Month: December 2025

Duke outscores Arizona State as offenses shine in Sun Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Darian Mensah’s fourth touchdown pass of the day went to Que’Sean Brown for 17 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:10 remaining in Duke’s 42-39 victory against Arizona State in the Sun Bowl on Wednesday at El Paso, Texas.

Brown caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage and made his way down the left sideline for his second TD of the game as the Blue Devils (9-5) followed their Atlantic Coast Conference championship with another postseason triumph.

Mensah was 29-for-51 for 327 yards, with Brown making 10 catches for 178 yards and two TDs – all game-highs. Nate Sheppard rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

Arizona State quarterback Jeff Sims threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more. He was 27-for-38 for 375 passing yards. Jalen Moss collected 129 receiving yards with a touchdown on five catches, and Jason Brown Jr. rushed for 120 yards for the Sun Devils (8-5).

The Sun Devils totaled 619 yards of offense, the Blue Devils 539.

Despite all of the offense, Arizona State’s defense made big plays in the fourth quarter by stopping Duke after the Blue Devils reached the 6-yard line, so the Sun Devils regained possession with less than three minutes to play. On the next snap, Duke’s Ma’Khi Jones recovered Demarius Robinson’s fumble at the Sun Devils’ 22 and the turnover set up the winning drive.

Linebacker Luke Mergott then intercepted Sims. Mergott also made the game-clinching pick-off in overtime of the ACC title game against Virginia on Dec. 6. The Blue Devils clinched the outcome on Wednesday with a fourth-and-4 conversion.

Neither team led by more than seven points other than when Duke went up 35-24 in the third quarter on Sheppard’s 3-yard run.

It took the Sun Devils slightly more than a minute to respond, with Sims’ 8-yard pass to Khamari Anderson and Sims’ two-point conversion run.

Then Arizona State went ahead when Sims threw for 6 yards to Malik McClain with 12:31 remaining.

Duke followed with an 11-play possession that ended on a fourth-down incompletion after moving to the Arizona State 37-yard line.

Arizona State scored on its first possession of the game when Sims ran 2 yards for a touchdown at the end of an 83-yard drive.

Duke’s first two scoring drives consisted of a total of seven plays covering 124 yards, with Mensah throwing for 69 yards to Brown and then tossing 3 yards to Cooper Barkate in a span of less than 2 1/2 minutes.

Sims threw to Moss for a 44-yard touchdown play to complete the scoring in an eventful first quarter.

Duke got rolling again on a bit of a trick play, with Jeremiah Hasley taking Mensah’s pass 14 yards for a touchdown. Sims countered with a 38-yard TD run.

Anderson Castle put Duke back in front on a 3-yard run with 1:50 left in the half, but there was time for Jesus Gomez to boot a 54-yard field goal as the Sun Devils trimmed the deficit to 28-24 before halftime.

Arizona State held a 348-271 edge in first-half yardage.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Packers claim former Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs

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The Green Bays bolstered an ailing defensive secondary on Wednesday by claiming cornerback Trevon Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys, according to multiple media reports.

The Cowboys released the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback on Tuesday. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Diggs was waived for multiple reasons, not just because he didn’t fly home with the team on Christmas after a win over the Washington Commanders. Diggs asked the coach if he could stay in his native Maryland to spend the holiday with family and was denied, then skipped the team flight.

The 27-year-old veteran would become a free agent if he went unclaimed, and any team claiming him would be on the hook for Diggs’ base salary of $472,000 for Week 18, plus $58,823 if he is active for this week’s game, per ESPN.

The playoff-bound Packers are short-handed after placing safety Zayne Anderson (ankle) and cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) on injured reserve on Wednesday. Safety Johnathan Baldwin was signed from the practice squad to the active roster, and cornerback Tyron Herring was signed to the practice squad. Kamal Hadden (ankle) was placed on IR on Tuesday, and wide receiver Bo Melton moved across the line for more depth at cornerback.

Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that some starters won’t play on Sunday at Minnesota, which might mean resting starting cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. The Packers (9-6-1) are seeded seventh in the NFC playoffs, and the Vikings (8-8) are out of the playoff race.

