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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No. 5 Michigan bullied No. 10 Penn State on Saturday, from the line of scrimmage to the scoreboard to the newly named Lloyd Carr Tunnel at Michigan Stadium.

Tempers flared as both teams entered the shared tunnel with the Wolverines holding a 16-14 halftime lead. While video showed the teams exchanging verbal volleys, the situation never became physical.

“How they were emotionally all game, I wouldn’t be surprised if [it was] them starting it,” Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy said of the altercation. “We just finished it.”

Michigan defensive lineman Mike Morris said the standoff stemmed from Penn State players talking trash on social media before the game.

“We all told each other, ‘They want to have those Twitter fingers, they want to talk on social media,’ and then they didn’t talk on the field,” Morris said. “They wanted to talk at halftime because they got lucky.”

After dominating the stat sheet but not the scoreboard in the first half, the Wolverines finished Penn State with a resounding third quarter en route to a 41-17 victory. Michigan took some time to pull away but held massive advantages in rushing yards (418-111), first downs (28-10) and possession time (41:56-18:04).

In a game in which Penn State briefly had more touchdowns (2) than first downs (1), Michigan looked every bit like the defending Big Ten champion and a team poised to push Ohio State for the league crown and a likely College Football Playoff spot.

“Like Coach [Jim] Harbaugh said in the locker room, ‘It was a butt-kicking in every which way a butt could be kicked,'” McCarthy said. “Just being able to do it in the fashion that we did was just awesome to see. Obviously, the first half, we wish it went a little different way scoreboard-wise, but they only had one first down and we had 18. We’ll take that any day of the week.”

Harbaugh was more diplomatic but clearly pleased, acknowledging that Michigan’s line-of-scrimmage dominance is his favorite way to win games. Despite a 6-0 start, Michigan had not been fully branded a CFP contender because of its competition. Penn State also came in undefeated but was no match for the Wolverines.

“The team made a real positive statement today,” Harbaugh said. “They call it a statement game? OK, it’s a statement game.”

Harbaugh’s team wasn’t concerned at halftime, even though it led by only two points after holding Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford to 17 passing yards, the lowest for a Nittany Lions starter since at least 2004, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Penn State allowed more rushing yards to Michigan than it had in its previous five games (399), as Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum combined for 339 yards and four touchdowns. Michigan’s inability to convert red zone opportunities into touchdowns plagued the offense in the first half, but Edwards and Corum had touchdown runs of 67 and 61 yards, respectively, in the third quarter to break the game open.

“I feel like [I’ve] been [ready] for a game like this for a while now,” said Edwards, who missed two games with a leg injury in September. “I had to just sit back and wait my turn and show the world what I’m capable of being able to do.”

Corum has 666 rushing yards in his past four games, the most by a Michigan player since quarterback Denard Robinson in 2010 and the most by a Wolverines running back since Mike Hart in 2004, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Hart, who had a medical emergency on the sideline last week at Indiana and had to be hospitalized, returned to his duties as running game coordinator Saturday.

Corum and Edwards became the first Michigan tandem to each eclipse 150 rushing yards and record multiple rushing touchdowns since 2017.

“Blake’s really fast, Donovan’s really fast,” Harbaugh said. “When they get in the open, they’re rolling.”

McCarthy, who threw his first interception of the season last week at Indiana, had a pass tipped, intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. He had a season-low 145 passing yards as a starter but added 57 rushing yards in the win.

“I keep saying week-to-week that I need to use my legs more,” McCarthy said. “When you go back to the 2019 season and [former LSU quarterback] Joe Burrow and everything he was able to do with that, and I’m faster than Joe Burrow, so I should be able to do it.”

Clifford left the game in the second half with an injury and was replaced by heralded true freshman Drew Allar, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 37 yards. Michigan had two sacks and five quarterback hurries.

Other than Clifford’s 62-yard run to set up a first-half touchdown, Penn State had 49 net rushing yards on 21 carries.

“People look at it as we haven’t played anybody, but in reality, we have, and we showed up and showed out,” said Morris, who had a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. “Now people say we haven’t played anybody, and now Penn State, again, we showed up and we showed up. That narrative can keep going, but we’re in the business of proving people wrong.”

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NASCAR’s motions to dismiss antitrust suit denied

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NASCAR's motions to dismiss antitrust suit denied

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A federal judge has denied NASCAR’s motions to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed against the stock car series.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina also denied NASCAR’s request that two teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — be ordered to post a bond to cover fees they would not be legally owed if they lose the case.

