Month: November 2025

Reports: Michigan State fires Jonathan Smith, intends to hire Pat Fitzgerald

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Jonathan Smith era at Michigan State has ended; the Pat Fitzgerald era is about to begin.

The Spartans fired Smith on Sunday, according to ESPN. Not long after that news could be viewed across people’s screens, Yahoo Sports reported that Michigan State intends to hire Fitzgerald as his successor.

Fitzgerald last coached in 2022 for Northwestern. The Wildcats went 110-101 across his 17 seasons while recording a few double-digit-win campaigns and claiming a handful of bowl victories.

However, Fitzgerald finished his last two seasons with the program a combined 4-20. Worse, Northwestern fired the program’s longtime coach in July 2023 due to a hazing scandal that the school said included “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature.”

That kind of off-field scandal will be very familiar to both Michigan State and Smith, who took over for the program in November 2023 after Mel Tucker’s firing two months prior amid sexual harassment allegations following several NCAA violations.

Smith lost his job after a 4-8 campaign that saw the Spartans follow up a 3-0 start with an eight-game losing streak. Michigan State lost to then-1-4 UCLA, then-3-6 Penn State and rival Michigan during that stretch.

Smith finishes his Spartans tenure 4-15 after the NCAA vacated all five of Michigan State’s wins from his debut 2024 season, as well as nine more wins from the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, due to recruiting violations during the Tucker era.

Smith entered Michigan State coming off a 25-13 run during his last three seasons with Oregon State, where he went 34-35 overall.

–Field Level Media

De’Von Achane leads Dolphins as they hold off Saints

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De’Von Achane rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown, Riley Patterson kicked four field goals, and the host Miami Dolphins won their third straight game by holding off the New Orleans Saints 21-17 on Sunday afternoon.

Achane scored on a 29-yard run on the first possession of the game, and the Dolphins (5-7) never relinquished the lead despite a shaky performance by Tua Tagovailoa, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards, with an interception.

Rookie Tyler Shough passed for 239 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints (2-10).

On the first possession of the second half, the Saints drove 65 yards, the last 17 of which came on a touchdown pass from Shough to Chris Olave. Shough ran for a two-point conversion, New Orleans pulled to 16-8, and the score stayed that way through the end of the third quarter.

Patterson kicked a 33-yard field goal to increase the lead to 19-8 with 9:39 remaining. Charlie Smyth made a 56-yard field goal on his first attempt in a regular-season game to get the Saints back within eight points with 6:08 left.

New Orleans got the ball back at its 45 when it stopped Ollie Gordon II for a 1-yard loss and fourth down with 3:05 left.

Shough threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele with 1:17 left, giving the Saints a chance to tie with a two-point conversion. After a false-start penalty, Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted a Shough pass and returned it all the way for two points.

Vele recovered an onside kick and the Saints reached the Miami 36, but Shough was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 with 29 seconds left.

The Dolphins received the opening kickoff and drove 69 yards in six plays, the last of which was Achane’s 29-yard TD run, and the 7-0 lead held up through the end of the first quarter.

Miami increased the lead to 10-0 when Patterson kicked a 39-yard field on the fourth play of the second quarter. Patterson added a 25-yard field goal, and after Rasul Douglas intercepted Shough, Patterson kicked a 48-yarder as time expired, giving the Dolphins a 16-0 lead.

The Dolphins outgained the Saints 298-294, but the visitors had the edge in first downs 20-16.

Vele led all pass catchers with eight receptions for 93 yards.

–Field Level Media

Texans squeeze past Colts 20-16, tighten AFC South race

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All of a sudden, there is a race in the AFC South after the Houston Texans won their fourth consecutive game 20-16 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.

With quarterback C.J. Stroud back in the lineup, the two-time defending South champion Texans got back in the division race and bumped the Colts down a rung and into second place behind the Jaguars.

The Texans are 7-5 and haven’t lost a division game this season.

Stroud completed 22 of 35 passes for 276 yards and one interception and Nico Collins caught five passes for 98 yards and ran for a score. Stroud was 9-of-13 passing in the second half, including 3 of 3 on third down.

Houston’s defense held the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense to under 20 points for the first time this season and kept Colts running back Jonathan Taylor out of the end zone. Taylor had 85 rushing yards and 36 yards receiving.

