LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Behren Morton threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns, with a 44-yarder to Drae McCray with 10 1/2 minutes left, as Texas Tech beat TCU 35-28. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson’s second interception was a game-clincher in the final minute for the 4-5 Red Raiders. Tahj Brooks ran for 146 yards on 31 carries. His sixth 100-yard game this season made him the first Tech running back to surpass 1,000 yards in a single season since 2015. Josh Hoover threw for 353 yards in his third start for 4-5 TCU.
UNDATED (AP) — Things are crowded at the top of the Big 12 standings. While the league's championship game could still turn into a farewell party for seventh-ranked Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma before they change leagues next year, the SEC-bound teams begin November in a five-way tie atop the Big 12. The other teams 4-1 in Big 12 play with four games remaining are defending Big 12 champ and No. 25 Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. There are two games matching co-leaders Saturday. Oklahoma plays at Oklahoma State in the last scheduled Bedlam game, while Kansas State plays at Texas.
UNDATED (AP) — There is mounting pressure on Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti to discipline Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh for a sign-stealing scheme. Pettiti heard from frustrated and angry Big Ten coaches during a video call Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. The NCAA is investigating Michigan for impermissible in-person scouting. A Michigan staffer is alleged to have sent people to future opponents' games for the purpose of video recording signals. The NCAA's enforcement process is slow moving, but Big Ten bylaws provide the commissioner leeway to act on competitive integrity issues.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs face old teammate Tyreek Hill for the first time when they take on his high-flying Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany. The game Sunday is a showdown between two 6-2 teams that are angling for positioning atop the AFC. The Chiefs are coming off a humbling loss in Denver in which they turned the ball over five times. The Dolphins are coming off a win over New England that underscored their offensive firepower. The Dolphins are No. 1 in the league in rushing offense, passing offense, total offense and scoring. Kansas City has the league's No. 2 pass defense and scoring defense.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kenny Pickett threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson with 4:02 remaining and the Pittsburgh Steelers slipped past the Tennesee Titans 20-16. The Steelers (5-3) bounced back from a dismal loss to Jacksonville by doing what they’ve done fairly regularly this season: hung around long enough to pull it out in the end. Four of Pittsburgh’s five wins have come on games they trailed entering the fourth quarter. Pickett threw for 190 yards and the winning score. Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis passed for 262 yards but his heave to the end zone with 6 seconds remaining was picked off as Tennessee fell to 3-5.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks was carted off in the final minutes against Pittsburgh with an injury. Burks tried to make a leaping fourth-down grab down the left sideline, but saw the ball slip from his grasp. He landed hard out of bounds and appeared to be unconscious. Medical staff from both teams came out to treat Burks, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft. His face mask was cut off and he was placed onto a board while players on both teams knelt on the Acrisure Stadium turf nearby. Burks appeared to be able to wiggle his toes as he was being loaded onto the cart. The Titans said Burks had full movement of all his extremities, according to the broadcast on Amazon TV.
UNDATED (AP) — Josh McDaniels couldn’t make it past the midpoint of the season before the Las Vegas Raiders decided to make a change. Other teams will be joining the search for a new coach sooner or later. The Raiders get a head start while also giving interim coach Antonio Pierce an opportunity to prove he’s up to the task. Going into 2023, five teams replaced their head coach. Ten teams hired new head coaches in 2022. Several coaches around the NFL will be coaching for their future in the second half. Bill Belichick, Brandon Staley, Mike McCarthy, Ron Rivera, Matt Eberflus, Kevin Stafenski and Todd Bowles are among those on the hot seat.
UNDATED (AP) — Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are really just getting started in Texas and already have a World Series title together with a franchise that had never won one. The Rangers this offseason will look to re-sign left-hander Jordan Montgomery, the trade-deadline acquisition from the St. Louis Cardinals who is eligible for free agency. Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, the other deadline acquisition from the Mets, opted in for the 2024 season as part of that trade. ALCS MVP Adolis García is eligible for salary arbitration, but the slugger is still under team control next season.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell and Aaron Nola were among the 130 players who became free agents as baseball’s business season began the day following the Texas Rangers’ first World Series title. Max Muncy, Joe Jiménez and Colin Rea gave up a chance to go free and agreed to new contracts with their teams. That free agent market also includes Sonny Gray, Josh Hader, Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler and J.D. Martinez. Minnesota prevented outfielder Max Kepler and infielder Jorge Polanco from going free, exercising 2024 options.
UNDATED (AP) — Coaches in college basketball say tampering has grown more prevalent in the transfer portal era. NCAA rules prohibit contact with athletes at other schools unless they're in the portal. But men's coaches like Boston College's Earl Grant and Duke's Jon Scheyer say they've had players or families contacted improperly. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer says it's also happened to her team on the women's side. NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan says tampering is a “significant concern for us." Duncan also says getting more leads from coaches could help the NCAA enforce rules prohibiting improper contacts.
LOS CABOS, Mexico (AP) — Cameron Percy matched his best score on the PGA Tour with a 62. That gives him a two-shot lead in the World Wide Technology Championship. And it left him wondering just how low he could have gone. The Australian was 9 under through 13 holes. He made only one birdie the rest of the way. It was still enough to lead by two over a group that includes Camilo Villegas and Michael Kim. The other star was Tiger Woods, who wasn't playing. Woods designed El Cardonal at Diamante. It's the first time his course has hosted a PGA Tour event.
AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The oddsmakers named Kyle Larson the favorite to win the NASCAR championship, but half the field believe the person with the best chance to celebrate Sunday will be a spectator at Phoenix Raceway. Erin Blaney is in the unique position in that both her boyfriend and her older brother are racing against each other for the Cup title. It’s become a bit of a joke between contenders Ryan Blaney and William Byron, who referred to Blaney as his “brother-in-law” last week to trigger questions on what the mood might be like at Thanksgiving dinner if one of the two becomes champion. Blaney told his sister she's got a 50-50 shot at being happy Sunday.
THURSDAY SCORES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 20 Tennessee 16
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Philadelphia 114 Toronto 99
Final New Orleans 125 Detroit 116
Final Orlando 115 Utah 113
Final San Antonio 132 Phoenix 121
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Islanders 3 Washington 0
Final Florida 2 Detroit 0
Final Los Angeles 3 Ottawa 2
Final Columbus 4 Tampa Bay 2
Final N-Y Rangers 2 Carolina 1
Final SO Boston 3 Toronto 2
Final New Jersey 5 Minnesota 3
Final Dallas 4 Edmonton 3
Final Seattle 4 Nashville 2
Final Vegas 5 Winnipeg 2
Final Arizona 3 Montreal 2