23XI Racing, a team co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports, which is owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, are suing NASCAR to compete with charter recognition throughout the 2025 season.

NASCAR and the teams that compete in the top Cup Series operate with a franchise system that was implemented in 2016 in which 36 cars have “charters” that guarantee them a spot in the field at every race and financial incentives. There are four “open” spots earmarked for the field each week.

The teams banded together in negotiations on an improved charter system in an often-contentious battle with NASCAR for nearly two years. In September, NASCAR finally had enough and presented the teams with a take-it-or-leave-it offer that had to be signed the same day – just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs.

23XI and Front Row were the only two teams out of 15 who refused to sign the new charter agreement. They then teamed together to sue NASCAR and chairman Jim France, arguing as the only stock car entity in the United States, NASCAR has a monopoly and the teams are not getting their fair share of the pie.

Both organizations maintained they would still compete as open cars, but convinced Bell last month to give them chartered status by arguing they would suffer irreparable harm as open cars. Among the claims was that 23XI driver Tyler Reddick, last year’s regular-season champion, would contractually become an immediate free agent if the team did not have him in a guaranteed chartered car.

NASCAR argued Wednesday that it needs that money earmarked because it would be redistributed to the chartered teams if 23XI and Front Row lose.

Jeffrey Kessler, considered the top antitrust lawyer in the country, argued that NASCAR has made no such promise to redistribute the funds to other teams. Kessler said NASCAR told teams it was up to NASCAR’s discretion how it would use the money and didn’t rule out spending some on its own legal fees.

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Mo 2.0? Devin Williams ready to close games for Yankees with a pitch no one else can throw

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Mo 2.0? Devin Williams ready to close games for Yankees with a pitch no one else can throw

For years, teammates have asked Devin Williams to teach them his changeup, a pitch so unusual and dominant it has its own nickname. Williams always helps. They just never get “The Airbender” right.

“I haven’t seen anyone replicate it,” Williams said.

Powered by The Airbender, Williams has established himself as one of the premier relievers in baseball since breaking into the majors in 2019. He has been so good that the Milwaukee Brewers, keeping with their frugal roster-building tactics, traded Williams to the New York Yankees last month for left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin before he inevitably would become too expensive in free agency next winter.

So, for one season, at least, Williams will follow in the footsteps of another Yankees closer who perplexed hitters with one pitch: Mariano Rivera.

“Those are big shoes to fill,” Williams said of Rivera, whose signature cutter helped him become the first player voted unanimously to the Hall of Fame. “I feel he kind of ruined it for everybody else. I mean, after him, it’s hard to live up to those expectations. But at the end of the day, I can only be me.”

Being himself has been more than good enough for the 30-year-old Williams. The right-hander won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award with a 0.33 ERA in 22 games as the Brewers’ primary setup man during the COVID-shortened campaign. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023, his first full season as a closer.

Last season, after missing the first four months with stress fractures in his back, he posted a 1.25 ERA with 14 saves in 15 opportunities across 22 appearances. His 40.8% strikeout rate since 2020 ranks second in the majors among relievers. His 1.70 ERA is also second. His .144 batting average against ranks first.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best in the league, if not the best,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said.

For Williams, it all starts with The Airbender. Williams grips it like a changeup and its 84-mph average velocity plays off his fastball like a changeup. But it’s a changeup with an exceptionally high spin rate that breaks to his arm side — opposite from the typical changeup — making it resemble a screwball or a left-hander’s sweeping slider. It is without precedent.

“It’s not anything to do with the grip,” Williams said. “The grip is nothing special. That’s why I think it’s funny when people are like, ‘Oh, don’t give it away.’ This is the most basic changeup grip they teach you when you’re 8 years old.”

Williams said his changeup is so different for two reasons: His elite extension, which ranked in the 98th percentile in 2024, and a singular ability to pronate his wrist.

“It’s the way my wrist works, the way I’m able to manipulate the ball is something unique, uniquely me,” Williams said. “It allows me to throw my changeup the way I throw it. I’m a really good pronator, not supinator. That’s why my slider sucked. You need to get on the other side of the ball. I’m not good at that. I’m good at turning it over.”

Williams did, however, modify his changeup grip to unearth the weapon. Entering 2019, Williams was a struggling minor league starter with a solid changeup, two years removed from Tommy John surgery. He was one year from reaching free agency, from perhaps seeing his career come to an end and going to college to play soccer.

