make his first start.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Missouri and Arkansas meet in a rivalry game Friday to close the regular season. Missouri is coming off a 24-23 overtime win over Florida that led to the Gators parting ways with coach Dan Mullen. The Tigers have won five straight games against the Razorbacks. They boast the SEC's top rusher in Tyler Badie. He leads the SEC with 1,385 yards rushing and has scored 17 touchdowns. He ran for 146 yards against Florida. The 25th-ranked Razorbacks are coming off a 42-35 loss to then-No. 2 Alabama.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas hosts Kansas State on Friday. The Longhorns have lost six straight games under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian after a 4-1 start. Texas is already guaranteed a losing season. Kansas State has already qualified for a bowl. Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn is the catalyst for the Wildcats with more than 1,000 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — Iowa State star Breece Hall could be playing his last home game when TCU visits Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Friday. Hall is a junior who is listed among the top running back prospects for the 2022 NFL draft. Coach Matt Campbell says he will help Hall make the decision on whether to declare for the draft. &nbsp;The Cyclones must win to avoid their first non-winning regular season since 2016. That was Campbell's first year. TCU will play its fourth game with Jerry Kill as interim coach. The Horned Frogs need a win to become bowl eligible.&nbsp;

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The relaxed transfer rules approved by the NCAA in the spring has led to some quick fixes and fast turnarounds for numerous men's basketball programs. Several schools added a handful of transfers from power conferences to jump-start their rebuilding. Among them are the New Mexico Lobos, who are 4-1 thanks to a foursome of transfers, and Iowa State. The Cyclones are 5-0 this year after going 2-22 last season. Others that have capitalized on the new transfer rule are the Texas Longhorns, the Grand Canyon Antelopes, the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas A&amp;M Aggies.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders are back over .500 after surviving a wild finish against the Dallas Cowboys.

Daniel Carlson drilled a 29-yard kick with 4:28 showing on the clock in overtime to give the Raiders a 36-33 victory over the Cowboys. Carlson's fifth and final field goal of the game was set up by cornerback Anthony Brown's fourth penalty of the day, a pass interference call on 3rd-and-18.

Greg Zuerlein (ZUR'-lyn) tied it for Dallas with a field goal in the final minute of regulation.

The Raiders racked up over 500 yards of total offense, with quarterback Derek Carr completing 24 of 39 passes for 365 yards and a TD. Josh Jacobs carried 22 times for 87 yards and a score for the 6-5 Raiders, who hadn't scored more than 16 points while dropping their previous three games.

Dak Prescott engineered a pair of fourth-quarter TD drives and threw for 209 yards in the period. Prescott was 32 of 47 for 375 yards and two touchdowns.

Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson each had over 100 yards receiving, but Ezekiel Elliott carried just nine times for 25 yards and a score with Dallas trailing most of the game.

The Cowboys have dropped three of their last four since a six-game winning streak. All three losses have been against AFC West teams.

UNDATED (AP) — The Buffalo Bills were back in gear following Sunday's 41-15 loss to visiting Indianapolis.

Josh Allen threw for four touchdowns and the Bills allowed just 190 total yards in a 31-6 thrashing of the Saints in New Orleans. Allen shook off two interceptions to complete 23 of 28 passes for 260 yards. 

Dawson Knox grabbed two scoring passes for the Bills, who controlled the ball for more than 34 1/2 minutes and didn't allow a point until Trevor Siemian's scoring pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Stefon Diggs and Matt Breida also had TD grabs for the 7-4 Bills, who are currently in a first-place tie with the Patriots in the AFC East. 

The 5-6 Saints suffered their fourth straight loss, all since Siemian replaced injured quarterback Jameis (JAY'-mihs) Winston. Siemian was 17 of 29 passing for 163 yards and one interception.

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions were seconds away from their first win since last December. Instead, the Chicago Bears ended a five-game losing streak as Cairo Santos made a 28-yard game-ending field goal to complete their 16-14 victory at Detroit.

Andy Dalton led the Bears on an 18-play, 69-yard drive that took the final 8:30 off the clock. Dalton finished 24 of 39 for 317 yards with a go-ahead, 17-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham late in the first half.

Jared Goff was 21 of 25 for 171 with two touchdowns. Goff threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds on his first drive and a 17-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson late in the third.

The Lions are 0-10-1 this season and winless in their last 15 games. The Bears are 4-7.

T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MISSISSIPPI/MISS. ST.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Eighth-ranked Mississippi captured the annual Egg Bowl on Thursday as Snoop Conner ran for two touchdowns in a 31-21 decision over Mississippi State.

Matt Corral ran for a touchdown and passed for 229 yards to help the 10-2 Rebels overcome an early 6-3 deficit to take a 24-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. Corral was 25 of 33 with an interception.

Conner rushed for 60 yards on 16 carries, including his one-yard scores. Dontario Drummond had 13 receptions for 133 yards, and Jerrion Ealy scored on a 15-yard run to make it a 31-13 lead with 5:35 left.

Mississippi State's Will Rogers was 38 of 58 for 336 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Walley in the fourth quarter. 

UNDATED (AP) — Fourth-ranked Kansas has won its first-round game at the ESPN Events Invitational.

Ochai Agbaji had 18 points and Christian Braun added 16 as the Jayhawks downed North Texas, 71-59. Agbaji became the 63rd player to reach 1,000 points in Kansas history when he hit a 3 to open the scoring 2½ minutes into the game.

North Texas got 23 points from Tylor Perry.

— Matthew Mayer scored 15 points to help sixth-ranked Baylor hold off VCU 69-61 in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Freshman Kendall Brown added 14 points for the reigning national champions, who had to clean up a mistake-filled first half to improve to 6-0. The Bears led by just two before opening the second half on a 9-0 run.

— Freshman Jabari Smith had 14 points and 19th-ranked Auburn regrouped from a double-overtime loss to Connecticut by defeating Loyola Chicago 62-53 in the consolation round at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The 4-1 Tigers built a 10-point edge in the second half by holding the Ramblers to two field goals over an 11-minute stretch.

— A.J. Hoggard hit the go-ahead free throws with 30.3 seconds left while Michigan State closed on a 9-0 run to beat No. 22 Connecticut, 64-60 in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Gabe Brown scored 16 points for the 5-1 Spartans, who blew a 14-point lead before halftime and shot just 32% after the break. Tyson Walker hit a clinching free throw with 2.5 seconds left to make it a two-possession game.

— No. 24 Southern California was a 70-55 winner over Saint Joseph's as Boogie Ellis provided 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting. The Trojans went ahead for good while Ellis scored seven points in a 19-4 that made it 23-9. Joshua Morgan added 13 points to the win, while Chevez Goodwin chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.

UNDATED (AP) — UConn held out forward Isaiah Whaley from Thursday's game against Michigan State after he fainted following a first-round game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Whaley was laying on the sideline in front of the bench immediately after a wild 115-109 double-overtime win against No. 19 Auburn on Wednesday. After a few moments, he was back on his feet with a smile and joined the handshake line.

Whaley played 43 minutes on Wednesday, but UConn said its team medical and training staff determined his fainting was no cause for concern.

Ymer brothers help Sweden stun Canada in Davis Cup Finals

MADRID (AP) — Elias Ymer didn't hesitate to say Sweden could succeed at the Davis Cup Finals despite being one of the lowest-ranked nations in the competition. He backed up his words with a great opening win and then cheered on his brother Mikael in the other singles match that clinched Sweden the victory over 2019 runner-up Canada in the first tie of Group B. 

