COLLEGE FOOTBALL:
For the second straight day a big-name college football coach is switching schools.
LSU is hiring Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame, a stunning move by one of the most accomplished coaches in college football. A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press of the decision, which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. It comes a little more than 24 hours after Southern California lured Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma.
The 60-year Kelly became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history earlier this season, surpassing Knute Rockne. In 12 seasons with the Fighting Irish, Kelly is 113-40, including the current run of five straight double-digit victory seasons.
Notre Dame just completed an 11-1 season on Saturday and still is in contention to reach the College Football Playoff for the third time in the last four years.
Kelly would replace Ed Orgeron, who was told in October he wouldn’t be back after leading LSU to a 2019 national championship.
Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley is leaving to become head coach for the University of Southern California.
Elsewhere on college football sidelines:
Rhett Lashlee is the new head coach at SMU after two years as Miami’s offensive coordinator. He had the same role on Sonny Dykes’ staff with the Mustangs in 2018 and 2019. Dykes left after four seasons at SMU and is expected to be introduced as TCU’s new coach on Tuesday to replace Gary Patterson.
Temple has fired football coach Rod Carey after three lackluster seasons. The Owls completed a 3-9 season on Saturday and were 12-20 under Carey.
Washington has hired Fresno State’s Kalen DeBoer to lead the Huskies, handing a program that has struggled offensively to a coach with a track record of productive and creative offenses. The Bulldogs went 9-3 this season, including a victory against UCLA.
Ninth-ranked Baylor still isn’t sure if quarterback Gerry Bohanon will be ready to play in this weekend’s Big 12 championship game against fifth-ranked Oklahoma State. Bohanan has missed the past 1 1/2 games because of a right hamstring injury.
If Bohanon isn’t able to play, Blake Shapen would get his second start. Aranda says the Bears have to make sure that Bohanon is able to move around to stay safe and avoid unnecessary hits.
In other college football news:
Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler announced on social media that he will enter the transfer portal. The decision comes on the heels of coach Lincoln Riley’s decision to leave for USC. Rattler entered this season as a first-team preseason All-American and the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. He was benched after a slow start against Texas.
Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs says he will enter the transfer portal. Gibbs finished third in the nation in all-purpose yards.
NFL:
The Washington Football Team has worked itself into the NFC playoff picture by winning three straight games since a 2-6 start.
Kendall Fuller intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass on a last-minute 2-point conversion attempt, securing Washington’s 17-15 victory over the Seahawks. Wilson connected with Freddy Swain on a 32-yard TD pass with 15 seconds left but came up just short of leading a memorable comeback on his 33rd birthday.
J.D. McKissic caught a touchdown pass from Taylor Heinicke and ran for another. Heinicke was 27 of 35 for 223 yards as WFT took over the final NFC wild-card berth.
Wilson was 20 of 31 for 247 yards and two TD passes, but he lost three consecutive games for the first time as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed star outside linebacker T.J. Watt on the COVID-19 list.
Watt is the third high-profile member of the Steelers to go on the COVID-19 list in recent weeks. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick went into the COVID-19 protocol earlier this month.
Watt was limited to just two tackles against the Bengals while playing with hip and knee injuries.
In other NFL news:
The NFL has suspended Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill for two games for confronting Las Vegas offensive lineman John Simpson and throwing a punch. He can return Dec. 19 at the Giants, the last of three consecutive road games.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook’s availability this week is in doubt because of an injury to his left shoulder, but coach Mike Zimmer stopped short on Monday of confirming a long-term absence. Cook was hurt on a carry late in the third quarter on Sunday at San Francisco and carted off in obvious pain.
Browns right tackle Jack Conklin will undergo surgery after suffering a season-ending knee injury Sunday night at Baltimore. Conklin ruptured his patellar tendon while pass blocking in the first quarter against the Ravens.
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury. McCaffrey had an MRI on Monday that revealed the injury was severe enough to put him on injured reserve.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has entered COVID-19 protocols and won’t be on the sideline for Thursday night’s game in New Orleans. The team says McCarthy will be involved in all meetings virtually and will direct game preparations. There was no immediate word who would fill the interim role on the sideline against the Saints.
