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Longhorns move up one spot in AP Top 25 after Houston win

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns moved up one spot to No. 7 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday.After their 31-24 win over Houston, thanks to a late CJ Baxter 16-yard rushing touchdown, the Longhorns sit right behind Oklahoma in the rankings. Oklahoma also had an interesting time against an unranked Big 12 opponent, beating Central Florida 31-29.Full AP Top 25The top six teams in the poll remained the same from last week. Georgia retained the No. 1 position for the 19th consecutive week, the third-best such streak in poll history. Michigan is No. 2, Ohio State is No. 3 followed by Florida State, Washington and Oklahoma. Oregon checks in behind the Longhorns at No. 8 while Alabama and Penn State round out the top 10.James Madison, playing in FBS for its second season, moved into the rankings at No. 25. The Dukes are undefeated at 7-0 but are ineligible to play for the Sun Belt Conference championship or a bowl game due to NCAA rules that require a two-year t...

Verstappen holds off Hamilton to earn hard-fought 50th career F1 victory at the US Grand Prix

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Red Bull's Max Verstappen charged to his 15th win of the season and the 50th of his Formula One career at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, when he started from sixth and then held off the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton over the final laps at the Circuit of the Americas.Verstappen had to work harder than usual in a season of almost complete domination by the three-time champion. But the power of his Red Bull and the right pit stop strategy calls navigated the Dutch driver to the finish line ahead of Hamilton by 2.2 seconds, even as the Mercedes was eating up chunks of time behind him over the final few laps.“I think the whole race I was struggling with the brakes. That made the race a bit tougher. It was very close at the end,” Verstappen said. “It's incredible to win my 50th grand prix here. Very proud. Of course, we will keep trying to push for more.”His 15th victory of 2023 tied the season record Verstappen set last year. He has been even more dominant this...

Timberwolves firmly believe in Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He does, too

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly was asked back on media day which player he felt was primed to make a “leap” this season for his franchise.Anthony Edwards, he noted, was an obvious response. The young superstar guard is seemingly ascending to new heights every season.But that wasn’t Connelly’s answer.“You know who had a great summer and isn’t getting talked about enough is Nickeil,” Connelly said.Which is fitting, because Nickeil Alexander-Walker wasn’t discussed much when he arrived in Minnesota. He was an afterthought for many in the trade that brought Mike Conley to the Timberwolves to replace D’Angelo Russell as the team’s floor general.Alexander-Walker didn’t really enter the Wolves’ conscience on a grand scale until he was pushed into starter duty in Minnesota’s second play-in game against Oklahoma City last season, when he was tasked with guarding his cousin — star Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — as Minnesota was without Jaden McDani...

Vikings star T.J. Hockenson is a product of Tight End U. How did the Iowa Hawkeyes develop that reputation?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

T.J. Hockenson was always going to wait for that scholarship offer from Iowa. Even after rival Iowa State made the first move.After growing up watching Dallas Clark star at tight end for the Hawkeyes in the early 2000s, Hockenson went on to play the same position a couple of hours away at Chariton High School.That made his college decision fairly simple.“I knew at a young age that was where I wanted to go,” Hockenson said. “Even though I wasn’t a big recruit, I think if I was, I still would’ve gone to Iowa.”Why wouldn’t he? There isn’t a better place for a tight end with hopes of making it to the NFL. The legacy started with Clark, who went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts, then continued with the likes of Scott Chandler, Brandon Myers and Tony Moeaki, all of whom were drafted after playing for the Hawkeyes.It has reached the pinnacle over the past decade or so with Iowa churning out a top prospect at tight end seemingly every yea...

Scotia man charged following fatal crash in Schenectady

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Scotia man was arrested following a fatal car crash that occurred in Schenectady on October 21. Gregory Mitchell, 31, is facing multiple charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On Saturday at 8:52 p.m., police responded to the area of Eastern Avenue's 800 block following reports of a serious motor vehicle crash. Upon arrival, officers located a vehicle on fire that had crashed into an unoccupied parked car.The driver of the vehicle, identified as Mitchell, was found nearby the crash, while a passenger was trapped inside the vehicle. The Schenectady Fire Department responded to put out the fire and provide medical treatment, however it was quickly determined that the passenger, identified as Jacqueline McCole, 47, of Scotia, was already deceased. Schenectady Police investigating State Street homicide Mitchell was then arrested and transported to Albany Medical Center to be treated for injuries...

