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Good marks for Yanssens
ALLIANCE -- Six University of Mount Union players earned spots on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District NCAA Division III Football Team.
Junior safety Brandon Yanssens, a Crestview High School graduate, is joined by senior linebacker Mason McMillen, senior safety Ian Sexton, junior linebacker Jordan Stancovich, junior linebacker Marcus Jackson and senior quarterback Braxton Plunk.
The team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Rodemaker out of action
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker will not play in the Orange Bowl and Brock Glenn will start against Georgia on Saturday, the Seminoles said. Rodemaker participated in open practices leading up to the Christmas break, but entered the transfer portal. The Seminoles (13-0) arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Christmas night to begin final preparations.
Pistons losing streak hits 27
DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons set an NBA single-season record with their 27th straight loss Tuesday night, as Cam Johnson scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 21 to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 118-112 victory.
Cade Cunningham scored 41 points but the Pistons broke a tie with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers hold the overall mark at 28, a skid that started in the 2014-15 season and carried over into 2015-16.
Cunningham scored 37 in the second half and shot 15 for 21 from the field, but Bojan Bogdanovic was the only other Pistons player with more than 15.
Guardians acquire Florial
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Yankees traded former top prospect Estevan Florial to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, acquiring right-hander Cody Morris for the 26-year-old outfielder.
Florial signed with the Yankees in 2015 and was rated their top prospect in 2019 by MLB.com before dropping to sixth in 2020, 10th in 2021 and 30th in 2022.
He made his big league debut in August 2020 and has played in just 48 major league games over four seasons, hitting .209 with one homer, 11 RBIs and six stolen bases.
Florial batted .230 with eight RBIs and three steals in 19 games for the Yankees this year while hitting .284 with 28 homers, 79 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 101 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Morris, 27, made his big league debut in September 2022 and had a 6.75 ERA in six appearances with the Guardians this year, striking out nine and walking six in eight innings. He averaged 95.2 mph with his fastball in the majors, also throwing a cutter, curveball and changeup.
Morris was 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA in four starts and 17 relief appearances for Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron this year, striking out 56 and walking 27 in 39 innings.
New York appeared to have a glut of outfielders after acquiring Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from San Diego and Alex Verdugo from Boston. The Yankees traded right-handers Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy V'squez and Drew Thorpe to the Padres in the Soto swap along with catcher Kyle Higashioka.
Rudolph will guide Steelers' sleigh again
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Mason Rudolph's dynamic play against Cincinnati helped keep the Pittsburgh Steelers' season alive. The longtime backup quarterback could get a chance to do it again when the Steelers visit Seattle on New Year's Eve.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Rudolph will "have the ball" to begin the week and will get the nod against the Seahawks if starter Kenny Pickett's surgically repaired right ankle is not ready in time.
Rudolph threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-11 blowout win over Cincinnati, Pittsburgh's biggest offensive outburst in a win in more than three years as the Steelers (8-7) snapped a three-game losing streak. Rudolph looked comfortable while throwing the ball deep to George Pickens, who had 195 yards receiving and two scores.
"I thought he did a really good job of being comfortable being himself, communicating with people regardless of the moments," Tomlin said. "I thought that showed the confidence that he has in himself and I also thought that he remained aggressive throughout."
Pickett hasn't played since injuring his right ankle against Arizona on Dec. 3. He underwent "tightrope" surgery a couple of days later and returned to practice in a limited capacity last week. Tomlin declined to get into hypotheticals in terms of what boxes Pickett would have to check to get back on the field and is taking an approach similar to last week, meaning Rudolph will practice with the starters while Pickett works through his rehab.
"We'll see what (Pickett's) performance looks like (Wednesday)," Tomlin said. "Mason Rudolph has the ball as we stand here today."
The Steelers have a narrow path to the playoffs that starts with wins on the road against Seattle (8-7) and Baltimore (12-3) along with a little help elsewhere. A loss to the Bengals would have all but eliminated them.
Texas State responds against Rice
DALLAS (AP) -- Linebacker Brian Holloway returned two interceptions for touchdowns, Jahmyl Jeter ran for three scores, and Texas State beat Rice 45-21 in the First Responder Bowl on Tuesday in the Bobcats' first bowl appearance as an FBS program.
Holloway had a 36-yard pick-6 early in the second quarter and returned his second interception 48 yards for a TD in the third that made it 38-21. Both picks came against AJ Padgett, who was intercepted three times overall. Shawqi Itraish relieved Padgett in the fourth quarter and threw two more picks as Texas State forced seven turnovers.
Jeter had a 29-yard touchdown run and two scores from 1 yard out. Nash Jones, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive tackle, scored on a 3-yard run for the Bobcats (8-5), who are in their 12th FBS season.
Manchester United rallies
MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Welcome to Manchester United, Jim Ratcliffe.
In the space of 90 minutes, and in front of soon-to-be director Dave Brailsford, Old Trafford witnessed the best and worst of Erik ten Hag's team.
Two days after confirmation that British billionaire Ratcliffe will buy a stake of up to 25% in the club, United trailed by two goals inside 26 minutes against Aston Villa and was booed by the home crowd on Tuesday. Ten Hag's players then produced a spectacular second-half comeback to win 3-2 and spark celebrations rarely seen at its famed stadium during a troubled season so far.
"We said 'Keep going. Believe it, in ourselves.' That is what I demand from the team," Ten Hag said afterward. "We said it before the game and during halftime, 'Keep believing and we will win this game.'"
Going into the game on the back of a run of four matches in all competitions without a win or a goal, United took to the field for the first time since Ratcliffe, one of Britain's richest people, secured an agreement worth around $1.6 billion to buy into the club he has supported from childhood.
Brailsford is the director of sport for INEOS Sport, which Ratcliffe owns, and on Tuesday it was confirmed he will be a director of United once the deal is completed.
He got a taste of the sense of frustration among the 20-time league champions' fans -- after more than 10 years since United last won the title -- and the animosity toward American owners the Glazer family, who put the club up for sale last year.
Ratcliffe will take charge of soccer operations as part of his investment and Brailsford is expected to play a big part in a new structure.
Penn State's staff changes
ATLANTA (AP) -- No. 11 Mississippi is having to do extra work to prepare for Saturday's Peach Bowl against No. 10 Penn State with the Nittany Lions welcoming new coordinators on both sides of the ball.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday before his team's first practice in Atlanta that "we don't have any idea what they're going to do."
Penn State leads the nation in total defense and ranks third with its average of 11.42 points allowed. Those credentials helped defensive coordinator Manny Diaz get hired as Duke's head coach. Penn State coach James Franklin hired former Indiana coach Tom Allen as the Nittany Lions' new defensive coordinator and Andy Kotelnicki as offensive coordinator.