NBA:
The Denver Nuggets have ended their longest losing streak in nearly six years.
The Nuggets had dropped six straight before Nikola Jokic returned to score 24 points in a 120-111 victory at Miami. Jokic hadn’t played in the last four of those because of a wrist injury but finished with 15 rebounds and seven assists.
Aaron Gordon chipped in 20 points and Bones Hyland added 19 for the Nuggets, who shot 58%.
Checking out Monday’s other NBA action:
The Jazz trounced the Trail Blazers, 129-107 behind Donovan Mitchell’s 30 points and Rudy Gobert’s double-double. Gobert contributed 21 points and 16 boards for Utah, which shot 53 percent and hit 19 3-pointers.
The Cavaliers were 114-96 winners at Dallas as Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen notched season highs with 28 and 24 points respectively. Allen also had 14 rebounds, while Darius Garland added 18 points in Cleveland’s most lopsided win of the season.
Jonas Valančiūnas provided 29 of his career-high 39 points in a spectacular first half that propelled the Pelicans past the Clippers, 123-104. The 6-foot-11 Lithuanian hit seven 3-pointers without a miss in the first half.
The Spurs have their first winning streak of the season after Derrick White delivered 24 points and Dejounte Murray added 22 with 10 rebounds in a 116-99 decision over the Wizards. Murray also had eight assists as San Antonio stopped Washington’s winning streak at two games.
Seth Curry scored 24 points and Tobias Harris had 17 as the 76ers downed the Magic, 101-96 after blowing a 16-point lead. Philadelphia hit seven free throws in the final minute.
The Rockets have a three-game winning streak after Christian Wood furnished 24 points and a career-high 21 rebounds in their 102-89 win against the Thunder. Kevin Porter Jr. had a triple-double of 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to help Houston remain unbeaten since a 15-game losing streak.
Nikola Vucevic had a double-double with a season-best 30 points and 14 boards in the Bulls’ 133-119 downing of the Hornets. DeMar DeRozan accounted for 28 points, Zah LaVine had 25 and Chicago shot a season-high 59.6% from the field.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 of his 32 points in the third period to help the Timberwolves crawl out of a 12-point hole in a 100-98 triumph over the Pacers. Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell each provided 21 points, with Russell adding 11 assists and seven boards.
Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. will undergo back surgery that will keep him out an indefinite period.
Porter’s agent said the surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. Porter dealt with a serious back problem in college, so severe that some wondered if he would ever be an effective NBA player. He has been limited to nine games this season.
MLB:
The New York Mets have made a very big move toward rebuilding their starting rotation.
A person familiar with the negotiations who tells The Associated Press that Max Scherzer has agreed to a three-year, $130 million contract with the Mets, subject to a successful physical. The $43.33 million average salary is 20% higher than the previous major league record of $36 million Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is averaging.
Scherzer was 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA for the Nationals and Dodgers last season. The 37-year-old right-hander struck out 236 and walked 36 over 179 1/3 innings in the final season of a $210 million, seven-year contract.
In other MLB news:
A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the Rangers have reached agreement on a 10-year, $325 million deal with free-agent shortstop Corey Seager, pending a physical. The 27-year-old Seager was the World Series MVP in 2020 and a two-time All-Star in his seven seasons with the Dodgers. He hit .306 with 16 homers and 57 RBIs in 95 games this year, missing 2 1/2 months with a broken finger.
A person with knowledge of the deal says the Mariners are finalizing a contract with AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, pending a physical. Ray is coming off the best season of his career with the Blue Jays, going 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA and 248 strikeouts.
Right-hander Alex Cobb is close to finalizing an agreement with the Giants, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Cobb went 8-3 with a 3.76 ERA over 18 starts and 93 1/3 innings for the Angels this year, striking out 98 batters and walking 33.
The Braves bolstered their World Series-winning bullpen Monday by signing right-hander Kirby Yates to a two-year, $8.25 million deal. Yates led the majors with 41 saves for the Padres in 2019 but didn’t pitch this past season for the Toronto Blue Jays following his second Tommy John surgery.
