Six TDs for Patterson

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — West Liberty University junior running back Hunter Patterson is the Mountain East Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Patterson, a former Oak Glen High School standout, tied a school record by scoring six touchdowns in West Liberty’s 68-67 win over Wheeling University in the season finale Saturday.

Patterson ran for 201 yards and five touchdowns on 18 carries and had three receptions for 74 yards and another touchdown.

His 68-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter gave the Hilltoppers their largest lead at 55-45. He also had scoring runs of 2, 25, 21 and 12 yards and a 68-yard touchdown catch.

West Liberty collected 33 first downs and 783 total yards, Wheeling had 25 first downs and 511 total yards.

The Hilltoppers finish at 3-8 overall and 3-5 in the MEC.

Mitchell’s 37 points power Cavaliers

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 118-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, who saw All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo leave Monday night’s game due to injury.

Antetokounmpo immediately went to the locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter and did not return due to a left groin strain. The 14-year veteran came into the game tied for second in the league and leading the Eastern Conference in scoring at 32.6 points per game.

Coach Doc Rivers said there would further testing for Antetokounmpo on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo was listed as probable on the injury report due to left knee patellar tendinopathy, but finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in 13 minutes.

Mitchell, second in the Eastern Conference in scoring at 30.4 points per game, had 25 points in the first half. It is the fifth time this season he has had at least 35 points in a game.

Sam Merrill added 20 points, including six 3-pointers, for the Cavaliers, who have won three of their last four. Merrill had 11 points in the final 12 minutes as Cleveland took control.

The Bucks, who have dropped three of four, had seven players in double figures. Ryan Rollins led the way with 22 points and Myles Turner added 15.

The game was tied at 88 before Cleveland took control with a 12-3 run late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers’ largest lead was 14 points late in the game.

Milwaukee jumped out to a 30-16 advantage with three minutes remaining in the first quarter before Cleveland began rallying back.

Cleveland has won seven straight over Milwaukee and is 19-4 against Central Division foes since March 2024.

Franklin goes to Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — James Franklin was hired as Virginia Tech’s coach on Monday, a little more than a month after he was fired during his 12th season at Penn State.

The Hokies became the first Power 4 football program to fill a coaching vacancy this season. Franklin was set to be formally introduced at a news conference Wednesday morning.

He was fired by the Nittany Lions on Oct. 12, a day after they lost at home to Northwestern to fall to 3-3.

The 53-year-old Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State, winning a Big Ten championship (in the 2016 season), a Fiesta Bowl (2017) and a Rose Bowl (2022). Last season, he led the Nittany Lions to a first-round victory in the College Football Playoff.

“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” Franklin said in a statement. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this university, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”

Terms of Franklin’s contract were not released. Before he was hired by Virginia Tech, Penn State had been on the hook for a buyout worth nearly $50 million. But Franklin and the Nittany Lions negotiated a settlement under which he’ll be paid $9 million instead, according to multiple reports.

Franklin has a 128-60 overall record, including his three seasons at Vanderbilt. In Blacksburg, he takes over for his former Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, Brent Pry, who was fired on Sept. 14 after the Hokies lost their first three games by an average of 18.7 points. Virginia Tech started 0-3 for the first time since 1987.