Croatia also won on a day that defending champion Spain was left without one of its biggest attractions after 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz tested positive for the coronavirus and had to be dropped from the squad. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji had 18 points and Christian Braun added 16 as No. 4 Kansas beat North Texas 71-59 in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday. Agbaji became the 63rd player to reach 1,000 points in Kansas history when he hit a 3 to open the scoring 2 ½ minutes into the game. North Texas got 23 points from Tylor Perry.&nbsp;LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — No. 17 Iowa visits Nebraska on Friday looking to stay alive in the Big Ten West for another day. The Hawkeyes must win and then have Wisconsin lose at Minnesota on Saturday to reach the conference championship game. The Cornhuskers have lost six straight against Iowa and are trying to break through after losing eight games by a total of 49 points this season. Nebraska will be without quarterback Adrian Martinez. He injured his shoulder last week at Wisconsin. Redshirt freshman Logan Smothers will make his first start.FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Missouri and Arkansas meet in a rivalry game Friday to close the regular season. Missouri is coming off a 24-23 overtime win over Florida that led to the Gators parting ways with coach Dan Mullen. The Tigers have won five straight games against the Razorbacks. They boast the SEC's top rusher in Tyler Badie. He leads the SEC with 1,385 yards rushing and has scored 17 touchdowns. He ran for 146 yards against Florida. The 25th-ranked Razorbacks are coming off a 42-35 loss to then-No. 2 Alabama.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas hosts Kansas State on Friday. The Longhorns have lost six straight games under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian after a 4-1 start. Texas is already guaranteed a losing season. Kansas State has already qualified for a bowl. Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn is the catalyst for the Wildcats with more than 1,000 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — Iowa State star Breece Hall could be playing his last home game when TCU visits Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Friday. Hall is a junior who is listed among the top running back prospects for the 2022 NFL draft. Coach Matt Campbell says he will help Hall make the decision on whether to declare for the draft. &nbsp;The Cyclones must win to avoid their first non-winning regular season since 2016. That was Campbell's first year. TCU will play its fourth game with Jerry Kill as interim coach. The Horned Frogs need a win to become bowl eligible.&nbsp;BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — The relaxed transfer rules approved by the NCAA in the spring has led to some quick fixes and fast turnarounds for numerous men's basketball programs. Several schools added a handful of transfers from power conferences to jump-start their rebuilding. Among them are the New Mexico Lobos, who are 4-1 thanks to a foursome of transfers, and Iowa State. The Cyclones are 5-0 this year after going 2-22 last season. Others that have capitalized on the new transfer rule are the Texas Longhorns, the Grand Canyon Antelopes, the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas A&amp;M Aggies.NFL-RAIDERS/COWBOYSRaiders beat Cowboys in OTARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders are back over .500 after surviving a wild finish against the Dallas Cowboys.Daniel Carlson drilled a 29-yard kick with 4:28 showing on the clock in overtime to give the Raiders a 36-33 victory over the Cowboys. Carlson's fifth and final field goal of the game was set up by cornerback Anthony Brown's fourth penalty of the day, a pass interference call on 3rd-and-18.Greg Zuerlein (ZUR'-lyn) tied it for Dallas with a field goal in the final minute of regulation.The Raiders racked up over 500 yards of total offense, with quarterback Derek Carr completing 24 of 39 passes for 365 yards and a TD. Josh Jacobs carried 22 times for 87 yards and a score for the 6-5 Raiders, who hadn't scored more than 16 points while dropping their previous three games.Dak Prescott engineered a pair of fourth-quarter TD drives and threw for 209 yards in the period. Prescott was 32 of 47 for 375 yards and two touchdowns.Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson each had over 100 yards receiving, but Ezekiel Elliott carried just nine times for 25 yards and a score with Dallas trailing most of the game.The Cowboys have dropped three of their last four since a six-game winning streak. All three losses have been against AFC West teams.NFL-BILLS/SAINTSBills shred, stifle SaintsUNDATED (AP) — The Buffalo Bills were back in gear following Sunday's 41-15 loss to visiting Indianapolis.Josh Allen threw for four touchdowns and the Bills allowed just 190 total yards in a 31-6 thrashing of the Saints in New Orleans. Allen shook off two interceptions to complete 23 of 28 passes for 260 yards. Dawson Knox grabbed two scoring passes for the Bills, who controlled the ball for more than 34 1/2 minutes and didn't allow a point until Trevor Siemian's scoring pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.Stefon Diggs and Matt Breida also had TD grabs for the 7-4 Bills, who are currently in a first-place tie with the Patriots in the AFC East. The 5-6 Saints suffered their fourth straight loss, all since Siemian replaced injured quarterback Jameis (JAY'-mihs) Winston. Siemian was 17 of 29 passing for 163 yards and one interception.NFL-BEARS/LIONSBears end skid, keep Lions winlessDETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions were seconds away from their first win since last December. Instead, the Chicago Bears ended a five-game losing streak as Cairo Santos made a 28-yard game-ending field goal to complete their 16-14 victory at Detroit.Andy Dalton led the Bears on an 18-play, 69-yard drive that took the final 8:30 off the clock. Dalton finished 24 of 39 for 317 yards with a go-ahead, 17-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham late in the first half.Jared Goff was 21 of 25 for 171 with two touchdowns. Goff threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds on his first drive and a 17-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson late in the third.The Lions are 0-10-1 this season and winless in their last 15 games. The Bears are 4-7.T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MISSISSIPPI/MISS. ST.Ole Miss whips Miss. St.STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Eighth-ranked Mississippi captured the annual Egg Bowl on Thursday as Snoop Conner ran for two touchdowns in a 31-21 decision over Mississippi State.Matt Corral ran for a touchdown and passed for 229 yards to help the 10-2 Rebels overcome an early 6-3 deficit to take a 24-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. Corral was 25 of 33 with an interception.Conner rushed for 60 yards on 16 carries, including his one-yard scores. Dontario Drummond had 13 receptions for 133 yards, and Jerrion Ealy scored on a 15-yard run to make it a 31-13 lead with 5:35 left.Mississippi State's Will Rogers was 38 of 58 for 336 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Walley in the fourth quarter. T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEJayhawks winUNDATED (AP) — Fourth-ranked Kansas has won its first-round game at the ESPN Events Invitational.Ochai Agbaji had 18 points and Christian Braun added 16 as the Jayhawks downed North Texas, 71-59. Agbaji became the 63rd player to reach 1,000 points in Kansas history when he hit a 3 to open the scoring 2½ minutes into the game.North Texas got 23 points from Tylor Perry.In other top-25 men's basketball action:— Matthew Mayer scored 15 points to help sixth-ranked Baylor hold off VCU 69-61 in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Freshman Kendall Brown added 14 points for the reigning national champions, who had to clean up a mistake-filled first half to improve to 6-0. The Bears led by just two before opening the second half on a 9-0 run.— Freshman Jabari Smith had 14 points and 19th-ranked Auburn regrouped from a double-overtime loss to Connecticut by defeating Loyola Chicago 62-53 in the consolation round at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The 4-1 Tigers built a 10-point edge in the second half by holding the Ramblers to two field goals over an 11-minute stretch.— A.J. Hoggard hit the go-ahead free throws with 30.3 seconds left while Michigan State closed on a 9-0 run to beat No. 22 Connecticut, 64-60 in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Gabe Brown scored 16 points for the 5-1 Spartans, who blew a 14-point lead before halftime and shot just 32% after the break. Tyson Walker hit a clinching free throw with 2.5 seconds left to make it a two-possession game.— No. 24 Southern California was a 70-55 winner over Saint Joseph's as Boogie Ellis provided 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting. The Trojans went ahead for good while Ellis scored seven points in a 19-4 that made it 23-9. Joshua Morgan added 13 points to the win, while Chevez Goodwin chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWSUConn's Whaley sits after faintingUNDATED (AP) — UConn held out forward Isaiah Whaley from Thursday's game against Michigan State after he fainted following a first-round game at the Battle 4 Atlantis.Whaley was laying on the sideline in front of the bench immediately after a wild 115-109 double-overtime win against No. 19 Auburn on Wednesday. After a few moments, he was back on his feet with a smile and joined the handshake line.Whaley played 43 minutes on Wednesday, but UConn said its team medical and training staff determined his fainting was no cause for concern.TENNIS-DAVIS CUP FINALSYmer brothers help Sweden stun Canada in Davis Cup FinalsMADRID (AP) — Elias Ymer didn't hesitate to say Sweden could succeed at the Davis Cup Finals despite being one of the lowest-ranked nations in the competition. He backed up his words with a great opening win and then cheered on his brother Mikael in the other singles match that clinched Sweden the victory over 2019 runner-up Canada in the first tie of Group B. Croatia also won on a day that defending champion Spain was left without one of its biggest attractions after 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz tested positive for the coronavirus and had to be dropped from the squad. <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 news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Sports Headlines for Friday

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — West Virginia has gone through a rollercoaster of a season that includes soaring wins over Virginia Tech and Iowa State and crushing losses to Maryland and Texas Tech, and it all leaves the Mountaineers with everything on the line Saturday.

Knock off Kansas and they go to a bowl game. Lose and they're probably sitting the holiday season out.

“We know we've got one more,” said Mountaineers quarterback Jarret Doege, who threw three touchdown passes in a 31-23 victory over Texas last week that knocked the Longhorns out of bowl contention. “The job's not finished. We've got to go to Kansas and take care of business. Because we saw (at Kansas State) what could happen if you don't.”

Taking care of business against Kansas isn't as easy at it used to be, either.

While the Mountaineers (5-6, 3-5 Big 12) are still heavily favored, the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7) also beat the Longhorns a couple weeks ago and nearly followed up their rare win in Austin with a win over TCU last weekend.

“At the beginning of the month we talked about, hopefully we will be a team that’ll be in a short period of time playing in December or January,” first-year Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said. “In order to do that, you need to play well in November. We’ve talked about a chance to end the month 2-2 and a step in the right direction.”

It might not seem like much, but the Jayhawks haven’t won two Big 12 games in a season since Mark Mangino’s penultimate season in 2008. They can also match their most wins in a season since Mangino's final year in Lawrence.

“Though minimal for many, maybe, a .500 month would be a nice shot in the arm heading into the off season, heading into recruiting, and heading into winter conditioning," Leipold said. "Those are the things we talk about.”

