Fruster scores 15, Eastern Illinois beats Blackburn 99-55US to give Kyiv anti-personnel landmines as Russia fires an 'experimental' missile at UkraineTerre Haute pitching great Tommy John has been a candidate for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown 20 times, and much to his hometown's chagrin, hasn’t yet gotten the call. On Sunday night, John was passed over again for induction into the Hall at Cooperstown, New York. The lefthanded pitching great didn’t receive the minimum of 75% of the votes cast by the Classic Baseball Era Committee, a 16-member panel that included six Hall of Fame players, big-league executives and veteran media and historians. Seven other players were on the ballot. The committee chose instead former Phillies and White Sox slugger Dick Allen, and powerful former Pittsburgh Pirate and Cincinnati Red Dave Parker. Their selections were announced live on the "MLB Tonight" program on the MLB Network on Sunday evening. Parker was named on 14 of the 16 committee members' ballots, while Allen was on 13 voters' ballots. John received seven votes, third most but five shy of the necessary 12. John, now 81, lives with his wife in Florida. "I thought I had a great chance," he said Sunday night by phone from Florida. John didn't offer a comment on the choices of Allen and Parker, but pointed out that Allen had missed induction by one vote in the last veterans balloting. Also on the ballot were Ken Boyer, Steve Garvey and Luis Tiant, as well as former Negro Leagues star John Donaldson and manager Vic Harris. John had connections with several fellow candidates. He played in the majors with Boyer and Garvey, faced Allen and Parker on the mound, and dueled against Tiant, a Red Sox pitching legend. John also played against Allen in the minor leagues, and both entered the majors in 1963. The 16-member committee gathered at the MLB winter meetings Sunday in Dallas. The eight-person ballot was comprised of candidates whose primary contribution to the game came prior to 1980. Parker was named on 14 of 16 ballots and Allen on 13 of 16 ballots as the only candidates to reach the 75% threshold necessary for election, according to the Hall announcement. More greats could join Allen and Parker in the Class of 2025, which will be inducted in ceremonies at Cooperstown on July 27. Parker, now 73, and the late Allen, who died in 2020, will be joined by any former players or managers elected in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting, to be announced on Jan. 21. John was unsure if he'll be considered again for the Hall of Fame. "I have no idea what they're going to do," he said Sunday night. Later Sunday, Craig Muder — National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum director of communications — told the Tribune-Star, "Tommy John remains eligible in the future. Next election would be fall of 2027 for Class of 2028." John was on the primary Hall of Fame ballot in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America 15 times and never made the cut. He was back on the ballot by veteran panels to reconsider overlooked players, but also missed those cuts 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2020. Two recent developments seemed to strengthen John’s chances. First, one of John’s contemporaries — fellow former lefty pitcher Jim Kaat — was inducted last year with a similar career resume. Kaat finished a 25-year career from 1959 to ‘83 with a 283-237 record, a 3.45 earned-run average and three All-Star appearances. Kaat endorsed John for Hall induction. And, an upcoming, new documentary will soon shine a global spotlight on John’s life story. Winter State Entertainment has been crafting “Tommy John: The Bionic Man” since 2023 and prime elements of the upcoming 90-minute movie were filmed in Terre Haute. But only Allen and Parker received the necessary votes on Sunday. Allen played 15 seasons for the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox and Athletics, totaling 351 home runs and 1,119 RBI. He won the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year Award with the Phillies and was named the 1972 American League Most Valuable Player with the White Sox. Parker was named to seven All-Star Games in his 19 seasons, winning back-to-back NL batting titles in 1977-78 while earning league MVP honors in the latter year. He starred with the Pirates' World Series championship team in 1979 and played for the Athletics World Series title team 10 years later. Parker won the 1979 All-Star Game MVP Award, displaying his legendary throwing arm from right field. John was born May 22, 1943 and raised in Terre Haute, and played boyhood and Gerstmeyer High School games, including his last one in 1961, at Spencer F. Ball Park on Eighth Avenue. Fittingly, his hometown named one of the park’s diamonds for John in 2014. John signed with the Cleveland Indians right out of high school, and went on to pitch 26 seasons in the big leagues from 1963 to 1989. A first-of-its-kind elbow surgery in 1974 preserved his career, but caused John to miss a full season and a half. John recovered magnificently and played another 14 seasons, finishing his career with 288 wins and 231 losses and a 3.34 earned-run average. John won 20 or more games three times, all after his surgery. In fact, John got 164 of his career wins after Jobe replaced the ulnar collateral ligament in his left arm with a tendon from John’s right arm. It had never been performed before, and his rehabilitation was also groundbreaking and unprecedented. John retold the story in his book “TJ: My 26 Years in Baseball.” After high school, he signed in 1961 with the Indians and was sent to play for the Dubuque Packers in the Class D Midwest League. Within two seasons, the Indians called him up to the Cleveland club. He pitched for the Indians, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and Athletics. He started 700 games in his long career, the eighth-most in history. His 4,710.1 innings pitched ranks 20th all-time. He made four All-Star games, including three after his epic elbow surgery, conducted by Dr. Frank Jobe.
