Weekday Morning Sports Report – Wednesday 1/2/19

sportsreport-553
sportsreport-553

NHL – National Hockey League
Yesterday
2019 Bridgestone Winter Classic – Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, IN
Boston Bruins 4, Chicago Blackhawks 2

Bruins 4, Blackhawks 2 – Pastrnak, Bruins beat Blackhawks 4-2 in Winter Classic
David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, Tuukka Rask made 36 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Tuesday in the Winter Classic at Notre Dame. Patrice Bergeron, Sean Kuraly and Brad Marchand also scored as Boston won for the second time in three appearances in the NHL’s annual outdoor game on New Year’s Day. The Bruins went 2 for 5 with the man advantage and killed off each of the Blackhawks’ four power plays. The game was tied at 2 when Boston (22-14-4) caught a break in the third period _ a little luck at the home of the Fighting Irish. Matt Grzelcyk’s big slap shot went off teammate Chris Wagner in front, but Kuraly beat Blackhawks defenseman Gustav Forsling to the rebound and backhanded the puck past Cam Ward at 10:20.  Chicago had won five of six, but it remained winless in an NHL-high fourth appearance in the Winter Classic. It also dropped to 1-5 in six outdoor games _ also tops in the league.

Tonight
Calgary Flames at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.

NHL – 2020 Winter Classic to be held at Cotton Bowl
The 2020 Winter Classic will be held at the Cotton Bowl in Texas. The Dallas Stars will host the 12th edition of the NHL’s annual outdoor game on New Year’s Day. But Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league hasn’t decided on their opponent. Bettman also announced the Heritage Classic will return on Oct. 26 when the Winnipeg Jets play the Calgary Flames at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. The NHL also will play outdoors at Air Force Academy on Feb. 15, 2020, as part of the Stadium Series, but it hasn’t finalized the opponent for the Colorado Avalanche.  Bettman made his remarks during the second intermission of Tuesday’s Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. St. Louis will host the NHL All-Star festivities from Jan. 24-26, 2020.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Milwaukee Bucks 121, Detroit Pistons 98

Bucks 121, Pistons 98 – Lopez has 25, Giannis monster dunk as Bucks beat Pistons
Brook Lopez had 25 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo threw down a spectacular one-handed dunk and the Milwaukee Bucks cruised past the Detroit Pistons 121-98 on Tuesday night. Khris Middleton had 22 points and Eric Bledsoe had 18 for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo had just 15 points, but his slam over Jon Leuer was the highlight of the night. Antetokounmpo blew past Andre Drummond, jumped and reached his right arm over a leaping Leuer for the slam during the first quarter.  Milwaukee has won four straight and eight of nine. The Bucks are an NBA-best 26-10.  Blake Griffin had 29 points and nine rebounds, and Reggie Jackson scored 19 points for Detroit, which fell to 16-19.

Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m.
Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

NFL – Lions not renewing offensive coordinator Cooter’s contract
The Detroit Lions are not renewing offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter’s contract. The Lions announced their decision Tuesday, two days after finishing 6-10 in coach Matt Patricia’s first season at the helm. Cooter was a holdover from Jim Caldwell’s staff, but his first season with Patricia did not go well. Only two teams in the NFC scored fewer points than Detroit’s 324. Rookie running back Kerryon Johnson gave the Lions’ running game a bit of a boost before he was lost for the season with a knee injury. Quarterback Matthew Stafford took a step back, falling short of 4,000 yards passing for the first time since his injury-filled 2010 campaign. Detroit won its finale 31-0 over Green Bay, but that was the only time in its last 10 games that the Lions scored more than 22 points.

NCAAFB – College Football – Bowls
Yesterday
Outback Bowl – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Iowa 27, (18) Mississippi State 22

Iowa 27, (18) Mississippi State 22 – Iowa rallies past No. 18 Mississippi State in Outback Bowl
Safety Jake Gervase picked off a pass in the end zone to preserve a late lead and help Iowa earn a 27-22 win over 18th-ranked Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl. Gervase also batted down an errant fourth-down pass to end the Bulldogs’ final drive at the Iowa 32 with 25 seconds left. The Hawkeyes totaled just 199 yards but turned three takeaways into 17 points and scored on a 75-yard TD pass from Nathan Stanley to Nick Easley.

VRBO Citrus Bowl – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
(14) Kentucky 27, (12) Penn State 24

(14) Kentucky 27, (12) Penn State 24 – Snell runs wild, No. 16 Kentucky holds off No. 13 Penn State
Benny Snell Jr. became Kentucky’s career rushing leader by providing 144 yards and two touchdowns in leading the 16th-ranked Wildcats past No. 13 Penn State, 27-24 in the Citrus Bowl. Snell scored on runs of 2 and 12 yards in the second half, then carried for a couple of crucial first downs to help the 10-3 Wildcats run out the clock. Trace McSorley threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions’ career passing and wins leader also rushed for a team-high 75 yards on 19 attempts.

