lucky draw
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Trailing by one at the 40-yard line with 14 seconds to play and no timeouts, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent in a play known as “church” to Luke Altmyer. The quarterback was to hit a receiver who was to go to the ground immediately. The offense would rush to the line of scrimmage and Altmyer would spike the ball to set up a potential winning field goal. Pat Bryant caught the pass at the 22 and then called his own split-second audible. Seeing a path to the end zone, the star receiver ran across the field on the way to the winning touchdown with 4 seconds left, sending the Illini to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday. “Coach called a perfect play," Bryant said. "A play we run all the time in our two-minute drill. I caught the ball and saw the sideline and saw nobody was over there. I had one guy to beat. I gave him a little move. I heard everybody jump and say ’Get out, get out,' but I put trust in myself and scored a touchdown.” Bryant's ninth TD reception of the season capped a roller-coaster finish to a Big Ten game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Illinois (8-3, 5-3) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Bielema sent his offense back on the field. “Pat is so aware of his surroundings," Bielema said after Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards. “He saw that corner and took off.” Schiano didn't second-guess his timeout but said he should have called it well before Moczulski kicked. “They made one more play than we did,” Schiano said. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown. Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. He put Illinois in front with a 30-yard TD run with 3:07 to go. He passed to Josh McCray on the 2-point conversion, making it 30-24. Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Athan Kaliakmanis had a 15-yard run on fourth down. He passed to running back Kyle Monangai for a 13-yard TD with 1:08 remaining. Illinois then drove 75 yards in eight plays for the win. “That's big-time football,” Monangai said. "They made a great play at the end of the game. I think we we played our hearts out to the end, to the very end, even that last play. Illinois did the same. They’re a great team. The chips fell their way today.” Kaliakmanis was 18 for 36 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 84 yards and two TDs. Monangai had a career-high 28 carries for 122 yards. Kaliakmanis found Ian Strong for a 2-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and he scored on a 1-yard run to lift Rutgers to a 24-15 lead early in the fourth quarter. Illinois responded with Aidan Laughery’s 8-yard TD run, setting the stage for the dramatic finish. The start of the second half was delayed because of a scrum between the teams. There were no punches thrown and the officials called penalties on both schools. Monangai’s day Monangai become the third player in Rutgers history to rush for 3,000 yards when he picked up 4 on a third-and-1 carry early in the second quarter. The defending conference rushing champion joins Ray Rice and Terrell Willis in hitting the mark. The takeaway Illinois: The great finish keeps the Illini in line for its first nine-win season since 2007 and a prestigious bowl game this season. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights were seconds away from their first in-conference three-game win streak since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Up next Illinois: At Northwestern next Saturday. Rutgers: At Michigan State next Saturday. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
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LONDON -- need no reminders of the class of , but when the forward produced a blood-twisting shimmy while registering an assist for 's goal in their at , the 32-year-old gave his employers a nudge which basically said, "Can you really do without me?" And just for good measure, did the same when he scored with a deflected shot from 25 yards on 55 minutes to put Arne Slot's side four goals clear of the Hammers and erase any doubt that the leaders would end 2024 with an eight-point lead at the top of the table. This was the easiest of wins for Liverpool against a lacklustre West Ham side -- a win which extended their unbeaten run to 23 games in all competitions -- but it was also a day when Salah, Alexander-Arnold and the majestic underlined just how important they still are to the club. Salah, who scored Liverpool's third of the night and created 's goal, and Alexander-Arnold grabbed the spotlight with their contributions to the scoreline, but Van Dijk's marshalling of the Liverpool defence was just as important, especially in the early stages when West Ham showed signs of life and threatened to score themselves. But by the middle of this week, Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk will be free to speak to non-English clubs about a free-agent move at the end of the season when their existing Anfield contracts expire. The Egyptian spoke post-match saying that he's "far away" from being able to give good contract news, less than 72 hours before he can speak to those other clubs. "The only thing on my mind is I want Liverpool to win the league and I want to be part of that," Salah said. "I will do my best for the team to win the trophy. There is a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again. "I am just trying to enjoy the game. At the end of the day I came here for the result and I wanted to do something in the game, but I am almost hungry for more." The uncertainty over three of Liverpool's modern-day legends has hovered over the club since the start of this season, with fans hanging on every single update, however insignificant, to give an indication as to whether they still extend their contracts. Despite the doubts over each of Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have been totally unfazed and shown no hint of being distracted by the "will they stay/will they leave" saga. But things could now get messy and how Liverpool deal with the speculation over the three players in the months ahead is perhaps the one issue that could derail their title bid. That seems an unlikely prospect right now. Slot and his players have been head and shoulders above the rest so far this season - Liverpool also sit three points clear of the chasing pack in the -- and they brushed West Ham aside without needing to get out of second gear. But off-field noise can become a distraction, especially if it coincides with a run of indifferent results. Salah has already put his future at the front and centre of the debate twice this season with strategically-timed comments, while recent days have seen reports in Spain offering the strongest hints yet that are hot on Alexander-Arnold's tail. Van Dijk has kept a low profile, as have Liverpool as a club, but sources have told ESPN that each negotiation is more complex than merely thrashing out a salary and contract length. With bonuses, image rights and agent fees to also discuss, contract talks can, and do, take months. But once clubs begin to make contact with the players -- if they haven't already -- then minds will naturally be diverted to thoughts of life in a new city, a new country and new colours. If Real offer to make Alexander-Arnold their new right-back, will