AP National Sports

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Thomas Kithier had 19 points as Valparaiso defeated Western Michigan 71-60. Lamar Norman Jr. led the Broncos on Sunday with 13 points.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Darin Green Jr. had 18 points as Central Florida easily beat Bethune-Cookman 81-45. Joe French led the Wildcats with 12 points.

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Tom Brady threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the brink of an NFC South title with a 30-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs improved to 9-3 with their third straight victory. They have a four-game lead

By The Associated Press Preseason Top 10 teams Clemson and Iowa State will meet in the Cheez-It Bowl Dec. 29 in Orlando, Florida. The 19th-ranked Tigers opened the season ranked third and aiming for another playoff berth. They managed to close the regular season with a five-game winning streak. The Cyclones were preseason No. 7

By The Associated Press Western Michigan will face Nevada in the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 27. Nevada looks to claim its first-ever nine-win season. The Wolf Pack has the nation’s fourth-ranked passing offense under coach Jay Norvell. Nevada quarterback Carson Strong is the two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. He set a

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Jonathan Taylor ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts rolled to an easy 31-0 win over the hapless Houston Texans on Sunday. The Texans turned the ball over twice in the first quarter and quarterback Tyrod Taylor was benched in the third

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Morgan Jones scored 16 points with eight rebounds and all 13 players scored as 25th-ranked Florida State defeated Charleston Southern 83-32. Jones has scored in double figures in seven straight games for the Seminoles, who are 5-0 at home this season. Valencia Myers added 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting and River

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw a pair of short touchdown passes and the Miami Dolphins extended their winning streak to five games by topping the New York Giants 20-9 on Sunday. Isaiah Ford and Mack Hollins had the scoring grabs for Miami (6-7). Jaylen Waddle had

By The Associated Press Cincinnati is the first non-Power Five team to make the College Football Playoff. Alabama is the only team in the CFP for the seventh time in the eight years of the four-team format. The American Athletic Conference champion Bearcats and Crimson Tide play in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jada Boyd scored 17 points and No. 2 North Carolina State beat Elon 78-46 for its eighth straight win. The Wolfpack improved to 8-1. N.C. State led 16-9 after one quarter despite five turnovers, then started the second period with an 8-0 spurt to break away. Elon never cut the deficit

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Bryan Greenlee scored 14 points as Florida Atlantic romped past North Florida 76-41. Michael Forrest had 13 points for the Owls. North Florida scored 12 points in the second half, its season low. Jose Placer had 9 points for the Ospreys.

By The Associated Press The Fiesta Bowl will have another marquee matchup with No. 5 Notre Dame facing No. 9 Oklahoma State. The Irish just missed the College Football Playoff, finishing fifth in the final standings. The Cowboys came up inches short of the CFP after Dezmon Jackson was stopped just before the goal line

By The Associated Press Michigan plays Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31. The game is set for Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Both teams are 12-1. The Wolverines are No. 2 in the final CFP rankings and the Bulldogs are No. 3. Michigan is the

By The Associated Press Old Dominion and Tulsa look to continue their late-season surges at the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Dec. 20. It’s the first meeting between the schools, although both were briefly in Conference USA when Old Dominion joined in 2013-14 before Tulsa left for the Big East the next season. The Monarchs enter

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette has promoted co-offensive coordinator and former Ragin’ Cajuns quarterback Michael Desormeaux to head coach. The announcement by athletic director Bryan Maggard comes less than 24 hours after Billy Napier won his final game as Cajuns coach in the Sun Belt Conference championship game against Appalachian State. Napier was

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Utah and Ohio State will meet for the first time in 35 years in the 108th edition of the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The 10-3 Utes secured their first appearance in the Granddaddy of Them All with a 38-10 victory over Oregon in

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — A milestone season for Pittsburgh and quarterback Kenny Pickett is continuing with a Peach Bowl matchup against Michigan State. No. 13 Pitt’s reward for its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship is the Panthers’ first New Year’s Six bowl since 2004 in the Dec. 30 game in

NIAGARA, N.Y. (AP) — Caleb Green scored 16 points as Fairfield got past Niagara 81-71. Zach Crisler had 14 points for the Stags. Taj Benning added 13 points. Jesus Cruz had 11 points. Jordan Cintron scored 14 points for the Purple Eagles.

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Guy Ragland Jr. had 17 points and 12 rebounds as Cornell rolled past Keuka 122-64. Nazir Williams added 16 points, Darius Ervin scored 15 and Isaiah Gray had 15 for the Big Red. Mason VanDeMortel led the Storm with 21 points.

By DANIELLA MATAR Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Ciro Immobile scored twice as Lazio comfortably won 3-1 at Sampdoria despite playing the final quarter of the match with 10 men in Serie A. Goalscorer Sergej Milinković-Savić was sent off following two yellow cards in quick succession. Lazio moved level with city rival Roma. They are