Diggs, a second-round pick by Dallas in the 2020 NFL Draft, signed a five-year, $97 million extension in July 2023 — with money guaranteed after this season. Since the signing, he has played in just 21 of a possible 50 games, dealing with multiple injuries.

He sustained a torn ACL in practice two games into the 2023 campaign and missed the rest of the season.

Diggs was activated from the physically unable to perform list in August after missing the final six games of the 2024 season with a left knee injury.

He then landed on injured reserve on Oct. 25, reportedly to address a right knee issue, although he also reportedly suffered a concussion in an “accident at his home” at some point after a Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones did not share details of the incident or explain how Diggs was injured.

Diggs returned to action for the Cowboys’ past two games, notching a combined seven tackles in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and a win over the Commanders.

Diggs has 25 tackles in eight games (six starts) this season for the Cowboys (7-8-1), whose season ends on the road Sunday against the New York Giants.

In 66 career games (63 starts), Diggs has 20 interceptions, 63 passes defensed and 240 tackles. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2021, when he led the league with 11 interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022.

–Field Level Media

Cotton Bowl: Miami-Ohio State Preview, Props, Prediction

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Past meets the present with a potential championship in the future when No. 2 Ohio State plays No. 10 Miami to kick off the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in Arlington, Texas, on New Year’s Eve.

ODDS AND TRENDS
The Buckeyes opened as an 8.5-point favorite and the line reached double-digits at many sportsbooks. By game day, the consensus line was sitting at Ohio State -9.0. That’s including at BetRivers, where there has been a pretty even split with 51% of the spread-line money and 58% of the total bets backing the Buckeyes.

According to the book, only Texas Tech finished the regular season with a better record against the spread than Ohio State. The Buckeyes also covered the spread in three of their final four games against the spread.

Ohio State’s -375 moneyline to win the game outright was predictably far more one-sided, drawing 89% of both the money and total bets.

The 41.0 total points line has seen 57% of the money back the Under, in large part due to Miami holding Texas A&M to just three points in the first round. Three of Ohio State’s past four games against ranked opponents have gone under a total points line of 41, and six of Ohio State’s past eight games overall have gone Under the total points line.

PROP PICKS
–Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith Over 81.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at BetMGM): This has been the most popular prop for this game at the book. Smith broke out of a mini-slump with eight catches for 144 yards in the Buckeyes’ most recent game against Indiana. Miami has one of the nation’s stoutest defenses, but Smith has topped 81.5 yards six times this season and 81 yards in a seventh.

–Miami QB Carson Beck Over 192.5 Passing Yards (-115 at BetMGM): This is the most popular Hurricanes-based prop. The Hurricanes’ passing game hasn’t exactly been electric this season but Beck was added via the transfer portal for his experience in big-time games. He is coming off a 103-yard outing in a defensive slugfest at Texas A&M, but threw for at least 200 yards in all but two of Miami’s 12 regular-season games.

THE NEWS
The Cotton Bowl matchup conjures good memories for Buckeyes followers and anger from fans of the Hurricanes who feel aggrieved by a 31-24 double overtime loss in the 2002 BCS title game, blaming a late flag for pass interference on Miami for helping Ohio State snatch victory from their grasp.

For all the talk of a rematch by media and fans, standout receivers Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Miami’s Malachi Toney and nearly all their teammates weren’t even born when the Buckeyes won the first of their three national titles this century.

The most recent was last season and even though Ohio State (12-1) had a 16-game winning streak snapped in a 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, Miami coach Mario Cristobal said the Buckeyes are as dangerous as ever.

“They’re the defending national champions. They have elite talent, some really high-caliber players,” Cristobal said. “Just about in every category offensively and defensively, they’re one, two, three, four, five in the country.”

Miami, playing in its first Bowl Championship Series or CFP game since 2002, defeated Texas A&M 10-3 in a first-round game in which the Hurricanes totaled seven sacks and nine tackles for loss, led by All-American defensive end Rueben Bain Jr.

