11/14/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday
13 November 2023 Sports
Steelers RB tandem Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris torched the maligned Packers defense for 183 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers denied the Green Bay Packers a late comeback to win 23-19 on Sunday.
Two teams that have struggled to generate much of anything all season – particularly in the first half – spent the opening two quarters trading scores.
The Steelers scored on each of their first three possessions, with Harris and Warren – who were introduced as co-starters before the game – racing into the end zone for touchdowns while Chris Boswell added a 42-yard field goal that gave Pittsburgh a 17-7 advantage, just the second time all season the Steelers have led by double digits.
It was fleeting.
Quarterback Jordan Love found space in a secondary missing injured All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Green Bay – which was averaging an NFL-worst 4.5 points in the first half, scored 13. Love threw two touchdown passes, including a 35-yard strike to Jayden Reed that brought the Packers to within 17-13 at the break.
The Steelers defense would buckle down in the second half. The Packers took a 19-17 lead on Anders Carlson’s field goal late in the third quarter. Unfortunately, they would then let the Steelers get into field goal range twice, making the deficit 23-19.
The Steelers defense did the rest and sealed away another one-score win for Pittsburgh.
Patrick Peterson blocked an extra point and added a tipped ball intended for Christian Watson that turned into Keanu Neal’s interception in the end zone with 3:20 remaining. Green Bay got the ball back with 59 seconds to go and drove deep into Pittsburgh territory, but Jordan Love’s last-gasp throw to the end zone was picked off by Damontae Kazee.
Kazee returned it 30 yards before stepping out of bounds with time expired. Kazee was pushed by Green Bay lineman Zach Tom, leading to Kazee running over Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith. A brief melee ensued before cooler heads prevailed.
Love completed 21 of 40 for 289 yards and two touchdowns, but the Packers (3-6) were unable to back up last week’s victory over the Los Angeles Rams despite outgaining the Steelers 399-324.
The Packers host the Los Angeles Chargers at Lambeau Field next Sunday.
Elsewhere in the NFC North the Vikings held on at home to beat the Saints 25-19 to improve their record to 6-4 and the Lions won on the road over the Chargers 41-38. Detroit moves to 7-2 in the division. The Bears had their bye.
In Sunday Night Football the Raiders won at home over the Jets 16-13. In Monday Night Football the Bills host the Broncos.
In the NBA the Bucks host the Bulls tonight. Tipoff is at 7:00. Milwaukee lost at Orlando the Magic Saturday night 112-97.
The Wisconsin Herd opened the season with a pair of losses on the road to the Cleveland Charge 116 to 109 Friday night and 107-102 Sunday.
Friday night they were led by Stevie Thompson Jr. with 16 points while Drew Timme and Marques Bolden added 15 each. Wenyen Gabriel followed with 12 points and nine rebounds.
On Sunday Milwaukee Bucks Two-Way player Marques Bolden guided the team with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds while Elijah Hughes followed with 17 points. Drew Timme added a double-double as well with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Ben Bryant returned after missing four games due to injury and led touchdown drives on each of Northwestern’s first three series against his former coach to help the Wildcats defeat Wisconsin 24-10 on Saturday.
Northwestern (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) snapped a 14-game losing streak in true road games, which had been the longest active such skid by any Football Bowl Subdivision team. The Wildcats also made interim head coach David Braun the first Northwestern coach to earn at least five wins in his debut season since Walter McCornack went 10-1-3 in 1903.
Braun had joined Northwestern’s staff as defensive coordinator in January. He got promoted when Pat Fitzgerald was fired prior to the season due to a hazing and abuse scandal.
Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) dropped its third straight after falling 24-10 to No. 3 Ohio State (No. 1 (College Football Playoff ) two weeks ago and 20-14 at Indiana last week. Wisconsin lost this one as an 11 ½-point favorite over a team it had beaten 42-7 last year and 35-7 in 2021.
Bryant went 18 of 26 for 195 yards with two touchdown passes — a 23-yarder to A.J. Henning and a 24-yarder to Cam Johnson — as well as a 1-yard touchdown run to help Northwestern grab a 24-3 halftime lead. Bryant helped Northwestern convert each of its first 10 third-down situations.
Wisconsin held Northwestern’s offense in check after halftime but couldn’t rally. The Badgers scored their lone touchdown on Jackson Acker’s 3-yard run with 11 seconds left in the game.
Wisconsin took an early 3-0 lead as quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who returned after missing three games with a broken right hand, led a game-opening drive that resulted in Nathanial Vakos’ 33-yard field goal.
Wisconsin hosts Nebraska next Saturday.
Ripon College closed out its football season Saturday with 56 to 34 win at Lawrence University. The Red Hawks finished the year at 5-5 overall and 5-4 in the conference.
UW-Oshkosh won at home over UW-River Falls 38-31. The Titans finished the season 6-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
Dalton Knecht scored 24 points to continue his smooth transition to high-major basketball as No. 9 Tennessee defeated Wisconsin 80-70 on Friday night.
Knecht led the Big Sky Conference with 20.2 points per game last season. The transfer from Northern Colorado averaged a team-best 16.3 points during Tennessee’s three-game exhibition tour of Italy this summer and had 17 points in his Volunteers debut Monday, an 80-42 blowout of Tennessee Tech.
A fifth-year guard, the 6-foot-6 Knecht shot 8 of 15 from the floor and 7 for 9 on free throws Friday.
Josiah-Jordan James scored 14 points, while Jonas Aidoo and Jordan Gainey each added 10 for Tennessee (2-0). AJ Storr scored 17, Steven Crowl 14, Chucky Hepburn 13 and Tyler Wahl 10 for Wisconsin (1-1).
Wisconsin plays at Providence on Tuesday.
Coe College 79, Ripon College 66- The Red Hawks fall to 0-2.
UW-Oshkosh 38, UW River Falls 31-The Titans improved to 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in the conference.
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