The Colts were stopped on seven of 10 third-down attempts.

Taylor was dropped for a 5-yard loss and the Colts had to settle for Michael Badgley’s 42-yard field goal, tightening Houston’s lead to 20-16 in the fourth quarter.

Stroud hit Collins for 29 yards to start the ensuing drive, which ended with the Colts’ defense stopping the Texans on three consecutive run plays — Woody Marks on second-and-1 and tight end Cade Stover on successive direct snaps — from the Colts’ 17. The turnover on downs put the ball back in Jones’ hands with 4:45 remaining.

Taylor moved the chains on two first-down carries on the drive. Jones found Alec Pierce for 22 yards over the middle before Taylor’s tote for 11 yards and a 1-yard loss brought the two-minute warning.

On 3rd-and-9, Jones evaded the blitz and floated a pass to Josh Downs in the right flat, but his second drop of the game and Michael Badgley’s missed extra point off the left upright in the second quarter set up a make-or-break fourth down with 1:49 to play. Jones fired high and wide to Michael Pittman Jr.

Jones completed 14 of 27 passes with 201 yards and two touchdowns. Pierce had a team-high 78 receiving yards on four catches.

Playing with a left leg injury — reportedly a hairline fracture in his fibula — Jones’ mobility was limited. He took multiple direct shots, including a shot on the left leg with 12 minutes left in the game that was ruled roughing the passer on Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr.

Houston regained the lead with 12:38 to play. A run fake up the gut froze the Colts’ defense and Stroud flipped the ball to Collins looping from the right side of the formation to win a race to the front-left corner of the end zone. Ka’imi Fairbairn’s extra point appeared to sail wide to the left, but officials deemed the PAT good and the Texans took a 20-13 lead.

Jones found his touch and the Colts tied the game at 13-13 with 2:51 left in the third quarter on a 12-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Tyler Warren. The score came one play after a 32-yard pass interference flag on Texans safety Caden Bullock placed the ball in the red zone.

On the previous possession, Houston trekked to the Colts’ 14 but Indianapolis stuffed Nick Chubb for no gain and Adetomiwa Adebawore sacked a backpedaling Stroud on third down to limit the Texans to Fairbairn’s 43-yard field goal on fourth-and-21.

Chubb bullied his way into the end zone and shoved Colts safety Cam Bynum out of his path for 4-yard touchdown and a 10-6 lead for the Texans in the second quarter. The touchdown answered Jones’ 19-yard TD pass to Pierce.

Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner watched the final three quarters of the game from the sideline with his left foot in a boot. He was helped off the field on Indianapolis’ second defensive snap and ruled out with a calf injury.

Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair spent time in the medical tent for a concussion test and treatment for a foot injury in the fourth quarter but was back on the field after the two-minute warning.

The Colts play at Houston to end the regular season in January. Indianapolis visits Jacksonville next week. The Jaguars throttled Tennessee on Sunday to improve to 8-4.

–Field Level Media

Nick Folk’s 56-yard FG lifts Jets over Falcons

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Nick Folk kicked a game-winning, 56-yard field goal as time expired on Sunday, giving the New York Jets a 27-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons in East Rutherford, N.J.

Tyrod Taylor threw for 172 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score, as the Jets (3-9) won despite being outgained 389-269. Adonai Mitchell had 102 receiving yards and a score, and Breece Hall rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown.

For the Falcons (4-8), who have dropped six of their last seven games, Kirk Cousins threw for 234 yards and a touchdown, while Bijan Robinson totaled 142 rushing yards and a score.

Atlanta put together an eight-play, 95-yard drive on its first possession of the second half, scoring on Robinson’s 5-yard run with 9:36 left in the third quarter. The Jets knotted the score two plays later, as Taylor found Mitchell for a 52-yard touchdown pass.

Zane Gonzalez missed wide right on a 50-yard field-goal attempt on Atlanta’s next drive. New York returned the favor on the ensuing drive, as Folk missed a 55-yard attempt. Folk had made all 20 of his field-goal attempts prior to the miss.

Cousins hit Darnell Mooney for 16 yards on the Falcons’ next play, leading to Gonzalez’s 52-yard field goal on the final play of the third, giving Atlanta a 17-14 lead. Isaiah Williams returned the ensuing kickoff to Atlanta’s 15-yard line, but the Jets were forced to settle for Folk’s 32-yard field goal.