Men’s basketball: Forward Sebastian Rancik commits to CU Buffs’ 2024 class

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

The Colorado men’s basketball team is shaping up to feature a young and formidable front court next year.On Saturday, another piece to CU’s recruiting puzzle fell into place as forward Sebastian Rancik announced his commitment to the Buffaloes as part of the 2024 recruiting class.Rancik is the third recruit to announce his pledge to CU ahead of the November national signing day, joining Texas big man Doryan Onwuchekwa and ThunderRidge standout guard Andrew Crawford.Rancik, who visited CU last month, is a 6-foot-9 native of Slovakia who moved to America in order to play prep basketball at JSerra Catholic High School in Southern California — a route similar to the one traveled by former CU forward Lucas Siewert, a native of Brazil.247Sports lists Rancik as a three-star recruit ranked 134th in his class nationally and 16th in the state of California. That site’s composite rankings sets Rancik as a four-star recruit ranked 113th nationally.As it stands, the Buffs are set to lose a...

Broncos 9, Packers 0: Wil Lutz’s three field goals give Denver halftime lead

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

Can the Broncos snap their cold streak to win their second game of the season? Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Packers at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.Live updatesHalftime analysis — Broncos 9, Packers 0Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Broncos swinging slightly harder in a good old fashioned pillow fight.If the Broncos run 35 plays in the second half, about 28 of them should involve Jaleel McLaughlin, Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine.Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Denver’s defense has been flying around. But man, Green Bay’s offense isn’t great. I’m not a coach but if I was, Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin will be getting a ton of touches in the second half.Sean Keeler, sports columnist:  Can we relegate the Packers?It’s the Broncos’ first first-half shutout at home since Sept. 26, 2021 against the Jets. Denver led that one 17-0, beat up on then-rookie Zach Wilson, and cruised to a 26-0 win. (Wilson is, um...

‘Leading candidate’ emerges in SF Giants managerial search: report

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

A frontrunner has reportedly emerged in the San Francisco Giants’ search for their next manager.Bob Melvin, who just finished his second season leading the Padres, will interview for the job, The Athletic reported, citing anonymous sources who also said the longtime A’s skipper and Bay Area native “instantly becomes the … leading candidate” to replace Gabe Kapler, whom the Giants fired last month.Melvin, 61, was granted permission by the Padres to interview with an NL West rival, potentially setting him to follow in the footsteps of another manager who fled north from San Diego, Bruce Bochy, whose three World Series rings give some credence to the idea.Born in Palo Alto, a graduate of UC Berkeley and an experienced, highly respected manager, Melvin initially emerged as one of the top potential candidates to succeed Kapler. That speculation was only fueled by reports of a growing rift between Melvin and Padres general manager A.J. Preller.But at the conc...

Meet the Republicans running for Speaker

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

WASHINGTON — Nine Republicans have announced that they will run for speaker, after the party cast aside Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as its latest nominee for the leadership post.A flood of lawmakers began campaigning just hours after Republicans voted in a closed-door meeting to restart the nomination process after Jordan, his support ebbing, failed on a third floor vote to win the speakership. The vote essentially ensured that the office of the speaker would remain empty for a third week.The lawmakers vying for the job include veterans of the House, committee chairs, a top member of Republican leadership and a sophomore. Virtually none have the kind of commanding national profile normally required of the speaker, who is not only second in line to the presidency but a key fundraiser for their party’s efforts to protect and expand its majority.They will have to navigate the same treacherous dynamics of a bitterly divided conference that the three men before them could not, leaving some R...

Israel orders more evacuations amid fears of conflict widening

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:52:42 GMT

As Israeli forces massed along the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday before an expected ground invasion of the enclave, escalating clashes on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon along with strikes in Syria and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank intensified fears of a widening regional conflict.Israeli authorities said they were expanding a state-funded evacuation plan to move residents from an additional 14 Israeli villages near the border with Lebanon to safer areas. The move came as Israel’s military said Sunday it was contending with increasing attacks from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia that controls southern Lebanon, that have resulted in civilian and military casualties.Amid concerns the conflict could spill over, the Pentagon said late Saturday that it was sending an anti-missile battery and battalions of the Patriot ground-based air defense system to the Middle East following “recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces.”U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ...