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Broncos’ five-game groove comes to screeching halt in Houston. Now they’ve got little room for error.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

The difference between a groove and a rut is all about the edges.Run a string down the center line of either, and you’ll find few impediments.On the margins, though, a groove is smooth. Precise. Designed to allow an object already in motion to stay in motion.A rut is rough around the edges. Bouncy. Always threatening to knock a traveler off-kilter.Or, in this case, knock the Broncos off a miracle playoff run just as it picked up steam.Denver’s postseason hopes aren’t dead after a frustrating, rutty 22-17 loss at Houston, but its path narrowed considerably Sunday when it came up 8 yards short of victory.“Disappointing loss,” head coach Sean Payton said. “Thought we were sloppy for most of the game.”The fine line distinguishing grooves from ruts has been Payton’s preferred metaphor all season. First he used it as a battle cry during Denver’s slow start. Then as a warning against complacency as his team got hot.Now it’s representative of the minuscule gap between succ...

L.A. sheriff's deputy busted for sexual activity with female inmate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

A 27-year-old Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff has been arrested after allegations of an on-duty sexual assault against an adult female inmate surfaced late last month, authorities announced.  Officials said investigators were alerted to the alleged incident at the Century Regional Detention Facility on Nov. 28.  “Sheriff’s custody personnel and Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau detectives took swift action and initiated an investigation into the allegations,” an LASD news release stated.  Deputy Jonathan Tejada Paredes was arrested within 24 hours of the investigation, authorities said.   VIDEO: L.A. police shoot man armed with hatchet The 27-year-old was booked at the Walnut Sheriff’s Station on Nov. 29 on charges of engaging in sexual activity with an adult confined in a detention facility. His bail was set at $100,000.  No information was provided on the identity or age of the victim, nor did authorities say whether this was an isolated incident or i...

Bowl selection winners and losers: CFP selections reflect coming reality where Big Ten and SEC dominate the sport

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

The final year of the four-team College Football Playoff offers two sizzling matchups, one major controversy and a glimpse into college football’s next iteration.The era of SEC and Big Ten hegemony, which officially begins next season when the conferences add a slew of powerhouse programs, is already underway.Who won Sunday with the reveal of the playoff and bowl pairings?The Big Ten, because Michigan is the No. 1 seed.The SEC, because one-loss Alabama snuck in at the expense of undefeated Florida State.The other two teams in the semifinals? Washington, which is leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, and Texas, which is leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.All four participants will be in the two richest conferences at this time next year.The other leagues are left with nothing but frustration and destruction.The Pac-12 (as we know it) is going away.The Big 12 is losing its blue bloods.And the ACC would be concerned about the landscape if it weren’t outraged over Florida State, its 13-...

Instant analysis of 49ers’ 42-19 victorious visit to Philadelphia Eagles

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA – Last time here, George Kittle lamented the 49ers’ NFC Championship Game loss with a statement that would essentially define their triumphant 42-19 return Sunday.“You didn’t really get to see all the 49er football that we wanted to put out there on tape,” Kittle said after January’s 31-7 loss. “But life kind of just punches you in the face sometimes.”Sunday, the 49ers scored touchdowns on six consecutive possessions to seize control, and, along the way, Dre Greenlaw punched – or at least poked – the face of the Eagles’ security chief in a sideline scrap that merely paused the 49ers’ momentum.Scoring three of those touchdowns was Deebo Samuel, the 49ers’ most vocal critic of the Eagles after last season’s loss, in which quarterback Brock Purdy sustained a torn elbow ligament that rendered the offense toothless.Purdy added to this vibrant comeback by outperforming his Eagles’ counterpart, Jalen Hurts, who briefly got knocked out of the game ...

49ers Studs and Duds: Offensive perfection, defensive dominance vs. Eagles prove Niners are NFC’s best

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Let there be no doubt who the top team in the NFC is.It’s the San Francisco 49ers.How couldn’t it be after they have blown out the two top contenders for the crown on their schedule?First, Dallas fell in Week 5.Sunday, the Eagles received the complete treatment from Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers in a rematch of the NFC Championship Game.The 42-19 win was as comprehensive a victory as you will ever see between two great teams.And it feels unfair to limit the “Studs” in this space to anything less than 25. STUDSIn no particular orderRelated ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: The 49ers have unfinished business in Philadelphia. The Eagles have bad blood. This should be epic San Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: The Eagles’ ‘Tush Push’ is the NFL’s best play. The 49ers know the secret to stopping it San Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: Inside the Brock Purdy-Brandon Aiyuk relationship ...