Cousins’ 31-yard pass to Tyler Allgeier on the next drive led to a 9-yard touchdown pass to David Sills V at the 8:46 mark of the fourth.

The Jets then tied the game again, as Taylor’s 10-yard rushing touchdown made it 24-24 with 1:53 left. New York forced two Atlanta punts in the final 1:36, leading to Folk’s game-winner.

After each team punted on its first two drives of the game, Atlanta’s Jamal Agnew muffed a punt on the Falcons’ 7-yard line, which was recovered by Qwan’tez Stiggers on the 2. Hall then rushed for a score on the next play, giving the Jets a 7-0 lead with 13:58 left in the first half.

The Falcons punted on their next two possessions before Robinson’s 16-yard rush and Cousins’ 10-yard pass to Kyle Pitts pushed Atlanta’s drive to New York’s 30. After a defensive pass interference gave the ball to the Falcons on the 1-yard line, Allgeier’s rushing touchdown tied the score at 7 with nine seconds remaining before halftime.

–Field Level Media

Jakobi Meyers’ best game with Jaguars lifts team to win over Titans

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Trevor Lawrence threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 25-3 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

The win moves Jacksonville (8-4) into a tie with the Indianapolis Colts atop the AFC South heading into the first of two matchups between the teams next week.

The Jaguars outgained the Titans (1-11) 272-188. Tennessee was 2-for-12 on third downs and 1-for-4 on fourth downs.

Jakobi Meyers had his best day since being traded to Jacksonville from the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 4 with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The Jaguars sacked Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward three times, with Josh Hines-Allen collecting two sacks.

Jacksonville scored two first-half touchdowns in 70 seconds to take an 18-3 lead at halftime.

On the Jaguars’ second drive, Lawrence took them 84 yards in seven plays for a 7-3 lead with 1:04 left in the first quarter.

Lawrence hit Parker Washington across the middle for a big first down.

Then, Lawrence found Meyers wide open on the same route for 50 yards to the Tennessee 6.

Three players later, Lawrence hit Meyers on a 3-yard quick slant for the touchdown.

Chomere Dike then fumbled the kickoff back to the Jaguars at the Tennessee 35.

On the first play of the second quarter, Lawrence found Brenton Strange wide open in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown strike.

The Titans were called for a penalty before the extra point, so Jacksonville went for two points, and Lawrence was able to get in the end zone for a 15-3 lead.

The Jaguars were gifted a field goal to end the half.

With one second left, Jacksonville chose not to try a 61-yard field goal. Lawrence was forced to throw the ball away, but Tennessee was hit with a roughing the passer penalty.

That allowed Cam Little to nail a 45-yard field goal on an untimed down to give Jacksonville a 15-point lead at the break.

The Jaguars went up 25-3 in the third quarter when Lawrence engineered a 71-yard, 15-play drive.

The Titans helped out again when they roughed the punter to keep the drive going.

Bhayshul Tuten finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown up the middle with 6:45 left in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Lane Kiffin officially hired by LSU, won’t coach Ole Miss again

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Ending weeks of speculation and reports, Lane Kiffin revealed his future coaching plans Sunday afternoon, announcing on Twitter that he was leaving Ole Miss for LSU.

Kiffin, 50, has guided the Rebels to an 11-1 record and a likely spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff this season. Several reports mentioned his desire to coach the Rebels during what is expected to be a playoff run as a complication in his departure, and in his statement, Kiffin confirmed that he would not be coaching Ole Miss in the playoffs.

“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” his statement read in part. “I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern.

“My request to do so was denied by (Ole Miss athletic director) Keith Carter, despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”

LSU, along with fellow SEC program Florida, had been linked to Kiffin since the firing of former coach Brian Kelly in October. In recent days, it became clear that LSU had become the frontrunner to hire him. The school is now reportedly giving Kiffin a seven-year deal worth approximately $12 million per year plus potential bonuses, according to ESPN.

The deal would put his salary near that of Georgia’s Kirby Smart, the highest-paid college coach at $13.3 million a year, and represents a significant increase over the $9 million Kiffin now makes, according to the USA Today coaches’ salary database.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kiffin as the next head coach of the LSU football program,” LSU director of athletics Verge Ausberry said in a statement. “We shared when we began this search that LSU would secure the best coach in the country and Lane Kiffin is just that.”