Toronto Sceptres open PWHL season with 3-1 comeback win over Boston FleetTwo presidents have been impeached in a month and their replacement is under pressure. The political crisis in South Korea is deepening. Two presidents have been impeached within weeks, and their stand-in replacement has come under immediate pressure. The instability is creating serious concern internationally. So what has gone wrong – and what’s next? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Youngshik Bong – Research fellow at Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies Jeeyang Rhee Baum – Adjunct fellow in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School In-Bum Chun – Retired South Korean army lieutenant-general
Wade Taylor IV scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists and C.J. Wilcher added 14 points as No. 13 Texas A&M throttled Abilene Christian 92-54 on Saturday afternoon in College Station, Texas. The Aggies (11-2) were in charge from the jump, forging a 19-point lead at halftime and never looking back. Texas A&M scored the first points of the second half, was up by 28 with 13:23 to play and cruised to the finish line while winning its seventh straight game. Taylor's output moved him into second place in the Aggies all-time scoring list. His 1,779 points are now behind only Bernard King, who had 1,990 from 1999-2003. Andersson Garcia and Zhuric Phelps added 12 points each for Texas A&M, which appears to be hitting on all cylinders heading into its Southeastern Conference opener at home against rival Texas on Jan. 4. Phelps added 10 rebounds for the Aggies. Quion Williams led the Wildcats (8-6) with 14 points. Abilene Christian missed its final six shots and went the last 5:24 of the game without a point. The Aggies made a statement in the early going by scoring the game's first nine points over the initial 3 1/2 minutes, with seven of those coming from Coleman. Abilene Christian fought back to within 16-12 after Dontrez Williams' layup with 12:12 left in the half. But A&M swung back, producing a 14-0 run capped by Garcia's layup with 8:51 to play in the half to pull away to a 30-12 advantage. The Wildcats again cut into their deficit, pulling to 30-19 when Cade Hornecker hit a layup with 6:26 to play until halftime. A&M boosted the lead back to 17 points after a pair of free throws by Taylor and got two more from the charity stripe to take a 48-29 edge to the break. Wilcher led all scorers in the half with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc while Garcia hit for 10 points for A&M while making all four of his shots from the floor. The Aggies outshot Abilene Christian 61.5 percent to 40.7 percent before halftime. Quion Williams and Leonardo Bettiol paced the Wildcats with seven points each in the first half. --Field Level Media
It's Dana Holgorsen's 'focus on execution' that's impressing Matt Rhule — not just his play callsLos Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. Chargers player to watch RB Gus Edwards will move up as the lead back for Los Angeles after J.K Dobbins (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Edwards was activated from IR earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. Falcons player to watch WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Key matchup Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers' run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Key injuries Besides Dobbins, the Chargers also placed S Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. CB Cam Hart (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. Series notes The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Stats and stuff Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. The Falcons will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. Fantasy tip The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl The Associated Press
Tuttle will wait one extra week to continue its run for greatness, providing the the Tigers time to rest up. Tuttle football has put together a perfect season so far as the Tigers enter a bye week in the playoffs at 12-0. Next week on Dec. 6, the Tigers will play district-rival Bethany in Yukon for a chance to play in the 4A state championship game. This week, though, is different. Usually, Thanksgiving week is semifinals week, but with the addition of a few more classes playing championship games in Edmond at UCO’s stadium, the OSSAA added bye weeks, splitting championship games in two different weeks. Class 4A is one of five classes that will have a bye week during Thanksgiving week, so it will give the Tigers a chance to heal and prepare for the Bronchos. Tuttle wide receiver Brady McAdoo said the bye week will help the team and gives the team extra time to use the work from the season and apply it to another game. “It’s going to give us a lot of time to heal up,” McAdoo said. “It will also give us a lot of time to prepare for our next opponent and see what else we can do throughout this week. “It’s just fun. We all go out there and play. We’ve worked our tails off all year, but it’s just fun playing with all these guys and we work as a team, like nobody’s selfish about anything, and it’s pretty fun.” Tuttle