MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Led by Juwan Maxey’s 16 points, the Youngstown State Penguins defeated the Robert Morris Colonials 72-58 on Wednesday night. The Penguins are now 4-5 with the victory and the Colonials dropped to 6-4.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (35) makes a save during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar looks to pass the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Minnesota, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) runs with the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Minnesota, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein (10) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against SMU in Dallas, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates after getting his 600th career goal in the NHL during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Utah Hockey Club, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) carries for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) — With snow falling, Nick Chubb plowed forward.
On a play that looked eerily similar to the one in Pittsburgh last year that threatened to end his career, Chubb kept his legs moving and pushed his way into the end zone for a touchdown he and his teammates won’t forget.
Chubb ran for a 2-yard touchdown w ith 57 seconds left, and the Cleveland Browns stunned one of their division rivals on Thursday night, beating the Steelers 24-19 and ending their five-game winning streak.
Chubb’s score came in his first game against the AFC North-leading Steelers (8-3) since the running back sustained a season-ending left knee injury in Week 2 last September in a Monday night game against the Steelers.
Chubb, who had injured the same knee while playing at Georiga in 2015, had to endure grueling rehab sessions to make it back on the field, and the sight of him scoring against the dreaded Steelers was almost poetic.
“It meant a lot to me. I know it means a lot to him,” said Myles Garrett, who had three sacks. “He won’t say it, but it’s true. I’ll say it because this time last year we were sick to our stomachs. There was just so much in the air, so for him to come back and be pivotal in this game just speaks to the kind of resilience and the man that he is.
“We absolutely love him.”
Chubb also scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
The Browns (3-8) had blown a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and were down 19-18 before getting the ball back with 3:22 remaining after Pittsburgh punter Corliss Waitman shanked a 16-yarder.
With snow piling up and covering the yard lines on the field, Cleveland’s Jameis Winston c ompleted a third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy to the Pittsburgh 9. Two plays later, Chubb barreled into the end zone.
Chubb did not speak to the media afterward, but his teammates were overjoyed and couldn’t wait to share his story.
“I’m his No. 1 fan when he’s out there,” Browns running back Jerome Ford said. “If I could, I would start the ‘Chubb’ chant every time he steps on the field.”
The Steelers had one last chance, but Russell Wilson’s Hail Mary on the final play was knocked down by Browns safety Grant Delpit in the end zone, touching off a wild celebration at Huntington Bank Field.
Amid a disastrous season, beating the Steelers eased pressure on coach Kevin Stefanski and gave Cleveland fans something to savor.
“Our guys love playing under the lights,” Stefanski said. “They love playing in front of these fans. Add the snow element, it was pretty cool.”
With early snow flurries giving way to blizzard-like conditions in the fourth quarter that blanketed the field in white — Amazon Prime Video used graphics on its telecast to show the otherwise invisible numbers and hash marks — the Steelers quickly erased an 18-6 deficit, scoring two touchdowns in just over a minute.
Wilson’s 23-yard TD pass to Calvin Austin III with 6:15 left put Pittsburgh ahead by one. Nick Herbig’s strip-sack of Winston set up the go-ahead score and put the Steelers in position to win their sixth straight and open a two-game lead in the AFC North over Baltimore.
However, the Browns responded and pulled off their second divisional win after beating the Ravens last month.
“We should’ve won that game,” Wilson said. “We felt like we battled in a tough environment. The way we answered in the fourth quarter was pretty special and we had a chance at the end, too.”
Jaylen Warren scored on a 3-yard run midway through the fourth to pull the Steelers to 18-13. Then, as always seems to be the case, Pittsburgh’s defense came up with the big play as Herbig got to Winston and safety DeShon Elliott recovered the fumble.
Garrett outplayed Steelers star T.J. Watt — like he planned.
Garrett dominated the first half, sacking Wilson and putting constant pressure on the Steelers’ QB. The performance came during a week in which the Browns star commented about Watt’s seeming slight when Garrett was named Defensive Player of the Year over him last season.
“I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m No. 1 as an edge defender. That was a statement I was intending to make and I think I made.”
Garrett set up Cleveland’s second score with a strip-sack of Wilson. As he was being blocked, Garrett popped the ball from Wilson’s grip and linebacker Winston Reid recovered.
The Browns drove to the 16 and settled for a 34-yard field from Dustin Hopkins, who missed two kicks weeks a week ago in a loss at New Orleans.
Chubb’s TD dive in the second quarter capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive by the Browns, who gained just 19 yards and had two three-and-outs in the first quarter.
The Steelers drove inside Browns territory on their first three possessions, but came away with just three points.
