>>Maryland Fires DJ Durkin
(College Park, MD) — The University of Maryland is firing head football coach DJ Durkin after all. The university reversed course yesterday and let Durkin go after protests and backlash. The board of regents had recommended he keep his job after an investigation into the death of Jordan McNair, who died from heatstroke in practice in June.
>>49ers, Raiders Clash At Levi’s
(Santa Clara, CA) — The Battle of the Bay kicks off tonight as the 49ers clash with the Raiders in Santa Clara. San Francisco may be without quarterback C.J. Beathard, who has a wrist injury. Pro Bowl guard Kelechi Osemele is a game-time decision for Oakland. Both teams have just one win. The Raiders are 1-and-6. The 49ers are 1-and-7.
>>Rose Scores 50 As T’wolves Top Jazz
(Minneapolis, MN) — Derrick Rose scored a career-high 50 points as the Timberwolves downed the Jazz 128-125 in Minnesota. Rose shot 19-of-31 from the field and scored six points in the final minute to seal the deal. The former MVP hasn’t been the same player since multiple knee injuries derailed his career. Rose was emotional after the game.
>>Bulls Lose Overtime Thriller To Nuggets
(Chicago, IL) — Paul Millsap’s putback with one-tenth of a second left lifted the Nuggets to a thrilling 108-107 overtime victory against the Bulls at the United Center. Zach LaVine [[ luh-VEEN ]] scored a game-high 28 points for Chicago. Rookie Wendell Carter Jr. netted a career-high 25 points for the Bulls, who dropped to 2-and-6. They’re back home to play the Pacers tomorrow.
>>Canucks Top Blackhawks
(Vancouver, British Columbia) — The Canucks scored twice in the third period to beat the Blackhawks 4-2 in Vancouver. Brandon Saad lit the lamp in the first and Jonathan Toews [[ Taves ]] scored in the second for the Hawks, who dropped to 6-4-and-3. With his power-play goal, Toews moved past Dennis Hull into sixth all-time on the Blackhawks’ career goals list. Chicago travels to Edmonton tonight.
>>Blues Host Golden Knights Tonight
(St. Louis, MO) — The Blues are set to do battle tonight with the Golden Knights at the Enterprise Center. St. Louis is 3-4-and-3 on the season, while Vegas is 5-6-and-1. Blues goalie Jake Allen is expected to play despite being injured in Saturday’s victory over the Blackhawks. Jonathan Marchessault [[ MAR-shuh-soh ]] leads Golden Knights scorers this season with six goals and six assists.
>>Dodgers, Kershaw Extend Opt-Out Deadline
(Los Angeles, CA) — The Dodgers and ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw have agreed to extend his contract opt-out deadline until tomorrow. The 30-year-old lefty originally had until yesterday to opt out, but was granted an extension. Kershaw has two years and 65-million-dollars left on his current contract, but can become a free agent if he so chooses.
>>Giants Legend McCovey Dies
(San Francisco, CA) — San Francisco Giants legend Willie McCovey is dead. He passed away yesterday at the age of 80. “Stretch” played in the majors from 1959 through 1980, retiring with 521 career home runs. The Hall of Famer spent 19 of his 22 seasons with the Giants. McCovey was the 1959 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1969 NL MVP.
>>Cubs Exercise Option On Starter Jose Quintana
(Chicago, IL) — The Cubs are bringing back starter Jose Quintana. The team exercised its 10.5-million-dollar option on the left-hander after he went 13-and-11 with a 4.03 ERA in 32 starts this year. Chicago has decisions pending this week on 2019 club options for pitchers Cole Hamels and Pedro Strop [[ Strope ]]. In a small move, the Cubs claimed lefty reliever Jerry Vasto off waivers from Kansas City.
>>Illinois Hosts Minnesota Saturday
(Champaign, IL) — Illinois football is set to host Minnesota on Saturday. The Illini are 3-and-5 overall and 1-and-4 in the Big Ten. The Gophers are 4-and-4 and 1-and-4 in conference play. Running back Reggie Corbin has been Illinois’ biggest offensive weapon this season, ranking second nationally and first in the Big Ten with just over eight yards per carry.