The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2025.

“This is a really talented team,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said of Miami. “I mean, really talented. They’ve got players all over the field. … Some of the guys on our team know some of the guys on their team and grew up around them, so they’re excited.”

Eight Buckeyes are from the state of Florida, including the sophomore Smith (Miami Gardens), a first-team All-American who has 1,086 yards on 80 catches with 11 touchdowns despite sustaining a late-season strained quad which caused him to miss a game.

Smith said he is healthy and ready to play the Hurricanes, but starting right guard Tegra Tshabola will be unavailable because of an undisclosed injury. Gabe VanSickle or Joshua Padilla could start in that spot. The Buckeyes’ offensive line will be put to the test after Indiana recorded six sacks.

PREDICTION
Expect Miami to be committed to the ground game even if it falls behind early. That’s because the Hurricanes’ passing game has become increasingly reliant upon Toney underneath and behind the line of scrimmage due to shaky pass protection and inconsistent pass protection.

That could keep the game low-scoring and within doubt deep into the second half, but eventually Ohio State’s superior offensive talent will win the field-position battle while Miami’s offense struggles to move the ball with any consistency.

–Ohio State 24, Miami 17

–Field Level Media

Reports: Eagles plan to start QB Tanner McKee, rest Jalen Hurts, other starters

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The Philadelphia Eagles plan to start little-used quarterback Tanner McKee and rest Jalen Hurts and several other starters in the regular-season finale at home Sunday against the Washington Commanders, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.

The Eagles (11-5) cannot fall any lower than their current No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs but would rise to No. 2 if they win and the Chicago Bears (11-5) lose to the Detroit Lions. Both games kick off at the same time late Sunday afternoon.

Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday that the team would rest several starters and were “nearing” a decision, but he wanted to talk to players first at a team meeting.

McKee, 25, has appeared in three games this season as relief for Hurts and completed all three pass attempts for 33 yards. He is 33 of 48 for 356 yards and four touchdowns in five career games, winning his lone start 20-13 against the New York Giants to close out the 2024 regular season.

The Eagles selected McKee in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stanford.

“When you see Tanner, he’s really good about knowing where to go with the football, seeing the defense and being able to deliver things accurately,” Sirianni said. “It’s a great room where those guys feed off each other and learn from each other.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that the Eagles plan to make 10 or so key starters inactive and suit up another 10 or so on the active roster but hop they rest against the Commanders (4-12), who lost at home to the Eagles 29-18 on Dec. 20.

Among those likely to rest are Hurts, running back Saquan Barkley, receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert, several offensive linemen and a host of defensive starters, per the Inquirer report.

–Field Level Media

Iowa QB Mark Gronowski exits a winner vs. Vanderbilt in ReliaQuest Bowl

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Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to help No. 23 Iowa overcome a late surge to beat No. 14 Vanderbilt 34-27 in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Wednesday afternoon in Tampa, Fla.

Gronowski, who won back-to-back FCS national titles at South Dakota State (2022, 2023) before spending his final season with the Hawkeyes, completed 16 of 22 passes for 212 yards and an interception, adding 54 rushing yards.

Selected the game’s Most Valuable Player, Gronowski extended his own NCAA wins record, finishing his collegiate career with 58, the most at any level.

“I’m just so proud of our guys,” Gronowski said. “Everyone came out here ready to play. We gave it our best football out here. It was just a lot of fun to come out here one last time with the guys.”

Tight end DJ Vonnahme led the Hawkeyes (9-4) with a career-high 146 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. Kamari Moulton added 95 yards and a score on 14 carries.

The Commodores (10-3) scored four of the final five times they touched the ball after tallying just three first-half points. Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia was largely muted in the first half before awakening in the second half to finish with 347 passing yards, a team-high 36 rushing yards to account for a combined three scores in his final collegiate game.

All-American tight end Eli Stowers opted out of the game for Vanderbilt, but Tre Richardson and Junior Sherrill stepped up with 127 and 123 receiving yards, respectively.

Gronowski’s 44-yard scramble on Iowa’s opening drive set up a 4-yard score by Moulton 2:05 into the game.

The Hawkeyes nearly doubled their lead next drive with a 51-yard catch by Vonnahme down to the 4. However, Martel Hight came up with a diving end-zone interception on the next play.

Vanderbilt got on the board with 7:49 left in the first half when a 13-play drive ended with Brock Taylor’s 41-yard field goal.

It appeared that was going to be the halftime score before Iowa got a gift when Vanderbilt punter Nick Haberer crossed the line of scrimmage before kicking the ball, a penalty which gave the Hawkeyes the ball at the Commodores’ 10 with less than a minute left.

They needed just one play to cash in, with Gronowski throwing a 10-yard TD to Reece Vander Zee to give Iowa a 14-3 halftime lead.

Another Iowa passing touchdown, this one 21 yards to Vonnahme, made it 21-3 with 8:50 left in the third quarter.

Eleven seconds later, Vanderbilt finally reached the end zone on a 75-yard bomb from Pavia to Richardson.

Pavia and the Commodores cut the deficit to one score three times in the second half, with a 16-yard TD to Joseph McVay late in the third quarter, Pavia’s 11-yard keeper with 11:19 left and a field-goal drive that cut it to 34-27 with 2:58 left.

But Iowa scored the final three times it touched the ball before running out the clock, twice on field goals by Drew Stevens and once on a 1-yard keeper by Gronowski to never allow Vanderbilt to get the ball back with a chance to tie the score.

–Field Level Media

Falcons coach Raheem Morris’ prospects looking up with late-season success

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The Atlanta Falcons have known for the better part of December that they won’t be playing in the postseason for the eighth straight year.

Atlanta (7-9) also will post an eighth consecutive losing record after a five-game midseason losing streak dug a hole too deep to emerge from — even in the unimpressive NFC South.

After the Falcons dropped to 4-9 following a 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 7, there were few seats hotter than the one for head coach Raheem Morris. Since then, the team has won a season-best three straight games, fueling the belief in Atlanta that Morris could return for a third season in 2026.

Ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the visiting New Orleans Saints, Morris continues to speak in a future tense regarding his time with the franchise.

“I think you can’t ever get tired of winning,” Morris told reporters on Wednesday. “I want the guys to obsess over winning, whatever the stakes are. That’s how you become a winner and that’s how you change your program into a winning program, and that’s exactly what we want to be.”

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2024, went down with a partially torn ACL on Nov. 16. In an inconsistent nine-start season, the 25-year-old completed just 60.1% of his passes and the Falcons went 3-6 with Penix under center. Penix passed for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Since the injury, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins has helped Atlanta win four of six games, but Morris dismisses the notion that they called Cousins’ number too late.

“Mike was outstanding, and he was awesome when he played well for us,” Morris said. “Mike did a nice job but got hurt. Kirk stepped in and did exactly what we thought we would do. I know you guys wanted to get rid of Kirk and that wasn’t my intention, that was not what I wanted to do. Especially, you need a backup, you need somebody to win.”

Against the suddenly red-hot Saints (6-10), who have won four straight, another Atlanta victory to close the 2025 campaign would mark the first season sweep against New Orleans since 2016. The Falcons won in New Orleans 24-10 on Nov. 23.

“We don’t like the Saints,” Morris said. “That’s clear and obvious and it’s the reason the National Football League makes all these games at the end, trying to make them division games. That’s the exciting part about the National Football League, you can get these types of games, these types of moments, divisional rivals. It was nice to go out there and get one win versus those guys; it’d be better to get two.”

–Field Level Media

Cardinals shut down WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (foot)

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The Arizona Cardinals ruled wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. out for Sunday’s season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, ending his injury-plagued second season.

Already dealing with a right heel injury sustained in a Week 13 loss at Tampa Bay, Harrison injured his left foot during last Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati.

Harrison, 23, finishes with 41 catches for 608 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games (10 starts). He missed two games in December with the heel injury and two in November following surgery for appendicitis.

“I thought he did some good things,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Harrison on Wednesday. “We moved him around the formation. He scored points for us. He got open, caught it. I don’t think he’s hit his ceiling and look forward to the future with that.”

Drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in 2024, the son of Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison has tallied 103 catches for 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns in 29 games (26 starts).

–Field Level Media

Pats DT Christian Barmore facing domestic assault charge

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New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is facing a misdemeanor domestic assault charge from an alleged incident on Aug. 8 in Mansfield, Mass.

Barmore, 26, was in a relationship with the alleged victim, according to court documents revealed Wednesday in a report from WCVB TV in Boston.

The woman told police that she tried to leave the house after an argument and Barmore “grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor,” according to Attleborough District Court documents.

A criminal complaint was issued on Dec. 16 and Barmore is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 3.

The Patriots released a statement but did not address whether Barmore will participate in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the visiting Miami Dolphins.

“The New England Patriots are aware of reports regarding a pending February arraignment involving Christian Barmore, which stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August,” the statement read. “The Patriots were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner. The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Barmore is the second Patriots player this week to make headlines off the field. News broke Tuesday that wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing a felony charge of strangulation for an alleged incident on Dec. 2.

Barmore has played in all 16 games (15 starts) this season for the AFC East champion Patriots (13-3), recording one sack with 26 tackles and nine quarterback hits. He was a second-round draft pick by New England in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Cards’ Calais Campbell undecided about a 19th season

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Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell said he will take some time before deciding whether to return for his 19th NFL season in 2026.

Campbell, who will be 40 by the time next season kicks off, has started every game this season heading into Sunday’s season finale against the host Los Angeles Rams. He ranks second on the team with 6.5 sacks and shares the lead with 16 quarterback hits.

“The last few years I’ve been through this process I’ve known pretty quickly that I’ve wanted to play again,” Campbell said in a story published by the team on Wednesday. “It didn’t take me that long — within a month or so, I knew I wanted to play football again. We’ll see. I hope to know quickly if I don’t want to play football again.

“The biggest thing is if I do want to play football again, I give myself the opportunities to play football again. I try to always sign my work and play at a level that they want me back. Even if I decide not to play again, I want to have the ability to say no, rather than them saying, ‘See you later.’”

Campbell, who was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round in 2008, will appear in his 278th regular-season game on Sunday. The NFL record for a defensive lineman is 282 games by Minnesota Vikings great Jim Marshall from 1960-79.

Campbell has been one of Arizona’s best players this season, recording 41 tackles and blocking two kicks. His 117 career sacks rank fourth among active players and 25th all-time.

“He shows up every day and does the right thing,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said. “Practices hard, studies hard, knows his assignments, and I think he’s just been a good example as the standard of what being a pro looks like. He is a very good outgoing leader who is very intentional of bringing people around with him.”

Campbell is a free agent after this season. In addition to the Cardinals (2008-16, 2025), the six-time Pro Bowl selection has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-19), Baltimore Ravens (2020-22), Atlanta Falcons (2023) and Miami Dolphins (2024).

He was a first-team All-Pro in 2017 and was named the 2019 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.

“I’ve always tried to play well enough that I have a choice,” Campbell said. “I think I did well enough this year that I will have a choice. That’s a good feeling.”

–Field Level Media

Report: Packers signing QB Desmond Ridder

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The Green Bay Packers are signing quarterback Desmond Ridder to their practice squad, NFL Network reported on Wednesday.

With starter Jordan Love and backup Malik Willis both dealing with shoulder injuries, Clayton Tune is the only healthy signal-caller on the roster.

The Packers (9-6-1) are locked into the No. 7 playoff seed in the NFC and could elevate Ridder to the 53-man roster for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the host Minnesota Vikings (8-8), per the report.

Ridder, 26, was released from the Vikings’ practice squad on Dec. 2 and has not appeared in an NFL game this season.

A third-round pick by Atlanta in 2022, Ridder is 8-10 as a starter with the Falcons (2022-23) and Las Vegas Raiders (2024). He has completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,002 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, also rushing for 293 yards and five scores.

–Field Level Media