Kiffin has posted a 55-19 record (.743) with Ole Miss since taking the reins in 2020, leading the team to five straight bowl games, including wins in the Outback Bowl, Peach Bowl and Gator Bowl.

Before that, Kiffin rehabilitated his career following tumultuous tenures with Tennessee (7-6) and Southern Cal (28-15) by serving as an assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama from 2014-16. That led to his return to a lead role with Florida Atlantic from 2017-19, where he went 27-13.

Kelly went 34-14 at LSU, and combined with successful tenures at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame, gives him a 200-76 record over 22 seasons (.725). Kiffin is 117-53 (.688).

–Field Level Media

Buccaneers extend Cardinals’ losing streak to four

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Star left tackle Tristan Wirfs caught his first NFL touchdown pass and Bucky Irving had a touchdown run to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers post a 20-17 victory over the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

Baker Mayfield completed 18 of 28 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown while playing through a left shoulder injury to help Tampa Bay (7-5) end a three-game slide. Irving rushed for 61 yards and a score on 17 carries in his return from a seven-game absence due to foot and shoulder injuries.

Jacoby Brissett completed 29 of 40 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns against one interception for the Cardinals (3-9), who have lost four straight games and nine of their past 10.

Arizona’s Trey McBride caught eight passes for 82 yards and one touchdown. McBride has caught at least five passes in 14 straight games, breaking the club record set by Larry Fitzgerald. Bam Knight had 98 scrimmage yards (62 rushing, 36 receiving) and caught a scoring pass for the Cardinals.

The Buccaneers took a 17-3 lead when Irving scored on a 13-yard run with 3:56 left in the third quarter. Arizona answered with Brissett’s 15-yard pass to Knight with 31 seconds remaining in the period. The Cardinals later went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line, and Tampa Bay’s Anthony Nelson stopped Knight for no gain with 10:39 left in the game.

The Buccaneers cashed in with Chase McLaughlin’s 57-yard field goal to take a 20-10 lead with 8:58 remaining.

Arizona moved within three when Brissett tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to McBride with 4:58 left. The Cardinals got the ball back on their own 9 with 1:49 left but failed to convert a fourth-and-2 with 52 seconds left, and the Buccaneers ran out the clock.

Tampa Bay got on the board with McLaughlin’s 25-yard field goal with 8:02 left in the second quarter. Later in the period, Wirfs was on the left end of the line and floated into the end zone and was backpedaling when he caught a 2-yard scoring pass from Mayfield to make it 10-0 with 1:36 remaining.

Chad Ryland kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the half to leave Arizona down 10-3.

Ryland was wide right on a 43-yard attempt with 7:46 left in the third.

–Field Level Media

49ers take advantage of Browns miscues in comfortable win

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Brock Purdy passed for a touchdown and ran for another as the visiting San Francisco 49ers extended their winning streak to three games by beating the Cleveland Browns 26-8 Sunday.

Purdy completed 16 of 29 passes for 168 yards. Christian McCaffery added a 1-yard TD run for San Francisco (9-4), which also received two field goals from Matt Gay.

The Browns (3-9) fumbled the ball away twice, and San Francisco took advantage by scoring a touchdown following each turnover.

The 49ers led 7-0 after one quarter, 10-8 at halftime and 17-8 entering the final 15 minutes.

Cleveland quarterback Shedeur Sanders made his second NFL start and completed 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown.

San Francisco opened the scoring on McCaffrey’s touchdown run with 8:12 remaining in the first quarter. The TD was set up by Skyy Moore’s 66-yard punt return, which gave the 49ers possession on the Cleveland 16-yard line.

The Browns got on the scoreboard when Sanders tossed a 34-yard TD pass to Harold Fannin with 39 seconds left in the first half. Quinshon Judkins (23 carries for 91 yards) put the Browns up 8-7 by running in the two-point conversion after San Francisco was penalized for having too many men on the field.

San Francisco took a 10-8 lead on Gay’s 25-yard field goal on the first half’s final play.

The 49ers extended their lead to 17-8 on Purdy’s 2-yard TD run with 1:29 left in the third quarter. The scoring drive began on the Cleveland 32-yard line after San Francisco recovered a Fannin fumble on a fourth-and-1 play.