Chris Boswell, who made six field goals last Sunday for all of Pittsburgh’s points in a win over Baltimore, missed a 58-yard field goal in the first quarter while the field was still in good shape. It was only his second miss in 31 attempts this season.
Injuries
Steelers: WR Van Jefferson (quadriceps) left briefly in the first half but returned. … LB Elandon Roberts was forced out in the fourth quarter with an unspecified injury.
Browns: WR Cedric Tillman is in concussion protocol.
Up next
Steelers: At Cincinnati on Dec. 1.
Browns: At Denver on Dec. 3.
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FILE – The Nittany Lion logo taken before an NCAA college football game between Penn State and Delaware, Sept. 9, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage logos and images. A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages earlier this week over products made and sold by the firms Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc. Penn State accused them of selling “counterfeit” clothing and accessories. The defendants said their website makes clear they are not affiliated with Penn State. At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, but the Pennsylvania case was the first to go to trial.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage sports logos and images.
A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages on Wednesday over products made and sold by Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc., two firms co-founded by former minor league baseball player Chad Hartvigson.
Penn State accused them of selling “counterfeit” clothing and accessories, while the defendants said their website makes clear they are not affiliated with the university.
At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, including Purdue, Stanford and UCLA, Penn State said in its 2021 lawsuit. However, the Penn State case was the first to go to trial and seen by some as a test case in the sports merchandising industry.
“It addresses an important issue with trademark law — whether or not the mark owner is able to prevent third parties from using its marks on T-shirts and paraphernalia without permission,” said Tiffany Gehrke, a trademark lawyer in Chicago who was not involved in the case.
The verdict, she said, maintains the status quo, while a victory for Vintage Brand “could have shaken things up.” It followed a six-day trial in federal court in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, overseen by Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
It was not immediately clear if the defendants planned to appeal. Phone and email messages left with their lawyers on Thursday were not immediately returned.
Penn State, in a statement, called its trademarks “critical” to the school’s brand, and said it was grateful for the verdict.
“The university appreciates this result as it relates to the many hundreds of licensees with whom the university works and who go through the appropriate processes to use Penn State’s trademarks,” the statement said.
Penn State, founded in 1855, adopted the Nittany Lion as its mascot in 1904 and has been using various images of the animal, along with the school’s seal and other logos, for decades, the lawsuit said. The school now has more than 100,000 students at 24 campuses.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws against Purdue during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
By The Associated Press undefined
Penn State takes its push for the College Football Playoff on the road to Minnesota this week. The Nittany Lions are 9-1 overall and fourth in both the latest CFP rankings and the AP poll. They’re still in the mix for the Big Ten title at 6-1. The Gophers are 6-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play. They’re 2-1 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game. The Gophers have never before had three wins against ranked opponents in the same season. The Nittany Lions are favored by 11½ points according to BetMGM odds.
No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EST (CBS).
BetMGM College Football Odds: Penn State by 11½.
Series record: Penn State leads 10-6.
What’s at stake?
Penn State is in prime position for a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff and still in the mix to make the Big Ten championship game, with a home game against struggling Maryland waiting after this challenge on the road against a well-rounded opponent. Losing to Minnesota team coming off a bye week would be a big blow to Penn State’s playoff push and all but take a conference title off the table. Minnesota can vastly upgrade its bowl bid with a win and take some momentum into a final-week rivalry game at Wisconsin.
Key matchup
Penn State TE Tyler Warren vs. Minnesota defense. Warren, a first team AP Midseason All-America selection, totaled 190 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage last week in a blowout win at Purdue. He is second among all FBS tight ends in receiving yards (808) and also taken 13 of his 16 rushing attempts for either first downs or touchdowns. The Gophers are second in the FBS in passes defended per game, tied for fourth in interceptions per game and tied for 17th in yards allowed per pass attempt.
Players to watch
Penn State: DE Abdul Carter has had multiple tackles for loss in three straight games. The junior, who played linebacker the previous two seasons, second in the FBS with 17½ tackles for loss and seventh with eight sacks this year.
Minnesota: LB Cody Lindenberg. The fifth-year junior leads the Gophers with 76 tackles, coming off a career-high 14 tackles at Rutgers in their last game on Nov. 9.
Facts & figures
This will be Penn State’s fourth visit to Minnesota since Huntington Bank Stadium opened on campus in 2009. The Nittany Lions won in 2010 and lost in 2013 and 2019. … Penn State has won its first four road games in a season for the first time since 2011. … Penn State QB Drew Allar is third in the FBS in yards per pass attempt (9.8) and fifth in completion percentage (71.9) … The Nittany Lions have allowed 49 second-half points this season for the second-best per-game average in the FBS. … Minnesota is 2-1 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game. The Gophers have never posted three wins against ranked opponents in one season.
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