Oct 24, 2020

Sports Headlines for Saturday

Posted Oct 24, 2020 10:16 AM

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

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ā€” The Minnesota Vikings say Matt Blair, one of the great linebackers in team history, has died. Blair had been suffering from dementia. The Star Tribune reported he died after a long stay in hospice. Drafted in the second round out of Iowa State in 1974, Blair played all 12 of his NFL seasons for the Vikings, from 1974 to 1985. He started 130 of the 160 regular-season games he played and had the second-most itackles n team history. Matt Blair was 70 years old.

UNDATED (AP) ā€” College football Saturdays this season have mostly been over by around midnight Eastern. Maybe 12:30 a.m. West of Texas, the only FBS program that has been up and running is BYU in Provo, Utah. That comes to end this weekend with the kickoff of the Mountain West season, which has been overshadowed by the much-anticipated start of the Big Ten. The marquee matchups on opening weekend include Mountain West favorite and defending champion Boise State hosting Utah State. There is also a showdown in the Big 12 and another overlooked team that is playing its first game of the season.

Update on the latest sports

MLB-WORLD SERIES

Dodgers whip Rays for 2-1 series lead

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ā€” Walker Buehler and the Los Angeles Dodgers have grabbed a two-games-to-one lead in the World Series.

Buehler allowed just three hits while striking out 10 over the six innings to help the Dodgers beat the Rays, 6-2. Buehler no-hit Tampa Bay until Manuel Margot (mahn-WEHL' mahr-GOH') and Willy Adames (ah-DAH'-mehs) doubled in the fifth.

Justin Turner put the Dodgers ahead with a first-inning homer off Charlie Morton, who was tagged for five runs over 4 1/3 frames. Austin Barnes also belted a solo shot and had two RBIs through six innings.

Max Muncy hit a two-run single for L.A.

Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena (ah-roh-zah-RAY'-nah) tied a single-year postseason record with his eighth home run, matching the mark shared by Barry Bonds, Carlos Beltran and Nelson Cruz Jr. Arozarena's ninth-inning blast capped the scoring.

Morton was attempting to tie Orlando Hernandez's record of eight straight winning postseason decisions.

Game 4 is Saturday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

T25 FOOTBALL-WISCONSIN/ILLINOIS

Badgers clobber Illini

MADISON, Wis. (AP) ā€” The Big Ten football season has begun with a blowout win by 14th-ranked Wisconsin.

Graham Mertz tied a Badgers record by throwing for five touchdowns in a 45-7 blasting of Illinois. Mertz set a school record for completion percentage on 20-of-21 passing, finishing with 248 yards in his first college start. The lone incompletion was a pass that running back Garrett Groshek dropped midway through the third quarter.

Mertz was 14 of 14 for 190 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone as Wisconsin built a 28-7 halftime lead. Three of his five touchdown passes went to tight end Jake Ferguson, who had seven catches for 72 yards.

Illini quarterback Brandon Peters had seven carries for 75 yards but was 8 of 19 through the air for only 87 yards.

NBA-UPCOMING SEASON

AP source: NBA targeting Dec. 22 as start to coming season

UNDATED (AP) ā€” A person with knowledge of the situation says the NBA's board of governors is considering a December start to the 2020-21 season, with Dec. 22 the initial target for opening night. The person tells The Associated Press that trimming the season to about 70 games is one of many options discussed by the league's owners Friday. That option would put the NBA Finals back in their normal June slot.

No decisions have been finalized and talks with the National Basketball Players Association remain ongoing on many matters, including the financial parameters that will be in place next season.

NFL-NEWS

AP source: Raiders' latest COVID tests all negative

UNDATED (AP) ā€” The Las Vegas Raiders' latest batch of COVID-19 tests all came back negative and their game scheduled for Sunday against Tampa Bay is on for now. That's according to a person familiar with the tests who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league doesn't release test results.

The Raiders placed two players on the COVID-19 list following positive tests earlier in the week and put five more players on the list because of "high risk" close contacts. The NFL moved the Raiders game against the Buccaneers from prime time to an afternoon slot on Sunday just in case the game couldn't be played. But the person says the plan is still to play the game Sunday unless the situation changes.

The problems arose when starting right tackle Trent Brown tested positive for the coronavirus and was placed on the COVID-19 list on Wednesday. The team sent home four other starting offensive linemen as well as safety Johnathan Abram because of possible close contact with Brown.

The league and union are investigating how the Raiders have handled coronavirus protocols.

In other NFL news:

ā€” Browns tight end Austin Hooper is undergoing an appendectomy and will miss Sunday's game against the Bengals. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Hooper isn't expected to miss significant time.

ā€” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone has ruled out linebacker Myles Jack and safety Jarrod Wilson for Sunday's game against the Chargers. Jacksonville also will be without defensive tackle Abry Jones, who was placed on injured reserve on Thursday.

