KTBB News, Weather, Talk

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Penn State left nothing to chance with a championship chase still on the line. The Nittany Lions were determined to end this game with the ball in their hands.

Drew Allar passed for 244 yards and a touchdown, rushed for a score and led two late fourth-down conversions to help No. 4 Penn State fend off Minnesota 26-25 on Saturday and stay on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Tyler Warren had eight receptions for 102 yards for the Nittany Lions (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP), who dodged the upset on an afternoon when three other teams in the projected 12-team playoff were beaten and secured a third straight 10-win season. Penn State is 5-0 on the road for the first time since 1985.

“Records and stats are one thing, but they’re a physical team, they’re a tough team and they brought their ‘A’ game,” Nittany Lions center Nick Dawkins said.

Dragan Kesich’s third field goal of the game with 5:48 left brought the Gophers (6-5, 4-4) within one after they had first-and-goal from the 7. They tried to get tricky with a second-down screen pass to left tackle Aireontae Ersery, but it fell incomplete.

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck trusted his defense enough to kick, a strategy that almost paid off until Penn State’s Luke Reynolds ran 32 yards on a fake punt to make up for two special teams gaffes in the first half.

Reynolds’ run was the first of three fourth-and-1 conversions on the Nittany Lions’ final drive. Allar converted the second on a keeper from the Minnesota 25 just before the two-minute warning and ended the game on the third conversion with an 11-yard pass to star tight end Warren.

“I just felt like we needed to be aggressive and end the game on our terms,” Franklin said.

Penn State trailed 10-0 and didn’t score until Allar found an uncovered Omari Evans for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 10:48 left in the second quarter. Nick Singleton’s 12-yard touchdown run with 3:43 left in the third gave the Nittany Lions their first lead at 23-22.

“All these times we have been down at halftime, there hasn’t been any pointing fingers or bad attitudes coming back in the locker room,” Warren said, reflecting on comeback wins over USC and Wisconsin. “I think that sets us up really well for the second half.”

Max Brosmer, whose streak of 206 passes without an interception ended when he was picked off by Dominic DeLuca in the second quarter, lost a fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter. Both turnovers set up field goals for Penn State.

“I know it happens in football, but I know that I can be way better,” Brosmer said.

Daniel Jackson had six catches for 90 yards, and Marcus Major rushed for a touchdown for Minnesota.

“There’s a lot of tears in that locker room because of how hard they played, but Penn State found a way to make one more play than we did,” Fleck said. “It was a great football game. Sometimes you’ve got to step out of the head coach role to appreciate a game like that.”

Hands up

With Penn State punting from the back of the end zone, Derik LeCaptain deflected the ball that died at the 21. The Gophers dialed up a double-reverse pass on the next play with a pitch to Darius Taylor, who tossed it to Jackson and back to Brosmer for a TD pass to tight end Jameson Geers with 1:03 left in the first half.

The Nittany Lions cruised 75 yards in six plays, aided by a questionable pass interference penalty on Ethan Robinson, to score on a 4-yard Allar scramble. But Jack Henderson blocked the extra point, and Robinson scooped it up and raced 88 yards for two points and a 19-16 halftime lead.

The takeaway

Penn State: The offense was at its best in no-huddle mode, particularly when keeping Warren, the do-it-all tight end, as involved as possible. Allar’s ball security continues to be an asset.

Minnesota: The win in 2019 against a then-undefeated Penn State team showed what’s possible for this program, and the Gophers nearly repeated that feat. The two turnovers by Brosmer loomed in the end.

Up next

Penn State finishes the regular season at home against Maryland next Saturday, and Minnesota plays at Wisconsin next Friday for possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Coach Billy Napier and his team did something no one at Florida had done in nearly two decades. It could be the turning point for a once-proud program that clearly slipped in recent years.

DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and the Gators upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention.

Florida (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference), which topped LSU last Saturday in the Swamp, beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008.

“We’re just getting started,” said Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season in 2025. “This is part of the big-picture journey. Belief is the most powerful thing in the world.”

Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), which was a 10-point favorite, lost for the first time in four games and will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. The Rebels ranked ninth in the latest CFP and needed only to avoid a letdown against Florida and lowly Mississippi State to clinch a spot in the playoff field.

“Obviously a lot was at stake, and we didn’t come through,” coach Lane Kiffin said. “A lot of missed opportunities.”

The Rebels failed to score in three trips inside the red zone and dropped countless passes in perfect weather, miscues Kiffin called “very unusual.”

Still, Ole Miss had chances late. But Jaxson Dart threw interceptions to end the team’s last two drives. Bryce Thornton, beaten for a touchdown in the first half, picked off both. The second one came with 17 seconds remaining and set up a raucous celebration by defenders in the end zone.

Dart completed 24 of 41 passes for 323 yards, with two TDs and the two picks. He was sacked four times and also scrambled 14 times for a team-high 71 yards.

“You look at the way we played, we had a chip on our shoulder for sure,” defensive tackle Cam Jackson said.

The Rebels probably would have had a comfortable lead had it not been for repeated failures inside the 20-yard line. Defensive tackle J.J. Pegues, a 325-pound wrecking ball out of the backfield, was stopped on two fourth-down runs inside the 20-yard line, and Caden Davis missed a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Ole Miss’ drops were egregious, including at least three that probably would have been touchdowns. Jordan Watkins (twice), Wells (twice), Dae’Quan Wright and star receiver Tre Harris were among the droppers.

Florida was much more efficient. Lagway completed 10 of 17 passes for 180 yards, with an interception. He made three throws with defenders draped all over him.

“Those were the plays of the game,” Napier said.

Johnson had a few of those, too. His 9-yard scoring run from the wildcat formation was huge and came after missed most of the last four games.

“I focused on grinding and trying to work my way back,” Johnson said. “Last week I got a couple carries and this week I shot to the moon.”

Injury woes for Ole Miss

Days after Kiffin raved about the health of his team, the Rebels had three starters go down with injuries.

Harris, returning after missing the last three games with a strained groin, re-injured it the second quarter and did not return.

Safety Yam Banks also was carted off the field after injuring his left knee, and center Reece McIntyre left the game. Right tackle Micah Pettus also was injured on a play but was able to return.

“Senior Day” for Florida

Injured quarterback Graham Mertz got the loudest ovation during Florida’s senior day. Mertz’s college career ended when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 23-17 overtime loss at then-No. 8 Tennessee last month.

The graduating class also includes Johnson, defensive tackle Desmond Watson and cornerback Jason Marshall, who also is out for the season.

The Takeaway

Mississippi: The Rebels needed better offensive balance. Playing without running back Henry Parrish Jr. (knee) for the second consecutive game, Ole Miss threw the ball 41 times. Dart also scrambled 14 more. It worked at times against Florida’s depleted secondary but wasn’t a recipe for success.

Florida: The Gators now have a chance to close the regular season with three consecutive wins, more proof that Napier has the team on the right track.

Up Next

Mississippi: The Rebels host Mississippi State in a rivalry known as the Egg Bowl on Friday.

Florida: The Gators play at rival Florida State next Saturday.

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Coach Kirby Smart hopes some ugly breakdowns by his defense in No. 8 Georgia’s otherwise dominant 59-21 win over Massachusetts on Saturday will provide lessons his team can use in its final regular-season game.

Smart says the most important lesson is about more than missed tackles. He says his players lacked the energy he saw from visiting UMass and that Georgia can’t make the same mistake when it plays in-state rival Georgia Tech on Friday night.

“I hate to say it, but I don’t know if our guys were as energized as their guys were,” Smart said, adding the “want-to and desire” was “the biggest thing” that kept the visiting Minutemen competitive in the first half.

Ultimately, Georgia’s advantage in talent was the difference.

Carson Beck threw four touchdown passes and Nate Frazier set career highs by rushing for 136 yards and three scores as the Bulldogs tried to protect their College Football Playoff hopes.

Georgia (9-2, No. 10 CFP) needed the big offense from Beck and Frazier to rescue a defense that gave up 226 rushing yards. UMass (2-9) played its first game under interim coach Shane Montgomery, the offensive coordinator who retained his play-calling duties after replacing fired coach Don Brown on Monday.

Jalen John led the Minutemen with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown.

“I think we just stuck to the plan that the coaches had for us,” John said. “Obviously this week was kind of rough for us, given Coach Brown not being here anymore. We just did our best to stay focused on what the coaches planned and did our best to execute it.”

Georgia extended its streak of consecutive home wins to 30, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Bulldogs linebacker Chris Cole returned a fumble recovery 31 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Quintavius Johnson’s sack of AJ Hairston and forced fumble set up the play.

Beck avoided turnovers for the second consecutive game. He threw two touchdowns without an interception and also ran for a score in the Bulldogs’ 31-17 win over No. 6 Tennessee on Nov. 16. Beck had 12 interceptions in his previous six games.

“I think the first thing is, obviously, the offensive line played so well,” Beck said. “When I’m not getting pressured as much and I can sit back there comfortably and make my reads, it makes life a lot easier for me.”

UMass opened the game with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that included nine runs and was capped by CJ Hester’s scoring run from the 4.

UMass veered from its run-first plan to open the second half. Hairston threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Jakobie Keaney-James, who made the catch between defensive backs Dan Jackson and Daniel Harris.

Georgia had only four possessions in the first half and each ended with a touchdown pass from Beck. The senior quarterback connected with Oscar Delp, Cash Jones, Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith for the scoring passes.

Poll implications

Favored by 42 1/2 points, Georgia faced a difficult task of meeting expectations. The offensive showing by Beck and Frazier could be enough for the Bulldogs to protect their Top 25 and CFP rankings.

The takeaway

UMass: The Minutemen ran for 166 yards in the first half against a Georgia defense that had allowed an average of 114 for a full game. … LB Jalen Harrell was surrounded by teammates after he was placed on a cart with a leg injury midway through the third quarter.

Georgia: Running backs Trevor Etienne and Branson Robinson, recovering from injuries, were held out. Dwight Phillips Jr. and Chauncey Bowens were given carries, but Frazier seized the opportunity to solidify his status as the next back on the depth chart. Frazier had scoring runs of 9 and 15 yards in the third quarter and added a 2-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth. … Beck completed 20 of 31 passes for 297 yards. Gunner Stockton took over for Beck and led the Bulldogs’ final offensive touchdown drive. … DL Christen Miller was ruled out after leaving the game in the first quarter with what Smart said was a dislocated shoulder.

Up next

UMass: Closes its season at home next Saturday against UConn.

Georgia: Remains home to play Georgia Tech (7-4) on Friday night. The Yellow Jackets beat N.C. State 30-29 on Thursday night.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nico Iamaleava threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 Tennessee to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday.

The Volunteers (9-2) overcame a sluggish start to roll up the impressive win. Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter, but Tennessee found its rhythm. Grad student receiver Bru McCoy, who hadn’t caught a touchdown pass this season, had two. Peyton Lewis also ran for two scores.

“Once we settled in and did the ordinary things, we had a real good day,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, whose team scored touchdowns on all eight red zone visits.

“We started off cold,” said Iamaleava. “We made too many errors. We picked it up as the game went on.

“That first play (of the Vols’ first series of the game — a long incomplete pass to Squirrel White) we missed for a touchdown. I really want that one back. All you can do is focus on the next play.”

Tennessee’s defensive line, which had no sacks in last week’s loss to Georgia, had four against the Miners.

UTEP (2-9) struggled with two missed field goals and three turnovers. It was the second time in Miners coach Scotty Wallen’s seven-year coaching career that his team has been shut out.

“I thought we took massive steps forward, even though the results weren’t what we wanted,” said Wallen. “(Tennessee) is one of the best teams in the country, right there.”

Just before halftime, UTEP lost starting quarterback Skyler Locklear with an injury. Backup JP Pickles had trouble getting anything going.

“When Skyler went down, that kind of messed with us,” said Miners center Brennan Smith.

Tennessee’s offense came alive with 28 points in the second quarter. In the final four drives of the quarter, Iamaleava completed 11 of 12 passes for 146 yards and touchdowns to White, Ethan Davis and McCoy.

“(That first touchdown) was special for me,” said McCoy. “I promised my mom I’d get into the end zone. I never worried (this season, about not scoring). You have to have faith. The timing will be right for it to happen.”

UTEP was the dominant team in the first quarter. Tennessee managed just 37 offensive yards and, thanks to an interception near the end zone and a missed field goal by the Miners, both teams were scoreless after 15 minutes.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Tennessee’s convincing victory, coupled with losses by Mississippi and Indiana, should put the Volunteers in a good position when the next College Football Playoff poll is released. The Vols were ranked No. 11 going into this week’s games.

THE TAKEAWAY

UTEP: The Miners will head into a very winnable game against New Mexico State having won two of their last five games. First-year coach Scotty Walden will try to build on that success in the offseason to help enhance his roster.

Tennessee: Even a lopsided win won’t carry much weight where it means the most — in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Vols will have to rely on a convincing win against Vanderbilt next week, a team that has shown a lot of improvement this season, to help their standing for those coveted spots.

UP NEXT

UTEP: The Miners will finish their season at New Mexico State Saturday.

Tennessee: The Vols will finish their regular season at Vanderbilt next Saturday.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 13 SMU clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by routing Virginia 33-7 on Saturday.

Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte each had two sacks to help the Mustangs (10-1, 7-0, No. 13 CFP) extend their winning streak to eight. They would earn an automatic bid into the expanded College Football Playoff by beating 11th-ranked Miami or 17th-ranked Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“One of our first goals of the summer is done to make it there, but the job’s not finished at all,” Smith said. “Not even close, so we still got a lot more work to do.”

Jennings led the way to get there, bouncing back from an interception and a fumble to complete 25 of 33 passes to six different receivers, including TD tosses to Jordan Hudson and Matthew Hibner. Brashard Smith provided a little balance on offense, running for 63 yards and his 13th touchdown of the season.

“We got an unlimited amount of guys that can make plays,” Jennings said. “I feel like just week by week, the game is getting slower for me.”

SMU’s defense overwhelmed UVa’s offensive line, sacking Anthony Colandrea nine times and allowing the Cavaliers (5-6, 3-4) just 173 yards.

“Against a guy who’s hard to tackle,” said SMU coach Rhett Lashlee, whose contract extension was announced Friday. “Probably against like me back there, it’s 16 sacks — at least the older me.”

Special teams contributed, too, with Roderick Daniels Jr. returning a punt 48 yards and Collin Rogers making two field goals. SMU is reveling in the underdog role after being picked to finish seventh in the ACC in their first season since joining from the American Athletic Conference

“We came out, we play good and we just prove people wrong every week,” Daniels said. “As the season start going, they start seeing we were a threat and now they see what’s going on.”

UVa’s defeat made Notre Dame’s opponents 2-7 in their next game after facing the Fighting Irish this season. SMU is responsible for three of those losses.

The takeaway

SMU: Given their schedule and the ACC’s lack of strength, blowing out a mediocre opponent is not likely to strengthen the Mustangs’ at-large case for the playoff. But they can only beat who they play, and this was a dominant performance that showed this team isn’t collapsing under pressure.

Virginia: Coach Tony Elliott’s decision to stick will Colandrea instead of starting Tony Muskett did not pay off, though it would have been difficult for most quarterbacks to get anything done under with so little time to operate. Faint chants of “We want Muskett!” from the senior day announced crowd of 36,305 came early in the fourth quarter — before Collandrea ended a streak of 20 consecutive drives without scoring by finding Malachi Fields in the end zone with 4:16 left.

Poll implications

SMU should remain at No. 13 and could even move up if No. 5 Indiana drops significantly following its blowout loss at No. 2 Ohio State.

Up next

SMU hosts California next Saturday to wrap up its first regular season of ACC play.

Virginia visits rival Virginia Tech next Saturday night, needing to win to become bowl eligible.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Devin Neal ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns, caught four passes for 80 yards and another score, and led Kansas to a 37-21 victory over No. 16 Colorado on Saturday that dealt a big blow to the Buffaloes’ hopes of playing for the Big 12 title.

Jalon Daniels threw for 189 yards and a touchdown, and the Jayhawks (5-6, 4-4) scored on every offensive possession but their last, keeping Colorado stars Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy candidate Travis Hunter standing on the sideline.

“We controlled our own destiny,” Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said afterward, “and we fumbled it.”

Now, the Buffaloes (8-3, 6-2 Big 12, No. 16 CFP) need to beat Oklahoma State next week and get some help to play for a title in their return to the Big 12, and ultimately earn the league’s guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff.

Shedeur Sanders finished with 266 yards passing and three TDs, setting the Colorado single-season record with 30 of them, and Hunter had eight catches for 125 yards and two scores as the two-way standout continued his Heisman campaign.

Problem is Hunter did little on defense, nor did anyone else in an all-white uniform. Kansas controlled the ball for more than 40 minutes, piled up 331 yards rushing and finished with 520 yards of total offense.

“There was a lot of negativity hanging around about what was wrong with this program and what should be done, and all of that,” said Kansas coach Lance Leipold, whose team became the first in FBS history with a losing record to beat three straight teams in the AP Top 25. “They owned it, they kept working, they stuck together and you can see the results of that.”

The Jayhawks, whose back-to-back wins over Iowa State and BYU had given them newfound confidence, suddenly resemble the team expected to challenge for a Big 12 title, before a series of late-game collapses resulted in a 1-5 start.

“We’ve just played with an extra edge, just in general these last three weeks. We have a different motivation,” said Neal, who also became the first player in Kansas history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. “Eventually we were just tired of losing — tired of losing the close ones. We knew what we had to do. It was a matter of doing it.”

The Jayhawks sure did it Saturday, opening the scoring with Neal’s 51-yard touchdown catch. They forced a three-and-out and scored again for a 10-0 lead. And when they got the ball back yet again, taking advantage of a misfiring Colorado offense, Kansas churned down field and Neal scampered into the end zone for another score.

It was 17-0 before Hunter, who has emerged as the Heisman front-runner, took a short pass from Sanders and cut up field, deftly slipping between several Kansas defenders and going untouched 51 yards for a touchdown.

The teams traded scores into the break, the Jayhawks holding tight to a 23-14 advantage. The question became whether Leipold and the Jayhawks would rue kicking field goals of 24, 23 and 25 yards rather than going for those first-half touchdowns.

Nope.

After the Buffaloes closed within 23-21 on Hunter’s second TD catch, the Jayhawks marched 80 yards with Neal answering the score. Kansas immediately forced a three-and-out, sacking Sanders on third down — he appeared to shove an official in the back after the play — and the Neal scored again to cap an 8-plus minute drive and give the Jayhawks a 37-21 lead.

Colorado’s comeback chances ended when Cobee Bryant broke up a pass in the end zone on fourth down late in the game.

“It was fun in the locker room, man,” Bryant said, “just to see the whole team smiling, having fun, jumping around.”

The Takeaway

Colorado will lament a defense that was simply incapable of stopping the Jayhawks. Defensive back Shilo Sanders was flagged twice and gave up several big plays, while the Buffaloes were bullied up front by the Kansas offensive line.

Kansas could improbably make a bowl game for a third straight season for the first time in school history. The Jayhawks merely need to beat Baylor in their regular-season finale to earn an invitation.

Up Next

Colorado plays Oklahoma State on Friday.

DENVER (AP) — Naji Marshall scored a career-high 26 points, P.J. Washington had 22 and the Dallas Mavericks recovered after blowing a 24-point lead to beat the Denver Nuggets 123-120 on Friday night in an NBA Cup game.

Playing without Luka Doncic, Dallas built a 20-point halftime lead by was down by five before Washington scored nine points in the final 2:41 to improve to 2-1 in the West Group C. Denver was eliminated from the knockout round.

Doncic will be out at least four games with a right wrist sprain.

Nikola Jokic returned from a three-game absence to notch his sixth triple-double of the season. Jokic, who didn’t go on the three-game road trip while he and his wife waited for the birth of their second child, finished with 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists.

Russell Westbrook scored 16 points.

Dallas led 77-53 early in the third quarter but the Nuggets rallied to take a 113-108 lead late in the fourth. The Mavericks went on an 11-2 run to lead 119-115 with 50 seconds left.
Takeaways

Mavericks: Showed their depth without their best player. Six players scored in double figures.

Nuggets: Christian Braun had 17 points and is the only player to score in double figures in every game this season. Jokic has scored at least 10 points in every game he has played.
Key moment

With the game tied at 113 with 1:52 remaining, Dereck Lively II blocked layups by Jokic and Westbrook in a span of 30 seconds.
Key stat

Westbrook entered Friday night shooting 30.4% from 3-point range in his career and made 4 of 6, including all three in the fourth quarter.
Up next

The Mavericks visit the Miami Heat on Sunday night while the Nuggets head to Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Saturday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over.