No. 3 Stanford women lose to Gonzaga in battle of previously unbeaten teams

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

By HENRY KRUEGER | Associated PressSPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Brynna Maxwell scored a season-high 27 points, Yvonne Ejim added 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Gonzaga handed No. 3 Stanford its worst loss in nearly four years beating the Cardinal 96-78 on Sunday.The Bulldogs (8-2) won their 24th straight home game and beat the Cardinal for only the third time in 16 games. Gonzaga last beat Stanford in 2018 in what’s become an almost yearly matchup between the private West Coast schools.Stanford’s perfect start to the season came crashing down behind a barrage of hot shooting by the Bulldogs. Gonzaga finished with five players in double figures, shot 54% and hit 10 3-pointers.Maud Huijbens scored 15 points for the Bulldogs, while Kaylynne Truong added 10 points, four assists and four rebounds. Eliza Hollingsworth also finished with 10 points.Courtney Ogden, Hannah Jump and Nunu Agara led Stanford (8-1) with 13 points each. Leading scorer Cameron Brink finished with just 10 point...

Brock Purdy throws 4 TDs as 49ers thump Eagles 42-19

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns, Deebo Samuel scored three TDs and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was checked for a concussion in the San Francisco 49ers’ 42-19 win over Philadelphia on Sunday night.The fiery NFC championship game rematch also featured 49ers' touchdowns on six straight possessions and a pair of ejections that showed this year’s title game might not run again through Philly, after all. 49ers QB Brock Purdy reveals his In-N-Out order The 49ers (9-3) left Philly 10 months ago battered in the NFC championship game behind injuries to Purdy and his backup, and they never stood a chance in a 31-7 loss. The 49ers spent an offseason chirping at the Birds — Samuel called one Eagles cornerback “trash” — and then entered the Linc as a rare betting favorite against a 10-win team at home.The Eagles (10-2) suffered a scare when Hurts jogged off the field in the fourth and went straight to the locker ...

Georgia State, Utah State look to post winning season when they meet at the Potato Bowl

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

Georgia State (6-6, Sun Belt) vs. Utah State (6-6, Mountain West), Dec. 23, 3:30 p.m. ETLOCATION: Boise, IdahoTOP PLAYERSGeorgia State: RB Marcus Carroll, 1,350 yards rushing, 13 touchdowns. Utah State: WR Jalen Royals, 68 receptions, 1,023 yards receiving, 14 touchdowns. NOTABLEGeorgia State: The Panthers started the season 6-1 before losing their final five games. After averaging more than 32 points in its first seven game, Georgia State has only averaged 19 during its losing streak. Utah State: The Aggies faced six bowl teams this season including No. 20 Iowa and Mountain West champion Boise State. LAST TIMEFirst meeting. BOWL HISTORYGeorgia State: First appearance in the Potato Bowl, sixth time in the postseason in program history. Utah State: Fifth appearance in the Potato Bowl, 17th bowl trip in school history. ___Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://...

Appalachian State stuns Auburn 69-64 behind clutch shooting from Myles Tate

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

BOONE, N.C. (AP) — Myles Tate came off the bench to score a season-high 18 points, including Appalachian State’s final five points in the last minute, and the Mountaineers surprised Auburn 69-64 on Sunday.Tate, a junior in his first season since transferring from Butler, last scored as many as 18 points in his freshman season.Terence Harcum and Donovan Gregory scored 12 points each and CJ Huntley added 10 off the bench for Appalachian State (6-2).Jordan Marsh scored seven points and Harcum and Christopher Mantis hit 3-pointers in an extended 15-7 run that left the Mountaineers with a 60-49 lead with nine minutes left in the game.The Tigers fought back and a 3-pointer by Tre Donaldson got them within 62-59 near the four-minute mark. Auburn got within three again in the final minute before Tate hit a clutch step-back 3-pointer that gave Appalachian State a 67-61 lead with 33 seconds left. Another 3-pointer by Donaldson made it 67-64, then Tate added two free throws for the 69-64...

Streaking Boise State, struggling UCLA to meet in Bruins’ backyard in LA Bowl

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:57:00 GMT

Boise State (8-5, Mountain West) vs. UCLA (7-5, Pac-12), Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. ETLOCATION: Inglewood, Calif.TOP PLAYERSBoise State: RB Ashton Jeanty, 1,113 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns.UCLA: DL Laiatu Latu, tied for fourth nationally with 13 sacks. NOTABLEBoise State: Spencer Danielson, who guided the Broncos to three straight wins as interim coach after Andy Avalos was fired, was named the new coach Sunday.UCLA: The Bruins led the nation against the run, allowing 69.6 yards per game, and were 11th nationally in total defense, allowing 299 ypg.LAST TIMEUCLA 38, Boise State 7 in Pasadena in 1999.BOWL HISTORYBoise State: First appearance in the LA bowl and their 21st consecutive bowl appearance as an FBS program.UCLA: First appearance in the LA Bowl and 38th bowl appearance overall.___Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollSource