Montana State beats Illinois State 35-34 in OT thriller for 1st national title since 1984
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Myles Sansted kicked the extra point in overtime as Montana State won its first national championship since 1984, beating Illinois State 35-34 Monday night in the Football Championship Subdivision title game. The Bobcats found a way to top a season that featured two wins over in-state rival Montana over a four-week span. Montana State found a way to top that with a thrilling finish in the first overtime in the 48 years of this title game. Justin Lamson tied with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Taco Dowler on fourth-and-10. Hunter Parsons blocked the extra point attempt after Tommy Rittenhouse gave Illinois State its only lead at 34-28 to open overtime.
Raiders fire Pete Carroll after 3-14 season and will look for a new coach for third straight year
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders fired coach Pete Carroll on Monday after just one year. The team went 3-14, ending with a win over Kansas City on Sunday. General manager John Spytek took responsibility for the poor season. Owner Mark Davis said in a statement that Spytek will work with minority owner Tom Brady to find a new coach. The Raiders have the first pick in this year's draft and significant cap space. Spytek sees this as a massive opportunity to set the franchise on a successful path. The team could seek an offensive-minded coach to work with a young quarterback.
Four NFL head coach firings increase the total of openings to six
The number of NFL head coach firings stands at six. The coaches fired on Black Monday are Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals, Pete Carroll of the Las Vegas Raiders and Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns. Raheem Morris was fired by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. Two other coaches were fired during the season. They were Brian Daboll of the New York Giants and Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans.
Durant admits game-winner over Suns meant more because he was 'kicked out'
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Kevin Durant said hitting the game-winner Monday night against the Phoenix Suns meant more because it came against his former team that he felt kicked him out. Durant scored 26 points and his 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go lifted the Rockets to the 100-97 victory. Asked if it meant more because it came against the the Suns, the 15-time All-Star didn’t hold back. “Most definitely,” he said. “A place that I didn’t want to leave. My first time — I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will — to be kicked out of a place.”
NBA-leading Thunder humbled in 124-97 home loss to struggling Hornets
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 28 points as the Charlotte Hornets stunned the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 124-97 on Monday night. Kon Knueppel added 23 points for the Hornets, who had lost three of four before handing Oklahoma City its worst loss of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points for his 108th straight game with at least 20, the second-longest streak in NBA history. Oklahoma City took its second straight loss and second home defeat of the season.
Arizona holds No. 1 spot over Michigan by single point in one of the closest AP Top 25 races ever
Arizona holds onto the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 by a single point over Michigan. This marks one of the closest races in the poll's 78-year history. The Wildcats received 32 first-place votes, while the Wolverines got 29. The top six teams remain unchanged, with Iowa State, UConn, Purdue, and Duke following Michigan. Nebraska is in the top 10 for the first time since 1966, riding an 18-game winning streak. The Big 12 has seven ranked teams, including four in the top 10, while the Big Ten has six in the poll and three in the top 10.
Kentucky, Vanderbilt into top 10 in women's AP Top 25 after 4 of top 10 teams fall; UConn, Texas 1-2
Kentucky and Vanderbilt made significant jumps in The Associated Press women's basketball Top 25. This follows a week where four of the top 10 teams lost, causing a shakeup in the rankings. UConn remains No. 1, followed by Texas, South Carolina, and UCLA. Oklahoma has moved up to fifth. Kentucky and Vanderbilt each rose five spots to sixth and seventh after defeating LSU. Vanderbilt's win was its first against a top-five team in 17 years. Maryland and Michigan both dropped after losses. Only four teams remain undefeated: UConn, Texas, Vanderbilt, and Texas Tech.
Manchester United coach Amorim out one day after provocative comments about club structure
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United says Ruben Amorim is out as coach. His ouster comes one day after the Portuguese made provocative comments about his own role and the club’s management in a postgame news conference. Amorim lasted just 14 months in what has proved one of the most difficult jobs in English soccer in 13 years since club legend Alex Ferguson retired. United has failed to win a Premier League title in that time.
Perez says being Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull was 'the worst job in F1'
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Sergio “Checo” Pérez says being a teammate of Max Verstappen was “the worst job there is in Formula 1.” Pérez was beside Verstappen for four years at Red Bull before being dropped at the end of 2024 with two years left in his contract. Pérez is returning to F1 this year with new team Cadillac. In a podcast posted on Sunday he said the atmosphere at Red Bull was tense. Issues arose whether he was faster or slower than Verstappen. Perez had his best season in 2023 when he was runner-up to Verstappen in the drivers' championship. His new teammate at Cadillac will be Valtteri Bottas.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss plans to return, pending NCAA ruling on eligibility
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss plans to return to school next season if the NCAA approves his request for an additional year of eligibility. Chambliss announced his decision three days before the Rebels play Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Chambliss took a redshirt his first season at Ferris State and another due to medical reasons his second season there. Ole Miss filed a waiver request with the NCAA in November. Chambliss threw for over 3,600 yards and 21 touchdowns after taking over as the Rebel's starter the third game of the season. Ole Miss plays Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal.