The Mountaineers were a bumbling mess against the Wildcats a couple weeks ago, but they looked like a different team entirely against Texas. They were penalized for just 19 yards and didn't turn the ball over in a must-win game.

“We just didn’t play clean football and Kansas State did. This was a clean football game by us,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “Keeps us alive for another week and puts extra meaning on that game when we travel to Lawrence.”

Doege chose not to participate with other seniors in a pregame ceremony last week, leading some to speculate that he might take advantage of COVID-19 rules that grant players another season of eligibility. He's had an up-and-down season, leading the Big 12 with 249 yards passing per game but also with 10 interceptions.

"I’ll sit down and talk with Coach Brown after the season and see what happens,” Doege said.

The Jayhawks will be honoring 15 seniors in their finale on Saturday. Some of them were recruited by David Beaty, played two seasons under Les Miles and finished their careers by trying to help Leipold turn things around.

The Jayhawks thought they would redshirt Jalon Daniels this season, but injuries and Jason Bean's ineffectiveness pressed him into action. Daniels responded by going 43 of 60 for 457 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in games at Texas and TCU. He's only the fourth player in college football this season to complete 70% of his passes in consecutive road games, joining Mississippi State's Will Rogers, Iowa State's Brock Purdy and Aiden O'Connell of Purdue.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Jayhawks' season is that they are the second least penalized team in the nation, which speaks volumes about the culture that Leipold brought with him from Buffalo.

“You want to play the game the right way and not beat yourself and give yourself an opportunity,” he explained. “Though we haven’t had a lot of wins this season, and we’re talking about a fine line of winning and losing, and we’ve played pretty much penalty-free. And we’ve seen how close the games have been these last two weeks, so we need to continue to do that. And it gives you a chance to be in football games.”

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — West Virginia has gone through a rollercoaster of a season that includes soaring wins over Virginia Tech and Iowa State and crushing losses to Maryland and Texas Tech, and it all leaves the Mountaineers with everything on the line Saturday.Knock off Kansas and they go to a bowl game. Lose and they're probably sitting the holiday season out.“We know we've got one more,” said Mountaineers quarterback Jarret Doege, who threw three touchdown passes in a 31-23 victory over Texas last week that knocked the Longhorns out of bowl contention. “The job's not finished. We've got to go to Kansas and take care of business. Because we saw (at Kansas State) what could happen if you don't.”Taking care of business against Kansas isn't as easy at it used to be, either.While the Mountaineers (5-6, 3-5 Big 12) are still heavily favored, the Jayhawks (2-9, 1-7) also beat the Longhorns a couple weeks ago and nearly followed up their rare win in Austin with a win over TCU last weekend.“At the beginning of the month we talked about, hopefully we will be a team that’ll be in a short period of time playing in December or January,” first-year Jayhawks coach Lance Leipold said. “In order to do that, you need to play well in November. We’ve talked about a chance to end the month 2-2 and a step in the right direction.”It might not seem like much, but the Jayhawks haven’t won two Big 12 games in a season since Mark Mangino’s penultimate season in 2008. They can also match their most wins in a season since Mangino's final year in Lawrence.“Though minimal for many, maybe, a .500 month would be a nice shot in the arm heading into the off season, heading into recruiting, and heading into winter conditioning," Leipold said. "Those are the things we talk about.”IMPRESSIVE TURNAROUNDThe Mountaineers were a bumbling mess against the Wildcats a couple weeks ago, but they looked like a different team entirely against Texas. They were penalized for just 19 yards and didn't turn the ball over in a must-win game.“We just didn’t play clean football and Kansas State did. This was a clean football game by us,” Mountaineers coach Neal Brown said. “Keeps us alive for another week and puts extra meaning on that game when we travel to Lawrence.”MURKY FUTUREDoege chose not to participate with other seniors in a pregame ceremony last week, leading some to speculate that he might take advantage of COVID-19 rules that grant players another season of eligibility. He's had an up-and-down season, leading the Big 12 with 249 yards passing per game but also with 10 interceptions."I’ll sit down and talk with Coach Brown after the season and see what happens,” Doege said.SPEAKING OF SENIOR DAYThe Jayhawks will be honoring 15 seniors in their finale on Saturday. Some of them were recruited by David Beaty, played two seasons under Les Miles and finished their careers by trying to help Leipold turn things around.THE FUTURE IS NOWThe Jayhawks thought they would redshirt Jalon Daniels this season, but injuries and Jason Bean's ineffectiveness pressed him into action. Daniels responded by going 43 of 60 for 457 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in games at Texas and TCU. He's only the fourth player in college football this season to complete 70% of his passes in consecutive road games, joining Mississippi State's Will Rogers, Iowa State's Brock Purdy and Aiden O'Connell of Purdue.NO FLAGSPerhaps the most surprising aspect of the Jayhawks' season is that they are the second least penalized team in the nation, which speaks volumes about the culture that Leipold brought with him from Buffalo.“You want to play the game the right way and not beat yourself and give yourself an opportunity,” he explained. “Though we haven’t had a lot of wins this season, and we’re talking about a fine line of winning and losing, and we’ve played pretty much penalty-free. And we’ve seen how close the games have been these last two weeks, so we need to continue to do that. And it gives you a chance to be in football games.”

🏈 WVU and KU football coming up Saturday

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas hosts Kansas State on Friday. The Longhorns have lost six straight games under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian after a 4-1 start. Texas is already guaranteed a losing season. Kansas State has already qualified for a bowl. Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn is the catalyst for the Wildcats with more than 1,000 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.&nbsp;

🏈 Texas and K-State meet in football Friday

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Ochai Agbaji had 18 points and Christian Braun added 16 as No. 4 Kansas beat North Texas 71-59 in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday. Agbaji became the 63rd player to reach 1,000 points in Kansas history when he hit a 3 to open the scoring 2 ½ minutes into the game. North Texas got 23 points from Tylor Perry.&nbsp;

🏀 KU wins over North Texas Thursday

STILLWATER, Ok (AP) — Seventh-ranked Oklahoma State will find out who it will play in its first Big 12 championship game. It could be a Bedlam rematch. The Cowboys are home for the regular-season finale against 10th-ranked Oklahoma. The six-time defending Big 12 champion Sooners get into the title game with a win over Oklahoma State, or if ninth-ranked Baylor loses its home finale earlier in the day to Texas Tech. Oklahoma has won six in a row and 16 of 18 against the Cowboys.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke will pay $790 million to settle a lawsuit filed by St. Louis interests over the team's relocation to Los Angeles. The settlement announced Wednesday ends a lawsuit filed in 2017. Kroenke and the NFL failed to have the lawsuit dismissed or at least moved out of St. Louis, and courts were sympathetic to the St. Louis side's effort to disclose financial information of team owners — rulings that hastened the push for a settlement. The case had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 10. The lawsuit claimed the team's 2016 move cost the St. Louis region millions of dollars in revenue.

NEW YORK (AP) — Izaiah Brockington scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half, and Iowa State beat No. 25 Xavier 82-70 in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Tyrese Hunter added 19 points for Iowa State, Gabe Kalscheur scored 12 points and George Conditt had 10. Jack Nunge scored 24 points off the bench for Xavier. Colby Jones had 11 points and Dwon Odom scored 10. Iowa State trailed 39-38 at halftime but took control with a 24-9 run over the first 7:29 of the second half that included 13 points by Brockington.

DETROIT (AP) — Adam Erne scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, streaking rookie Lucas Raymond got his eighth of the season and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Dylan Larkin and Robby Fabbri also scored for the Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 35 saves as Detroit snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 5-2-2 at home. Making his second straight start, Nedeljkovic turned in several highlight-reel stops — including a sprawling glove save with 13:05 left to preserve a one-goal lead. Pavel Buchnevich and David Perron scored for the Blues. Perron's goal snapped a 13-game scoreless drought. It was the sixth loss in eight games for St. Louis.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets owner Steve Cohen has criticized pitcher Steven Matz for reaching an agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals rather than New York. Cohen wrote on Twitter: "I'm not happy this morning. I've never seen such unprofessional behavior exhibited by a player's agent. I guess words and promises don't matter." According to published reports, Matz and the Cardinals have agreed to a $44 million, four-year contract in a deal that's subject to a successful physical. Rob Martin, the pitcher's agent, wrote in a text to The Associated Press that: "We handle things the right way and so does Steven."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Free agent pitcher Wade Davis is retiring at age 36 after 13 major league seasons. The three-time All-Star played for the Kansas City Royals in 2021 and helped them win the 2015 World Series title. Davis was 63-55 with a 3.94 ERA and 141 saves in 161 chances for Tampa Bay, Kansas City, the Chicago Cubs and Colorado. He made 88 starts and 469 relief appearances and was an All-Star from 2015-17. His retirement was announced by his agency, Jet Sports.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs need only think back to 2019 for a reason to be optimistic about the rest of this season. They started off 6-4 that year as new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo struggled to make wholesale changes on that side of the ball, and a series of injuries including one to Patrick Mahomes made things even more difficult. Sounds a lot like this year, when a 6-4 start was the product of more bad defense and even more injuries. But two years ago, the Chiefs turned things around and ultimately won the Super Bowl, and there are signs that this year's bunch could do the exact same thing.

RIVIERA MAYA, Cancun (AP) — Marten Linssen posted 19 points and eight rebounds as Saint Louis beat Stephen F. Austin 79-68 in the Cancun Challenge - Riviera Division championship game. Sadaidriene Hall led the Lumberjacks with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Milton Andrew Munson's obituary recalled his life as an Air Force veteran, a pharmacist, husband and father, and as a Nebraska football fan. That was evident in one line in the obit, which reads: "In lieu of flowers, please place an irresponsibly large wager on Nebraska beating Iowa." The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the obit, written by Munson's sons, ran Nov. 18 in the Hastings Tribune. It caught fire on social media and captured the attention of two radio hosts. Soon, more than $5,000 had been contributed for the big bet. Some of the money will go to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The Huskers are a point-and-a-half underdog in Friday night's game.

UNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have stretched their winning streak to 14 games since a 1-3 start.

Devin Booker and Chris Paul carried the Suns to a 120-115 victory at Cleveland. Booker finished with 35 points and Paul hit four free throws over the final 8.8 seconds to help Phoenix keep their winning streak alive.

Paul finished with 17 points and 12 assists, while JaVale McGee added 13 points and 12 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.

The Cavaliers dropped their fifth in a row despite Jarrett Allen's 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Checking out Wednesday's other NBA games:

— Stephen Curry barely outscored his brother, but the Warriors dominated the second half to beat Philadelphia, 119-96 and improve to an NBA-best 16-2. Curry scored 25 points and helped the Warriors overcome a 61-52 halftime deficit. Seth Curry had 24 points to lead the 76ers.

— LeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career, carrying the Lakers to a 124-116 win over the Pacers. James finished with 37 points, six assists and five rebounds to help Los Angeles win while Anthony Davis sat out with flu-like symptoms.

— Kevin Durant cracked the league's top 25 all-time scoring list by contributing 21 points in the Nets' 123-104 thumping of the Celtics. Patty Mills added 23 points, and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists in Brooklyn's 12th win in its last 14 games.

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) delivered 33 points and Bobby Portis added 28 for the Bucks in a 114-93 rout of the Pistons. The victory was Milwaukee's fifth in a row overall and its 12th straight over Detroit since 2018.

— Terry Rozier scored 27 points and Kelly Oubre (OO'-bray) Jr. came off the bench with 21 points and six rebounds to help the Hornets win for the seventh time in eight games, 106-99 against the Magic. Oubre and Cody Martin sparked a 15-0 run that erased Orlando's seven-point lead. 

— Donovan Mitchell scored six straight points in the final minute to secure Utah's win at Oklahoma City, 110-104. Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Jazz, Mike Conley added 18 points, and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had 15 with 17 rebounds.

— Trae Young scored 31 points and the Hawks picked up their sixth straight win by blasting the Spurs, 124-106. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 18 points and John Collins added 15 in helping Atlanta earn just its second road win this season.

— Brandon Ingram scored 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas (YOH'-nuhs val-ehn-CHOO'-nuhs) furnished a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, guiding the Pelicans to a 127-102 dismantling of the Wizards. Josh Hart highlighted his 16-point performance with a running half-court bank shot as he was fouled in the final second of the third quarter, helping New Orleans win for just the fourth time.

— The Rockets' losing streak has ended at 15 games as Daniel House Jr., contributed 18 points to their 118-113 downing of the Bulls. Kevin Porter Jr. had 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists after missing three games because of a bruised left thigh. 

— Anthony Edwards had 33 points and 14 rebounds in guiding the Timberwolves to their fifth win in a row, 113-101 against the Heat. Malik Beasley scored a season-high 29 points off the bench and D'Angelo Russell added 20 for Minnesota.

— Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter of the Raptors' 126-113 decision over the Grizzlies. Fred VanVleet scored 23 points, and Precious Achiuwa (ah-CHOO'-wah), Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) and Scott Barnes added 17 each, with Barnes also snagging nine rebounds.

— Marvin Bagley III made a clutch 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining as the Kings held off the Trail Blazers, 125-121. Buddy Hield (heeld) added 22 points in 30 minutes off the bench, and De'Aaron Fox scored 21 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter.

UNDATED (AP) — The Connecticut men's basketball team was able to win a matchup of top-25 teams despite blowing a sizeable lead.

Tyler Polley scored a career-high 24 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:58 left in the second overtime to help the 22nd-ranked Huskies knock off No. 19 Auburn, 115-109. Adama Sanogo finished with a career-best 30 points for UConn, which blew a 15-point advantage in regulation and squandered a lead late in the first overtime before winning its first-round game in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

In Wednesday's other top-25 men's basketball action:

— L.J. Cryer had 15 points and sixth-ranked Baylor improved to 5-0 by downing Arizona State 75-63 at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Matthew Mayer added 14 for the national champion Bears, who led by 22 in the second half and held the Sun Devils to 36% shooting.

— Eighth-ranked Texas rolled to a 68-44 win over California Baptist as Timmy Allen and Andrew Jones scored 15 points apiece for the Longhorns. Allen had eight rebounds and Jones handed out five assists.

— DeAndre Williams had 16 points and 10 rebounds to push No. 9 Memphis to a 69-61 win over Virginia Tech in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Emoni Bates hit four free throws in the final minutes and scored all of his nine points in the second half for the 5-0 Tigers.

— Fabian White Jr. scored 15 points and Marcus Sasser added 14 to send 12th-ranked Houston to a 78-49 rout of Oregon in the Maui Invitational third-place game. The Cougars built a 10-point lead in the first 4 1/2 minutes and bullied the Ducks in the paint to lead 41-19 at halftime.

— Te'Jon Lucas had 18 points and seven assists to lead 18th-ranked BYU to an 81-64 victory over Texas Southern. Gideon George had 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the Cougars.

— Eli Brooks scored 15 points and 20th-rated Michigan overcame 20 turnovers to beat Tarleton State 65-54. Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan scored 14 points apiece for the Wolverines, who trailed by one before closing the first half on a 10-0 run. 

— Jared Rhoden had 21 points and No. 21 Seton Hall took the third-place game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off by nipping California, 62-59.

— Tyree Appleby capped his 15-point performance by draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give No. 23 Florida state a 71-68 triumph over Ohio State in the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship game.

— Izaiah Brockington scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half as Iowa State beat No. 25 Xavier 82-70 in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

UNDATED (AP) — Aaron Rodgers has provided more clarity on his toe injury.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback describes the injury as a fracture but doesn't expect to miss any games. Rodgers has been playing with the toe injury each of the past two games since missing a 13-7 loss at Kansas City because of a positive COVID-19 test. 

The reigning MVP said the injury occurred while working out at home during his quarantine.

— The Vikings sent psychologists to the home of defensive end Everson Griffen on Wednesday to work with police on guiding him through another alarming mental health situation. The team was relieved when Griffen emerged from his home without incident hours after he called 911 in a frenzy believing people were trying to kill him. Griffen also posted a video depicting him with a gun that he said was purchased legally. 

— The Titans have placed backup quarterback Logan Woodside on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This leaves starter Ryan Tannehill as the only quarterback on the roster as the Titans prepare to visit New England on Sunday. 

— Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says he's feeling better and he fully expects to play Sunday night. Jackson missed last Sunday's win at Chicago after an illness limited him during the week. 

— The Browns could have two key offensive players back for Sunday's AFC North showdown against Baltimore. Dynamic running back Kareem Hunt and two-time All-Pro starting right tackle Jack Conklin practiced Tuesday after being designated for return from injured reserve and could play against the division-leading Ravens. 

— The NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke (KRAHN'-kee) will pay $790 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2017 by St. Louis interests over the team's relocation to Los Angeles. The lawsuit claimed the team's 2016 move cost the St. Louis region millions of dollars in revenue. The case had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 10. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Florida Panthers have tied another team mark as they maintain the NHL's best record.

Aaron Ekblad scored 2:39 into overtime to give the Panthers a 2-1 win against the Flyers. Ekblad and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Cats, who have matched a team record with their 11th straight home win.

Sergei Bobrovsky (boh-BRAHF'-skee) made 32 saves and became the first Florida goalie to record points in 11 straight starts, going 9-0-2.

— Marcus Johansson beat Frederik Andersen with a wrist shot with 3:08 remaining, giving the Kraken a 2-1 triumph over the Hurricanes. Seattle's Jared McCann scored on the power play at 4:16 of the second period before Seattle dealt Carolina its second consecutive loss.

— Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT'-sahf), Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson and Nic Dowd each provided a goal and an assist as the Capitals doubled up the Canadiens, 6-3. Alex Ovechkin had three assists in a game for the first time in nearly four years, helping Washington win for the seventh time in nine games.

— Chris Kreider has 15 goals this season after netting two more in the Rangers' 4-1 verdict over the Islanders. Kevin Rooney also scored twice against the Isles, who have dropped seven straight in regulation since a 5-0-2 stretch.

— The Bruins won for the fourth time in five games as Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR'-zhuh-rahn), David Pastrnak (PAHS'-tur-nahk) and Charlie Coyle each had a goal and an assist in their 5-1 rout of the Sabres. Boston chased Aaron Dell with four first-period goals on the 22 shots he faced. 

— The Penguins earned a 4-1 win over the Canucks as Tristan Jarry stopped 36 shots to win his fourth straight start. Evan Rodrigues, Bryan Rust, Zach Aston-Reese and Brock McGinn scored for Pittsburgh.

— Kevin Fiala (fee-AH'-lah) delivered the decisive goal and Cam Talbot turned away 40 shots in the Wild's 3-2 shootout win at New Jersey. Ryan Hartman and Nico Sturm scored in regulation for Minnesota. The game was delayed 24 minutes after the Wild got stuck in a Manhattan traffic jam with the Holland Tunnel closed.

— Nazem Kadri (NA'-zehm KA'-dree) stretched his point streak to 10 games by providing a goal and an assist in Colorado's sixth consecutive win, 5-2 versus the Ducks. Kadri has six goals and 15 assists during the streak.

— The Red Wings were 4-2 winners over the Blues as Adam Erne (UR'-nee) notched the go-ahead goal early in the third period and streaking rookie Lucas Raymond got his eighth of the season. Alex Nedeljkovic (neh-DEHL'-koh-vihch) finished with 35 saves to help Detroit snap a four-game losing streak and improved to 5-2-2 at home. 

— Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone each had a goal and an assist in the Golden Knights' 5-2 win at Nashville. Jonas Rondbjerg, Adam Brooks and Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) also scored for Vegas, and Robin Lehner (LEH'-nur) stopped 26 shots. 

— Elvis Merzlikins (murz-LEE'-kihnz) made 36 saves for his seventh career shutout, sending the Blue Jackets to a 3-0 win versus the Jets. Gregory Hofmann, Zach Werenski and Andrew Peeke scored as Columbus won for the fourth time in five games.

— The Oilers cruised to a 5-3 win at Arizona as Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) and Connor McDavid each collected two goals and two assists. Draisaitl has 10 goals in his last eight games, and McDavid collected four points a day after his season-opening, 17-game point streak ended at Dallas. 

— John Tavares and Pierre Engvall had a goal and an assist apiece while Toronto scored four consecutive goals in the second period of a 6-2 whipping of the Kings. Alexander Kerfoot, Auston Matthews, Jason Spezza (SPEHT'-sah) and Michael Bunting also scored as the Leafs avenged their 5-1 loss to the Kings in Toronto on Nov. 8.

— Timo Meier scored the go-ahead goal with 8:42 remaining and added two assists as the Sharks handed the Senators their third straight loss, 6-3. Logan Couture furnished a goal and an assist in the victory.

UNDATED (AP) — Michigan State is giving Mel Tucker a $95 million, 10-year contract to stay, making an aggressive move to keep a football coach who potentially could leave for LSU or the NFL.

The landmark deal funded by donors was finalized Wednesday night.

Tucker's contract establishes him as one of the richest coaches in college football. Only Alabama's Nick Saban at $9.7 million is paid more on an annual basis, according to the USA Today coaches' salaries database.

— Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim will return for a sixth year in 2022. He suffered a season-ending lower leg injury in the first game this year. Ibrahim was picked as a preseason Associated Press second team All-American for 2021. 

— Liberty and football coach Hugh Freeze have agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the Flames through 2028. The Flames are 25-10 since Freeze took over three years ago and were 10-1 last season, capping the year with a victory against No. 9 Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl. 

— A statue on the University of Michigan campus of legendary football coach Glenn "Bo" Schembechler (SHEM'-bek-lur) has been vandalized. A message supporting sexual assault victims of a former sports doctor was scrawled on the steps beneath it. A report by a law firm hired by the university found that officials including Schembechler failed to stop the late Dr. Robert Anderson, despite reports in the 1970s that he sexually assaulted student athletes.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Free agent pitcher Wade Davis is retiring at age 36 after 13 major league seasons. 

The three-time All-Star played for the Kansas City Royals this year and helped them win the 2015 World Series title. 

Davis was 63-55 with a 3.94 ERA and 141 saves in 161 chances for the Rays, Royals, Cubs and Rockies.

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Sports Headlines for Thursday

Cover image by Tommy Rezac / St. Joseph Post

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Even the mind of Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, whose ability to put on blinders and focus only on the future is downright legendary, can find its way back to a season that looked remarkably like this one.

You know, when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl?

That year began with then-new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo trying to implement a wholesale change in scheme, resulting in a bunch that was bad the previous year under Bob Sutton and just may have been worse. Throw in a whole bunch of injuries, including one to Patrick Mahomes, and the result was a decidedly un-championship-like 6-4 start to the year.

That was the same record the Chiefs had through the first 10 weeks this season.

It also was produced by a defense that was historically inept for the first eight weeks of the season, and injuries to such big names as Chris Jones, Frank Clark and Clyde Edwards-Helaire that hampered the Chiefs on both sides of the ball.

"I wouldn't say specifically that I've brought it up," Reid said. "I understand that, but you spend so much time focusing on getting yourself ready to play that those things don't necessarily have an impact. It does in the big picture, but when you're getting ready to play a good football team, you spend every minute trying to get the scheme down and get their scheme down and then understand their players. It's endless hours on that, trying to get that done."

Reid should have some time to ponder such comparisons during the Chiefs bye this week.

It probably would give him a whole lot of confidence in what lies ahead.

Back in 2019, the Chiefs ran the table after their mediocre start, relying on a defense that adapted to Spagnuolo's system and an offense that had a healthy Mahomes. They won their last game before their bye, which also came in Week 12, and began their torrid run to the playoffs by beating up the AFC West-rival Raiders after the break.

This year's version of the Chiefs also turned things around on defense. They have held four straight opponents to 301 yards or fewer, coinciding with a season-changing four-game win streak. And they played easily their best game of the season against the NFL's top-ranked offense in a 19-9 win over the Cowboys last week.

Dallas turned the ball over three times and managed just 276 yards in a game that was always in Kansas City's control.

"It got lost because the offense wasn't playing very well, that we were winning games because of the defense," Mahomes said. "People were so used to our offense kind of going out there and putting up these numbers, but I would say it every week when I was right here at the podium, don't lose how good our defense is playing."

Now the trick is to keep playing that way. 

The defense in 2019 managed to do it, holding three of its five opponents after the bye to fewer than 300 yards. It held the Titans to 295 yards in the AFC title game to usher the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl since 1971, then was strong enough to allow Kansas City to mount a comeback against the 49ers.

There's every reason to believe this year's bunch can do it, too. They have more talent top to bottom than the 2019 defense did, particularly since the arrival of pass rusher Melvin Ingram. His work opposite Frank Clark on the defensive line has allowed Chris Jones to move back to his more natural position at defensive tackle, and he's made life miserable for opposing quarters; he had 3 1/2 sacks, forced a fumble and recovered one against the Cowboys last weekend.

In the linebacker group, second-round pick Nick Bolton has given the Chiefs the kind of athleticism that they've lacked since Derrick Johnson retired. And in the secondary, L'Jarius Sneed is playing at a Pro Bowl level at cornerback, which has freed up three-time All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu to freelance a bit more and cause defensive havoc.

"I'm not trying to blame it on injuries," Spagnuolo said, "but it always feels better or seems to come together when you can have some consecutive weeks of the same guys. When you can get a volume of reps underneath your belt with the same guys, talking to the same guy — you know what I'm saying? To me, that would be the biggest thing."

Perhaps the most encouraging part of the Chiefs' midseason turnaround? Their high-powered offense still isn't in sync.

Imagine what the Chiefs could do the rest of the way if Mahomes and Co. start lighting up the scoreboard again.

"We lost some games close early that we probably should have won if we found ways to finish. We took some big lumps and had some big losses that we don't usually have here," Mahomes said. "We kind of went back to the drawing board, went back to the fundamentals and decided to take it week by week, go through the process, trust in the coaching staff. We're sitting here now with everything in front of us. We just have to keep that same mindset."

