AP Sports Summary for December 28th, 2023.
Owens, Presley help No. 22 Oklahoma State beat Texas A&M 31-23 in Texas Bowl
HOUSTON (AP) — Rashod Owens had a career-high 164 yards receiving with two touchdowns and Brennan Presley tied a school record with 16 receptions and had 152 yards receiving in No. 22 Oklahoma State's 31-23 victory over Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night. Ollie Gordon II, the Doak Walker Award winner, added 118 yards rushing to finish the season with 2,062 yards of offense for Oklahoma State (10-4). Alan Bowman had 402 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Cowboys missed a 47-yard field goal with 17 seconds to go and the Aggies (7-6) had another chance to score. But Marcel Reed's pass was intercepted near the end zone by Kendal Daniels on the last play of the game.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins the Los Angeles Dodgers, vows to compete for championships alongside Ohtani
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have finalized their 12-year deal with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They've teamed the prized free-agent right-hander with Shohei Ohtani in their prolific winter spending spree. The 25-year-old Yamamoto was coveted by teams across the majors after he elected to leave the Orix Buffaloes this offseason. The big-budget Dodgers landed him with a mammoth deal after already acquiring Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow this month. Yamamoto has posted spectacular numbers in Japan's top league in recent years, winning three straight Most Valuable Player awards in the Nippon Pacific League.
Denver Broncos bench QB Russell Wilson and will turn to Jarrett Stidham
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are benching quarterback Russell Wilson for their game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Wilson will serve as a backup to Jarrett Stidham. Coach Sean Payton said he made the move because the offense needs a spark. Payton has been vocal about his displeasure over the team's offensive struggles and two weeks ago had a sideline blowup directed at Wilson. The Broncos could move on from Wilson in the offseason, but it would be costly as they'd have $85 million in dead cap money over the next two years.
Chiefs' Andy Reid and Travis Kelce hash things out after sideline outburst vs Raiders
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid says he has talked with Travis Kelce after the star tight end's sideline outburst in which he chucked his helmet toward the benches during a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas. Reid didn't elaborate on what was said during the conversation. Kelce said on his "New Heights" podcast earlier Wednesday that he "reacted in a bad way" to the way the Kansas City offense continued to underperform. The Chiefs have lost three of their past four games to fall to 9-6, leaving them still in need of a win to clinch the AFC West. They play the Bengals on Sunday.
Picking the CFP semis: Alabama and Texas have the edge to reach the national championship game
The final four-team College Football Playoff promises to be one of the closest in the 10-year history of the event. The combined spread of the two New Year's Day semifinals is just six points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. No. 1 Michigan is a 1 1/2-point favorite against fourth-seeded Alabama in the Rose Bowl. No. 3 Texas is a 4 1/2-point favorite over No. 2 Washington in the Sugar Bowl. AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo thinks Alabama and Texas will advance to the national title game.
USC's Moss throws Holiday Bowl-record 6 TD passes in 42-28 victory over No. 16 Louisville
SAN DIEGO (AP) — With Caleb Williams watching from the sideline, Miller Moss threw a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdown passes in his first college start and Southern California ended a frustrating season by beating No. 16 Louisville 42-28. Moss took full advantage of the opportunity he was given when Williams opted out. Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and presumptive first overall pick in the NFL draft, watched from the sideline wearing a white T-shirt with his No. 13 jersey hanging around his neck. Moss was 23 of 33 for 372 yards, with one interception.
Mark Cuban says the changing NBA landscape led to his sale of the Mavs to casino families
DALLAS (AP) — Mark Cuban sees a future of NBA ownership where the advantages will be in real estate. The high-profile billionaire says that's why he sold his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to a pair of families with strong ties to the hotel and casino industry. The NBA on Wednesday approved Cuban's sale of a controlling interest in the Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families, who run Las Vegas Sands Corp. They will spend roughly $3.5 billion for their share of the team. Patrick Dumont will serve as Mavericks governor. Cuban will be alternate governor with a 27% share of the team and retain control of basketball operations.
Herb Kohl, former US senator and owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, has died. He was 88
Herb Kohl, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Wisconsin and former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, has died. He was 88. His death Wednesday was announced by Herb Kohl Philanthropies. The foundation did not give a cause but said he died after a brief illness. Kohl was a popular figure in Wisconsin. He purchased the Bucks to keep them from leaving town and spent generously from his fortune on civic and educational causes throughout the state. He also used his money to fund his Senate races, allowing to him to portray himself as "nobody's senator but yours."
Kris Letang becomes 1st NHL defenseman with 5 points in a period, Penguins bury Islanders 7-0
NEW YORK (AP) — Kris Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history to record five points in a period with five assists in the second for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7-0 win over the New York Islanders. Letang had a total of six assists in the game while Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each scored two goals. Tristan Jarry finished with 21 saves for his fourth shutout of the season. Rickard Rakell, Radim Zohorna and Valtteri Puustinen also scored for Pittsburgh and Marcus Pettersson picked up four assists in the first game back following a three-day NHL holiday break.
Garrett Greene helps West Virginia beat North Carolina 30-10 in the Duke's Mayo Bowl
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Garrett Greene threw for 204 yards and a touchdown, Beanie Bishop Jr. returned a punt 78 yards for a score and West Virginia closed a season in which it exceeded expectations with a 30-10 victory over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Traylon Ray had a 75-yard touchdown reception on the first play from scrimmage for the Mountaineers, who won their final three games to finish 9-4 after being picked to finish last in the Big 12. Selected the game MVP, Greene completed 11 of 22 passes. Jahiem White ran for 50 yards and a touchdown for West Virginia. North Carolina played quarterback Drake Maye andreceiver Tez Walker, who opted out of the game to begin preparing for the NFL draft.
AP-Scorecard
TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
___
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Toronto 132 Washington 102
Final Philadelphia 112 Orlando 92
Final Milwaukee 144 Brooklyn 122
Final Phoenix 129 Houston 113
Final Oklahoma City 129 New York 120
Final Cleveland 113 Dallas 110
___
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Rangers 5 Washington 1
Final Florida 3 Tampa Bay 2
Final OT New Jersey 4 Columbus 3
Final Ottawa 4 Toronto 2
Final Boston 4 Buffalo 1
Final Pittsburgh 7 N-Y Islanders 0
Final Minnesota 6 Detroit 3
Final St. Louis 2 Dallas 1
Final Carolina 5 Nashville 2
Final OT Chicago 2 Winnipeg 1
Final OT Arizona 5 Colorado 4
Final Seattle 2 Calgary 1
Final Anaheim 5 Vegas 2
Final Los Angeles 5 San Jose 1
___
TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final Virginia Tech 41 (23)Tulane 20
Final Southern Cal 42 (16)Louisville 28
Final (22)Oklahoma St. 31 Texas A&M 23