Playstation Fiesta Bowl – State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
(11) LSU 40, (8) UCF 32

(11) LSU 40, (8) UCF 32 – LSU ends UCF’s win streak
UCF’s 25-game winning streak is over after Joe Burrow passed for 394 yards and four TDs to lead 11th-ranked LSU to a 40-32 victory over the No. 7 Knights at the Fiesta Bowl. A depleted LSU team rolled for 555 yards, easily the most allowed by the Knights this season. Burrow had touchdown passes of 22, 49, 33 and 32 yards, while the Tigers held Central Florida to 250 yards after the Knights entered the game ranked third nationally at 545 yards per game.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual – Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
(6) Ohio State 28, (9) Washington 23

(6) Ohio State 28, (9) Washington 23 – Ohio State tops Washington 28-23 in Meyer’s Rose Bowl finale
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is going out a winner after Dwayne Haskins passed for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the fifth-ranked Buckeyes’ 28-23 victory over Washington in the Rose Bowl. Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Rashod Berry caught TD passes in the first half for the fifth-ranked Buckeyes, who carried a 25-point lead into the fourth quarter. Myles Gaskin ran for two scores and threw for another in the final game before OSU won its final game under Meyer.

Allstate Sugar Bowl – Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
(15) Texas 28, (5) Georgia 21

(15) Texas 28, (5) Georgia 21 – Ehlinger’s 3 TDs lead Texas past Georgia 28-21 in Sugar Bowl
Sam Ehlinger ran for three touchdowns, the Texas defense largely held Georgia’s offense in check, and the Longhorns earned their first 10-win season since 2009 by beating the Bulldogs 28-21 in the Sugar Bowl. Ehlinger was the star of a gritty win, running a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter, a 9-yard score in the second, and a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth.

NCAAFB – Texas mascot charges Georgia bulldog, topples barricade
The Texas football program’s mascot, a large white and brown longhorn steer named Bevo, caused a stir at the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday when it knocked down its barricade and briefly charged in the direction of Georgia’s mascot , a bulldog name Uga. Uga X, an English bulldog wearing a bright red Georgia sweater, was quickly pulled out of harm’s way, but Bevo’s head and horns appeared to make contact with several people, including a couple of photographers, who scampered out of the way or were knocked down. There were no reported injuries and Bevo was quickly restrained.

NCAAFB – Riley gets extension
It appears Lincoln Riley will be staying in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners and their head football coach have agreed to a contract extension, which should quell speculation about the second-year coach being lured away by an NFL team. The 35-year-old Riley has led Oklahoma to consecutive Big 12 championships and College Football Playoff appearances. The Sooners have gone 24-4 under Riley and 16-2 in the conference while creating Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

NCAA – Purdue fan who inspired many with fight against cancer dies
Tyler Trent, a former Purdue University student and enthusiastic college football fan who inspired many with his battle against cancer, has died. He was 20. His family confirmed to The Indianapolis Star that he died Tuesday. Trent had wanted to be a sportswriter and was determined to attend Purdue despite suffering three bouts with a rare bone cancer. He became a social media star with his positive attitude and determination to live every day to the fullest despite the illness. Last year, Purdue created a scholarship, the Tyler Trent Courage and Resilience Award, for an undergraduate who has encountered adversity while pursuing a college degree. Trent earned an associate degree from Purdue in computer information technology. He was diagnosed with bone cancer at age 15.

NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
(10) Virginia Tech 81, Notre Dame 66 – d

(10) Virginia Tech 81, Notre Dame 66 – Outlaw helps No. 10 Hokies down Fighting Irish, 81-66
Ty Outlaw hit three 3-pointers in a 22-9 second-half run and No. 10 Virginia Tech beat Notre Dame 81-66 on Tuesday. Kerry Blackshear Jr. led the way with 21 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Ahmed Hill scored 17 apiece and Outlaw finished with 14 for the Hokies (12-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Virginia Tech led just 49-44 before Alexander-Walker sparked the run with a pair of driving baskets. T.J. Gibbs scored 19 points, 13 in the second half, as Notre Dame (10-4, 0-1) had its four-game winning streak snapped. D.J. Harvey added 16 and Nate Laszewski had 14.

Tonight
Northwestern at (8) Michigan State, 8:30 p.m.                  Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 7:00

Olympics – Deadline passes without Russian turnover of data to WADA
The deadline for Russia to turn over samples and other data from its Moscow anti-doping lab has passed, leaving the World Anti-Doping Agency to decide whether to reinstate the ban it had lifted in September. WADA’s decision to declare the Russian Anti-Doping Agency compliant came with the requirement that it turn over data and samples by Dec. 31. WADA officials will meet Jan. 14-15 to consider reinstating the ban. The deadline for Russia to turn over samples and other data from its Moscow anti-doping lab has passed, leaving the World Anti-Doping Agency to decide whether to reinstate the ban it had lifted in September.  WADA’s decision to declare the Russian Anti-Doping Agency compliant came with the requirement that it turn over data and samples by Dec. 31. But on Dec. 21, WADA announced its team of scientists had left empty-handed because Russian authorities said the equipment they used had to be certified under Russian law.  WADA officials will meet Jan. 14-15 to consider reinstating the ban.  After the deadline passed Tuesday (Monday night in the United States), U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart said “it’s time for WADA to stop being played by the Russians and immediately declare them non-compliant for failing yet again to meet the deadline.”

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Iowa Wild at Chicago Wolves, 8:00 p.m.