ā€” The Buffalo Bills will be shorthanded at cornerback for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Veteran Josh Norman has been declared out with a hamstring injury. Tre'Davious White and Cam Lewis are questionable.

ā€” The Cincinnati Bengals will be without running back Joe Mixon for their game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Mixon injured his right foot in the first half of last week's game with the Colts.

ā€” Packers running back Aaron Jones has a calf injury that makes his status uncertain for his team's game Sunday at Houston. The injury kept Jones from practicing Friday. He had practiced all week up to that point.

ā€” The Saints will be without receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Michael Thomas for Sunday's game against Carolina. Sanderson has tested positive for COVID-19 and Thomas continues to be sidelined by a hamstring injury that has prevented him from practicing.

ā€” A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been fined by the team for breaking COVID-19 protocols. ESPN reported Haskins was fined just over $4,800 for making a reservation for a family friend at the team hotel last weekend when Washington visited the New York Giants, which is against the rules. The 2019 first-round pick hasn't played since he was demoted from starter to third string after three consecutive losses dropped Washington to 1-3.

ā€” Washington coach Ron Rivera says he'll undergo his final treatment for skin cancer Monday. Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in August.

ā€” Sam Darnold will return as the Jets' starting quarterback Sunday against the Bills as long as he has no further complications with his injured shoulder. Darnold has missed the last two games with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder suffered in New York's loss to Denver on Oct. 1.

ā€” The Giants have traded linebacker Markus Golden to the Cardinals for a sixth-round draft pick in 2021. Arizona needs depth at linebacker after losing 2019 All-Pro Chandler Jones for the season because of a biceps injury sustained on Oct 11 against the New York Jets.

ā€” The Ravens will have a crowd of about 7,000 fans at their next home game on Nov. 1 against Pittsburgh. It will be the first time this season that ticket holders will be allowed in the stadium. The increase in fans comes after the team received approval from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Baltimore Mayor Young to fill the stadium to 10% capacity.

NFL-OBIT-MATT BLAIR

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ā€” One of the great linebackers in Minnesota Vikings history has died at age 70.

The team has announced the death of six-time Pro Bowler Matt Blair, who had been suffering from dementia. He died Thursday after an extended period in hospice care, according to the Star Tribune

Blair played all 12 of his NFL seasons for the Vikings, from 1974 to 1985.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-ARMY-NAVY GAME

Army-Navy game moves from Philly to West Point

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) ā€” The 121st Army-Navy game will be played at West Point's Michie Stadium instead of Philadelphia.

The academies say the move is being made due to attendance limits placed on outdoor events in Pennsylvania because of the coronavirus pandemic. Those limits would not allow the entire Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen to attend. Army gets the Dec. 12 game because the Black Knights are designated as the home team.

It will mark the first time the game has been played at a home site since World War II when Annapolis hosted in 1942 and West Point got the 1943 game.

NCAA-ARIZONA

Formal notice of allegations for Arizona

UNDATED (AP) ā€” Arizona has received a formal notice of allegations from the NCAA stemming from a federal investigation into shady recruiting practices three years ago.

The university said in a statement it would not be releasing the documents at this time "in order to protect the integrity of the ongoing enforcement process."

The school has 90 days to respond. The NCAA then has 60 days to respond to the school's reply before a hearing will be set with the Committee on Infractions. Arizona had been in the NCAA's crosshairs since 2017, when assistant coach Emanuel Richardson was among 10 people arrested as part of a federal corruption investigation into college basketball.

PGA-ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Thomas leads at midway mark

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) ā€” Justin Thomas is the leader at the midway mark of the PGA's ZOZO Championship in California, one shot ahead of Dylan Frittelli and Lanto Griffin.

Thomas fired his second consecutive 65 to get to 14 under through two rounds. Fritelli and Griffin kept pace with 65s.

Patrick Cantlay and Scottie Scheffler are two off the pace.

Tiger Woods is 2 under and Phil Mickelson is at plus-2.

LPGA-DRIVE-ON CHAMPIONSHIP

McDonald leads through 36

GREENSBORO, Ga. (AP) ā€” Ally McDonald shot a 4-under 68 to take the lead in the LPGA Drive On Championship.

The 27-year-old from Mississippi made five straight birdies in the middle of the round, then gave back two strokes with bogeys on the par-4 fifth and par-5 sixth.

McDonald is 10 under through two rounds, one ahead of Danielle Kang and Bianca Pagdanganan.

HORSE RACING-DRUG TESTS-BAFFERT

Another horse in Baffert's stable draws a positive test

UNDATED (AP) ā€” A filly trained by two-time Triple Crown winner Bob Baffert has tested positive in a postrace drug test for the second time this year, making it the third positive test by a horse in Baffert's stable in the last six months.

Baffert lawyer Craig Robertson has confirmed Gamine's test results after her third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Sept. 4.