>>Illinois Falls To Maryland In OT
(Champaign, IL) — Illinois is 0-and-2 in conference play after a 92-91 overtime loss at home to Maryland. The Terps won with a free throw with one second left. The Fighting Illini opened Big Ten action with an overtime loss at Northwestern on Friday. Illinois is 6-and-3 and will host Austin Peay on Wednesday.
>>Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama Named CFP Semifinalists
(Undated) — Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama are the top four in the final College Football Playoff rankings and are headed to the national semifinals. Second-ranked Oklahoma faces number-three Georgia in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Top-ranked Clemson and number-four Alabama square off in the Sugar Bowl. The winners will meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 8th in Atlanta.
>>Report: Malzahn Staying At Auburn
(Auburn, AL) — Auburn is making sure head coach Gus Malzahn is sticking around. According to multiple outlets, Malzahn has agreed to a seven-year deal worth 49-million-dollars to remain with the Tigers. Auburn lost to Georgia 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game to fall just short of the College Football Playoff semifinals. Arkansas was rumored to be making a big push for Malzahn as the replacement for Brett Bielema.
>>Rickie Fowler Rallies To Win Hero World Challenge
(New Providence, Bahamas) — Rickie Fowler fired a course-record 11-under 61 in the final round to rally for a win at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Tiger Woods shot a four-under 68 in his final round. He finished in a tie for ninth with Matt Kuchar at eight-under. This was the first competitive action for Woods since withdrawing from the Dubai Desert Classic in February.
>>Gould, 49ers Strike Bears
(Chicago, IL) — Robbie Gould nailed the winning 24-yard field goal with four seconds left as the 49ers stumped the Bears, 15-14, in Chicago. Gould nailed five field goals against his former team. Tarik Cohen returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown for Chicago. Mitchell Trubisky was 12-of-15 for 102 yards and a score as the Bears fell to 3-and-9. Chicago is at the Bengals on Sunday.
>>Jaguars Dump Colts
(Jacksonville, FL) — The Colts losing streak is up to three games as they fell to the Jaguars, 30-10, in Jacksonville yesterday. Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for only 174 yards on 36 attempts with two interceptions and one touchdown. T.Y. Hilton had three catches for 51 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. The Colts dropped to 3-and-9 and visit the Bengals Sunday.
>>Saints Hold Off Panthers
(New Orleans, LA) — Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara combined for 145 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Saints topped the Panthers 31-21 in New Orleans. At 9-and-3, New Orleans is alone at the top of the NFC South. Carolina signal-caller Cam Newton threw for 183 yards, two scores, and led the team with 51 rushing yards in defeat. The Panthers had their winning streak halted at four as they fell to 8-and-4. They host the Vikings on Sunday.
>>Browns’ Gordon Plays Well In Season Debut
(Carson, CA) — The Browns fell to 0-and-12 on Sunday, but there is a bright spot coming from the loss to the Chargers. Cleveland wide receiver Josh Gordon made his return and had four catches for 85 yards. It was Gordon’s first game since December 21st, 2014. He has been suspended for 54 of the Browns’ last 59 games for breaking the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Gordon has had issues with drugs going back to his time in college.
>>Kings Sink Blackhawks
(Chicago, IL) — The Kings came to life in the third period to grab a 3-1 win over the Blackhawks at the United Center. A Jonathan Toews tally avoided a shutout for Chicago. Jonathan Quick turned away 24 shots as LA earned its fifth straight win. The Blackhawks have lost four in-a-row. They’re at the Caps on Wednesday.
>>Report: Marlins Have Multiple Stanton Deals Done
(Miami, FL) — Giancarlo Stanton might not be with the Marlins for much longer. MLB Network reported on Sunday that Miami has the framework of trades done with both the Giants and Cardinals. Stanton, who has a no-trade clause, would need to agree to join one of the teams to get something finished. He was the 2017 NL MVP, hitting .281 with 59 home runs and 132 RBI.
>>Cubs Still in Mix For Ohtani
(Chicago, IL) — The Cubs are bucking the trend in regards to big market teams chasing Japanese star Shoehei Ohtani. Chicago hasn’t been told they’ve been eliminated from the mix for the pitcher and slugger. Ohtani is taking a pass on the Yankees and Red Sox. He’s believed to be leaning towards going to a West Coast team from a smaller market. In other free agent news, the White Sox signed catcher Welington Castillo over the weekend.