Cover image by Tommy Rezac / St. Joseph PostBy DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Even the mind of Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, whose ability to put on blinders and focus only on the future is downright legendary, can find its way back to a season that looked remarkably like this one.It was only two years ago.You know, when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl?That year began with then-new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo trying to implement a wholesale change in scheme, resulting in a bunch that was bad the previous year under Bob Sutton and just may have been worse. Throw in a whole bunch of injuries, including one to Patrick Mahomes, and the result was a decidedly un-championship-like 6-4 start to the year.That was the same record the Chiefs had through the first 10 weeks this season.It also was produced by a defense that was historically inept for the first eight weeks of the season, and injuries to such big names as Chris Jones, Frank Clark and Clyde Edwards-Helaire that hampered the Chiefs on both sides of the ball."I wouldn't say specifically that I've brought it up," Reid said. "I understand that, but you spend so much time focusing on getting yourself ready to play that those things don't necessarily have an impact. It does in the big picture, but when you're getting ready to play a good football team, you spend every minute trying to get the scheme down and get their scheme down and then understand their players. It's endless hours on that, trying to get that done."Reid should have some time to ponder such comparisons during the Chiefs bye this week.It probably would give him a whole lot of confidence in what lies ahead.Back in 2019, the Chiefs ran the table after their mediocre start, relying on a defense that adapted to Spagnuolo's system and an offense that had a healthy Mahomes. They won their last game before their bye, which also came in Week 12, and began their torrid run to the playoffs by beating up the AFC West-rival Raiders after the break.This year's version of the Chiefs also turned things around on defense. They have held four straight opponents to 301 yards or fewer, coinciding with a season-changing four-game win streak. And they played easily their best game of the season against the NFL's top-ranked offense in a 19-9 win over the Cowboys last week.Dallas turned the ball over three times and managed just 276 yards in a game that was always in Kansas City's control."It got lost because the offense wasn't playing very well, that we were winning games because of the defense," Mahomes said. "People were so used to our offense kind of going out there and putting up these numbers, but I would say it every week when I was right here at the podium, don't lose how good our defense is playing."Now the trick is to keep playing that way. The defense in 2019 managed to do it, holding three of its five opponents after the bye to fewer than 300 yards. It held the Titans to 295 yards in the AFC title game to usher the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl since 1971, then was strong enough to allow Kansas City to mount a comeback against the 49ers.There's every reason to believe this year's bunch can do it, too. They have more talent top to bottom than the 2019 defense did, particularly since the arrival of pass rusher Melvin Ingram. His work opposite Frank Clark on the defensive line has allowed Chris Jones to move back to his more natural position at defensive tackle, and he's made life miserable for opposing quarters; he had 3 1/2 sacks, forced a fumble and recovered one against the Cowboys last weekend.In the linebacker group, second-round pick Nick Bolton has given the Chiefs the kind of athleticism that they've lacked since Derrick Johnson retired. And in the secondary, L'Jarius Sneed is playing at a Pro Bowl level at cornerback, which has freed up three-time All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu to freelance a bit more and cause defensive havoc."I'm not trying to blame it on injuries," Spagnuolo said, "but it always feels better or seems to come together when you can have some consecutive weeks of the same guys. When you can get a volume of reps underneath your belt with the same guys, talking to the same guy — you know what I'm saying? To me, that would be the biggest thing."Perhaps the most encouraging part of the Chiefs' midseason turnaround? Their high-powered offense still isn't in sync.Imagine what the Chiefs could do the rest of the way if Mahomes and Co. start lighting up the scoreboard again."We lost some games close early that we probably should have won if we found ways to finish. We took some big lumps and had some big losses that we don't usually have here," Mahomes said. "We kind of went back to the drawing board, went back to the fundamentals and decided to take it week by week, go through the process, trust in the coaching staff. We're sitting here now with everything in front of us. We just have to keep that same mindset."

🏈 Chiefs see similarities to 2019 turnaround that led to title

KANSAS CITY, MO. (November 24, 2021) – Right-handed pitcher Wade Davis, who was a three-time All-Star and won a World Series championship with the Royals in 2015, announced his retirement from Major League Baseball today through his agency.

“Wade will forever be remembered by our fans, his teammates and our organization as an elite competitor and a very classy person,” said Dayton Moore, Royals President of Baseball Operations.

“He helped anchor one of the very best bullpens in Royals history which was a major factor in our World Championship in 2015. I’m forever thankful for the way he represented our great city and for the committed husband he is to Katelyn and the special father he is to Sully and Ty.”

Davis, 36, finished his career with the Royals this past year and also pitched for the club from 2013-16, which included recording the final outs of the 2015 World Series. His 13-year career included stints with the Tampa Bay Rays (2009-12), Chicago Cubs (2017) and Colorado Rockies (2018-20).

He pitched in six different postseasons, going 4-0 with eight saves and a 1.80 ERA (8 ER in 40.0 IP), with 57 strikeouts (12.83 K/9) combined. That includes three victories and four saves with Kansas City during the 2014 and 2015 postseasons, while pitching to a 0.36 ERA (1 ER in 25.0 IP).

After being acquired by Kansas City from Tampa Bay on Dec. 9, 2012, Davis made 24 starts with in 2013, before moving full-time to the bullpen in 2014. Since becoming a full-time reliever, he went 27-22 with 141 saves in 161 opportunities (87.6 percent) and a 3.25 ERA (172 ER in 476.2 IP). His save total in that span (2014-21) ranks 12th in the Majors, while he’s one of just 14 pitchers to collect 130 or more saves during that time.

He appeared in 40 games with the Royals in 2021 and recorded 38 strikeouts with 19 walks, also collecting a pair of saves. He recorded his final save on July 24 vs. Detroit, his 49th as a Royal, tying Steve Farr for the ninth-most in franchise history.

A native of Lake Wales, Fla., Davis and his wife, Katelyn, have a daughter, Sully and a son, Ty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1627251145230.jpeg" alt="Royals blue and gold logo.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Royals blue and gold logo.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, MO. (November 24, 2021) – Right-handed pitcher Wade Davis, who was a three-time All-Star and won a World Series championship with the Royals in 2015, announced his retirement from Major League Baseball today through his agency.“Wade will forever be remembered by our fans, his teammates and our organization as an elite competitor and a very classy person,” said Dayton Moore, Royals President of Baseball Operations.“He helped anchor one of the very best bullpens in Royals history which was a major factor in our World Championship in 2015. I’m forever thankful for the way he represented our great city and for the committed husband he is to Katelyn and the special father he is to Sully and Ty.”Davis, 36, finished his career with the Royals this past year and also pitched for the club from 2013-16, which included recording the final outs of the 2015 World Series. His 13-year career included stints with the Tampa Bay Rays (2009-12), Chicago Cubs (2017) and Colorado Rockies (2018-20).He pitched in six different postseasons, going 4-0 with eight saves and a 1.80 ERA (8 ER in 40.0 IP), with 57 strikeouts (12.83 K/9) combined. That includes three victories and four saves with Kansas City during the 2014 and 2015 postseasons, while pitching to a 0.36 ERA (1 ER in 25.0 IP).After being acquired by Kansas City from Tampa Bay on Dec. 9, 2012, Davis made 24 starts with in 2013, before moving full-time to the bullpen in 2014. Since becoming a full-time reliever, he went 27-22 with 141 saves in 161 opportunities (87.6 percent) and a 3.25 ERA (172 ER in 476.2 IP). His save total in that span (2014-21) ranks 12th in the Majors, while he’s one of just 14 pitchers to collect 130 or more saves during that time.He appeared in 40 games with the Royals in 2021 and recorded 38 strikeouts with 19 walks, also collecting a pair of saves. He recorded his final save on July 24 vs. Detroit, his 49th as a Royal, tying Steve Farr for the ninth-most in franchise history.A native of Lake Wales, Fla., Davis and his wife, Katelyn, have a daughter, Sully and a son, Ty.

Royals World Series winner Wade Davis retires

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🎙 Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday Morning

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Freshman wide receiver Keagan Johnson is the next in a line of Nebraskans who will wear the black and gold of Iowa when the Hawkeyes visit Lincoln on Friday. Four Nebraskans have been Iowa starters over the six straight years the Hawkeyes have beaten the Huskers. Johnson will be the fifth when the 17th-ranked Hawkeyes go for their seventh win in a row in the series. Johnson played high school football at Bellevue West and chose Iowa over Nebraska. His father, Clester Johnson, played on the Cornhuskers' 1994-95 national championship teams.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kofi Cockburn had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Alfonso Plummer hit seven 3-pointers and added 21 points, and No. 14 Illinois held off pesky Kansas State 72-64 in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Markquis Nowell scored 19 points and Nijel Pack had 15 for the Wildcats. They made it tough down the stretch in part by forcing 18 turnovers and turning them into 23 points while committing just four of their own.

UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12's leading rusher was tackling running backs at the end of last season. Abram Smith had 1,249 yards rushing for ninth-ranked Baylor after being a starting linebacker the final four games in 2020. Iowa State junior Breece Hall has rushed for a TD in 23 consecutive games to tie an FBS record. The Big 12 doesn't yet have a 3,000-yard passer of 1,000-yard receiver this year. But Smith and Hall are among the league's national-best five 1,000-yard rushers already. There is the chance to add two more in the last regular-season games this week.