A person with direct knowledge of the trade tells The Associated Press the Pirates have traded catcher Jacob Stallings to the Marlins for pitcher Zach Thompson and prospects Kyle Nicolas and Connor Scott. Stallings earned his first Gold Glove for his handling of an inexperienced pitching staff that ranked among the worst in the major leagues last season.
Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna has received a retroactive 20-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. Ozuna was arrested May 29 on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery after police officers said they witnessed him attacking his wife. The suspension is retroactive to Sept. 10 and covers the final 24 days of the regular season.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL:
Ninth-ranked Kentucky has put together another blowout win.
Kentucky is 6-1 following an 85-57 dismantling of Central Michigan. Oscar Tshiebwe had 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Wildcats, who shot 60% in taking a 51-25 halftime lead.
TyTy Washington Jr. added 15 points and helped Kentucky go ahead 25-5 after just seven minutes.
Kentucky’s six wins have been by an average margin of 28.3 points.
In Monday’s other top-25 games:
Gonzaga barely rebounded from last week’s loss to Duke as the third-ranked Zags escaped with a 64-55 win against Tarleton State. Rasir Bolton dropped in 17 points and Chet Holmgren added 15 in the Bulldogs’ team-record 56th consecutive home win.
Marcus Carr scored a season-high 19 points and No. 7 Texas beat Sam Houston State, 73-57. Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey each scored 14 points for the 5-1 Longhorns.
Duke is the top team in the latest AP men’s basketball poll after Saturday’s victory over previous No. 1 Gonzaga.
The Blue Devils claimed 51 of 61 first-place votes, second-round Purdue received nine and the Bulldogs fell to third with one first-place vote.
Baylor is fourth, followed by UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and Arkansas.
NHL:
The expansion Seattle Kraken have set a season high for goals in a game.
Jared McCann and Mason Appleton each scored twice and the Kraken netted their first two short-handed goals of the season in a 7-4 win at Buffalo. Brandon Tanev had a goal and two assists for Seattle, which scored its first two short-handed goals on miscues by Rasmus Dahlin. Yanni Gourde and Tanev lit the lamp while the Kraken were killing penalties.
Seattle has won four of its last five games.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
The Flames squandered a third-period lead before Mikael Backlund scored in the seventh round of a shootout to give Calgary a 2-1 victory against the Penguins. Milan Lucic trailed regulation goals with Jake Guentzel.
Karel Vejmelka turned back 46 shots in his first NHL shutout as the Coyotes clipped Winnipeg, 1-0. Antoine Roussel was the lone scorer on one of Arizona’s 15 shots on Connor Hellebuyck.
Thatcher Demko handed 33 shots and Conor Garland scored the game-winner 6 1/2 minutes into the second period of the Canucks’ 2-1 downing of the Canadiens. Elias Pettersson provided a power-play goal in the victory.
The NHL has hit Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand with a three-game suspension for slew-footing Canucks defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson during Boston’s 3-2 victory on Sunday.
It is the seventh career suspension for Marchand, who will lose about $92,000 in pay.
The slew-foot suspension came two days after he goaded Artemi Panarin into throwing a glove at him, leading to a misconduct penalty and a $5,000 fine assessed to the Rangers forward.
Add the Pittsburgh Penguins to Fenway Sports Group’s stable of major league franchise.
Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle have sold controlling interest of the team to FSG, the owners of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool soccer. The deal is pending approval by the NHL’s Board of Governors, which is expected by the end of the year.
As part of the deal, Lemieux and Burkle will remain part of the franchise’s ownership group.
GOLF:
Tiger Woods says he expects to play golf again, just not very often.
Woods made the announcement in his just-published extensive video interview with Golf Digest, with whom he has a financial relationship.
Woods doesn’t see himself reaching the top of the sport again because “I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation of me.”
He says he can see himself picking certain tournaments to play, but not a full-time schedule.
The interview was published ahead of his first press conference since his right leg was badly damaged in a Feb. 23 car crash in the Los Angeles suburbs.
Golf pioneer Lee Elder has died at the age of 87.
Elder broke down racial barriers as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters and paved the way for Tiger Woods and others to follow. Elder made history in 1975 at Augusta National, which had held an all-white tournament until he received an invitation after winning the Monsanto Open.
The PGA Tour said Elder died early Sunday in Escondido, California.
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