That spring, seeking more movement, he altered his changeup grip from a two-seam to a four-seam, circle change grip. He first threw it during a live batting practice session to Trent Grisham, then a Brewers prospect. Grisham, now with the Yankees, told Williams the spin difference was noticeable. Williams stuck with it.

A starter through spring training, Williams was sent to Double-A as a reliever to begin the season. The demotion sparked desperation, and Williams decided to throw harder than ever, reaching back to lift his fastball into the high 90s. He was in the majors by August. But it wasn’t until the COVID shutdown in 2020 — when he realized spinning the ball more and dropping the velocity from high-80s to mid-80s created more movement — that his changeup reached another level.

“I took that into the season and at summer camp I’m facing my own teammates,” Williams said. “And Jedd Gyorko, I threw him one, and he swung and missed and he was just like, What is that? I’ve never seen [anything] like that. That gave me confidence and we just ran with it. And I literally started throwing it all the time.”

Coincidentally, Williams said the closest changeup he’s seen to his belongs to Luke Weaver, whose emergence as a shutdown reliever in 2024 was crucial in the Yankees reaching the World Series. Williams happened to be in New York when the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers played in the Fall Classic. He was on his annual autumn vacation after the Brewers were eliminated from the postseason. Past trips have taken him all over Europe: London, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Munich, Dortmund, with a soccer game invariably on his itinerary.

This time, he was in New York. He explored the city for 10 days. Instead of soccer, he watched the World Series from a bar. He shopped. He ate good food. He absorbed the city’s energy.

“I’m a city guy,” Williams said. “I love to explore cities. I like to immerse myself in the culture. I want to be like a normal, everyday person. You guys like bacon, egg and cheese? All right, I’m getting a bacon, egg and cheese.”

Less than two months later, as part of a series of moves executed in their pivot from Juan Soto‘s decision to sign with the crosstown Mets, the Yankees added Williams. On Thursday, Williams settled for $8.6 million to avoid arbitration.

He’ll partner with Weaver to create one of the best bullpen back ends in baseball — in hopes of helping the Yankees win their first championship since Rivera was dominating hitters with his cutter.

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Pens’ Crosby passes Sakic, now 9th on scoring list

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Pens' Crosby passes Sakic, now 9th on scoring list

PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to move into ninth on the NHL’s career scoring list as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Thursday night.

The Penguins’ captain tied Hall of Famer Joe Sakic at 1,641 points with an assist on Bryan Rust‘s first-period goal. Crosby then moved past Sakic with an assist on Drew O’Connor‘s sixth goal of the season later in the period as the Penguins raced to a 4-1 advantage.

Crosby’s 12th goal 5:42 into the second put the Penguins up 5-1, providing some welcome wiggle room for a team that has struggled to hold multiple-goal leads this season.

The next name ahead of Crosby on the career scoring list is none other than Penguins icon Mario Lemieux, who had 1,723 points.

“I’m running out of superlatives [about Crosby],” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told reporters after the game. “What he’s accomplishing, first of all, his body of work in the league, his legacy that has been built to this point, speaks for itself. He’s the consummate pro. He just represents our sport, the league, the Pittsburgh Penguins in such a great way.

“He just carries himself with so much grace and humility and integrity. And he’s a fierce competitor on the ice.”

Rust also had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh, which snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Oilers for the first time since Dec. 20, 2019.

“For us, that was our goal — to be on our toes, be all over them, be on top of them, because they’re very fast, a skilled team,” Rust told reporters after the game. “I think just a result of that was us being able to get some offense.”

Alex Nedeljkovic made 40 stops for the Penguins and Rickard Rakell scored his team-high 21st goal as Pittsburgh won without injured center Evgeni Malkin.

McDavid finished with three assists. Leon Draisaitl scored twice to boost his season total to an NHL-best 31, but the Penguins beat Stuart Skinner four times in the first 14 minutes. Skinner settled down to finish with 21 saves but it wasn’t enough as the Penguins ended Edmonton’s four-game winning streak.

TAKEAWAYS

Oilers: Their attention to detail in the first period was shaky. Though Skinner wasn’t at his best, the Penguins also had little trouble generating chances.

Penguins: Pittsburgh remains a work in progress at midseason but showed it can compete with the league’s best.

UP NEXT

Edmonton finishes a four-game trip at Chicago on Saturday. The Penguins continue a five-game homestand Saturday against Ottawa.

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