coach Brad Ballard said he’s unsure if he enjoys a bye week in the middle of the Tigers’ playoff run, but he believes it can help the Tigers be more prepared for the semifinals and potentially the state championship game. “I don’t know if I do, but I have no choice,” Ballard said. “One thing it does do is it forges the opportunity to maybe rest a little bit and not beat up on each other. We’ve got to practice and stay sharp and keep our timing and do all these things, but we also don’t have to bang around on each other all the time this time of year. So, practicing on Thanksgiving Day is one of the best things in high school football, so we’re excited for that.” The Tigers have been historically dominant this season, with an undefeated season entering the third round of the playoffs, and it’s been a testament to the Tigers’ program. The Tigers have been to the playoffs 35 years in a row and will play in their 18th semifinal game next week against Bethany. Ballard said the Tigers’ team has had a culture for several years and that’s part of the recipe that’s led the Tigers to a chance at a title this season. “I think your program is your program,” Ballard said. “You’ve got to make sure you’re doing things right all the time, and when you get the right pieces personnel-wise in there, it should all work. Our kids have been working for this for a really long time and the program has been good for a long time, way before me and it will be way after me someday, but these kids know how to work. “They know what it means to be a Tuttle Tiger.”
DEA Denies Allegations Of Colluding With Anti-Marijuana Group While Involved In Cannabis Rescheduling ProcessMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold tossed aside his stoic demeanor for a moment after realizing he was on the videoboard, aggressively twirling a towel to further stoke the crowd's fire after the Minnesota Vikings had pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons late in the game. “I just felt the buzz. That was pure passion, pure joy, man,” Darnold said. Darnold added yet another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings, passing for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, in a 42-21 victory over the foundering Falcons on Sunday to stretch their winning streak to six games. “It just felt like it was one of those days to keep the gas pedal down,” said coach Kevin O'Connell, who enjoyed his team's first 40-point game in three seasons on the job. Darnold passed for 250 yards after halftime to help the Vikings (11-2) break a 21-all tie early in the fourth quarter and stay one game behind NFC North-leading Detroit with a final-week matchup looming with the Lions. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns after going the past six games without scoring. “This is something that we want to do and we can do every single week,” Jefferson said. Cousins, whose departure in free agency for Atlanta prompted Minnesota to sign Darnold as a bridge to currently injured rookie J.J. McCarthy, threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in this unhappy homecoming following a mixed six-year run with the Vikings. Booed as he took the field, Cousins and the Falcons (6-7) left with a fourth consecutive loss to tumble out of first place in the NFC South and fall one game behind Tampa Bay. “When you’re playing well you usually aren’t as good as people are telling you when they’re patting you on the back, and if you’re in a rut you’re usually not as bad as people kind of leaving you for dead,” Cousins said. “The reality’s usually somewhere in the middle. You just have to keep playing and see where the dust settles in January.” Cousins went 23 for 37 for 344 yards for the Falcons, who crossed midfield on all nine of their possessions and finished with 496 total yards. He overthrew Ray-Ray McCloud III on fourth down in the first quarter, and the Falcons settled for short field goals just before and right after halftime. Their fate was sealed when McCloud fumbled the kickoff at the 32 after the Vikings went 70 yards in six plays for the go-ahead touchdown pass to Addison, who scored again seven plays later. The Falcons handed the Vikings an earlier touchdown when Kentavious Street was called for defensive holding during a field-goal attempt late in the second quarter, giving Darnold a fresh set of downs before a 12-yard laser to Jefferson on a post route on third-and-6. “You just can’t have the self-inflicted wounds and expect to win football games like we had today,” coach Raheem Morris said. Bijan Robinson had 22 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Allgeier rushed nine times for 63 yards and a score for the Falcons against the NFL’s leading run defense. Cousins, who was picked off four times last week, hesitated as he wound up to throw on first down from the Minnesota 47 in a tie game early in the second quarter and then inexplicably fired a pass straight to Josh Metellus as he sat in a zone in front of Drake London. Cousins has a NFL -most 15 interceptions. Byron Murphy snagged an overthrow for the second one near the goal line with a 35-21 lead and 6:26 left. Darnold, who went 22 for 28 without a turnover-worthy play despite