San Francisco’s third touchdown came after Gage Larvadain muffed a punt and the 49ers recovered the ball on the Cleveland 18. Six plays later Purdy connected with wide receiver Jauan Jennings for a 7-yard TD pass. The pass on the conversion attempt failed, leaving the 49ers with a 23-8 lead with 11:05 to play.

Gay’s 31-yard field goal with 4:09 left finalized the scoring.

–Field Level Media

Panthers use turnovers to knock Rams from perch atop NFC

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Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes and the Carolina Panthers forced Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford into three turnovers in 31-28 victory that ended the Rams’ six-game winning streak on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C.

The Panthers were efficient on fourth-down plays in the second half and the defense came up with a huge stop when it appeared the NFC-best Rams might be ready to regain the lead.

After Los Angeles reached the Carolina 17-yard line, a delay of game penalty came before Derrick Brown forced a Stafford fumble on a sack and recovered the ball with 2:25 remaining.

Stafford entered the game with two interceptions all season and then threw two in the first quarter. The first was tipped and picked off in the end zone and the next snatched by Mike Jackson and returned 48 yards for a touchdown.

Young completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards, helping the Panthers (7-6) recover from a loss Monday night at San Francisco. Running back Chuba Hubbard gained 83 yards on 17 carries and caught a 35-yard touchdown pass for the team’s first points in the first quarter.

Stafford completed 18 of 28 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams and set an NFL record in the first quarter with 28 TD passes without an interception going back to Week 4. That run ended when he threw a pair of picks in a span of three passes.

Davante Adams had two TD receptions for Los Angeles, Xavier Smith caught three passes for 82 yards and Blake Corum led the Rams’ rushing attack with 81 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

The Rams (9-3) went ahead 28-24 with 9:58 remaining on Kyren Williams’ 7-yard run.

Carolina needed six plays to regain the lead, with Young hitting Tatairoa McMillan for a 43-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2 with 6:34 remaining.

The Panthers earlier took a lead on the first possession of the third quarter when Young hooked up with Jalen Cooker for a 33-yard touchdown play on fourth-and-3.

The Rams recovered from their early woes for a 21-17 halftime lead. Los Angeles didn’t punt in the first half, with three touchdowns and Stafford’s two interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Georgia is new No. 3 behind Ohio State, Indiana in AP Top 25

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The Big Ten Conference championship game will be a battle of the top two teams in the Associated Press Top 25 poll as No. 1 Ohio State faces No. 2 Indiana at Indianapolis on Saturday.

Beyond that pair, the top five of the most recent poll Sunday was a bit scrambled with Georgia and Oregon moving up one spot to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. No. 5 Texas Tech jumped up two spots after a 49-0 blowout victory at West Virginia.

Texas A&M tumbled four spots to No. 7 after the Aggies lost for the first time this season, 27-17 at Texas.

While Miami and Vanderbilt each earned convincing victories, Miami moved up one spot to No. 12, while Vanderbilt dropped a spot to No. 13. No. 14 Texas moved up two spots.

Michigan fell three spots to No. 18 after its 27-9 loss to Ohio State, while James Madision, the highest-ranked Group of Five team, moved up a spot to No. 19.

No. 22 Arizona, No. 23 Navy and No. 25 Missouri all entered the Top 25 this week, while Tennessee, Pittsburgh and SMU fell out of the poll. Navy is set to face Army on Dec. 13.

Associated Press Top 25

1. Ohio State (12-0)
2. Indiana (12-0)
3. Georgia (11-1)
4. Oregon (11-1)
5. Texas Tech (11-1)
6. Ole Miss (11-1)
7. Texas A&M (11-1)
8. Oklahoma (10-2)
9. Notre Dame (10-2)
10. Alabama (10-2)
11. BYU (11-1)
12. Miami (10-2)
13. Vanderbilt (10-2)
14. Texas (9-3)
15. Utah (10-2)
16. Virginia (10-2)
17. USC (9-3)
18. Michigan (9-3)
19. James Madison (11-1)
20. North Texas (11-1)
21. Tulane (10-2)
22. Arizona (9-3)
23. Navy (9-2)
24. Georgia Tech (9-3)
25. Missouri (8-4)

–Field Level Media