he not allow his focus to shift to thoughts of wearing the iconic all-white kit at the Bernabéu? And if Liverpool successfully wrap a deal with one of the three, how will the other two react? Will they shrug their shoulders or demand parity, or more, than their teammate? These are all issues that Liverpool will face in the weeks and months ahead and there are huge financial stakes at play with each player, both in terms of the salary they might be forced to pay or the money they must find to try to replace them. But Alexander-Arnold's goal, Van Dijk's dominance of the defence and Salah's goal and assist showed just why Liverpool need all three to stay. Salah is arguably the best player in the world at the moment and he is top of the Premier League goal chart (17 goals) and the assists table (13 assists). We have begun to take for granted just how many goals he scores and creates. But his assist for Gakpo, who doubled Liverpool's lead after had scored their opener, was one of those moments that you generally only associate with a peak . Having received the ball from Diaz, Salah wriggled between two defenders and changed his body shape in the same movement before teeing up Gakpo. That move alone showed why he is unique and so crucial to Liverpool. But so are Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold and while the picture is rosy as Liverpool end 2024, there may be trouble ahead in 2025 if their big three become a distraction.The Best Anime Series On NetflixStock market today: Wall Street gets back to climbing, and the Nasdaq tops 20,000Brisbane news live: ‘Adult crime, adult time’ the focus before first parliament sitting
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Ashlon Jackson scored a career-high 30 points and No. 14 Duke defeated No. 10 Kansas State, 73-62 on Monday, in the semifinals of the Ball Dawgs Classic. The Blue Devils (6-1) overcame an early 11-point deficit behind Jackon’s shooting hand to advance to Wednesday’s championship game against the winner of the game between No. 9 Oklahoma and DePaul. Jackson, who has scored in double figures in all six of Duke’s games, shot 12 of 19 (63.1%) from the floor, including 6 of 9 (66.7%) from 3-point range. Reigan Richardson added 16 points for the Blue Devils. Kansas State (5-1) was led by Ayoka Lee, who had 16 points. Serena Sundell scored 15 and Kennedy Taylor came off the bench to add 11 for the Wildcats. Kansas State: With her 16-point performance, Lee needs 48 points to pass Kendra Wecker (2001-05) for the Kansas State career scoring record. Wecker scored 2,333 points. Lee, the 2024-25 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, is averaging 15.3 points. Duke: Jackson hit her season average of 13.3 points by the 3:54 mark of the second quarter when her pull-up jumper gave her 14. The junior guard was 8 of 11 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and had 20 points by halftime. With the Blue Devils trailing by six midway through the second quarter, Jackson triggered a 15-0 run with 13 of the team’s points to help Duke take a lead they’d never relinquish. Duke will face the winner of No. 9 Oklahoma-DePaul on Wednesday in the championship game, while Kansas State will face the loser in the consolation game. Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: andCovenant Logistics Group Announces Quarterly Cash DividendCaitlin Whyte netted 14 points with six rebounds,four assists and three steals to lead Middletown South to a 51-34 win over rival Middletown North during the WOBM Classic at RWJ Barnabas Arena in Toms River. The Eagles (5-2) jumped out to a quick 19-6 lead. 12/29 - 2:00 PM Girls Basketball Final Middletown North 34 Middletown South 51 Amanda MacGregor added 11 points, four assists and three steals to the win. Ava Loucopoulos chipped in with eight points, five of which came during Midd. South’s first-quarter run. Kaelyn Gibson scored a game-high 22 points for Midd North (2-5). Gibson scored 12 of her points in the fourth. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Sunday the death of 20-day-old Jumaa Al-Batran, who succumbed to severe cold and the lack of proper heating in the tents of displaced families in Deir Al-Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip. The ministry also confirmed that Al-Batran’s twin brother is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. This tragic loss marks the fifth child to die from cold-related causes in just one week, highlighting the dire conditions faced by displaced families living in tents made of cloth and nylon. These families are struggling with a severe shortage of basic necessities, including adequate clothing, bedding, and blankets. In addition to the child fatalities, the Ministry of Health reported that the Israeli military carried out three attacks in the past 24 hours, killing 30 people and injuring 99 others. Since the escalation of violence on October 7, 2023, the death toll has risen to 45,514, with more than 108,000 injuries recorded. Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, announced that its members had blown up a house in which Israeli soldiers were stationed in the Al-Sikka area east of the Jabalia camp, in collaboration with the Al-Aqsa Brigades and the Al-Amoudi Brigade. Additionally, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli “Merkava” tank with a high-explosive device. According to the brigades, the rescue force that arrived at the scene was subsequently targeted with a “Yassin 105” shell near Jabalia al-Balad, in the northern Gaza Strip.
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Mets sign Joey Meneses to minor league dealDIRTT Welcomes Holly Hess Groos to the Board of DirectorsTwo Pittsburgh Steelers missed the first official practice of the week due to injury, putting their status for Wednesday’s Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in serious doubt. Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee, PCL sprain) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) did not practice on Monday after being projected as DNPs on Sunday. Porter and Skowronek’s absences from practice weren’t a total surprise after head coach Mike Tomlin hinted the two are long shots to suit up against the Chiefs. “The two guys that didn’t finish yesterday’s game, Joey Porter with a knee and Ben Skowronek with a hip, they’re availability remains questionable,” Tomlin said. “Anybody that didn’t make it out of their stadium yesterday on a four day turnaround probably have a difficult time showing for this one.” Porter left Saturday’s 34-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with what was first believed to be a calf injury but later diagnosed as a knee injury . Shortly after, PennLive.com reported that the Steelers fear that Porter may have suffered a PCL sprain, which would likely cause him to miss more than just this week’s game against Kansas City. Skowronek also left the game with a hip injury after reeling in two catches for 25 yards early on. He did not return, either. In addition to the Steelers two absences, quarterback Justin Fields was limited as he recovers from an abdominal injury that he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. PITTSBURGH STEELERS INJURY REPORT STEELERS INJURED RESERVE This article first appeared on Steelers Now and was syndicated with permission.
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