heavy first-half pressure, then directed a seven-play, 98-yard drive to seal it. “I think we grew up a lot today offensively,” O'Connell said. Standout stats Addison and Jefferson became the first duo in Vikings history to each have 100-plus receiving yards and two-plus touchdown catches in the same game. Addison also became the first Vikings player with three receiving touchdowns in a game since Stefon Diggs caught three from Cousins in 2019. Murphy has six interceptions this season, the most for the Vikings since Jimmy Hitchcock had seven in 1998. Injury report Falcons: CB Mike Hughes (knee) was back in the lineup after missing two games. Minnesota's 2018 first-round draft pick returned an interception for a touchdown against Atlanta in his NFL debut here. Vikings: CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) and backup OLB Patrick Jones (knee) were out. TE Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle) returned from a two-game absence, and LS Andrew DePaola (hand) and PK Will Reichard (quadriceps) were back from four-game injured reserve stints. Up next Both teams play next Monday night, Dec. 16: Atlanta visits Las Vegas, and Minnesota hosts Chicago. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press
When the Nebraska football team gathered for its Thursday practice prior to the Wisconsin game, offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen wanted to see a game-ready unit. Anything other than the best wasn’t good enough, and Holgorsen backed it up. The players who made mistakes, even committing false start penalties during that practice didn’t play on Saturday because of it, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said. Those who did their job got their chance, though, with Rhule identifying senior wide receiver Isiaha Garcia-Castaneda as one such beneficiary. So while Holgorsen’s playcalling was part of Nebraska’s 44-point outburst against the Badgers, his general approach is what Rhule appreciates most. “You hear Dana on the headset, the whole time he’s just talking about execution,” Rhule said. “... There’s a real focus on execution and when the guys execute the play calls. I think that was the message to the guys — if you execute and practice at a high level, you’re going to have an opportunity to play in the game.” Changes have been limited in Holgorsen’s short time as NU’s offensive coordinator, but he did make sure the Huskers scaled back the number of plays in their playbook. “We’re still doing a lot,” Rhule said, while crediting assistant coaches Glenn Thomas, Garret McGuire and Marcus Satterfield for their work in helping Holgorsen get accustomed to the team’s offensive setup. A “collaborative” gameplanning process that involves those coaches poring over game film and strategy together has led to results, but Rhule again emphasized that improvements from the players, not the coaches, is what has led to better results. When Nebraska was in rhythm on Saturday and stayed ahead of the chains, the Huskers were nearly impossible to slow down. When penalties, turnovers or miscues like snapping on the wrong count happened, though, the offense’s progress was halted. The clear difference? Execution. “It’s kind of a blend of everything we’ve been trying to say to them all year coming to life,” Rhule said of Nebraska’s 44-point performance. “I think the thing Dana’s done a great job is, he’s cut things down to a degree, but he’s demanding that they execute if they want to get on the field.” Nebraska also couldn’t have cut apart the Wisconsin defense without a reinvigorated showing from quarterback Dylan Raiola. Having thrown at least one interception in his previous five starts, Raiola finished the game turnover-free for the first time since September. The freshman also completed 28-of-38 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown, his biggest passing output other than a 297-yard performance against Illinois. Part of the reason for the turnaround was health-related following the back injury Raiola suffered against UCLA. Held out of practice over the bye, Raiola was “ginger” the whole game against USC according to Rhule but was more comfortable with moving around and sliding up in the pocket last Saturday. Getting the ball out quickly and accurately also helped Raiola’s timing within the offense. “He was just taking completions, taking what was there and not trying to do too much,” Rhule said of Raiola. “Playing as a freshman in the Big Ten is really, really hard; it requires tough people and I think Dylan’s been tough in that he’s gotten better every week.” Nebraska’s progress will be tested in a matchup against the nation’s No. 12 scoring defense, an Iowa unit that is allowing just 17.7 points per game. Another week with Holgorsen at the helm will help Nebraska with that challenge as the Huskers look to build on their recent offensive surge. “Just the rhythm of the way he does things means total sense to me,” Rhule said of Holgorsen. “... If I coach with Dana for one more week or if we coach together for the next 10 years, I’ll be a better coach as a result.