The Giants quarterback was granted his release on Friday by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito.

“Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him,” Giants president John Mara said in a statement. “We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way.”

Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of the team’s relationship with Jones, who signed a four-year $160 million contract in March 2023 after leading the Giants to a playoff berth.

“We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him,” Mara continued. “We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

The 27-year-old Jones told reporters Thursday that he gave the team everything he had after being taken sixth overall in the 2019 draft and he believes he still has a future in the NFL. He held himself accountable for the Giants (2-8) making the postseason once in his tenure as the starter.

The Duke product took over early in his rookie season when then-coach Pat Shurmur benched two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, who was near the end of his career.

Coach Brian Daboll benched Jones on Monday after the Giants returned to practice following a bye week and a 20-17 overtime loss to Carolina in Germany.

Tommy DeVito will start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Daboll hoping he can spark the team.

“Definitely not happy about it,” said Jones, who read a 90-second statement before taking questions from reporters. “Yeah, not what you want to hear. So, yeah, all those emotions you have. But at the end of the day, this is football. We’re in a business where you’re expected to get results and we weren’t doing it.”

Jones, who is now free to sign with any team, went 24-44-1 as a starter in New York after being the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft. A significant portion of those victories came in 2022, when the Giants went 9-7-1 and beat Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.

Yet whatever forward momentum the club generated in 2022 quickly evaporated in 2023. New York was 1-5 in Jones’ six starts during an injury-marred season and he further regressed this fall.

Jones completed just 63% of his passes with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions even with dynamic rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers at his disposal. The Giants are last in the NFL in scoring and with public sentiment all but gone for the player once known as “Danny Dimes,” Daboll opted to go in another direction while Jones can get a head start on trying to reboot his career elsewhere.

ARLINGTON (AP) — The Texas Rangers agreed to one-year contracts for right-handed pitchers Dane Dunning and Josh Sborz ahead of Friday night’s tender deadline, leaving them with three players still eligible for salary arbitration.

Dunning got a $2.66 million deal that includes $985,000 in performance bonuses for innings in 2025, down from his $3,325,000 salary this season when he was on the injured list twice with right shoulder issues. He would earn $50,000 each for reaching 30, 40, 50 and 60 innings, $75,000 apiece for 70, 80 and 90, and $80,000 for 100, 105, 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150.

Sborz, who had right shoulder surgery this month, got $1.1 million with $250,000 in bonuses for innings after making $1,025,000 this year. He would earn $25,000 for five innings, $50,000 for 10, $75,000 for 15 and $100,000 for 20.

Texas tendered 2025 contract offers to all 27 eligible players on its big league roster. That included first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim and center fielder Leody Taveras, who are all eligible for salary arbitration.

After getting the final seven outs in the World Series championship-clinching victory at Arizona in Game 5 in 2023, Sborz missed 107 games this year while on the injured list four times for right shoulder issues.

The Rangers revealed Friday that Sborz had a debridement procedure performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on November 13. The team said there is a reasonable expectation Sborz can return to game action in the first half of the 2025 season.

Sborz pitched only 16 1/3 innings in 17 appearances this year. He was 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA.

Dunning missed 29 games during his IL stints, and was demoted to Triple-A Round Rock at one point during the season. While with the Rangers, he went 5-7 with a 5.31 ERA in 26 games (15 starts) while splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen like he also did during the World Series season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Woodward has been named first base coach by the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking his second stint on manager Dave Roberts’ staff.

The Dodgers made the announcement Friday night. Woodward was the Dodgers first base coach from 2016-18 before leaving to take over as manager of the Texas Rangers.

Woodward fills the opening created after former first base coach Clayton McCullough became manager of the Miami Marlins.

Woodward had a 211-287 record in nearly four seasons with the Rangers. He has been a senior advisor on the Dodgers’ Major League and Player Development staff for the past two seasons.

Dodgers executive vice president and general manager Brandon Gomes said Woodward will take over base running and infield responsibilities with third base coach Dino Ebel shifting to outfield duties.