Sports briefs
Trending
Injuries
in Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Myles Price returned a punt 86 yards for a score, Kyler Murray threw a 41-yard TD pass to Jordan Addison and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-16. It was a costly game for both teams.
Baker Mayfield hurt his thumb on a desperation pass late in the fourth quarter. He was screaming in pain on the ground before walking off.
Two-time All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson didn't return for Minnesota after injuring his right ankle in the first quarter. The Vikings are 3-0 for the second time in three years. The Buccaneers are 0-3 for the first time since 2014.
Badgers shock
Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Colton Joseph hit Jacob Harris on a 72-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 to play and Wisconsin scored twice in the last four minutes to beat No. 13 Penn State 24-20 on Saturday.
Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht, who was 12-for-29 passing for 129 yards and an interception, tossed a final deep ball out of the back of the end zone as time expired, setting off a celebration by Wisconsin defenders.
Joseph, who threw a pair of costly interceptions earlier in the game, rebounded to lead two long scoring drives for the Badgers (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten), who snapped their six-game losing streak to Penn State and won in State College for the first time since 2003. Wisconsin earned its first road win against a ranked opponent since beating No. 25 Purdue on Oct. 23, 2021.
It was the Badgers’ largest comeback victory since rallying from 18 points down against Illinois in 2006.
“I don’t know if there’s any tougher situation than what we were in out there today,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “And to see these guys not falter, to see guys not kinda get down on Colton and (not) give up on him, that’s what to me makes me so proud.”
Wisconsin (3-1) will host Michigan State (2-2) on Saturday after the Spartans fell to Nebraska 31-13.
Iowa defeats
Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Hank Brown threw a game-ending, 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee to lift No. 17 Iowa to a 20-19 win over No. 18 Michigan on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes went 91 yards on the final drive boosted by an unnecessary roughness penalty against Michigan on a third down at midfield. Bryce Underwood threw a go-ahead, 49-yard touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan early in the fourth quarter, but the Wolverines could not make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win.
Michigan finished 2 of 4 in the red zone, and Iowa converted on both of its drives inside the 20.
Steelers
bounce back
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Aaron Rodgers passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns to outduel Joe Burrow as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27. Pittsburgh bounced back from a miserable performance in a loss to New England to blunt some of Cincinnati's early momentum. Rodgers completed 19 of 34 passes, including a 47-yard catch-and-run to massive tight end Darnell Washington that helped set up Chris Boswell's go-ahead, 33-yard field goal with 2:18 remaining.
Cincinnati had a chance late, but Burrow fumbled after being sacked by defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. Rookie Sebastian Joseph-Day fell on the ball.
WNBA salutes
Wilson
NEW YORK (AP) -- A’ja Wilson is in a class by herself, winning the AP’s WNBA Player of the Year honors for the third straight year. Wilson received 15 of the 17 first place votes from a national media panel Sunday.
She topped Olivia Miles of Minnesota as well as Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, who all had stellar seasons. It’s the fourth time that Wilson has won the AP Award, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for most all-time since the awards were first given in 2016.
Angel Reese won AP Defensive Player of the Year for first time. Cheryl Reeve wins AP Coach of the Year for third time. Minnesota’s Olivia Miles unanimous AP Rookie of the Year.
Larson prevails
at Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Kyle Larson passed Chase Briscoe with seven laps to go Sunday, securing the NASCAR Cup Series victory at Kansas Speedway. Larson lead 235 laps, breaking his own track record. After losing the lead to Briscoe with 30 laps remaining, Larson regained it and finished ahead of Austin Cindric and Denny Hamlin.
Larson also won the first two stages, giving him a 26-point lead over Hamlin in the Chase playoffs.
Larson won a couple of weeks ago at St. Louis to end a 51-race winless streak, and he’s now finish in the top five of each of the first four races in the revamped playoff format. The NASCAR Cup Series continues at Las Vegas next Sunday.
Texas stays
at No. 1
(AP) -- Florida made a massive jump in The Associated Press Top 25 and landed in the top 10 for the first time in five years. The Gators’ 24-point win over Mississippi on Saturday earned them a 13-rung promotion to No. 8.
That’s their highest ranking since 2020 and first top-10 appearance since 2021. Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame continued to hold the top three spots, Miami was a season-high No. 4 and Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 5. Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and BYU completed the top 10. The Longhorns received 62 of 70 first-place votes.