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Donald Trump weighed in Saturday in a bitter debate dividing his traditional supporters and tech barrons like Elon Musk, saying that he backs a special visa program that helps highly skilled workers enter the country. "I've always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favor of the visas, that's why we have them" at Trump-owned facilities, the president-elect told the New York Post in his first public comments on the matter since it flared up this week. An angry back-and-forth, largely between Silicon Valley's Musk and traditional anti-immigration Trump backers, has erupted in fiery fashion, with Musk even vowing to "go to war" over the issue. Trump's insistent calls for sharp curbs on immigration were central to his election victory in November over President Joe Biden. He has vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants and limit legal immigration. But tech entrepreneurs like Tesla's Musk -- as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, who with Musk is to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel under Trump -- say the United States produces too few highly skilled graduates, and they fervently champion the H1-B program. Musk, who himself migrated from South Africa on an H1-B, posted Thursday on his X platform that luring elite engineering talent from abroad was "essential for America to keep winning." Adding acrimony to the debate was a post from Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from India, who deplored an "American culture" that he said venerates mediocrity, adding that the United States risks having "our asses handed to us by China." That angered several prominent conservatives who were backing Trump long before Musk noisily joined their cause this year, going on to pump more than $250 million into the Republican's campaign. "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said Laura Loomer, a far-right MAGA figure known for her conspiracy theories, who often flew with Trump on his campaign plane. "We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats." She and others said Trump should be promoting American workers and further limiting immigration. Musk, who had already infuriated some Republicans after leading an online campaign that helped tank a bipartisan budget deal last week, fired back at his critics. Posting on X, the social media site he owns, he warned of a "MAGA civil war." Musk bluntly swore at one critic, adding that "I will go to war on this issue." That, in turn, drew a volley from Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who wrote on the Gettr platform that the H1-B program brings in migrants who are essentially "indentured servants" working for less than American citizens would. In a striking jab at Trump's close friend Musk, Bannon called the Tesla CEO a "toddler." Some of Trump's original backers say they fear he is falling under the sway of big donors from the tech world like Musk and drifting away from his campaign promises. It was not immediately clear whether Trump's remarks might soothe the intraparty strife, which has exposed just how contentious changing the immigration system might be once he takes office in January. bbk/nro
Federal DEI spending explodes under Biden-Harris administrationPodeli : The Serbian Parliament’s Culture and Information Committee initiated the procedure to form a new Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) at a meeting which included insults and accusations traded between the ruling coalition and opposition. The REM Council governs the country’s electronic media watchdog which is supposed to be an independent body. The opposition and independent media have complained that it favors media outlets which support the ruling coalition. The REM Council’s term in office expired on November 4. The body’s members are appointed by parliament. The Committee meeting launched the procedure to nominate members of the REM Council on Monday. It also approved the REM Statute submitted by the Council on December 8, 2023. Monday’s meeting was called as an emergency session with opposition MPs saying it should have been called days earlier. Committee chair Neven Djuric MP (SNS) said its members were informed 3 hours earlier.Alberta seeks to "de-risk" oil, gas pipeline investments in wake of Trump victory
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold tossed aside his stoic demeanor for a moment after realizing he was on the videoboard, aggressively twirling a towel to further stoke the crowd's fire after the Minnesota Vikings had pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons late in the game. “I just felt the buzz. That was pure passion, pure joy, man,” Darnold said. Darnold added yet another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings, passing for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, in a 42-21 victory over the foundering Falcons on Sunday to stretch their winning streak to six games. “It just felt like it was one of those days to keep the gas pedal down,” said coach Kevin O'Connell, who enjoyed his team's first 40-point game in three seasons on the job. Darnold passed for 250 yards after halftime to help the Vikings (11-2) break a 21-all tie early in the fourth quarter and stay one game behind NFC North-leading Detroit with a final-week matchup looming with the Lions. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns after going the past six games without scoring. “This is something that we want to do and we can do every single week,” Jefferson said. Cousins, whose departure in free agency for Atlanta prompted Minnesota to sign Darnold as a bridge to currently injured rookie J.J. McCarthy, threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in this unhappy homecoming following a mixed six-year run with the Vikings. Booed as he took the field, Cousins and the Falcons (6-7) left with a fourth consecutive loss to tumble out of first place in the NFC South and fall one game behind Tampa Bay. “When you’re playing well you usually aren’t as good as people are telling you when they’re patting you on the back, and if you’re in a rut you’re usually not as bad as people kind of leaving you for dead,” Cousins said. “The reality’s usually somewhere in the middle. You just have to keep playing and see where the dust settles in January.” Cousins went 23 for 37 for 344 yards for the Falcons, who crossed midfield on all nine of their possessions and finished with 496 total yards. He overthrew Ray-Ray McCloud III on fourth down in the first quarter, and the Falcons settled for short field goals just before and right after halftime. Their fate was sealed when McCloud fumbled the kickoff at the 32 after the Vikings went 70 yards in six plays for the go-ahead touchdown pass to Addison, who scored again seven plays later. The Falcons handed the Vikings an earlier touchdown when Kentavious Street was called for defensive holding during a field-goal attempt late in the second quarter, giving Darnold a fresh set of downs before a 12-yard laser to Jefferson on a post route on third-and-6. “You just can’t have the self-inflicted wounds and expect to win football games like we had today,” coach Raheem Morris said. Bijan Robinson had 22 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Allgeier rushed nine times for 63 yards and a score for the Falcons against the NFL’s leading run defense. Cousins, who was picked off four times last week, hesitated as he wound up to throw on first down from the Minnesota 47 in a tie game early in the second quarter and then inexplicably fired a pass straight to Josh Metellus as he sat in a zone in front of Drake London. Cousins has a NFL -most 15 interceptions. Byron Murphy snagged an overthrow for the second one near the goal line with a 35-21 lead and 6:26 left. Darnold, who went 22 for 28 without a turnover-worthy play despite heavy first-half pressure, then directed a seven-play, 98-yard drive to seal it. “I think we grew up a lot today offensively,” O'Connell said. Addison and Jefferson became the first duo in Vikings history to each have 100-plus receiving yards and two-plus touchdown catches in the same game. Addison also became the first Vikings player with three receiving touchdowns in a game since Stefon Diggs caught three from Cousins in 2019. Murphy has six interceptions this season, the most for the Vikings since Jimmy Hitchcock had seven in 1998. Falcons: CB Mike Hughes (knee) was back in the lineup after missing two games. Minnesota's 2018 first-round draft pick returned an interception for a touchdown against Atlanta in his NFL debut here. Vikings: CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) and backup OLB Patrick Jones (knee) were out. TE Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle) returned from a two-game absence, and LS Andrew DePaola (hand) and PK Will Reichard (quadriceps) were back from four-game injured reserve stints. Both teams play next Monday night, Dec. 16: Atlanta visits Las Vegas, and Minnesota hosts Chicago. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.‘Failed’: Apple facing $1.2 billion lawsuit
Column: Money wasted on culturally divisive issues could be spent helping kidsTEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Marcus Johnson scored 23 points and Javontae Campbell secured the victory with a free throw with 12 seconds remaining as Bowling Green knocked off New Mexico State 61-60 on Saturday. Johnson had five rebounds and three steals for the Falcons (3-5). Derrick Butler scored 15 points while going 4 of 15 from the floor, including 2 for 7 from 3-point range, and 5 for 5 from the line and added five rebounds. Campbell had 12 points and shot 1 of 9 from the field and 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. The Aggies (3-4) were led by Jaden Harris, who posted 18 points and nine rebounds. New Mexico State also got 10 points and seven rebounds from Robert Carpenter. Christian Cook finished with nine points and four assists. Campbell scored a team-high 12 points for Bowling Green in the second half, including their game-winner. NEXT UP Up next for Bowling Green is a Saturday matchup with Morgan State at home, and New Mexico State hosts Abilene Christian on Wednesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Marcus Johnson and Bowling Green take down New Mexico State 61-60Woman, 95, lies on freezing pavement with broken hip for five hours as ambulance chiefs say she 'is not a priority'
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