UNDATED (AP) — Big Ten coaches are enjoying stability at a time when programs in other conferences aren't even bothering to wait until the end of the season to make changes. The Big Ten is the only Power Five conference that hasn't had at least one head coaching change since the start of the season. That follows an offseason in which Illinois was the lone Big Ten school to fire a coach. Only three of the 14 Big Ten coaches are in their first or second season on the job.&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has filled the blanks for its previously scheduled Week 15 Saturday doubleheader by moving the Raiders at Browns and Patriots at Colts from Sunday. Las Vegas will be at Cleveland at 4:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 18, followed by New England at Indianapolis at 8:20 p.m. Both games will be televised by NFL Network. The three other games that potentially could have been moved will remain on Sunday, Dec. 19. They are the Jets at Miami, Washington at Philadelphia, and Carolina at Buffalo. NFL schedule makers frequently place games on Saturdays in mid-to-late December when college football's regular season has concluded. On Christmas Day, also a Saturday, the league will have Cleveland at Green Bay, followed by Indianapolis at Arizona.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bill Virdon, who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1960 World Series before enjoying success as manager of the Houston Astros, has died. He was 90. Virdon spent 12 years in the major leagues as a centerfielder. He won the 1955 National League's Rookie of the Year Award with St. Louis before moving to Pittsburgh. Virdon's long tenure with the Pirates included helping Pittsburgh upset the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. Virdon spent 13 seasons as a major league manager and was the 1980 NL Manager of the Year after helping the Astros reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Terrance Shannon Jr. scored 18 points and Texas Tech beat Omaha 96-40. The 56-point margin of victory ranks fifth in program history. The Red Raiders beat Nicholls State by 72 points in the 2002-03 season. Shannon sank 6 of 11 shots — 3 of 4 from 3-point range — for the Red Raiders (5-0). Texas Tech led 43-20 at halftime and used a 21-0 run in the second half to take a 74-27 lead with 9:06 left to play.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — What was one of the worst defenses in the NFL — and maybe Chiefs history — the first six weeks of the season showed just how stout it has become on Sunday. Kansas City held the NFL-leading Cowboys to 276 yards, sacked Dak Prescott five times and picked him off twice. Kansas City kept Dallas out of the end zone entirely in a 19-9 victory. Good thing because the Kansas City offense struggled again. Patrick Mahomes was held to 260 yards while throwing an interception and losing a fumble. The Chiefs went 4 of 12 on third downs and managed 370 yards of their own. And the running game was frequently bottled up on a chilly evening at Arrowhead Stadium.

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and UCLA are 1-2 in The Associated Press men's basketball poll, but the Bulldogs showed on Tuesday that there could be a wide difference between the two games.

Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points and the top-ranked Zags improved to 6-0 by whipping the second-ranked Bruins, 83-63 to win the Empire Classic. Freshman Chet Holmgren showed off his unique skill set with an array of blocks and dunks, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and four rejections. Drew Timme (TIH'-mee) was just as effective inside, scoring 18 points.

Jaime Jaquez (HY'-may HAH'-kehz) Jr. tried to keep the Bruins in it, finishing with 19 points before UCLA fell to 5-1.

It was the first meeting between the two teams since their epic battle in the Final Four last spring.

— Wisconsin blew most of a 20-point, halftime lead before eking out a 65-63 upset over 12th-ranked Houston. Johnny Davis scored a career-high 30 points on 10 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Tyler Wahl chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds, while Brad Davison also had nine points for the Badgers.

— Au'Diese Toney scored 19 points, including the go-ahead free throws with just over a minute left to send No. 13 Arkansas past Cincinnati, 73-67 in the Hall of Fame Classic title game. Chris Lykes was perfect at the foul line down the stretch to finish with 15 points. Arkansas grabbed three consecutive offensive rebounds before Lykes was fouled and made two free throws with 21.8 seconds to play.

— Kofi Cockburn had a double-double and 14th-ranked Illinois bounced back from consecutive losses to hold off Kansas State, 72-64 in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Cockburn provided 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Illini, who were coming off a 20-point loss to Cincinnati in the semifinals. Illinois shot 12 of 26 from 3-point range, with Alfonso Plummer going 7-for-9 while scoring 21 points.

Knicks beat Lakers after blowing 25-point lead

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Knicks were able to regroup after squandering a 25-point lead against the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers.

Immanuel Quickley nailed four 3-pointers in the final period to bail out the Knicks in a 106-100 victory over the Lakers. Quickly scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth, helping New York stretch a three-point lead to 12 with 4:58 remaining.

Julius Randle added 20 points, 16 rebounds and five assists for the Knicks, but sat for eight minutes of the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul. Evan Fournier (FOHRN'-yay) scored 26 points to lead the Knickerbockers.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Freshman wide receiver Keagan Johnson is the next in a line of Nebraskans who will wear the black and gold of Iowa when the Hawkeyes visit Lincoln on Friday. Four Nebraskans have been Iowa starters over the six straight years the Hawkeyes have beaten the Huskers. Johnson will be the fifth when the 17th-ranked Hawkeyes go for their seventh win in a row in the series. Johnson played high school football at Bellevue West and chose Iowa over Nebraska. His father, Clester Johnson, played on the Cornhuskers' 1994-95 national championship teams.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kofi Cockburn had 23 points and 13 rebounds, Alfonso Plummer hit seven 3-pointers and added 21 points, and No. 14 Illinois held off pesky Kansas State 72-64 in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Markquis Nowell scored 19 points and Nijel Pack had 15 for the Wildcats. They made it tough down the stretch in part by forcing 18 turnovers and turning them into 23 points while committing just four of their own.UNDATED (AP) — The Big 12's leading rusher was tackling running backs at the end of last season. Abram Smith had 1,249 yards rushing for ninth-ranked Baylor after being a starting linebacker the final four games in 2020. Iowa State junior Breece Hall has rushed for a TD in 23 consecutive games to tie an FBS record. The Big 12 doesn't yet have a 3,000-yard passer of 1,000-yard receiver this year. But Smith and Hall are among the league's national-best five 1,000-yard rushers already. There is the chance to add two more in the last regular-season games this week.UNDATED (AP) — Big Ten coaches are enjoying stability at a time when programs in other conferences aren't even bothering to wait until the end of the season to make changes. The Big Ten is the only Power Five conference that hasn't had at least one head coaching change since the start of the season. That follows an offseason in which Illinois was the lone Big Ten school to fire a coach. Only three of the 14 Big Ten coaches are in their first or second season on the job.&nbsp;NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has filled the blanks for its previously scheduled Week 15 Saturday doubleheader by moving the Raiders at Browns and Patriots at Colts from Sunday. Las Vegas will be at Cleveland at 4:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 18, followed by New England at Indianapolis at 8:20 p.m. Both games will be televised by NFL Network. The three other games that potentially could have been moved will remain on Sunday, Dec. 19. They are the Jets at Miami, Washington at Philadelphia, and Carolina at Buffalo. NFL schedule makers frequently place games on Saturdays in mid-to-late December when college football's regular season has concluded. On Christmas Day, also a Saturday, the league will have Cleveland at Green Bay, followed by Indianapolis at Arizona.PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bill Virdon, who helped the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1960 World Series before enjoying success as manager of the Houston Astros, has died. He was 90. Virdon spent 12 years in the major leagues as a centerfielder. He won the 1955 National League's Rookie of the Year Award with St. Louis before moving to Pittsburgh. Virdon's long tenure with the Pirates included helping Pittsburgh upset the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. Virdon spent 13 seasons as a major league manager and was the 1980 NL Manager of the Year after helping the Astros reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Terrance Shannon Jr. scored 18 points and Texas Tech beat Omaha 96-40. The 56-point margin of victory ranks fifth in program history. The Red Raiders beat Nicholls State by 72 points in the 2002-03 season. Shannon sank 6 of 11 shots — 3 of 4 from 3-point range — for the Red Raiders (5-0). Texas Tech led 43-20 at halftime and used a 21-0 run in the second half to take a 74-27 lead with 9:06 left to play.KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — What was one of the worst defenses in the NFL — and maybe Chiefs history — the first six weeks of the season showed just how stout it has become on Sunday. Kansas City held the NFL-leading Cowboys to 276 yards, sacked Dak Prescott five times and picked him off twice. Kansas City kept Dallas out of the end zone entirely in a 19-9 victory. Good thing because the Kansas City offense struggled again. Patrick Mahomes was held to 260 yards while throwing an interception and losing a fumble. The Chiefs went 4 of 12 on third downs and managed 370 yards of their own. And the running game was frequently bottled up on a chilly evening at Arrowhead Stadium.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEGonzaga hammers UCLAUNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and UCLA are 1-2 in The Associated Press men's basketball poll, but the Bulldogs showed on Tuesday that there could be a wide difference between the two games.Andrew Nembhard scored 24 points and the top-ranked Zags improved to 6-0 by whipping the second-ranked Bruins, 83-63 to win the Empire Classic. Freshman Chet Holmgren showed off his unique skill set with an array of blocks and dunks, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and four rejections. Drew Timme (TIH'-mee) was just as effective inside, scoring 18 points.Jaime Jaquez (HY'-may HAH'-kehz) Jr. tried to keep the Bruins in it, finishing with 19 points before UCLA fell to 5-1.It was the first meeting between the two teams since their epic battle in the Final Four last spring.In other top-25 action on Tuesday:— Wisconsin blew most of a 20-point, halftime lead before eking out a 65-63 upset over 12th-ranked Houston. Johnny Davis scored a career-high 30 points on 10 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Tyler Wahl chipped in with nine points and seven rebounds, while Brad Davison also had nine points for the Badgers.— Au'Diese Toney scored 19 points, including the go-ahead free throws with just over a minute left to send No. 13 Arkansas past Cincinnati, 73-67 in the Hall of Fame Classic title game. Chris Lykes was perfect at the foul line down the stretch to finish with 15 points. Arkansas grabbed three consecutive offensive rebounds before Lykes was fouled and made two free throws with 21.8 seconds to play.— Kofi Cockburn had a double-double and 14th-ranked Illinois bounced back from consecutive losses to hold off Kansas State, 72-64 in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Cockburn provided 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Illini, who were coming off a 20-point loss to Cincinnati in the semifinals. Illinois shot 12 of 26 from 3-point range, with Alfonso Plummer going 7-for-9 while scoring 21 points.NBA-SCHEDULEKnicks beat Lakers after blowing 25-point leadUNDATED (AP) — The New York Knicks were able to regroup after squandering a 25-point lead against the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers.Immanuel Quickley nailed four 3-pointers in the final period to bail out the Knicks in a 106-100 victory over the Lakers. Quickly scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth, helping New York stretch a three-point lead to 12 with 4:58 remaining.Julius Randle added 20 points, 16 rebounds and five assists for the Knicks, but sat for eight minutes of the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul. Evan Fournier (FOHRN'-yay) scored 26 points to lead the Knickerbockers.Russell Westbrook had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for LA, which played while LeBron James served a one-game suspension for his altercation in Sunday's win over the Pistons.Checking out Tuesday's other NBA action:— Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) had 31 points and eight rebounds in the Heat's 100-92 comeback win over the Pistons. Miami trailed by nine before opening the fourth quarter on a 27-6 run. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) each provided 15 points and nine boards in the Heat's fifth win in six games. — Luka Dončić (DAHN'-chihch) had 26 points in his return to the Dallas lineup as the Mavericks defeated the Clippers, 112-104 in overtime. The Mavericks were up 102-92 late in the fourth quarter before the Clippers scored 11 of the final 12 points to force overtime, including a 3-pointer by Paul George at the buzzer. Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihz) scored six of his team-high 30 points in the extra session.— CJ McCollum poured in 32 points and the Trail Blazers handed the depleted Nuggets their fifth straight loss, 119-100. Damian Lillard had 25 points and five assists to help Portland earn its fourth straight win overall and ninth in a row at home. The Trail Blazers unleashed an 18-3 spurt to close the first half, sparked by four 3-pointers from Lillard and capped by a buzzer-beating layup by McCollum, giving them a 64-52 lead at halftime. NBA-NEWSThompson closer to returningSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson practiced at full speed on Tuesday after resuming five-on-five, full-court scrimmaging. Thompson is making a comeback from surgery last November for a torn right Achilles tendon. He missed the previous season due to a torn ACL in his left knee.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CFP RANKINGSGeorgia still No. 1, Cincinnati cracks top 4UNDATED (AP) — Georgia continues to top the latest CFP rankings, but there's a new No. 2 and No. 4.Ohio State has moved ahead of Alabama for second, with Cincinnati holding the other semifinal slot. The Bulldogs and Bearcats are the only unbeaten teams in the rankings.Cincinnati plays at East Carolina on Friday and then meets Houston, ranked 24th by the committee, in the American Athletic Conference championship game on Dec. 4.Michigan is fifth, followed by Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Mississippi and Oklahoma.The final CFP rankings will be revealed Dec. 5 and the top four teams will play in the semifinals on Dec. 31 in the Orange and Cotton bowls. The national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 10 in Indianapolis.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-PENN STATE-FRANKLINFranklin gets new dealSTATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State football coach James Franklin has agreed to a new 10-year contract that will guarantee him at least $75 million through 2031.Franklin and Penn State's Board of Trustees agreed to the terms, which include a yearly base salary of $7 million, retention bonuses of $500,000 each year and a $1 million annual loan for life insurance.Franklin is 67-32 at Penn State with seven bowl appearances and one Big Ten championship in his eight seasons. NFL-NEWSTitans drop PetersonUNDATED (AP) — Adrian Peterson didn't last very long with the Tennessee Titans, waived after just three games and replaced by the signing of running back Dontrell Hilliard from the practice squad. Peterson started two games and had 27 carries for 82 yards and a 3.0-yard average per rushing attempt and one touchdown run. The Titans also signed defensive back Buster Skrine (skreen) and outside linebacker John Simon while placing defensive back Chris Jackson and wide receiver Marcus Johnson on injured reserve. Also around the NFL:— Bears head coach Mike Nagy spent half of his press conference on Tuesday dealing with a report saying he has been told he will no longer coach the team after Thursday's game in Detroit. The report about the firing was published by Patch.com and was described by Nagy as "not accurate." The Bears go into Thanksgiving on a five-game losing streak that leaves them 3-7.— The Giants have fired offensive coordinator Jason Garrett after a dreadful performance in a nationally televised game against the Buccaneers. There was no immediate word on who would replace Garrett for the game Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Eagles. Former Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens is on the staff and could take over.—A person with direct knowledge of the decision says Zach Wilson will return as the Jets' starting quarterback Sunday against the Texans in Houston. The No. 2 overall pick in April missed the past four games with a sprained posterior collateral ligament in his right knee. — The Vikings have placed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on the COVID-19 reserve list. NHL-SCHEDULEBolts blank FlyersUNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning have points in 11 of their last 12 games by blanking the Philadelphia Flyers.Andrei Vasilevskiy (va-sih-LEHV'-skee) turned back 34 shots and a pair of Lightning players ended lengthy goal droughts in a 4-0 shutout of the Flyers. Vasilevskiy posted his first shutout of the season and 27th of his career. Zach Bogosian scored for the first time in 63 games, ending a drought that began after a goal against the Red Wings in January 2020. Corey Perry had gone 37 games without a goal before finally netting his 387th.Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists for the Lightning.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Red-hot Roope (ROO'-pay) Hintz scored the first of two Dallas power-play goals in the first period of a 4-1 verdict over the Oilers. Hintz has scored all six of his goals this season in the last six games, including a pair of short-handed tallies on Saturday. The Oilers were held to a season-low 21 shots in losing for just the fifth time in 18 games.— The Flames picked up their fourth straight win as Matthew Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK') produced the tiebreaking goal with 5:35 remaining in their 5-2 win against the Blackhawks. Dillon Dube and Milan Lucic also scored for Calgary before Trevor Lewis and Johnny Gaudreau each added empty-netters. Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves for the Flames, who lead the Western Conference with 30 points.NHL-NEWSMediation set for Blackhawks, former player in assault caseUNDATED (AP) — A former player who sued the Chicago Blackhawks has agreed to mediation in hopes of settling the case. Kyle Beach says the team did nothing when he raised allegations of sexual assault against assistant coach Bradley Aldrich in 2010. An investigation commissioned by the team largely found that to be true. The fallout included top executives losing their jobs and an NHL fine of $2 million. Mediation is set to begin in December. In other NHL news:— Lightning star center Brayden Point is expected to miss four to six weeks because of an upper-body injury suffered in Saturday's loss to New Jersey. Point appeared to favor his left shoulder or arm after crashing hard into the end boards after being tripped in the third period. Point had an NHL-best 14 goals in last season's playoffs.MLB-NEWSAll-star, manager Bill Virdon diesUNDATED (AP) — Former major league outfielder and manager Bill Virdon has died in a Missouri medical center at age 90.Virdon was a career .267 hitter in 12 seasons with St. Louis and Pittsburgh, winning a World Series in 1960 with the Pirates and a Gold Glove in 1962. He was 995-921 during a 13-year managerial career that featured stints with Pittsburgh, the New York Yankees, Houston and Montreal.No cause of death was given.Elsewhere in the majors:— Outfielder Clint Frazier and infielder Rougned Odor (ROOG'-nehd oh-DOHR') have been released by the Yankees after clearing waivers, four days after they were designated for assignment. Frazier hit .186 with five homers and 15 RBIs this year. Odor batted .202 with 15 homers and 39 RBIs in 322 at-bats. <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 news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;